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Co ver Photo

2015

contents

s t o r y p a g e 10

October / No vember

issue no. 60

Cattle that know how to use the passing lane: preventing traffic jams on Francois Lake. Photo Sandra Smith

Fea tures 8 10 12 14

The Collections Renewal Project Bringing the past to light

By Jane Stevenson

Storing Fresh

How to keep tasty fruits and veggies for winter

By Norma Kerby

Drinking in the North

A celebration of northern libations

By Matt J. Simmons

16 22

19 20

Hankin Lookout Cabin Sleeping in the sky

By Morgan Hite

Squirrels

The kids of the back yard

By Al Lehmann

The Straw Playhouse

Winter habitat for busy children

By Norma Kerby

Glass Fishing Floats

Vintage treasures from the Westerlies

By Norma Kerby

Depa rtm en ts 7

18

In Other Words

Editorial and cartoon from the seasoned and the silly

On the Fly

Fishing in northern BC with Brian Smith

23 26

Resource Directory

Services and products listed by category

The Barometer

A seasonal reading of the Northwest

by Char Toews

Top Culture

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

Story Comm en ts?

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

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Joanne Campbell

contributors

PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER

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

Paul Glover EDITOR

paul@northword.ca

Shannon Antoniak

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

shannon@northword.ca

Sandra Smith

LAYOUT DESIGN, NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

sandra@northword.ca

Matt J Simmons is a writer based

Brian Smith is a writer and photographer who has fly-fished BC’s waters for over 45 years. He recently published his second book, Seasons of a Fly Fisher, and lives with his wife Lois in Prince George.

Morgan Hite has lived in Smithers for 20 years, makes maps, goes hiking, gets lost, writes articles, reads things and dreams about travel.

Telkwa’s Jane Stevenson is the author of two historical books. Her fiction has appeared in journals across Canada. Jane is forever grateful to Northword, the first magazine to ever say “yes”.

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.

Al Lehmann is a piano tuner and

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.

Facundo Gastiazoro is a freelance designer who focuses on logos, posters, layout and illustrations.

Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Facundo is currently living in Smithers. His illustrations appear in every issue of Northword Magazine.

Norma Kerby is a Terrace-based writer and environmental consultant.

Her passions include amphibians, natural ecosystems, sustainable living and adaptations of wildlife and people to northern British Columbia.

She occasionally writes poetry about the North’s uncertain future.

in Smithers. His love of literary adventure continually compels him to climb mountains, wander old overgrown paths and explore BC’s lesser-known routes, ever in search of a unique and memorable drinking experience. piano teacher at the Terrace Academy of Music in Terrace. He is published periodically in the Terrace Standard.

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 is 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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editorial

In Other Words

Take a right instead of a left...

by Joa n n e C a mpb el l

I played hooky and went for a drive. And what did I discover? That I can still be amazed by how little I know about where I live.

A few days ago, Paul and Sandra came back from a bike tour around Francois Lake—or at least part of it. Our cover photo shows Paul riding beside a herd of cattle that are hoofing it up the road for no apparent reason, just sprinting from point A to point B, post haste. It’s a fun cover shot, but it was their other photos that really grabbed my attention. So this was Francois Lake?

It’s huge! Not wide, but long. Much of it is wild, but a good stretch of its northern shoreline is neat, tidy and farmy.

And a complete surprise. Francois Lake is beautiful, and just a couple hours down the road! Why was I so surprised?

I’m ashamed to say that although I’ve lived in the Bulkley Valley for the best part of my adult life, until I played hooky that day I had never been over the bridge at Burns Lake. Oh, I’ve marvelled at how cold Burns Lake gets in winter, and I know they have fantastic mountain-biking and cross-country skiing. I like their curvy downtown and usually stop for a convenience on the way through. But I’ve always kept going left up the hill to wherever I was going.

What an idiot.

As I sat in my chair at my office in Smithers, doing my job (whatever that is), I wondered about this place, this Francois Lake. The more I thought about it, the more obsessed I became. I got through lunch before I succumbed; I climbed into my dusty Rav4 and drove to Burns Lake, gateway to the Lakes District.

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ed i tor ial@no rt hwo rd. c a

What else have I missed by always turning left when I could have turned right?

Of course I knew a bit about the Lakes District. I drive by those lakes on Hwy 16 all the time— Rose Lake, Decker Lake, Burns Lake, Fraser Lake and all those little lakes that dot the roadside.

On maps, and from the air, I saw bird’s-eye views of Francois Lake, and Ootsa Lake, Uncha, Cheslatta and Eutsuk Lake. My daughter’s always telling me how much she loves camping at Takysie Lake and, judging by the map, these are but a few of the hundreds—perhaps thousands—of lakes literally splashed across the landscape.

But on this day there was just one I wanted to see.

In case you, too, have yet to venture across the bridge at Burns Lake, let me paint a picture of what you’re missing. (Keep in mind that this is only a tiny part of what you’re missing because I was playing hooky and had to get back before I got in trouble with the boss. I intend to go back for the big picture when I can spend some quality time.)

For starters, let’s talk scale. Do you think Fraser Lake is big? You could fit four or five Fraser Lakes end-to-end into Francois Lake! Of the natural lakes in BC, only Babine Lake is longer.

Despite its amazing length, or maybe because of it, the only boat to be seen that day was the ferry to Southbank—which runs every 50 minutes or so, and is free. The quiet roads meandered through voluptuous, rolling hills, the sparkling...

But wait—you know what? You should see it for yourself. Play hooky if you have to but preferably take some time and explore it properly. Then you won’t have to wonder what you’re missing the next time you don’t cross the bridge at Burns Lake.

Were it not for the racing cows on our cover, I might never have seen Francois Lake (and many others I’ve still to see), and that would have been a shame. That I had driven past—oblivious—all these years makes me wonder: what else have I missed by always turning left when I could have turned right?

So please, tell me! Send me pictures. I’m always looking for a good reason to play hooky.

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ja ne s te ve ns o n

Ju s t o n e o f the thousands of artifacts in storage at the BV Museum, this musical c i g a re t t e dispenser s p e a ks o f a d i ff e re n t a g e .

The Collections Renewal Project Bringing the past to light

by Ja n e S teve ns o n cobwebresearch@gm a i l . c om

I’ve poked around in museum backrooms throughout BC’s Northwest; wearing those white gloves while sifting through old papers in archives and artifact storage rooms. I’ve peeked into acid-free envelopes, pulled down oversized file-folders, opened storage lids to lift layers of acid-free tissue paper and stood before oversized archival map drawers in total awe. Some of this unrestrained curiosity was during my past profession as an archivist, but there have also been countless enjoyable hours since then spent meandering through collections looking for that untold historical event that I could write about next.

Usually a museum’s artifact storage area is locked up behind closed doors and unavailable to the general public.

Artifacts may be temporarily or permanently displayed in an exhibit, but the majority of a museum’s collection tends to be in storage. That’s why the Bulkley Valley Museum’s ongoing Collections Renewal Project caught my attention.

This Smithers museum is reviewing its entire collection by carefully bringing artifacts out of storage and into its public gallery space for assessment and description.

Assessing and describing a museum’s collection in the public eye isn’t a usual museum practice but the BV Museum’s curator, Kira Westby, saw a need and came up with a creative solution. “The Collection Renewal Project helps us understand what we have and what condition the artifacts are in,” says Westby.

She guides me to the storage room where she and assistant Betty Campbell, with the help of keen summer students Eric Holdijk and Alicia Stahel,

have been making progress. I can see right away the shelves they have tackled: similar artifacts are grouped together and sealed away in transparent bins or under dust covers. The remaining shelves look like a jumble of miscellaneous items.

“Our goal was and still is to do a complete inventory of the 3,000-plus artifacts that are in the museum’s collection,” says Westby from a cramped aisle. “We are individually examining each item, determining whether it is in need of stabilization or treatment, and what we can do to improve its current condition.” In order to have room to do this the staff have to move the artifacts, a few at a time, out of the crowded storage space to large tables in the public gallery.

I see interesting objects everywhere; I could poke around in here for hours.

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Westby and the seasonal staff carry out the condition assessments at a table full of interesting and ever-rotating artifacts. Museum visitors passing through can see the variety of items currently being assessed. The museum’s main gallery has become a public workspace, with guests observing and interacting with the collection assessments.

A fascinating hodgepodge On the day I happened to drop in there was a fascinating hodgepodge of items—trophies, stone tools, war memorabilia, bread wrappers, medicine bottles, 1950s board games and more—all working their way through the Collections Renewal Project. “The artifact is individually assessed, cleaned and photographed,” explains Westby. “The importance of documenting the

ja ne s te ve ns o n

collection,” she states. Back in the storage room I can see the dust covers, sealed bins and pest control that the museum has put in place to combat the agents of deterioration. I also see interesting objects everywhere; I could poke around in here for hours.

Westby and I chat about the collection and how every time she comes into the storeroom she sees an item that she didn’t notice previously. I remark at how interesting the objects are and she replies, “It’s not enough for the artifacts to be old and interesting; they have to have relevance to our museum mandate and our local history.” This underscores the importance of the ongoing project of confirming the accuracy of the existing records.

Over the years, in various museums across our Northwest, I’ve found treasures—photos of armoured war trains along the Skeena River, farmers’ journals noting locusts with their weather events, old maps with layers of pencil scratches showing watering locations for cattle drives, and more—so much more! These treasures are being uncovered and cared for by museum staff and volunteers.

Thank you to all those in charge of our collections, whether volunteering on a museum board or carrying out the day-to-day operations. Thank you for making sure all of our old and interesting stuff has a well-documented history. Anyone who is staring at a buggy jack years from now will thank you for writing that down.

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B V M u s e um st a ff a re g radually tak ing everything ou t of s tor age for a fu l l a n d de t a ile d inve nt ory. Here, sum m er student Eric H ol di j k an d cu r ator Ki r a Wes t by p ose b y t he a rtif act assessm ent tables.

collection is to make sure the objects are identified, their history documented and their information confirmed and updated in our records.”

“Having the Collections Renewal Project taking place in the main gallery space has given visitors a chance to engage and participate in the process,” Westby says. It’s often a two-way exchange with the visitors talking about their knowledge of the items on display and the museum making guests aware of the wide variety of local artifacts in its collection. This public engagement has often led to a deeper understanding of the more mysterious items; tourists have translated foreign languages on artifacts and assisted in the understanding of now-unfamiliar household items.

One of the mysterious objects that caught my eye was a complicated, jointed wooden contraption that turned out to be a buggy jack. How many people alive today know what a buggy jack looks like? And just imagine (as I did) what changing a wooden wagon wheel on the Telkwa High Road with a season’s supply of flour, sugar and beans on board would be like. I mean, really, did one carry a buggy jack and spare wagon wheels? I was fascinated. This is what museums should do— make the mind wonder.

The public discourse is taking place beyond the museum walls as well. “We’ve been reaching out to the community with weekly newspaper articles.

We are now on Facebook and Twitter, and we worked with community radio CICK to do a show on our Collections Revival,” says Westby. The radio episode featured items from the museum’s collection, including a mysterious music box that dispensed cigarettes. A local listener helped identify the tune the music box played. “It’s community engagement like this that helps deepen our knowledge of the artifacts and also helps keep our museum connected to the public.”

On the museum’s To-Do list is a revitalization of its permanent exhibit space and the Collections Renewal Project is helping the museum staff plan for future displays. Westby explains: “Without knowing exactly what we have it is hard to make a solid plan for future exhibits.” As a significant bonus, especially for curious people like me, the improved knowledge of the collections will allow for better access to the collection for research purposes.

Preventative preservation After the artifacts have gone through the gallery and their records have been updated they are returned to storage. Westby is mindful of the museum’s role in preventative preservation and wants to make sure they are meeting all the current standards of collections care. “Part of this project is combating the active deterioration of the

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STORING FRESH

how to keep tasty fruits and veggies for winter

by Nor ma Kerby

T here is great s ati s facti on i n s tor i n g an d eati n g y ou r h ard-ear n e d v e g e t a b l e s t h ro u g h o u t t h e w i n t e r.

paul glover

nkerby@t elus.net

In February, the spaghetti squash in my coldroom was still as crisp as the previous autumn. Even the five large zucchinis had not moulded or withered.

“What are you going to do with five huge zucchinis?” my visitor asked.

That was a good question. I contemplated having a separate table of winter fruit and vegetables to give away at the local Heritage Week celebration. A hundred years ago, having fresh produce throughout the winter months was essential in the prevention of winter diseases such as bleeding gums, scurvy, and constipation. The techniques used to maintain fresh apples, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins, and even cabbage were part of every homesteader’s winter survival arsenal

until new growth became available in the spring.

Saving fruits and vegetables for winter use was a way of life for the old-timers, and it is not that difficult for the modern gardener to do the same. There are five simple points to follow if you want to be eating your fresh produce when the winter storms are swirling outside.

When to harvest The first consideration is to choose when you harvest. Harvesting vegetables like potatoes,

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rutabagas, turnips, and fall varieties of cabbage, onions, and garlic while summer temperatures are still dominant will lessen the hardening process in the tissues and lower their keeping qualities compared to those harvested in later fall.

Do not wait too long, though. If the fruit is a squash or zucchini which can be damaged by hard frost, it should be harvested before temperatures dip below -1º C. Some vegetables, such as potatoes, are deep enough in the ground that a later harvest is possible, as frost will take some time to reach the tubers.

Ripeness is also a factor. A ripe fruit is unlikely to survive months of storage, whereas fruit that will ripen in storage will last longer. Pioneers specifically grew late-maturing varieties to extend storage times. Winter apples such as the Herb Schmidt, Red Rome, and Cortland varieties are designed to store well and not ripen until mid- to late winter.

The old saying, “One bad apple spoils the bunch” is absolutely true.

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Be selective The second consideration is to be very selective as to which pieces you are trying to save. The fruits or vegetables should be free of bruises, cuts, blemishes, or any means by which decomposers can enter the tissues. The old saying, “One bad apple spoils the bunch” is absolutely true. A piece of fruit with a coddling moth hole in it, or a potato with a broken

Keep it clean Having chosen intact fruits and vegetables, the third point is to ensure that the material is clean and you are not storing earwigs, spiders, earthworms or other wildlife along with your fruit or vegetables. Insects and their larvae can both damage your stored materials and act as decomposition points when they die.

For potatoes, there are two schools of thought: some of the old commercial potato farmers in the Terrace area stored their potatoes with the dirt brushed off but the tubers unwashed. I personally like to wash my potatoes, having found that lumps of dirt on the potatoes can act as decomposition points.

Cleanliness should also mean removal of leaves and stems from vegetables, as these materials rot faster than the thicker-skinned taproots or tubers.

Even leaves on fruits such as tree fruits and squashes will act as decay points.

When apples were shipped from the Skeena Valley orchards in the 1930s, the fruits were wrapped in tissue before being packed into boxes so that even the skins of the apples did not touch each other.

The moisture factor Probably one of the most important factors for successfully storing winter fruits and vegetables is avoiding excess moisture. With the exception of carrots (traditionally stored in moist sand), fruits and vegetables stored wet or with moist skins will mold and decay. After washing potatoes, leave them for at least a week in a cool, open, well-ventilated location until they are completely dry and have started to form their tougher, winter skins. Do not dry them by exposing them to sunlight, as potatoes turn green in light and can form solanine, a bitter chemical that is toxic to humans.

All fruits, from tree fruits to squashes, zucchinis, and pumpkins, need to be dry and to have developed mature skins before they are put into storage.

Garlic and onions are very sensitive to moisture levels and are traditionally stored by hanging the bulbs in well-aired locations. My open basement area is full in the late fall with drying bulbs, tubers, and fruits, all developing tough skins for the winter ahead.

no rma ke rby

end, will serve as an incubation site for bacterial or fungal growth which can spread to other pieces nearby. If the piece is not in good shape, and if the skin is not intact, that vegetable or fruit will be unlikely to last even two months in storage.

Small and immature fruits or vegetables are also less likely to store well compared to large, mature pieces. When sorting your potatoes, put aside the smallest ones. These tiny, sweet ones are filled with sugars which have not yet been converted to starch. If these potatoes start to ferment, they might explode in your potato sack, spreading decomposition bacteria throughout your other potatoes. Save your largest, healthiest non-seed potatoes for eating in the later winter months and eat the small and moderate-sized ones first.

The autho r p rep ares b ee t s , o n i o n s , garl i c and dand el i ons to p ro v i d e f re s h greens duri ng the co l d , d a r k m o n t h s .

MIDWINTER GREENS One of the interesting sources of winter greens in the early 1900s was the use of forced greens from taproots or bulbs.

For example, dandelions successfully grow in moist sand.

The young leaves are quite edible and full of Vitamin C. Beets can be forced in the same fashion, as well as young onions and garlic. Cut back the tops to 2 to 3 inches and plant so the moist sand is slightly below the top of the taproot or bulb. Place in a dark, cool corner and harvest throughout the winter. In February you can bring your mini-greens garden to the light of a south-facing window.

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Stay cool The next step for winter storage of fresh fruits and vegetables is to find a suitable storage area with conditions that prevent fungal and bacterial growth.

Decay organisms do not grow well under conditions that are too cool, salty, acidic, or dry for them to multiply rapidly. For fresh fruits and vegetables, a dry, well-ventilated location with temperatures below 6º C provides ideal storage conditions. In the early 1900s, root cellars were built into sidehills or in welldrained ground at depths below the frost line, where temperatures hovered close to 3 to 6º year-round.

Most of us do not have root cellars, but if you have a basement, then a corner under the stairwell or along the north wall might be cool enough for good storage. The coldroom in the northwest corner of my basement, complete with insulated walls, stays well below 8º all winter. A spare refrigerator (plugged in) can also act as a cold storage facility for root vegetables like potatoes and carrots. I have had trouble storing cabbages in a fridge but others have reported good results. I prefer to hang the cabbage heads upside down in a cool, ventilated area.

There are also options for pit storage outside, with produce being put into the ground and covered with hay or other insulating materials. This was historically an effective method for storage in the colder, drier northern interior (pits were often built underneath the cabin itself), but, unless the pit is carefully located and protected from rain and runoff, it is a less successful method for the inland valleys of the North Coast.

In the last days before winter when plants are retreating into dormancy, the closure of gardens does not need to be the end of fresh produce. Although pickling, freezing, and canning are effective techniques for preserving food, the reduction of vitamins, especially Vitamin C, during these preservation methods can make saving fresh produce important for local food users who prefer home-grown produce. All you need is a dry, cool, moisture-free environment for good storage, and quality fruits and vegetables properly prepared for winter use.

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glass fishing floats

Vintage treasures from the Westerlies

Made from recy cl ed gl as s , au th en ti c J apan e s e f l o a t s h a v e t h i c k g l a s s f u l l o f b u b b l e s .

by Nor ma Kerby n kerby@t elus.net

It takes a major storm to move glass floats from the gyre of currents in the North Pacific and onto the Haida Gwaii coastline.

My aunt almost married a North Coast fisherman. The romance between the pretty young teacher and the tall Norwegian fell casualty to family objections and World War II, but the story, like the jade-coloured glass fishing floats which sat in my grandmother’s kitchen window, did not fade away.

As a child, I was fascinated by these sea-green glass balls, lit in the evening sun. I resolved that one day I too would travel to the exotic Queen Charlotte Islands and collect treasures on the beach and meet a handsome prince who would whisk me away in his fishing boat.

I never did meet the prince, but the lure of miles of sandy beaches on Haida Gwaii have drawn me back almost every summer, searching for gifts from the sea. In the salty banquet of scallop wings, moon-snail shells, agates and Russian light bulbs, glass fishing floats are the ultimate prize for beachcombers on the west coast of North America. Tossed up by autumn storms into the beach-grass dunes, perched precariously atop breaker-washed boulders, glinting seductively through rotting kelp, these unique glass balls attract collectors from around the world.

Glass fishing floats have an interesting history. Prior to their introduction to the fishing industry, wood or cork fishing floats were used to keep netting strung across the surface of the water. I can remember as a child picking up hand-carved cedar wood floats along the banks of the Skeena River, escapees from historic salmon netting activities at villages upriver.

Wood, though, can become water-logged and, in salt water, floats can be drilled full of Toledo worm holes. In 1842, an enterprising Norwegian inventor, Christopher Faye, and the Norwegian glass company, Hadeland Glassverk, came up with a hollow glass float specifically designed for deepsea fisheries. Glass is durable, light-weight, and lasts almost forever in marine environments. The hand-blown Norwegian glass floats, wrapped in strong netting, rapidly became the standard for the European fishing industry.

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Introduced into Asia by expanding European trade and colonialism, glass fishing floats became an important trade item during the Victorian era. With the industrialization of countries such as China and Japan, by the early 1900s glass floats were being manufactured in the Far East. In Japan, their manufacture had begun by at least 1910 and continued until the 1970s, when plastic, aluminum, and Styrofoam floats largely replaced glass. Over sixty years of intensive use, millions of glass floats, ranging from 5 cm to over 90 cm in diameter, were used to support vast webs of nets and longlines spread throughout the North Pacific. It is from this historic supply that most of the glass floats on the beaches of Haida Gwaii are derived.

Handblown glass How do you know if you have an authentic antique or vintage glass fishing float? Japanese glass fishing floats are distinctive.

Made from thick, handblown glass full of bubbles, they characteristically have a plug or button of glass at the bottom where the blowpipe was pulled out. If you are fortunate, you may find a float with a trademark in Japanese script next to the glass plug. For example, one of the biggest glass-float manufacturers in Japan, the Hokuyo Glass Company, had a trademark which looked like a double ‘f’.

Colour is another important characteristic of authentic floats. As the thickness of the glass and not the quality of the glass was important, most floats were made from recycled glass such as sake bottles, which were blue to seagreen in colour. The majority of vintage Japanese glass floats are also this colour. Only rarely were red glass (caused by small amounts of gold in the glass) and amber glass used.

Most of the brightly coloured glass fishing floats available on Internet sites today, ranging from bright reds, neon greens, cobalt blues and bril-

n orma kerby

liant yellows, are modern replicas made for the tourism and collector markets. Signs that a glass fishing float is a replica include thin glass clear of bubbles and a lack of beach erosion and scrape marks.

The shape of traditional Japanese glass floats also varied, depending upon use in the long, open-ocean fishing nets. Most glass floats were hollow globes.

‘Round’ fishing floats ranged from baseball-sized to giant balls bigger than baskets. Compared to the small floats, though, these larger floats were often blown into wooden or metal molds and show raised seams on the surface of the ball. Round was the most common shape, but occasionally cylindrical floats shaped like rolling pins, sausages and dual floats are also found.

Over time, millions of these glass fishing floats broke loose when nets were damaged during fall and winter storms. Prevailing ocean currents and blustery Westerly winds moved the floats eastward across the ocean. It takes an estimated seven to ten years for a fishing float to reach BC from the coast of Japan. As the majority of authentic glass

More Info There is excellent information available glass

regarding

fishing

Asian

floats.

The

best reference is an out-ofprint book by Amos L. Wood, Beachcombing for Japanese Glass Floats, published in 1985.

New and used copies of this book can be purchased online, although the price is quite steep. A number of websites specialize floats

and

in

glass

fishing

a

quick

search

will lead you to a wealth of information.

La rge , 25 c m f l o at sho w i ng mo l d seam, g l ass p l ug , and ero si o n m a r k s f ro m s a n d a n d ro c k s

floats are now over fifty years old, floats washing up on the western shores of North America today mostly come from the large numbers that were trapped in the gyre of currents in the North Pacific. It takes a major storm to move glass floats from this gyre onto the Haida Gwaii coastline.

Collectors’ items When glass floats, attractive and unusual, do wash ashore, they have long been considered prized collectors’ items. A search of on-line auction sites shows the high amounts paid for them. A 90-cm diameter ball might sell for more than $160, and 10-cm balls for $6 to $20 each.

Collectors can be very competitive. One day at North Beach, I overheard two ATV owners

laughing about their race down the beach towards a cluster of glass floats washing up through the breakers. After a near collision with two ATV’s racing towards the floats from the opposite direction, a shouting match ensued. The beachcomber who plunged into the waves and grabbed the floats won the prize.

Finding a large, intact glass float may give a North Coast beachcomber bragging rights, and another glass gem to add to the collection on the windowsills. Most often, though, the floats encounter rocks, and all that remains are fragments of glass and the thick bottoms of the balls, buried among the rocks at the breaker line. If glass floats are lucky enough to encounter sandy beaches, they are more likely to survive intact.

Like other flotsam and jetsam, they will be thrown high up into the stormline, waiting for some lucky beachcomber.

Japanese glass fishing floats become family treasures. My aunt left the Islands and eventually married a white-collar gentleman who ran a hardware store. They never had children. From her too-short and tragic life, only a few pictures and a handful of family tales remain. After my grandmother died, I inherited my aunt’s three glass floats and a handful of tasteful costume jewelry.

Like tears from cold sea water, these hand-blown floats now sit in my window, full of air captured lifetimes ago, before their long journey across the ocean and through the memories of my family.

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DRINKING in the NORTH A celebration of northern libations

N or th er n L i gh ts E s t a t e W i n e r y h a s prov ed th at exce l l e n t w i n e s c a n b e produ ced i n ou r n o r t h e r n c o n d i t i o n s .

by Matt J S i m mo ns

kelly bergman

th ewr it er@mat t jsim m on s. c om

Raise a glass to the little guys. Over the past few decades, the number of small-scale producers of beer and wine in BC has grown dramatically.

In the lower mainland, it seems like a new craft brewery opens every month. Up here in the North, it’s been a slower process, but with Plan B Brewing in Smithers (R.I.P.) paving the way a few years ago, the revolution has now made its way to our fair

OW KN BOO

region. It’s not only our northern location that sets them apart from their southern cousins, it’s also an underlying sense of community—not money— that motivates and drives these liquid-loving companies to do what they do.

Prince Rupert: Wheelhouse At the end of the Yellowhead Highway, the small

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port city of Prince Rupert has a big heart. Playing a growing role in the community’s identity is the brewery founded almost two years ago by partners James Witzke, Kent Orton, and Craig Outhet.

The three beer-lovers, whose vision of creating a product and space that Rupertites could call their own, came together and launched Wheelhouse Brewing. Since opening its doors, Wheelhouse has surpassed anything the owners had imagined.

Support from the community, partnerships and collaboration with other breweries, showcasing local and regional music, and turning out a consistently tasty selection of beers has been the Wheelhouse story thus far.

“Without the unique set of skills we each bring to the brewery, there’s no way we could do all that we’ve done,” says Witzke. He talks about Outhet’s talent for brewing in almost reverential tones, a talent that speaks for itself when you sample any of their beers. Orton, says Witzke, has a knack for handling the business side of the brewery. Any liquor producer not up to the task of keeping on top of the complex and convoluted regulations set out by the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch are quickly swallowed up in the bureaucratic machine.

And Witzke himself, put simply, loves people and is driven by a desire to give back to the place he calls home. The success story of Wheelhouse has been measured by the passion and dedication of its three founders and by the contribution of volunteers and overwhelming support of the community.

Everyone has a grandparent who used to make wine from berries.

Doug

Wheelhouse brews can be found throughout Prince Rupert and at locations in Terrace, Smithers and Prince George. Check their web presence at wheelhousebrewing. com or find them on social media. They are located at 217 1st Ave East in Rupert’s Cow Bay district.

Terrace: Sherwood Mountain “I’m 44, so it was kind of now or never,” says Darryl Tucker, Sherwood Mountain’s brewer and coowner. Tucker has been actively engaged in the Terrace community for many years. Previously Hawkair’s marketing manager and fundamentally involved in getting My Mountain Co-op at Shames Mountain up-and-running, Tucker loves where he lives and is driven to make it a better place.

When Darryl’s long-time friend and business partner Linda Parker told him he should go to Germany to study the art of brewing, he trusted her. He travelled to Berlin, where he set Bell up shop for the next six months, taking the VLB Certified Brewmaster program. “I’ve never really enjoyed micro-biology or chemistry and all that stuff,” he says, “but when it was shown in a practical, applicable sense, I actually learned!”

After completing the course he went to Ontario—his home province—and truly learned to brew under the tutelage of old friends who have a brewery there. Eventually, though, he felt the pull of BC’s mountains and returned west. “I bombed across the country, stopping of course at all the breweries on the way.”

After Tucker and Parker completed their business plan and bought all the equipment, getting started was daunting. “I was a little overwhelmed when I looked at all this stuff,” he says. “I was, like, ‘What the hell have I got myself into?’” But with the help of friends, Tucker tackled the task of

getting to know the equipment and producing a beer he could be proud of.

Now, after nine months of operation, Sherwood Mountain is doing great. “People are enjoying the beer and the space is cool. I’m starting to feel pretty comfortable with everything, so it’s time to start reaching out.” Tucker plans to take part in this year’s Oktoberfest in Terrace as well as future events throughout the region.

You can find Sherwood beers in many pubs and restaurants in Terrace, cold beer and wine stores across the region, and select locations in Rupert, Kitimat, and Smithers. For more info, go to sherwoodmountain.beer.

The brewery is at 4816 Highway 16 in Terrace.

Prince George: Northern Lights Estate Wine in BC is usually associated with the Okanagan region, a semi-arid part of the province that produces vast quantities of grapes and tree fruit. Although northern BC is characterized by a short but bountiful growing season, Prince George isn’t where you’d expect to find a winery. ... continued on Page 17

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in the t re e ho use

P r i n ce R u per t’s W h eel h ou s e B rew i n g h as been prod u c i n g n o t a b l e n o r t h e r n b e e r s f o r t w o y e a r s .

bria n s mith

by B r i a n S mit h fl yfishingnut 4 7@gm a i l . c om

Steel h ead trou t are pr i z ed for th ei r en ergeti c fi gh t, bu t are beau ti fu l l y col ou red as w el l .

The Morice River is a favourite destination for many steelhead anglers. It’s a short freestone river that flows roughly 70 kilometres northeast from its outlet at Morice Lake to meet the Bulkley River at Houston, which in turn runs northwest to mix with the Skeena at Hazelton. The Morice is named after Father Adrien-Gabriel Morice (1859-1938), a Catholic missionary who pioneered his faith in the Bulkley Valley during the early 1900s.

The Morice is accessed by the Morice West Forest Service Road on the west side of Houston’s city limits. It’s a good, gravel logging road suitable for any type of vehicle, but best travelled by pick-up or SUV 4-wheel-drive, especially in the wet conditions of late fall and early winter when the fish arrive. Logging trucks are active along this route, so use caution.

There are several forestry campsites along the route: Bymac is a user-pay site and boat launch accessed by the Walcott-Quick-Telkwa FSR several kms south along the Morice West Road;

Aspen Rec Site at km 17 has a good campsite but rough boat launch; Owen Flats “A” and “B” Rec Sites are near km 28 and have a good boat launch; Lamprey Creek Rec Site is near km 45. All have pit toilets and organized camping spots.

The middle river points are only a 30-minute drive from Houston, so motel accommodation is another option, especially in the poor and wet weather conditions that seems to be part of fall steelhead fishing. You can split a room with a buddy, put in a full day of fishing, come back and get warm and well-fed in your room, and in the morning climb into dry waders for another day of fishing!

And, if you prefer lodge accommodation and a guided service, Frontier Farwest Lodge are the people to call, offering a full package for the Morice and Bulkley Rivers.

Steelheads and Cohos begin to enter the Morice system during late August and September, and will continue to migrate into the system until

The strongest will return to spawn several more times during their lifetimes.

column

On the Fly The Morice River

November/December. Cohos spawn and die; steelheads hold in over-wintering pools until early spring, and then spawn. Many steelheads will return to the ocean during the Morice’s spring freshet; the strongest will return to spawn several more times during their lifetimes.

The chance for dry-fly action is what brings seasoned steelheaders to the Morice. The best opportunities for floating-line fishing are usually in September, when the water is still warm and the fish active. I like to see fish happy, showing themselves, moving through the runs as if on a mission. We call them “players,” prime targets for a well-presented, waking dry fly. Fish will often follow and take the fly on the swing, after the drift is finished and the fly is skating along the surface—the take can be heart-stopping.

Dry-fly patterns that work for steelhead are Steelhead Bombers, Beetles and Caddis imitations, all tied on hook sizes 4 through 10 on 2X-strong dry fly hooks. Wet-fly patterns include the Intruder styles, Deceivers and egg-flies tied on strong hooks in colours pink, black, blue and purple. Rabbit strips work well and are available in all of these colours; adding glitter by using Krystal Flash and UV dubbings can often make a difference in your hooking success.

The Morice and its tributaries is Classified Water, requiring a CW license. Please check the regulations for additional restrictions, and enjoy this special river!

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... continued from Page 15

D a r r y l Tuc ke r a n d Linda Park er jo ined f o rces to get Ter r ace’s S h er w ood M o u n t ain Bre w e ry up -and-running .

Coming at the idea from a different perspective, Northern Lights Estate Winery specializes in fruit wines. “Everyone has a grandparent who used to make wine from berries,” says Doug Bell, operating partner. Bell has lived in Prince George since 1988 and is firmly invested in the community. “We want to enhance our culture up here, showcasing our beautiful city, the river, and everything we have,” he says. “Starting the winery made good sense.”

“Prince George has always been rich in agricultural history. We really feel this is an opportunity to start a new industry and develop and support agriculture in the region, as well as making value-added products right here.” As for the short growing season, he says they’re doing just fine. “We’re right on the Nechako River, where the soil is rich and we have a breeze that holds off frost a bit longer than other areas.” He also tips his hat to their farm manager, agriculturalist Noemie Touchette. “She is fabulous.”

Using varieties of berries and other fruit means the winery can produce three times a year. There’s a thirst for local product growing throughout northern BC. “We made a ‘seduction wine’,” says Bell, “a blend of rhubarb and strawberry that makes a blush wine that’s sweet and easy-drinking. It sold out within two weeks.” They’re also using local apples, haskap berries, goji berries and gooseberries.

“One-hundred percent of our fruit comes from BC,” says Bell, citing partnerships with local and regional orchards as the most exciting part of developing the winery. “People want to buy local,” he says. “I see the northern region as one entity. We are a winery built in the North, for the North.”

Currently, Northern Lights Estate wines can only be found in Prince George with the exception of the tasting lounge at Three Ranges Brewing in Valemount, but plans to expand are in the works for 2016. Find them online at northernlightswinery.ca.

Beyond Further afield, Barkerville Brewing in Quesnel (barkervillebeer.com) has been consistently putting out a solid product, available in cold beer and wine stores across the north. Further still, Valemount’s Three Ranges Brewing (threeranges. com) is making a splash in its small community and across the province.

And of course, how could we forget one of BC’s oldest breweries, Pacific Western (pwbrewing.net). Located in Prince George since 1957, PWB produces a wide variety of beers including the Cariboo line, Scandal organic beers and Canterbury, among others.

Chances are high that these producers won’t be the only ones in northern BC for long, with a thirsty population eager to drink local.

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m o rg a n hi t e

HANKIN LOOKOUT CABIN

Sleeping in the sky

by Morga n H it e mor ganjh@bulkley. n e t • m ore m a ps a t bvt ra i l m a p s . c a

A boxy, renovated two-story fire lookout sticks up on a knob on the north side of Hankin Peak, with fine views of Rocky Ridge and the Kitseguecla River valley, as well as Ashman Ridge and Paleo Peak to the west. It sports a fine, old, table-mounted optical sight used by fire-spotters, and you can bring your sleeping bag and camp stove and spend the night inside. Reading the register, you will learn that people come here as often in the winter (on skis) as in the summer, and that many parents have brought children despite the steep trail.

Well-behaved dogs are also welcome. Please pack out all your trash.

From Highway 16, 6 km south of Moricetown and 25 km north of Smithers, turn west on Kitseguecla Lake Road. (This turn is well signed with a greenand-white “Hankin-Evelyn Backcountry Recreation Site.”) Cross the railway tracks and stay on Kitseguecla Lake Road, ignoring a second green and white Hankin-Evelyn sign at about KM 8 that indicates that you should turn left. At kilometre 13, you’ll find Taltzen Lake on your left, and a turn for Kitseguecla Lake on your right. Continue straight, but – and this is the crucial bit – at an unsigned intersection 1.5 km farther on, turn left. If you go straight instead, you’ll soon see the 6017-kilometre marker, and that’s confirmation you’re on the wrong road.

After that turn the road has some really impressive potholes, so drive carefully. About 5.5 km farther the road again splits and there are signs directing you to bear left. The parking area is 1 km farther. Thanks to a particularly difficult pothole in this last kilometre, a regular low-clearance vehicle can 18 | OCT/NOV ‘15 |

www.n o rthword.ca

only make it to the trailhead if the driver is especially skilled—or is willing to ground out a few times, as I did.

The trail is well signed from the parking area. It initially continues along the road you’ve been driving, but it soon turns abruptly to the left, heading up through an old cutblock. After about 10 minutes you’ll enter a very attractive uncut hemlock forest and begin ascending steeply. The trail is easy to see on the ground, and is well marked with orange reflectors and tape. Some parts are steep, and some are... umm... a bit less steep. As you approach the cabin (about 75 minutes later, having climbed about 500m over 2 km) you will first encounter a small meadow, then cross a small stream, and finally ascend a last steep section that includes a gully of loose stones.

Don’t expect a log building: this cabin is a cubical structure whose upstairs room has glass all around. There is a double-bed-sized platform in there (blue insulation foam over plywood) and, if you descend the ladder or go around to the lower door, three more platforms and a wood stove. There’s wood in the shed around back—flown in by helicopter for stove use only, so please don’t build any outdoor fires. The lightning rods on the roof and the steel cables holding the building down suggest it’s an exciting place in a storm!

The water source for the cabin is that stream you crossed on the trail about 8 minutes before getting here. Outside the cabin is an outhouse down a short trail to the northeast. And the trail you came up continues on, reaching treeline on Hankin Peak in about 30 minutes.

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facundo gast i a zo ro

Squirrels The Kids of the Back Yard

by Al Leh ma n n l eh mann2 @t elus.net

“God, the kids were squirrely in my class today!”

My colleague shifted grumpily in his staffroom seat while sipping from a cup of stale coffee. It was one of those impromptu after-school gatherings when some of us teachers would bump into one another and perform a post-mortem on the academic day.

Squirrely, I pondered—interesting term. I wonder what he means, precisely? It was obvious that the kids had been noisy, restive, and semicooperative. But how did that specifically relate to squirrels?

Since retiring from the classroom in BC’s fractured but still-functioning school system, I’ve had occasion to learn a lot about squirrels. I’ve discovered that my wife and I are backyard landlords to one or more of the little beasts, and we have come to enjoy their presence as a fine entertainment alternative to the allure of the Internet or the arid wasteland of television.

Here in BC’s Northwest we find red squirrels (tamiasciurus hudsonicus, or “shade tale”).

Members of the rodent family, these squirrels are territorial, and they loudly announce a claim

to their territories with their energetic chattering.

A female, who may mate with numerous males, might produce one or two litters of three or four offspring per year, although some years she may produce none. As the young squirrels mature, it is not uncommon for a mother squirrel to ‘bequeath’ her territory to one of her young and to move on herself. The other young have to find a new territory in which to establish themselves.

Forested areas are squirrels’ natural habitat, but they don’t seem to mind human presence, as they are often found near buildings and homes in town.

They make leaf nests in the crotches of trees or in a convenient ground hollow. One squirrel usually has several nests within her territory, and along with her young may move frequently among them.

Our backyard features a variety of trees that make fine habitat for red squirrels. A 70-foot cedar graces the west side of the yard. Nearby and to the rear stand a half-dozen tall birches whose interwoven branches create a network of useful pathways. Along the fences bordering the yard are lower-growing species including wild rose, alder

and maple. This abundance provides litter for nest construction and plenty of food—especially since we feed the squirrels along with the birds.

The seeds of conifers are the natural staple of red squirrels’ diet. Aside from these, squirrels have been known to eat spruce needles, mushrooms, willow leaves, berries, dandelion leaves, and even small birds’ eggs. We have discovered they also have acquired a taste for black sunflower seeds and peanuts, which they collect, store and hide with great industry.

“Look at that little guy go!” my brother remarked as we enjoyed a glass of sauvignon blanc on the patio last summer. Acro (short for ‘acrobat’ and our name for the latest of our squirrel tenants) was bounding away down our fence ‘highway’ from the bird feeders toward the cedar, a peanut locked in its jaws. “He’s been tearing back and forth all afternoon!”

... continued on Page 25

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Long corridors and c o n c re t e f l o o r s m a ke a g re a t i n d o o r r u n w a y f o r e n e rg e t i c c h i l d re n .

by Norma Kerby nker b y @ telus .net

The straw playhouse Winter habitat for busy children

playhouse

“So what did your children do when it was minus forty?”

I am talking to friend and author Joyce Helweg about the challenges of living in Fort St. James.

Having just visited thousands of toad tadpoles in her horse pond, the conversation had lapsed into a discussion about where animals hide in cold weather. If you are a toad, winter is easy— dig down into the moist bottom of a pond below frost level and hibernate until spring. If you are a human, cold northern-interior temperatures can present interesting problems, especially for a household full of lively little people.

“You need to meet my daughter, Leslie. She lives in a straw-bale house and has a swing in her front room. Her kids are always busy.” Joyce knows my weak spot for unusual rural houses so it is off to Leslie’s farm down the road we go.

Northern housing sometimes takes on inspired adaptations to climate and location. Just what do you do with four active children when it is too cold to let them play outside? Leslie and Chad Lantz’s place is not a disappointment. You build a house that functions as both a playground and a home.

When I ask Leslie how they arrived at the design for their home, she smiles. Her childhood in the 1980s was spent in a 100-foot-long log ranch-house with an indoor swimming pool.

Her parents, Joyce and Johnny, felt that their children should learn to swim. There has never been a municipal swimming pool at the Fort, and the many large lakes in the region are chilly, even in summer. The obvious rural solution: build your own indoor swimming pool so the children can be in the water, even in winter.

“They all swim like seals,” Joyce answers as she shrugs off my admiration.

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Building a straw-bale house As an economical, environmentally friendly building material, straw is becoming increasingly popular in construction of green housing. The literature on straw-bale construction is extensive.

A good overview is provided in the book, Natural Timber Frame Homes: Building with Wood, Stone, Clay, and Straw by W. Bingham and J. Pfeffer, 2007. According to Leslie and Chad, because special methods are required in construction of a straw-bale house, their best advice is to contact people who are familiar with straw-bale building methods and, if possible, visit a straw-bale house

no rma ke rby

to see first-hand how they are made.

A C i n de re lla st a irc a se is the ho use’s artistic f o cal poi n t. It al s o fu n cti on s as a s l i de, an open s p a c e f o r moving ob jects o n ro pes between f lo o rs , an d an i m agi n ar y cas tl e.

Skateboards and bikes It was the long, open floor space of Leslie’s childhood home that influenced construction plans when she and Chad built their house.

“Watch out for the skateboards and bikes!” Joyce warns me as we step into Leslie’s house. What Joyce means is to watch out for the skateboards and bikes with children on them. A post-and-

beam straw-bale house needs a firm foundation, and the floor is a cement slab heated by an outdoor wood furnace.

“We were going to put in flooring, but the cement is so warm in the winter, we left it as is,” Leslie explains as she tours us around the bottom level. ... continued on Page 24

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column

Top Culture

Pipelines with plotlines: Josh Massey’s explosive book

by Rob Budde rbudde@shaw.ca

—20 October, 2036—“We are offering a $500,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the pipeline bomber.” - CEO of Gasbro, Chase Beefrude.

In the presentday context of contentious pipeline politics, Massey explores the complexities of the conflicts while poking fun at it all.

Josh Massey’s The Plotline Bomber of Innisfree (Toronto, BookThug) creates a tension between an absurdist foray into the near-future politics of pipelines and the sincere dynamics of rural community and connection. “Artists and inventors, fleeing demons or pursuing angels, have found a home in Enderbee county,” and Massey creates a human pastiche of these misfit voices.

Both recognizable and strange, his community is in a no-man’s-land between a future and mythical

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This is the most endearing of the novel’s attributes—its representation of rural community life: interactions, gossip, foibles, and intrigue. At the uncertain center of the story is Jeffery Inkster: elk farmer, anti-hero, and suspected terrorist. Inkster’s harvest of elk horn is both beautiful and disturbing as the portrayals of the elk are at the same time lovingly stylized and slightly creepy: When I crank the gurdy, a Mnemosyne will come trotting to the porch with her bib of ratty chest hair wet from the pond. The horns of a Hyperion turn in the daddy elk pen, and the globes on his forehead absorb me. I brush my fingers through brown fur. Feel wet hair rub against my shoulder. Healing to touch the elk like that, and to smell the beastliness of their fur.

The cast of characters in Enderbee County includes “Artsy Boy” Samson, pipeline executive Chase Beefrude, Memily Montesquieu, Dan-theMan Assange, cross-dressing Cheryl Hill, the Carlyle family, mysterious Mars Ares, and the Mnemosyne and Hyperion elk. These many identities meet and interact in a way that brings to life the complicated intersection of stories in communities: “How tangled are the myths that inform this place.”

One of the major plotlines of course is the pipeline vandalism and the community’s resistance to the pipeline’s presence. “Nobody likes to be infil-

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Q ua l i t y

trated, occupied, run through by metal conduit. So it seems it is not a question of who did, but maybe who didn’t do it.” In the present-day context of contentious pipeline politics, Massey explores the complexities of the conflicts while poking fun at it all. Part of the fun involves his use of place-names: instead of Canada, BC, and Alberta, Enderbee is situated in “Can’tadia, PC Columbia, and Cowberta.” In his weird and wonderfully idyllic world there are doses of real-world threat and oppression: heli-drones, satellite decoding, and mass hypnotism.

Part mystery-thriller, part documentary long poem, part dream-vision, part political manifesto, Plotline Bomber is original, quirky, and wonderfully inexplicable. Massey writes into the novel his own apt blurb: “This novel reads like Richard Brautigan on brown acid.”

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... continued from Page 21

No matter how cold it is outside, we are always warm inside.

With an open room plan, and an indestructible floor, Leslie’s house is ideal as a winter playground. Children can ride and skate from the front room to the kitchen, getting all the exercise they need. Regular exercise is especially important for Leslie’s middle son, who is diabetic. Living in a home where he is encouraged to be physically active, both inside and outside, allows him to be healthy and happy.

The house’s post-and-beam design has also allowed other child-friendly options, such as a full-sized swing attached to Leslie an overhead beam, along with a system of pulleys that the children use to move various objects to and from the second floor.

“They are all going to become engineers,” Joyce whispers to me.

It is the staircase that totally overwhelms me. Sweeping down like a Cinderella movie set, the broad, hand-made wooden stairway provides a magnificent entrance between the two floors. Compared to the narrow, functional steps in most houses, imagine being a child in a home with a grand staircase that rivals the Chateau Frontenac. A variety of creative projects often spill down the sides, and a mattress is used to slide between the two levels.

As Leslie’s daughter swings back and forth past me, I am called over to look at the “truth” window in the wall. Opening up a small, hinged door, Leslie points out the straw that forms the walls of her house, walls that are over 60 cm thick.

“No matter how cold it is outside, we are always warm inside,” Leslie grins.

“And the house is cool in summer.” In a climate where summer temperatures can get over 25 C and winter temperatures below -40 C, the house’s thick walls provide constant insulation and a comfortable living zone year-round.

Youthful energy Building a straw-bale house is not easy. Having decided they wanted to build a home with natural materials that would not off-gas harmful chemicals, Leslie

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and Chad researched different options. Aware of the very cold winters in the Fort St. James area, they chose a straw-bale design. According to Leslie, it was a good choice, but more complex than they ever imagined. Dry straw bales, fitted between the posts and beams, were knitted with binder twine onto quilts of chicken wire. Plaster was then hand-trowelled inside and outside to seal the walls against moisture and rodents. It took 400 bales to fill the walls.

“We had a lot of help from friends and family,” Leslie Lantz explains, “as well as assistance from an excellent local carpenter.” They undertook most of the work themselves, though. “Now, when the kids come inside from the snow soaking wet, who cares?” Leslie smiles as she takes us through the built-in boot room. “The floor is warm and they just leave everything to dry to be hung up later. When it is really cold, the dogs, cats and children find the warmest patches on the cement and sit there.”

Lunch is at a broad, hand-made wood table. In this house, children are included in conversations, so they all have their own opinions about why they like to live where they do. Soon, though, youthful energy wins out and they spill out the door to practise shooting bows and arrows at a target in the yard.

According to Leslie, one of their straw-bale house’s biggest benefits is the freedom it offers her children for hands-on learning. Hammers, nails and saws are welcome inside during winter. Crafts and projects abound throughout the house. Through extended family and friend get-togethers, her children know that they belong in a community of people who like to do things for themselves. This is a home where it is normal for someone to be building something.

When asked how these children will ever relate to the broader urbanized world, she just smiles again. “If you raise your children to think they can do a good job and tackle anything, they will be able to look after themselves.”

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... continued from Page 19

“Girl, probably,” I murmured, “according to Wikipedia.”

We watched, fascinated, as Acro emerged from the cedar about 20 feet up, scampered along a birch branch, then scrabbled up its trunk to a crotch obscured by a patch of leaves. Only moments later she reappeared, reversing her route, racing along the branch, down through the darkness of the cedar and back toward us along the fence to the cherry tree, where bird feeders hang enticingly near our deck. Here she hung upside-down and began tugging some suet from a container we had set out for flickers and woodpeckers. I tried to imagine eating upside-down, or leaping a distance three times my height with a nut the size of my head in my teeth, and then doing it again and again.

The amount of energy these small animals expend compared to their body mass is extraordinary. Mornings I wake up to its repeated cry of “CHIT, CHIT, CHIT, CHIT!!!” Where’s the cat, I wonder. Watching Acro’s furry form make this noise, I see that the whole body goes into it. The back jerks, plumy tail quivering above, and one can imagine her little diaphragm snapping like mad to pump out the racket. The noise carries halfway across the park.

Squirrels have a penetrating stare, as if behind the big dark eyes they’re processing like mad to assess any threat that might exist in those big, lumpy beings that emit incomprehensible sounds and bring them peanuts. Some days Acro

will approach within a few feet, seeming to ignore us altogether.

Other times when we approach she’ll scramble up to some high branch and eye us suspiciously, or even rocket away down the fence on some task that seems to have suddenly dominated her attention.

Of course, our squirrels have to share the backyard with many other species, both wild and domestic (there are several neighborhood cats, for instance, that creep about stealthily and gaze longingly at our bird feeders), and such sharing does not come particularly naturally. Steller’s jays are clever competitors for any nuts set out for the squirrel. One jay will systematically lure her away (Acro will chase it up and down the tree, along the fence, and even out into the yard). Meanwhile, the other jays will be pillaging the peanuts.

Crows, also very smart, watch Acro taking nuts up into the crotch of a tree where she has made a stash. While she is down in the yard somewhere one or two crows will flap up to the stash, remove some nuts and fly up to the rooftop to crack them open, a height Acro has no way of reaching.

Once a sharp-shinned hawk coasted into the yard and perched imperiously on the fence between the cherry tree (where Acro was collecting a peanut) and the great cedar where we think she has a nest. The smaller birds (siskins,

juncos, chickadees etc) promptly disappeared. I could imagine their little hearts beating in natural terror.

Having selected a nut, Acro went bounding down the fence toward the hawk, then stopped in abrupt surprise about two feet away from it. We thought she’d be fresh hawk lunch, but the hawk seemed not to notice her. Quickly, Acro slipped down the side of the fence to a lower rail and raced behind and beneath the hawk to her usual destination. Finally the oblivious hawk lifted its magnificent wings, pulled itself into the air and sailed off. Within minutes the flurry of bird-feeder activity resumed.

These wild beings are not exactly pets, yet they fill that kind of role in our daily lives. We care for them in a distant way, and they return our investment by performing their instinctual behaviors in an ongoing natural drama that often borders on comedy.

Squirrels, like children, are noisy and energetic, full of serious fun, and often unpredictable. They squabble and compete and are strongly motivated by food. My colleague’s choice of “squirrely” to describe his restless, unpredictable students was truly apt. Any squirrels in your family?

I tried to imagine eating upsidedown, or leaping a distance three times my height with a nut the size of my head in my teeth.

N

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column

Ba rom eter

How to dress for Halloween—from Steinbach to Singapore, Vanderhoof to Vancouver

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

Growing up in Steinbach, Manitoba in the 1960s, kids embraced Halloween with gusto, but parents did not make a big deal of it. No one had elaborate homemade costumes or even thought a person might rent one. The most popular outfit was Classic Hobo: throw on some tattered clothes, a pork-pie hat, and the stick could hold the candy bag.

I always wanted a Regal Princess get-up, but since my planning only started after school on the day of, the results were less than I had imagined.

Didn’t really matter though, because my mom always insisted I wear a parka over it. Looking up the historical average temperature for my hometown on that Parka Princess day, I see it ranged from +5 to -5 Celsius. Freezing!

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A less successful costume was the Mummy, where the strips of torn white sheet decayed over the evening into soaking wet and trailing shreds of cotton.

I joined my husband on a business trip to Singapore last fall and experienced a tropical Halloween. Everyone thronged the streets along the river where giant gaspers cooled the air. On airplanes, the cool-air gaspers are about an inch across, one per seat.

The Singaporean cool-air gaspers are a foot across and aligned in three by three patterns in openair markets and town squares.

The most popular costume: flashing-light horns to wear on your head. With their average temperatures of 23 to 31 C, no one is going to dress up as Chewbacca.

A furry Bigfoot costume might be appreciated in Vanderhoof, where the record daily low for October 31—a bone-crushing minus 28 C—was achieved in 1984. That same day, snow began to fall in Campbell River and Comox, much to the surprise of trick-or-treaters there. By the early morning hours the next day, 30 to 50 cm of heavy wet snow had fallen on portions of Vancouver Island. But to the dismay of kids across the school district, classes were still in session.

In Smithers, Helly Hansen Catalogue Model might be a good costume idea, as precipitation is highly likely around October 31, occurring on 70 percent of days. Same deal for Terrace and Kitimat: there is a 79 percent chance that precipitation will be observed at some point during that day or night. One of the most successful costumes

for my kid was a Robot, where he was covered head to toe in rainresistant aluminum. Less so was the Mummy, where the strips of torn white sheet wrapped around his limbs and torso slowly decayed over the evening into soaking wet and trailing shreds of cotton.

Prince Rupert has a maritime climate with mild summers and no dry season. Throughout October, the most common forms of precipitation there are light rain, moderate rain and heavy rain. No wonder they moved the party indoors a long time ago — October 2014 marked the 27th annual Community Halloween Fest in the Jim Ciccone Civic Centre. Now, there’s a nice setting for parka-less Princess!

With only nine hours and 27 minutes of daylight on Halloween, Prince George trick-or-treaters might add those flashing horns to a warm toque.

Light snow is likely to start falling around this date.

In Vancouver on October 31, it’s going to be warm (7 to 10 C), humid, or very humid and wet.

Head indoors to dozens of potential parties— Salsalloween (“Biggest Salsa Party”), Ghost Ship Boat Cruise, or Halloween at the Waterfront.

There’s also the Shangri-la Halloween Masquerade Ball with “mandatory formal sexy attire.” Hmm, no Regal Princess possibility there, either. Thwarted once more, I’ll stay in again this year.

N

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