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story page 20

s t o r y p a g e 14

story page 12

Co ver Photo

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issue no. 50

Why did the chicken cross the piano? To see what wood be there.

Photo by Paul Gover

Fea tures 8 12 14 20 22

Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole:

First monumental pole in 130 years celebrates Haida past and future

By Dave Quinn

Excavating Wu’dat

UNBC and Lake Babine Nation dig up history

By Matt J Simmons

19

24 29

Spectacular Spatsizi:

Vast wilderness with a rich history and uncertain future

By Tania Millen

Forests for the World Map and trail guide

By Nancy Alexander

Lost in definition

Art lives in Smithers

By Matt J Simmons

Lost in the boreal

In search of BC’s northeast corner

By Matt J Simmons

Seed saving:

A heritage tradition for the future

By Emily Bulmer

Depa rtm en ts 7

story page 24

2013

In Other Words

Editorial and cartoon from the seasoned and the silly

Top Culture

Explore the rural route to northern culture with UNBC’s Rob Budde

Story Comm en ts?

42 46

Resource Directory

Services and products listed by category

The Barometer

A seasonal reading of the Northwest

by Char Toews

Tell us what you’re thinkin’. Comment on any story at www.northword.ca

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| OCT/NOV ‘13 | 5

contents

story page 8

October/No vember

Joanne Campbell

PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

contributors

joanne@northword.ca t: 250.847.4600 f: 847.4668 toll free: 1.866.632.7688

Amanda Follett Hosgood EDITOR

editorial@northword.ca

Shannon Antoniak

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

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Sandra Smith

LAYOUT, AD DESIGNER, NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

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Emily Bulmer is a longtime Smithereen who enjoys subjecting herself to unscientific experiments in living. She occasionally records her findings and reports positive results most of the time.

Hans Saefkow is an awardwinning editorial cartoonist, illustrator and set designer. If you see this man, do not approach him, feed him, or listen to his idle chatter. It is simply best not to encourage him.

Rob Budde teaches creative

writing and critical theory at the University of Northern British Columbia. He has published seven books (poetry, novels, interviews, and prose poems). His most recent book is Finding Ft. George from Caitlin Press.

NORTHWORD MAGAZINE Northword Magazine the only independent, regional magazine that covers northern BC from border to sea. Our goal is to connect northern communities and promote northern culture; we put a vibrant, human face on northern life with great articles and stunning images. Northword Magazine—BC’s top read, for a reason.

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Nancy Alexander has been mapping the wild for nearly 30 years.

She lives in the woods of Prince George with two dogs, two cats and her trail-running, berry-picking husband, Roger.

Charlynn Toews has published

in daily and weekly newspapers, national magazines, and loves a good regional. She writes a regular column for Northword from her home in Terrace.

Dave Quinn uses boots, backpacks, kayaks, canoes, skis and a keyboard to explore the interface between society and wilderness. Dave is a Wycliffe, BC-based dad by day and Outdoor Guy on CBC’s Radio West by night.

Matt J Simmons writes about BC’s incredible landscapes, both natural and cultural. Author of The Outsider’s Guide to Prince Rupert, Matt is always seeking his next big adventure, but has a habit of choosing cold, mosquito-infested landscapes...and loves every minute.

Tania Millen is currently under

the spell of Spatsizi where she wrangles horses every fall. Once the snow flies, she migrates south to Terrace—to research, write and dream of roaming the wilderness on horseback.

Facundo Gastiazoro is a freelance designer who focuses on logos, posters, layout and illustrations. Originally from Buenos Aires, Facundo is currently living in Smithers. His illustrations appear in every issue of Northword Magazine.

BC’s Top Read MAIN OFFICE | Smithers

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Legalities and limitations Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. No part of Northword Magazine, in print or electronic form, may be reproduced or incorporated into any information retrieval systems without written permission of the publisher.

Information about events, products or services provided is not necessarily complete. The publisher is not responsible in whole or in part for any errors or omissions.

The views expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher, staff or management.

Northword assumes no liability for improper or negligent business practices by advertisers, nor for any claims or representations contained anywhere in this magazine. Northword reserves the right to cancel or refuse advertising at the publisher’s discretion.

In no event shall unsolicited material subject this publication to any claim or fees. Northword welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Copyright in letter and other materials sent to the publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic and other forms. Please refer to www.northword.ca for contribution guidelines.

editorial

In Other Words

Work to live...or live to work?

by Joa n n e C a mpb el l ed i tor ial@no rt hwo rd. c a

Obviously.

When Fred took the stage and saw the kids bouncing in their seats in the first row his eyebrows raised up mightily. After a quick consult with the other band

On the African plains, antelope know that when the lions slink out of sight, there’s trouble on the way, and they are being hunted.

There is a modern equivalent

members, it was decided that in deference to the raucous university crowd that had also paid to see them they would not change their rocky, raunchy and extremely loud musical line-up, but instead kindly rounded up some ear plugs for the kids.

Thankfully, due to a combination of stimulation overload and sensory shutdown, the boys slept through most of the show, with their Fred Head buttons and earplugs in place, curled up next to me on one of the ArtSpace couches.

Jim followed his dream and made it a success.

In a typically northern way, he knew what he wanted and worked it. He doesn’t just facilitate other people’s creativity; his business creativity is a work of art in its own right.

But sometimes, if your lifestyle is your dream, you’ll work at whatever it takes to make it.

On a misty late-August day in Port Clements, I stopped by Harmonie’s Place for lunch. It’s a cozy place, built in 1911 to accommodate the local newspaper. Today, it’s home to the café and monthly music coffee houses.

I ordered the mushroom cheeseburger. Kazamir, husband of Harmonie, informed me that I could indeed have the mushroom cheeseburger, right after he went to the market to get some fresh

hans saefk ow

There are two types of modern day pioneer that make their way here in north-central BC. There are the kind whose work is their life and the kind whose life is their work.

In his column, Rob Budde praises two of Prince George’s literary heroes, one of whom—Jim Brinkman—I’ve known for many years and is a fine example of the first type. In Char Toews’ column, she smacks her lips over some of her favourite places to eat, including a spot on Haida Gwaii called Bud’s Diner in Massett. I ate a great breakfast at Bud’s this past August, but that’s not the story I want to tell—it’s about the people who run a little place called Harmonie’s Place just down island in Port Clements, people who exemplify the second type. But first, let me tell you about Jim. I knew Jim when he lived in Smithers before he sold Interior Stationery and packed himself off to Prince George in the late ’90s. He bought a huge building that had previously housed a Danish furniture store and installed Books & Company, a funky independent bookstore with a little coffee shop called Café Voltaire. I had also just moved to PG from Smithers and was publishing Forte Magazine—similar to Northword in content, but focused on the Prince George area. Our first edition featured a story on Jim’s new art gallery space that he was putting the final touches on for opening in June 1999.

In the Forte article Jim said, “I always have these visions of what I want, and I end up trying to put it together. The vision doesn’t really change…I’ve had this idea for the bookstore for the last 15 or 20 years. I always wanted the coffee bar incorporated into it, a jazz club in the basement would be nice too, but this little gallery project is basically the next step toward the original vision.”

His “little gallery project,” now called ArtSpace, would feature a big open showroom in the middle that would serve as the gallery. All around the showroom were satellite rooms that could serve as offices and/or studios for working artists. Forte was located in one of those offices, right over top of Café Voltaire. I was pregnant for a portion of my time there and, to this day, the warming smell of chai tea evokes morning sickness memories.

In addition to a working gallery, Jim also envisioned using the space as a performance venue.

Mark Perry played ArtSpace many times (in fact, he’s playing there again, Oct. 5) and he was always a favourite, as was Fred Eaglesmith, another early headliner. The first time Fred played ArtSpace, we brought our boys, who were then about five and seven, expecting the same folky-style delivery we listened to at home. We’d never experienced Fred Eaglesmith in concert.

mushrooms. He was sole cook/dishwasher/waiter that day while Harmonie was in Smithers getting the kids swimming lessons—she was camping with the kids at Tyhee Lake, about a kilometre from my house. (It is a weirdly small world!)

Kazamir sprinted across the street, brought back the mushrooms, thawed out the hamburger to make the patty, sliced the onions and put them on to fry, and apologized because he didn’t have time to make the buns fresh as he usually does.

As he cooked, he chatted about what an amazing place Port Clements is to raise a family, the state of the local economy, the relative personalities of the island communities... and his wife Harmonie who, it turns out, is more than just a café owner.

She’s also a musician. Paramedic. Volunteer firefighter. Canadian Ranger. Artisan (knitted toques, etc). Did I mention she has six kids including a toddler? And Kazamir, much as he touts his wife’s many virtues, is—as far as I could tell—just as crazy-busy as she, doing whatever it takes to stay where they love.

By the way, that mushroom cheeseburger was the best I’ve ever eaten. Juice-running-downyour-chin delicious.

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Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole

s r a e y 0 3 1 n i e l o al p First monument e r u t u f d n a t s a p a celebrates Haid

dav e qui nn

T he ha nds of a c a r ve r : Gw aai E den s h aw pu ts th e fi n i s h i n g tou ch es o n t h e H a i d a G w a i i L e g a c y Po l e p r i o r t o r a i s i n g .

by Dave Qu i n n d a v eq@wildsight .c a

I first visited Haida Gwaii nearly 20 years ago with three friends, before the temporary moniker Queen Charlotte Islands was returned to BC, respectfully gift-wrapped in a cedar box, in 2010.

Road tripping across BC on a late-September, early-20s adventure, four borrowed kayaks strapped to the roof of my truck, we held on for dear life as the ferry from Rupert bucked like a colt through a Hecate Strait gale.

Queen Charlotte City seemed like the proverbial port in the storm in every sense of the word.

The moist air was rich with verdant rainforest growth spiced with wind-born sea salt. Everyone we met seemed genuinely stoked to meet us. And kindness seemed to be the local modus operandi.

The ferry captain even let us pilot the small ferry that runs from Graham to Moresby Island. Where does that happen?

Two decades later, on Aug. 15, I was honoured to join over 400 people, including BC conservation officers, federal fisheries officers, RCMP, Parks 8 | OCT/NOV ‘13 |

www.n o rthword.ca

Canada staff and hundreds of Haida of all ages, many draped in button blanket and cedar hat regalia, who braved rough seas to be part of the first monumental pole raising in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years.

Since 1993, I have been back to the islands at the edge of the world almost annually, guiding late spring sea kayak expeditions in an annual rendezvous with the migrating whales, breeding seabirds and eagles, and giant trees of Haida Gwaii. Much has changed since my first visit, but its beauty remains the same. Humpbacks in the hundreds pause here in their annual pilgrimage from Hawaii to the Alaskan fjords. The highest density of nesting bald eagles on the planet fills the air with squeaky clothesline calls, and nearly a million pelagic seabirds come ashore to nest.

The damage done But the fragile island ecosystem, undisturbed for tens of thousands of years, is under assault.

Raccoons—introduced as a potential source of income when Davy Crockett hats were the rage— and rats, those universal parasites, smuggled themselves ashore from logging barges and visiting ships; they’ve taken a heavy toll on seabirds, wiping out entire colonies tens of thousands strong in just a few seasons.

Another introduced character, the Sitka blacktail deer, has multiplied relentlessly in this predator-free archipelago, to the point that native flowers and shrubs, once a thick carpet across the archipelago, are now only found on remote, rocky headlands. Locals fear for the culturally critical western red cedar, whose seedlings are gobbled up by the deer. A cull on two remote islands is attempting to restore balance, but even on Reef Island, 10 km offshore, hunters killed 75 deer over five years. They even enlisted the unlikely dachshund to help with the roundup. Weiner dogs hunting deer in the rainforest. Such is the mystery of Haida Gwaii.

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S e a k ayak g uide R o bso n Gm o s er adm i res s om e of th e l as t of th e or i gi n al pol es a t t he a nc ient Haida villag e and Unesco Wor l d C u l tu r al H er i tage S i te of S ’ Gan g Gw aay,

The deep, timeless momentum of this rich archipelago continues in spite these threats, and Haida Gwaii is still known in many circles as the Galapagos of the North.

But despite the biological richness, it is Haida Gwaii’s human treasure that continues to lure me back. Islanders in general are known to be a friendly lot, but it seems like the Haida, who have called Haida Gwaii home for close to 10,000 years, take hospitality to a new level. While isolated animosities to off-islander non-aboriginals do exist (not surprising after over a century of the

Indian Act and its residential schools and potlatch bans), my sensory memory is alive with tastes of fresh, Haida-caught abalone, salmon smoked six different ways, fresh venison with wild cranberry sauce, sguu, dried seaweed and k’aaw, herring roe-on-kelp, fresh and smoked.

My mind’s eye squints into beach fires under the visage of greying totems, laughter and new language shared, a west coast sunset settling into the sea at our backs. One of the first words you learn in Haida, and the one you use the most, is ... continued on Page 10

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Th e H ai da Gw ai i L egacy P ol e s tan ds u p as 8 0 0 h an ds h eav e th e l i n es .

... continued from Page 9

Haw’aa: Thank you. Proud, strong, independent and welcoming are some of the essences of the Haida Nation.

da ve quinn

The rising up of a nation But in 1985 the welcome mat was rolled up, as members of the Haida Nation tired of watching island after island stripped of their old-growth blankets from sea to skyline. Some of these alder-choked hillsides and the open sores of landslides continue to ooze today, nearly 40 years later.

The 1985 logging blockade on Lyell Island resulted in over 70 Haida arrests and international attention. The Haida declared the southern third of Moresby Island, called Gwaii Haanas, a Haida Heritage Site. Robert Wilson, known as Captain Gold, founded the Haida Watchmen program that same year. After nearly a century of abandonment, the ancient village sites once again had seasonal Haida caretakers to safeguard these cultural treasures and deepen the connection between the modern Haida Nation and its past.

Years of intense negotiations, political scandal (BC Premier Bill Bennett and most of his 1985 cabinet were shareholders in Western Forest Products, who held the timber licence for the area) and international pressure ensued.

Finally, the historic 1993 Gwaii Haanas agreement protected the area under the shared oversight of the Government of Canada and the Haida Nation.

Despite a major difference of opinion regarding ownership, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site was born. With the addition

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One of the first words you learn in Haida, and the one you use the most, is Haw’aa: Thank you.

of National Marine Conservation Area guidelines in 2010, it became the world’s only mountaintop-toseafloor protected area.

To acknowledge the 20-year anniversary of the groundbreaking Gwaii Haanas document, Parks Canada commissioned Masset carver Jaalen Edenshaw to create the Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole.

What goes up On that sun-streaked August day, 30 youth from Masset and Skidegate, paddling traditional Haida canoes, made their first-ever visit to the park. Their paddle song, ceremonial request to come ashore, and welcome by the local hereditary chief was an emotionally charged highlight. Accompanied by a frightening visit by the mischievous spirit Gogit, a blessing of eagle down and water, and drumming and singing, the pole literally leapt upright, as hundreds of hands heaved together on six thick ropes.

Alongside the pole’s traditional grizzly bear, raven, eagle and sculpin, five figures with linked arms represent those who took a stand in the 1985 blockades, and Sacred-One-Standing-andMoving is a mythical figure who holds up the archipelago, shaking it when he moves. His last dance resulted in last October’s 7.7 magnitude

Tel: 250-771-3119

quake that temporarily blocked Gwaii Haanas’s famous hot springs, which are now slowly returning.

In two decades—but a hemlock needle on the sea of Haida Gwaii’s tremor-rattled history—I have seen the tentative return of the humpbacks, testing rich waters where a handful of whaling stations once decimated their numbers. But every shed-sized stump, every man-width, saw-cut, wasted log on the beach, every landslide and alder-carpeted hillside still breaks my heart. I will not live to see a true Pacific rainforest here again.

Nor will my children, or theirs.

It has been with mixed feelings of understanding, twinged with my own culture’s obsession with accumulation and preservation, that I have watched rotting-red chunk after chunk fall from the last of the ancient, standing poles at the Gwaii Haanas villages of S’Gan Gwaay and Skedans. They were always designed with the impermanence of nature in mind, and their destiny, despite their compelling beauty as monumental art, is to return to the earth.

Edenshaw’s Legacy Pole will look out past the rocks of Windy Bay for a century of North Pacific sunrises, to a future for Gwaii Haanas that promises to be as exciting as its past.

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Wu’dat

Excavating

uni ve rsi t y o f n o rthe r n britis h c o lumbia

UNBC and Lake Babine Nation dig up history

P ro j e c t d i re c t o r F a r i d R a h e m t u l l a care f u l l y c l e a n s b i rc h b a r k re m a i n s on t h e h o u s e f l o o r.

by Mat t J S i m mo ns thewrit er@mat t jsim m on s. c om

In 2010, the Lake Babine Nation and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) joined forces to excavate an archaeological site at the north end of Babine Lake. Working closely with representatives from the community, the Department of Anthropology at UNBC put together a field school. They spent several weeks that summer at the site, living and working alongside community members.

Last summer, following the success of this initial excavation, UNBC revisited the site about 100 km northeast of Smithers with a second field school, gathering data about one small, but very interesting, piece of the greater site.

These recent excavations uncovered over 400 artifacts, ranging in age from well before Europeans set foot on western soil right up to relatively recent times.

The site is an extensive village traditionally known as Wu’dat. Resourcerich—especially in salmon—the location is perfect for a settlement and archaeological evidence suggests it was actively used for thousands of years.

In fact, it would probably still be lived in today, if events hadn’t unfolded the way they did.

Living with the salmon As a means to exploit the abundance of salmon, the village inhabitants had set up extensive fish weirs. In 1904, a Fisheries representative named Hans Helgerson said he saw the fishers catching 500 to 600 fish a day—at the end of the run. Skeena River cannery operators complained and put pressure on the Department of Marine and Fisheries to do something.

“They convinced the government to come and destroy the weirs,” says Farid 12 | OCT/NOV ‘13 |

www.n orthword.ca

Rahemtulla, the archaeologist and professor at UNBC who headed up the field school.

With their main food source stripped away, it’s not hard to imagine the villagers leaving shortly after. Rahemtulla’s report for the 2010 excavations talks about how Helgerson praised the quality of the fish weirs, saying their construction was based on sound scientific principles. He also pulls from various historical accounts that point to the location as being a prime spot for fish.

“These descriptions indicate that the Babine River/Nilkitkwa Lake corridor was a highly productive zone for salmon harvesting and processing in antiquity,” he writes. He goes on to point out that “the communities in this area had the technology and social organization to harvest and process very large quantities of salmon.”

Having advanced technology and refined social structure means that the community’s culture was vibrant and varied. Which, in turn, means the archaeological record of Wu’dat should be pretty interesting. But, according to the personable UNBC professor, you don’t need to know any of this or dig in the ground to be impressed by Wu’dat. Simply going there is enough.

“When I first went out there and saw it, my jaw just dropped,” Rahemtulla says. “It’s such a huge site. The guy who initially recorded this site recorded over 1,000 cultural depressions.”

By cultural depressions, he means the imprint left where a house once stood.

Over 1,000 houses. That’s a pretty big community. But why there? Large sites like this are more commonly found in coastal areas.

“Mainly because of the incredible wealth of resources,” Rahemtulla explains.

unive rs ity o f no rthe r n britis h c o lumbia

E xcavati ng a “ cul tural d e p re s s i o n ,” o r remai ns o f a ho use, at t h e s i t e o f a n o l d B abi ne f i shi ng vi l l ag e.

“It’s a pretty amazing location.”

UNBC a second time. “The But it’s not just the quantity of community came and said they’d fish that makes this site so desirlike us to go back and excavate able. “There are some spots in the more.” This time, Rahemtulla Interior where fish like sockeye decided to focus on just one of lose just enough fat to be easily the cultural depressions. processed. I’m wondering if the “We had students from UNBC, Babine is that spot.” He says the SFU, and UVic,” he says. “We abundance and quality of fish spent several weeks excavating running through the region likely one house. I wanted to find out contributed to diversification of Farid Rahemtulla how far the houses go back. That the Babine culture, through trade village site was in situ, pretty and intermarrying. much as the Europeans found it.”

“It led to all kinds of really interBut what sets this site apart esting social things,” he says. “Babine married from others is that it isn’t just an archaeological into Tsimshian and Gitxsan. There’s been lots of dig where the inhabitants have been long gone debate about this,” he adds, noting that the prevafor thousands of years. “We found stone projectile lent academic theory says the Babine Nation didn’t points, but we also found musket balls and flints, adopt coastal culture until the fur trade. “To me, and even modern cartridges.” that doesn’t make a lot of sense. That interaction All this from one house. Which suggests that goes back a long way.”

Wu’dat was continuously inhabited from precontact right up until the time of the so-called Back to school Barricade Conflict, when the weirs were destroyed When he was first invited to set up the field school, and the village abandoned.

Rahemtulla didn’t have to think twice. UNBC signed an agreement with the Lake Babine Nation Sifting through the facts and an amazing working relationship began.

Now comes the hard part. Rahemtulla has set “We have a pretty unique field school where we a pair of graduate students to work on sifting partner with various First Nations,” Rahemtulla through the artifacts and data. “One is trying to says. “We wanted this to be in full partnership figure out what parts of the house were used for with the community. All the projects we do are what,” he says. “It’s going to take a long time to like this. In 2010, half the students were Lake sort through all that data.”

Babine Nation students. They got university At the same time, the Lake Babine Nation is credits. I always like to say, we bring the univeralready working on gathering ethnographic inforsity to their backyard.” mation—oral histories that fit into the story the This approach to archaeology is one that engenarchaeologists are slowly unravelling. It’s a side ders respect and builds lasting relationships— to the site that Rahemtulla wishes he could spend even friendships. “It breaks down walls on both more time on. sides,” he says. His university students get more “We’ve done very little,” he admits, “but now out of a field school experience in a community they’re doing their own research. Many commuthan they could ever get in a classroom and any nities realize the value of it: the full integration of preconceptions they might have quickly dissithe various forms of knowledge.” pate. “We lived right there in the community. It’s Locals have told Rahemtulla that some of the a pretty amazing thing to watch. And in the end, ancient fish weirs—or at least remnants of them— you have people in the community who know still exist. Wooden artifacts can remain preserved what archaeologists do.” for hundreds, if not thousands, of years if they stay When they excavated a small portion of the site submerged underwater. That’s enough to entice they discovered not only how big the village was, the archaeologist up for another visit: “We’re but also how old it is. “The site goes back at least going out there again, soon.”

1,300 years,” Rahemtulla says. This was enough N to prompt the Lake Babine Nation to approach

I always like to say, we bring the university to their backyard.

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Fa c u nd o G a st i azo ro beg an ex plo ring a rt t hrough p o litical g raff iti in his home of Bu e no s Aires, Arg entina.

A bou t h i s m edi u m of ch oi ce, ar ti s t Mar k Tw orow s ay s , “ I am a pai n ter, th rou gh an d th rou gh . ”

miriam colvin

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W h i l e Mi r i a m Colvin performed a sequence o f i m p ro v i s e d movements, Perry R a t h c a p t u re d her motion using c h a rc o a l i n a s e r i e s of continuous g e s t u re -d r a w i n g e x e rc i s e s .

Sm i t h e r s - b a s e d a r t i s t Pe r r y R a t h i n h e r i t e d t h e a r t i s t i c g e n e f ro m h i s g r a n d f a t h e r.

Lost in definition Art lives in Smithers

by Matt J S i m mo ns thewr it er@mat t jsim m on s. c om

The creative process is a great and beautiful mystery. Art is simultaneously unknowable and immediately identifiable—from ancient cave art to modern installations, the artistic impulse is the very thing that makes us human. But defining art is like trying to verbally explain the difference between left and right without referring to objects

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or landmarks. It can’t be done. And maybe art is best left undefined.

Northern BC has an incredible array of artists of every persuasion. Art here is so diverse, so concentrated, and so good that a single article can’t do it justice. An entire magazine would only scratch the surface. Here, then, are three Smithers-based artists you need to know more about.

The politics of humour Facundo Gastiazoro exudes approachability. The goateed and bespectacled artist is characterized by positivity and openness. A graphic designer by trade, the Argentinian artist came to Canada about a decade ago. Settling in Smithers with his partner, he’s a much sought after creator of captivating images.

A ccordi n g to th e ar ti s t, “ A m ou n tai n pai n ti n g s h o u l d re p re s e n t w h a t a m o u n t a i n i s .”

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Mar k Tw orow ’s pai n ti n g Hi gh M ou nta i n Me a do w : Mc C a be Tra i l

Growing up in culturally rich Buenos Aires, Gastiazoro was exposed to art from a young age.

But it was family that instigated his early love for artistic creation.

“I was just a kid, no? My brother teach me to play,” he says in his thick accent. “The first time I consciously did art, it was primary school. I had a good teacher.”

His first real art experiences have their roots in political graffiti. “Literally, it was drawing on the walls. The other political parties would try to do their messages too, so it was a fight for the walls. The other parties hired soccer hooligans, so we went ready for a fight. We had security—two people on motorbikes and one car. The guys on motorbikes would stand watch while we paint,” he says. ... continued on Page 16

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Mark Two ro w’s p ai nt i n g, B la c k Spr uc e

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F o r t h e p i e c e E ar t h l y M e m o r i e s o f We i g h t an d F l i g h t , a r t i s t Pe r r y R a t h w o r ke d w i t h d a n c e r M i r i a m Colvin to do casts of various body parts that w e re p re s e n t e d i n a n installation that depicted “ a f i g u re e x p a n d i n g i n t o space, moving out in v a r i o u s p o s s i b l e d i re c t i o n s f ro m t h e c o re .”

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Th e pai n ti n g H i l l t o p , a c r y l i c s o n c a n v a s , w i l l be par t of F a c u n d o G a s t i a zo ro ’s e x h i b i t H om e at th e S m i t h e r s Ar t G a l l e r y. ... continued from Page 15

For Gastiazoro, the message is an integral part of his work. “Graphic design is all about communications, expressing your message.” University is free in Argentina, which allowed him to explore different areas of study. But being an artist in a densely populated city isn’t easy.

“In Argentina, it is way harder to be an artist,” he says. “In a small town it’s way easier to be

shown and seen. It’s easier to be more relevant in people’s lives or the art history of a community.”

When he arrived in Smithers, art was the obvious thing for him to do. It was also necessary.

“I didn’t have a work permit so I did a gallery exhibition,” he laughs. “A big part of being an artist is being involved in the community.” He’s currently curating an art show called Life Expo-

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sure, a community-based photography project that will be displayed in Smithers and Hazelton in October, and preparing for a November show at the Smithers Art Gallery.

Painting the sound of music Mark Tworow works in a Smithers bookstore and his enthusiasm for literature is contagious. But

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P er r y R a t h’s p a in t ing, B o dies a nd Hea rt.

It was drawing on the walls. The other political parties would try to do their messages too, so it was a fight for the walls.

books, despite his seemingly inexhaustible knowledge of them, are a lesser love for this soft-spoken Smithereen.

Painting is his real passion.

“As a kid, I did the usual things,” he says. “Drew lots Facundo then went to art school. I graduated in 1991. Like a lot of artists, I was slow out of the gate after.” The problem, he explains, is that in art school, students are taught to think critically about art, to define it and analyze it. It stopped him for a few years. “But then my wife said to me, ‘I thought I married an artist.’” With that prompt, he started painting again.

Now, the artist is hitting his stride. He’s involved in exhibitions both locally and in other cities, he

experiments with different styles, and he’s dabbling in a kind of performance art— painting to live music.

“If I had to define what I am as a painter, I’d lean towards abstract Gastiazoro expressionist,” he says.

“Responding to music is very expressionist.”

Tworow’s paintings also include incredible landscapes. “In northern BC it’s hard to avoid landscapes,” he says. He’s quick to qualify his approach, though. “I avoid very much what I would call postcard images,” he says. “A mountain painting should represent what a mountain is.”

Tworow’s current works include images of local bands performing, local scenery and, as he puts it, a “full blown abstract.” Despite juggling different

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styles and approaches, the medium is always the same. “I am a painter, through and through.”

Lately, Tworow has opened up his studio online.

“Facebook’s been really good for me,” he says, smiling. “People have to friend me, but I only use Facebook for my art; I don’t post pithy sayings or pictures of cats.” He posts pictures of partially completed pieces as he works on them. “It’s a great way for people to participate in art on a daily basis,” he says. “I have to fight a tendency to be influenced by likes. I do really like the comments, I just don’t want to be influenced by it. marktworow.com Art is everywhere Smithers Secondary School art teacher Perry Rath is about as grounded and likeable as a person can be. His art is striking, intensely creative and filled ... continued on Page 18

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... continued from Page 17

with expression. The office beside the art room is decorated with student art and notes, including one that says, “I’m really gonna miss your class—you’re the best teacher EVER.” “My mom’s dad was an artist,” he says. “My granddad was my first big artistic influence.” He was also a spiritual influence on the young Rath. “My granddad taught me about the ideas of multi-dimensionality,” he says. “Art is a way for me to escape things. It’s a way to step out of this dimension and exist only in the realm of the creative.”

In school, Rath started exploring his artistic inclinations early and his parents were supportive. After graduating, he continued studying art. “Art school was a great milieu of art craziness!” he smiles. “But right after art school, I found it really hard to make art again. It took me a bit to balance the intuitive nature of art with the cerebral side of things you study in art school.”

When he found that balance, Rath never looked back. His pieces are now shown all over the world.

“Art-making is a compulsion,” he says. “I carve it into the wee hours.

I definitely sacrifice sleep for art.

But if I go too long without making art, I feel a sort of vacantness.” Art is life—literally.

Rath’s art often expresses intangible ideas, but he also participates in projects that actively convey a Perry Rath message. These range from shows on pipelines to installations and collaborations with scholars and dancers. He speaks fondly of collaborating with dancer Miriam Colvin.

“Miriam saw a show of mine, an installation that explored the ideas of absence and presence. She found in that a connection to dance.” He adds, laughing, “We also really wanted an excuse to work together.”

In everything he does, Rath is quietly passionate and humble. “As an artist, you allow yourself the permission to notice artful things,” he says. “I look at the world through visual and artistic eyes. There is art everywhere, you just have to notice.” perryrath.com N

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I definitely sacrifice sleep for art. But if I go too long without making art, I feel a sort of vacantness.

P er r y R ath ’s pai n ti n g, If O n l y t o H e ar an E c h o .

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by Rob Budde rb u d de@shaw.ca

column

Top Culture Prince George literary heroes

Their hard work in artistic and literary culture is making spaces for that art to happen.

One of the lessons I have learned in my travels through different cultural communities (previously in Winnipeg and Calgary) is that a healthy environment for art and culture takes work behind the scenes. I have learned to appreciate those individuals who, while not in the cultural spotlight, play a huge role in the development of a culture that is conducive to new art and writing.

Two individuals come to mind when I think about behind-the-scenes advocates for the cultural life of Prince George: Jim Brinkman (owner and manager of Books & Co.) and Amy Dawley (Teen and Young Adult Librarian at the Prince George Public Library). In very different ways, these two make our city a richer place.

Amy Dawley came to the PG Public Library in 2009 and has since instituted an exciting and impressive array of programming for young adults.

Along with advising teens on their reading choices and dealing with hordes of Hunger Gamers, she also has been instrumental in getting teen writers together to share and improve their work. Dawley was recently recognized for her excellence with the Young Adult and Children’s Service Award at the British Columbia Library Association conference in Richmond, BC. I have personally run across numerous teens who have benefited from Dawley’s advice and networking, and she has given teen readers and writers a place to call their own at the library. The idea that her activity might produce more and more confident young writers in Prince George gives me great comfort. I wish she was at my public library when I was a teen because some-

times it is agonizing to be the only avid reader/writer in your junior high or high school classes.

I know.

Independent bookstores are a rare and beautiful thing in Canada these days and Prince George is lucky to have one of the best in Books & Co. This bookstore is owned and run by Jim Brinkman who has lived in Prince George for 17 years. Not only is he responsible for an alternative to the chain bookstores (Coles, Chapters, Amazon, etc.) that have hobbled the Canadian publishing industry, but he also runs Café Voltaire and Art Space, two important venues for all things art and performance in Prince George. While Brinkman is a businessman, he also has been irrationally generous with his space and time over the years, helping out arts organizations and individual artists alike. Prince George and northern BC should cherish this and other independents.

Their hard work in artistic and literary culture is making spaces for that art to happen. These spaces might take the form of physical places like Books & Co., but also might mean meeting rooms, forums, opportunities, presses, publications, concerts, organizations, collectives—any activity that provides the artist or writer a chance to do what they do.

It is for enabling art activity in this way that I call Amy Dawley and Jim Brinkman heroes, even though their shy natures would have them shudder at this label. Bravo you two! And make sure to acknowledge your behind-the-scenes local cultural heroes wherever you are in northern BC. N

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fa c undo g a s tia zo ro

Lost in the boreal In search of BC’s northeast corner

by Mat t J S i m mo ns thewrit er@mat t jsim m on s. c om

I cross the border into the Northwest Territories leaving the paved road behind in BC, obscured by a tumbling cloud of gravel dust. I squint into the haze as I hurtle down the Liard “Highway” at a hundred. The road narrows to cross a bridge and emerging from the dust are two indistinct shapes.

I slow down slightly—watching for bison—and the shapes slowly coalesce into recognizable forms: an old man leaning against the bridge rail, peering into swampy boreal forest; on the back of a battered quad sits his wife, a tiny, deeply wrinkled lady of advanced years. She could be 100 years old

or 50—here, years etch themselves into your face like decades.

Neither raises a hand in greeting nor even acknowledges me as I skitter by, kicking up gravel.

They disappear into the dust in my rear-view mirror and I wonder if they were really there or just some kind of spirit greeting to a strange landscape. And if they were spirits, what omen did they have for me?

When, several hundred kilometres later, I roll into Fort Simpson (pop. 1,200) at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Liard rivers, with sagging

eyelids and a flat tire, I guess the spectre must have been a warning of some kind. At midnight, the smoke from nearby forest fires has turned the usually understated northern sunset into a display of intense colour.

Into the unknown When I first proposed a book about BC’s four corners, I had only a vague idea what I was up against. The northwest gripped me most: Next to Kluane Park in the Yukon and dwarfed by Wrangell-St. Elias Park in Alaska, Tatshenshini-

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Alsek Provincial Park is mostly alpine, protected in the 1990s for its namesake rivers. Together with its neighbouring national parks, the “Tat” is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the largest protected area in the world. Finding information was simple: books, photos, trails and guided raft trips. In 2010, I spent over a week exploring the park’s natural and cultural history.

BC’s northeast is a different beast. It’s a landscape pockmarked by little lakes, innumerable creeks and rivers, and massive tracts of muskeg.

The boreal region covers about 60 percent of Canada; it’s the only continuous eco-region spanning the entire globe. When you consider its scale, you realize just how small we are.

The exploitation of this gargantuan landscape is equally staggering. Northeast BC is etched with the ruler-straight lines of oil and gas development; seismic lines and winter roads traverse thousands of kilometres, crisscrossing the lightly undulating terrain like a giant game of pick-up-sticks.

Accessing the area is a challenge. If you have deep pockets, you can get to the corner by air, not that anyone really goes there. I call up the BC Parks contact for Thinahtea Protected Area and he tells me that in 20 years of working for Parks, he’s never had to issue a visitor permit. The closest recreational areas are hundreds of kilometres away and used mainly by sport fishers paying thousands of dollars to get away from it all. I can’t afford to hire a helicopter.

I worked out a plan to get as close as I could by travelling roughly in a circle around the corner through BC, the Northwest Territories, and northern Alberta. I left in my little Subaru Impreza armed with maps, a large jerry can, a vague idea of what I’m doing and no idea of what I’ll find when I get there.

The caribou conundrum After a sleepless night in the company of bugs and bears, I leave Fort Nelson, BC and head out into the oilfields, bearing roughly northeast. The

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I call up the BC Parks contact for Thinahtea Protected Area and he tells me that in 20 years of working for Parks, he’s never had to issue a visitor permit.

wide, well-travelled gravel road is heavily rutted from massive trucks, oil tankers and growling diesel pickups. Feeling dwarfed, conspicuous and vulnerable, I turn up my stereo, grin and wave to construction crews and oncoming traffic.

For 200 km, I grip the wheel as I skid around in the dusty wake of big trucks. This is the traditional territory of the Dene Tha’ and Fort Nelson First Nations, but the only indication I can find is on a map—an ancient village site on the shore of Kotcho Lake. Every now and then, I pass a clearing, marking one camp after another. In the otherwise monotonous landscape are regular seismic paths, unwavering lines cut into the bush that stretch as far as the eye can see.

Development’s impact on the landscape is jaw -dropping. In a research project commissioned by the David Suzuki Foundation, Peter Lee, ecologist and executive director of Global Forest Watch Canada, reported that “there are 16,267 oil and gas wells, 28,587 kilometres of pipeline, 45,293 kilometres of roads, and 116,725 kilometres of seismic lines packed into the Peace Region. If laid end to end, the roads, pipelines and seismic lines would wrap around the planet an astonishing four-anda-half times.”

Studies on declining caribou populations show that the linear nature of seismic lines is likely affecting how caribou travel and, in turn, how predators hunt the iconic ungulates. Caribou tend to avoid linear features. Wolves, on the other hand, have no qualms about travelling the easiest path, whether natural or constructed by humans, letting them easily track migratory herds. The rate of development is so extreme that by the time science catches up, it will probably be too late.

After a few white-knuckled hours, I pull off just northeast of Helmet Camp, when the road

narrows and signs warn me to use a radio I don’t have.

A small oil well monotonously pumps its product from the ground. I glance at my car guiltily. The occasional truck thunders past and I wave with one hand, swatting away a cloud of bugs with the other. There’s not much to see so I spend a few minutes trying to understand what it is I’m doing out here, then climb back in the car and head south again.

The aftermath After regrouping back in Fort Nelson, I head toward the Territories, planning to circle the corner from the north and approach again from the Alberta side. That’s when my car’s flat tire changes my trajectory. I’m a full three days in Fort Simpson, on the banks of the Mackenzie River.

Forced into inactivity, I walk, read, write, listen to Dene programs on CBC, and think. Despite everything I know about the oilfields and the industry’s short-sightedness, what sticks with me most isn’t the absence of nature, it’s how much nature is still there. I may have felt like I was in rush hour in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the wheels and cogs of big business and intense industry, but at the same time I was encircled by an enormous natural world, one that I’d never seen before. And the lasting impact of that? I like that world.

Which raises another question: what happens next, when you fall in love with a landscape whose future is uncertain? Worse yet, when that landscape is so big and so far away, how do you hold onto that memory, keep it safe? The northeast corner of BC is in no one’s backyard—it’s so far from any populated centre that it’s easily forgotten, ignored, unknown. But it is there and it is beautiful… for now.

N

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Ra di s h s ee d s ne e d t o b e rem o ved f ro m their po ds f o r s tor age.

Man y di fferen t s tor age c o n t a i n e r s w o r k w e l l , a s l o n g a s t h e s e e d s a re d r y.

seed-saving future

— a heritage tradition for the

by Emi ly B u l m e r

advent uremily@ya h oo. c a

Before ordering seeds from a catalogue was common, seed-saving from the backyard and trading with neighbours was a tradition that generations of gardeners followed to keep harvests plentiful. Our grandparents’ reasons for saving seed were practical—seeds from a catalogue were expensive, and the generations steeped in war time and the Depression were socialized to save just about everything.

For our great-great-grandparents and their ancestors, commercial seeds were simply not available; seed-saving was the only way to maintain a garden. By saving seed from their best performing vegetables, gardeners and small-scale farmers developed varieties suited to their specific tastes and environmental conditions. As they traded their seeds with neighbours and nearby villages, genetic diversity increased from one year to the next, resulting in thousands of varieties of edible plants.

In 1866, a cabbage crop on Long Island, New York was the first commercial crop grown for seed in North America. Since then, home seed-saving has been almost entirely replaced by the seed industry. As the worldwide industrial food system shifted into high production, seed companies concentrated on selecting for plants with high yield, uniform size and shape, and long lasting storage qualities. Over time, fewer and fewer gardeners and farmers saved seed, instead favouring commercial varieties from catalogues.

While this shift seems like a natural evolution toward convenience, the practice has systematically decreased the diversity in the world’s food crops. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the fruit and vegetable varieties once available in North America are now extinct.

Genetic diversity is nature’s crop insurance system. When disease, pests, drought or wet weather overwhelm certain crops, a group of

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plants with genetic diversity will include individuals with unique, unseen characteristics that will help them survive. As the climate changes, as bee populations diminish, and plant diseases become more prevalent, it becomes increasingly important to have as much genetic diversity as possible to create a resilient food supply.

Caring about extinct heirloom varieties runs deeper than a sense of nostalgia; each variety is a specific, evolutionary solution to a series of unique growing condition challenges, and each loss makes our food system weaker.

Beginner to advanced techniques Fortunately, saving seed from your garden is still possible. Beginner seed savers should start with beans, peas, lettuce, peppers and tomatoes. All of these plants are annuals, which means they produce seed in one season. They are also all selfpollinating, creating seed from one single flower, which reduces cross-pollination and results in offspring that look like the parent plant.

To save seed from any annual plant, allow the plant to mature beyond the eating stage. Lettuce will turn into a tall spike and radishes will get gigantic; both will start to flower. When the plant is brown and looks dead, collect the pods or seed heads that formed where the flowers were last seen.

Intermediate seed savers can try cucumber, radish, spinach, squash and pumpkin. These are annuals as well, but require separation from other plants of the same type to keep the seeds “true,” or looking like the parent. For example, two different species of squash or pumpkin can be planted next to each other, but two varieties of the same species will cross-pollinate. With cross-pollination comes more genetic diversity and the risk that the seeds would produce plants that look different from the parent—some of the characteristics you might like

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H ei r l o o m t oma t oe s c om e in all shapes a n d s i z e s a n d t he ir seeds pro duce t r u e- t o -t yp e p la nt s.

and some you might not. The results are unpredictable.

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Caring about extinct heirloom varieties runs deeper than a sense of nostalgia.

Top tips for all seed savers Hybrids versus open-pollinated: Open-pollinated varieties are stable varieties resulting from the pollination between the same or genetically similar parents.

Seeds from these plants produce new generations that are “true to type” (when not exposed to cross-pollination). F1 hybrids are the result of intentionally crossing two highly inbred lines of parent plants in a carefully controlled environment.

Seeds of F1 hybrids are called F2 hybrids and often do not resemble the F1 plant. You can save seeds from F1 hybrids, just be prepared for inconsistent results.

Save the best: Resist picking the earliest fruit to eat—mark them for saving and let them mature instead. If you only save the seed that sets late in the year, you are inadvertently selecting plants for late, rather than early, ripening. If you see a plant that is producing many fruits, is especially tasty, or has a great colour, mark the plant with a ribbon and save some of the seed. Conversely, rip out plants that look sick, attract pests, mould or bear fruit that you don’t like.

Ripeness: Make sure the fruit or flower is fully mature before you harvest it for seeds, which is often far riper than what you would pick to eat. For example, to save seeds from a tomato, wait until it is slightly rotting on the vine. Allowing this extra time ensures the seed coats and embryos are fully formed.

Save the biggest seed: Plants from bigger seed tend to be more robust than plants grown from smaller seed. Selecting the largest seeds in crops

such as peas and beans is easy to do just by looking at the cleaned seed. For small seeds such as tomato and tomatillo, blend the ripe fruit in a food processor with enough water to make a slurry. Once blended, put the mix into a bowl, add more water, stir, and allow the mixture to separate. Skim off and discard the pulp and seeds that float. The seeds that sink to the bottom are the best for saving; strain and dry them on a cookie sheet.

Clean and dry: Ensuring the seeds are dry and clean of chaff and other plant parts is important for successful storage. Any moisture present in the seeds will encourage mould growth, which will damage the seeds and reduce germination.

Label and store: To store seeds for one winter, a dry, cool room in containers such as paper envelopes, brown bags, glass canning jars, or plastic or metal containers works well. If your house is humid, dry the seeds well and store them in sealed containers. For longer periods, seeds can be stored in the freezer at -18ºC. When freezing seeds, it is even more important to ensure that they are dry, as any ice crystals that form inside the seed will destroy the embryo.

Seed saving can be complicated or simple, depending on your level of knowledge and personal goals. It is a satisfying activity that increases the knowledge of your own garden, creates your own crop insurance system, and contributes to long-term food security both locally and globally. Over time, you may even create a new plant variety!

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s t h e l a rg e s t l a m b i n g h e rd o f S t o n est of Spatsizi Park, boast e ’s s h e e p ntain plateau, w in the w To d a g i n M o u orld.

paul co lan g elo

Spectacular Spatsizi Vast wilderness with a rich history and uncertain future

by Ta n i a Mi l le n tania.millen@gmail . c om

Our horses walked slowly into a biting winter wind, making fresh tracks across the sparkling snow. Withered grass, lichen, sharp rock and snow patches extended across the rolling plateau while distant high mountains were visible in all directions. We were hunting caribou high up in Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park, which is located east of Hwy 37, approximately 370 km north of Kitwanga and 150 km southeast of Dease Lake.

Spatsizi Park forms the backbone of an interconnected wilderness region that is geologically unique and supports one of the few healthy large -mammal ecosystems in BC. The park, and Gladys Lake Ecological Reserve within it, was created in 1975 in response to pressure from outfitter Tommy Walker and Vladimir Krajina, a visionary of BC’s ecological reserves who recognized the area’s value. Following its creation, well-known ethnobotanist Wade Davis became one of the first park rangers.

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The Tahltan named the area “Spatsizi” or “red goat” for the mountain goats that roll in swathes of iron oxide.

The park’s geology includes volcanic and sedimentary rock that has formed striated mountains capped by rolling plateaus.

Over thousands of years, these plateaus were cut by glaciers and rivers, forming the open grasslands and meandering rivers unique to the Spatsizi and Stikine valleys. It’s these valleys and plateaus that sustain woodland caribou, Stone’s sheep, mountain goat, moose and elk, and which subsequently allow predators such as wolf, wolverine, grizzly and black bear to flourish. Three of these mammals—wolverine, grizzly bear and woodland caribou—are “blue listed,” meaning that they’re of special concern and particularly sensitive or vulnerable. Plus, BC Stone’s sheep are interna-

tionally important, as most of the world’s population of this species lives in the province.

Spatsizi’s plateaus are particularly significant to the caribou and Stone’s sheep, which require high elevation areas with minimal snowpack both for safety from predators and for access to underlying lichens and grasses in winter. In contrast, the steepsided valleys of the Eaglenest Mountains dominate the western portion of the park and provide ideal terrain for mountain goats.

It’s these goats that Spatsizi was initially known for, as the Tahltan named the area “Spatsizi” or “red goat” for the mountain goats that roll in swathes of iron oxide on the hillsides of the Eaglenest Mountains, staining their coats red.

p au l co lan gel o

The Tahltan people have lived and hunted in Spatsizi since time immemorial and by the late 1800s most of the Stikine River drainage had been explored by non-native gold seekers and trappers. During this time, Andrew J. Stone collected specimens of large mammals for the American Museum of Natural History and subsequently announced a “new” species of sheep (now known as Stone’s sheep).

In the 1920s, the Hyland brothers constructed Hyland Post to trade on the banks of the Spatsizi River; it still exists as a private holding within the park. Tommy Walker was the first outfitter in the Spatsizi area in the 1940s, and the story of his overland pack trip from Bella Coola to Spatsizi provides an interesting account of the time.

For over 40 years, Collingwood Bros. Ltd. of Smithers has operated an internationally renowned guide outfitting business within the park. As with all guide outfitters in BC, Collingwood Bros. has strict big-game quotas that limit them to a minor portion of the game available.

BC’s Resident Hunter Priority Policy ensures that the majority of harvestable big-game species are available to resident hunters. But recent management changes have increased the number of hunting tags available to BC residents for Spatsizi game. As a result, Reg Collingwood reports that there is greater pressure on wildlife populations.

Of the big-game species, Stone’s sheep are

ntroversial proposed a co I m p e ri a l M e t a l s h a s

prized by hunters worldwide—which is reflected in the price tag for a guided sheep hunt. In BC, sheep hunts sell for approximately $40,000 US, employ local staff and taxidermists, contribute to BC wildlife conservation through trophy fees, and support regional tourism infrastructure.

In contrast, BC resident hunters are eligible to apply for a $25 sheep hunting tag every year and arrange their own hunts. This disparity in valuation of a Stone’s sheep has some outfitters and conservationists worried. Exacerbating concerns

s t e n d o f To d a g i n P l a t e a u . mine for the ea

is the lack of information regarding Stone’s sheep in northwest BC—most of the research into these animals is completed in the Muskwa-Kechika area of northeast BC. Even population numbers appear uncertain. In 2007, the Stone’s sheep population in the Skeena Region (which includes Spatsizi) was estimated at 4,000 to 7,000 animals, according to BC Ministry of Environment’s website. These numbers include the largest lambing herd of Stone’s sheep in the ... continued on Page 28

Sign

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Hunting and outfitting has a long hi s t o r y i n t h e Sp a t s i zi a re a a n d c o n t i n u e s t o d a y.

t a ni a m i lle n

... continued from Page 25

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world, which is located on the Todagin Mountain plateau west of Spatsizi Park. Todagin South Slope Provincial Park was created on the south and west portions of Todagin Mountain primarily to protect the lambing sheep herd; however, Imperial Metals Corp’s Red Chris open pit mine is under construction on the east end of the same plateau. Many following the mine’s development—including Wade Davis, whose wilderness lodge is within three kilometres of the mine site—are concerned about the mine’s effects on the sheep population, plus potentially reduced water quality downstream of the proposed tailings pond.

But it’s not just Todagin Plateau that Spatsizi Park is connected to. The interconnectedness of the Spatsizi region is well recognized, with over one million hectares—an area the size of Jasper National Park—covered by parks and protected areas. Spatsizi Park is bounded by Stikine River Provincial Park and Pitman River Protected Area to the north, Chuckachida River Protected Area to the east, and Tatlatui Provincial Park to the southeast.

Stikine River Provincial Park encompasses the 80-kilometre-long Grand Canyon of the Stikine— a geological phenomenon up to 300 metres deep that narrows to two metres across at one point.

The canyon is considered un-navigable; however, it’s also known as the “Everest of Whitewater Kayaking” and about 40 world-class whitewater kayakers have survived its waters. The Pitman and Chuckachida River protected areas encompass wildlife corridors that connect to surrounding parks, while Tatlatui Park includes the headwaters of the steelhead-rich Firesteel River.

While these parks and protected areas help prevent impacts to wildlife and wilderness areas within their boundaries, Spatsizi may be affected by activities in the Sacred Headwaters area located immediately south of the park. The Sacred Headwaters encompasses the headwaters of the Stikine, Skeena and Nass rivers and has shaped Tahltan Nation culture for centuries.

However, Fortune Minerals Limited has proposed an anthracite (metallurgical coal) mine for the Sacred Headwaters, whereby Mount Klappan would become an open pit mine. The proposed transportation solution for getting the coal to market is to place railway tracks on an abandoned railway grade alongside the Klappan and Skeena rivers. Colloquially known as “the grade,” this railway bed was constructed by the BC government in the 1970s and subsequently abandoned prior to completion. It is currently a gravel road with seasonal washouts and accessible via Ealue Lake Forest Service Road from Highway 37 near Tatogga Lake.

But regardless of the potential threats to the area, Spatsizi remains renowned for its stunning scenery, wilderness values and wildlife, which adventurers are fortunate to experience during privately organized canoe, horseback or hiking trips. Some, like me, are drawn back again and again, to experience the wild places and watch caribou herds on the vast, snow-sprinkled plateaus. Spatsizi is simply one of those special places that those who visit never forget.

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na nc y a l e xa nde r

FORESTS FOR THE WORLD A bit of Nature, nestled in a northern city

by N a n cy A lex a nde r nd i gart @g mail.com

Forests for the World is a tiny bit of wilderness park embedded in the city of Prince George. With nearly 18 km of trails packed into about 1.5 square kilometres, it offers everything from a flat, short stroll to Shane Lake, where you can enjoy a picnic or a bit of fishing from its two docks, to a hilly challenge up and down the park’s western ridges.

From Prince George, Forests for the World can be reached by driving up Cranbrook Hill Road 1.4 km from the intersection with Foothills Boulevard and turning left (south) onto Kueng Road. From there, drive two kilometres to the end, where you’ll see the Forests for the World parking lot.

The trails begin on old roads and continue as single-track the farther you walk. As the single-track trails can be overgrown, keep careful track of your distances because it can be a challenge to see the junctions. So many trails in such a small park make for lots of twists and turns, and intersections that are close together. Whatever your trail choice, you can keep track of your location via the maps and markers located at many of the park’s trail junctions.

The Lookout Viewing Platform affords views across the city and, in the distance, the Rocky and Cariboo mountains. The ridge trail, including the “highest spot in Prince George,” offers glimpses north to the distant slopes of the Nechako River.

The western-most trail, Who’s Home, climbs and descends one of several ridges found in the area. You can get a sense of the relief in the park by noting the “spot height” labels and contours on the accompanying map.

For an hour of steady walking (3.5 km) over lots of hills, you might enjoy following the Ridge Trail Loop. Begin from the north side of the parking lot and walk north along the trail marked for the Lookout (trail marker at gate).

Keeping right at the next two junctions, watch for the trail along the ridge (labelled Highest Spot in Prince George on map). Keep left at each of the two Who’s Home panels and 50 metres along the

trail the ridge proper is right at the next junction.

You can return to the parking lot by following the trails just north of Shane Lake.

This 3.5-km loop’s hill climbs a total 120 metres (equal to about 40 flights of stairs). If you were to add the Who’s Home trail this will give you a total of 90 minutes of steady walking over a 4-km distance with 200 metres of total hills climbed (about 65 storeys).

If you prefer something gentle, from the parking lot it’s a level five- to seven-minute walk one way to Shane Lake. If you throw in a walk around Shane Lake, expect an additional 30 minutes and 50 metres elevation.

Forests for the World is truly a bit of wilderness in the city of Prince George: including bears, cougar and moose (so make lots of noise if you visit). Along with offering both exercise on its longer trails or just a short stroll to relax at Shane Lake, it’s also a great place for birding and checking out the wild flowers.

The Lookout Viewing Platform affords views across the city and, in the distance, the Rocky and Cariboo mountains.

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Trail Map sponsored by Dawn 2 Dusk

www.dawn2dusk.net see ad page 31

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column

Ba rom eter

Locally owned and operated

by C h a rlyn n To ews edit or ial@no rt hwo rd. c a

OK, so barbecue season is over—quit your whining and go chow down at a locally owned and operated eatery.

I am here to help, so I offer a few options for you across my neighbourhood. In Masset, you must go to Bud’s. It’s a new 1950s-style diner with beautiful chrome-trimmed tables and chairs, spinable stools and banquets in the most fabulous turquoise colour—the fridges of that era really rock and rolled. On the day I was there, I was disappointed they didn’t have chicken and waffles, an American diner staple, but was very happy with the classic cheeseburger.

My little family are creatures of habit in Rupert.

We go to Smile’s if it is lunchtime, the Crest if it is supper, then like to stop in at the Cow Bay shops and walk on the docks of Rushbrook Harbour to look at boats. When our teenager took his first “N” drive to Rupert, we put our GPS locator in the

truck and watched the emailed blips as he and his girlfriend safely travelled along the Skeena. Their first stop? Parked right outside Smile’s. Then, yup, a few hours later, drove to the harbour to look at boats as an aid to digestion. He had the Fisherman’s Combo, a huge dish with halibut and scallops and shrimp.

Speaking of fish, Blue Fin Sushi Bar in Terrace or Smithers is very yummifying. In Terrace, you must lunch at 11:30 a.m. or you will be disappointed that all the tables are full. I don’t like sushi, so I gorge on tempura seafood and fish. This is my theory: I can never make battered fish at home taste as good, with that super crispy finish, because I do not have a commercial deep-fryer. Or a thermometer. Or a good batter recipe. Let’s just say it’s better out there.

And would someone please re-open SeaMasters Restaurant in Kitamaat Village? Excellent seafood, right on the waterfront! I suspect the hot new industrial jobs have drawn away all their staff.

I saw a cool poster on Facebook. It says, “Old Hazelton—Time for a road trip! Shop at Art + Antler, eat at BC Café.” That is an excellent idea, because that is exactly what my co-worker and co-foodie Carrie and I did. Except we ate first—of course.

Carrie told me the lovely story of a couple from Hazelton who moved to Kamloops. When they heard the historic BC Café was closed and up for sale, they came home to run it. Ain’t that romantic? The menu is a combo of urban-hip and home-fried. Their veggie burger gets rave reviews.

Carrie also knows Leah Pipe, the très-chic woman who opened up a “part-art-studio-partshop.” You know the kind of store where you fall in love, where you want to buy every single item in it, or possibly move in and sleep on the floor at night? That was my reaction to Art + Antler.

First, there’s Leah’s own artwork. I am crazy for her modern take on northern themes. If I had the nine grand she was asking for the biggest piece, I would’ve plunked it down on the spot. Well, first buy a bigger house to put it in, but it would have all been worth it.

I satisfied myself with buying an antique silver spoon. There is a woman after my heart, who knows to stock ancient cutlery! (Not enough stores do, you know.) I admitted to Leah that I collected old silverware. “And what do you do with the pieces?” she asked me. “Oh, I eat with them.”

All this is making me hungry. I think I will go to Don D’s tonight. I dream about their burritos.

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