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February 2017 edition
On the dogsled trail Arts profile: Jess Leahey Snow bike nationals come to Revy Film fest to stamp out food waste A powder morning with RMR ski patrol Home style: Contemporary mountain minimalism #revelstokemountaineer Instagram contest
February 2017
Contents 4 News Briefs 6 Entertainment: Carousel of Nations 7 Snow bike nationals come to Revelstoke 8 February events calendar 10 Opinion: An urban park for Revelstoke? 11 Arts profile: Jess Leahey 12 On the trails with Revelstoke Dogsled Adventures 14 Opening RMR with ski patrol after a powder dump 17 Revelstoke experiences: The Wheeler Hut 19 Home style: A distinctive contemporary build
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Film festival highlights food recovery efforts Food: Anything goes panzanella salad Valentine’s wine picks Style: Mountaineer outdoors styles #revelstokemountaineer Instagram contest winners The Reel: I want it all, but I’m not going to get it Cover: Backcountry ski touring in the Columbia River Valley near Revelstoke. Photo Jara Sijka
The Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine is a free monthly magazine featuring the best of Revelstoke outdoor life, food, style, visitor experiences, lifestyles, entertainment, home style, and healthy living.
Creative Director Aaron Orlando
Each month we distribute free copies to over 100 public venues across Revelstoke, including accommodations, shops, restaurants, cafes, community centres, bars, and everywhere people meet. We are an independent, locally owned publication dedicated to showcasing our amazing mountain town and the great people who create the stoke.
Staff writer Emily Kemp Graphic Design Chris Payne
For more information, including details on advertising rates, please call, or visit our parallel online publication at www.revelstokemountaineer.com and click on the advertising tab. Phone: 250-814-8710
Mailing Address: PO BOX 112, 606 Railway Avenue, Revelstoke, B.C. V0E 2S0
Contributors
Imogen Whale: When Imogen Whale isn’t moonlighting as a journalist and writer based in Revelstoke, she’s out playing with her family or horses. She’s happily tripping the light fantastic Emily Kemp is a Revelstoke-based journalist and writer. Originally from Queensland, Australia, Emily moved to Revelstoke to take in the experience of our vibrant mountain community. You’ll find her snowboarding in the winter and tackling multi-day hikes in the summer. Jodi Kay is originally from Quebec, but considers herself lucky to have called Banff, France and now Revelstoke – home. She is a recipe developer, food blogger and farmer's market shopaholic. She loves hiking the trails, doing yoga and any adventure involving trail mix. You can find her work and recipes at www.happyheartedkitchen.com
Sarah Mickel is a Revelstoke photographer who specializes in portrait, fashion and commercial photography. She has lived in Revelstoke for 12 years with her husband and two children. Find her work in our style session shoot at the Main Street Cafe and at sarahmickelphotography.com Heather Hood aspires to never be too serious, see the wonderment in every day life and take advantage of any opportunity to rhyme. She can always find an occasion to drink bubbly and has a great passion for wine. Matt Timmins is an Ontario-born photographer with a background in photojournalism. He moved to the Rockies in 2008, and made the move to Revelstoke three years later. His love for travel and the outdoors have kept him on the move the last couple of years, but he always finds his way back to Revelstoke. You can see his work at matthewtimminsphoto.com.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Get the latest stories here, as reported on the revelstokemountaineer.com — your daily source of Revelstoke news and information. By Emily Kemp
Luna Art festival to energise Revelstoke’s streets in 2017 fall
Revelstoke’s new fall event Luna is expected to be an interactive art festival.
The fall’s unpredictable and often rainy weather has caused past shoulder season events to fizzle, but organizers of the new Luna festival believe they have found the key in visual art. The arts festival is anticipated to be a two-week event from September 30 to October 15, with a lively opening night. It will cost $35,000 in funding and Revelstoke Performing Arts Centre’s Miriam Manley and the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre’s Victoria Strange are the masterminds behind it. Luna will be somewhat of an art walk, modeled after similar successful festivals such as Nocturne in Halifax, Nuit Blanche in Toronto, and more locally the Castlegar Sculpture Walk. “It’s a really exciting way to engage people who maybe don’t go to art galleries,” Strange said. “They’re not necessarily involved in the arts and it’s a nice way for them to experience art, because it’s right there for them.” Luna will showcase 20 local artists, who will each receive $500 stipend. Five high-profile artists from outside of town will also be sought. “Very soon we will put out a call to artists,” Strange said.
Mountain View heritage building sells for $50,000 With a plan to restore the old Mountain View school, the School District 19 has relinquished the building to Gareth Jones for $50,000. The sale went through on Dec. 21, 2016 following Revelstoke City Council’s approval of the building’s heritage revitalization agreement. While the sum seems quite small for the 12,750 square foot building with two storeys and a basement, the cost of renovating the old building is expected to run high.
Future phases, spread over a number of years, include a restaurant and bar, accommodation upstairs and a medical clinic in the basement. The medical clinic will be a sister site to Salmon Arm branch Bastion Medical Centre, which is opening in March.
The school board said they were pleased with the sale. “It was also clear from the professional feedback we received that the sizeable funds needed to restore the building would severely limit its sale value,” a media release read. The purchase includes some of the land surrounding the building, which Jones plans to use for a parking lot. The rest — currently parkland and a playground — is still in the hands of the school district to sell for development. Previous open houses have always veered towards residential lots for the surrounding property. As part of a heritage revitalization agreement, Revelstoke City Council approved Jones for five years of tax relief but denied him another five years of reduced taxes. His request for a waiver of $18,000 to install a new water line to the building was also denied. Jones is hoping to submit engineering reports to the city soon and once permits are approved, he estimates it will take about six weeks to get the first phase of his development going. The Jones Distilling operational area will likely include a small visitor space. “All the distillery equipment is on site which is great news,” Jones said.
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Mountain View School Photo: Aaron Orlando
Referendum planned for Catherwood Road annexations Climbing enthusiasts and the broader Revelstoke community will vote on whether to annex two properties into the City of Revelstoke in a referendum later this year.
It was revealed last month that developer David Evans had offered proponents of a climbing gym concept an area on one of these properties, which is needed to get their dream off the ground. But the applications for 3304 and 3452 Catherwood Rd have been put on hold after a counter-petition was successful in receiving or 564 (10 per cent) of the population’s signatures in opposition. Columbia Shuswap Regional District resident Daren Cornelius took on the petition passionately as he believes the land, which is part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, is prime farmland and should not be developed. While the focus of these applications is to access water services and to allow for future development complimentary to Revelstoke Mountain Resort, no moves have yet been made to take the land out of ALR. Revelstoke City Councillors at the Jan. 24 city council meeting voted unanimously to go ahead with a referendum, which will cost $10,000. It will be open to resident electors and will likely be in late April along with the School District 19 trustee election. Councillor Sulz put forward the motion for a referendum. “Because it seemed to be a contentious issue with some people and maybe the facts weren’t all indicated in a proper fashion,” he said. “I feel that having a community referendum, we might be able to allow the community to make a decision on this better.” Coun. Brothers and mayor McKee had recused themselves due to conflicts of interest.
Climbing Gym Concept. Tree Construction
2016 figures show big boost in Revelstoke development 2016 was a bumper year for Revelstoke construction as shown in City of Revelstoke’s development activity year-end report. Last year saw a significant increase in residential construction with 38 new homes compared to 15 in 2015. The total 2016 building permit value was $19,342,904, a 28.6-per cent increase over 2015. With about a dozen houses waiting to be constructed this year, the trend of increased activity is expected to continue into 2017. “With several commercial and multi-family projects scheduled to proceed this year along with an anticipated further increase in the number of single family dwellings to be constructed, development services is anticipated to have a further increase in activity in 2017,” previous manager of development services Dean Strachan wrote in his report. Construction of Mackenzie Village on Nichol Road is anticipated to begin this spring, with marketing for its units already underway. The old Nickelodeon Museum will take on its new life as the Explorer’s Society Hotel with restaurant expected to open this month and the hotel following soon after.
Construction in the old McKinnon Block building in the summer 2016. The Explorer’s Society Hotel is anticipated to open later this month. Photo: Emily Kemp
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Enjoy the flavours of multiculturalism at Revelstoke’s Carousel of Nations. Photos: Keri Knapp
Celebrate multiculturalism at Revelstoke’s eighth Carousel of Nations Flavours from around the world, lively performances and interactive activities, the eighth Carousel of Nations is promising to be one of the biggest yet. For a town of less than 8,000, the Revelstoke Multicultural Society estimates they draw a crowd of 1,000 people over the event’s three hours. This year’s Carousel on Feb. 4 from 4–7 p.m., there’s a few changes to work with the growth. New this year is Looking Back in the Library, a series of talks about Revelstoke’s multicultural history that will coincide with the main event’s action in the Community Centre. “Normally when you go to the Carousel, there’s a lot going on — it’s noisey, fun and exciting,” coordinator Briana Sadler said. “The feedback we’ve received from some people is that they would like a quieter aspect of it. So we have arranged these amazing speakers to do great 15-20 minute talks each on various histories and their part.”
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There will be plenty to fascinate children as the kids’ area has grown and moved to the Seniors Centre area. “What we’re doing differently this year is we’re trying to expand and do more of what we already do,” Sadler explained.
will follow. He has performed for the last 30 years across Western Canada, including at Shambhala Music Festival, and has been featured in a TED talk. “We brought him in to give an interesting dynamic to the performances,” Sadler said.
What will remain the same is the great line-up of food. Seven vendors are committed including the event’s two success stories — Chinese restaurant Kevin’s Kitchen and Vietnamese Minh Tuyet’s.
Local musicians Denis Severino and Myra will again perform their unique style of Appalachian music. Ensure you come to the Carousel of Nations with an empty stomach and an open attitude to stimulate your sense with all that is on offer.
Scottish pipe band The Highlanders will once again open the ceremony, followed by an Aboriginal welcome. This year the Revelstoke Multicultural Society has secured a performance from dance group Indigenous Dance Studio. Head dancer Jess McMann, whose 15 years of experience is grounded in the traditional teachings of Blackfoot and Cree culture, will perform a skilled hoop dance among others. Marty Carter, who specializes in flute and saxophone
Event details: Saturday, Feb. 4, 4 –7 p.m. Revelstoke Community Centre, 600 Campbell Avenue. Buy $3 food sampler tickets at the door. Bring your own water bottle and plateware to reduce waste. Cutlery included in admission. Attend a workshop with Indigenous Dance Studio’s Jess McMann on Sunday Feb. 5, 2–5 p.m. Free for ages 7 and up, limit of 30 people. Sign up at the Carousel event.
The best snow bike riders in the country will converge on Revelstoke in February for a nationals competition. Photos: Matt Timmins
A national first for Revelstoke
Spectator-friendly pro snow bike event targets 1,000 participants and fans for first event.
By Matthew Timmins
to host the nationals.
The Revy Riders dirt bike track has a new look for winter, and it’s brought enough attention to warrant hosting one of the biggest winter events of the season in Revelstoke.
“The people are good, they are receiving, and they want to work hard and build this, to the point where I want to partner with them,” he says. “There’s a huge community support here, and I love the area.”
The 2017 Motovan Canadian Snow bike MX Nationals Brought to you by Yeti will come to Revelstoke twice in February, showcasing the country’s top snow bikers in MX races, as well as a handful of other contests, competitions and entertainment.
McQueen, who mostly works with MX dirt bike events, says Revelstoke is also on the map to host the Grand Amateur National next year, the largest moto-cross race in Canada.
Pro riders like Reagan Sieg, Cody Matechuck,, Brock Hoyer and Brett Turcott will compete in the first ever pro nationals for the sport. Stuart McQueen, owner of MCQMX and the lead organizer and promoter for the event says there is a huge growth in the sport. It’s the people in Revelstoke that have been the biggest factor on choosing the town
McQueen says traditionally competitive dirt bike racers will go south in the winter, spending a lot of money in the USA in order to keep competing and practicing. “This is not south, and they’re still on the bike. There are big similarities.” The February 4 event will include the Valley Moto Sport Night Show brought to you by Arctic Cat featuring a freestyle backflip show with Brett Turcott, live music,
beer gardens as well as the competitions. An expected turnout of over 1,000 spectators and over 100 bikes will make it one of the biggest events of the season in town. There will be both pro and amateur competitions, so anyone is welcome to register, which can be done at http://mcqmx.ca/canadiansnowbikemxnationals/. Entrance fees are $10 per person or $30 for a family, with the gates opening for the night show at 6 p.m. Because this will be the first ever Canadian National platform for snow bikes, McQueen says they are starting small, with just the two events in Revelstoke this year. Next year, he says, he would like to turn it into a tour, with the finals always ending in Revelstoke. The February 4 event will begin at 8 a.m. at the Revy Riders Club. Spectators looking to watch the pros are suggested to come around noon. The second round will take place on February 25.
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February 2017 Events Calendar Wednesday February 1 Dirt: The Movie @ RPAC From 7:30 p.m. Narrated by actress Jamie Lee Curtis, this film brings to life the environmental, economic, social and political impact that soil has. Open Mic Night @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Thursday February 2 Revelstoke Winter Market @ Community Centre 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Shop for fresh fruit, veggies, baked goods, arts and crafts. Skatepark Fundraiser @ Traverse Nightclub From 7 p.m. Donation Help raise funds to build a new skatepark this summer. Silent auction, raffle, 50/50 draw, live music and art. Winter Composting Workshop @ Macpherson Room, Community Centre 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. $10 donation Feeling bad about the amount of compostables going into your bin? This workshop will focus on worm composting indoors over the winter.
Relative Jazz @ The Regent Hotel - Selkirk Room Doors 7 p.m., music starts 7:30 p.m. Grab a glass of red and settle in for another Revelstoke Jazz Club night. This four-piece band plays standard classics and some eclectic mixes. Lost Girls Burlesque @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. From the sexiest depths of darkness, four deadly babes have risen to destroy the night. John Jenkins @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. This duo plays roots, rock, blues, funk and folk.
Salomon Demo Day @ RMR All day Visit the Salomon tent at the top of the Revelation Gondola.
Revelstoke Grizzlies @ Revelstoke Forum From 7 p.m. Grizzlies vs 100 Mile. HuwsWho DJ @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. From fun n’ funky to bouncy, booty shakin’ house, HuwsWho aka Huw Saunders blasts through genres to keep you moving!
Canadian Guitar Quartet @ RPAC From 7:30 p.m. It’s guitar like you’ve never seen it before. Enjoy Latin tunes, original compositions and transpositions from classical greats with this skilled quartet of guitar lovers. Wooden Horsemen @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Fusion of blues, soul and rock music, with a Latin and African inspired rhythmic approach. Friday February 3 Anything Goes Art Show @ Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre From 7 p.m. View and bid on artwork in any theme. Drop-in Curling @ Revelstoke Curling Club 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $5
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Revelstoke Grizzlies @ Revelstoke Forum From 7 p.m. Grizzlies vs Kamloops. The Revelstoke Project @ RPAC From 7:30 p.m. $15 Back by popular demand, Lucas Myers’ one-man show depicts what it is to be Revelstokian.
Saturday February 4 Canadian Snowbike MX Nationals @ Westside Road 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. First Canadian National platform for snow bikes on the MX track and including two rounds of MX racing on the snow covered track in Revelstoke.
8th Annual Carousel of Nations @ Community Centre 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Donation Enjoy exotic flavours and performances at this annual celebration of multiculturalism in Revelstoke.
Canadian Guitar Quartet
Friday February 10 Drop-in Curling @ Revelstoke Curling Club 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $5
Sunday February 5 Canadian Snowbike MX Nationals @ Westside Road 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday February 7 Revelstoke Grizzlies @ Revelstoke Forum From 7 p.m. Grizzlies vs Sicamous. Toonie Tuesdays @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Free Cut up the dance floor with all your hip-hop favs. Wednesday February 8 Brown Bag History @ Revelstoke Museum & Archives 12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m. Enjoy curator Cathy English’s presentation on pioneer educators.
Five Alarm Funk Five Alarm Funk @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Catch this horn powered, percussion fueled sonic and visual assault. The Burn Ins @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Indie alternative blues and rock band. Saturday February 11 B.C. Family Torchlight Dinner @ RMR 4:45 p.m. – 8 p.m. Adults $65 (before Feb 9), Youth $45 Welcome Home? Revelstoke Railway Museum. 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Flying Arrow theatre presents their Community Theatre Project Performance Welcome Home in conjunction with the launch of Heritage Week. The production engages youth and adult actors in a drama that explores the Syrian refugee crisis. Okanagan Cup Nordic race Daytime Racers from the Okanagan region converge on the Mount Macpherson trails network for competition. Revelstoke Grizzlies @ Revelstoke Forum From 7 p.m. Grizzlies vs Chase. BC. Family Day Fireworks @ RMR From 8 p.m. Majesty @ The River City Pub From 10 p.m. Revelstoke’s awesome funk band.
Devon Coyote Trio @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Raw, rocking, original and high-energy experience. Sunday February 12 Devon Coyote Trio @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Monday February 13 Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour @ Roxy Theatre From 6 p.m. Tuesday February 14 Free Weddings & Vow Renewals @ RMR 12:00 p.m. – 2 p.m. A Justice of the Peace will be set up at the Mackenzie Outpost at the top of the gondola. Make sure you bring a marriage licence if you want to tie the knot. Old Man Luedecke
DJ Kato @ Traverse Night Club Doors 9 p.m. Kaley Mitchell, aka kAtO, mixes together voices and sounds from other media into soundscapes that tell a story and will make you dance. Cornstarr @ The River City Pub From 10 p.m. This group has no other mandate but to have fun and to entertain, playing the music that has been popular over the past three decades. Peach Pit and Andrew Phelan @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Saturday February 18 Third Annual Youth Day @ Boulder Mountain 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Organised by the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club as part of the A.B./S.K. family day weekend. Alberta Family Torchlight Dinner @ RMR 4:45 p.m. – 8 p.m. Adults $65 (before Feb 16), Youth $45 R Gear Rail Jam @ RMR 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Registration $10 DJ’d rail jam in the village. Features will be set up on the Last Spike next to the Turtle Creek tubing lanes for an open format jam.
Friday February 24 Drop-in Curling @ Revelstoke Curling Club 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $5 Raygun Cowboys @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Psychobilly rock band from Edmonton A.B. Saturday February 25 Canadian Snowbike MX Nationals @ Westside Road 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Revelstoke Coffee House @ United Church 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. All are welcome to sign up and share live music. Revelstoke Rod & Gun Club Banquet 6 p.m. This longstanding banquet is your chance to try game meat, watch top hunters and fishers receive their awards and tell everyone about the one that got away. Dahly Llama Turntablist @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Eclectic mix style blending timeless classics with hard-hitting drums and baselines.
Alberta Family Day Fireworks @ RMR From 8 p.m.
Old Man Luedecke @ The River City Pub From 10 p.m. Beloved solo, banjo-driven folk tunes. Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour @ Roxy Theatre From 6 p.m. Wednesday February 15 Frozen Man Full Moon Ride @ Boulder Mountain 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. The Revelstoke Snowmobile Club’s snow patrol will be on hand and at 7:30 pm, the effigy will be lit in a tribute to fallen comrades, those that have spent nights in the wilderness and to kick off a safe 2017 winter. Open Mic Night @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Thursday February 16 Revelstoke Winter Market @ Community Centre 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Friday February 17 Drop-in Curling @ Revelstoke Curling Club 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. $5 Revelstoke Grizzlies @ Revelstoke Forum From 7 p.m. Grizzlies vs 100 Mile.
DJ WakCutt @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Talented turntablist since ‘96 Sunday February 19 DPS Skis Demo Day @ RMR All day Visit the DPS Skis tent at the top of the Revelation Gondola. Tuesday February 21 Toonie Tuesdays @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Free Wednesday February 22 Brown Bag History @ Revelstoke Museum & Archives 12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m. Enjoy curator Cathy English’s presentation on heritage buildings in town. The Dark Horse @ RPAC From 7:30 p.m. A former speed-chess champion struggling with bipolar disorder takes over as coach of a chess team for at-risk youth, in the inspirational true story of New Zealand chess legend Genesis Potini. Open Mic Night @ The Last Drop Pub From 10 p.m. Thursday February 23 The Travelling Mabels @ RPAC From 7:30 p.m. Folk country trio of singer-songwriters who represent three generations of women and collectively, their songs bring a wealth of life experience to the stage.
Dj Invizible DJ Invizible @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Open format DJ playing old to new, rock to hip hop, reggae to electro. Sunday February 26 Canadian Snowbike MX Nationals @ Westside Road 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Slopes for Hope @ RMR 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Family friendly ski-a-thon where teams or individuals attempt to ski or board the vertical height of Mount Everest in one day (29,029 feet). Slopes for Hope Revelstoke 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Take part in this charity ski-a-thon by signing up at www. slopesforhope.ca. Participants attempt to ski the vertical height of Mt. Everest in one day to raise money for cancer awareness. Sign up as an individual or a team. Tuesday February 28 Toonie Tuesdays @ Traverse Nightclub Doors 9 p.m. Free
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Tanner Springs Park in Portland, Oregon provides an urban refuge for humans, and also provides habitat for local species, treats stormwater and incorporates art and design. Photo: Museum of the City
A New Kind of Park for Revelstoke?
Great cities set aside land for urban parks. Columnist Fraser Blyth asks if its time Revelstoke considers one. By Fraser Blyth On those spectacular sunny days we get here in Revelstoke in the spring, summer, and fall, my wife and I often plan to meet for lunch or a quick coffee break. We pick up our fares and spend the rest of the time deciding where to go to sit and enjoy them. More often than not, we end up at Centennial Park on one of the picnic tables. And while we enjoy the spots by the river, on short lunch breaks or even shorter coffee breaks, there never seems to be enough time to make it there and back to work without feeling rushed. After several Centennial Park trips I began to wonder if it was time Revelstoke considered creating an urban park. This idea, I realize is somewhat self-serving, but there are good community-building reasons to do this.
offer several different experiences all at once; almost like a plaza, but with more landscaping. Urban Parks also tick all the “sustainability” boxes. From an environmental perspective, they bring nature, and natural processes into the downtown area. Our downtown is mostly hard surfaces (buildings, sidewalks, roads and sewers). Urban parks bring more greenery into the downtown, which has several benefits. We all know that plants help clean the air, but they also perform other ecological functions like reducing the urban heat island effect and providing shade, improving water quality through natural stormwater treatment, and providing space to plant native species to reduce water use and celebrate our local sense of place.
Urban parks also can have a positive impact on local businesses. They can be supportive spaces for start-up At critical times in other cities’ histories, local govern- businesses (such as food trucks) to test their wares, and ments have recognized the value in setting aside space allow local food service businesses to grow their sales within their growing downtowns for parks. New York through take-out. When I consider what I look for when did this in 1857 with Central Park, and Vancouver did it travelling in other cities, urban parks are number one. in 1888 with Stanley Park. As Revelstoke sees develop- The potential to grow and create flexible business opment increase over the next few years, it’s worth asking portunities through a downtown park can be a positive if we should look into this before there’s no land left boon to the local economy. downtown. In addition to the environmental and economic beneIn Revelstoke, we do the playground parks and plazas fits of an urban park, these places can have a positive with benches really well. So, how is an urban park impact on our social systems. What we don’t see, beyond different from these types of public spaces? They are Williamson’s Lake, is a place where all age groups hang smaller, designed to be flexible gathering spaces that out and intermingle. Children and teenagers take their
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social cues about how to behave in public from older peers. Having a space where children, teenagers, young adults, families and seniors can all interact helps social cohesion. This informal meeting space can help increase tolerance and understanding of other social groups. Urban parks do some really great things. But they are at their best when they can do multiple things at once. This is especially critical in a smaller community like Revelstoke where we don’t have the municipal funds to build single-use parks. Our public spaces need to be more multifunctional. In many places around the world, cities are designing their urban parks with this in mind. Tåsinge Plads and Enghaveparken (planned) are two urban parks in Denmark that fight climate change by filling up with water and treating stormwater. Tanner Springs Park in Portland, Oregon is another great example of an urban park that does more than just provide green space in a dense urban environment, but also provides habitat for local species, treats stormwater and incorporates art and design. Many places in Europe do these small urban parks really well. There are many great examples throughout the world of urban parks, functioning as oases of greenspace in dense urban environments. As Revelstoke continues to grow and compete with other mountain towns for tourists and business opportunities, an urban park would be a great addition to its already fantastic offerings of downtown amenities.
Revelstoke visual artist Jess Leahey creates works primarily with ink. Photos by Sarah j Spurr
Artist profile: Jess Leahey ‘ I love to say thank you with art.’
By Sarah j Spurr Rocking a flat-brim with her original of Blanket Chalets ‘Eh Frame’ at the helm, Jess Leahey makes me a lemon ginger and shows me to the goodness of her Southside, window-lit studio space. A studio can be outdoors, at large with the mountains or it can curl up with you anywhere when there’s just enough space for a cuppa and sketchbook to entwine. The lively illustrations of Jess Leahey are the love child to both these spaces and her expanding collection of line drawings tell us a great deal about the life experiences that light up her mind’s-eye.
Which mediums do you use? Anything experimental on the go? I use ink. I’m also exploring watercolours and acrylic painting but I am so new to this that everything feels experimental right now. Where I am currently growing quickly is with size and scale. I went from a sketchbook in my lap, to two different ski topsheet graphics and was just recently asked about doing a big mural. I challenged myself with a mini sketchbook when I was a guest artist at the Revelstoke Girls Do Ski camp in January where I improvised three pieces inspired by these ladies in the span of two days.
Where do you gather your ideas? The outdoors. How cliché. I would label myself a passionate skier before anything else. My art allows to me to spend more time mentally, in the places that I love, more than my body, There is a postcard-sized print on her T-shirt of gladaylight, or even just exposure will allow. I am develcier-capped Selkirks and a man on a mission with his oping a new eye for my surroundings. Suddenly with trusty companion. Custom designs like these get made the intent to remember more of what I see I find the with heart for organizations like the national Canadiprettiest little things — nature’s quirks, the deepness of an Avalanche Rescue Dog Organization (CARDA). Jess colours and peculiar happenings. Drawing has enriched and her husband are proud parents to a retired rescue my time outdoors. I spend a lot more time looking up. dog named Penny and with a house full of art made by talented family and friends she has grown, in their Who are your creative mentors or role models? I likeness, to become a creative muse herself. really adore a few local artists including Rob Buchanan and Zuzana Riha. They are both passionate people with How long have you been illustrating? Are you selfmany interests and mediums. Both seem to combine taught? I have been illustrating for a very short time, their art careers with their other careers creating an inonly about two years. I’ve cartooned and created my teresting circle of inspiration, each feeding off the other. whole life for friends and family but I started to draw Art just seems to conjure in many forms wherever they with more intention when I was recovering from a ski spend time. This art has a playful and flirty feel because crash and suffering from some of the symptoms of it’s not all business, they like what they do, and it seems post-concussion syndrome. Journaling was suggested they do what they like. It’s creative and romantic work to help with my recovery, which led to sketch booking. that is fun, beautiful and always has a little dreamy I was following a photographer named Jim Harris sparkle to it. You can see their many personal touches while he recovered from an accident that left him throughout Revelstoke’s National and Provincial parks. paralyzed and he was hand-drawing thank-you cards to everyone that helped him. His notes were so beauCurrent projects or milestones? Recent highlights intiful. I really empathized and was inspired. I think an clude heading to Mica Heliskiing for their artist residency overwhelming feeling every person has when they are program and working with Blanket Glacier Chalet where injured is gratitude. It’s humbling. I started drawing to I took my AST 2. Participating with Girls Do Ski and comsay thank-you to my husband. I love to say thank you pleting a detailed Viking inspired top sheet for boutique with art. Norwegian ski builder, SGN Skis, that I ambassador for. I’ve designed graphics for clothing and local shops and Lines! What draws you to this expression? Simplicam really enjoying the opportunities art is bringing me. I ity. Not much of an investment and no mess. Easy still can’t quite believe it … I feel very lucky. to bring anywhere, even when having to be weight conscious on adventures. I just work in black — the Introduce yourself to your favourite local artists and see white is already there when I start. I am drawn to this where the conversation takes you. Follow Jess and her adstyle because it’s so clean. I like the flow of line work ventures in illustration on Facebook: jessicaleaheyart or and the control and accuracy of a pen. I love busy but Instagram: Jessleahey00. Jess also participates in displays balanced pieces, with pretty but purposeful detail. at Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre. 11
Former competitive dogsled racer Heather Hood (blue jacket) joins Connie and Eric Marsden of Revelstoke Dogsled Adventures for a ride through the Revelstoke forest. Photos by Nicole Fricot
Running with the pack in Revelstoke
After many years of the trail, a longtime musher reunites with the pack for a ride through the Revelstoke forest. By Heather Hood I have known Eric and Connie Marsden, who operate Revelstoke Dogsled Adventures, for many years. I recently had the opportunity to go out dog sledding with them for the first time. Eric and I have similar backgrounds in the dogsledding world; we got our start guiding tours, caught the bug for running dogs and then tried to figure out a way to make it a permanent part of our lives. Connie and Eric met in 2009. A year later, Eric got nine sled dogs and eight years after that they now have a kennel of 27 dogs, not to mention, Lotti, an adorable human yearling of their own. I have worked in a lot of dogsled kennels and have been fortunate to work for a lot of people who genuinely love their dogs. Most people get into dog sledding for the right reasons: because they love and appreciate these amazing creatures. I think Eric and Connie exceed this. The love, care and appreciation they have for their dogs is hard to describe. The dogs are just an extension of their family. Even Lotti, at the age of one and a half, is very much a part of the daily dogsled life as it’s the only life she’s been fortunate to know.
My passion for dog sledding began almost 20 years ago. I had moved to Alberta with no idea what I was going to do for work. Someone I knew mentioned to me that I should be a dog musher guide. I had no idea what that meant, so naturally, the next day I went to apply for this job that I had no idea about and ... the rest is history. I would go on to spend the next ten years guiding tours and racing. I had the opportunity to live in Alaska, the Northwest Territories, Whistler and a variety of places in Alberta. I also raced in Western Canada and lots of the US. I will just interject if you are wondering: no I have not run the Iditarod but one can still dream. Dogsledding is something I have never stopped thinking about. It just gets under your skin. Dogsledders by nature are generally characters who tolerate being outside even in the most inclement weather, and aren’t opposed to hard work. Just like sled dogs, we are a breed of our own. We just might have a slight preference to dogs over humans. Arriving at Eric and Connie’s kennel brought on that familiar camaraderie you get with people who share the same passion for dogs. My friend and I only had a few hours for our tour but it was important to Eric that we take the time to meet each dog individually, learn its history and to ensure each dog got lots of attention. I appreciated how friendly the dogs were and the importance to Eric and Connie to be continually socializing them. One of litter was born on a stormy night and they all had weather-themed names. The overall blend of the kennel is the most perfect motley crew. The dogs are primarily fed wild game and poultry; Eric and Connie have a connection with local game butchers and people with poultry birds who provide them with meat that would otherwise go to waste. After we finished in the kennel we headed off to the trail. On the way there, Eric and Connie told me about a few of their racing experiences and some impressive wins they’ve had with their dogs. As we arrived at the trailhead, the sun started to peak out from the clouds. They gave us a rundown of where the dogs would be placed in the team and a few safety rules. We hooked the dogs up to the sled, as each one was hooked up the energy, noise and excitement of the dogs became elevated. As soon as we took off the dogs were silent and all we felt was the power of the dogs pulling us in the sled.
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There is nothing quite like being out in the middle of nowhere on a dogsled, quietly moving through the beautiful landscape, pulled by these animals who love what they are doing. We stopped a few times to let the dogs take a break and to praise them. On our return trip, Connie and Lotti were waiting for us on the trail, so we stopped the sled for Lotti to get in. She was crying, but as soon as we started moving she was silent, sat back and partook in the wonderment of the moment with us. The experience was perfect and one I will not forget. If you haven’t had the opportunity to go dogsledding or have never been to a dog sled kennel, I would encourage you to give it a try sometime. Even better contact Eric, Connie and Lotti to take you out. You will not regret the memorable experience they will leave you with.
Help the RVAC become environmentally friendly. A donation of $25 will adopt an energy efficient LED BULB that will shed Light on the Art at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre.
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Matt Timmins takes a morning tour with Revelstoke Mountain Resort ski patrol as they open up the resort after a blanketing of fresh powder. Photos this page and facing page: Matt Timmins
A morning in the life with RMR Ski Patrol
Contributor Matthew Timmins checks in with ski patrollers to find out what it takes to get Revelstoke Mountain Resort ready after an overnight powder blanketing. By Matthew Timmins A steady stream of men and women file into the room and begin putting on ski gear. The mood isn’t enthusiastic, but it isn’t fatigued either. If anything it’s confident. After a few moments the room falls silent as Chad Hemphill begins discussing last night’s weather as well as today’s snow forecast and snowpack, followed by a game plan for the day. Everyone is taking notes. It’s 7 a.m. and normally I would still be lying in bed, scrolling through the snow report on my phone. But today I’m sitting in the ski patrol hut at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, about to spend the morning with the resort’s ski patrol. With eight centimetres of new snow and high winds overnight, it’s the first time in about six days that ski patrol will do avalanche control. Hemphill, the resort’s avalanche forecaster, assigns the patrollers jobs and the number of explosives that will be used to safely open the slopes today. Wasting no time, the team heads out into the dark blue morning and up the gondola.
snowboard in hand, I struggle along the non-existent boot pack in my snowboard boots. By now the team at Sub Peak are just about ready to detonate the explosives by using a zip line that goes over the bowl.
As I prepare to take a photo of the avy bomb about to explode, Whale mentions how loud it will be, and that the patrollers blocks their ears with their hands. With my hands holding my camera, Whale insists on blockStopping at the top of Revelation Gondola we head into ing my ears with his hands while he wears earplugs. a warming hut where the team assembles the explosives I hesitate, but when the patrol manager of RMR says ‘trust me’ just before a bomb is about to explode, you they will use in less than an hour to open up areas like do as you’re told. Standing on the cliff edge of North North Bowl, Sub Peak and Greeley Bowl. Although the assembly is quick, it’s not rushed. Within minutes we are Bowl, eye through my camera’s viewfinder, Whale standing behind me, his hands on my ears, I wait for heading up the Stoke Chair. what I think is going to be the apex of my day. With a thundering crack the explosion makes my camera jolt I tag along with patrol volunteer Phil Bélanger-Lamonslightly in my hand. tagne and we head down Pitch Black for a run check. Stopping a few times, Phil takes any signs out from the sides of the run and places them in their proper spot for To be honest, I didn’t see much. Whale explains that the low visibility is typical of days that require avathe day and we quickly head back up. lanche control. In the patrol hut at the top of the Stoke Chair I sit with “That was a low-end result”, Whale explains to me a few others while I wait for Steve Whale, the resort’s after. “A 10- to 15-centimetre soft slab easily triggered slopes manager. Radios go off as bags get packed, and patrollers come and go. It’s a very smoothly run process. and easily controlled.” The patrollers are a mix of young and veteran staff. Outside, Hemphill leads the way up to Sub Peak, putting Looking down into the untracked bowl, I begin to get in the first tracks of the boot-pack for the day. Thank god a good idea of how much work it is to open this resort which has 1,263 hectares of terrain and boasts North I’m not shadowing him, I think to myself. America’s longest vertical. Giving credit to his patrol Patrollers follow him, bringing the explosives soon to be team, Whale explains that it has well over 100 years of experience among its staff. set off in North Bowl. Soon after, Whale is ready to take me over to North Bowl “We have a very professional team and we are very with fellow patroller Meg Wallace. Hiking to Sweet Spot, good at opening large amounts of terrain efficiently, quickly and safely which is something we are proud of,” he says, “I’d like to think that we have that down to a fine art.” After we do some ski cutting through Drop In and the Three Bears, this efficiency and professionalism is displayed once again in the form of a rescue. After only a few minutes of down time back at the top of the Stoke Chair, Whale and Wallace are called out to a skier who has fallen down a chute at Unlimited Assets. In the warming hut Hemphill, Whale and the other patrollers quickly discuss their approach to rescue. It will require sending a toboggan down the side of the cliff to reach the skier. Again, very calmly and collectively, Whale and Wallace pack their gear and navigate through the skiers and riders on the traverse, eager to drop into North Bowl themselves. They join Josh Morris who is already on the scene anchoring a rope at the top of the cliff to repel the toboggan down with. I watch from above as Whale slides down the side of the cliff holding the front bars of the toboggan. Morris
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gives him slack on the rope while Wallace, following her partner for the day, relays the messages back and forth between Whale and Morris. At the bottom of the chute, out of my line of sight, a skier awaits with a dislocated shoulder. The whole process takes about 20 minutes, with Morris staying in his exposed position at the top of the chute, cold winds gusting and snow blowing around him as he belays. The team take the injured skier down — and then up slightly, over a small traverse that brings myself to exhaustion without pulling a person behind me — to the Downtowner. Another patroller is waiting on a snowmobile to speed up the process of getting the skier to the base of the mountain. In my mind it’s been an eventful day (and it’s only 11 a.m.) Later Whale tells me that this type of complex rescue happens about 20 percent of the time. “It’s not very often we bring out the rope and repel a toboggan down there,” he says. “It was slightly more complex than normal.” That being said, you would
never know by watching the scene unfold that it wasn’t something these patrollers did on a daily basis. It’s these complex rescues combined with the size of the mountain and the amount of avalanche control which make working on the ski patrol in Revelstoke challenging and unique. Mike Verwey, mountain operations manager at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, has seen the mountain patrol program develop over the years. “[They] are a team of very hardworking mountain safety specialists who are highly trained and capable,” he explains. “I’m proud of the professionalism and stability that they convey.” As I leave, Whale, Wallace and the rest of the team as they meet up with the snowmobile and prepare to take the injured skier the rest of the few hundred meters down to the base. Physically, I’m drained, and decide it’s best not to subject Whale to any more waiting on me. Perhaps this morning was slightly more eventful than average for the RMR ski patrol, but Verwey’s comments proved true, and the morning couldn’t have unfolded in a better way to exhibit it.
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“The mountains are smiling and fairyland is supreme.” - Arthur O. Wheeler, The Selkirk Range, 1905
Bunkered down at the foot of a storm with guidebooks by A.O Wheeler and Douglas Sproul. Experiencing a slice of Selkirk tradition since times of Glacier House and the inception of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Savouring an unexpected supply of written and visual accounts by pioneering men and women who gave each peak their name, while we prepare for our own first encounters and adventures “surveying” the land. Filling our cups over the guide to winter touring in Rogers Pass and making plans to find opportunities if the conditions permit in the contours and measurements of space and scale. At the historic birthplace of alpinism in North America, tuned into magic hour, warm by a generous wood-fire, under the gables of the Alpine Club of Canada’s, A.O. Wheeler Hut. Photos of Wheeler Hut and area by Sarah j Spurr
Power Hour $3 cans of beer 11am – 12pm
Open Mic Nights February 9, 16, 23 from 6 – 9pm
Trivia Night Every Tuesday from 6 – 9pm
Après daily during ski season. We don’t have a hot tub but we have cold beer. revelstokemountainresort.com | Call us at: 250-837-7160
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BREAKFAST BUFFET Open Daily 7 – 11am Omelette & waffle chefs, turkey sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast & pastries. Includes all non-alcoholic beverages Adults $20.71
Kids $9.99
Serving happiness for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Open daily at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. revelstokemountainresort.com Call us at: 250-837-7160
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The Leenders home in Upper Arrow Heights has been nicknamed the Ski Jump by friends of owners Nico Leenders and Nicole Fricot. The contemporary building features a blend of modern, contemporary, minimalist, and mountain-inspired aesthetics. Photos: Keri Knapp
Home style: A contemporary interpretation of our mountain setting Very unique new Arrow Heights home is a blend of contemporary mountain aesthetics, minimalist styling and eco-conscious design
By Imogen Whale Walking into Nico Leenders’ and Nicole Fricot’s newly built home in Arrow Heights, it’s clear, even from the outside, this space is as much about art as it is about design. You can’t help but be struck by the juxtaposition of modern and traditional. A heavy, antique oil painting draws your eye while above you a funky modern lighting fixture illuminates the entrance. Beyond it, the home is a series of sleek lines with the kitchen, dining and living spaces that are all simultaneously visible. There are little in the way of frills. “It was surprisingly hard to get plain doors,” Nicole laughs as we tour their recently completed build.
interesting in 200 years,” Nicole explains.
When it came to building, the two had many a discussion with Nicole’s family in Europe (one uncle is an architect) about their home.
Nicole and Nico wanted to invoke the European sense of longevity. As such, there were certain things they were willing to spend money on. Geothermal heat was out of the budget, but the couple imported triple-pane windows, invested in a quality roofing system and added spray foam insulation to keep the house quiet and the temperature even all year. With a heat pump and passive heating through the south facing windows, the home has been so close to energy neutral the couple are worried there has been a mistake in their bills.
“My uncle brought it to my attention that many people in North America don’t think about how long their house will last. In Europe, houses are often built to last 200 years, so they choose a design that might still be
“To compensate for the larger expenses, we found bargains where we could,” says Nicole. Those included some finishing aspects, such as nice and stylish but still very affordable tiles for the bathrooms.
hers. Nico, the marketing manager at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, has an undergraduate degree in sculpture. I admired a couple of the most arresting pieces in the home to discover they were his creations.
Affectionately known as the ‘Ski Jump’ by their friends, the outside of the Leenders’ home is a modern interpretation of its surroundings, reflecting its mountainous surrounds. The roofline cascades from the high and open south side down to the ground past the attached garage. “Friends have jokingly warned us that it is only a matter of time before our children become teenagers and start skiing down our roof,” Nicole laughs. Floor to ceiling windows in the living and dining space ensure mountain views at all times. Other windows are placed carefully around the home at unexpected angles. With timber frame beams throughout the inside, the Leenders have managed to blend aesthetics, creating their own vision of a modern mountain home. “I feel like, if you’re going to build a home, or make art, it should say something. People either love or hate our home,” Nicole says. I shouldn’t be surprised that Leenders home feels like a work of art. Nicole, an accomplished business strategy consultant, has a sharp eye and quick wit. Several pieces hung throughout the home are discoveries of 19
The pair embrace a minimalist lifestyle; their home is free of clutter even with small children underfoot. “We just feel that there’s so much to do and imagination to use that a whole bunch of stuff really isn’t necessary,” Nicole says. “But to deal with the stuff you do have, proper storage is key.” The bright basement has an understair kid nook and a self-contained vacation rental suite called The Wedge Suites that opens onto the backyard. The area is not yet landscaped, but Nico plans on having a blend of natural landscaping and xeriscaping. “Imagine rocks, boulders, with indigenous plants, shrubs and edible veg between, along with a privacy hedge and definitely no grass,” he says. Nicole, originally hailing from Salmon Arm, and Nico from London, Ontario, met in Calgary while attending grad school. Since then, they have had three children and lived in various spots across the country. “We hadn’t hung our art in years,” Nicole explains. “We
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pulled out a map and started putting pins in all the places we would want to live,” Nico says. “The Interior filled up. And then a job came available here and I got it, and Nicole’s consulting work can be done via distance.” When the two made the move to Revelstoke, they were doing so to change both their lifestyle and their quality of life. “In eight years we had lived in twelve different places. Amelia, our eldest, is six, and she’s lived in nine places. We were ready to create a more permanent home,” Nico says. When it came to designing their home, the couple went with Bernd Hermanski Architect Inc. who brought to life the ideas they had in mind. “We were very lucky from inception through to implementation with our building team,” Nico says. “I can’t say enough good things about them. Our contractor, Mark Ljunggren at Fluid Construction and the rest of the team, Bruce, Chris, Donnie and Oliver, were incred-
ible.” Other trades and professionals involved in the creation were: Revelstoke Electric, Spray Foamworx Inc., Brennan-Hallewas, Back Country Metalworks, Roocan Manufacturing, Revelstoke Septic, Central Apex Cladding Inc., Yarsen Concepts who did tile and Bruce Maclachlan. “The local stores and equipment rental places were great as well. I can’t count how many times these great people stepped up and did just that little bit more or helped us in a pinch,” Nico said. As I leave, it strikes me there are no superfluous spaces, every square foot is well utilized and the home is a comfortable size. The couple’s favourite room is the boot room entrance via the garage. It is thoughtfully laid out to host laundry, gear and even shunt groceries into the pantry with ease. As much as the home is a reflection of the town it was built in, it is also a mirror of the family it was made for — smart, fun, creative, and unique.
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The Revelstoke Food Recovery Program has many programs in place to divert edible foods from the landfill. Photo: Jodi Kay
Learn how Revelstoke is repurposing its food
A big portion of our food ends up going wasted. New initiatives like a food recovery program and an upcoming film festival are designed to counter food waste. Learn how you can take part. By Jodi Kay February 1 kicks off an inspiring film series at the Revelstoke Performance Arts Centre hosted by the Revelstoke Local Food Initiative. This year will mark the fifth annual Incredible Edible Film Festival, and will showcase films about local food, the environmental impact of food production, and why you should be getting your hands dirty! Jenna Fraser, Local Food Initiative Coordinator, hopes this film series will bring more about awareness concerning food security at a local level and that it will also empower the community to enhance local food production and utilization. Some local faces will also be making special appearances; Stu Smith and Sarah Harper of Track Street Growers will be guest speakers for February’s film Dirt! The Movie and Terra Park, Rob Jay of Terra Firma Farms will be speaking after the second film, Polyfaces. You can expect a gathering after the films to share ideas, enjoy local snacks provided from Wild Flight Farms and Mountain Goodness and a chance to win some exciting prizes. A local event you won’t want to miss! For more information and ticket information, visit the LFI’s website http://www.revelstokelocalfood. com/special-events/
“Best before dates are not expiry dates, they are freshness guidelines,” Jenna explains. Expiry dates exist on baby formula, nutritional supplements and meal replacements. An unopened, properly stored product’s best before date tells a consumer how long that food will keep its flavour and nutritional value. It doesn’t have anything to do with a food’s safety and shouldn’t be used as an indicator to toss the food in the garbage. Whether or not we are directly participating in the program, we can all help reduce food waste at a local level within our own homes. A few simple steps to reducing your food waste could include; making a meal plan, sticking to your shopping list, cooking or freezing your leftovers and storing your food properly (the freezer is your friend!). The Food Recovery Program is just the beginning of a simple movement, one that we can all be a part of, to fill bellies and not landfills.
Anything Goes Panzanella Salad
There are so many ways to recycle stale bread. French toast, soups, breadcrumbs, and bread pudding to just to name a few. One of my favourite ways to use stale bread is in a panzanella salad, also known as bread salad. Leftover bread gets turned into large cripsy croutons, tossed in with your favourite salad ingredients and covered in your favourite dressing. Simply tear a stale loaf into chunks, toss in olive oil, salt and some minced garlic or dried herbs of your choice. Let sit at room temperature for up to half an hour as the oil will soften the bread. Traditionally this is a summer time salad made with fresh tomatoes and basil but a more seasonal combination that works really well is roasted squash and red onions, toasted hazelnuts and dino kale, but really the possibilities are endless. Waste not, want not. Recycle your food and your belly will thank you!
For ways to get involved in the program, contact Community Connections, 250-837-2920, and ask for Patti or Jenna.
Reducing Food Waste in Revelstoke Reducing our overall waste might have been a resolution for some of us this year, and with increasing environmental concerns it is sometimes hard to know where to start. As it turns out, one small step that can make a huge difference might be sitting in the back of your refrigerator. Jenna Fraser, coordinator of the Revelstoke’s Food Recovery Program, has a lot to say about food waste at a local level. Since March of 2016, the program has recycled over 55,000 pounds of food. The program runs out of Community Connections, where food is stored and sorted on a daily basis and then redistribute to the homes of families, seniors and various associations. Numerous businesses have joined the program by donating food that has passed its ‘best before’ date. “Our main goal is to keep food out of the landfill,” Jenna said. The food packaging is recycled and any food deemed inedible is composted, or given to animal farmers, keeping this a zero waste program. 22
Photo: Jodi Kay
My Valentine’s gift wine picks By Heather Hood
The month of February can be a time of preserving with New Year’s resolutions or perhaps a time when we’ve let them slide to the wayside. It is also the shortest month of the year and of course Valentine’s Day. When reading about the origins of Valentine’s Day, I was surprised to learn that this day became associated with love and courting as far back as the 14th century. Four centuries later in the 18th Century, the tradition of flowers, candy and Valentines became popular items to give to the one you love. It always feel nice to give someone a gift, especially something homemade that you’ve taken the time and thought to create. It could be a simple card or some baked goods. I certainly appreciate receiving thoughtful gestures like this. However I do have one caveat: I will always be happy when someone buys me a bottle of wine. I think most people would? If you’re needing some suggestions for giving a gift of wine this Valentine’s Day, check out the wines below. This month I have selected two B.C. wines and for a change, I have also chosen one American wine.
Quidni Naramata, BC WhyNot White 2015 $18.39
Quidni is located on the Naramata bench. The winemaker Rob Thielicke, who made the 2015 WhyNot White, has made some outstanding wines in his career. This blend of Reisling and Gewurztraminer was such a fun and flavourful wine to drink. It had spicy and citrus notes, sweet hints of honey and aromas of stone fruit on the nose. This is an easy drinking wine that would pair well with seafood, something spicy or be enjoyed on its own.
Misconduct Penticton, BC Syrah Cabernet 2012 $40.13
215 MacKenzie Ave. Downtown Revelstoke, BC p. 250.837.7005 www.bigmountain.kitchen
find great how-to tips on our website
I remember when this winery was first getting started in the mid 2000s. The image and logo of the winery stood out as something out of the ordinary at the time and I wondered how the winery would evolve. It has been many years since I have had the opportunity taste wine from Misconduct. Recently I tried the Syrah Cabernet blend and was impressed with the quality and intensity of this wine. The nose, also known as smell of the wine, was filled with chocolate, dried cherries and tobacco. The flavour of the wine was similar to the nose, the tannins were medium and smooth, it had subtle oak on the palate with a rich finish. It would pair well with roast lamb or eggplant parmesan. This is a wine I would highly recommend and it well worth the value.
www.bigmountain.kitchen
res Ski Apcupcakes stop in for
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Ravenswood, California, USA
Vintners Blend Old Vine Zinfandel 2014 $20.13 When I tell people Zinfandel, also referred to as Zin is my favourite varietal, I am generally met with someone familiar with it as a white or rose that is of questionable quality. White Zinfandel still exist but it is much more common now to find Zinfandel available as a big, bold, rich red with moderate tannins. The flavours of a Zinfandel can be described as jammy, ripe berries with a smoky finish. This Ravenswood Zinfandel is certainly full of ripe berry flavours on the nose and on the palate with a subtle smoky finish. This is a good wine to serve with red meat or creamy pasta but also fantastic on its own.
All wines available at Cheers! Downtown Revelstoke Open 9am to 11pm Delivery to your Door Call 250.837.4550
Community Theatre Project: Performance
Welcome Home?
The Community Theatre Project Performance is a collaboration between 25 local performers aged 7 to 70 years and more than 10 production team members. The show has been researched, devised and written by local community members. "Welcome Home?" will launch Heritage Week at the Revelstoke Railway Museum on February 11th, 2017 with two showings at 4.30pm and 7.30pm. There are a limited number of tickets available. Contact us via email, phone or Facebook to reserve your free ticket. Performance suitable for all ages. FAP is excited to announce an international partnership with the David Glass Ensemble, UK. The AB Project launches 7-9th April 2017 as FAP & DGE collaborate to offer workshops and a large scale international social theatre production involving young people aged 16-25 years from more than ten countries. We are recruiting participants now - contact us to register your interest and to learn more! For information on all of our programs visit us at: flyingarrowproductions.ca flyingarrowproductions.ca heather.flyingarrowproductions@gmail.com
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Images: Sarah Mickel Photography Models: Caroline Booth and Aaron Cox Styling: Maryjoy Marshall Store: Revy Outdoors Winter is a long season if you don’t get out and about. The key is to keep warm and Revy Outdoors has its selection geared with that in mind. They have performance items, for casual day wear to outdoor pursuits, from a variety of unique high quality brands. This page: Caroline wears Kari Traa Siri base layer // sale $59.99, Ida jacket // sale $169.99 and Ida tights // sale $99.99.
Right: Caroline wears Newland Camelia hoody // sale $199.95 with Berenice vest // sale $149.99, Carina patterned legging // sale $135 and Lea backpack // sale $179.95. Left: Caroline wears Newland Diana jacket // sale $179.99 and solid Diletta legging // $139.95. Model’s own shoes.
This image: Aaron wears Peak Performance frost liner down jacket // $329.95, heli alpine pant // $649.95 and Chaos toque // $29.95. Far right: Aaron wears Peak Performance heli gravity jacket // $699.95, heli alpine pant // $649.95 and Deuter freerider pro 30 ski backpack // $245.00.
Above: Caroline wears Peak Performance heli alpine pants // $649.95, heli gravity jacket // $699.95 and heli mid fleece // sale $149.95. This image: Caroline wears Kari Traa 100% merino wool pants // $119.95 and long sleeve top // $129.95 with headband // $39.95.
Far left: Aaron wears Strafe Nomad pant // sale $499.99, Nomad event jacket // sale $599.99, Pret shaman X helmet in rubber mercury // $199.95 and Native tank 7 goggles // $159.95. This image: Aaron wears Strafe drifter primaloft jacket (mid layer) // sale $229.99, Bula toque in wren // $29.95 and Atmosphere sunglasses // $32.99.
The Reel: No, you can’t have what you want How do we deal with not getting the things that really matter to us?
By Anonymous Imagine this. You’re hanging out with adorable twoyear old Lucy. You’re serving up her favourite dinner: warm, saucy spaghetti Bolognese with the noodles cut up small, just how she likes it. But as you set her little plastic yellow bowl down, her face starts to indicate that something catastrophic is happening. She looks up at you with agonized misunderstanding and says, “I don’t want the yellow bowl. I want the green bowl!”
destructive. While Lucy just wants her green bowl, we want fulfilling careers, intimate relationships, financial stability, to be amazing parents, own a home and stay healthy. And whereas Lucy simply bursts into a fiery tantrum when she doesn’t get her way (which she promptly self-extinguishes upon hearing about ice-cream), we fall into substance abuse, depression and becoming Stoke List trolls.
Since the time we were Lucy-like tyrants, every one of us has been working on our “things I give a damn about” list: tweaking, reworking and refining our ideas of what But Lucy loses it. She strikes out at the offending bowl matters to us and what we want in life. Relentless, unsolicited reality-checks have helped us to trim them back and sends it flying, redecorating half the room in hard. Giving a damn about the colour of our bowl? Cut Bolognese gloop. She’s flipped. At this point, her face long ago. Becoming an astronaut? Gone. A ballerina? is contorted like a wet, twisted tea towel and steam is coming out her ears. She bursts into flames as she con- Nope. Starting up that brewery? Not happening. tinues demonically shrieking, “I DON’T WANT THE We’ve whittled those lists down to a completely reasonYELLOW BOWL! I WANT THE GREEN BOWL!” able handful of desires that now seem more like a set of rights. “I don’t want much; all I want is to buy a home in You stand there, utterly bemused at what you are witRevelstoke, have enough money for gear and trips, work nessing. Not the flaming two year old who set herself a job that’s fulfilling, have a family, ski till I’m 80, have alight with her own fury, but the extreme intolerance great friendships, travel, yada yada yada.” of this little person for not getting what she wants. “It doesn’t matter Lucy,” you say, silently praying that reasoning will work. “It tastes exactly the same.”
As adults, we share this gem of wisdom with the young and naive as if it’s a lesson that we ourselves have learned. As if it’s a life truth that we actually believe. But do we? There’s evidence to suggest that we are no better at dealing with this reality than little gremlin-child Lucy here. The only difference is that the things we want are much more difficult to achieve, and our coping mechanisms (for not getting them) that much more
Same goes for finding a partner. “I’m not being fussy. I just want to find someone who is a good communicator, makes me laugh, is a rad skier (but modest about it), wants babies and a dog in the next five years, doesn’t get hangry, shows affection, is social (but not a party animal), cares for the environment, loves the outdoors, has a good libido and a decent job. We are told these lists are good. They help us maintain focus. They help us feel accomplished. We are obsessed with lists. Goal lists, to-do lists, bucket lists, hell, half the articles in The Huff Post are just lists (9 Ways To Save Your Failing Marriage).
YOGA • MASSAGE • ACUPUNCTURE • TEA
“Wow Lucy,” you think to yourself. “This is a life lesson you are going to have to learn. We don’t get everything we want.”
But maybe we’re wrong about lists. Maybe it’s the lists that are the problem. Lists keep us focused on what is yet to be achieved, the un-done and unaccomplished. Lists tell us we’re not done until everything’s crossed off; only then can we can call it, and ourselves, complete. A little harsh, no? Isn’t that setting the bar a little high? Do we ever get everything we really want in the order we want it? Of course not! Remember what you told little Lucy? So let’s not set ourselves up for failure. Scrap lists. Let’s have some fun and make bingo cards instead. Seriously. Bingo. You don’t need a black out card to win bingo. You need an X or a line or an L. 5 out of 25 and you’re a winner. You don’t need to have it all, but you have to have some. And guess what? You’ll still be as happy as a granny with a coupon when you win. Why? Because there’s no telling which squares you’ll cross off, it’ll be a surprise and when least expect it, BINGO! “That diagonal came out of nowhere!” Your homework: Plot your list items onto a bingo card and get playing. Include the goals, dreams and values you seek. Then get out there, participate, work for it, and when life calls your bingo, be ready to dab! Happy bingo-ing. PS - I’d love to see your bingo cards! Email them to info@revelstokemountaineer if you’d like to share (all info will remain anonymous). The Reel is Revelstoke Mountaineer’s monthly column about dating, relationships and a lot of other life topics mixed in.
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