Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine August 2021 issue

The evolution of revolution. p · 26.

Stories Beneath the Surface goes digital. p · 16.

Revywood. p · 30.

Bigmouth old-growth blockade. p · 40.

AUGUST/���1

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revelstokemountaineer.com

Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine is a free monthly publication featuring the best of Revelstoke outdoor life, food, style, visitor experiences, lifestyles, entertainment, home style and healthy living.

We are an independent, locally owned publication dedicated to showcasing our amazing mountain town and the great people who create the stoke.

Each issue we distribute over 3,000 free copies to over 200 public venues across Revelstoke, including hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, cafes, community centres — everywhere people meet.

For all inquiries, please contact us at info@revelstokemountaineer.com For Revelstoke daily news online, please see our sister publication www.revelstokemountaineer.com · 250 814 8710 info@revelstokemountaineer.com 606 Railway Avenue. Revelstoke, B.C. P.O. BOX 112 · V0E 2S0

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aaron Orlando aaron@revelstokemountaineer.com

EDITOR Aaron Orlando aaron@revelstokemountaineer.com

STAFF JOURNALISTS Bailey Gingras Hamilton bailey@revelstokemountaineer.com

EDITORIAL DESIGN/ADVERTISING DESIGN Sonia García sonia@revelstokemountaineer.com

WEBSITE Chris Payne chris@revelstokemountaineer.com

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bryce Borlick, Noelle Bovon, Amaris Bourdeau, Heather Hood, Louise Stanway, Laura Stovel

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

PHOTOS: Shred Kelly played to a big audience in Queen Elizabeth Park in July. Learn more about upcoming August shows in the Guerrilla Gigs series in this issue. Cover photo and above, by Bailey GingrasHamilton

Heritage issue — it's all about perspective Through a contemporary lens, my greatgreat-great grandfather was an agent of the colonialist agenda. He grew up in sod hut near the Saskatchewan and Manitoba border.

They cut out squares of sod from the ground and stacked them like bricks until, voila, the homestead is ready.

Given the small population of the country in the 1800s, his life strangely seemed to overlap with major chapters in Canadian history.

He marched with the government force that put down the Red River Rebellion led by Métis leader Louis Riel in 1869–1870.

Of local interest, he also came to the Revelstoke area where he worked building the train trestle bridges through Rogers Pass when the Canadian Pacific Railway was under construction. In his golden years, he'd take train rides back through Rogers Pass to admire the accomplishments of his youth.

It's not challenging to see life from his perspective. Born into poverty, scratching an existence from lands frozen solid for months of the year, an escape to adventure and wellpaid work was progress, a chance to be part of the story of a brand-new country. That was his perspective.

In these times challenged by the pandemic and, locally, one of the implications of the climate emergency — increased wildfire smoke — some solace and wisdom can be found in the wisdom of Stoic philosophers.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact.

Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth," is a favourite from Marcus Aurelius.

My ancestor's life story is a historical perspective well-represented in the Canadian historical canon. I've got Pierre Burton's The Last Spike on my bookshelf, and I'm sure my ancestor could be a stand-in for one of the sledgehammer-swinging workers in the book.

Through repetition in historical and popular narratives, these historical perspectives become the official story, the only perspective. They become ingrained as truths, so much so that presenting other perspectives is an affront to some, a mere perspective challenging the truth.

It's part of a tendency to see our current political and economic systems as the final product of a process of evolution, a system that only needs some more tweaks to achieve perfection.

But we know there are different ways, as we know there are many more perspectives that have gone under-represented, in history and in contemporary life. Understanding more perspectives does not deny the existence of others.

This issue we explore Revelstoke history and heritage from new perspectives, touching on both serious and fun topics.

We hope you enjoy these perspectives.

—Aaron Orlando, BA, MJ; Creative Director, Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine, revelstokemountaineer.com

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CONTENTS 8

NEWS BRIEFS Our August news and arts briefs.

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CALENDAR: AUGUST EVENTS Don't forget to get your event included in our print calendar by adding it online at revelstokemountaineer.com.

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STORIES BENEATH THE SURFACE The Revelstoke Museum & Archives' Stories Beneath the Surface exhibit explores the history of communities flooded during the creation of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam and reservoir.

Now, it's going international with a digital exhibit.

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SEVEN GENER ATIONS ON THIS LAND In this feature, writer Laura Stovel explores the interactions between Indigenous peoples and early settlers in the Revelstoke region, approaching the subject from new perspectives.

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PERSPECTIVES IN HISTORY Revelstoke Museum & Archives curator, Cathy English, explores perspectives on regional history and changes to historical perspectives over her career.

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THE EVOLUTION OF REVOLUTION Writer Bryce Borlick explores the history of mountain bike trail development in the Revelstoke area.

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GR ASSROOTS START FOR LOCAL WOMEN'S SHELTER In this historical snapshot, the Revelstoke Women's Shelter Society shares the story behind the creation of this community resource.

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REVYWOOD Lights, Camera, Stoke! A snapshot of some of the Hollywood films and TV shows shot in Revelstoke in recent years.

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CONCISE GUIDE: HOW TO ACCESS PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS SERVICES IN REVELSTOKE IN 2021 There have been lots of changes to the public mental health system in recent years. We created this concise guide as a streamlined resource to help access public programming.

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CHILDCARE SHORTAGE A childcare shortage in Revelstoke means parents who want to work sometimes can't, compounding our ongoing labour issues.

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REVELSTOKE LABOUR SHORTAGE Help wanted! The labour shortage is hitting Revelstoke hard. We looked into the issue to find out what efforts are being made to address the situation.

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CRITICISM OF REVELSTOKE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS Our online opinion piece prompted several emergency communications changes in Revelstoke. Here's a recap of what happened during a smoky July.

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FIRST NATIONS GROUPS SUPPORT OLD-GROWTH LOGGING BLOCK ADE AT BIGMOUTH Reporter Bailey Gingras-Hamilton visited the Bigmouth blockade protesting the old-growth forest logging. This, and a recap of developments on the blockade over the month.

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BIG SOUNDS AND BIG CROWDS A RETURN TO NORMAL FOR LIVE MUSIC IN REVELSTOKE Free Saturday shows for the Guerrilla Gigs series are planned for Queen Elizabeth Park this month. Here's what's happening and photos from the Shred Kelly show!

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NEWS BRIEFS

Parks Canada conducts long-line sling rescue training, one of the services strained by wildfires. Photo: Parks Canada.

Old-growth logging protesters rally at the Revelstoke Courthouse on July 1, 2021.

Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

No time for risks: Wildfires strain emergency services

Rally at Revelstoke Courthouse opposes old-growth logging

AS WILDFIRES STRESS SEARCH AND RESCUE RESOURCES, EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARE PLEADING WITH BACKCOUNTRY ENTHUSIASTS TO USE EXTREME CAUTION

Over 150 people joined a Canada Day march and rally from Grizzly Plaza to the Revelstoke Courthouse on Canada Day 2021 to protest old growth logging in B.C. The event was informally co-hosted by several groups and featured individual speakers and those representing groups.

Jade Berrill, of Wildsight Revelstoke, said the focus now is on protecting old growth forests. "We're not against forestry. We're not against logging trees. There is an enormous amount of economic benefit and jobs for people, but there are particular trees we can look at as opposed to the old growth," she said. "This is a completely unique ecological environment that has developed over millions of years, which is impossible to recreate."

Rana Nelson, the federal Green Party of Canada candidate for the KootenayColumbia riding in the next election, said she joined the party and was running for change.

"Government needs to do things differently. We need the systems to change, and we need the way the government looks at our world and ourselves a change," Nelson said. "We need to change from a lens of exploitation to a lens of collaboration, and we all need to work together on it."

Co-organizer Emma Atkinson read a list of demands that protesters were seeking.

She said they want more drastic policy changes now. "The ones that have been happening are not enough. They are PR fluff and more delay for talk and log," she said.

Atkinson said the government needed to implement all 14 recommendations from the Old-Growth Strategic Review panel.

She also asked local governments to,"step up to the plate. Because with responsible local government comes responsible provincial government, and I think it's very important to remember the power that local government and communities really do hold on a grand scale if enough people want the change."

Speaker Virginia Thompson said she'd worked on old growth issues in the Revelstoke for the past 15 years, and that her activism went back to 1993, when she joined the protests over logging in Clayquot Sound, and again protested logging plans for a parking lot for Cathedral Grove in 2003. "And in 2021 Fairy Creek, and our beloved, beautiful Inland Temperate Rainforest where we live here. It is globally unique. It is the last of any size on the planet of an Inland Temperate Forest. And we are logging it. We are logging original forest," Thompson said.

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

As British Columbia's emergency services focus on battling wildfires, an urgent message from backcountry rescue operators is unfolding: now is not the time to take any risks. Wildfires and smoke, paired with ongoing backcountry usage, has raised alarms for search and rescue services around Revelstoke.

According to Shelley Bird, Parks Canada Public Relations and Communications officer, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks have had a slight decline in visitation due to the harsh conditions. However, “the parks have not been quieter in terms of search and rescue," Bird said.

Parks Canada and Revelstoke Search and Rescue (SAR) are asking people to postpone their outdoor adventures. In a Facebook post, Revelstoke SAR pleaded with backcountry enthusiasts to take extreme caution while wildfires rage.

As resources are directed towards firefighting efforts, search and rescue teams face shortages of certain equipment. Both Revelstoke SAR and Parks Canada confirm they share helicopter contractors with firefighting teams. Beyond physical resources, emergency response workers are also feeling the strain of this summer.

"People are very busy responding to emergencies and wildfires," Bird said.

"There's a lot of stress, and a lot of people are going to be adding more risk to the circumstances of that."

There is also the possibility of evacuation for emergency responders to contend with. According to Giles Shearing, Revelstoke SAR board secretary and manager, they have briefed their volunteers on evacuation plans and are prepared to help in that situation.

Environmental factors compound on risk levels this summer. Heat and smoke can take a serious toll on physical and mental health, impairing both stamina and judgment. Both Shearing and Bird emphasize that planning is vital in these conditions. Instead of taking risks, it is the time to be cautious and conservatives.

By Aaron Orlando.

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ARTS BRIEFS

Wildflower painting by Michelle Austen, from the August 2021 exhibition ‘Wildly Captivating.’

Photo: Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre.

The Michelan-Jell-O sculpture at LUNA fest 2019.

Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

Wildflowers captivate in August RVAC exhibit

Arts Revelstoke announces LUNA Reimagined 2021

By Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre.

ALTHOUGH LUNA FEST IS NOT RETURNING TO ITS PRE-PANDEMIC STATE THIS YEAR, ARTS REVELSTOKE IS PLANNING AN IN-PERSON LUNA REIMAGINED THIS SEPTEMBER.

As Revelstoke’s alpine comes alive with wildflowers, so does the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre (RVAC). This August features work from a collection of local artists all inspired by the theme Wildflowers. Whether you’re looking to explore the cultural side of Revelstoke, find unique local gifts, or acquire your own piece of original art, a visit to the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre is a must.

The main gallery features the vibrant and whimsical works of oil painter, Michelle Austen. Michelle aims to capture the movement and flow of nature in her paintings, with her show titled ‘Wildly Captivating.’ This habit of exploring joyous moments through art means Michelle Austen’s exhibition is sure to remind you of your own cherished moments with nature and family.

The side galleries in August will be filled with a mix of local artists showcasing their work in the August Members’ Show. The Members’ Shows are a chance for any member of RVAC to showcase their work in a shared gallery space. This blend of creative minds invariably provides an impressive mix of mediums from watercolour, welding, and weaving, to pottery, photography, and painting. The Members’ Show is the perfect way to get a glimpse of the vast and varied artistic talents within our wild mountain town.

Finally, for the local artists, August at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre will be filled with painting classes, the wildflower banner program, the return of our pottery workshops, and applications for 2021 solo exhibitions. There are so many opportunities for artists of all ages and abilities. Come visit the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre and watch the gallery bursting with colours inspired by our wild.

Want to learn more? Become a member for $25 annually and be the first to know about new programs, details on exhibitions and more.

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

Lights, sound, and art all over town: that is what Arts Revelstoke is planning for LUNA Reimagined 2021. Although things have not quite returned to normal for this staple festival, it will be bigger than the mostly-online 2020 version.

LUNA Reimagined 2021 will run from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27, with each night focusing on a different sensory receptor. In order of appearance, the themes are LUNA Sound, LUNA Art, and LUNA Studio.

Despite loosening restrictions, planning a full-scale LUNA Fest is simply too risky for Arts Revelstoke. However, they have found a way to host the event in person this year. Installations will be hosted outdoors throughout downtown Revelstoke, reducing crowding for festival-goers.

"This is completely new, completely fresh," says Miriam Manley, Artistic and Executive director at Arts Revelstoke. She understands that people may have different comfort levels coming out of this pandemic, and aims to accommodate that. "It's going to be fairly accessible and exciting for people to experience, basically."

Instead of enclosed spaces and hands-on installations, Arts Revelstoke is opting for a series of projections and murals. Digital artwork plays a major role in this year's LUNA Reimagined, with five large-scale projections planned.

Empty walls serve as a canvas for these pieces, giving Arts Revelstoke the opportunity to switch up displays during the festival. Animation and movement can be also incorporated into this high-tech art form.

Music is also on the itinerary for LUNA Reimagined 2021. According to Manley, Arts Revelstoke is currently planning two stages with live music and performances.

Much of the planning for LUNA Reimagined is still unfolding. For the most up-to-date information, visit lunafest.ca.

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CALENDAR AUGUST 2021 WEEKLY EVENTS

SATURDAY REVELSTOKE FARMERS MARKETS

@ Community Connections · 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

This meet-up is a safe space for LBTQIA2S+ to connect, discuss support in the community, share information, or just chat and hang out.

@ Revelstoke Community Centre · 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The weekly Farmers Markets in Revelstoke are still happening, just at a new location to allow for physical distancing. The Revelstoke Farm & Craft Market can be found nearby the corner of Wright Street and Second Street West. You’ll find the Revelstoke Local Food Initiative Market in Centennial Park.

TUESDAY

TAKE OUT FAMILY CRAFT DAY

MONDAY REVELSTOKE RAINBOW DROP-IN

REVELSTOKE READS FAMILY STORY TIME

@ Online · 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Join Vanessa, Sasha and Stacy on Zoom for super fun stories, songs and rhymes. Register once to get Zoom invitation for all sessions. Visit the events page at orl.bc.ca/revelstoke for more information.

WEDNESDAY FREE MEDITATION

@ Balu Yoga · 7:30 a.m. - 8 a.m.

Free meditation every Wednesday morning at Balu Yoga. No experience needed. To view the in-studio COVID protocol visit baluyoga.com.

WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE

@ Community Connections · 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Enjoy coffee, light snacks and conversation about everything woman. Call 250-837-2920 for more information.

THURSDAY WRITER’S BLOC

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 1:30 p.m. drop-in Connect with other writers in a mutually supportive environment: constructive feedback, shared opportunities and fertile ground for creativity.

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Drop by the library the first Saturday of every month to pick up everything you need for a family crafting afternoon.

(F)REE (ART) (S)ESSIONS

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m.

On the first and third Saturday of the month drop by the library for some inspirational, imaginative, zero waste, creative fun.

TAKE AND MAKE SUPER STEAM SATURDAY

@ Okanagan Library Revelstoke Branch · 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Drop by the library on the second Saturday of every month to pick up everything you need for a fun afternoon of family STEAM exploration.

TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY INTRODUCTION TO FLAME WORKING 101: GLASS BEADS

@ Big Eddy Glass Works · 5 p.m. -7 p.m.

In this beginners class you will work on the torches to create your very own glass beads (approx.

4-6 beads.) This workshop will teach you the introductory steps to flame working. Sign up at bigeddyglassworks.ca.

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VISIT REVELSTOKEMOUNTAINEER.COM/CALENDAR TO SUBMIT YOUR EVENT FOR FREE. WE INCLUDE A SELECTION OF THOSE EVENTS HERE IN OUR MONTHLY PRINT CALENDAR.

AUGUST EVENTS AUGUST 1 – 8 REVELSTOKE WILDFLOWER FESTIVAL

@ Multiple Venues A celebration of Revelstoke's alpine wildflower bloom. There won't be gatherings, but instead there are activities and suggestions for ways to get out and enjoy Revelstoke's incredible scenery. There will be opportunities to get out in the wildflowers by bike, foot, or gondola, and wildflower themed activities throughout town. Visit seerevelstoke.com for more information.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA YOUTH SPORT CLIMBING SESSION

@ Begbie Bluffs · Ages 11-15: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Free rock-climbing sessions for youths aged 11-15. Led by Penny Goddard from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.

CHICKEN-LIKE BIRDS - GUERRILLA GIG

@ Location TBA · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations. After a few years of festivals, farmers markets, and foot stomps, Jas and Ari of countryblues duo Chicken-Like Birds each have taken time to live and raise families. With that comes different angles on music and song writing. Tickets will be released on Aug. 2 at 9 a.m. on the Arts Revelstoke website.

AUGUST 5 - 27 AUGUST EXHIBITION – RVAC

@ Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre · 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

With a fresh exhibition every month the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre provides constant culture throughout the year. This August RVAC will feature Michelle Austen in the main gallery, while the members’ show expands across the side galleries.

These members’ shows are a fantastic opportunity to get a snapshot of the incredible variety of talented artists hiding in our mountain town.

Spectators filled Queen Elizabeth Park to watch the first free Guerrilla Gig of the summer.

Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton

Glass Blowing in Revelstoke Shop our studio Watch us blow glass Check out our workshops 1-250-837-9696 1741 Celgar Rd www.bigeddyglassworks.ca

Open Every Day from 11am - 6pm

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Calendar

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11

CELEIGH CARDINAL GUERRILLA GIG

SMALL TOWN ARTILLERY GUERRILLA GIG

@ Queen Elizabeth Park · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations.

With a confident voice and boundless energy, Celeigh Cardinal owns a stage connecting deeply with her audience through humour, passion and love. This event is free.

AUGUST 7 – 8 BARBARA MAYE & GUESTS OPEN STUDIO EVENT

@ 1105 Oscar St. · 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Barbara Maye Fine Art is holding an open studio event by once again joining the Columbia Basin Culture Tour.

This self-guided culture crawl through Columbia Basin cultural venues offers only one stop in Revelstoke, but Barbara is sharing her space with these amazing peeps to make hers the most action packed on the trail!

AUGUST 9 – 12 SUMMER DANCE & WELLNESS CAMP

@ The Alchemy Studio Revelstoke· 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We are happy to announce our first ever summer dance and wellness camp! This event is hosted by our friends at The Alchemy Studio, where students can enjoy daily lunch and smoothies provided by The Vibe Café. Dancers will take part in hikes, biking, yoga, craft making and more!

@ Location TBA · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations.

Small Town Artillery’s success & growth are due to their high-energy live show, robust horn section, relentless self promotion, and strong desire to see a childhood dream realized, 20 years in the making. Tickets will be released on Aug. 9 at 9 a.m. on the Arts Revelstoke website.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14 MOONTRICKS - GUERRILLA GIG

@ Queen Elizabeth Park · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations.

Nestled deep in the beautiful Kootenay mountains of Western Canada lies the home of Moontricks, a duo whose timeless sound captures the essence of their rugged roots. This event is free.

AUGUST 16 – 20 DARK HORSE INVITATIONAL

@ Revelstoke Mountain Resort Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Jigsaw Event Services, and Casey Brown have joined forces to create a pro-line that will set the stage for Dark Horse— a women’s specific invitational freeride event.

The Revelstoke Local Food Initiative Farmers Market is one of two markets that sets up every Saturday. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton

Wildflowers bloom at the Mount Revelstoke summit. Although See Revelstoke is not organizing any gatherings for the Revelstoke Wildflower Festival, there will be plenty of activities and trails to explore. Photo: Aaron Orlando/Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine.

Calendar

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On Aug. 14, Shambhala Music Festival veterans Moontricks will perform a free concert at Queen Elizabeth Park.

Photo: Contributed by Arts Revelstoke

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18 UNDER THE ROCKS - GUERRILLA GIG

@ Revelstoke Mountain Resort Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Jigsaw Event Services, and Casey Brown have joined forces to create a pro-line that will set the stage for Dark Horse— a women’s specific invitational freeride event.

ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA YOUTH SPORT CLIMBING SESSION

@ Begbie Bluffs · Ages 6-10: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Free rock-climbing sessions for youths aged 6-10. Led by Penny Goddard from the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21 LEILA NEVERLAND - GUERRILLA GIG

@ Queen Victoria Park · 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations. Her live performance is on fire: Her tremendous voice provides the space we all need for renewal as she continues to leave audiences breathlessly awestruck.

This event is free.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 25 JILL BARBER - GUERRILLA GIG

@ Location TBA · 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. .

Arts Revelstoke presents Guerrilla Gigs, an intimate outdoor concerts series in iconic Revelstoke locations. Jill Barber is a three-time Juno Award nominated singer-songwriter with an unforgettable voice once heard, never forgotten. Tickets will be released on Aug. 23 at 9 a.m. on the Arts Revelstoke website.

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REVY OUTDOORS OUTFITTERS

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Montane Further, faster

Montane was born 28 years ago from an expedition partnership between Jake Doxat and Chris Roff who both shared a mantra for “taking it to the limit”. Through all those years their philosophy of innovation has led them to excel in all the products they design. Montane - not widely distributed but definitely engineered for endurance.

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Ortovox

The voice of the mountains

Ortovox started in 1980 with Gerald Kampel and Jürgen Wegner developing the world’s first double frequency transceiver for avalanche safety and rescue. Since then, Ortovox has led every decade with big innovations from safety gear and packs to fabrics and insulation. They now lead again with their high performance mountain wear and their striking use of color.

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FEATURE & HERITAGE HISTORY

STORIES BENEATH THE SURFACE: REVELSTOKE MUSEUM EXHIBIT TO GO DIGITAL IN NATIONAL EXHIBIT THE REVELSTOKE MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES EXHIBIT EXPANDS THEIR AUDIENCE THROUGH THE ADDITION OF ONLINE FEATURES.

One visitor acknowledges the Columbia River Valley’s original inhabitants on this interactive map. Their answer seems to strike a chord with other guests.

Old road signs and pictures mark the memory of communities underwater.

Upon entering the Stories Beneath the Surface exhibit at the Revelstoke Museum and Archives, you are greeted with a brief synopsis explaining the history of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam.

Story and photos by Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

Compared to a hundred years ago, the Columbia River is almost unrecognizable. Stretching from British Columbia to Oregon, the Columbia River now has over 60 dams in place. Used primarily for hydroelectricity, these dams are critical pieces of infrastructure for life in Canada and the United States. However, their construction did not come without consequences.

Stories Beneath the Surface is a Revelstoke Museum and Archives exhibit, focused on the construction of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam and the lives it affected.

Recently, this exhibit joined the Community Stories program by Digital Museums Canada. Through funding, the program aims to bring local stories to life with digital technology. So far, the online version of the exhibit will include 20 pages of photos, video interviews and audio recordings.

“This will give visitors to the site a chance to learn about this aspect of our region’s history and will reach a broader audience than we are able to through the physical exhibit at the museum,” says Cathy English, Revelstoke Museum and Archives curator. Currently, the museum has an interactive map of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam available online. History buffs can step back in time and explore the area virtually with this feature.

Background: The History of the Hugh Keenleyside Dam Located just outside Castlegar, the Hugh Keenleyside Dam changed the landscape of the Columbia River valley all the way to Revelstoke. The project also created the Arrow Lakes reservoir, which is a whopping 230 kilometres long. By the time construction finished in 1969, over 2,000 people were displaced.

Entire communities were sacrificed for this project, under the Columbia River Treaty. The treaty was originally signed in 1961 by former prime minister John Diefenbaker, and former United States president Dwight Eisenhower. However, the Treaty Protocol and CanadaB.C. agreement were not fully ratified until 1964.

“There was no consultation with the people living in the valley, and many felt that their rural lifestyle was not valued and that compensation was not adequate,” explains English. Submerged communities include Mount Cartier, a Ukrainian farming settlement approximately

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Various housewares line the inside of this display, preserving the everyday life of former Arrowhead residents.

12 kilometres south of Revelstoke, and Arrowhead, a former steamboat port in Upper Arrow Lake.

There are also elements of Indigenous history highlighted in Stories Beneath the Surface. The Sinixt, Ktunaxa and Secwepemc lived in the area long before Europeans began settling. However, many of the Indigenous people in the area were displaced before dam construction began.

Nonetheless, the flooding of the valley affected these groups as well.

In the process of flooding the Columbia River valley, massive amounts of habitat and farmland were lost. Approximately 212 kilometres of river, lakes and valley bottomland flooded. While this destroyed many habitats, it also formed new wetlands along the banks of the flood zones. Looking underwater, there is still evidence of the previous settlements. Heritage, history and sentimental items mark the lives uprooted

by Hugh Keenleyside Dam construction.

Nature is slowly reclaiming these artifacts, as they rust away underwater.

History

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HISTORY

Revelstoke writer Laura Stovel explores Indigenous culture and life in the Revelstoke region at the time of the arrival of explorers, traders, settlers and colonial forces. Her story shows how the actions of all our ancestors generations ago still resonate in our lives today, calling attention to the realization that our actions today will also resonate through the lives of the generations that will follow us.

By Laura Stovel.

Following page: A demonstration Sturgeonnosed canoe on display at a recent exhibit in the Revelstoke Forest Walk.

A stump in the Frog Creek area southwest of Revelstoke.

The marks in the stump are left from springboards used by loggers as standing platforms.

The Seven Generations Principle, recognized by many Indigenous cultures and beyond, has its roots in the Great Law of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The principle states that a decision made now should consider its impact on the next seven generations.

If a generation is about 20 years, then seven generations would bring us to 1881, an important moment in the story of this valley.

Look out at the Columbia River when the reservoir is low. Way out on the silty, grey riverbed, large stumps mark where giant cedars once grew in forests that bordered a much narrower, windier and wilder river. Old maps show that water-loving cottonwood forests also grew on islands and riverbanks. Large caribou herds migrated through this valley and several species of anadromous salmon spawned in the river from June until October, nourishing all living things, directly or indirectly.

Before the 1880s, the Sinixt – also known as the Lakes or Arrow Lakes people – lived and thrived in this region since as far back as they can remember. Skxikn (pronounced Sku-hee-kin), now known as the Big Eddy, was the site of a Sinixt village or camp and a place of trade and socialization with eastern Secwépemc people who often joined them as part of their seasonal rounds. We know there were places of importance to the Sinixt all along the river south of Revelstoke, throughout the Arrow Lakes and beyond. We also know there were places of importance to the Secwépemc, especially north of Revelstoke.

Today, seven generations later, Revelstoke is a vibrant, growing community that attracts people from all over the world for the beauty of its natural environment and opportunities for recreation. The settlers who moved here have benefited greatly from the Columbia River and the forest ecosystems around us. Electricity from the BC Hydro dam, and jobs from logging and tourism provide convenience and incomes. Many residents also connect deeply with the rivers, forests and mountains around us where we play, harvest and reflect.

Today, none of the descendants of the original Sinixt and Secwépemc people who long stewarded this land remain in Revelstoke. The Sinixt in particular were pushed out of this valley, taking with them their worldview of humans as part of nature. A settler worldview took over, one that sees nature as a set of resources needing to be managed, sold and consumed, even as recreation. And while residents benefit from all that Revelstoke offers, many grieve the loss of the ancient forests, wild Columbia River, fertile riverbanks and Pacific salmon. Many also see worrying trends that might cause us to think about the next seven generations and our relations with the descendants of the original peoples who still carry knowledge of this land.

Fires have always been part of a healthy forest ecosystem, expertly managed by Indigenous fire keepers in the past. But now fires are more intense and worrying. Forest fire smoke smothers the Upper Columbia Valley more summers than not, and grab-and-go kits are on people’s minds, if not at their doors. The Columbia River is now a managed reservoir and Pacific salon no longer nourish the people and ecosystems of the upper Columbia Valley.

Clockwise from top: A historical map of the Revelstoke region.

A paddler in a traditional Sturgeon-nosed canoe used in the Revelstoke region.

SEVEN GENERATIONS ON THIS LAND

History

Indigenous presence before 1881 Indigenous people in this area did not settle year-round in one place. Their home was a land and river base that they used regularly in their seasonal rounds. They had certain village and camp sites and hunting, fishing and gathering areas that they were attached to and stewarded. Many Sinixt travelled regularly in June to Kettle Falls (in present-day Washington) for the Salmon Ceremony where the Salmon Chief welcomed the first salmon fighting their way up the Columbia to spawn. That was a time to fish, trade and socialize with their close cousins, the Colville (Skoyelpi), and thousands of Indigenous people from all over who gathered at Kettle Falls at this time every year. In late summer, Sinixt families would return to their fall and winter camps and villages up the Arrow Lakes, the Slocan valley and beyond, including the Revelstoke area. They were sometimes joined here by their Secwépemc neighbours.

When European fur traders first arrived in the upper Columbia Valley in 1811, they introduced a trade that, for the most part, benefited Indigenous people, providing a new market for furs, and introducing new trade items.

Indigenous peoples always had thriving trade networks and this new trade simply provided new opportunities. They could not have understood that their new trading partners intended to completely take over their lands and disrupt their lives.

In 1846, the United Kingdom and the United States signed the Oregon Treaty, establishing a border at the 49th Parallel between the territories they claimed in the Pacific Northwest. The border dissected the territory of every Indigenous nation in its wake with devastating consequences, especially for the Sinixt.

The 1850s saw the decline of the fur trade. In 1861, after miners discovered gold in the Big Bend area at the northern tip of the Columbia River, thousands of men headed north in search of opportunities, leading to the Big Bend gold rush of 1865-66. After the gold rush, the Columbia River was quiet for a while and the Sinixt would have been more at ease on their lands.

In 1872, the U.S. government created the Colville Reservation in Washington and the Sinixt (Lakes) were one of the eight nations included on it. Paradoxically, the relative security provided to the Sinixt by the U.S. reservation provided settlers in Canada with an excuse to deny them recognition and security north of the border.

Seven generations ago: 1881-1885

After 70 years of industrial-scale cutting, logging threatens every bit of old growth forest in our rare inland temperate rainforest that is not protected or inaccessible. Local activists have established a blockade on Bigmouth Forest Service Road north of Revelstoke, trying to protect the old growth that provides food and a last refuge for endangered mountain caribou. If these caribou go extinct, so too goes most of the protected areas that are now included in caribou reserves.

How did we get here? What decisions were made seven generations back?

What attitude of respect or disrespect set the tone for this moment?

In 1881, an American railway surveyor, Major Albert Rogers and his nephew, also named Albert Rogers, were recruited by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to survey a railway route joining western and eastern Canada. The elder Rogers’ main desire was that the pass he identified should bear his name.

The two Rogers set out from Kamloops with ten Secwépemc men to carry the load. Albert Rogers Jr. later wrote, “With the kind assistance of the priest in charge of the mission” in Kamloops, the Rogers persuaded Chief Louis to “enlist ten strapping young Indians on rather an ironclad contract: - their services would be ours without grumbling until discharged, and if any came back without a letter of good report, his wages were to go to the church, and the chief was to lay one hundred lashes on the bare back of the offender.”

Underfed and denied the opportunity to hunt, the Secwépemc men carried packs of 100 pounds (45 kg.) each “over mudfalls, scaling perpendicular rock-points, wading through beaver swamps dense with underbrush and villainous devil’s club.” When they reached the Columbia River the men had to swim “with one hand pushing the raft,” with the two Rogers on it. The younger Rogers wrote, “I am convinced, but for the fear of the penalty of returning without their letters of good report, our Indians would have deserted us.”

Near the pass summit Major Rogers wanted to climb a mountain but did not trust the men to remain at the camp with the food. He forced them to come along. Rogers Jr. later wrote, “Several hundred feet above the timberline”… “we crawled along ledges, getting a toe-hole here and a finger-hole there.” Four of the Secwépemc men had tied their packs together for security but one slipped and fell,” pulling the others with him. Rogers Jr.’s response was telling. “Our hearts were in our mouths, fearing the worst might have happened to them. Dead Indians were easily buried, but men with broken legs, to be carried out through such a country… made a problem which strong men dreaded to face.”

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History

Major Rogers got his wish. The pass is now known as Rogers Pass and the CPR chose this route through the Selkirk mountains to the west. Their terrible journey set the tone for Indigenous relations in this area.

In 1883, CPR surveyor Sanford Fleming and his party crossed the Selkirks from the east, hiking down the Illecillewaet River (a misspelling of the Sinixt name Sl̓ xʷʔitkʷ, meaning ‘big water’) to Skxikn. There they met three Sinixt families who Fleming considered to be American or “Colville Indians.” From his writing, Fleming appears to have been a kind and thoughtful man, but the creation of the Colville Reservation in the U.S. changed the way the Sinixt were viewed by settlers and colonial institutions.

Even though 80% of their territory was in Canada, and they had previously been called Lakes or Arrow Lake Indians, their inclusion in the Colville Reservation in 1872 provided an excuse to see them as foreigners on their own land.

Fleming and his party were guided expertly to Three Valley Lake by an older Sinixt man named Baptiste. Just west of where Baptiste left them, they met Gustavus Blin Wright who was building a wagon road through the Eagle Valley to the Big Eddy. By 1884, that road would be complete. By November 1885, when the Last Spike of the CPR railway was driven, Wright had constructed a toll bridge over the Columbia River and the town of Farwell (later Revelstoke) would have been build, burned down and rebuilt. For the Sinixt, nothing would be the same again.

The Sinixt continued to come to the Revelstoke area, often camping on islands in the river to avoid settlers. Settler newspapers were hostile, accusing the Sinixt of being foreigners who overhunted in the area. Still Sinixt continued to come to Revelstoke in the fall for their usual hunting and fishing, and at least in 1886-1887 they overwintered just west of the Big Eddy.

One Sinixt man, ‘Jim’ (likely not his real name), worked for a rancher named Thomas Reid for eight months at Hall’s Landing around 1886. Jim must have watched the continued encroachment of settlers and their claims of holding ‘private property’ with alarm. Once, he challenged a settler named Evan Johnson who had established a farm near Beaton, but Johnson drove him off.

On May 11, 1894, Jim and his wife, Adeline, canoed to Galena Bay and met a settler named Sam Hill. According to Hill, Jim asked him what he was doing and Hill explained he was planting potatoes. Jim replied that if Hill “planted potatoes back there he would take them; that this was his land; that Evan Johnson had stolen his lad at the head of the Arm and I was trying to steal this.

But he said I wouldn’t. He would kill me first. Hill said, “Go to the Tyee (Chinook jargon for chief) at Revelstoke. He said he did not care for my Tyee but wanted me to go to his.”

When Jim and Adeline returned that afternoon, Jim reportedly said, “I told you to get away from here.” Hill said he wouldn’t.

Both men grabbed their guns. As Adeline later testified in Hill’s trial, Jim was holding the gun with the muzzle pointing up and to the left, when Hill fired his gun. Jim ran away toward some trees and Hill fired again, wounding him. When Jim staggered and fell to the ground, Hill shot him dead. Hill turned himself in to the justice of the peace.

The newspapers strongly backed Hill. An article in The Kootenay Mail, entitled “Killed an Indian: Sam Hill sends a bullet through the heart of ‘Cultus Jim,’ began: The Columbia River and its tributaries have for generations past been the hunting grounds of a certain tribe of Indians now known as the “Colville Indians.”

Colville is in the domain of Uncle Sam, and these Indians have no right, or little, to cross the boundary and hunt in British Columbia. But in view of the fact that their forefathers hunted here and looked upon both shores of the Columbia as their own especial preserves, great laxity has always been allowed them, and they hunted for two hundred miles up the river from their own reservations at Colville. The camp of this tribe was right here in Revelstoke last summer, and they killed cariboo and smaller game all through close season, which white men are not permitted to do.

Hill was acquitted on the grounds of self-defense.

After the trial, Adeline went south. Remarkably, she lived to be 106 years old, passing away in 1978. She always kept her language and inspired her great-granddaughter, LaRae Wiley, a prominent nsyilxcen language teacher, to learn it. She is also the greatgrandmother of Patti Bailey, who taught cedar harvesting and basket weaving in Revelstoke.

After Jim’s death, the newspapers printed sensational stories with allusions to murderous Sinixt. In April 1895, the Kootenay Mail carried a long, editorializing article entitled “Dangerous Colvilles: They should be Interdicted in British Columbia.” The article described efforts by J.F. Hume, MLA for West Kootenay South, to prevent Sinixt people from hunting in B.C. The article, if read from today’s perspective, described attempts by Sinixt to assert their rights to land by the current Revelstoke airport, at Beaton, near Shelter Bay and even on an island in the river near Revelstoke.

In 1896, the B.C. government passed An Act to Amend the Game Protection Act, making it “unlawful for Indians not resident of this Province to kill game at any time of the year.” As Sinixt were increasingly moving to the United States for their own protection, this law meant that if they hunted in Canada they could be arrested and possibly prevented from crossing the border.

Largely because they were considered foreign, the Sinixt were not given a reserve when reserves were allocated in the late 1800s. In 1902, the B.C. government established a tiny reserve of less than one square kilometre on marginal land south of Burton on Lower Arrow Lake. The Arrow Lakes Reserve had no road, no school, no governing structure and was socially incohesive.

The government agent tried but failed to persuade Sinixt to move there from land that was more meaningful to them so membership remained low.

Unsurprisingly, the reserve was unsuccessful. Band members moved or passed away. In 1953, Annie Joseph, the last remaining band member, who was then living at Head of the Lake Reserve north of Vernon, died. In 1956 the federal Indian Commissioner declared the Arrow Lakes Band – and, by implication, the Arrow Lakes people – to be extinct in Canada. At that point, 257 members of the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) were registered as Lakes (Sinixt) and hundreds were living elsewhere, including the Okanagan Valley.

The return The Sinixt were never extinct and continued to recognize their lands in Canada as their homeland. Over the years, efforts were made to protect ancestral sites, beginning at Vallican in the Slocan Valley, in 1989, when an ancient village and burial site was threatened by road construction. Most Sinixt returned to Washington after the blockade but some stayed around Vallican and are known as the Autonomous Sinixt, separate from the Colville Confederated Tribes.

In 2006, the CCT created the position of Arrow Lakes Facilitator, a diplomatic role designed to build relations and act as a liaison in traditional Sinixt territory in Canada. Jim Boyd, then Virgil Seymour, and now Shelly Boyd filled that role, making friends and working with organizations up and down the valley, including Revelstoke.

In 2010, the tribal government sent a traditional hunter, Rick Desautel, into Canada to harvest an elk, with the hope of being arrested. The goal was to test Sinixt rights to hunt in Sinixt traditional territory in Canada and, by implication, to begin to challenge the extinction. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada which decided, this past April, in favour of the Sinixt. The text message from the CCT lawyer, Mark Underhill, read “Welcome home.”

The next seven generations Looking forward to the next seven generations, where will Revelstoke be? This town is heavily reliant on old growth logging, at least for a few more decades when trees planted in the 1960s are ready for harvest. If the pace of old growth

History

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TOURISM TALKS In late July and early August, Revelstoke experiences a spectacular wildflower bloom. The Revelstoke Wildflower Festival aims to bring attention to the bloom, to educate locals and visitors, and to animate Revelstoke during our busy summer season. 2021 marks the second annual Revelstoke Wildflower Festival with a great lineup of events and activities. Hosted by Tourism Revelstoke in collaboration with our local non-profits and tourism businesses, the festival will take place during the first week of August. Fingers crossed it coincides with the peak bloom!

If you’re keen to learn something about our local flora, you’ll have opportunities with the Columbia Shuswap Invasive Species Society, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and Parks Canada.

If the colourful bloom inspires your creative side, check out the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre where there will be an art exhibition by Michelle Austen, Dan Stewart will be hosting photography workshops and Big Eddy Glassworks will be offering wildflower pendant workshops and sandblasted glass making. If you want to take the opportunity to capture your experience, Katee Pederson Photography will be offering wildflower portrait sessions.

One of the unique things about Revelstoke is the incredible access we have to our alpine. Take the gondola at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, drive up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, or head up Frisby Ridge with your bike. Better yet, take a helicopter and go on a guided hiking tour with Heli Canada Adventures!

Guerrilla Gigs will be lined up for the Saturday and Wednesdays nights, so keep an eye out for tickets!

Check out the full schedule at seerevelstoke.com/event/revelstoke-wildflowerfestival.

CAN YOU NAME ANY OF OUR ICONIC WILDFLOWERS? Answers upside down below!

Western anemone (Anemone occidentalis)

Common paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)

Western anemone (Anemone occidentalis)

Sitka valerian (Valeriana sitchensis)

Arctic lupine (Lupinus arcticus) Subalpine daisy (Erigeron peregrinus)

logging doesn’t slow, we are at real risk of losing our ancient natural heritage, especially the low-land ecosystems that take hundreds of years to develop. We won’t be able to even imagine, or show our children, what ancient, biodiverse forests look like.

Revelstoke is also heavily dependent on fossil fuels. With no good options for public inter-city transportation, every tourist arrives in a car or tour bus. Heli-skiing/boarding/biking/hiking, snowmobiling and dirt biking are growing activities. If we are serious about reducing our fossil fuel footprint and reducing climate change, we may need to think creatively and set limits on these activities.

In recent years, Secwepemc, Syilx and Ktunaxa bands have shared their considerable expertise to inform logging practices, help save mountain caribou, and protect archaeologically and culturally-sensitive sites. The Sinixt, who had a long and strong attachment to this area, have much to share and need to be part of this discussion. All these nations have worked together on cross-border efforts to ensure that the updated Columbia River Treaty considers ecosystem function as a value, along with flood control and electricity generation. They are also working together to bring anadromous salmon back up the river.

By listening to and working with the First Nations who successfully stewarded this land and rivers for centuries, by showing restraint, we might restore healthy ecosystem function on this beautiful land. Future generations will thank us for it.

To read previous Tourism Talks columns, check out seerevelstoke.com/about-tourism-revelstoke/

History

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HISTORY

“We shouldn’t erase history.” This is a sentiment that has been expressed in the past few years as statues and commemorations have been removed in Canada, the U.S.A. and elsewhere. But the big question is, whose history has been told, and whose history has been forgotten or portrayed in a negative way. Some people who have opposed the removal of statues have said that we have to remember our history, good and bad, and that the statues represent that history. I disagree. Statues were generally not erected to teach history to anyone – they were built to commemorate a person or an ideal. Many people now are recognizing that those ideals and beliefs have been harmful to people who have been marginalized, both historically, and in current times, and that keeping them in place continues the harm.

I started working at Revelstoke Museum and Archives in 1983. The museum at that time was what could be referred to as visible storage – shelves full of artifacts with little historical information or context. We later moved to more of a thematic approach, providing information on some of the particular aspects of Revelstoke’s history – the CPR, forestry, schools, sports, etc. There was a bit more context, but it was still very focused on the artifacts. All of the exhibits were from the settler perspective, with one or two Chinese or Indigenous artifacts, but with little information to put them in context.

Indigenous history was never mentioned in the museum for many years. When I first started working here, the general belief was that there was limited Indigenous contact in Revelstoke – they may have come here to hunt, fish, and gather food, but they were seen as just passing through, and not having permanent ties to this region. We now know that that is simply not true. It has taken us many years to learn how to respectfully tell Indigenous stories in Revelstoke. It started with educating ourselves, and then with establishing relationships with members of the Sinixt who were displaced into Washington State. The phrase, “nothing about us without us” has become a guiding principle for telling Indigenous stories, and stories from other perspectives. The Sinixt exhibit that we opened at Revelstoke Museum and Archives in 2016 was done in consultation with Virgil Seymour, Arrow Lakes Facilitator for Colville Confederated Tribes. He and others approved the text and guided the whole process.

Since the exhibit was created, there have been many developments in terms of the efforts of the Sinixt to be recognized in Canada. It has now been established through a landmark case at the Supreme Court of Canada that the Sinixt have traditional hunting rights in Canada. This was a big win on the side of history and it is righting a lot of wrongs.

We are in the process of adding to the exhibit to reflect this new information. Again, this will be done in consultation with the Sinixt. Another lesson that we have learned is that history is not static and that we need to be open to changing our exhibits as we learn new information or find ways to include different perspectives.

There is a lot of discussion in the museum field about decolonizing museums. In essence, this is calling on curators to consider how our collections and exhibits have focused on the colonial and settler history to the exclusion of Indigenous history and other diverse perspectives. It is a challenging task, and won’t be accomplished overnight.

There are things we can do to start to shift the narrative.

When I am creating new exhibits, I now always consider how I can include the Indigenous context. For example, in our

Museum display, 1974. Revelstoke Museum and Archives photo.

PERSPECTIVES IN HISTORY

History

REVELSTOKE MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES CURATOR, CATHY ENGLISH, REFLECTS ON THE EVOLVING APPROACHES TO LOCAL HISTORY DURING OUR TIME OF CHANGE.

CPR Display, 1987. Revelstoke Museum and Archives photo.

By Cathy English, Curator, Revelstoke Museum and Archives.

Sinixt exhibit, 2019. Photo by Andy Kermack.

exhibit on Revelstoke’s multicultural history, I started with the acknowledgement that the original settlers in Revelstoke did not come into an empty landscape, and that the land that they settled on had been Sinixt territory for generations.

We are trying to do this with our other exhibits as well, and we are in the process of adding Indigenous context to our Stories Beneath the Surface exhibit and new panels on women’s history and forest history. Museums need to be able to listen to voices that have previously been ignored or under-represented and to do the necessary work to correct past imbalances in how stories are portrayed.

This approach is important in terms of other diverse stories. If we look at the written record – the newspapers, and the records of city council and other local organizations, we will see that there is a lot missing, and a lot that is reported from a biased viewpoint.

For example, the early newspapers regularly wrote derogatory

articles about people who were not white and British. There was blatant discrimination against visible minorities, but this also extended to settlers from Italy, Ukraine, Scandinavia, and other countries. Women and people living in poverty were also treated as less significant than those who were part of the accepted parts of society. When doing research, I have discovered the importance of looking beyond the obvious, and acknowledging that there are stories and viewpoints that are missing. This doesn’t mean that we are discarding any of the settler artifacts and stories. We are simply making space for those who have been excluded in the past, and making the museum a place that is relevant and welcoming for everyone.

It is an exciting time to be a researcher, archivist, and curator.

We still have much to learn, but it is important to acknowledge past mistakes, and to continue to find new ways to be as inclusive and open as we can possibly be.

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LIFE

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Ancient wisdom; modern design

Sherpa was founded by Tashi Sherpa in 2003 to pay tribute to his childhood heroes - the great Sherpa guides on Mount Everest, including his own Uncle, Ang Gyalzen Sherpa, who was one of the original Sherpa’s on Sir Edmund Hilary’s Everest expedition back in 1953. Sherpa combines innovative design, Sherpa heritage, and technical excellence to create unique functional clothing for all your adventures. And every purchase of Sherpa helps a kid through school for a day.

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Peak Performance The name says it all

Peak Performance was formed by a gang of indomitable ski enthusiasts - Stefan Engström, Peter Blom, Christer Mårtensson and Jonas Ottosson, and 1986 was the year it all happened in Åre, Sweden. Love of sports and love of nature were the guiding principles then and still are today. In the end it’s all about freedom. Being able to make the most out of every opportunity, that is Peak Performance!

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History

N O I T U L O V E E H T WE HIT THE DIRT AND DIG UP THE HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN BIKING TRAILS AND COMMUNITY IN REVELSTOKE.

By Bryce Borlick.

Keep your head up and look where you want to go.

It’s one of the primary lessons taught to aspiring mountain bikers. But today we’re going to do the opposite and have a look back at the history of mountain biking in Revelstoke. There’s a lot of ground to cover so kick your pedals and lose your multi-tool, we’re dropping in three, two, one…

First off, we need to travel back about 100 years, back to a time when the Keystone, Cartier, and Joss trails served industrial purposes. The trail through Keystone Basin and onward to Standard Peak was part of the late-nineteenth century mining boom, while the trails to Mount Cartier and Joss Mountain were built around 1920 to access the fire lookouts at the top of each. Like many other fire lookouts, Cartier and Joss were abandoned by the 1960s and their trails were adopted by avid hikers. It’s only been in the last decade or so that the torch for this alpine trio has been unofficially passed on to mountain bikers.

Although the Columbia Valley saw huge infrastructure projects in the mid-twentieth century, it wasn’t until the ‘70s and ‘80s that recreational singletrack started to appear, particularly in the Lower Begbie area. Dog Patch, River Run, Sex on the Beach, and Richard Liqueur were originally cut for equestrian use, which is why the trail routing has a distinct old school flavour. Further up the hillside, the Backside, Bluff, Quarry, and Lookout trails were built by Kip Wiley and Mike Cummings in 1990s, mainly to access the climbing areas. Over on the west side of Highway 23 Macpherson’s forestry roads officially became Nordic ski trails in 1993, and they also served as rudimentary bike trails for the rudimentary bikes of the day.

Finally, in the late ‘90s a small group of dedicated mountain bikers, including Bart Larsen of Begbie Brewing Co., cut Revy’s first bike-specific trail.

Without much knowledge of how buff a bike trail really needed to be, the crew toiled away until it seemed, yup you guess it, Buff Enough. Root Canal

was also completed that same year. Two years later, Revelstoke held its first mountain bike race — the Mount Mackenzie Challenge. The Big Easy and Faultline trails, which comprised the course, were completed just hours before the start of the race. In the second and third years of the race, the name was changed to the Mount Mac Challenge to give the club the flexibility to host the race on Macpherson if necessary.

“Faultline and the Big Easy were completed just before the race,” recalls Keith McNab, who served as president and board member of the Revelstoke Cycling Association for many years. “It was a tough course, soft and fresh. The expert class racers normally did an extra lap. So, they went out for their third (and final) lap and most of them ended up quitting halfway through. They took a DNF instead of finishing the race.”

Buoyed by the success of the race and by the general growth of mountain biking, the Macpherson network grew and in 2002 gained what, arguably, is its defining trail: Tantrum. This five kilometre long north-south traverse not only provided a great new riding experience it also served as a backbone for other trails to link into, like Super Happy Fun for example. The following year, another classic trail was born just to the south. In its first few months of use, it was simply referred to as “the new trail” until that informal name was shortened to T.N.T. In 2006, two trails near the Nordic parking lot — Rob’s Latest Creation and The Parking Lot Trail — were linked by a particularly dark and narrow section of new singletrack. On one of the first rides, the new section was described as ‘like being in the Black Forest,’ and that name was pinned to all three sections.

And what about the ‘Tantrum’ name, you ask?

“Larry Nellis used to own where Terra (Firma) is now. He ran horse tours until his son Doug took over. He had built a paddock on Crown land, and nobody cared until we built a trail through the paddock,” explains Keith. “We started riding the trail and a couple guys left the gate open and his horses got out. Doug went into the forestry office and basically had a tantrum. The forestry guys said, ‘You’re in the wrong, they’re in the right, you gotta take the paddock down.’ And that’s why it was called Tantrum.”

Speaking of forestry, it was BCTS forester Rob Mohr who planned and organized the construction of most of the Macpherson network and if you look hard enough you can still find his flagging tape marking out not only the classics but also potential new routes. By 2009, Berm Donor, Toad School, Dusty Beaver, and Stimulus were built and a vision of a long gradual descent tantalized trailbuilders.

Once funding became available for such an ambitious project, Rob’s carefully chosen line was built through Macpherson’s complex contours, with some debate over whether or not it should be bidirectional. Called Flowdown, it opened in 2012 and instantly became Revelstoke’s most ridden trail, a title it still holds today.

All this talk about Macpherson — but what about downhill? It’s actually apropos for us to have

History

N O I T U L O V E R F O

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Photos, this page and previous. Working on a trail through the wildflowers. Pictured is Revelstoke resident Dave Pearson. Photos contributed.

ignored downhill thus far because downhillers were largely ignored through the early 2000s and left to quietly cut their own rogue trail network on Boulder Mountain. In 2004, the they joined the RCA skeptically, and Bike Club was built that summer. Again, the name stemmed from simply being referred as the trail that ‘the bike club’ built.

The mid-2000s were a productive era on Boulder, with Boondocker, Gravy Bacon, Man Purse, and Cash Advance added to the maps, and a few other trails popping up that you won’t find on any maps. These steep natural lines embodied the riding on Boulder until Loggin’ Leftovers, Iron Lotus, Man Quads, and Rooster provided smoother options in the ‘teens.

Through all those years, Revelstoke’s most famous trail prodigy was just a twinkle in eye of the bike community.

High up on Frisby Ridge, the Ultimate Frisby trail was a staple of the downhill community since its creation in 2005, but riders who had also sledded the upper Frisby alpine meadows knew that the area had greater potential.

In the summer of 2010, work crews battled snowstorms, remote work sites, hordes of winged insects, and an incredibly short building season to create the Frisby Ridge trail. Officially opened in 2011, it put Revelstoke firmly on the map as one of the B.C.’s premier mountain biking destinations. In 2017, the UFC Connector linked the ridge trail to the downhill trail, and in 2018 Frisby Vistas took riders an additional six kilometres along the ridgeline for a truly epic experience.

“Dave Pearson was always on the crew, so many memories,” reminisces Rob Parkin, one of Revy’s original trailbuilding contractors. “One day, working on a trail, we had a helicopter circle our worksite and land just over the ridge. Turns out they were just doing geological work. But when asked by another trail crew working close by, we told them that we had ordered pizza for lunch and got it flown up.”

By that point Revelstoke boasted challenging cross country riding, great downhill trails, and amazing alpine routes but what it lacked were the stepping stones to help new riders progress into these expert options. In 2017 the RCA, with Matt Yaki at the helm, addressed this by adding Beaver Tail, Eager Beaver, Leap Frog, Miller Time, and Serenity Now to the Macpherson network. Instead of functioning as standalone trails, these additions created loops and better utilized the existing trails around them.

The Rotary Skills Park, built in 2018, further anchored the Griffith Creek FSR parking lot as the unofficial hub for Macpherson.

In the last few years, trail planning and development has been focused on the east side of the Columbia. Prior to the development of Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s bike park, Crowbar — an unsanctioned route built sometime in the mid-2000’s — was the go-to trail in the area. But ever since RMR cut the ribbon on their signature 5620 flow trail, the options have grown yearly. The bike park now offers 12 trails and the Sunnyside network compliments this with it pedalaccessed downhill flow trail, Haulin’ Daze.

“Thinking back, trail work was the best of times and the worst of times,” reminisces Rob Parkin. “Little bit cliché but that’s how it was — glorious days in majestic settings with great people, laughing and working away.”

History

Volunteers helping with Christmas hampers, Food Bank c. 1980s.

By Emily Kemp for the Revelstoke Women's Shelter Society.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REVELSTOKE WOMEN’S SHELTER SOCIETY HIGHLIGHTS HOW THE SOCIAL RESOURCE ORGANIZATION WAS CREATED TO FILL A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.

GRASSROOTS START FOR LOCAL WOMEN'S SHELTER Rita fiddled with her car keys nervously. It was a sunny summer’s day in Revelstoke, 1987, a Saturday, and the mountains stood in glory all around her but she was too on edge to take in their beauty.

She’d been doing this for a while, volunteering her weekends to support women while juggling a full-time administration job during the week. This impromptu social service had come about as a community effort. Local GP Dr. Neil Leslie and mental health nurse NormaJean Miller both had clients dealing with domestic violence and saw a lack of services for women in town. Heads were put together and a volunteer organization was galvanized with 33-year-old Genevieve Singleton at the helm as coordinator and women like Rita, 27, filling the roster.

Revelstoke at the time was going through changes. Construction on the dam had finished in 1984 and work had dried up, including at the railway. The population that had boomed now dwindled and work to revitalise the downtown was underway.

Rita stood near the front of her car on a residential street, looking at the family home in front of her for movement. The woman there, Linette, had called the number from a poster about the shelter distributed around town. She had left the message, with the answering service, that her husband George wasn't home. George was an electrician and a heavy drinker. Rita had noticed that alcohol was frequently an issue with the calls she attended and lately George had been taking his frustrations out on Linette and the boys.

Rita got the message on the shelter pager and had driven straight there in the car she shared with her partner Jack. She knew he’d

be furious; they already had arguments over the risk this brought to her. What if someone saw and came looking for her?

The door opened and out came Linette, both hands grappling a heavy suitcase. Rita lurched forward into the small front yard and grabbed it, the weight of it pulling her to one side as she hurriedly walked back to the car.

She dropped it and strode to the driver’s side, opening the door and pushing the button for the trunk. She ran back and as she loaded the suitcase the front door opened again, this time with Linette ushering two young boys down the stairs.

They hopped into the car, the boys twisting in their seats, and Rita headed to the King Edward Hotel where she would put them in a room, funded by grant money and a discounted agreement with the owner. During her stay Linette would have received phone counselling but likely would have returned to her partner.

Women generally leave an abusive partner around seven times.

In 1989, the women's shelter was incorporated as an official organization.

A four-bedroom house was secured and staff were paid. B.C. Housing provided funding for its operations. Today, over 30 years later, the shelter runs 24/7 with a small team of staff. It continues to get government funding and raises funds for its support programs for women and men.

It also educates the community on healthy relationships and what abuse looks like.

Rita and her story about Linette is fictionalized from the oral account of a shelter volunteer. Other names are real. Due to the difficulty of recounting history, this article may have some inaccuracies.

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History

Revelstoke’s historic courthouse can be spotted at the beginning of the court scene of this 1999 movie.

The Barber (2002) is a dark movie in a literal sense. With most of the film set in Alaska’s polar night, it can be difficult to spot Revelstoke’s iconic landmarks.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY (1999)

THE BARBER (2002)

One of the biggest-budget films shot in Revelstoke is Double Jeopardy. Starring Academy Award-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Ashley Judd and Bruce Greenwood, Double Jeopardy follows the typical late-‘90s thriller formula. Judd plays a woman who is framed by her own husband for his murder.

Before going to prison, she finds out about a legal clause where you cannot be charged for the same crime twice.

When she is released from prison due to good behaviour, she initiates her revenge.

Filming in town was brief, and Revelstoke’s appearance happens momentarily at the beginning of the movie. Crews used the historic courthouse on Second Street for exterior shots, setting the scene for the court case that serves as the plot’s exposition. The trial itself was filmed elsewhere.

With a budget of approximately $40 million, Double Jeopardy was not exactly a box-office flop, grossing almost $178 million. Movie critics, however, are not as generous with this high-stakes thriller. As explained by the late Pullitzer-winning critic Roger Ebert, “this movie was made primarily in the hopes that it would gross millions and millions of dollars, which probably explains most of the things that are wrong with it.”

Following the dark, suspenseful theme of Revelstokeshot movies is The Barber. While being filmed entirely in Revelstoke, The Barber is set in a fictional town in Alaska.

That town also happens to be named Revelstoke, though.

Malcolm MacDowell stars in this dark mystery, playing the central role of the local barber, Dexter. When Dexter finds out the corpse of his victim is found, he is surprised: he assumed that nobody would find it until spring. Set in the darkness of an Alaskan winter, The Barber follows Dexter’s attempts to keep his secrets covered.

Despite starring a big name like MacDowell, this movie was not a box office hit. In fact, it is difficult to find much information about this film at all. It currently has a 59 per cent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with over 500 reviews. People praise MacDowell’s performance, but there are a few glaring plot holes to point out. The biggest is that the body of Dexter’s victim is discovered in broad daylight.

While that may not seem like a big deal, most of the film’s plot is centered on Alaska’s polar night.

EXPLORING REVELSTOKE’S FILM HISTORY, FROM HALLMARK TO INDIE-FLICKS Story and photo illustrations by Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

History

Backcountry enthusiasts might recognize most of the locations in this movie.

However, the town of Revelstoke is prominent during the film’s opening scenes.

If you’ve come across a film set downtown in the past five years, it was for one of these Hallmark Christmas movies.

MOUNTAIN MEN (2014)

HALLMARK MOVIES

Unlike the previous movies, Mountain Men does not try to play off their Canadian filming location as an American town. This movie follows two estranged brothers as they reunite in their hometown to attend a wedding and end up kicking a squatter out of the family cabin. When they accidentally burn down said cabin, the brothers are forced to survive the harsh winter wilderness.

Mountain Men uses Revelstoke as more than a filming location. The town has a huge influence on the storyline and characters, and the creators clearly did their homework. In the opening scene, one character groans about driving to Kelowna for a doctor’s appointment: a grievance that many of us know all too well.

Director Cameron Labine spent time in Revelstoke prior to production, and his background research is indicated in small details throughout the movie. The wedding scene has a laid back atmosphere, with most male attendees sporting long hair and beards. Although most of the filming occured in the backcountry outside of Revelstoke, the beginning of the movie shows off the town. Not just iconic locations either: the Esso gas station can be spotted, accompanied by beat-up pickup trucks.

In recent years, Hallmark has set up multiple film sets in Revelstoke. So far, they have shot three of their madefor-TV Christmas movies here: Marry Me at Christmas (2017), Frozen in Love (2018) and Welcome to Christmas (2018). Although these films are not exactly Oscarworthy, movie critics are not their target audience either. They follow a guilty-pleasure format. Each movie features a big-shot main character, who falls in love with a small town local, learning the meaning of the holidays along the way. The humor is corny, and the storylines are predictable, but there’s something about Christmas that compliments cheesy romantic comedies.

Grizzly Plaza and Mackenzie Avenue are the most popular filming locations for Hallmark, although Frozen in Love also features the Revelstoke Forum. Downtown Revelstoke channels small town charm, an important ingredient in the Hallmark formula. Characters in these movies can be seen wandering past Mackenzie Avenue storefronts, usually with a romantic interest in tow. However, snowfall is not always a deciding factor.

Welcome to Christmas (also known as The Trouble with Christmas) was actually filmed in September, so crews had to transform shoulder-season Revelstoke into a winter wonderland.

Hollywood loves to film in Canada. Heading north and building sets that resemble American locations can actually cut down budget costs for producers. Although we may not see as many celebrities as Vancouver or Toronto, Revelstoke has been frequented by a few Hollywood producers. From cheesy rom-coms to dark thrillers, film crews have used this town as a backdrop for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the historic buildings pull directors in, but often the cameras are centered on Grizzly Plaza and Mackenzie Avenue. These locations capture a small town feel that is easily adapted to many storylines.

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The City of Revelstoke has acknowledged the film industry as a potential economic booster. Not only does Hollywood usually arrive with deep pockets, but there is also tourism potential if any blockbusters are shot here. However, with the pandemic stunting international travel, cameras have shied away from Revelstoke recently. Perhaps as borders reopen, we will welcome the glitz and glamour of Hollywood once again.

Here are some of the notable movies and TV shows shot in Revelstoke in the past few decades.

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History

WE CREATED THIS GUIDE TO HELP CONNECT PEOPLE LOOKING FOR PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS RESOURCES IN REVELSTOKE IN 2021.

By Aaron Orlando.

CONCISE GUIDE: HOW TO ACCESS PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS SERVICES IN REVELSTOKE IN 2021 We thought a concise guide to public mental health and addictions resources available in Revelstoke in 2021 would raise awareness and help residents connect to services.

There are many pathways to mental health help, and this guide is another one.

It specifically focuses on Revelstoke services coordinated by the B.C. government. It does not include many private or alternative services available here.

We asked the provincial mental health and addictions ministry to list all programs and resources available to Revelstoke residents in 2021 in a concise format. Why? Because there have been changes in the mental health system, new program

announcements, new measures to combat the illicit drug poisoning epidemic, and other changes. It can be challenging to keep on top of what's available, especially in a rural community.

We wanted to know what is actually available in Revelstoke right now, including some resources that are primarily online.

It’s mentioned below, but we also point out that revelstokelife.ca is a good local resource with current mental health resources information.

The B.C. mental health and addictions ministry provided the following response to revelstokemountaineer.com’s request. We thank ministry staff for providing it as requested. We hope it helps.

2021 Revelstoke mental health and addictions resources Here is the concise list provided by the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions: Ensuring mental health and substance use supports and services are available in every health authority is a top priority for the Province.

Here are some of the main resources that people in the Interior Health Authority (and Revelstoke specifically) can access: · INTERIOR CRISIS LINE NETWORK Call 1-888-353-2273 for immediate assistance 24/7

· KUU-US CRISIS LINE SOCIETY 1-800-588-8717 for immediate assistance 24/7 · MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE CENTRE Call: 310-MHSU (6478) to get connected to local communitybased supports. Support is available for ongoing substance use issues, mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, paranoia, and psychosis. · FOUNDRY VIRTUAL Go to foundrybc.ca/virtual/ to access counselling, peer support, family support, groups and workshops via chat, voice or video calls for young people 12 to 24 and their caregivers.

History

Photo by Aaron Orlando.

In Revelstoke residents can also visit the QUEEN VICTORIA HOSPITAL MEDICAL CLINIC at 1200 Newlands Road or call the clinic at 250-814-2241. · The services at the clinic are covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan and people can self-refer or be referred by a family physician or social agency. · Services available at this facility include: · Substance use counselling to treat moderate to severe substance use disorders (including referrals to substance use treatment). · Mental health counselling to treat moderate to severe mental health disorders. · Seniors' mental health supports to treat seniors suffering from mental illness and age related processes. · Treatment and recovery supports for adults with severe and persistent mental illness. · Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) to treat opioid dependency with telehealth support from the Salmon Arm OAT clinic. · A Community Support Worker provides outreach services to registered mental health and substance use clients. · A psychiatrist also provides psychiatric assessment and treatment. · All emergency departments have access to an on-call psychiatrist for telephone consults if someone presents with acute psychiatric needs. · All clinicians provide and support the distribution of harm reduction materials (needles, saline, smoke kits, condoms, etc.) and related information.

Other resources that may be of interest: · KELTY MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTRE Call 1-800-665-1822 or visit keltymentalhealth.ca for free mental health and substance use information, resources, and peer support for BC parents, caregivers, and families of children and youth · HERE TO HELP Go to heretohelp.bc.ca for reliable mental health and substance use information and resources, or email bcpartners@heretohelp.bc.ca if you prefer support via email. · WELLNESS TOGETHER CANADA Go to Government of Canada portal ca.portal.gs to get connected to mental health and substance use support, resources, and counselling with a mental health professional · CRISIS CENTRE TTY DISTRESS LINE 1-866-872-0113 · CRISIS CENTRE ONLINE CHAT Go to crisiscentrechat.ca to get support, information and resources for adults from noon to 1am PST · YOUTH ONLINE CHAT Go to youthinbc.com to get support, information and resources for youth from noon to 1am PST · BC MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION INFO LINE 1-800-661-2121, 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. Mon - Fri. Sponsored by Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division · BCCSU SUPPORT LINE FOR PRESCRIBERS Clinicians can reach the 24/7 Addiction Medicine Clinician Support Line and speak to an Addiction Medicine Specialist by calling 778-945-7619. · LIFEGUARD APP The app utilizes a 50 second timer that is activated by the user before they take their dose. If the user does not stop the timer alarm, a text-to-voice call will go straight to 911 alerting medical dispatchers of a potential overdose. Download at lifeguarddh.com · SUICIDE: (1-800-784-2433) 24 hours a day to connect to a BC crisis line. · All additional mental health and substance use supports available through the Health Authority can be accessed here: www.interiorhealth.ca/YourCare/MentalHealthSubstanceUse/ Pages/default.aspx There are also a number of low- and no-cost mental health supports and services available at: www.gov.bc.ca/covid19mentalhealthsupports Additional mental health and substance use services are also available as outlined on the Revelstoke Life website, through not-forprofit and for-profit agencies: www.revelstokelife.ca

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Community

EXAMINING THE REVELSTOKE CHILDCARE SHORTAGE The hallways of the Revelstoke Child Care Society (RCCS) come alive with children's artwork and colourful murals. Muted laughter filters in from outside as kids take advantage of the clearer skies.

Behind the desks in the office, things are not so peaceful. The RCCS operates the Child Care Resource and Referral program, and demand has skyrocketed since re-openings prompted the return to work. However, a critical shortage of childcare has created a difficult situation for Revelstoke parents. Without daycare, many cannot return to work, further exasperating an already struggling labour market.

On a calm Friday morning, I sat down with Linda Chell, RCCS executive director and Child Care Resource and Referral coordinator, and Tracey Spannier, RCCS associate executive director and consultant for the Child Care Resource and Referral program. We discussed the childcare crisis and explored both short and long-term solutions.

Examining the causes and effects of the childcare crisis The RCCS operates two childcare centres. When the waitlist for the two daycares hit 70 families, they were forced to close applications.

"It gives them that false hope that they're going to find a space.

We had to close the list because it was just unattainable," says Chell. Each spot in early childhood care is typically occupied for three to four years, until the child heads off to preschool.

"The spaces don't turn over as often as one might think when they get onto a waitlist," elaborates Spannier.

This problem is not unique to Revelstoke. Before the pandemic, childcare shortages stretched across Canada. Now, the situation is becoming increasingly worse, even as government incentives target the issue. Although programs like the Affordable Child Care Benefit have cut costs for families, accessibility remains an issue.

This accessibility plays into the ongoing labour crisis in Revelstoke. If parents cannot find childcare, they simply cannot return to work. This issue stretches across industries, stunting reopening plans for many businesses. According to Chell, the Child Care Resource and Referral program has received calls almost daily from parents seeking childcare.

“We've got many families that are expecting to go back to their job in September, but they are not able to find care for their infant, and so they're on hold. It’s affecting every sector,” says Chell.

Overcoming barriers to create more childcare spaces

Top: Revelstoke Child Care Society staff pose in their packed lending library. From left to right: Linda Chell, Tracy Spannier, and Allyn Shillington. Photo: contributed

by Linda Chell.

Bottom: Two kids try out a new racing technique on their hand drawn bike track.

Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

In addition to providing daycare, the RCCS offers resources for opening in-home licensed childcare centres. In-home childcare creates 106 daycare spaces in Revelstoke, making up approximately 32 per cent of the childcare industry in town.

Creating more in-home childcare spaces is a solution that Chell and Spannier highlight. Spannier has seen lots of interest in opening these centers, but issues arise when dealing with rentals and landlord permissions.

"Basically, what is happening is only people who already own their own home can consider operating a family childcare business. That's pretty daunting when we look at prices," Spannier explains. "It's pretty overwhelming for people who are willing to work in the sector, who have the desire to work in the sector, and then there are barriers because they don't own a home."

Overcoming the housing barrier is the biggest challenge when opening in-home childcare centres. However, there are ways the community can make this process easier.

“From a community perspective, if somebody has a suite or a house for rent, and they want to contribute to creating childcare in the community, advertise that you'll rent it at a reasonable cost to somebody who wants to open up family childcare. We have a few people waiting to find something,” says Chell. The RCCS offers resources for landlords to better understand the insurance and licensing requirements of in-home childcare.

Community

AS PARENTS RETURN TO WORK IN A POSTPANDEMIC WORLD, THE ALREADY STRESSED CHILDCARE SECTOR IS REACHING A TIPPING POINT.

AUGUST 2021

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

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Advocating for long-term solutions, and advice for struggling families Although in-home childcare centres can provide immediate relief for the strained industry, a long-term strategy is becoming increasingly necessary. Spannier stresses the importance of attracting people to the field with government grants and better pay. Currently, many industries in Revelstoke pay better than early childhood education.

“Anything we can do to help support people to become early childhood educators, that's going to be absolutely key going forward,” Spanner explains. “We see some movement happening with support in the province, and that's great. But it needs to be a long-term plan.”

When asked if they have any advice for struggling parents, Chell and Spannier took a pause to gather their thoughts. They feel a strong sense of empathy for these families and understand that the situation seems bleak.

However, the industry changes constantly. September typically sees more turnaround, and Chell advises parents to consider a one-year window when looking for childcare. Additionally, daycares are still operating under reduced capacity. Once restrictions ease for the sector, there will be more openings.

“There's a lot going on. Childcare is much more complex than we all think,” Spannier says. “Certainly, for a family that is struggling to find a space, it feels very hard. But there's lots of reasons why there's limitations.”

THIS MONTH AT THE REVELSTOKE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE

IN THE GALLERY

A U G U S T 5 th - 2 7

th

2021

MICHELLE AUSTEN & WILDFLOWER MEMBERS SHOW

Background by August Main Gallery Artist - Michelle Austen

320 WILSON STREET | 250 814 0261 WWW.REVELSTOKEARTGALLERY.CA

320 WILSON ST | WWW.REVELSTOKEARTGALLERY.CA | 250 814 0261

RVAC GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA & THE COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST.

THE REVELSTOKE VISUAL ARTS CENTRE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE COLUMBIA BASIN TRUST.

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Community

'POST AND PRAY': REVELSTOKE LABOUR SHORTAGE HOBBLES BUSINESS RECOVERY A DRY LABOUR POOL IS LEADING TO FORCED CLOSURES, REDUCED HOURS, AND CALLS FOR INNOVATION ON HOUSING AND WORKFORCE SHORTAGES.

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

A post-pandemic restrictions labour shortage is hitting small businesses in Revelstoke hard, and a number of factors unique to resort municipalities are putting further pressure on labour supply.

The Revelstoke economy relies heavily on foreign workers.

Although the reopening of borders and resumption of travel is providing optimism, a difficult summer lies ahead. Local businesses, the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce, and members of the economic development commission all agree: finding people to do low-wage work in an expensive resort town is becoming more and more difficult.

Domestic tourism accelerating as the labour pool dries up This shortage comes at incredibly bad timing. Kristopher King, Business and Development manager for Canwest Hotels Ltd., which operates the Ramada in Revelstoke, says travelers are seeking out regional vacations while international travel is restricted. The industry is expecting a big influx of Canadian visitors.

“People are starting to get a taste of the mountain towns and their own country,” says King. “That influx is now, we're really seeing that pent-up demand for traveling that we are going to have to rely heavily on in the next couple of years.”

However, increasing demand coupled with a labour shortage means that existing staff are facing higher workloads and stress.

King has already seen burnout within his staff, and that worries him.

“If our team is over-stressed, they're not going to make the right decisions. They're not going to be an effective employee. And we

appreciate their all-hands-on-deck attitude, but that can only go until you reach burnout,” King explains. “I don't want to see them so stressed out that their personal lives are affected. And we really need to address that.”

Can Revelstoke provide better incentives?

According to King, within such a competitive labour market, employers have to step up their incentives to attract staff. He emphasizes that employee experience will make-or-break hiring in a competitive market.

“Most people are just happy to be here and we don't have to do so much. Now, we're in competition with our neighbors,” King says. “People are very highly aware of what is out there now.”

As the competition for workers ramps up in Revelstoke, the rest of the country is facing increasing labour demands as well. The June 2021 Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada revealed that British Columbia is the only province with employment rates above pre-pandemic levels. With more people in the province working than before the pandemic, the labour shortage can seem contradictory. According to WorkBC, unemployment in the Thompson-Okanagan region was at 6.5 per cent in June 2021, compared to 10.3 per cent in June 2020.

Despite decreasing unemployment, there does not seem to be enough available workers for the hospitality industry to meet demand.

With statistics indicating that many people in the province are working, attracting workers from elsewhere in Canada is a solution that King highlights. He points to Banff, Alta. as a community that's adapted: the community acknowledges that it

Community

We're Hiring: a message repeated by businesses across Revelstoke as the town faces a labour shortage.

Photo: Aaron Orlando.

is a seasonal employer, and they market heavily to students and other young people who are looking to "have that life experience and then carry on with their lives."

"Revelstoke and other smaller communities need to band together and do the exact same thing and have an employee attraction campaign, or a resident influx campaign," King says. However, he also emphasizes that staff housing is an integral part of attracting employees. Like many issues in Revelstoke, housing plays a critical role in the labour shortage.

What's next: Proposals from the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce A long-term strategy addressing affordable housing and resident attraction can help prevent labour shortages, and short-term strategies can ease some of the strain facing employers.

The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce recently submitted a grant application to the B.C. Government for a 'Bridge to Culinary Skills' program, offered through Okanagan College. The program would train up to eight participants in the culinary field during the fall, and have them ready for placement into restaurant kitchens in time for the busy winter season. Additionally, the chamber is pushing for advancement on the affordable housing project at 420 Downie Street.

For now, "help wanted" signs remain in business windows across town. King describes the situation as "post and pray."

"You put a post up on WorkBC, or you put a post up on Indeed, and you just pray for people to apply."

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Community

OPINION: CRITICISM OF REVELSTOKE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS PREPAREDNESS LEADS TO CHANGES Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine and revelstokemountaineer.com are operated by the same locally owned, independent media company, Revelstoke Mountaineer Communications Ltd. In mid-July as burned evergreen needles and wildfire ash from the Wap Creek fire rained down on Revelstoke, we published an online opinion piece that was critical of the City of Revelstoke's emergency communications preparedness. Its genesis was our request for information on communications protocols during emergency events, specifically requesting a list of preparedness and emergency response information. The city responded with a general media release, which said among other things, that the city was partnering with local media for communications during emergencies. After publishing the response to our request on its social media channels and its website, the city later emailed it to us.

Our primary criticism was that emergency services in Revelstoke do not partner with media to clarify communications protocols during emergencies, so implying there is a partnership in place is problematic. Furthermore, in a digitally connected world, there are better options available to fill the need for timely mass emergency communications.

The piece prompted a reactive response from the City of Revelstoke. Mayor Gary Sulz recorded a YouTube video that insisted there is an effective emergency program in place, but that because there was no local emergency, it hadn't been activated.

It came across as defensive and was a missed opportunity to re-direct finite public attention to proactive preparedness messaging.

After our initial inquiry, we intended to follow up with a story promoting signing up to the city's emergency alert system. Through an information request, we learned that the system, which has been in place for many years, only has 228 subscribers, which translates to about 2% of the population of Revelstoke and CSRD Area B. (In the 48 hours after we published a story about the emergency notification system, 207 new users signed up, nearly doubling its use.)

However, while working on that story, we noticed data privacy security issues with the city's antiquated email and text notification system.

The same day, a resident with technical expertise on the system pointed out other security issues.

In essence, you could log onto others' accounts without a password and change their settings, and you could also extract private telephone numbers from the system.

We notified the city of the issue on July 16 and a couple hours later they send out a mass notification saying the system was shut down due to the security issues. The city also said it was working on implementing another system.

AFTER A REVELSTOKE MOUNTAINEER OPINION PIECE CRITICAL OF REVELSTOKE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMUNICATIONS, SEVERAL QUICK IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMUNICATIONS.

By Aaron Orlando.

A helicopter pilot at the Revelstoke Airport on July 21. The local airstrip has been busy with firefighting aircraft during July. Photo: Aaron Orlando/ Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine

Several days later on July 23, the ColumbiaShuswap Regional District announced that it was adopting a new mass notification platform, Alertable. The system is now in place for all areas in the regional district, taking over mass notifications from the separate program administered by the City of Revelstoke in the city and CSRD Area B. The city then announced its notification system was back online after security patches, but that it wasn't being used for emergency alerts. They also said it was never intended for fast emergency alerts, even though there is an "Emergency Alert" option still remaining on the page. (The city alert system is used for many notifications, including things like road closures, water outages, and parks notifications.)

We had pointed out the lack of online preparedness information on the designated city emergency web page. As a result, the city created a new webpage with information on emergency preparedness and wildfire information.

Analysis: Making challenging inquiries is our job One journalistic role in society is to point out issues that are not on the radar of government authorities.

That means purposefully asking questions that most avoid out of fear of ruffling feathers or other repercussions. From the inside perspective, those responsible for emergency programs may feel they have it all under control, but from the outside perspective, it is certainly questionable whether enough was being done to educate and prepare residents for local emergencies such as a wildfire evacuation. After all, public emergency preparedness is a big part of any successful public emergency program. It is a communication issue.

That the response to our criticism was putting new communications tools in place including the app and the website is validation of the criticism.

Contemporary digital communications have profoundly transformed our communications and our society. Like any other organization, government needs to adapt to the times to avoid missed opportunities, unnecessary conflict, misunderstandings, and mistrust. It should be noted that early in its term the current city council turned down a staff proposal to create a designated communications director position in the City of Revelstoke, which is a key issue here: city communications are done off the side of several desks. Too often, this means it's not really anyone's responsibility to proactively communicate, so it just doesn't happen.

Community

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Daily Happy Hour Specials From 3 - 6pm

BOOK A TABLE & ORDER TAKE OUT AT revelstokemtn.com/dining

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Community

APPROXIMATELY 120 KILOMETRES NORTH ON HIGHWAY 23, OLD GROWTH REVYLUTION HAS BLOCKED BIGMOUTH FOREST SERVICE ROAD FROM LOGGERS AND CONSTRUCTION CREWS.

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton and Aaron Orlando.

FIRST NATIONS SUPPORT OLD-GROWTH LOGGING BLOCKADE AT BIGMOUTH 1

Deep in the forest north of Revelstoke, old-growth logging opponents set up tents, chairs and trailers. The demonstrators have mounted a blockade in response to proposed old-growth logging in the Argonaut Creek valley. As a result, the Bigmouth Forest Service Road is currently impassible for loggers and construction crews.

Demonstrators are allowing recreational users through the roadblock. Overall, the blockade is peaceful. Shortly after I arrived, an RCMP officer drove up the dirt road. Without injunctions from logging companies, RCMP cannot force any demonstrators to leave.

Instead, the officer came to let the demonstrators know they are aware of the blockades. They even cracked a couple of jokes, and laughter momentarily cut through the tension.

Facing the elements and forcing change Located approximately 122 kilometers north of Revelstoke, demonstrators brave bug bites, rain, and wind at the remote site. Organized by Old Growth Revylution, the group is prepared to stand their ground until logging stops in the valley, however long that may take.

"We stand in solidarity with Fairy Creek. If they can do it, we can do it," says Sarah Newton, a Revelstoke resident and teacher.

Although the blockade was announced on July 7, Newton explains that they actually began their demonstration the day before. On July 6, they established themselves on the Bigmouth road, and began blocking the construction of another logging road further into the Argonaut Creek valley.

Protesters at the blockade camp represent a variety of groups. Longterm environmental activists sit alongside Revelstoke high school students, and biologists swap stories with Metis elders. Everyone has one thing in common: a deep-seated concern for the future of British Columbia's forests.

Policy reform vs. direct action There is also an awareness of the role that logging plays in Revelstoke's economy. Since its inception, Old Growth Revylution has emphasized in public statements that they are not anti-logging. The topic of policy change came up often at the blockade. One demonstrator, Rory Luxmoore, highlights the fourteen recommendations published in a strategic review of old-growth policy.

"I'd recommend people to look at those, they are very reasonable," Luxmoore explains. "It does question, 'What is the value of a forest?'

Community

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and it looks at ways in which we can transition to a new way of looking at the forest industry."

Conversely, there is also dissatisfaction amongst demonstrators with government discussion. "We talk, they chop," is how Newton explains it. Although she acknowledges the need for policy reform, there is also a sense of urgency for direct action. That is the root of the blockade. As Newton explains her reason for being there, her voice cracks with emotion.

"We're just running out of old-growth, period. They're running out of time. It's critical. I've never felt more of a time crunch in my life."

In an Instagram post, Old Growth Revylution stated they will rotate blockades throughout the area until their demands are met. For those interested in the movement, but reluctant towards camping, the group is encouraging people to call Premier John Horgan to voice their concerns. They plan on manning the blockades until the remaining cutblocks in Argonaut Creek valley are deferred, at the very least.

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First Nations leaders and governments express support The Chief of the Splatsin First Nation joined and support the oldgrowth logging blockade at on July 11 where he will conducted a ceremony.

In a July 9 statement distributed by the Splatsin First Nation, Kukpi7 Wayne Christian stressed the importance of old-growth forests.

“We will be conducting a ceremony to protect the old-growth forest, but also to protect the public who have decided to block access to critical old-growth habitat for our relatives the Caribou,” Christian, who also serves as the elected Kukpi7 (Tribal Chief) of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, called on government to stop logging in the area, calling attention to mountain caribou, saying that logging in the area contradicts recommendations by caribou experts for protection of critical habitat, and recommendations made in the province’s review of old-growth forest management report which was released last year.

Kukpi7 Wayne Christian is an influential regional political figure known in the area and in Victoria and Ottawa. He has served six terms as the elected Chief of the Splatsin First Nation,

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and he is the elected leader of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council, selected from leaders of nine member Bands.

“B.C., specifically BC Timber Sales (BCTS), need to cease all operations in this area. We have communicated this to BCTS officials on numerous occasions,” said Kukpi7 (Chief) Wayne Christian. “Historically, Southern Mountain Caribou were found throughout Secwépemc Territory and were harvested by our people for countless generations.”

In the statement, the Splatsin said that any further critical habitat loss will prevent the caribou’s security in the face of decades of human-caused land alteration.

“Caribou provided us with sustenance, clothing, tools, utensils, snowshoes and other necessities important to our physical and cultural survival. Splatsin has a sacred obligation as caretakers and stewards of our area of caretaker responsibility and has refrained from hunting Southern Mountain Caribou for generations due to decreasing population levels and diminishing habitat. We are working with various partners to reverse this trend.”

The Splatsin said as title holders and caretakers of the area, the, “Splatsin supports a reduction of the Annual Allowable Cut in its current format and immediate action to halt any further irreversible logging activities in these remaining old-growth interior temperate forests and until the culturally significant southern mountain caribou and their critical habitats are protected and secured for future generations.”

The Splatsin encouraged people to join the blockade and write the B.C. forests minister, Katrine Conroy, to stop logging oldgrowth forests.

The Splatsin people reside on reserve lands adjacent to the City of Enderby to the south and across the Shuswap River to the east, within the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc, the largest Interior Salish-speaking First Nation in Canada.

In a July 16 statement, the Ktunaxa Nation Council “reaffirmed” its commitment to “work with all stakeholders, including the province, to ensure that Ktunaxa stewardship and governance responsibilities are fulfilled in responsibly stewarding the Argonaut Valley forestry area north of Revelstoke.”

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In a statement, the Ktunaxa Nation Council said the the area in question is vital to southern mountain caribou habitat. “[A] ny threat to the caribou or ʔaʔkxamʾis qʾapi qapsin (All Living Things) in this region is of great concern. As this area is within the homelands of the Ktunaxa Nation — ʔamakʔis Ktunaxa — the Ktunaxa Nation will continue to be involved the high-level decision-making process around the Argonaut Valley region.”

The Ktunaxa said they are aware there is no active old-growth logging and will work with government to “ensure that Ktunaxa Nation interests and stewardship responsibilities are upheld.”

Brief background statement from government The B.C. government has shown little interest in getting involved publicly. When contacted and asked for comment, a forests ministry spokesperson issued a not-for-attribution statement. It said the oldgrowth issue is “an emotional, divisive, and complex issue.”

The statement said they’d visited to camp to “educate” people about fire hazards and access in the event of a wildfire. They pointed to their Old Growth Strategic Review Panel, saying they’ve designated 11 areas for deferral, totalling 200,000 hectares. They also noted a November 2020 deferral of 11 of 14 cutblocks in the Argonaut Creek area until the mountain caribou herd planning process is complete. “Our plan to modernize the sector commits to identifying additional areas to defer logging in old growth forests where near term irreversible biodiversity loss is at stake,” the ministry statement read.

The ministry statement said there is no active logging in the area, and that road work was either road deactivation or “terrain stabilization work.” The blockade organizers dispute the latter statement, saying they permitted heavy equipment to leave the blockade area, and that the equipment was preparing roads for future logging, causing more trees to be cleared during the road building.

Community

1. A banner reading “Stop the Ecocide” ripples in the wind, securely fastened to the surrounding pines. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

2. Land defenders at the Argonaut Blockade on July 11 pose with a Secwépemc flag gifted to them by members of the Splatsín community, including kukpi7 Chief Wayne Christian, and the Assembly of First Nations' Regional Chief Terry Teegee.

Pictured, from left to right: Mick, Jenn Neagle, Virginia Thompson, Laurence Chanut, Sarah Newton, (unknown but rep for Syilx Okanagan Nation), kukpi7 Chief Wayne Christian, Rod Tomma, Rhona Bowe, AFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee. Front row: Rory Luxmoore and children.

Photo contributed by Old Growth Revylution.

3. Pictures of old-growth trees stretch along the forest service road, reminding visitors what this group is fighting for. Photo: Bailey GingrasHamilton.

4. As a windstorm rips through the valley, demonstrators take down tents and secure signage. The blockade, however, remains. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

5. Demonstrating the principles of non-violent action, activists interact calmly with a visiting RCMP officer. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

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ARTS & CULTURE

BIG SOUNDS AND BIG CROWDS A RETURN TO NORMAL FOR LIVE MUSIC IN REVELSTOKE

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ARTS REVELSTOKE MOVES THEIR SATURDAY GUERRILLA GIGS TO QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK, OFFERING FREE ATTENDANCE AND A LARGER CAPACITY.

By Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

Blankets, camping chairs and hammocks cover the grass at Queen Elizabeth Park, filling the space like a colourful quilt. For the first time since the pandemic started, people surrounded a stage and broke into dance.

This show was the first free Guerrilla Gig of the summer. Last month, Arts Revelstoke announced that each Saturday Guerrilla Gig would be hosted at Queen Elizabeth Park, starting with the Shred Kelly concert on July 24. These shows are free, all ages are welcome, and the park has a large capacity to accommodate more music-lovers.

Thanks to easing restrictions, a scene of normalcy is returning to Revelstoke.

Hundreds of people gathered to watch Shred Kelly perform, and the party is just getting started. Boot-stomping bass, big vocals, and melodic guitar rhythms will fill Queen Elizabeth Park every Saturday until Aug. 21. Each concert begins at 6 p.m. and ends at 8 p.m.

In order of appearance, Celeigh Cardinal, Moontricks and Leila Neverland are playing this free concert series. Kicking off the month on Aug. 7 is Celeigh Cardinal, a soulful folk artist who won the 2020 Juno Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year.

Next up is Moontricks, whose signature blend of electronic music and bluegrass will fill the park on Aug. 14. Wrapping up the series is Leila Neverland, bringing a booming voice and powerful lyrics to the stage on Aug. 21.

If the Shred Kelly concert is any indicator, these shows will be a two-hour display of community engagement and energy. Revelstokians responded enthusiastically to the first free event, and hundreds of dancing shoes came out of hiding. Despite being a dry event, attendees let loose and packed the dance floor quickly. Hula hoops and other flow toys were dusted off, and an electric energy filled the air.

Arts Revelstoke has a few ground rules for these concerts, particularly surrounding the venue as a public park. Smoking and alcohol are prohibited and no seating is provided. Bathrooms and water are available on site. Attendees are reminded to pack out what they bring in, keeping the park clean for the rest of the community.

In addition to the free concert series, Arts Revelstoke is still hosting ticketed Guerrilla Gigs on each Wednesday in August. These shows have limited tickets that are released two days before each event. To see the full Guerrilla Gigs lineup, visit artsrevelstoke.com.

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A glimpse into the remarkable stories of people and places in the Columbia Basin.

1. After over a year without large gatherings, people enthusiastically hit the dancefloor. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

2. Attendees fill Queen Elizabeth Park for the first free Guerrilla Gig of the summer. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

3. Shred Kelly takes the stage at Queen Elizabeth Park. Photo: Bailey Gingras-Hamilton.

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