SPIN Volume 16 Issue 11 by Sun Peaks Independent News

ORIENT LIFT UPDATE PAGE 2

LADIES IN RED PAGE 7

VOLUME 16 ISSUE 11

NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

YOURS FREE TO TAKE HOME SUNPEAKSNEWS.COM // @SUNPEAKSNEWS

WE’VE MOVED! Bear Country administrative offices are NOW located at Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Hotel & Suites 3220 VILLAGE WAY SUN PEAKS, BC V0E 5N0 1.250.578.6969 info@bearcountry.ca bearcountry.ca

The next four years New council looks toward future SPR’s last term with an appointed councillor NIKKI FREDRIKSON & BRANDI SCHIER

SUN PEAKS MOUNTAIN RESORT MUNICIPALITY’S (SPMRM) NEW COUNCIL WILL BE SWORN IN AT THEIR INAUGURAL MEETING ON NOV. 6. This year three seats were up for election and Rob O’Toole joined incumbents Ines Popig and Mario Pozza as councillors. Mayor Al Raine was acclaimed. O’Toole received 64 per cent of the vote with Popig following with 58 per cent and Pozza with 48 per cent. Mike Grenier received 41 per cent, Katheryn Coleman received 29 per cent and Bruce Mitchell 26 per cent. Reflecting on his total, newcomer O’Toole said he was shocked he received the highest amount of votes. “More than anything I was quite surprised that was the case and humbling as well too,” he said. “That’s where I realized it didn’t necessarily come from one particular demographic in the community. There was across the board support.” Despite advance polls looking strong, only of 311 votes were

(LEFT TO RIGHT) COUNCILOR INES POPIG, MAYOR AL RAINE, NEWLY ELECTED COUNCILLOR ROB O’TOOLE AND COUNCILLOR MARIO POZZA. MISSING FROM PHOTO COUNCILLOR DARCY ALEXANDER. Photo SPIN

cast from an undetermined number of eligible voters. Raine said he was disappointed in the voter turnout and stated he hoped to see 400 to 500 votes cast but conceded there were several factors that may have played into the lower numbers, including it being low season in resort. Some residents also may not be Canadian citizens or had not been living in B.C. long enough. He estimated 50 to 60 per cent of resort properties are owned by B.C. residents who were eligible to cast a non-resident vote giving another potential

400 to 500 votes, however less than 20 non-resident owner ballots were received. Darcy Alexander, general manager of Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR), will be appointed by the provincial government to the fourth council seat at the early November meeting. Alexander did not respond to request for comment. As per a decision by Selina Robinson, provincial minister of the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs, this will be the last term SPR has an appointed seat on council. “While unique in character,

Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality is also maturing as a municipality and should soon therefore have a council that is fully democratically elected, autonomous, responsible and accountable to exercise authorities within its jurisdiction,” she stated in a July 30 letter to Raine. The appointment is unique among municipalities and was something Raine told Robinson he still felt was valuable for the community due to land usage within the resort boundaries. When the municipality was

incorporated in 2010 SPR was given a seat as they are the only company that has access to Crown land and set development densities through their master plan development agreement with the province. “It’s worked very well. If Sun Peaks Resort was to push something through that wasn’t in the best interest of the community they would need two other councillors to join them,” said Raine, adding council has had less than a dozen split votes in eight years. Council now has four years to plan how to continue cooperating with SPR without the corporation being allocated an official seat. Raine said he believes the answer lies in a planning and advisory committee made up of members from SPR, the municipal council and the public at large. “So by the time a recommendation came to council it’s been vetted SPR to make sure it is consistent with their master development agreement, because that’s one of the things that we still can’t be in conflict with, or need to resolve it if we are,” said Raine. “There are two visions here. We need to make sure SPR’s vision and the community’s vision are at least dovetailed. It won’t always be the case, we will have some conflicts, but we need a forum where those conflicts can get ironed out.” Raine said he is generally looking to involve the public more through various committees throughout his next term and is planning an official community plan (OCP) meeting as well. “I think moving forward we are going to have more discussions

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VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

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CONTINUED FROM COVER and more community involvement. There’s going to be people with different ideas about what the vision is. We need to make sure the community understands where the OCP says we’re going and that the vast majority of people are aligned with what’s in the OCP.” Mike Forster, a two term councillor, decided not to run for a third term. Raine said they will miss his common sense approach to issues and appreciated

his long term vision for the community. “He was saying too that I think it’s time for us to encourage more people to get involved and that’s a vision that not everyone has, sometimes egos get in the way of what really should happen.” Overall Raine said he is looking forward to working with the new council. “I must say I’m very pleased. Ines has done a really good job, especially on the finance side. Mario’s brought the whole Health Centre side, Fire Department and all of that so I’m glad to have them back. Rob will bring a whole breath

of fresh air in terms of the younger families that are living in Sun Peaks which is very important.” Echoing Raine’s sentiments, incumbent councilor Popig said she is excited to welcome a new member to the council and stated she believed the new council will work well together. “I think it’s fantastic to have a new member and especially the youngest person who was running. It’s so important to have the young people represented. I don’t know if they have felt they haven’t been properly represented by council but having a young

voice is very important because we have a lot of young people,” she said. For incumbent councilor Pozza, he said he believes the strengths of the newly elected council are fiscal responsibility and equity and he looked forward to continuing his work in the community. “It feels really good to be reelected. It shows some faith in the community that we have stayed the course and we’re going in the right direction so I’m quite happy to be there.”

EDITOR & PUBLISHER Brandi Schier

brandi@sunpeaksnews.com

New lift on track for December opening NIKKI FREDRIKSON

GRAPHIC ARTIST Jen Schier

jen@sunpeaksnews.com

EDITOR Jean Strong

jean@sunpeaksnews.com

REPORTER Nikki Fredikson

nikki@sunpeaksnews.com

CONTRIBUTORS Mel Rothenburger Ron Betts Emily Perrins Each issue reaches thousands of readers and one copy is available FREE to residents and visitors. Anyone taking papers in bulk will be prosecuted. The opinions expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, owners or writers. This publication may not be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher.

STANDING AT THE PLATFORM OF THE NEW ORIENT CHAIRLIFT OVERLOOKING WHAT WILL BE KNOWN AS HASTA LA VISTA, REMNANTS OF THE WET SUMMER AND EARLY OCTOBER SNOWFALL CAN BE SEEN THROUGHOUT THE AREA. “We knew it was coming. It’s been a much damper construction season than we’ve seen for quite some time. That’s throwing curve balls at us but none that have been insurmountable,” said Erik Meertens, mountain operations manager for Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR). Crews have completed the grading for the terrain expansion and have been working to keep the project on time for a midDecember opening. “These last two weeks of high pressure (weather systems) have been a godsend from a construction standpoint,” Meertens said. SPR has relied heavily on multiple crews who are experts in their given fields; forestry, excavating and electrical, as well as internal employees to keep the project on time. They completed concrete installation by early October and final grading projects are wrapping

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

“All of a sudden it’s going to look like a chairlift.”

THE TOP TERMINAL OF THE ORIENT CHAIRLIFT WAS SECURED EARLIER THIS FALL AND AWAITS AN OPERATORS STATION. Photo SPIN

up before winter hits. Meertens said the priority has been installing drainage structures in to accommodate runoff along the upper addition to Cześć ski run to reduce the risk of future erosion. “You can’t change Mother Nature. Or where water wants to go, it’s going where it wants to go. From an environmental standpoint we have to be very careful with trying to adjust a natural watercourse,” explained Meertens. Having secured drainage and erected the top terminal, the upper section of the project is starting to come together thanks to the warmer weather in mid-October. “We’ve been able to complete the final grading, get all our

signs in and everything right now is ready for frost or snow,” Meertens said. Construction and installation of the 14 towers is the next phase of the project. They will be installed by helicopter, a process which Meertens said will only take a day to complete. “It’s just that much quicker. We anticipate once everything’s here, parts are here, equipment is here, we may be able to fly all the towers in a day.” At the bottom, terminal crews have been busy moving the Umbrella Cafè and washrooms to their new home just east of their original location, below the Nordic Centre. Following the tower installation, circuity and electrical work at the base

terminal will begin. “All of a sudden it’s going to look like a chairlift.”

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VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

LOCAL NEWS

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Province rejects DCC bylaw SUN PEAKS NEWS SUN PEAKS MOUNTAIN RESORT MUNICIPALITY (SPMRM) IS GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AS THE PROVINCE REJECTED A DEVELOPMENT COST CHARGE (DCC) BYLAW THAT WAS SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL IN AUGUST, CITING IT WAS NOT YET IN LINE WITH LEGISLATION OR THE BEST PRACTICE GUIDE. The purpose of the bylaw is for developers to pay for the costs associated with expanding utilities and roads to service new development. The delay comes at an inopportune time for the municipality as expensive water supply upgrades are needed soon to keep up with the pace of development in the community. “We still want to move this forward quickly as there are still projects in the planning process that we hope will be contributing to these capital costs,” said Mayor Al Raine. At an Oct. 16 meeting council rescinded the second and third reading for bylaw 0120 to allow for changes required by the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs to be made, most significantly to a proposed 25 per cent reduction in rates for the first year and the inclusion

of unconfirmed grants in the rate calculation. “The municipality planned to phase in the costs so it wasn’t a total sudden hit (to developers),” said Raine. “But unfortunately the province rejected that, saying we had to factor that discount into the municipal budget. And we obviously don’t want to do that.” Rates were based on a 20 year time frame of continuous development and now reflect 100 per cent of the cost of future planned infrastructure, which totals over $23 million. The charge for a single family residential home is $2,551.47 per bed unit, so a six bedroom home would be just over $15,000 with multi-residential units, such as condos and townhomes, slightly less per bed unit. The commercial space rate will be $46.15 per square meter. Projects which already have a building permit have paid a connection fee, which was established after the purchase of Sun Peaks Utilities by the municipality in February. Prior to the takeover, connection fees and the capital costs of domestic water and wastewater systems, as well as the distribution system, were built into the price of the lot by Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR), who then owned Sun Peaks Utilities.

The new rates have also been calculated without factoring in future grant money, although Raine stated he is optimistic they will receive funding from other levels of government for the required upgrades. When the municipality receives grants it can rewrite the bylaw with lower amounts and after that point developers would pay a lower fee. The expansion of the wastewater system has provided Sun Peaks with adequate capabilities for the next couple of years, however domestic water supply is the next concern. It will be more complicated as to meet the coming demand the municipality must rely on surface water which will require a more sophisticated water treatment plan than for aquifers, which currently supply the community. Engineers have warned Sun Peaks must not only be prepared for increased demand, but a potential system failure on one of the current aquifers, and in case of large wildfire situation. SPR has applied for permits to build a new, larger snowmaking reservoir so the current one can be used to meet future water consumption demand. The municipality has purchased a water treatment plant for the existing reservoir. This

STAFF ACCOMMODATION TO BE COMPLETE IN 2019

New staff housing should be completely open to employees in early 2019. The building, in the west village beside other staff accommodation buildings, will be named the Black Bear Lodge. Chief marketing officer for Sun Peaks Resort LLP (SPR), Aidan Kelly, said they expect the building will fill up quickly once it’s available. Dale Basko, president of Binford Construction which is completing the project, said the property has been graded and tidied for winter

and work is happening on insulation and installing interior components such as showers. “Things are going very well,” Basko said, adding they’re working to complete the top floor in December to allow for some staff to move in. The project comes at a cost of around $3.5 million to SPR in an attempt to house more resort staff as the community grows and accomodation becomes more difficult to secure.

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

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arrangement will take care of potential issues for the foreseeable future. “None of this is cheap and that’s why the municipality has embarked on the DCC program to get funding in the bank for some of these items,” said Raine, adding the new treatment plant and pipes were an unexpected hit at $1.4 million. “We were told by the engineers we really had to have this system in place for the upcoming winter or there’s a risk we could run out of water if we had some bad luck.” Raine said they hope to have the new bylaw in place for January. Council granted a second reading but the province has stipulated there must be a repeat public meeting to discuss the changes before there can be a third reading and it can be resent to the province for approval. He said he expected there would be some debate on council regarding the fate of an estimated two dozen properties that were purchased from SPR prior to DCC implementation, but do not yet have building permits meaning they would be charged for services again. Councillor Darcy Alexander voted against the motion and did not respond to request for

comment from SPIN. Other changes included removing an exemption for public spaces such as churches, removing storm drainage projects as they didn’t qualify and allocating the one per cent existing resident fees to come from taxes or fees which will total around $233,000 over 20 years. “It all gets down to an issue of fairness and I think council is working hard to tread that middle ground where what we are doing is fair to the community and and fair to developers,” said Raine.

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Preparing for opening day SPR readies for ski season with multiple projects

Looking for a business or service in Sun Peaks?

WESTSYDE YDE VICE SERVICE Auto Repairs Diesel Repairs Air Conditioning Repairs

NIKKI FREDRIKSON

PREPARING FOR THE WINTER SEASON, SUN PEAKS RESORT LLP (SPR) HAS BEEN BUSY READYING FOR CHANGES ON THE MOUNTAIN DUE TO THE NEW ORIENT CHAIRLIFT BY MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO GLADED AREAS AND UPDATING THE GROOMER FLEET. Chief marketing officer for the resort, Adian Kelly, explained the new chairlift will change the flow of skiing towards the East Village. With new access to some existing runs, a return run that connects to Rambler, and a newly cut chairlift run, Orient is this season’s largest change. “We were clearing the lift line for that new chair, we just

discovered that that’s going to be some really great skiing. It’s a nice wide run under the chair that will add a new ski experience on that side,” said Kelly. SPR had a dedicated bush crew working throughout the summer to improve gladed areas on the mountain. Kelly stated some of the areas on the trail map were getting pretty thick and they wanted to start tackling it. “We’re hopeful that’ll be a multi-year project. We’ll work our way around the whole mountain over the next couple (of) years. I think people that are out there doing some gladed skiing and poking around will see some noticeable improvements for this year as well.” Nordic skiers will also see some improvements this

winter as SPR crews performed mechanical brushing on the trail network. The SPR grooming department will continue to update its machines by retiring two of the older snow cats and replacing them with new PistenBullies. “We’re modernizing the cat fleet this year. We got two new snowcats coming in. One of which is a PistenBully Park Pro, that’s going to be a nice addition for some of the work in the terrain park,” said Kelly. The final change the public will notice this winter are upgrades coming to the Sunburst Lodge, which was renovated last year. “We are up there right now doing a renovation on the bathrooms of the Sunburst Lodge that will be ready for opening day.”

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Bottoms debuts new expansion NIKKI FREDRIKSON

COMING INTO THE WINTER SEASON WITH A NEW LOOK, BOTTOMS BAR & GRILL WILL DEBUT THEIR COMPLETED RENOVATIONS OVER OPENING WEEKEND. FOR THE PAST MONTH CREWS HAVE BEEN COMPLETING AN OVERHAUL OF THE KITCHEN AS WELL AS A REVAMP OF THE HEATED DECK. Owner Nathan Cross explained as the resort has been busier the establishment needed to build to meet increased demand. “We had a kitchen that was probably one of the smallest ones out of all of Sun Peaks,” he said. “We needed to keep up and grow with the hill as well the heated patio. We just found it was a little underutilized with the really cold weather.” By expanding the kitchen into the area known as “Bryn’s Corner” it will now be able to handle the extra patio seats, translating into a larger menu this season. “I’m extremely happy about our kitchen and the new

productivity we’ll be able to achieve there. And, Chef Connor, I’m really excited to have him operate out of a much better environment,” he said. With a desire to see patrons utilize the heated deck year round, Cross added a glass enclosure allowing for full service year round. “I know we’ll be the first people at Sun Peaks to offer anything like that, so I’m really excited to be at the forefront of that. It’s going to maintain a really

nice deck feel to it lots of nice little subtle accents and lights. I’m really excited for the patio, I think people are really going to love it,” he stated. The glass windows facing the Village Day Lodge can open allowing for a nice breeze to come through the space on warm summer days and still give guests the iconic views Bottoms is known for. Bottoms will reopen for the season Friday, Nov. 16.

PROTECT YOUR GAS METER Sun Peaks is preparing for snow. While this is great for snow sports, it’s not so good for your gas meter. Remember to keep your gas meter set clear of snow and ice. Do not use the area around your gas meter for storage of items such as skis, shovels, snow-blowers, wood, etc., such that access by Utility staff or emergency personnel is obstructed. In an emergency, a ﬁrst responder may need to shut your gas service off at the meter set. Don’t forget overhead ice can fall off your roof and break the meter set causing uncontrolled release of gas. Utility staff can assist you in clearing the heavy snow and ice covering your gas meter set. Please do not try and remove any ice coating the gas meter yourself. Remember, that if Utility’s staff must clear the gas meter during monthly meter reading or for safety reasons, you will be charged a fee of $50 for the 1st incident & $100 for each additional time. If you have any questions regarding this notice please contact the Utility’s ofﬁce at info@sunpeaksutilities.com or call 250.578.2020 Monday to Friday After Hour Emergency 250.319.0629

In an emergency, please call 9-1-1 VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

COMMUNITY

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COLUMNIST VIEWS

Regional directors can disagree, with respect MEL ROTHENBURGER TNRD REPORT director.mrothenburger@tnrd.ca Mel Rothenburger is the TNRD Director for Electoral Area P, including Whitecroft and Heffley Creek. He was the mayor of Kamloops from 1999-2005 and a former newspaper editor.

CAN POLITICIANS GET ALONG? At the federal and provincial levels, it would seem not. Even civic politics can be uncivil at times. Most city councils and regional district boards are less rancorous, though, due mainly to the fact they don’t involve party politics. Councillors and directors are free to vote according to their own principles, not based on party policies. Nevertheless, written rules of conduct are common at the local level, and have been getting a new look after a number of confrontations within city councils around the province.

Before new directors take their seats at the ThompsonNicola Regional District board table they’ll sit through a fairly detailed orientation process, and Policy No. 1.1.13, Board Code of Conduct, will no doubt be on the agenda. That’s the one that outlines how board members should conduct themselves with regard to integrity, accountability, respect, leadership and collaboration. Under “collaboration,” the code states that “Individual Directors may state that he or she voted against a decision but will refrain from making disparaging comments about other Directors or the Board’s decision and by doing so will affirm the respect for and integrity in the decision making process of the Board.” That doesn’t mean they always have to agree, only that they should disagree respectfully.

COLUMNIST VIEWS

It’s a dog’s life RON BETTS RESIDENT SKI WRITER ron@sunpeaksnews.com

A native of Cape Breton Island, Ron Betts has called Sun Peaks his home mountain since 2008. Ron splits his winter between guiding heliskiers in the central Monashees and working with the Sun Peaks Ski School, he is a frequent contributor to Ski Canada Magazine.

THERE’S AN OLD SAYING, “I’M SUSPICIOUS OF ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LIKE DOGS, BUT I ALWAYS TRUST A DOG WHO DOESN’T LIKE A PERSON.” While the saying is hard to trace, the sentiment has always resonated with me. There’s a reason that they say dog “friendly” when describing places your furry partner

is welcome. I get a sense of warmth when I enter a business that has a dog on the premises, or when I’m in public places where pooches are roaming free. That might be one of the things I like most about Sun Peaks. It’s always been a place where there are more signs that welcome pets than not. I’m not trying to sound biased, but I truly believe there are only two types of people, those who think dogs are the best, and those who are wrong. I mean, what’s not to love? If you’re having a bad day, will a cat notice and rest its head in your lap? Not a chance. But try to be in a bad mood around

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

“Disparage” is an important word. It means to demean, belittle or trivialize, to “speak contemptuously of.” That’s what the Collins English dictionary says. Board directors can criticize arguments made by other directors, and can criticize decisions made by the board as a whole. We certainly do that in the course of regular debate at board meetings by disagreeing with an opposing side. So, I could say I disagree with another director, and with a decision made by the board. I could say it’s a bad decision, an unfortunate decision, or the wrong decision. Clearly, if I didn’t think that, I would have voted for it. What I shouldn’t do, though, is call the decision stupid, and those who voted for it stupid. I shouldn’t call them idiots and morons. Name-calling is where the right to disagree or criticize ends, under code of

conduct rules. But what happens if a city councillor or regional board director is deemed to have broken the code of conduct? One thing the council or board can do is pass a motion of censure against the member, but motions of censure carry little authority. The person being censured can be removed from committees and denied travel expenses but that’s pretty much it. Nevertheless, motions of censure aren’t to be taken lightly, nor applied too readily. It’s generally the case that when councils or boards get involved in censuring a member, it’s the council or board that ends up looking bad in the eyes of the public. Lawyers often get involved, and that’s expensive. Still, they aren’t totally uncommon. Early this year, for example, Nanaimo city council made the news over

censure hearings involving one of its councillors and the mayor. Council meetings were reported as often being marked by shouting and insults. The situation even made the Globe and Mail. Nanaimo was back in the news again as voters elected a new mayor in the justfinished civic election. NDP MLA Leonard Krog, who campaigned on restoring calm and respect to city hall, was the winner. Among other cities that have gone through motions of censure are Prince George, White Rock, Langley, Fort St. John and Quesnel. They’ve involved a variety of conduct issues other than members not being nice to one another but, suffice it to say, it’s best when civic politicians interact in a respectful manner even when agreeing to disagree.

your dog; they just know. I got Cuilean (pronounced Cool-an) after returning home from a trip to Australia that was cut short by illness. I felt like I needed a boost, something to help me get my mind and body back into shape. He was the perfect fit, and from the time he came home we were a team. We were like Butch and Sundance or Han Solo and Chewbacca. I was his milk, he was my cookies. We shared a love of snow, water and playing outside. I knew I had a good one when I took him to Tofino, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, for the first time. I was out surfing and Cuilean was exploring the beach and making new friends. I lost sight of him, paddled in and frantically searched the beach, without luck. He couldn’t have been more than two years old at the time, all I could think was how bad of an owner I was to lose him. As I ran up the path toward the parking lot, I caught

the eye of a couple headed to the beach, my worried look must have been obvious. “Chocolate Lab?” they asked. “He’s sitting at the tailgate of your truck waiting for you.” That was my guy, smart, independent and always loyal. He was with me on my first date with the woman who would become my wife. Lora jokes that she fell in love with me because of Cuilean. She figured if I could train a dog, how messed up could I be? I haven’t been brave enough to ask if she regrets her decision. Watching my dog become our dog was one of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced. Lora has always been a morning person so that was their time. She would walk him and let me ride the snooze button. Eventually, he was ours and we were his. He helped both of us through some hard times and was there for all the wonderful ones. When I wander through the village at Sun Peaks, I don’t

just see dogs and owners, I see families. I see companions, caregivers, joy makers. I think how wonderful it is that we live and work in a place where these creatures are welcomed and get to be part of the vacation. Most of the hotels here welcome pets. They are welcome throughout the village and on some cross country and snowshoe trail trails There’s even a fantastic pet store in the heart of the village. I can’t imagine what the place would feel like without those wagging tails. Last month we said goodbye to our guy; this winter we’ll miss watching him play in the deep snow. One thing is for sure, we’re going to see winter like he did, with joy. Just like another great saying, “If you choose not to find joy in the snow, you’ll have less joy but the same amount of snow.”

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The women in red EMILY PERRINS When Sue Elder started her ski patrol career in the 1970s, the department was an “old boys’ club.” Female patrollers were vastly outnumbered and, in her words, “You had to be a pretty tough chick to be able to make it.” Her experiences on patrol are now “worlds apart” from what they were then. “Canadian society has come a long way in recognizing we are just as capable,” she said. The job requires first aid and on-mountain ability, as well as a range of other gender-neutral skills. Undeniably, though, it’s an inherently physical job. On a daily basis, patrollers toboggan patients down slopes, haul equipment and maneuver snowmobiles, all through often challenging terrain. Men have innate, physiological differences that make them stronger than women, and this can breed assumptions that men are more capable at performing these

physical tasks than their female counterparts, according to Jean Strong, Canadian Ski Patrol (CSP) instructor trainer and onhill co-ordinator. It’s a misconception that can lead some women to withdraw from the role, believes Elder. “We’ve had some women who joined CSP and quit (because of) their own self-doubt. We tried all that we could to help them realize that they did have the skills…but they never felt like they could relax. They always felt like they were second class citizens, and they were afraid there was going to be failure.” But being built differently simply means women need to tackle the physical aspects of the job differently. Meg Wallace, former patroller with Sun Peaks Resort (SPR), is now at Revelstoke Mountain Resort for her seventh year on the job. “I definitely think that we can handle it just as well…(For toboggans) I think size and strength isn’t necessarily a huge thing that goes into it. It can definitely help at times, but it’s

all technique. If you have the technique down, you don’t have to work as hard physically.” In fact, Wallace said she believes the nature of the job actually encourages positive views around women’s abilities. “Ski patrol tends to be a laid back community and be a bit more open to how chicks can shred and chicks are rad. So it’s easier to break those stereotypes that are put out there about females, because living in badass places with badass chicks makes it easier,” she enthused. Nonetheless, there remains a disproportionate amount of females on ski patrol in Canada. Wallace estimated a quarter of Revelstoke’s patrol team are women. SPR will have only three female patrollers this year on its paid on-mountain ski patrol staff of 30. In management, too, women are underrepresented, according to Courtenay Kelliher, CSP recruitment and retention advisor. Elder said there’s a disconnect. “Forty per cent of skiers in Canada are women, and only 18 per cent of patrollers in CSP (nationally) are women.” Skiing and snowboarding were the main reasons Elder, Strong, Wallace and Kelliher

all initially joined ski patrol. So what’s stopping other women from joining or staying in the role? Certainly, childrearing has an influence, which in Canadian society generally falls primarily on women. “Patrolling (when you have) children is difficult, especially for volunteers not getting paid. That is not a tenable for a lot of women,” Elder explained. Other perspectives were voiced in March, when CSP hosted its first workshop for women on patrol at its national convention in Quebec. Facilitated by Elder and Strong, the workshop comprised of classroom and on-mountain components and was attended by 25 women in CSP management and instructor positions. “The overwhelming feedback was that it should’ve been a full day,” Elder said, before detailing how the discussion around female experiences on patrol inspired ideas on how to attract and retain women to the roles. “Not all women, but a good percentage of them, want their own (training) program,” she said. “Once they’re in them, they overwhelmingly report that they really enjoy them and feel

way less pressure and thus learn faster. They feel like they’re better patrollers. They feel that they’ve made way bigger steps faster because they weren’t trying to keep up with the guys.” Elder said in the U.S. womenonly patrol programs have run for around 20 years but faced resistance at the start. “‘If women need their own program then they shouldn’t be patrolling in the first place; they’re not tough enough,’ (critics said) and they got past that and the programs are super strong now.” “It’s a difficult topic,” Elder said of gender specific training and discussions of women’s experiences as, sometimes, inherently different to those of men. She insisted these ideas are not intended to serve as an exclusion of men, or to judge any gender as “better” than the other, but rather to “make the whole team stronger.” Her hope is instead of ignoring or homogenizing different experiences in ski patrol—potentially to the detriment of female interest and retention—the door is opened for more rad women to join the ranks.

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MOUNTAIN TOWN NEWS ALLEN BEST mountaintownnews.net allen.best@comcast.net

MORE MOOSE AND FEWER WILLOWS. ANY CONNECTION? GRAND LAKE, Colo. – Moose have become commonplace in Rocky Mountain National Park, which should be no real surprise. Some 24 were released not far away, in North Park, in 1978. Now 2,500 roam across mountainous Colorado. But are there too many moose now in the national park? That’s the question that emerged from several news stories this year about a new research study. Up to 40 moose are being outfitted with GPS monitors, to better understand them and their use of their environments. Moose were not native to Colorado, at least not in the numbers they are now. Some evidence from the 1850s exists of small numbers of transient moose, typically lone bulls, but no breeding populations. Even after introduction in Colorado moose mostly remained on the west side of the Continental Divide in the Kawuneeche Valley. Ten years or so ago, said the Sky-Hi News, sightings became more common near Estes Park, the gateway town on the east side. Monitoring of vegetation

suggests more moose on both sides. Vegetative plots monitored on the west side showed an increase from 80 per cent having evidence of moose to 100 per cent between 2013 and 2018. On the east side, the increase was even greater, three per cent to 85 per cent. Expanding moose have contributed significantly to the 40 per cent reduction in willows in the park during the last two decades. Willows provide 93 per cent of a moose’s 55 pound daily diet. Elk grazing also contributes to the decline, along with a fungus spread by birds that feed on willow sap, said landscape ecologist Hanem Abouelezz. Willows serve as soil stabilizers in riparian zones, which serve as the interface between land and a river or stream and are critical to watershed health, wildlife habitat, and overall ecosystem health, explained the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. “Without such vegetation, the riparian zone can wash away, impacting the aquatic and terrestrial landscape.” Without grizzly bears and wolves—primary predators of moose—the willows have few defenses. “The changes that caused the moose population to grow, the willows to die off, and the riparian zones to be impacted didn’t

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

happen overnight, and neither will the solution,” Abouelezz told the Gazette-Telegraph. Whatever is done, she added, it will not be an effort to recreate some balance that would have still existed had it not been for the large role of humans in the last 100 years.

WINTER PARK UNLIKELY TO THREAD THIS NEEDLE WITH A 4WD ROAD WINTER PARK, Colo. – Fraser, Winter Park, and Grand County officials want to get an old road used by four-wheelers across the Continental Divide reopened. But it looks unlikely, because Boulder County, the jurisdiction on the other side of the range, is completely uninterested. The road hews to a railroad route first used in 1904. The railroad was the ambition of David Moffat, who had made a pile of money in the silver boom at Leadville in the 1870s and 1880s. Then, as a resident of Denver, he wanted to advance the city’s future by creating a rail link directly to Salt Lake City. A 6.2 mile tunnel was eventually blasted under the mountain, but in the interim the railroad was sent across 11,676 foot Rollins Pass. Four-wheelers for many years drove the old railroad route, but then a small tunnel, called

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Needle’s Eye, partially collapsed in 1990. It remains closed. Grand County Commissioner Rich Cimino told the Sky-Hi News the county is interested in reopening the tunnel because it would boost recreation and economy. “I’m sure a lot of people from Denver and Boulder would come into Grand County through that route,“ he said. Winter Park and Fraser also want the short tunnel reopened, but Boulder County has no interest. The tunnel is located in Boulder County, and after the

1990 collapse, the county ended up paying a “not unsubstantial” amount due to injuries, according to Michelle Krezek, deputy of the Boulder County Board of Commissioners. She said the county is also still paying recovery costs incurred during floods in September 2013. “Frankly, the commissioners feel like it’s not a good use of public money to open up a road that’s only going to be in use for several months of the year,” explained Krezek.

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KSAR: The unsung community heroes EMILY PERRINS

IT’S THE END OF A LONG DAY AT WORK AND YOUR PAGER GOES OFF; THERE’S A LOST SKIER IN THE BACKCOUNTRY. YOU LEAVE THE OFFICE EARLY, DRIVE TO THE HALL, GRAB YOUR SUPPLIES AND BEGIN EQUIPMENT PRE-CHECKS. Thirty minutes later, your group is headed up the mountain. You receive a safety briefing before being heli-dropped deeper into the mountains and setting out on snowshoes in the fading light, unsure of how long the search will take or if you’ll spend a night in the wilderness. It’s another day for a member of Kamloops Search and Rescue (KSAR), responding at a moment’s notice to help locate and retrieve stranded individuals in the region. The team is made up of volunteers who dedicate hundreds of hours each year, allowing interruptions to their work and family life, to be on call when needed. KSAR responds to many situations, from lost or injured

hikers, snowmobilers, hunters and fishers, to drownings, vehicles down embankments, wandering dementia patients, or body recoveries. Each search involves a different approach, according to Jenn Stahn, KSAR spokesperson. Consequentially, the team’s training is extensive. All members receive an initial 94 hours of ground search-andrescue (SAR) training, as well as first aid, side-by-side, ATV and snowmobile instruction. Three training sessions are held each month for all members, with KSAR’s specialty teams completing additional ongoing skills practise in ropes, ice rescue, swift water rescue, tracking, dog handling and more. “Last year B.C. had more tasks than the rest of Canada combined,” Stahn said. “So we have to have a higher level (of training) and we’ve got a lot more teams than any other province because of that.” The province boasts 80 SAR teams, with KSAR being one of the largest at 42 members and responsible for an area that encompasses Wells Grey, Vernon, Cache Creek and Sun Peaks.

Residents will remember KSAR’s presence in recent years, notably in the search for Ryan Shutka, who has been missing since February. This year has been a busy one for KSAR in Sun Peaks with close to 1,000 hours so far. Most often searches in Sun Peaks involve snowmobilers or ill-prepared snowboarders and skiers who duck boundary ropes. For these tasks, KSAR often works in collaboration with ski patrol. Kit Nilsson, avalanche forecaster for Sun Peaks Resort LLP and KSAR member for seven years, explained how the groups work together. “We have snowmobiles, we know the terrain and all ski patrollers are trained up in avalanche gear as well…it’s been shown in previous years those close ties of working in a unity task works very well (and) we’ve been successful with finds outside of ski area boundary using both patrolling and KSAR.” KSAR has been busier overall this year Stahn said, with some searches in the region spanning over a week. “We’re just shy of last year’s numbers (currently) and last year was a record year. A bigger

KSAR ON A SEARCH. Photo KSAR

difference, though, is we have an increase in the number of tasks that have multiple day operating periods.” Nilsson said he believes there’s a reason for those numbers. “I definitely think technology is encouraging people to push the safety boundaries with both cell phones and sat phones. Which works until the batteries run out.” “A lot of people have this idea in their head that you have to wait 24 hours to call someone in,” Stahn added. “As soon as someone is missing, call it in. In that first 24 hours they just have more time to get further away.” That kind of misinformation and lost time can be remedied through community outreach programs, in which KSAR is very involved. Notably, they present the Adventure Smart program to thousands each year. “If we didn’t have that, there’s a

really good chance that we would see our (incident) numbers even higher,” Stahn said. Nilsson said he thinks the efforts of searchers can go unrecognized. “I think it’s a really important organization,” he continued. “People who have a nineto-five job can help out their community, be involved, further their training.” Though, he cautioned, “it’s not just flying around in a helicopter, it’s not just hiking in the hills. It definitely isn’t easy, and we’re not dealing with the easiest things sometimes.” It’s a commitment that can’t be taken on lightly, but it certainly does offer a change from the day job. If you’re interested in becoming a member, submit an online application at ksar.ca/join.

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OPENING DAY NOVEMBER 17

In support of

MONDAY, DEC 03

DJ spinning, ski flicks playing and a beer with your Season Pass or lift ticket*

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VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

While the village

SLEEPS

“IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL HERE... AND IT HAS SUCH DARK SKIES”

FEATURE PHOTO James Stalker PORTRAIT Supplied ARTICLE Brandi Schier

JAMES STALKER HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTRIGUED BY THE BIG QUESTIONS. THAT’S WHY FOR ALMOST AS LONG AS HE’S BEEN RIPPING DOWN MOUNTAINS, HE’S BEEN LOOKING UP TO THE STARRY SKIES. And it’s reflected in his art. Stalker has been using the backdrop of Sun Peaks to create nighttime images that capture the deep mystery and beauty of dark nights. He’s been honing his skills for the past three years and learned much about his craft as well as himself. In a world where people are constantly digitally distracted, the solitude allows him time for introspection that the daily

Wanting to spend as much time snowboarding as possible, Stalker focused on building his skill set to snag a job at one of the regional mines. The sevenday rotation is perfect, allowing him to afford his home in the resort and spend his free time on his passions; photography, drone filming, snowboarding and recently, downhill mountain biking. “I just got into downhill this year because I’m living up here and you have to take advantage,” he said, adding it was scary but also a ton of fun. “I think I crashed twice on my first day but I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I can’t believe I didn’t start sooner.” Stalker, 31, is originally from Kamloops and has been skiing Harper and Sun Peaks since the

grind doesn’t really provide. “It’s nice to have the alone time, right? When you’re staring up at the sky there’s no other influence, no one is there influencing your thoughts. It’s good to get some perspective and some time to reflect.” He rarely shoots during the day, preferring the adventure of exploring during the night. When he’s not working his job as a miner in Kamloops, he’s scouting locations and logging roads that provide interesting views, angles and compositions and using Instagram as inspiration for new photos.

age of three. He’s never felt the need to stray too far from home. “It’s the quality of the riding, compared to the busyness. It’s kind of a best kept secret I think. It’s like Kamloops, it’s a perfect medium. It’s not a big city, but it’s also not a small town. There’s always something to do, but it’s not congested. “Sun Peaks is like that. There’s dead times, like now (October), which is nice. Some people don’t like it, but I do. I like the quiet, a lot.” It’s also a great location for photographing stars. The valley and forest combined with minimal light pollution is the perfect environment for shooting the milky way, the planets and the northern lights. “It’s so beautiful here...and it has such dark skies. I just

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

have to go literally steps out my front door (to shoot). In Kamloops, you have to drive for about a half hour to 45 minutes to where you get some good dark skies.” He was always interested in photography but started to get into it seriously while recovering from knee surgery. In fact, he purchased his first camera while still coming out of sedation. “It was definitely the right decision, I’ve upgraded a few times since then.” The first print he sold was to a Sun Peaks’ condo owner whose building was included in one of Stalker’s Instagram photos. While it’s not the driving force of his art, he said it’s nice to see people buying his photos for their homes, as well as having

people from around the world connect with him through his online profile. “I get interesting conversations in the DMs about people who never get to see the night skies because they live in cities...I meet a lot of really cool people around the world who I’ll probably never really meet but it’s cool to just connect with people like that.” Right now he’s enjoying the shoulder season and the quieter pace of life in the resort while looking forward to riding his favorite secret spots and playing in the Sun Peaks Hockey League. While he originally planned to live in his Sun Peaks property

for only a few years, he’s now finding it harder to think of leaving as he’s enjoying living in the community so much. “I feel like there’s lots of people doing lots of interesting stuff up here, it’s cool, and maybe more so than before. It’s kind of like the generational change.” He’ll be planning his holidays around the lunar cycle, looking for the next new moon to provide the black canvas for his long exposure shots, that hopefully coincide with a few powder days. Follow Stalker at @matildaface and search #MySunPeaks for his @sunpeaksnews Insta takeover.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Save the date: Snowbombing is back April 5 to 7 NIKKI FREDRIKSON

FOR THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR, SUN PEAKS RESORT WILL PLAY HOST TO “THE GREATEST SHOW ON SNOW,” WHEN SNOWBOMBING CANADA RETURNS APRIL 5 TO 7. COMBINING THE BEST OF THE SKI RESORT LIFESTYLE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL VIBES, SNOWBOMBING CREATES ONE EPIC WEEKEND OF PARTYING IN THE MOUNTAINS. Chief executive officer and president of Tourism Sun Peaks (TSP), Arlene Schieven, said she is looking forward to having the event return as it gives the community a boost during a typically quieter time of the season. “I think it’s really important because it lengthens our season making that shoulder season a little bit shorter,” she said. “By having Snowbombing

here we’re able to increase the overall occupancy for the month of April by close to 20 points. That’s pretty significant. ” She confirmed that in the past the event weekend has been close to capacity for accommodations within the resort and added most festival attendees are first-timers to Sun Peaks. “We’d love to see more of this type of event. That’s thirdparty events that already have an established following. Those are the best kind of events to bring here because people are going to come for that event regardless of where it is, and it just again exposes us to a whole new audience,” said Schieven. Snowbombing Canada has yet to release an official lineup but is expected to make an announcement in the coming weeks. SNOWBOMBING WILL RETURN APRIL 5 TO 7. Photo SPIN

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VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NOVEMBER 30, 2018

EVENTS

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Sweet new pairings Savour the Sun festival debuts this December NIKKI FREDRIKSON

An elevated culinary and wine experience showcasing over a dozen Oliver and Osoyoos. wineries is coming to Sun Peaks this December. The Savour the Sun three event festival is the brainchild of Sun Peaks Resort LLP’s (SPR) executive chef Hans Stierli who felt there was an opportunity to host a different type of festival at the resort. “He really wanted to introduce that strong culinary component because he comes from such a fantastic culinary background,” said Steve Novak, SPR’s food and beverage director.

“He wanted to showcase great food with great wine, that is where the (event) started from. It was just a need for a higher end wine festival at Sun Peaks that was different from wine fest (Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival).” Savour the Sun at Sunburst on Dec. 7 will give participants the opportunity to sample some of the region’s secret stash of blends. “These haven’t been sold for a year, then not redone,” said Novak. “They just simply never went to market, the winemakers are bringing these for people to try. Then they’re going to be able to tell the story about them.” Pairing the unique blends

with an elevated sampling of Srierli’s creations, this reception style event is anticipated to be the showcase of the festival. That evening Masa’s Bar + Grill will host half a dozen wineries that will sample their take on bubbles. This progressive tasting will include live jazz and snacks. “You’re going to be able to taste all different kinds of bubbles

that they’re doing. It might be a prosecco style, it might be a champagne style. It’s going to be all about bubbles,” said Novak. The final event, Uncork Your Senses on Dec. 8, is set to be a wine show format with over 10 winemakers featuring their blends. Keeping an emphasis on brilliant food pairings, the evening will include an

equal amount of food stations throughout The Annex. “I don’t think we’ve ever done anything where there’s this much emphasis put on the food being put together with the wine.” Tickets are available online at sunpeaksresort.com.

MINGLING CULINARY EXCELLENCE AND OKANAGAN VINO, SUN PEAKS RESORT DEBUTS NEW FESTIVAL. File Photo

EVENT LISTINGS SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3 CANADIAN SKI PATROL SKI SWAP

Pick up the gear you need for this year or sell your own to make some cash. New and used items available for the whole family wether you ski, snowboard or cross country. imzcsp@gmail.com

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3 BLUEBIRD DAY FUND FALL BALL

The circus is in town for one night only at the 11th annual fall ball. The fundraiser features music, food and performances. bluebirdballtix@gmail.com

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9 GET STOKED FILM PREMIERE

Sun Peaks Resort and Oronge Board Shop bring you the best snow movies of the season to get stoked before opening day. All proceeds go to the Bluebird Day Fund. events@sunpeaksresort.com

NOVEMBER 11 ROTARY SKI SWAP

Sell your old gear or stock up on what you need at low prices at the second annual swap. Sell at a table or shop for only $2 at the door. Sun Vall bw2067@gmail.com

MONDAY DECEMBER 3 HIGH FIVE DAY

Bring a non-perishable food donation and five bucks in exchange for a day pass. All donations and proceeds go to the Kamloops Food Bank. 250 578 5474

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 OPENING DAY

Chairlifts are turning, snow is flying and the mountain is open for another awesome season. 250 574 5474

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 FIREFIGHTERS’ CHARITY GALA

An annual event will fundraise for Adaptive Sports Sun Peaks and Sun Peaks Mountain Rescue Society. Dinner, drinks, dancing and auction items promise a night to remember. reservations@sunpeaksgrand.com

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 17 APRES AND ALES

FRIDAY TO SUNDAY DECEMBER 7 TO 9 SAVOUR THE SUN FESTIVAL

Start the season with a weekend of food, wine and adventures at the first annual festival. From mid-mountain receptions to sparkling wine tastings or food and wine pairings this weekend will be a hit for wine lovers. 250 578 5442

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY DECEMBER 8 & 9 GLENN BOND NORDIC SKI CAMP

PLANNING A COMMUNITY EVENT? ADD IT TO OUR EVENT LISTINGS AT SUNPEAKSNEWS.COM

Start your nordic season on the right foot in this camp for all abilites. Classic or skate skiers welcome, video analysis, passes and lunch are included. glenn_bond@me.com

Celebrate opening day with a free drink from Granville Island brewing when you show your pass. A DJ will be spinning and ski movies will be shown. 250 578 5474

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

MONTH IN PHOTOS

TEAMS SHOWED OFF THEIR BEST COORDINATING OUTFITS AT THE 10TH ANNUAL BLUE BIRD DAY FUND GIVER OPEN. Photo Alpine Images

CONTESTANTS DIGGING IN AT THE PIE EATING CONTEST DURING FALL FEST. - Photo Supplied

VIEWS FROM THE EMBLETON MOUNTAIN HIKE. - Photo SPIN

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; NOVEMBER 30, 2018

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VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

SPORTS

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Preparing for a national debut NIKKI FREDRIKSON

SUN PEAKS’ NORTHERN TAEKWON-DO ACADEMY DEBUTED THEIR SKILLS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON ON OCT. 14 AT THE SUNDANCE FRIENDSHIP TOURNAMENT IN VERNON AND ARE NOW LOOKING TO BUILD THEIR TALENTS FOR THE CANADIAN NATIONALS IN CALGARY IN NOVEMBER. “They’re nervous,” said chief instructor Ryan Oevermann. “It’s performance anxiety which I always tell the kids ‘If you use the nervousness as a fuel to practice and train, nervousness doesn’t go away entirely. But it leads to healthy performance anxiety which is motivating.’” For the six athletes who competed in Vernon it was a chance to get a positive feeling around competition as each one placed in the top three in their respective belt categories. “It’s fun, it’s encouraging for the kids to go there and

have a positive experience of competition because competition always pushes them in a healthy way to increase their skills and practise more,” said Oevermann. Competing in his first taekwondo competition, Bailey McDonnell brought home a gold in pattern and a silver in sparring. Kaden MacGowan received a bronze in his pattern class, Jackson Atkinson got bronze in sparring, Olivia Dye brought home a bronze in pattern and Montana Oevermann earned a silver in her pattern. Ava Dye took home the gold in pattern and a bronze in sparring for her belt category. “Jackson had to work really hard because he was the smallest in his group,” said Ovevermann. “He had to implement some new strategies I had given him based on the competitors he had to go up against. Bailey, mostly for being his first competition, everything’s new to him. Little techniques and coaching strategies were put in place at the last second. They both

adapted really well to that.” The tournament brought together nearly 100 competitors from Sun Peaks to Castlegar, B.C. which is a modest-sized event compared to what the program will be up against in November with close to 600 athletes anticipated to compete at Nationals. The Sun Peaks athletes will be preparing over the next few weeks. “We’re going to be adding more sparring to our classes, we’re going to be doing more competitive style pattern classes. So I’ll be having students spar off against each other to compete, so they get used to that competition feeling,” said Oevermann. The Northern Taekwondo Academy is a curriculum based academy in which students train at their own level and own speed. Classes run twice a week at The Annex. Registration for the program is ongoing.

BAILEY MCDONNELL AND AVA DYE PROUDLY DISPLAY THEIR MEDALS. Photo submitted

Hockey league gears up for longest season THURSDAY NIGHTS IN THE VILLAGE ARE ABOUT TO GET A LOT MORE ENTERTAINING AS THE SUN PEAKS HOCKEY LEAGUE (SPHL) PREPARES FOR ITS 10TH SEASON. BUILDING OFF MOMENTUM FROM LAST SEASON’S SUCCESS, MIKE BILLHEIMER, LEAGUE ORGANIZER, IS ANTICIPATING A LENGTHY SEASON. “We’re still working on our scheduling, but it looks like we’re going to have our longest season ever,” he said. “We’re looking at scheduling 11 weeks. Last year we scheduled 10 weeks which was our longest season ever. It was the first season that we didn’t suffer cancellation due to weather or problems with the facility.” The program which started as a Sun Peaks Resort LLP employee league has grown from six teams to 12 and is now a public rec league with three divisions. “It’s overwhelming. I don’t think I ever imagined it’d go this long or be this successful.” Introducing the intermediate category last season, Billheimer

said he plans to continue to build the division while keeping the league focused on social matches as opposed to a competitive league. “We’re not really going to change the format anyway this year. We’re just going to ...really appreciate that we’ve been doing this for 10 seasons now,” he stated. Given the nature of the community, the league’s novice division provides an opportunity for seasonal workers to learn Canada’s favourite winter sport and meet new people. With the league providing sticks, jerseys and skate rentals, those looking to get involved just need their own helmet and gloves. “Ninety per cent of the people in the league are getting to know everybody else, so it’s individual registration for the most part,” said Billheimer. Registration opens Nov. 9 with an open roster sign up at Guest Services in the Village Day Lodge. SUN PEAKS HOCKEY LEAGUE CELEBRATE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON. Photo supplied VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

SPORTS

Supercoach to lead Freestyle program NIKKI FREDRIKSON

A SELF-PROCLAIMED “PARK RAT,” GRAEME MCKAY WENT FROM A SKI INSTRUCTOR TO A LEVEL FOUR CERTIFIED FREESTYLE INSTRUCTOR IN UNDER A YEAR. HE IS NOW THE HEAD COACH OF THE SUN PEAKS FREESTYLE CLUB, AND HE’S THEIR HIGHEST QUALIFIED INSTRUCTOR TO DATE. “Having a level four coach is a huge asset for any freestyle club. I’m just happy that I can be that guy,” said McKay. Getting his start in freestyle skiing at Panorama Mountain Resort, McKay was mainly selftaught. He said he had to fall a lot to learn but his passion for the sport allowed him to push through and get to the level he’s at today, throwing big backflips off Nancy in the terrain park. “I figure if I was getting better I may as well pass on whatever knowledge I have and try and teach some other kids how to ski and do what they want to do,” he said.

Last winter, while he was working as a ski instructor with the Sun Peaks ski school, McKay was approached by Luc Levert, then head coach, to come on board. “As soon as I heard he was thinking about me to bring on as a coach and to coach freestyle skiing and go to these competitions with the kids I was like, ‘Yes, sign me up,’” he said. He received his club coach certification in December 2017 and his passion for the sport and coaching flourished. He approached the club’s parents for support to attend the supercoach training at Whistler Blackcomb in May 2018. “A lot of the parents were super stoked,” he recalled. Attending the three-week camp, McKay was immersed in on-snow training earning his Air level one through four certification. This gave him the skills and training to train athletes on a trampoline, an airbag and to qualify athletes on snow jumps. “It was a pretty full on course. I think in the span of three weeks

we only had two days where we had the day off,” he stated. McKay said he hopes his training will allow him to bring more structure into the weekend training sessions. “Some of my main goals are just to increase the level of talent with the kids, like I said maybe get it a little more organized and structured so we’re not winging it when we go to these competitions.” Looking to foster a passion for the sport among his athletes, McKay said he hopes to develop relationships with other sports programs on the mountain and work towards making skiing as great as it can be. “I want to start getting them thinking about more long term. Where do they want to go with freestyle skiing?” he said. The freestyle club will attend four competitions this season under direction of McKay and assistant coach Cody Mackinnon. MCKAY, SHOWCASES HIS SIGNATURE BACKFLIP IN THE ROCKSTAR ENERGY TERRAIN PARK. Photo Supplied

All Mountain Camp returns for third year NIKKI FREDRIKSON

“THESE CAMPS OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE,” SAID FANNIE SMITH, BC ADAPTIVE SNOWSPORTS ATHLETIC AND COMMUNICATION MANAGER. The All Mountain Camp is a collaborative project with BC and Rocky Mountain Adaptive Snowsports to give intermediate

skiers an environment to hone their skills. It’s in its third year and Sun Peaks will host for the second time from Jan. 17 to 20. “For example, a person with a cognitive disability wouldn’t have the pathway to go to paralpine, they may not have a pathway to Special Olympics. They have a place to come and develop their skills on snow, off snow and really be the best they can be,” said Smith, adding Sun Peaks’ mountain is accessible

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

for their participants. The camp looks to give athletes with all disabilities a diverse experience by providing race training, freeskiing and off mountain seminars. This year the event will include a session on ski tuning techniques, a demonstration from Dynaccess and guest coaching from Paralympic silver medalist Josh Dueck. “The All Mountain Camp is a little bit more well rounded in

the fact that we do have race training in the morning and in the afternoon we do freeskiing. Both kind of help each other. You’re a better freeskier by getting race training and vice versa. It does answer the need to continue to support the pathway for paralpine and we have Alpine Canada coaches come and monitor and deliver that coaching part,” she said Athletes participating in the camp must be independent

skiers that are comfortable skiing a blue run. “It’s really focused on offering those that have been in our system that want to really challenge themselves in a safe and challenging environment so it really is made for the intermediate to advanced skier,” said Smith. Registration is capped at 30 athletes and is open until Jan. 3. To register for the event visit www.bcadaptive.com.

IMPORTANT NOTICE to all TELUS customers. TELUS has upgraded your copper infrastructure with fibre optics in Heffley Lake, Little Heffley Lake, Whitecroft and Sun Peaks. All TELUS residential customers must upgrade their internet and telephone services to the new PureFibre network before the copper infrastructure is turned down on January 30, 2019.

™

Please contact TELUS to book an install appointment to avoid a future service interruption.

Your action is required: the switch is not automatic. Call: 1-855-502-2332 Email: pfconnect@telus.com

telus.com/purefibre

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018

Serving Sun Peaks and area since 1995

ALPINE RESORT REALTY

OPEN DAILY - LOCATED IN THE KOOKABURRA LODGE T: 250 578 8222 TF: 1 800 663 2838 E: info@sunpeaksrealty.com

EACH OFFICE IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED

SOLD 4108 SUNDANCE DRIVE | $1,479,000 The architect got it right from street appeal to interior design. Prestigious Sundance Estates 4 bedroom home plus 2 bedroom suite with separate entrance, main floor with an open design, large great room, floor to ceiling rock fireplace, custom kitchen and dining room, all complimented by great window packages and French doors to patios side and back. Spec levels and finishing details are exemplary. Upper floor is master bedroom with 6 piece ensuite, walk-in closet and office/den. The property is fully landscaped with private back yard and oversized garage. Offered largely furnished, GST paid.

SOLD

NEW LISTING

#8 TRAILS EDGE | $814,000 Desirable 4 bedroom plus family room end unit offering great ski-in, ski-out access with three levels of living space and plenty of room for friends and family gatherings! Features include a large kitchen and dining area with fireplace in the living room, vaulted ceiling, soaring windows providing a bright open design, private garage, ski locker, spacious laundry room and is zoned ‘tourist accommodation’ which allows for short term nightly rentals. Offered largely furnished with hot tub; GST paid.

SOLD 2456 FAIRWAYS DRIVE | $849,000 Original custom design! Beautifully crafted two bedroom (potential for 3) home on the 3rd fairway of the Sun Peaks Golf Course. Contemporary open floor plan with 17 foot ceilings offers a gallery, modern prep kitchen with large sink and plenty of cabinet space, plus a second kitchen with dual wall ovens, induction cooktop, wine fridge, bar sink, “live edge” island counter top and induction cook top. Two car garage with a legal self-contained 2 bedroom ‘carriage house’ located above with full kitchen and separate laundry. GST not applicable.

SOLD #215 COAST SUNDANCE LODGE | $30,000 This studio suite features an efficiency kitchen, offered fully furnished and sleeps 4 comfortably. Slopeside accommodation makes this a great ski-in, ski-out location in the heart of Sun Peaks Resort! Owner’s personal use is a generous 180 days anytime during the year with rental management agreement in place with Coast Hotels. GST applies.

#415 COAST SUNDANCE LODGE | $49,900 Spectacular views of Mount Morrissey from this deluxe 4th floor studio with great sense of space due to extra high ceilings. This property features the warmth of a fireplace, efficiency kitchen with 2 burner cook top, a queen bed and double bed. Complex amenities include an exercise room and outdoor hot tub. Owners personal use up to 180 days per year. Professional management in place by Coast Hotels. Just a short stroll out your front door to skiing, golf, Village shops & restaurants! Offered fully furnished; GST is applicable.

SOLD #217 COAST SUNDANCE LODGE | $30,000 This studio suite features an efficiency kitchen, cozy corner fireplace, fully furnished and sleeps 4 comfortably. Slopeside accommodation in the heart of Sun Peaks Resort! Outdoor hot tub, exercise room secure underground parking. Owner’s personal use is 180 days anytime during the year; rental management agreement in place with Coast Hotels. GST applies.

#10 ALPINE GREENS | $469,000 Bright and spacious condo with 2 beds plus office and den! Sunny Golf Course location is beautiful in both summer and winter, with views of Mt. Morrisey and easy ski-in access via the street. Features heated tile floors in kitchen and baths, cozy wood burning fireplace with beautiful fieldstone & timber mantle, natural wood raised panel cabinetry with walk-in pantry, private sundeck, 2 balconies, extra storage space, Jacuzzi tub and walk-in closet. Largely furnished, 3 parking spaces, quick occupancy avail. GST is not applicable.

SOLD

NEW LISTING

2442 FAIRWAYS DRIVE | $819,000 Easy access to this 3 bedroom home with single garage and 2 bedroom suite. The open kitchen and dining area is designed for large groups or casual family gatherings. Main home features open floor plan. The soaring window package provides fantastic views of mountain, golf course and lake from both home and expansive deck, all brightened by the featured tongue & groove pine ceiling. An easy modification converts the suite to a one bedroom and adds family room, bedroom and bathroom to the house. GST not applicable.

NEW LISTING

#50 SETTLER’S CROSSING | $419,900 Ski-in, ski-out 2 bedroom fully furnished end unit with rich hardwood flooring, luxurious granite countertops, and heated tile floors in the kitchen and bath. Adjacent to the new chairlift under construction, ready for ski season! Bright open floor plan with cozy gas fireplace and direct access to your private covered deck, along with sufficient owner storage space and secure heated underground parking. Zoning permits short term rentals, easy access to the Nordic trails, village amenities are just a short walk away. GST is not applicable.

NEW LISTING

#164 CAHILTY HOTEL & SUITES | $92,500 Fabulous ground floor studio apartment with full kitchen and expansive mountain & Village views. Enjoy the slope side location with ski-in, ski-out access, offered fully furnished with brand new murphy bed which is set up as the perfect couples retreat. Located on the end of the complex, the extra windowing on the south wall provides a bright, warm and inviting space. Unlimited owner use with professional in-house management team in place, and so much more! GST paid.

NEW LISTING

#17 SNOW CREEK VILLAGE | $349,900 Ski-in, ski-out from this cozy 1 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo located in Snow Creek Village. This development is considered one of the best locations in Sun Peaks adjacent to the Gentle Giant ski run and Village. This condo has never been used as rental property, although the option is available to you as the zoning permits. This home is fully furnished with a shared garage for parking and private patio with hot tub backing onto greenspace. Basically “turn-key” with GST paid.

SOLD #16 TRAIL’S EDGE | $609,000 Fully finished with hot tub, this 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom, ski-in, ski-out townhouse in Trails Edge is the perfect place for family & friends. This mountain townhome features sunny south facing exposure with easy access to the village and all resort amenities. Features quality finishing throughout with inviting open living area, spacious kitchen with new quartz counter tops, heated tile floors, cozy corner fireplace, private patio & large sundeck, 2 car tandem garage & additional storage space. GST is applicable.

SUNPEAKSREALTY.COM 20

VOL 16 ISSUE 11 NOVEMBER 2 — NOVEMBER 30, 2018