qathet Living February 2023

ON THE COVER:

If January is the month to make (and break) New Year’s resolutions, then February is the month to shift gears.

January was a good month to hibernate. While my body was resting my mind was busy thinking about what I want to accomplish in the coming year.

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions years ago because they didn’t work for me. I started off with a bang, but somewhere along the line (usually around mid-January), I began to fizzle out and by the end of the month I was done.

was a profoundly life-giving shift (Page 17).

Policymakers across Canada are struggling to address the concurrent crises of mental health, addictions, poverty and crime. There’s little agreement on what should shift – just that something must (letters to the editor, Page 30).

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT

I like the idea of shifting what I do when what I did no longer serves me.

This 17th anniversary issue of qL is all about those shifts. For the Pritchards, their lives had to change after Kathie experienced a traumatic brain injury – but the shift made their love story richer and deeper (Page 6).

For John Hewson, accepting his sexuality – even accepting the word “gay,”

For those of us who have been hibernating since the holidays, a host of actors and musicians are calling you off your couch to be part of an audience once again. The Festival of Performing Arts, qathet International Film Festival, Mary Poppins Junior, The Greatest Show, Weed Lube: A Slippery Slope and so much more are coming this month and next, urging you to shift gears and be part of the community again (Events, Page 41).

I’m even planning to shift how I celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, to a celebration of friendship over romance.

A Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker is looking for love in the waters off skelp (Saltery Bay). Just a few centimetres across and often dusted in sand, the PSL has become a “trendy” fish among divers . Read more about hunting for lumpsuckers on Page 54.

Photo by Sean Percy

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FEBRUARY’S CONTRIBUTORS

DAVID HARRIS is a journalist who retired to Powell River to enjoy the forests, trails, beaches and cliffs of the Sunshine Coast. See David’s story, Worth Fighting For, on Page 25.

ANN NELSON is a Powell River historian, and 22-year-member and current treasurer of the Townsite Heritiage Society. She is a “selectively retired” arts, culture and gardening advocate. See Ann’s story, Heritage Week, on Page 51.

GARY SHILLING is the ED of the qathet film society, working for the last 5 years to preserve the Historic Patricia Theatre for our community.. See Gary’s article about the film fest on Page 49.

RANDOLPH TIMOTHY JR is Tla’amin Nation’s Language Coordinator. See Randolph’s monthly column, You Got This, on Page 31.

JOHN HEWSON is a vision enabler, standing for authentic self expression, both for individuals and organizations . He is also the secretary of qathet Pride Society. BobBC.ca See John’s story, Moving Gayly Forward, on Page 17.

I...promised myself to not disregard my own needs to such an extent again. To solidify this personal vow and give myself a constant reminder, I bought myself that friendship ring and declared to “Be my own best friend.”

– Juliette Jarvis, Page 52

VALENTINE’S DAY 2023

Love Birds

This life-long romance developed through baseball, a business, a brain injury, the Bible, and hundreds and hundreds of feathered friends.

BY ISABELLE SOUTHCOTT

When Kathie Brooker slid into first base during a church youth group baseball game in Calgary back in 1978, she had no idea that the handsome young ball player with his foot firmly planted on the base would one day become her husband.

“It was those blue eyes,” says Kathie (now Pritchard) smiling across the kitchen table at her husband Ken (Kip).

“I slid into first base and Kip looked down at me and said no one slides into first base. I said, ‘I do and I’m safe!’”

Kip drove 17-year-old Kathie home after that ball game and asked her out. She said yes and the rest is history.

“It was love at first sight,” said Kip. “She was gorgeous; she’s still gorgeous!”

Kip was 20; Kathie was 17. On their first date, Kip took Kathie to visit a show home. “I loved to design the inside of homes and there were lots of free show homes to go look at in Calgary back then,” he said.

Kip was a flooring representative for Western Canada for a mill out of Quebec and Kathie loved design,

so Kip’s unusual suggestion of where to go for a first date sounded like fun to her!

Their relationship flourished and the lovebirds got engaged on Christmas Eve of that year; they were married the following September.

And although they met in Calgary, Powell River always figured prominently in their life as Kip’s grandparents lived here and his dad was born and raised here.

“Kip’s grandfather was the chief electrician at the mill in 1912,” Kathie explained. “My grandmother was the payroll clerk at the mill at the same time,” Kip said.

Kip’s grandparents married in 1916 and lived on Maple Avenue. When his grandfather was sent to work at the mill’s Stillwater plant they looked for a place to live south of town. “That is the reason why, in 1935, they bought the property at Donkersley Beach,” said Kip.

Kip and Kathie returned to Powell River each year when their children, Krystal and Kris, were young, to visit Kip’s parents at the beach and every time they did, they found it harder and harder to go back to Calgary.

It was on one of these visits that Kip was offered a

job with Jacquie Brock, owner of Bowes Furniture. “I opened up the interior design department there for her,” said Kip. “We moved here in 1990 – it was one of the best decisions we ever made,” says Kathie. Their children were in Grade 3 and Grade 1 then. Now they are grown with kids of their own.

“We absolutely loved raising our young family and watching our children grow; it was so rewarding. A lot of our family “life” together involved being immersed in the beautiful outdoors with regular trips to the Rockies [even when it was -20°], camping around Alberta and our wonderful summer vacations spent with Kip’s parents at the Beach House here in Powell River,” recalls Kathie.

Four years after moving to Powell River, Kip wanted to open his own store and in 1994 they opened Ken’s Personal Touch, a flooring and window covering shop, on Marine Avenue.

The pair worked side by side in the business. “Kathie was always a straight ‘A’ student in school,” said Kip. “I knew she’d be a great partner in business, too.”

“We always enjoyed working together,” said Kathie. “We can read each other so well.”

Kathie had a little kitchen in the back of their

BIRDS OF A FEATHER: Ken and Kathie Pritchard love spending time together photographing the many different species of birds that live in qathet. Since moving to their new home last spring, the couple photographed 75 species of birds in the first three months while sitting on their verandah.

shop. It was there that she’d exercise another passion of hers: baking bread. “When a job was complete to the customer’s satisfaction, Kathie would give them fresh buns right out of the oven,” said Kip.

Kathie’s car was rear-ended in November 2001, leaving her with minor physical injuries and a life-altering, permanent, traumatic brain injury. For while, altough she recognized her husband, she couldn’t remember his name.

“We met so many wonderful people through our business,” said Kathie. ”We tried to continue to operate it after my disability, but life had changed so much for us. We finally decided to sell it in 2009. It’s so great to see it car-

rying on successfully with Chris and Melanie as Personal Touch.”

That accident changed both their lives. For Kathie, the injury slows down the mental processing power of her brain so she cannot think as quickly as she once did. She becomes exhausted when there is an excess of stimuli such as background interference or loud noises.

Because of this, she has to plan her outings very carefully and wears earbuds. “We haven’t eaten in a restaurant since the accident,” she said, noting that when they want to eat out, they order meals to go.

For Kip, when Kathie was unable to do many of the household chores she’d done before the accident, he took over.

“The doctors warned us that our marriage would experience tremendous challenges and that a high percentage of marriages ended up in divorce, recalls Kip. “I said, ‘No, I married her for life.’”

Things did change after the accident. “Our whole world changed,” said Kathie. “It’s interesting how when God gives you a detour like that, He opens up a whole new world for you, but you have to be open to change.”

After selling the business, Kip wondered what he would do next. They built a cottage on their beach house property and ran it as an Airbnb for several COVID hit. “Then we looked at each other and asked if we wanted to keep doing this or did we want to do something else?” said Kip.

They decided they needed a smaller house and property that required less maintenance. Their beach home sold and they found their new dream house all at the same time.

“We were there for 18 years, and we loved it, but we are getting older and it was a lot to maintain. We were third generation on the Beach House property, so it was a huge decision for us to sell,” said Kathie. But they did, and last spring they moved to a new home closer to town that they call “Bird and Pop’s

Bird is a good nickname for Kathie. Not only are both Kathie and Kip passionate about birding, Kathie’s mom was known as Nanny Bird to her grandchildren, Krystal and Kris. Kathie said she thought she would be known as Nanny Bird to her grandchildren, but grandson Kolton shortened it to Bird and Bird

“The sweetest sound I can hear in the middle of a shopping mall is: ‘Bird, where are you?’ said Kathie. Kip and Kathie’s love affair with birding started in April 2016. “I’ve always enjoyed photography,” said Kip. “I met a guy on a Christian birding site and told him about Kathie’s brain injury and he asked if she liked photography. I said yes and bought her a camera. So, we decided to try out this birding thing.”

One of the first birds they found was a Harris’s sparrow. After finding it, they registered with eBird.org (a worldwide site). Another birding friend and mentor of theirs in the United States said it was really important to log this bird on the eBird site, so they did.

Today the couple spends hours doing citizen science research and recording their findings. “We have learned so much and have wonderful mentors including two incredible local birders. We contribute to the pattern of birds and the research of birds wherever we go,” said Kip. “We log all the birds and enter the data, even if it is just one or two birds. This is a legacy we are leaving as some of these birds could be extinct one day.”

The Pritchards share the photos they take on social media. “Through our photos we have gotten quite

a few people interested in birds,” said Kip. They’ve given talks and done slideshows locally, including at Gerry Gray Place and for the Malaspina Naturalist Club.

“One of the joys of birding is sharing our photos with people who can’t get out and see these birds themselves,” said Kip. “Before we started doing this, we didn’t know Powell River had so many beautiful birds!”

The Pritchards have photographed 215 different species of birds with about 90% being right here in qathet.

Known as ‘the bird people’ (and the K team), they smile and say it is a passion they share and something they love doing together. Since moving into their new home in May, they logged 75 different species from their verandah in the first three months. “Finding a bird is so exciting,” said Kathie.

Although their love for each other has kept them together, faith is everything to this couple.

“We have learned to trust the Lord with absolutely everything because He can see a way ahead that we cannot see. We lean on the Lord and we lean on each other,” said Kathie.

They’ve been husband and wife for 43 years and through that time, they’ve learned how to talk, communicate and give to each other 150 trillion per cent, says Kathie.

Kathie can’t imagine her world without Kip. “He’s my rock.”

And Kip says Kathie is his best friend.

“We love doing things together,” he says.

“His mom said we are two peas in a pod. I said yes, but we are individual peas because we both have our own interests and passions, but we love being together,” said Kathie.

“The doctors warned us that our marriage would experience tremendous challenges [after Kathie’s traumatic brain injury] and that a high per cent of marriages ended up in divorce. I said ‘No, I married her for life.’”

– Kip Pritchard

Walt Whitman

The temperate rainforest, the Salish Sea

Making the most of your uniquely qathet wedding

No matter what your style or story, almost every coastal wedding is illuminated by nature. The forest and the ocean are the setting, the backdrop, the flavours, and much more.

Learn how to make the most of this stunning region, in planning your special day.

Go local & environmental

Nicole Quigley • Ever Red Fresh Designs (florist)

Quote: “You have chosen this region because of its incredible beauty; from the ocean, to the mountains, lakes, rivers, giant cedar trees, rocky landscapes, and grassy fields. Let’s continue to keep it beautiful by making environmentally sound wedding choices. Use BC-grown flowers, plants as decor in backdrops and more.”

Nicole’s big tip: Choosing an abso-

lutely stunning location for your ceremony or reception means that you don’t need anything else to make it a special day; just you and your love and beautifully-designed flowers.

Photographer:

Dress: She Wore Flowers

Bouquet + Crown: Ever Red Fresh Designs

Photo: Bursts of floral colour help this couple stand out from a dark background of ferns and moss.

Island Moments Photography

Black & Lee Fine Formals for Men: The Rental Collection

Make-Up

Mind the weather

Balogh • Astral Images (photographer and videographer)

Astra

Quote: “Rain is always a possibility. I always have about six extra umbrellas for the wedding party. Don’t book your portrait session during the high noon sun – there are so many shadows. You’ll have to work to make sure your guests are not squinting into the sun in your photos.”

Astra’s big tip: Outdoor weddings are notoriously difficult to photograph and video. In part, that’s because the lighting can be harsh. And in part, it’s because the weather is hard to predict. Therefore, it is really worth hiring someone who knows how to make the most of whatever is happening, rather than relying on friends with cellphone cameras.

In addition, the wind can make hearing the ceremony near impossible – both in your video, and also in person. If your ceremony is outside, invest in renting a good sound system.

Photos: A skilled photographer can work with whatever weather and lighting the day bestows. Rain becomes a prop (top); the dark woods make formalwear and florals pop (far left) and a dim, cloudy sunset becomes a neutral backdrop for a dramatic kiss (left).

Full-Service Spa

Pedicures, manicures, waxing, massages, laser services, lashes, wraps, brows.

Watch for our monthly specials.

Accommodations

4 beautiful fully-contained suites and 3 hotel rooms. Some with ocean view. Call the spa to make your reservation.

“Thank

Comfortable & natural

Quote: “Outdoor weddings can really struggle with comfort. It’s why the Seasider has been so successful. You get the best of both worlds. We can accommodate people with wheelchairs and older people with mobility challenges for the ceremony. Then the younger people go down to the beach to take photos, which is right there. We open the doors and have the fireplace on for the older people – there’s always a lot of older grandmas and aunts. I’ll put on tea and wine – take care of them until everyone comes back in for the reception.”

Sharon’s big tip: Be considerate of your guests’ needs, because they’ll be at your wedding for many hours. Washrooms, accessibility, comfortable chairs, shelter from the weather, and dietary needs all need to be accommodated, even in the context of a wed-

ding that is in nature. Choosing the right venue can do that.

Sharon Willis • Powell River Town Centre (manager of banquets)

Photos: A sheltered area on the Seasider patio relieves the hot sun and the possibility of rain.

For dresses, anything goes

Guadalupe Dufour • Perfect Fit for Brides & Grads (seamstress & sales)

Quote: “People are getting married everywhere: at the beach, at home, in their backyards, farms or anywhere in nature. It’s wonderful.”

Guadalupe’s big tip: Dress in layers no matter what season it is. The weather is unpredictable. And, dress exactly

how you would like to. It’s your special day. Choose whatever colour, fabric, or style you like. Just make sure it feels special.

Photos: These brides are making their gowns work in nature – by simply loving what they’re wearing.

This region hosts 70+ weddings each (normal) year

Interestingly, the number of weddings here didn’t decline much during COVID. Canada-wide, they dropped by a third from 2019 to 2020. Here, they dropped by less than 10% – then rebounded while still in the midst of the pandemic. What does it mean?

Some vendors say weddings are a growth opportunity for the qathet region. Vancouver weddings are notoriously expensive, and as a destination, this place has so much to offer.

Indeed, weddings are their own industry. Canadians spend about $28,000 getting married, on average – meaning that weddings are already worth about $2 million here.

Prepare for your honeymoon

Danica Work • Simply Bronze (UV tanning & more)

Quote: “We are your beach – your sun when there is none. Our local spring weather is rainy, so it’s nice to have a glow. The only place you can get it is at the salon.”

Danica’s big tip: Getting a glow is it’s own reward, but if you’re planning to visit somewhere hot, establishing a base tan before you leave is a good

idea. Simply Bronze also offers a sauna, self-tanning products, and quality resort wear and swim wear for every size. Plus, white flip flops for the bride and bridal party, and gifts.

An even, healthy-looking tan helps you look and feel your best in your wedding dress and on your honeymoon.

Photo:

NATURAL BEAUTY:

This linen dress has been upcycled from vintage pieces. Find a dreamy range of environmentally-conscious, beautiful dresses and more at Eunoia Fibre Studio & Gallery in Townsite Public Market.

Choose flowers that will last Shawna Graham

• Chrysalis Flowers & Gifts

Quote: “It’s not just the ceremony - your flowers need to last through the photos and the reception, and some brides like to send them home with guests, too. Consider the weather, and what it will take to care for your flowers on the day.”

Shawna’s big tip: Book your package early enough to make sure you get what you want. Make the flowers meaningful for you. Some couples bring in heirlooms or objects to be integrated into the bouquets; some want flowers or plants from their own or relatives’ gardens. Some want flowers that are grown far away, or aren’t in season. Everything is possible - just book in advance.

Photo (right): To make sure your bouquet doesn’t disappear in your wedding photos, Shawna suggests using a variety of shades and textures.

Bridal Packages

All packages include brow shaping!

Facial

$222

• 60 minute Massage

BRIDAL BODY BALANCE

The bride will be ready for her big day with this popular package!

• 60 minute Body Exfoliation (includes 30 minute massage) $222

POST BACHELORETTE PARTY RECHARGE

The perfect way to recuperate after a great party!

• 60 minute Deep Tissue Massage

• 60 minute Hot Towel Facial $222

Found Stone

Jewelry • Art • Dec

Mix DIY with some expert help

Sarah McClean • Point Group Hospitality (New! Catering & wedding / event rentals)

Quote: “qathet attracts so many creative people who want to utilize all the natural resources we have available. We can’t wait to help on that journey to enhance their event ideas.”

Sarah’s big tip: Coastal Cookery and Costa Del Sol are often approached to cater weddings – and Sarah has always had to say ‘no’ due to capacity. But the increasing desire for local, sophisticated, forest- and beach-based events convinced her to ex-

pand into both catering and rentals.

The region’s unique downto-earth wedding vibe can be enhanced with some expert help on food, props and infrastructure.

Photos: For the past 11 years, Point Group has been serving original West Coast fare – now available as catering. Right, creativity shines at an outdoor wedding. Left, many couples feel most at home outdoors. pointgrouphospitality.com

Annual Budget Process

qathet Regional District (qRD) administration and operations are governed by the Local Government Act and Community Charter. Each year the qathet Regional District must undergo an annual budgeting process as well as an annual audit.

The annual budgeting process provides a road map to the organization, and assists in the day-to-day management of the qRD. The budgeting process enables the qRD to set their service tax rates for the year, assess liabilities, capital financing and any property acquisitions, and dispositions.

In addition, the annual budgeting process feeds the Five Year Financial Plan, which outlines five year operations, capital project planning, and asset management for the entire region.

Whenever possible, the qathet Regional District works collaboratively with local key actors, as well as the Provincial and Federal government to acquire grant funding to help pay for services and projects to reduce the tax burden on our residents.

The qathet Regional District will meet to consider the proposed 2023 budgets and 2023-2027 Financial Plan at the Finance Committee meetings with adoption of the qathet Regional District budget and Five-Year Financial Plan scheduled to occur at the February Board meeting.

Financial Assistance

The qRD can provide financial assistance to community organizations for special projects, events, capital or general operating expenses. The qRD has two intakes for financial assistance each year, March 31st and August 31st. The qRD also considers applications from societies and notfor-profit organizations for permissive tax exemptions in recognition of these organization’s community contributions. Permissive Tax Exemption application forms must be submitted by August 1st to be considered for a tax exemption in the following year.

Regional District Finance Department

The Finance Department is responsible for financial administration of the services qathet Regional District provides to its residents. Finance activities include: financial planning and reporting, banking and investments, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable and utility billings. The Finance Department also manages financial administration for the Regional Hospital District.

Regional Hospital District

The Province of British Columbia established Regional Hospital Districts as a means of financing a local contribution to the costs of constructing or renovating major health care facilities such as acute care hospitals or long-term care facilities.

Regional Hospital Districts are governed by the Hospital District Act. The main purposes of the Regional Hospital District are to establish, acquire, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, operate and maintain hospitals and hospital facilities, and provide grant aid for the establishment, acquisition, reconstruction, enlargement, operation and maintenance of hospitals and hospital facilities.

The Regional Hospital District will meet to consider draft two of the proposed 2023 budget at the Regional Hospital District meeting in March, with final budget adoption occurring at the Regional Hospital District Board meeting in March.

Parcel Tax Rolls

Each year, the qathet Regional District prepares parcel tax rolls for the Lund Sewer Local Service Area, Myrtle Pond Water Local Service Area and Savary Island Marine Facilities Service Area as required by Section 208 of the Community Charter. The parcel tax roll lists the parcels eligible to be taxed for each of the above noted services in 2023.

This is an annual process to review the roll to ensure that the properties to be taxed are correct. Property owners within these service areas can request to view the parcel tax rolls or request information regarding an amendment by contacting finance@qathet.ca or calling 604-485-2260.

Requests for an amendment to the parcel tax roll must be in writing and received no later than Friday, February 17, 2023 at 4:30 pm.

Moving gayly forward in life

BY JOHN HEWSON

Iwas 16 or 17 in high school with a group of guy friends when one mentioned a statistic he’d read: one in five men are gay!

We were shocked and immediately pointed to one of the lads who we unanimously deemed to fit the bill. He blushed and objected, but the laughter drowned him out. The conversation moved on.

Five years later on a weekend excursion a male friend kissed me and I didn’t stop him. We fooled around from time to time when the girlfriends weren’t around and eventually concluded we’re not gay, so carried on separate lives and dating women. He went on to marry have two kids, get divorced and then marry a dude, who’s he’s now separated from for infidelity reasons.

Youth in schools went through a phase where it was cool to be bi, and why not, if you’re attracted to the person and happen to get it on with them, go for it. Consenting adults having consensual sex is normal and healthy and fun.

So why has ‘you’re so gay’ gone from meaning jolly, vibrant, alive and free, to slang for ‘it’s shit,’ or a slur to put someone down?

Personally I resisted the ‘gay’ label for so long because of the inferences to being lesser than or not

normal, effeminate, a reject.

Now I quite like it, because I see I was brave enough to try, to experiment, be myself and own it. Going from allergic to the word, afraid of gay people, to being curious accepting myself and now an advocate. Careless words can do lasting damage.

A few years back I conducted research for the Canadian Tourism authorities on the best LGBTQ destinations in the world, creating a training handbook for destinations interested in attracting the lucrative gay travellers – dual income no kids for the most part and a sense of adventure to see the world. More importantly, an attraction to destinations and businesses who welcomed same-sex couples and trans folks as normal, understanding their travel needs and catering to them.

For the most part, we of the LGBTQIA2S+ community want to feel safe, accepted, and welcomed, and not treated differently. Ignorance and rudeness is what it is, no matter who it’s direct towards. Hate crimes are rare these days, but being gay is still illegal and punishable by death in some countries in the

world. There’s a lot to consider in simply being you, embracing your gay.

So how do we score here in qathet?

We have a strong queer community, the LGBTQIA2S+ is a growing acronym, who can name all those letters? Lesbian and gay are pretty clear, bi is a bit of both. The Kinsey Scale includes everyone, the full range from 100% straight (don’t even look at me) on one extreme to 100% gay (no straights or opposite sex near me). The Q is for questioning or queer and curious, I and A for intersex and asexual.

The 2S for Two Spirited which spoke to me as I know I’m made of man and woman, male and female energy with varying levels of dominance for different aspects of my life, a term I understand originates within some First Nations communities.

The plus on the end ensures we include any others who feel left out or ignored. Many have their own inclusive flags, check out qathetpride.ca/pride-flags. We all identify differently, so it’s best to ask or offer your pronouns.

Raised by a single mother I carry many feminine

REFUSING THE “GAY” LABEL: qathet Pride Society chair John Hewson (and this article’s author) in Paris with his friend Roy four decades ago. Only later in life did they separately embrace their personal truths.

traits and fewer strong male traits, even though I present mostly as a tall strong male. For many indigenous communities the two spirited folks were those who helped resolve differences in that they possessed both spirits and energies and points of view, so better able to relate and see both sides.

Coming out of the closet does not have to be a big gay parade. It might be a smile or friendly arm around your shoulders.

For me it was a simple conversation, one on one, with friends and family. Know it can be nerve-wracking for so many as we harbour fears of rejection or judgment by those closest to us. For many today it’s easier as awareness is so much higher, with accepting parents seeing and embracing the qualities their kids reflect and are drawn to.

Sadly it can be fraught with trauma where parents or siblings, friends or school bullies use defamatory language that creates barriers and fear and hatred that we shy away from. If you think this way, you might say “Get a spine, stand up, who cares what they think!”

But think of it from point of view of the person coming out. They don’t want anything to change. Listen, ask questions. We still want to be loved and accepted, to carry on as before. Normal and adored.

My mum called it ‘my little secret’ for a while. My brother said, “Okay, carry on as normal, we can talk about it if you like.” Years later when his son come out as trans, he said “brilliant,” paused, then “I have no idea what you’re going through. Is it okay if we talk about it?” And they did.

I know my initial fears around ‘gay people’ were based on not understanding, afraid they might seduce me or convert me. Maybe it was the fear of me actually liking it, which thankfully I now do.

If you are afraid or hesitating, consider that not everything you hear is true. Find a friend or ally, start talking, and let go of self-judgment. Freedom may take a while, and you owe it to yourself to be true. Be you.

We have a wonderful qathet Pride Society here and for the most part a supportive community. And

we can do better. Brooks student Jordana conducted a survey a year or two back to discover kids feel threatened and hear negative slurs daily, so watch your language and consider the sensitivity of those facing their truth, it could be your brother, sister, friend or parent.

You’ve seen the slogan ‘Love is Love.’ And it is. In a world where we are becoming more disconnected, celebrating love, connection and belonging are vital to improving our quality of life. Displays of love and intimacy and caring should be celebrated, not criticized.

We have an opportunity to educate each other and gather as queer community year round, not just for Pride week. We have the opportunity to explore our own fluidity and feelings towards one another – they don’t have to mean physical sexual contact. Share some love and acceptance, not just for the queer folks (who are leading the way), but also for our straight friends and queer allies.

Imagine the courage it takes to say ‘I’m not male, I identify as female’ and facing all that involves, whether transitioning from male to female or female

to male. If that were me, I’d want you to hold my hand and listen, support me, not persuade me otherwise or judge or make fun of any part of the transition.

My nephew asked me to help tell his dad. I did and it was one of the most amazing conversations of my life to witness. I was as proud of my brother’s reaction and his transitioning daughter’s clarity. Be a friend and an ally. Be open, patient and inform yourself.

Imagine it’s you or someone close to you facing their truth, how would you react and behave?

qathet Pride has some resources, and we hope to grow beyond the one weekend a year event to year round support and education, so we are interested to hear what you see and want and need to help normalize and educate what’s becoming more normal than ever before.

When we create safe LGBTQ spaces we create safe spaces for everyone. If you or your family or firm or workplace wish to embrace sensitivity training to better welcome people from the region and around the globe, let us know. At qathet Pride we hope to grow. And hope to serve the wider community in caring for our queer, gay, LGBTQIA2S+ friends.

In a region of 20,000 people, likely 2,000, yes 10% are somewhere on the queer rainbow. Kids, youth, parents, seniors, we come in all shapes and sizes. The use of ‘gay’ in this article includes everyone on the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum, queers and all, the purpose is to include all genders, destigmatize and humanize our relationship with each other as caring human beings.

In this multi-cultural world we still get some threats of violence and mean slurs. When you witness them, shut them down. It’s like racism. If you ignore ignorant hateful slander, you are supporting it. Call it out or report it, it’s a crime and being human we’re meant to be kind.

We’re not recruiting you. We are simply being brave and bold and being ourselves in this wonderful world.

The Powell River Hospice Society offers one-on-one support for bereaved individuals, palliative patients, and caregivers of palliative patients.

My nephew asked me to help tell his dad. I did and it was one of the most amazing conversations of my life to witness.

I was as proud of my brother’s reaction and his transitioning daughter’s clarity.

– John Hewson

YAS QUEENS: qathet’s first all-girls development hockey team found out January 10 they’ll represent BC in an internationally-broadcast U15 match against Sechelt February 18. The event is part of the annual Global Girls Game – an initiative of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

Soon-to-be stars

Sitting on the benches just off the rink at the Rec Complex – skates half-on, pre-practice – the U15 Queens hockey team gathered around to hear a special announcement. They had been chosen to play a special game February 18, against the Sechelt Blues, representing all of BC, in the Global

Girls Game (GGG) event which will feature female hockey teams from all over the world. It took the teens a few minutes to realize that this is, indeed a big deal.

The International Ice Hockey Federation has been running the GGG annually since 2015, “a unique event that

GOODBYE, QUIET COVID ERA: The U15 Queens has 17 players ranging from age 11 to 16, drawn from qathet’s ever-growing girls hockey development program, and minor hockey. Top, the team beat Campbell River 7-1 January 22. Above, the players in their new jerseys. Each Canadian player participating in the GGG will also receive a special jersey, with numbers corresponding to Canada’s 2022 Women’s World Championship Hockey winning team.

Bella Peters #1 (A)

Nelle Liefsoens #3

Braelyn Budgell #5

Makayla Hawkins #7 (C)

Luce Liefsoens #8

Sienna Keays #9

Samara Brown #11 (A)

Bree Behan #12 (A)

Teegan Taylor #13

Londyn Waterton #14

Marlina Hanson #17

Jordana Gravelle #17

Willa Venselaar #23

Molly Hillier #26

Sunny Hillier #40

Quynn Lefler #46

Claire Karger #18

Camryn Pukesh #10

Coaches: Julie Venselaar

Suzi Wiebe

Manager: Kaila Auger

Safety: Ashleigh Hawkins

was created to unite the hockey community.”

“All right!” said player Braelyn Budgell after the announcement. “Sechelt is our favourite team!”

Team manager Kaila Auger explained that this is especially meaningful for the Queens, because qathet’s first all-girls development hockey team got started under COVID, and is working hard to get known around the province. In fact, no games were allowed during the entire first year they’d formed. That they were chosen to play in the GGG “means they’re being taken seriously as a team,” she said.

Assistant coach Suzi Wiebe added, “This puts Powell River on the map.”

The application to represent BC was “written at the 11th hour” by the team’s head coach, Julie Venselaar, in early December. The event takes place, coincidentally, during an all-girls tourney at the Hap Parker that weekend, with eight teams coming from out of town (plus three local teams).

For the Global Girls Game event, a photographer or videographer will be arranged by Hockey Canada to capture the game (there are 11 being played across Canada that day).

On February 19, Canada will play the USA.

JOIN POWELL RIVER’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AT THE FIRST NETWORKING SOCIAL OF 2023

Hear from special guest Vanessa Coray of the VK Wellness Initiative about successful companies where people are free to be themselves and express themselves.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

7 – 8:30 PM

DOORS OPEN AT 6:45 ARC COMMUNITY CENTRE

7055 ALBERNI ST

Please register for this free event by contacting Alexandra Young at ayoung@powellriver.ca

Look for the new qathet Waste Wise app available now

The custom mobile app will notify and deliver service reminders, alerts and all the information you need about solid waste and recycling, making it easier than ever to stay connected and informed.

The Colab

For Business • Entrepreneurs • Start-ups • Projects Collaborate at Powell River’s Non-profit Co-Working Space.

“I found the Colab coworking space to be comfortable, highly accessible and with terrific amenities all for a reasonable cost. It’s a great place to work and study… Absolutely recommended!” – David Walker

Learn more at: coastlinecolab.ca/memberships

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that 42% of our local garbage is food waste? By keeping organic material out of the landfill, the impact on climate change is reduced. Please compost your organic waste, it’s great for your garden, or take it to the Town Centre depot.

powellriver.ca

$30

No matter the score, local kids are going to win

BY SID ALLMAN POWELL RIVER FIRE RESCUE

The Cops versus Firefighters hockey game has been played a number of times over the years for fun. Last year Constable Phil Caza approached me and shared his idea to play the game as a fundraiser for the Cops for Cancer tour – which we were glad to do. It was a wonderful success and raised almost $7,000.

We decided this year’s proceeds would go to the Powell River Professional Firefighters Charitable Society’s School Food program. In 2016, we found there was a need in the local school system to feed kids healthy food during their school days. With six schools being provided food, the demand has been growing steadily.

This program has been assisted greatly by donations from Rene Babin and his team with Raymond James, as well as Save on Foods who have been a huge help with preparing the orders, offering discounts and now delivering the food to the schools.

Sponsors that are helping for the

COPS VS FIREFIGHTERS

When & Where: March 25, 7:15 pm, Hap Parker

What: Annual charity hockey games between the local firefighters and RCMP – for local school food programs. Tickets: Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at Station #1 at 6965 Courtenay Street, or the RCMP detachment at 7070 Barnet Street, you can also purchase tickets at the door the night of the game.

game are: the City of Powell River for donating the rink, the Powell River Kings for their facilities, announcer, DJ and scorekeeper. In addition, Josh Statham and his team at 460 Realty are guaranteeing $1,000 for the 50/50, as well as a Pollen sweater for a secondary draw.

The community has been really wonderful with providing support, and we are hoping to make this as big a success as last year. We hope to see everyone there for this great cause!

CHARITY HOCKEY GAME

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Successfully building financial security is about more than investments. It’s about you, your family and your future. It’s about effectively responding to changes in the marketplace. It’s also about finding a trusted advisor to help set your course. We’ve been privileged to be that partner for numerous individuals and families, and we welcome the opportunity to be the same for you.

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LISA BOESE Administrative Assistant lisa.boese@raymondjames.ca

HIGH STAKES: For $5, you can see RCMP Constable Phil Caza (left) and Firefighter Sid Allman (right) hustle on the ice for bragging rights. “With a trophy on the line, there is bound to be lots of action, laughs and fun along the way,” says Sid.

MEMORIES OF THE MILL

Constant, dangerous, noisy work

BY HERB PETERS

that great sprawling mill. I worked with a lot of nice people in the mill over those years, but after more than 40 years, their names now escape me.

My first stint was working for the riggers. I forget the name of the man I assisted. He was quite the joker who was good at mimicking short WC Field’s spiels. If we saw somebody with a flashlight he would quip “hey, I lost that nickel over there” as well as some other somewhat vulgar quips, such as “I never drink water, fish .......”. I won’t finish that one.

We rode around in a jeep-like vehicle often pulling a trailer. If something had to be moved or picked up from a warehouse we took care of it. Often we’d go to the warehouse where all the mill’s spare electric motors were stored. What an amazing collection of motors, hundreds of them, ranging from small fan motors to huge motors that drove paper machines. We seemed to visit every nook and cranny of that great big mill. Tragically I heard later that this man was killed in a pedestrian accident when he stepped out from between parked cars.

I had a few short stints working on different paper machines. What a racket as the huge sheet of paper wound its way through all those rollers and finally reached the massive calendar stack as dry newsprint.

guide the paper onto a new spool. Sometimes this worked flawlessly, but other times the sheet started to spool around one of the calendar stack rolls and built up a thick layer creating a gap that started the calendar stack vibrating and bouncing with a thunderous roar until the lead-hand used compressed air to break the sheet which then poured down into the basement and more compressed air to strip the calendar stack clean and try again.

I took a few different breaks from university and ended up working several times from the summer of 1970 up until 1978. Since I was always working to replace other full-time workers who were on holiday, I worked at many different locations all through

Sometimes the machine worked flawlessly and the paper came continuously but there was always a tricky step completing one giant roll, breaking the sheet and starting a new roll. I forget exactly how this was done, but it involved air hoses that helped

When this happened the tension was high as valuable paper was going down the drain so to speak. It took a calm skilled hand to manage this job and I heard that more than a few people cracked under the strain.

I had another stint in the finishing room where

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I was lucky to be a Powell River boy who got to work in the pulp mill for the summers to help pay my way through university.

The cut and dried sheets of pulp had razor sharp edges so you always knew when a newbie was working because the bundles were stained with blood.

PULP NONFICTION: End of the pulp machine in the sulphite plant, where two workers are taking pulp from the machine to stack for baling, 1952. Writer Herb Peters described this machine as “a relentless taskmaster that never stopped, so you had to keep up or else!” Photo courtesy of the qathet Historical Museum & Archives

giant rolls of paper were cut and sized and wrapped in the final step which finished them for loading and transport to their destination to be printed on and converted into newspapers. I worked the graveyard shift as I recall.

The men worked quickly and efficiently to keep up with production, but sometimes there was a lull due to some problem or other and some of the exhausted workers would climb up on top of the washroom structure and crawl under the paper placed up there for the purpose of keeping warm, as the finishing room was open to the outside. After a while a whistle would blow signaling the arrival of more paper and like a bunch of hamsters, the nappers would come rustling out of their paper cocoons.

Smokers could indulge their habit in the enclosed lunch room using very heavy welded steel ashtrays made from thick pipe. One fellow had a favorite trick. He liked to creep into the lunch room on graveyard shift when many men would be sitting, almost dozing, toward the end of the lunch break. He’d pick up one of these very heavy ashtrays and position it as he dropped it so that the flat bottom would smack the concrete making a deafening noise much like a gunshot.

He was not at all popular and I was amused to hear later that one of his many victims didn’t react as passively as he would have preferred.

I worked another stint with the yard crew. That too took me all over the mill doing cleanup of the endless detritus that accumulated in all the little out of the way spots. Old pallets, bits of wire, cables, pipes, pails, and on and on. I assisted in rebricking the lime kiln which was a yard crew task I believe. That was a fascinating job as the bricks had to go around the kiln in a complete circle wedged very tightly so that the top bricks were firmly in place.

Most of the men were very good natured Italians who had the nicest polite way of dealing with each other. I seem to recall they referred to each other frequently with the phrase “dear boy”.

I had a stint on the dreaded green chain. Each worker had numerous different types of wood to deal with on several piles so the chain did not run all that fast. I was told the production chains running on the Fraser River were grueling to work on as the wood came very quickly. In the Powell River sawmill chain, I was pulling lead-heavy wet hemlock planks and incredibly light half-telephone-pole sized spruce beams. It was hard work but it felt rewarding to keep up. After eight hours, one felt pretty exhausted.

Another job I had was cutting the cables on the big log bundles that a crane lifted up onto the sawmill deck. That job was a little hairy because you had to walk out on a narrow catwalk high above the ocean,

beside a big dripping wet bundle of logs that was still in the jaws of the lifting crane. It wasn’t practical to detach the cables intact so you had to use a cutter to slice through them. That was a job where you were happy to retreat back to the warm shack and watch as the jaws opened and the bundle spilled onto the deck far above the water.

One of the duties of that job was walking the flume: the water filled viaduct that floated smaller cut slabs of wood to the new digesters where the wood fibers were stripped apart using chemicals. That viaduct flowed in a great arc high above much of the mill, carrying chunks of wood that had the uncanny ability to jam up tightly and stop moving.

These jams could form a fairly large blockage that had to be pulled apart using a picaroon tool. Sometimes a jam could be dislodged with just a couple of pulls and other times you’d spend a few minutes pulling wood free until finally the jam broke and the flume flowed free.

Another fairly tough job was tending the pulp machine. This machine, from the 1930s apparently, formed a great long sheet of thick white pulp which wound its way back and forth through a dryer until finally it passed through cutters that split the sheet into four sections and chopped them to a standard length that fell into four collecting boxes.

The worker tending those boxes could wait about a minute and then manually lift the heavy contents of each box onto a conveyor, stacking them neatly. Another minute would pass and you had to build another stack.

This task was daunting because the pulp machine was designed to run continuously, a relentless taskmaster that never stopped, so you had to keep up or else!

Standing in front of the dryer over the hot stacked pulp, the sweat ran off you. Luckily there were several other steps involved in preparing the gleaming white bundles for export, including compressing, wrapping and baling, so your two hours on the boxes was split into four half hour chunks.

The cut and dried sheets of pulp had razor sharp edges so you always knew when a newbie was working because the bundles were stained with blood.

When I began working in the mill it had already been running for around 60 years. There were lots of eerie old nooks and crannies, even complete buildings that had been mothballed for decades. It was strange to realize that generations of men had worked their entire careers and gone on to retirement before I ever entered the place.

In the dim evening and nighttime hours, one felt there were a lot of ghosts haunting those old abandoned spaces.

JUST BEFORE LOADING, THEN OFF TO THE NEWSPAPER PRINTERS: Wrapping a roll of paper, 1948

Photo courtesy of the qathet Historical Museum & Archives

A place worth fighting for

Logging and real estate development threaten Stillwater Bluffs. A growing number of the bluffs’ “friends” are committed to preserving it.

BY DAVID HARRIS

Moving across town can be stressful. Moving to a completely new town can be even more stressful. Add in that the new town is two ferries away from anywhere, and that you picked it because of its natural beauty and access to wilderness rather than because you actually knew anyone there, and the potential stress can reach Guinness-Book-of-Records levels.

But sometimes Fortune smiles on the foolish as well as on the brave. In my case, Fortune’s smile was the opening of a climbing gym in Powell River on almost the same winter day I parked the U-Haul truck in my new driveway, and my wife and I were soon welcomed into the local climbing community.

And not long after winter turned to spring, one of my new friends said “Hey, let’s go to the Bluffs tomorrow!”

“Bluffs?”

“Yeah, Stillwater Bluffs. Great sea-cliff climbing.”

It turned out to be a lot more than just sea-cliff climbing, and four years later I am a committed lover of “the Bluffs”, but worried that this wonderful place could easily be lost forever.

So, what is this Stillwater Bluffs place? And how could it be lost?

“Bluffs” are small cliffs, and yes, there are some cliffs, but there is much, much, more; and climbing by the sea is just the smallest part of this magical place.

Stillwater Bluffs, about 15 km southeast of Powell River, is 118 acres of beautiful forest overlooking the Salish Sea on BC’s spectacular Sunshine Coast, with hiking trails among huge old Firs and Cedars, a quiet pebble beach, stunning sea cliffs, rare ecosystems,

international film festival

and grand viewpoints.

Most people, when they walk among the big trees, or scramble down to the rocky shoreline, assume they are in a Provincial or Regional Park. A place they can return to whenever they need to escape the trials of daily life and discover the joy and peace offered by the world outside of cities and malls and jobs.

But Stillwater Bluffs is not a protected park! You could head to the Bluffs tomorrow and find a locked gate.

Stillwater Bluffs is owned by Island Timberlands and managed by Mosaic Forest Management. Their business is logging. They could log Stillwater Bluffs at any time or sell it to a real estate developer.

The fear of losing something precious and irreplaceable led a few local residents (notably longtime environmental advocate, the late David Moore), to band together in 2003 to look for a way to protect the Bluffs, soon taking the name Friends of Stillwater Bluffs Association (FOSBA).

The approach to conservation was much different in 2003 than it is today, but the grit and creativity of the early FOSBA members laid the groundwork for the possibility of gaining permanent protection for Stillwater Bluffs.

But the battle to gain that protection is not over. It will continue until a way is found to keep the trees standing, to ensure that the Bluffs are permanently preserved for us, for our children, and for their children. That is why I joined FOSBA, and why I am now proud to serve as one of its directors.

In recent years we have seen some amazing land-preservation stories from across the province. With continued hard work, the saving of Stillwater Bluffs could be one of those stories. FOSBA has taken the lead in writing that story, but we can’t do it alone. We need your help.

How can you help?

The Friends of Stillwater Bluffs Association is a registered non-profit society whose mission is to see the Bluffs permanently protected through the purchase of the land by an entity that will ensure that this beautiful place will not be logged or developed as real estate, and that the public access to it will be preserved for future generations.

There are many ways you can help us achieve this goal.

• Visit the Bluffs (map and directions on our website at fosba.org). Tread lightly, stay on the trails, and pack out what you pack in.

• Learn more about FOSBA. There is a timeline of the history of Stillwater Bluffs, and of FOSBA’s work to preserve it, on our website.

• Watch our short video. It’s on the website, or you can watch it on Youtube (just search for “save Stillwater Bluffs”).

• Join FOSBA. It’s easy – go to fosba.org and click on “Get Involved”

• Donate to our acquisition fund. You can read more about this on the website, and donations over $20 receive a charitable tax credit.

• Attend our Annual General Meeting at 7 pm on February 23 at the Brooks Secondary School Library.

UNIQUE SPOT: On Page 25, a father and daughter go for a walk on the bluffs. Photo by Mari Aker. Facing page shows biodiversity at Stillwater: the gnome plant, an arbutus tree and northern alligator lizard. This page, a stunted Douglas-fir on Moss Mountain, and Michael Wood climbing Taco at Moss Mountain. Photos by Jason Addy

“The battle will continue until ... the Bluffs are permanently preserved.”

Salmon Preservation Pavers

To order a preservation paver, in sizes ranging from $200 to $1,000, go to salmonpreservation.org/preservation-pathway, or pick up a hard copy of the order form at the qathet Living office, Marine Traders or Powell River Outdoors.

GO FOR THE ROE: The Alex Dobler Salmon Centre supports salmon enhancement and education, and much more.

Top: Carving by qathet-born artist Mike Brown.

Above: A few of the first Salmon Preservation Pavers – one memorial, one individual, and one corporate.

Left: The new mobility-friendly walkway made of bricks and gravel.

Right, above: The surging Lang Creek in January. This year, Chinook had trouble making it up the creek due to low water levels.

Right: Artist Ed Oldfield with the stone and raku pottery base he made for the Powell RIver Salmon Society centre 25 years ago.

Far right: Ed looks at Chum, Chinook and Coho returns for 2022, posted in the gazebo (which he also built).

New paving stones support your local salmon

BY PIETA WOOLLEY

Sheets of rain drench Ed Oldfield in his sweater mid-January. He’s not worried about the deluge.

Instead, the retired art teacher happily observes Lang Creek gushing over the rocks – a relief for both salmon and salmon-watchers, after the long, hot, dry fall of 2022.

His feet, though, aren’t muddy. Instead, he’s walking on the newly-built brick and gravel paths around the Alex Dobler Salmon Centre. The paths were laid for two reasons. First, to allow anyone with mobility challenges to enjoy the site: it’s easier to roll a wheelchair or a stroller on brick than through mud. And second, to raise money for the Salmon Preservation Foundation. The Foundation hopes to raise up to $1 million for salmon enhancement by selling “preservation pavers” (see sidebar, left).

The project has been 10 years in the making. “Ideas come quick – but projects and dollars don’t,” Ed said. “In terms of the money [for salmon enhancement], we’re it. If we want to do something, we have to raise the money.”

The PRSS was hoping Ottawa’s $641 million for salmon enhancement in BC – announced in 2021 –would fund the long-time work of the Society. So far, no dollars have materialized. Meanwhile, the PRSS is still re-building chum stocks lost in 2018 to vandalism at Duck Lake, and growing about 10% of BC’s hatchery-raised coastal salmon – two million a year, for the past 40 years. The Society started as just a hatchery, Ed said, but now it’s salmon enhancement, fundraising, water monitoring and education.

If the Salmon Preservation Foundation had $5 million, Ed explained, the directors could fund all of its current activities. When all the bricks sell, that represents 20% of that.

Ed is thrilled with how the community has stepped up. The path itself would have cost about $250,000, but thanks to donations of gravel, logs, time and skill, it’s under $20,000 so far.

He hopes the community will get behind the “preservation pavers,” too. ||pieta@prliving.ca

Meet the author!

MAIL BAG

Sunshine coast author, Cathalynn Labonté-Smith is presenting her new book, Rescue Me: Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue (2022) showcasing real-life search and rescue stories in some of the most extreme conditions and situations.

Saturday, February 18

2:00 – 3:00 pm

First Credit Union Community Room info@prpl.ca 604-485-4796

Roofing you can trust.

As Powell River’s leading roofing contractor since 1980, we provide high-quality installations of all types of roofing systems, and all of our workers are trained and ticketed in each specific roofing application.

• Commercial and residential

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• Roof consulting and planning

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• Government Certified Tradesmen

We welcome feedback from our readers. Letters may be edited for length. Email your comments to isabelle@ prliving.ca, or mail an old-school letter in the post to qathet Living, 7053E Glacier St, Powell River, BC V8A 5J7.

Crime conversation deserves nuance – and doesn’t always get it

Dear qathet Living,

Thank you for your January issue, where the complex issues around mental health, drug addiction, crime, and housing are getting the thoughtful dialogue they deserve. This recent series of publications that began like an episode of The Fugitive, with Ron Woznow as deputy marshal and the marginalized in our community as the one-armed man, is finally bringing forward voices that provide considered input on the issues at hand.

The one exception continues to be our mayor, who begins with the incredibly over-simplified comment that not all addicts “want out,” and then draws a parallel to the complexity of managing care in our community with coaching a hockey team.

I’m grateful that he is only one vote on our council.

Gary Shilling

Now, the focus must shift to holding the drug dealers accountable

Dear qathet Living, qathet Living’s three-part series on the inter-related issues of crime, drug addiction, mental health, and homelessness in Powell River was a tremendous achievement. It would have been easy to focus on just one or two aspects of a fiendishly complicated problem, or to assign blame to one or another group of people while letting others off the hook, or to suggest that there is some single, simple solution when what is needed is many inter-related solutions, coming from individuals, institutions, and governments on many levels. So congratulations on a job well done.

However, given that the main focus of the series was on property crime, it is surprising that there was one road you chose not to follow, despite a huge neon sign shouting “this is crucial!”

In striking a balance between the ex-

tremes of “lock up those damn thieves and throw away the key” and “just give all the addicts free drugs” you looked into the life of Josh Bennett, a young man who grew up in Powell River in a succession of foster homes and, beginning at age 13, began a long fall into uncontrollable addiction to almost every drug imaginable, culminating in a need for fentanyl so overwhelming that stealing was the only way to pay for it.

After several attempts at rehabilitation he is clean and sober now, and it would be a hard-hearted person indeed who did not feel sympathy for him, or who felt that the world would be a better place if we had just locked him up and thrown away the key.

But in the middle of his story, you quote him as saying, “I wasn’t getting high anymore; I was just using to stop being sick, to stop having withdrawals. The drug dealers would give me lists of stuff they’d want stolen, and I’d go to the stores and get what they wanted.” You write that it was to fulfill those lists that he would steal clothes and electronics – and even meat and ice cream – from stores; and pick locks, break into houses and garages, and steal tools, weed eaters, vacuums and more.

It is hard not to have sympathy for him, and easy to be glad that he was able to get the help he needed. But what about the dealers that gave him those lists of things to steal? If ever there was anything that needed to be followed up in a story about property crime in Powell River, it is surely that there are those among us who are not only pushing drugs, but pushing drug users ever deeper into a life of crime.

I hope that thinking about this will move you to add one more installment to your series on crime in our city.

David Harris

Hotel versus Opera

Dear qathet Living, Thank you for the Blast from the Past article in January 2023’s qL

However please note the larger picture is the Marble Bay Hotel and smaller picture was the opera house and then hospital. The museum is in the old Van Anda elementary school on the site where the opera/hospital building was (not in the Marble Bay Hotel.)

Lynne Schroeder

prpl.ca

POWELL RIVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

Member Better Business Bureau and Roofing Contractors Association of BC

Use the orthography below to write in how to pronounce each letter.

Also see Dr. Elsie Paul’s more precise descriptions at bit.ly/3cc8iU4.

ʔAYʔAǰUΘƏM? YOU GOT THIS

RANDOLPH

Men who choose respect make healthier communities

I love you

To love someone

The “Men Choose Respect” program includes a 1-to-1 intake. Men meet together for 9 weeks.

This orthography is based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). This guide offers a simplified version of the sounds; for an authentic accent, listen at firstvoices.com.

Most letters you’ll see in ʔayʔaǰuθəm are familiar. Pronounce them as you normally would, with the exception of the vowels and “y,” which are always pronounced:

I want / to want

ta la Money

For men who want to stop their use of abuse in their personal relationships and choose safety, equality and respect with their partner.

ƛo mays To have enough money

For more information or to apply, contact Rob and Tammy. 604-223-5876 menchooserespectprogram@gmail.com

It’s worth learning more before deciding

BY TOBAN DE ROOY FINANCIAL PLANNER AT IG WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Firstly, there is no substitute for professional legal, tax and/or financial planning advice that is tailored specifically to you.

This is a rather difficult answer to give in ‘generalities’ as it is not just a ‘this or that’ answer. From a purely numbers perspective you can say:

“Pay off your credit cards first, that will yield you a 19.99% rate of return, based on the interest savings.”

“Investing in a RESP for your kids will yield up to 20% in grants (up to certain limits).”

“Investing in RSPs will yield tax credits at the taxpayers Marginal Tax Rate (which could be significant).”

But this isn’t just about the ‘numbers’.

Pay down debt vs tax-time savings?

Many folks are heavily in debt right now – to credit cards, lines of credit and car loans, and on their mortgages and student loans. Should those of us who are carrying debt invest in RRSPs, TFSAs, and RESPs by March 1, or does it make more sense to just pay down debt?

Local experts weigh in.

There is a greater need to consider  the entire financial picture and lifestyle or ‘life’ of the ‘client’/taxpayer. Everything from psychology and behavioural habits regarding money, spending and savings, to overall debt load, age of the clients, age of the kids, risk management, goals, investment assets, the list could/should go on ad nauseam.

When you start the question with ‘many folks are heavily in debt right now,’ the first qualifying questions would be: How did the ‘client’ come to amass this debt? Is it lifestyle or ‘life’? Are the Line of Credit and credit cards full because of spending habits? Inflation? Job loss? Injury? There can be a lot of potential causes.

However, for the most part, when there are large amounts of debt, it comes down to minimizing interest expenses, and changing habits.

The short answer is pay off high interest debt, save for your kid’s education, and proper risk management. But move the credit card debt to the line of credit, save the interest rate differential, and move any savings onto the line of credit – try to lessen the overall interest rate the taxpayer/client is paying on their revolving debt.

But, that is entirely my opinion.

BY JONATHAN GORDON BYDAND BUSINESS & TAX

For some it may be better to purchase RRSPs to reduce the taxable income for a big tax bill for the year, for others it may make more sense to pay down the mortgage or credit card debt with any extra money laying around.

The best thing for anyone who thinks they owe money is to make sure they are filed and paid by the tax season deadline to avoid penalties and interest that would add onto the debt.

For anyone who would normally owe and doesn’t want to, taking a bit extra off of each pay check or monthly incomes such as pension is normally a lot better than having a large amount owing at the end of the year. There’s never a bad time to start that as we’re already in February in the next tax year so people don’t get further behind.

When it comes to tax time, there’s still an opportunity to invest in RRSPs to reduce the current tax burden of the year. So if you’ve made a sum of money that’s substantial and would put you into a new tax bracket, it could be beneficial to invest in RRSPs to reduce your taxable income for the year.

In Canada we have a marginal tax rate meaning you pay the same amount

And, like everyone else, my financial life and the advice/decisions that are made within, have their biases based on psychology, learned behaviours with money, life experience, education, values, and the goals of my family’s financial plan.

It simply comes down to our habits with money.

We can stack up great, detailed calculations and tell you exactly what choice you should make. But it would be based on a snapshot at a specific moment in time.

Our financial lives evolve in parallel with the rest of us, a financial plan should never have a ‘final’ stamp on it – always in draft, just like our lives, tomorrow isn’t written yet

To truly provide advice, the right advice, there are a lot of variables that need to be considered.

Our finances and money influence every single aspect of our lives.

Why would we not want to master it?

Really, what we need is greater financial literacy and advocacy. Financial planning for all!

Is your dream worth the price it’s going to take to get it?

Don’t count the cost. Pay the price!

of tax on the first tax bracket as everyone else, and only dollars earned over that tax bracket are taxed at the higher rate. So RRSPs just reduce those dollars in the higher tax brackets.

However, when you take out those contributions in retirement or in a tough time, you’ll have to pay tax on that money then.

In theory, you’ll be in a lower tax bracket when you take that money out of an RRSP. In short, an RRSP puts off when you have to pay tax on the money you’ve earned.

If people are looking for a way to have some savings for when they are retired, investing in a Tax Free savings account is a great way to make sure that any growth from either interest or investments is tax free when it’s taken out, as you’ve already paid tax on the money you’ve put in! Be warned that with both RRSPs and TFSAs that there are limits and the taxes can be quite substantial if you go over those limits! It can be hard if you have multiple TFSA or RRSP accounts at different banks to keep track of going over the limit, so it might be best to keep things all together at one bank or be super on top of your contributions!

Student loan interest can be used as a tax credit!

Meet top Brooks student Eva Mosely

Racism prevented her chosen career and marriage; instead, the Cranberry resident volunteered, ran a print shop and lived common-law

Black History Month occurs in Canada every February, and invites all Canadians to learn more about Black Canadians and to celebrate their achievements as well as their contributions. One well-known Black Canadian in Powell River’s history, is Eva Lavina Mosely. Born on Saltspring Island in 1918, Eva moved with her family to Cranberry while she was still in Elementary School.

Her father George Mosely was of African, European, and Hawaiian ancestry. Born in Virginia he was raised by his grandmother who worked as a domestic. He worked jobs in various cities across America and eventually landed in Victoria. There he met Eva’s mother, Martha, who was the grand-daughter of an English settler and a Cowichan woman who had homesteaded on Saltspring Island.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

Eva herself was born on Saltspring Island and moved with her family to Victoria as a young girl. She had two sisters: Bernice and Grace. Not long after, they relocated to Parryville in Cranberry where her father looked for work at the Powell River mill. Every day for months, George Mosely went to the mill gates with a friend who was Filipino, and another dozen others in the hope of getting casual work. Everyday different men got work, but never Mosely or his friend. It wasn’t until a year later that someone showed them a union contract that stated that Orientals and African-Americans were barred from employment. Later the family moved to the Shingle Mill and then moved again to what was then called the China Block on the Wildwood Hill.

While living at the China Block, George and Martha separated and a year later, her father left town. Eva, her mother and sisters moved back to Cranberry

and rented a house on Graveyard Hill. They stayed there for a few years until Eva’s mother couldn’t afford the rent. They then moved to a little house that Eva called “the shack” off Drake Street. It was in that house, where Eva’s mother operated a small restaurant specializing in hot tamales and fried chicken, that Eva also worked as a babysitter to supplement her mother’s income.

Max Cameron, the principal of Brooks school, paid Eva’s school fees when her mother couldn’t afford it and he encouraged her to pursue her dream of becoming a surgery nurse. Eva graduated from Brooks High School with top grades, however, she was prevented from being accepted into nursing school because of the colour of her skin (this was common practice by Universities at the time, who thought that having Black students would hurt their reputations). Still hoping to help others, Eva worked for numerous charities throughout her life and was a dedicated volunteer at the Hospital ECU.

Later in life, Eva also fell in love with Jack Hanna, an American who was a logger and a wrestler. Together they went on to own and operate Quality Printers in Cranberry. The two wanted to get married, but no minister in town would allow mixed marriages. Although there wasn’t a specific law banning interracial marriage in Canada, the stigma was very much alive within society. In the United States it was legalized only in 1967. Eva and Jack thus lived the rest of their lives together in their house on Nootka Street as common-law partners.

Blast from the Past is written monthly by qathet Museum and Archives Programs & Education Manager Joëlle Sévigny.

|| programs@qathetmuseum.ca

SMART & SAVVY: Top, Eva Mosely (second row, second from left) with her graduating class at Brooks Secondary School, in about 1935. Above, the Mosely family in the 1940s: left to right, Grace Estelle Hudson (née Mosely) Martha Lavina Mosely (Eva’s mother) and Berniece Virginia Steele ( née Mosely).

Photos courtesy of the qathet Museum & Archives

Our goal is to provide quick, responsive services, creative solutions and sophisticated strategies for our clients

Rob Villani Stacey Fletcher Katya Buck

A place to play

Sarah and Matthew Dodgson have two daughters, Sydney, age 13 and Avery, age 10 as well as a son, Sawyer, age 8. The family loves to play board games, watch Marvel movies and adventure outside – hiking, biking, swimming and going to the beach.

Why did you choose to move to qathet?

Sarah • We’ve visited several times, both of my sisters live here, and we fell in love with Powell River. We were really drawn to the more laid back lifestyle as well as all the opportunities to get outside and adventure in nature.

When? Where from?

Sarah • We moved at the end of October from Oakville, Ontario, which is 30 minutes outside of Toronto.

What surprised you about qathet once you moved here?

Sarah • We were surprised by how laid back and relaxed everything is here. No one seems to be in a rush, nothing is hurried and there is no traffic. Where we moved from it seemed like everyone was in a hurry and you were always stuck in traffic. It’s such a nice way of life.

What made you decide to move to qathet?

Sarah • We had family in area, which definitely influenced our decision, but also lower cost of living as well as the ability to get

out in nature and have our kids experience living minutes from the ocean and mountains.

Where is your favourite place in qathet?

Sarah • We love the Penticton Trails, which are near our house, a great place for a weekend, or weekday, hike. Our dog loves them too! We are looking forward to biking them in the spring.

How did you first hear about qathet?

Sarah • My youngest sister has lived here for 10 years with her husband and now kids and my other sister and her family moved here last year.

What would make qathet a nicer community?

Sarah • I think the continued downtown revitalization to see the area at it’s full potential would be great. It’s a great place to grab a bite to eat and shop locally.

What aspect of your previous community do you think would benefit qathet?

Sarah • In Halton [southern Ontario] we had a green bin compost program for food scraps and waste. I think it would be an excellent addition to the area as a way to improve waste management.

What challenges did you face in trying to make a life for yourself here?

Sarah • I think our biggest challenge was making sure our kids were happy and had

a smooth transition. It was definitely a concern that things would be different for them. They have had a few challenges but for the most part they have loved the move and are settling in nicely.

If you were mayor, what would you do?

Sarah • If I were mayor of Powell River I would start a resident ferry program to help with costs for people in ferry dependent communities.

What are qathet’s best assets?

Sarah • I think qathet’s best asset is definitely the people. Everyone has been

so welcoming and friendly. Our kids had friends and were included on day one at their new schools. Everyone we’ve met or talked to has been so nice and helpful.

What is your greatest extravagance

Sarah • We had a fence installed around our backyard because we have a dog and young kids, we wanted them to have a place to play.

Which talent or superpower would you most like to have?

Sarah • My son said he would want telekinesis and he would use it to save the world!

PARADISE FOUND: Meet the Dodgsons. You’ll probably run into them on the local trails they’ve come to love and that were part of the reason they moved here.

Volumes of energy for books

The qathet Friends of the Library love libraries, especially ours! With book sales and unique events we help fund collection purchases, programs and projects that support the Powell River Public Library and make our city vibrant, well-informed and welcoming.

Brownie Brown has been a Friend of the Library for 19 years.

How and when did you start working with the Friends of the Library?

Brownie • The Friends were a very keen bunch of people who had massive book sales out in the old library parking lot. There’d be lots of volunteers and they wore these little carpentry tool aprons with Friends of the Library embroidered on them, it was hard to resist their energy, so I joined in 2004.

What part of the work is the most satisfying?

Brownie • There are two satisfying parts of being a Friend. One is matching the right book with the right person, and the thrill of the exchange—someone slapping a book down saying ‘that was a good read!’ The second part is seeing the library turn the money you made selling that book into fantastic things: a puppet theatre, cool technology kits, language programs, disc-readers for visually impaired, etc. and oh yes, new books. In the past few years we’ve raised almost $200,000 for the library!

What part of the work do you find the most challenging?

Brownie • A big challenge for Friends is not being able to recycle books. They wear out, get musty or simply out of

date. Whatever we can’t sell, we do our best to distribute usefully. This year we hope to focus on what you can do with a book after you’ve read it. Any ideas, we’d love to hear them.

What do you wish other people knew about the work the FOTL does?

Brownie • Being part of the Friends is inspiring. We’ve done lots of things to raise money besides sell books— sanded chairs for Art Chair Auctions, organized art shows for our 8”x8;” we have been graced with song and music, it’s all a learning experience. You meet all kinds of people; the world is on your doorstep and you end up reading books you never thought you’d crack open.

Do you bring any unique skills to this organization?

Brownie • The only skill you need to volunteer for the Friends of the Library is willingness to try something new and like talking with people.

What would you say to other people who might be thinking about volunteering?

Brownie • Taking part in our library programs or looking at libraries around the world, you realize how exciting libraries are! They can be the heart of a community. A place where all ages are free to explore stories, drawing, new skills, music, games, movies, tool sharing, you name it! Some library in the world is doing it somewhere—maybe in a spectacular building or from the back of a truck, a boat, even a donkey!

And becoming a Friend of the Library says it all, doesn’t it?

Tuesday, April 25 7:30 pm All seats $25

BEYOND BOOK SALES: Music, friends, art and books are some of the things Brownie Brown has collected over 19 years of volunteering with FOTL.

WE’RE HIRING YOUR FAVOURITE MAGAZINE WANTS YOU

qathet Living is looking for someone with amazing organizational skills to join our community magazine team and run our front office.

If you are looking for a small part-time job (about five hours a week, and two full days a month), would like to work with a fun, creative crew, like Nova Scotia duck tolling retrievers, are familiar with Sage accounting, and have basic office skills, this might be the right fit for you.

General duties include record management, processing payments in person and online, invoice processing, accounts receivable, and general office duties as assigned. Experience with social media management and website applications would be an asset.

Hours of work can flex with your schedule as long as the job gets done. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Send your resume to publisher@prliving.ca

launch event in March, as well (the book will launch officially at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver February 25). The trio are planning a series. See savetheplanetbook.com

WHAT’S UP

We’re not the greyest community in Canada – but close

According to new numbers released by Statistics Canada, Parksville is Canada’s eldest city, with 44% aged 65 or older. In descending order, others in the top 10 are Elliot Lake, (39.5%), Cobourg and Wasaga Beach (34%) and Hawkesbury (32%), all in Ontario. Next up are Matane, Penticton, Powell River and Thetford Mine (31%), then Courtenay (30%).

It’s fair to say, this little corner of Canada is popular with seniors, given that Parksville, Powell River and Courtenay are on this very short “top 10” list, and Canada has more than 5,000 municipalities.

Vipers head to the Special O

Two qathet athletes are going to represent the community at the 2023 Special Olympics BC Winter Games in Kamloops February 2 to 4. Tanya Norman and Andrew Swindlehurst play floor hockey on the Comox Valley Vipers.

Here is a Q&A with Tanya:

How did you get involved with the Vipers?

Tanya • Andrew and I got involved with the Comox Valley Vipers Floor Hockey team way back in 2003 because we

didn’t have enough players in Powell River to form a team so we built a composite team instead.

How often have you been practicing?

Tanya • We practice every other Sunday with our team. To follow our contract for training we also have to do two or three more days of training, one day at the gym and one other Special Olympic sport or an extra day at the gym.

How do you think the team will do this year?

Tanya • Andrew and I think we will do awesome this year, we have a pretty good team and we go out to play the way we play and to do our best.

What should readers know about the Special O scene here in qathet these days?

Tanya • Special Olympics – Powell River is a busy but fulfilling organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities to try new sports or join sports that they love and know how to play already. Special Olympics – Powell River is alway looking for volunteers and coaches to make sure that the programs we have running now still run. The programs we are running are: swimming, bowling, club fit, curling, bocce, and golf. We are hoping to get baseball going again but need a coach to help run it.

Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Admission by donation qathetmuseum.ca

GREEN GRAPHIC NOVEL ILLUSTRATED BY THIS GUY: Lund’s Prashant Miranda is releasing his first graphic novel for Amazon pre-sales February 14th, with writers (and part-time Lundies) Paul Shore and Deborah Katz Henriquez. Steve and Eve Save the Planet will be for sale at Pollen Sweaters in Lund by mid-March. Watch for a Lund

for more. Photo left by Monique Labusch

Audition for A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Shakespeare at the Gazebo began as an idea shared by a few Lundies who love their community and wanted to provide a creative outlet that could sustain us through the winter and still foster moments to gather during the warm months.

For those theatrically inclined or even just curious, we encourage you to come try out for a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Lund Gazebo.

This is a production by and for the community and we will rely on community involvement to make it happen, so if you are interested in acting, costuming, stage direction, tech

and stage design or any other aspect please feel free to reach out to Ermen at ermengalatea@gmail.com

Auditions will be held February 15 and 16 at the Northside Community and Recreation Centre in Lund, 6:30 to 9:30 pm.

We also encourage folks to keep this event in mind as the weather warms and to consider coming to see the show.

Our current plan is to start small with one production, showing a matinee and an evening show this summer with a cast and community wrap party at the Gazebo following the show. With the right enthusiasm, we will be back the following summer with more productions and show days.

See you on the stage!

– Ermen DelliCarpini

RETURN OF THE WEED LUBE: After a sold-out run at Forest Bistro in the fall, the Townsite Actors Guild is bringing the locally-written Weed Lube: A Slippery Slope back March 2 to 4. The original cast returns to tell the story of an essential oil business going terribly right. Tickets are $20 at Base Camp and Forest Bistro.

BUSINESS AFFAIRS SEAN PERCY

New soul at Just Soul Foods

Julie Briscoe is the new owner of Just Soul Foods, the maker of healthy plant-based treats in the Townsite Market.

Just Soul Foods makes treats that are free from gluten, dairy and refined sugars.

Company founder Paula Ansell, a self-taught vegan treat foodie, sold the business to Julie when she decided to move back to Australia.

“I trust her 100% with my recipes and I know she has great things coming her way,” Paula said when introducing Julie.

New Seoul foods

qathet has a new sushi place, with the opening of Seoul Sushi beside Smoke on the Water (the old Haylstonz building at 4775 Joyce Avenue.) Owner and chef Andy Lee was general manager for Smoke on the Water until he opened Seoul Sushi. Andy opened the restaurant before Christmas but was overwhelmed by demand and sold out too quickly, so shut down to re-group.

Now he has re-opened with a staff of three and is looking to hire one more, and even more when the busy summer season arrives. There is no seating

in the small location, so food is take-out only. He currently offers sushi rolls and california rolls, promoting bigger portions at cheaper prices. He plans to add more selection, including Korean hot food, in the future.

Garden Swap

During the pandemic, Baron Shaver, like many, took up gardening.

He manged to grow a few things well and lots of things not so well, and, like many gardeners in the same boat, thought it would be useful to swap what he was growing well with gardeners who were growing something else well.

Though he has a day job making movie sets with his business Reel Fake Stuff, he had been taking classes in programming, and decided to put those skills to the test to build a website that would allow gardeners to swap their produce. His work grew into Garden Swap, a site dedicated to helping gardeners swap food, but that could also serve as a gardener’s social network.

At gardenswap.ca, users can list what produce they have, see what others are growing, and arrange to swap anything from seeds to frozen food.

It accomplishes what many neighbourhood Facebook groups have attempted, but mostly failed, to do.

In addition to swapping features, it also offers discussion boards, blogs, photo sharing and private messaging, as well as functions to rent out your garden space.

While Baron hopes the idea will take off world-

wide, his focus is on qathet.

Sign up at gardenswap.ca for a free month. Membership is $1.99 after the first month.

IT guy

Spencer Braak has launched an IT business, Braak Information Technologies

Working out of his home office, Spencer offers businesses help with server adminsitration, switching and routing, and general systems admin, as well as customer software development and troubleshooting.

He also helps individuals with hardware and software problems on non-Mac computers. You can reach him at spencerbraak@gmail.com or visit braakit.ca.

Lund Café

Stockpile Market has opened a cafe inside the market with specialty coffees and an amazing view of the harbour.

The 101 Cafe is open 9 am - 2 pm Monday to Friday and 10 am - 2 pm on weekends.

Awards night

The Chamber of Commerce Business Awards will be presented at a banquet Saturday, February 4 at Dwight Hall at 6 pm.

At deadline, tickets were still available for $65 each at the Chamber of Commerce office on Wharf Street or email office@powellriverchamber.com

|| sean@prliving.ca

“Austyn did an unbelievable job at keeping everything on track for the purchase of my house on a short possession date.

“I came from out of province and she was very informative on the process and set up an inspection and a local lawyer.

“The process was seamless and super easy.

“I highly recommend Austyn to anyone.”

- Andrew Robertson

Come

Romantic

topped with herb hollandaise sauce, potatoes, vegetables and more

qathet filmmaker debuts Hell and Highwater at qiff

Jeremy Williams has been filming with the Nlakaʼpamux Nation territory for several years, highlighting the practical solutions to the climate crisis demonstrated in the community of Kanaka Bar. His friends Tina Grenier and her husband Chief Patrick Michell lost their home on June 30th, 2021 when the community of Lytton went up in flames. Jeremy and Charles Latimer (from Lund) with Greenpeace Canada filmed the aftermath of the fires in early November of 2021. Two weeks later the atmospheric rivers flooded the communities of Merritt, Princeton and Hope BC, trapping Jeremy in the interior for two weeks.

In the spring of 2022, Jeremy returned to the interior to film the aftermath of the flooding. And in the fall of 2022 Jeremy

visited UBC to meet with professors Dr. Younes Alila and Dr. Lori Daniels to learn about how drastically industrial ‘forestry’ has impacted the hydrology of our forests.

Thirty to 40% of the Nicola Valley watershed has been logged and the replanted mono crops take at least 80 years to resemble the ecosystems and hydrological systems that they once were.

In his short film Hell and Highwater Jeremy tells the heartbreaking story of the communities of Lytton and Shackan as they experience the traumatic loss of their homes.

After filming for a year and a half, this story is ready to be told. The story calls out the need for systems change and how we must yield to indigenous wisdom and respect mother nature’s laws.

February in qathet

COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS & HOLIDAYS

February

Black History Month

February 1

Green Comet Closest to Earth

If its clear, you may be able to see it with the naked eye for the first few days in February. It’ll be between the big and small dippers. You can also catch it online from York University’s observatory: yorku.ca/science/observatory/.

February 2

Groundhog Day

February 4

Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

Doors open at 6 pm, dinner at 7 pm. Dwight Hall.

February 5

Full Moon

This is a micromoon. It’s also known as the Snow Moon.

February14

St. Valentine’s Day

February 17

SD47 Pro-D Day

February 19

New Moon

February 20

BC Family Day Stat

February 21-25

Heritage Week Events at Henderson House

February 21

Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday

Pancakes and sausages

February 22

Pink Shirt Day (Anti-bullying)

Ash Wednesday

March 3

UN World Wildlife Day

March 10

Last day of school before Spring Break

March 27

Schools re-open after Spring Break

Planning to Cut Trees?

WARNING ! Keep yourself, tools, equipment and tree branches farther than three metres (10 feet) away from power lines. Stay safe and away from power lines.

SPORTS & RECREATION

February 3 to 5

U11C hockey Tournament

Hap Parker

Saturday, February 4

Powell River Villa vs Cowichan Axis

1:30 pm, Timberlane Park

Friday, February 10

Winter Go By Bike Day GoByBikeBC.ca

Kings vs. Alberni Valley

7 pm, Hap Parker

Saturday, February 11

Kings vs. Alberni Valley

5 pm Hap Parker

Sunday, February 12

Super Bowl

Glendale, Arizona. Rihanna is headlining the half time show.

Thursday, February 16

Super Trouper Fitness

10:30 am, Rec Complex. Costumes, prizes and an Abba-inspired fitness class. See powellriverprc.ca for more.

Friday, February 17

Kings vs Vernon

7 pm Hap Parker

bc.info@evolugen.com | 1.604.485.222 3 evolugen.com/publicsafety

February 17 to 19

Queens Cup U9F, U11F, and U15F hockey tournament

Hap Parker

Saturday, February 18

Global Girls Game

The Queens play Sechelt at the Hap Parker. See Page 19. Big West Wrestling presents Mid-Winter Blast Grapple Bowl

7 pm. Tickets are $15 each, both online (starting Jan 15) and advance purchase at the kiosk (starting Jan 25). Tickets will be $20 at the door, and $5 from every ticket, regardless of price, is earmarked for the Powell River Food Bank.

Monday, February 20

Free Family Day Swimming, Skating & Gym Entrance

2 to 4 pm, Rec Complex.

Friday, February 24

Rock the Rink with DJ Tala Mike

7 to 9:30 pm, Rec Complex. All ages, regular admission.

Saturday, March 25

RCMP vs Firefighters: Charity Hockey Game

7:15 pm, Hap Parker. $5 per ticket. All proceeds go to the Powell River Professional Firefighters Society. Tickets available at the Fire Department (on Courtenay Street) and the RCMP Detachment (on Barnet Street.)

See more on Page 22.

LEARNING & COMMUNITY GATHERINGS

Saturdays Uptown Market

10 til noon, outside the CRC on Joyce Avenue.

Sundays Farmers Market

12:30 to 2:30 pm, at Paradise Exhibition Grounds (inside the quonset hut).

Saturday, February 4

Learn about Psilocybin Mushrooms

1:30 pm. Drop-in at the Texada Library. Local herbalist, author and Ayruveda practitioner Todd Caldecott will share his knowledge and experience with the group of fungi commonly known as magic mushrooms. Chamber of Commerce Business Awards

6 pm, Dwight Hall

Saturday, February 11

Little Wonders at the Museum

10:30 to 11 am. For kids aged 4 to 8 years old.

Friday, February 17

Pro-D Day Pirate Party!

10 to 11:30 am, Library. Make your own treasure map, fashion a pirate hat, design a jolly roger, answer a pirate questionnaire...and more!

February 17 & 18

MidWinter Blast

At the ARC., 10 am til 4 pm on the 17th – local authors display and Thea White’s tea and goodies. 10 am til 4 pm on the 18th artisan market. 7 pm on the 18th Grapple Bowl Wrestling (see above.)

Saturday, February 18

Rescue Me: Behind the Scenes of Search and Rescue

2 pm, Library. Cathalynn Labonté-Smith shares her new book of real-life North American search and rescue stories in the most extreme conditions and situations. Introduced by classic Western author Victor Labonté-Smith. Euchre

1 pm Lang Bay Hall. Continuing every third Sat until April. $5 a couple. Prizes and refreshments.Contact Carol 604-487-1259 for more info.

Tuesday, February 21

Remember When Club

10 am to 11 am, at Gerry Gray Place. With the qathet Museum and Archives.

Friday, February 24

Food as Medicine:

The Theory and Practice of Food

7 pm Library. Local author and medicinal herbalist Todd Caldecott will discuss his book that examines practical questions about what food is and how food impacts your health. Drop In.

Tuesday, February 28

Compassionate Friends meeting

7 pm, 4675 Ontario Unit C. Grief support following the death of a child. See ad on Page 53.

Saturday, March 11

Seedy Saturday

TRANSFORMATION: qathet artist Conrad Sarzynick’s wood sculpture and hand-cut collage show, Resurface, “explores how transformation is a potent force of discovery often dancing between destruction and rejuvenation, submersion and emerging, confusion and awe.” At the qathet Art Centre to March 11.

VISUAL ART TO SEE AND DIY

To March 11

Resurface – Conrad Sarzynick Exhibition

qathet Art Centre. Viewing hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays – noon to 5 pm.

February 9 and 23

Crafternoons at PRPL

All ages, 2 to 3:30 pm. With artist Jenny Allen Taves. Participants aged 7 or under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All materials provided.

FILM @ THE PAT & BEYOND

February 1 & 2

The Fabelmans

7 pm nightly (plus 1:30 matinee Thurs Feb 2) at The Patricia. This film has seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture! Steven Spielberg digs at the family roots that helped make him a beloved filmmaker.

February 3 to 7

A Man Called Otto

7 pm nightly & 1:30pm Matinee on Feb. 5 at The Patricia. Tom Hanks plays a grumpy widower whose only joy comes from criticizing his exasperated neighbors.

February 8 & 9

Empire of Light

7 pm nightly (plus 1:30 Thursday matinee Feb 9) at The Patricia. Set in an English seaside town in the early 1980s, Empire of Light is story about human connection and the magic of cinema, from Academy Award®-winning director Sam Mendes with a stellar performance by Academy Award®-winner Olivia Colman.

February 10 to 13

M3GAN

7 pm nightly at The Patricia. Entertaining enough to earn its place as one of 2023’s first breakout hits, and to make its title character the stuff of creepy legend. Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it.

Saturday, February 11

PRPL Cinematic Saturday: Jurassic Park 1 pm, Library. The movie that turned Michael Crichton’s book into a blockbuster franchise.

Tuesday, February 14

Moonrise Kingdom

7 pm at The Patricia. (Valentine’s Day Event! Stay tuned for more details.) Moonrise Kingdom is the sweet heart-

Saturday, February 25

Mélange à Collage with Let’s Talk Trash

2 pm, Library. Maximize minimalism with qathet Regional District’s favourite waste reduction education program –the Let’s Talk Trash Team! All materials provided. Drop-in. For more information contact Teen Services Coordinator, Mel Edgar at edgar@prpl.ca.

March 13 to 17 and 20 to 24

Spring Break Art Camps

At qathet Art Centre. See ad on Page 45.

warming coming-of-age comedic drama, directed by Wes Anderson.

February 15 & 16

She Said

7 pm nightly, (plus 1:30 Thursday matinee Feb 16) at The Patricia. She Said tells the story of the New York Times reporters who broke one of the most important stories in a generation--a story that helped propel the #metoo movement.

Friday, February 17

Pro-D Day free kid movie TBD

1:30 matinee at The Patricia

February 17 to 21

80 For Brady

7 pm nightly at The Patricia and 1:30 Sunday matinee Feb. 19. Inspired by a true story, 80 for Brady unites Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field as a gang of octogenarian buddies who road-trip to the 2017 Super Bowl to cheer on Tom Brady.

February 24 to 28

Living

7 pm nightly at The Patricia & 1:30 Sunday matinee Feb. 26. Award winning actor Bill Nighy gives us an Oscar nominated performance in this moving British drama. Living is the story of an ordinary man reduced by years of oppressive office routine to a shadow existence, who at the eleventh hour makes a supreme effort to turn his dull life into something wonderful.

March 3 to 12

qathet International Film Festival

qiff.ca. See story on Page 49.

want self striping colour gradients, you want Funny

Saturday, February 4

Horse Opera Country-Roots

Bluegrass

Forest Bistro

Friday, February 10

Dennis Bouwman & Tyler

Bartfai – Songwriters Showcase

7 pm (doors open 30 min prior), Cranberry Hall. Join this dynamic duo for a fantastic evening of trading songs, stories, and community. Tickets $15 advance/$20 at the door

Sunday, February 12

Songs of Nat King Cole

2 pm James Hall. Miles Black, piano, Don Stewart, vocals, and Walter Martella, trumpet. $25. See ad on Page 53.

February 15 & 16

Audition for Midsummer Nights Dream

6:30 to 9:30 each night, Northside Community & Recreation Centre in Lund. Script prompts provided, but feel free to prepare your own Shakespearean monologue. Info / questions to ermengalatea@ gmail.com

February 16 to 18

Mary Poppins Junior

$20. Tickets at the PR Rec Complex front desk. Beanstalk Theatre Company’s first production. See Page 47 for story.

February 22 to March 4

Festival of Performing Arts

See solarislive.com/prfestival for the full schedule.

Friday, February 24

Rock the Rink with DJ Tala Mike 7 to 9:30 pm, Rec Complex. All ages, regular admission.

Saturday, February 25

The Greatest Show:

Laszlo Tamasik Dance Academy

12:30 and 7 pm, Evergreen Theatre. $25. This is a fundraiser for the dancers. Tickets at The Peak office.

Graham Brown Band

Forest Bistro $20

March 3 to 5

Weed Lube: A Slippery Slope

Forest Bistro

March 23 to 26

Halfway There: Theatre Now

Tickets for sale at the Rec Complex. Showtimes are 7 pm March 23 to 25, Matinee March 26 at 1:30 pm. $25 general admission; $20 seniors. At the Evergreen Theatre. There’s no such thing as a secret in Stewiacke. Not when the gossips meet for coffee every day at the local diner. Vi, Rita, Mary Ellen, and Janine are all as close as can be, and they know everybody’s business. But when Sean, a heartbroken doctor, moves in to take a temporary job at the clinic, he tips the Maritime town (that’s famous for being halfway between the North Pole and the equator) off its axis.

April 13-15

Townsite Jazz Festival

April 25

Early Morning Rain: The Songs of Gordon Lightfoot with John McLachlan and Marc Atkinson

7:30 pm, Max Cameron. $25, tickets at The Peak, Academy of Music and 60 minutes prior to the door.

They’re back!

More volunteers are needed to help corral the booming numbers of performers at this year’s festival. Can you lend a hand?

BY JOYCE CARLSON

Entries for the annual Powell River Festival of the Performing Arts are up 150% over last year.

The longest-running cultural event in qathet region will take place from February 22 through to March 4, culminating as usual with the Grand Concert at Evergreen Theatre in Powell River Recreation Complex.

“Our committee is thrilled that our numbers are heading back to pre-COVID levels,” said festival coordinator Val Thompson. “The main increase is due to the return of entries from local schools which have been missing for two years because of the impact of the pandemic on the workload of our school teachers.”

School involvement includes the return of bands, choirs and more speech arts entries, she explained.

Adjudicators are in place for band, dance, piano, speech arts, strings, and vocal and choral. While the majority of registrations involve young people, adult participants contribute much to the festival. Many of the returning adults appreciate the recommendations of the adjudicators who offer ideas to improve performances.

“Once again we are pleased with the calibre of adjudicators willing to come to our community, share their knowledge with our participants and help

ENTERTAINERS EVERYWHERE: Dance (above) is just one of the six disciplines at the annual Festival of Performing Arts. On the cover of January’s issue of qL, soloist John Mayer represented singing.

79 TH FESTIVAL OF PERFORMING ARTS

When: February 22 to March 4 – the Grand Concert, featuring stand-out acts from every discipline – is on March 4. See ad on Page 39.

What: The Powell River Festival features local band, dance, piano, speech arts, strings, and vocal and choral performances, which are each adjudicated by professionals. The public is invited to view any of the events by donation (minus the ticketed Grand Concert, which is $20 adults / $15 seniors / students).

Full schedule: powellriverperformingarts.org

guide them to even better performances in the future,” said Val.

This is the 20th year that The Rotary Club of Powell River has organized the festival with assistance from community volunteers.

“With the return of school choirs and large numbers in speech arts categories, we’re going to need

people to assist with making sure everything goes smoothly when they arrive at Evergreen Theatre.”

Because of the increase in the overall numbers of entries, the festival committee is looking for more volunteers for the many jobs. Anyone interested in helping can contact Karyn O’Keefe by email at karynokeefe52@gmail.com.

This community is fortunate to have many music, dance and speech arts teachers who share their passion with their students, and parents who recognize the value of the performing arts in creating well-rounded human beings.

“We are grateful to qathet Regional District, City of Powell River, School District 47, qathet Art Council, Powell River Academy of Music, Max Cameron Theatre and Powell River Recreation Complex staff for their support of our festival,” Val added.

Performances take place at Evergreen Theatre, James Hall at Powell River Academy of Music and Max Cameron Theatre. A full schedule is available at powellriverperformingarts.org.

“We look forward to appreciative audiences again for sessions and the Grand Concert,” said Val.

JANUARY2023

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THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT: Above, Novice Company dancers are trying on costumes for one of their musical theatre numbers – Little High and Mighty, which is about bullying (February 22 is Pink Shirt Day). Below left, the Junior A team dressed up as Smurfs for Halloween, and called Paige Anderson “Picky Smurf.” Below centre, first year pointe students at the barre. Below right, Georgia ‘Lil’ George” Malamas working on her musical theatre solo: “If you’re good to Mamma,” from Chicago

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It’s gonna be great

Drop by the studios at Laszlo Tamasik Dance Academy nearly any time of any day, and you’ll see dozens of young dance students perfecting their skills. For the past eight years, Paige Anderson has helmed the Academy, which has become one of the most successful youth programs in the region, with a total of 500 dancers.

It’s so successful that qathet is sending 60 competitive dancers to two top events this Spring: Shine, in Mission, and Evolve in Vancouver.

“This is like rep hockey, but it’s way more of a commitment,” said Paige, whose son played hockey. “They’re dancing five to 15 hours per week.”

To raise money for competition fees and travel – which can be expensive – the Academy is hosting The Greatest Show February 25. The public is invit-

ed to come out to the two events.

“I think it’s really good for younger children to come out and watch,” said Paige. “But it’s fun for everyone. The event will be really entertaining.”

THE GREATEST SHOW

When: Saturday, February 25, 12:30 pm and 7 pm

What: Laszlo Tamasik showcase of dance to raise money for competitions this Spring. Featuring the music of The Greatest Showman. Ballet, Hip hop, Tap, Contemporary and more styles.

Tickets: $25, available at The Peak. See laszlodanceacademy.com for more.

Step in time

The new Beanstalk Theatre Company reinvents a muchmissed qathet tradition – ambitious junior musicals – for the next generation.

BY PIETA WOOLLEY

When she was 10 years old, Sydney Spenst stepped on to the stage for the first time, playing the Queen of Hearts in a local production of Alice in Wonderland, and she was hooked.

It drew her out of her comfort zone. It was so much fun.

Through her teens, you may have seen her in The Little Mermaid, the Wizard of Oz, her favourite production: the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, or many others.

Now 24, Sydney teaches Musical Theatre at Laszlo Tamasik Dance Academy, and in the fall, she started her own business: Beanstalk Theatre Company, which is producing Mary Poppins.

“It’s been my dream ever since I was these kids’ age to do this,” she said on a break from rehearsals at the Evergreen Theatre mid-January. “I had no aspirations to go off and win a Tony Award. Theatre changed my life. I just

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MARY POPPINS JR.

When & Where: February 16, 17 & 18, 7 pm nightly. Evergreen Theatre. What: Beanstalk Productions first show, featuring 23 young performers in the classic musical.

Tickets: $20 at the Rec Complex. For more info see beanstalktheatrecompany. com.

wanted to grow up and give this to other kids.”

And, she is. 23 of them, in fact. You can see them on stage February 16 to 18, in Mary Poppins Jr. It’s an ambitious debut, featuring favourite numbers from the original musical and a very talented cast of triple-threat children and youth.

“We just have to be like swans – calm on top and feet going like crazy,” she said, of the last weeks of rehearsals. “That’s my job – to do all the crazy. Live theatre always, always comes together.”

In the role of Mary Poppins is Francesca “Fran” Valing, a 16-year-old student at Brooks. She has been in choirs and performing in church productions for nearly a decade. Her first major role was as Annie in Burnaby – although the live performance was cancelled due to COVID

Fran was in the ensemble in Brooks production of Mamma Mia last year. The future lawyer or paralegal sings in Paul Cummings’ Jazz and Chamber choirs, too.

“I sing all the time – when I’m playing piano, when I’m washing the dishes,” she said. “But I do no dancing at all.”

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IN THE MOST DELIGHTFUL WAY: Howard Durnin, 14, as George Banks, Mira Blacklaws, 9, as Jane Banks, Francesca Valing as Mary Poppins (with the famous parrot-handled umbrella) and in her debut as producer / director, Sydney Spenst.

“I had no aspirations to go off and win a Tony Award. Theatre changed my life. I just wanted to grow up and give this to other kids.”

– Sydney Spenst

qathet Living’s REAL ESTATE section

Why read it?

After the roller-coaster year that real estate had last year, what does the coming year hold for local markets, construction and development?

The internet and real estate guides can tell you about listings. But to get the inside story and a deeper analysis, turn to the journalists you trust at qathet Living

Read about the trends, statistics, expectations and predictions for our community in qathet Living’s real estate feature sections in each issue from March through September

Why advertise in it?

qL reaches:

• 7,000 households per month

(there are about 9,400 households in qathet total)

• Regular local readers

• Independent tourists

• Family / friends tourists

People choose to pick up the magazine - so they read it

People like to do business with people they know. Whether someone is listing, selling, or looking to build, they’re looking for professionals they can trust. Not a listing or a slogan. A real person. Your presence in qathet Living positions you as an established, personal professional – not just a salesperson. Informed clients are engaged clients.

So whether you’re a realtor, a lawyer, a lender, a home inspector, a builder, or anyone else involved in real estate, advertise in qathet Living to reach your future clients.

To book your spot in our real estate sections, or any upcoming qathet Living issue contact Sean Percy at sean@prliving.ca or 604-485-0003 or Suzi Wiebe at suzi@prliving.ca or 604-344-0208

As Mary, her favourite part is the accent.

Perhaps the biggest story arc in the musical belongs to George Banks, the father and banker, played by 14-yearold Howard Durnin. An accomplished musician, Howard plays bass, piano, clarinet, trombone, flute, drums, and trumpet.

He sings in choirs, and tap dances too. This is his first time acting, though.

“I love that I get this window into someone else’s life,” said Howard, who is homeschooled. “It’s like I can leave my own life far away and become someone else for a while – like I have less responsibility,” said the future software developer and musician.

Mira Blacklaws, 9, plays Jane – the eldest Banks child and Mary Poppins’ charge. She dances with Laszlo Tamasik Dance Academy, and sings in the choir at Westview Elementary.

When she first learned about auditions for the play, Mira was at a swim meet. “I just started jumping up and down,” Mira remembers. “And this is really fun.”

As much as Sydney is loving her first solo production, she is also extremely busy. This month, her Laszlo students are on stage at the Festival of Performing Arts under the eye of adjudicators (Page 45). She is missing her usual work as resident choreographer with the Brooks Theatre Department, but it was time to start Beanstalk, she said.

I just felt ready to jump in,” Sydney said. “A lot of this feels like second nature, but I am keeping a list of things I want to do differently next year. The business side of this has been a real learning curve of responsibilities and tedious jobs. But leading this group of fabulous kids feels very very easy.”

“But I’m busy. So busy. I need to find a cave during Spring Break and sleep for two weeks.” || pieta@prliving.ca

GETTING INTO CHARACTER: Above, George Banks (Howard Durnin) appreciates the efficency and predictability of the workers at his bank. Below, Mary Poppins (Francesca Valing) helps everyone remember the magic in every day life – often through song.

Celebrating the power of film at this unique time

BY GARY SHILLING

The film festival and film society both have a new name. What began 22 years ago as the Reel Love Film Festival, is now the qathet international film festival. The Film Society joins the many other cultural and business institutions that support the Tla’amin Nation’s request to remove the name “Powell” from our identity, and to recognize that we serve the entire qathet regional district.

The Historic Patricia Theatre played a role in colonial oppression designed to marginalize and segregate our Indigenous neighbours. Until about 1970, Tla’amin peoples lined up for

films separate from the rest of the community, were confined to the balcony, and only admitted after the colonizers were seated.

The film society, as cultural leaders in our community, are compelled to right these wrongs. We look to heal the past, and find a way forward that prioritizes anti-racism, inclusivity and equity.

Opening Night Naming Ceremony

The highlight of the evening of March 3 will be a naming ceremony

STARRING QATHET: Exile, starring Adam Beach, was filmed in qathet in the summer of 2022. Many, many locals appear in the thriller. So do local businesses and landscapes.

for the theatre auditorium. As a way of welcoming the Indigenous community back to the theatre, it will be named the qwaqwθəm (qwak thum) audito-

– Gary Shilling on renaming the auditorium to qwaqwθəm (qwak thum) , which translates to “Telling a story”

“The film society, as cultural leaders in our community, are compelled to right these wrongs. We look to heal the past, and find a way forward that prioritizes antiracism, inclusivity and equity.”

Until Branches Bend: Winner, best BC film at Vancouver International Film Festival.

Klondike: Best feature film at Seattle International Film Festival.

See these award winners on the big screen

As of press time, these are the qiff films that have won major awards.

rium, which translates to “Telling a story.”

The Tla’amin Executive Council offered us this name, for which we are honoured. Film is arguably the best story-telling medium, and the name is appropriate for the space. A Tla’amin elder will open the festival, and the singers and drummers will welcome us with song.

The night begins with a catered party at 6 pm, with a cash bar serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The opening night film is Exile, shot throughout the qathet Regional District, with the support of the city, the district, and the Tla’amin Nation. Many locals involved in the film are expected to be in the audience, and the director, Jason James, will be our special guest. He’ll be available to answer your questions after the film.

Critically Acclaimed Cinema

Every year, the programming committee looks for films that engage with issues and ideas that stimulate discussion. This year’s selection of 14 films delivers impactful cinema that continues in our tradition of delivering

Rosie: A film by Indigenous director Gail Maurice, it was named to TIFF’s annual year end Canada’s Top Ten list for 2022.

Aftersun: #5 on Roger Ebert, # 7 on Rolling Stone’s best list., #17 on Rotten Tomatoes. “[The] movie is also a ticking time bomb — and that when it finally goes off, the effect is seismic.”

a cinematic journey to our members. Unlike many other festivals that have a multitude of films to choose from, our curated selection is best viewed in its entirety – and a festival pass is not only the best value, but also ensures the best experience.

An emerging theme in our program is that of resilience. All of us certainly have our own personal knowledge of the challenges that last year has delivered, and our film selection presents stories that centre on this theme – some with humour, horror, and drama.

There are many highlights to the festival, with a number of our films appearing on “The Best of 2022” lists and winning festival awards. In all, the films in our festival have garnered more than 120 international awards!

(See sidebar)

Special Guests

The Festival Is honoured to have local and regional guests attend. Support from travel and accommodation partners and BC Arts Council helps make it possible. This year’s guest include:

Wednesday, March 8, 1:30 pm: Guest filmmaker Claire Sanford, Direc-

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Moonage Daydream: Wired’s and NPR’s best list, and won best documentary editing at Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards: “[It] isn’t so much a documentary as it is an immersive musical experience.”

”A film designed for maximal visual and aural disorientation.”

QIFF

When: March 3 to 12

What: The 22nd qathet International Film Festival takes place at the Patricia Theatre. Feature-films and shorts from qathet, Canada and abroad will be screened. Learn more at qiff.ca.

Decision to Leave: #3 on Roger Ebert, # 3 on Rolling Stone’s best list, Wired’s best list, New York Times #8, and NPR. “It’s as much a love story as it a fatalistic neo-noir, however, and one of the single most romantic movies of the year” “a delirious riff on “Vertigo”.

Triangle of Sadness: At Cannes 2022, this film won the Palme d’Or. Dolly De Leon was nominated for a Golden Globe. It also won four European Film Awards, including the Best Film. It was just nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

and Joella Cabalu, producer of Back Home, will be in attendance for Q&A and discussion after Back Home Saturday, March 12, 6 pm Closing Party: Special guest at the closing party, DJ Minerva (Claudia Medina), will help us achieve the necessary delirium to experience Moonage Daydream, the documentary about David Bowie.

Tickets: Festival Passes $140 Adults $120 Seniors. Individual Tickets $12 Adults $10 Seniors & Youth.

tor of Violet Gave Willingly (which precedes Rosie), artist Deborah Dumka, featured in the film, and sound designer Sophia Sanford will do a Q&A after the screening, Claire will be joining from Montreal via Zoom. Peg Campbell will lead the Q&A.

Friday, March 10, 7 pm: Local guest filmmaker Jeremy Williams will introduce his short film Hell and Highwater (which precedes Klondike) and discuss the process of the making of the film. An After Film Salon discussion will be held, with Jeremy in attendance.

Saturday, March 11, 1:30 pm: Guest filmmakers Nisha Platzer, director,

Community Gathering

The Historic Patricia Theatre has been a community gathering place since 1928, and the film festival has hosted the best cinema from BC, Canada, and the world since 2001. The purchase of the theatre by the Film Society in 2021 was motivated by a desire to maintain this community gathering place for generations to come.

Although COVID and the proliferation of streaming services have presented challenges to our gathering together as a community, the mission of the Society endures: To cultivate film as a cultural, educational, and economic driver in qathet Regional District, Powell River, and Tla’amin, Klahoose and Shíshálh Nations.

Remember When Club

Recall memories prompted by items in the Museum’s collection! Have coffee, reminisce and socialize. Third Thursday of each month. This month’s theme is “Restuarants.”

February 21 at Gerry Gray Place 10-11 am. All adults & seniors welcome.

Always in all ways

BY ANN NELSON

It’s a beautiful thing, to be reminded to grow our appreciation for the richness and diversity of our cultural and built heritage every year: kinda like the traditional feast times of our lives around the mid-winter, spring and harvest celebrations in all our varied and diverse cultures.

We prepare ourselves for months in advance to celebrate these annual milestones, as well as the birthdays and anniversaries that define our personal lives, but then they’ve come and are gone again in an instant.

These past nearly three years of COVID pandemic awareness and prevention protocols lurking in the forefront of all our thoughts and activities have awakened another awareness in my consciousness as well: I’ve never been so grateful for small things to celebrate every day of my life. We need to be able to celebrate, or at least remember, the positive, the beautiful, the traditional, the beloved things that make up our day-to-day lives in between the big landmark festivities each year.

My appreciation for the cultural diversity of my community and my country of choice grows with every passing day, in every way. We may glibly speak of the ‘melting pot’ of immigrants who’ve been drawn to Canada in search of better lives, without having been forced to give up the best of their original cultures in the process of assimilation, but the reality is that

we’ve been privileged by our circumstances here to retain the best of what came with us and add it to the rich culture and traditions of our indigenous neighbours.

No matter how bleak our days may sometimes appear to us, we are buoyed up by the daily opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate our heritage as a diverse community: it may be simply opting for an international food for lunch, or visiting with some newly arrived immigrant neighbours at a gathering, or learning a ‘pioneer’ skill from one of our elders, or learning how to speak a couple of words in the ayajuthum.

Truly, this is the year to be reminded that we can always celebrate our rich heritage in all ways, every day of our lives and that it is a true gift to have something to celebrate.

A special thanks to Designer Signs for printing the thousands of stickers that have been handed out to local children during Jigs and Zunga visits to schools. Get a FREE STICKER and colouring sheet with each book purchased at qathet Living.

ASK BRIAN: Why detail the outside of your vehicle in winter when it’s just going to get dirty again?

“A power polish and wax can help protect your vehicle’s paint finish from the damaging effects of salt, sand, liquid de-icer, and road grime. We can help maintain and extend the longevity of your vehicle’s paint finish with an exterior detail, especially in the winter.”

We need to be able to celebrate...

the positive, the beautiful, the traditional, the beloved things that make up our day-to-day lives.

Be your own BFF

TO

ous loop knot magic.

At the time, I had just moved through a rough patch in life requiring things like dissolving a relationship, moving back to my hometown, setting up a new apartment, solo parenting, and starting a new job in a new career as remedies in recovering my wellbeing.

I remember wondering to myself how I had come to that situation where I felt so far from my true nature, and promised myself to not disregard my own needs to such an extent again.

To solidify this personal vow and give myself a constant reminder, I bought myself that friendship ring and declared to “Be my own best friend.”

Don’t get me wrong, I had some excellent friends and even a few besties (some might even be reading this!) but I hadn’t treated myself as I would treat a friend. At the time, I believed sacrificing myself, my needs, wants, and goals to support others was noble. That their success and happiness made my losses worthy. This sort of thinking had co-created the situations I was recovering from.

I wore that ring for a good ten years. Many times

over it reminded me to be kinder to myself, to consider what advice I would offer a best friend and then follow it, to do fun things and cultivate a relationship with myself just as I would with a friend, to make decisions in alignment with my hopes and goals as best as I could.

When I found myself in situations that had turned out poorly after all, or had returned to the habit of giving up too much for others, that ring would gently remind me to not beat myself up about it and try again for better.

When my eldest moved into their teen years, I gifted them my ring in hopes they too would treat themselves as one would treat a best friend.

We all know how those years can be! They kept it on until the band wore right through and became unwearable. I had bought myself a Claddagh ring as a replacement, with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty, and two hands for friendship; a traditional betrothal ring from my heritage. When my youngest moved into their teen years, I passed it on too. Today I pass this story on to You, dear reader, with invitation to treat yourself as you would a best friend.

Juliette Jarvis offers sacred living programs online, devotional arts, and divination sessions. Find her at SelkieSanctuary.com and 3FoldBalance.com.

CAN YOU FIND THESE WORDS FROM THIS ISSUE?

We also carry:

Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

Scuba diving used to be an exciting adventure – an underwater safari. Somehow, I’ve managed to turn that into the aquatic version of looking at puppies in a pet store.

And I’m not sure how I feel about that.

When my dad took me diving for the first time, my shivering, nervous 12-year-old self knew that despite the cold and the inadequate equipment of the day, my life had changed. I would go on to work in the dive industry, first on a fish farm, and later as a recreational instructor, and make it my favourite hobby. Until recently, it was about adventure and exploration. Discovering new dive sites; interacting with charismatic megafauna such as octopus, wolf eels and sea lions; taking new divers beneath the waves; exploring shipwrecks; reaching new depths – these were the “adventures.”

So how did I get to the point where, last month, I was poking around in the shallow eelgrass beds of Saltery Bay, looking for an inch-long fish that’s biggest claim to fame is that “cute” is the word everyone uses to describe it?

How was it that, when the three of us who found the Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker exited the water, we were whooping and high-fiving as if we’d just ridden a moose across a lake?

I asked my dive buddies why we get so excited about a weird little fish.

“She’s so cute!” gushes Helen Whitaker, who spotted the first one.

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers (PSLs) are undeniably cute. Google “Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker video,” or check out the video from Victoria High School’s amazing marine program at vichighmarine.ca/pacific-spiny-lumpsucker/ and you’ll see why. They’re fish shaped like ping-pong balls, with undersized fins, oversized eyes and lips and a startled expression. They move around like drunken helicopters. How they survive in the fish-eat-fish Pacific is a bit of a mystery. They are cute. But there has to be more to it than that, right?

“They’re buzzing whizzing whirring little sea helicopters the size of Brussels sprouts,” says Helen. “They’re cuties.”

Yeah, but we’re brave underwater explorers, who just emerged from a night dive in the cold, dark Pacific. Surely we were seeking more than cute?

Anji Smith, a fellow photographer who spent the better part of the dive trying to get one of these fish in focus, is giddy at the find: “They’re just so cute!”

Okay, maybe not.

When the first one was spotted, I heard Anji squeal into her regulator – or maybe that was me. It’s hard to tell where sound comes from underwater.

Our trio of lumpsucker hunters is not alone. Up and down the coast, divers head into the winter water in search of lumpsuckers and other “cute” critters. A quick browse through the Facebook group “BC Underwater Photo & Video” reveals a paucity of megafauna photos, and a plethora of pictures of petite PSLs and other tiny creatures, with nudibranchs (sea slugs) and fin-walking grunt sculpins (another “cute” fish) at

the top of the list.

There are many reasons for this fascination with the “cute” underwater critters: The limited visibility in our nutrient-rich waters forces you to focus on what’s up close. Winter time diving is often, of necessity, night diving, and that forces you to slow down and really focus (figuratively and literally in the case of us photographers) on what’s in the beam of your flashlight.

There’s also a bit of a “been there, done that” factor with the large lingcod, herds of sea lions, and giant Pacific octopus.

As amazing as those creatures are, you can only watch so many videos of them before you feel you’ve seen it all. It would be like a friend returning

from a trip to New York and all they could show you was pictures of the Statue of Liberty. Cool, but what was New York like? So we look for something we haven’t seen.

Until last month, I hadn’t seen a PSL. Another practical reason may be that stuff that’s small is easier to photograph, and underwater photography is notoriously difficult, with awkward equipment, current, challenging lighting, and particles suspended in the water catching your flash. Starting small makes even mediocre photographers like me feel good.

Perhaps, though, there’s something more in the hunt for “cute.” In a world filled with Putins, COVID, political division, mass shootings and natural disasters, a tiny little helicopter fish might be just the medicine we need. Of course, dunking our heads in the water is as effective as the ostrich sticking his head in the sand, and the Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker, while a nice distraction, won’t solve the world’s problems.

She surely is cute, though.

I’m not sure when “cute” took over my scuba diving life. It was sometime after I watched an octopus and wolf eel wrestling, but definitely before I launched my search for the elusive Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker.

“They’re shaped like ping-pong balls with undersized fins, oversized eyes and lips, and a startled expression. They move around like drunken helicopters.

THE HIGH-FIVE CREW: Photographer-divers Anji Smith (left) and Sean Percy (right), and critter-spotter Helen Whittaker, ascended from a dark ocean night dive, ecstatic to have found a Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker (below).

melt the hearts of formerly very serious divers

• Paper par ty decorations

• Paper gift bags

• Paper lunch bags

• Moving and storage boxes

• Paper gift boxes

• Sandwich and f reezer bags

• Plastic reusable shopping bags

• Squishy cushion packaging

• Plastic wrap

• Plastic drop sheets or covering

• Plastic recycling bags

• Aluminum foil trays and pie plates

• Plastic food storage containers

• Plastic and paper cups, plates, and bowls

• Disposable hangers

• Plastic plant pots

• Metal storage containers (e.g. for candy, etc .)

• Plastic utensils and straws