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The Columbia Valley Vol. 4/Issue 6 Your Weekly Source for News and Events February 9, 2007

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JUMBO REACTION

3

9

7

HappyValentine’s

Day!

Genevieve Griffi ths, daughter of Daniel and Deborah Griffi ths of

Invermere, married Clayton Verge on the beach at Bucerias, Mexico.

Because they were photographed with The Pioneer, their names will

be entered in our Travel Contest.See Page 5.

PIONEERServing The Upper Columbia Valley including Spillimacheen, Brisco, Edgewater, Radium, Invermere, Windermere, Fairmont and Canal Flats

2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer February 9, 2007

VALLEY NEWS

Fairmont Village Mall,Fairmont

Phone: 345-4000526 B – 13th St. ,

InvermerePhone: 342-6911

BARRY 342-5245

PAT342-1262

PAUL341-5300

ERIC342-5914

www.rockymtnrealty.com

BILL341-5168

BARRY342-5809

MARLENE341-5600

RON342-5704

DIANA341-5269

INDIAN BEACH ESTATES

This west facing waterfront home features 3 stacking decks tiered down to the lake & provides spectacular views in all directions. Moor your boat(s) just steps away on your own sandy beach.

$1,399,000 mls#k160490

RADIUM

Luxury 2 bedroom, 3.5 bath condo at Radium Ridge. Air conditioned, tastefully furnished, fi replace, deck, patio, views, garage and on-site outdoor swimming pool.

$439,900 mls#new

FAIRMONT

Newest subdivision in Fairmont. All lots have underground services including sewer, water, power, telephone, cable, and propane. Enjoy the breathtaking views!

From $129,000 + GST mls#k151580+

PANORAMA

The BEST studio unit at Panorama in Ski Tip Lodge. A 4th fl oor unit with the entire ski hill at your balcony front and centre. What a view! Beautifully furnished, close to all village amenities!

$134,900 +GST mls#k111145

CANAL FLATS

Enjoy this 0.51 acre property with numerous fruit trees & wonderful fl ower gardens. The home features 2700 sq ft of open, bright living on the main fl oor & fully fi nished basement with 2 1/2 baths, 4 bdrms

$339,900 mls#k150057

INVERMERE

Well established Auto Parts Store Business, terrifi c location in Invermere’s Industrial Park, easy access with 4400 sq. ft. Be your own business owner!

$79,000+Inventory+ GSTmls#k3600103

DAVID342-1524Strata Management

Tuesday, February 13th

4:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Arena Mezzanine$500 per person or $2000 per family

Bring your sweethearts and support minor hockey!

WATER CO. LTD.

• Drinking Water Systems • Water Softeners• Whole House or Specialised Filtration

Call (250) 342-5089385 Laurier Street Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

Ask about our winter water softener

maintenance special!

Rising Sun

Massage & Spa

@ The Radium Golf Resort

Phone: (250) 347-9311

www.radiumresort.com

Lyn BirkettRegistered AMTWP

Cell: (250) 341-5668email: [email protected]

Massage • Reflexology • Spa Treatments • Public Welcome • Full Spa Facilities

WINDERMERE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGTuesday, March 6th, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

{Windermere Community Hall}

We welcome your input and ideas for making our Community an even better one to live in.

Submitted by Cheryl WillardWindermere Valley Ski Club

Straight up but with a twist!Th e Windermere Valley Ski Club’s annual silent

auction is slated for Saturday, Feb. 17th at Pynelogs Cultural Centre, right next to the botanical gardens . . . appropriate, as the theme this year is grow a ski racer.

Th is full-on gala event (break out your formal ski sweater!) starts at 6 p.m. and all funds go to subsidize local ski racers.

“Th is year we decided to redesign a classic event,” said Cheryl Willard, one of the event organizers. “We have done this auction for several years, but we really wanted to breathe new life into it, make it more excit-ing, have a theme and truly showcase our sport.”

Th is means not only is it a more formal event, but

the venue will be decked out with roses and all the items dressed up for a glittering evening.

Another exciting new aspect to this event is the fact the auction is not only silent and live, but for a few select items, on-line as well.

Cheryl said you will have to come and see the truly unique items of ski memorabilia that will be up for grabs.

“Th ere are also some specialty clothing items from Alpine Canada that you just cannot get anywhere else, as well as sports adventure packages that we have as-sembled.”

Enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and a wee sip from the cash bar while perusing the upwards of 85 items on display that may be purchased.

For more information or if you have an item you would like to donate to the auction, call Cheryl at 342-7122 or co-organizer Carol Simek at 347-9168.

‘Grow a ski racer’Skiers Madison Simek, left; and Ashley Willard, right; are photographed with Olympian Christina Lustenberger.


VALLEY NEWS

Fairmont Village Mall,Fairmont

Phone: 345-4000526 B – 13th St. ,

InvermerePhone: 342-6911

BARRY 342-5245

PAT342-1262

PAUL341-5300

ERIC342-5914

www.rockymtnrealty.com

BILL341-5168

BARRY342-5809

MARLENE341-5600

RON342-5704

DIANA341-5269

INDIAN BEACH ESTATES

This west facing waterfront home features 3 stacking decks tiered down to the lake & provides spectacular views in all directions. Moor your boat(s) just steps away on your own sandy beach.

$1,399,000 mls#k160490

RADIUM

Luxury 2 bedroom, 3.5 bath condo at Radium Ridge. Air conditioned, tastefully furnished, fi replace, deck, patio, views, garage and on-site outdoor swimming pool.

$439,900 mls#new

FAIRMONT

Newest subdivision in Fairmont. All lots have underground services including sewer, water, power, telephone, cable, and propane. Enjoy the breathtaking views!

From $129,000 + GST mls#k151580+

PANORAMA

The BEST studio unit at Panorama in Ski Tip Lodge. A 4th fl oor unit with the entire ski hill at your balcony front and centre. What a view! Beautifully furnished, close to all village amenities!

$134,900 +GST mls#k111145

CANAL FLATS

Enjoy this 0.51 acre property with numerous fruit trees & wonderful fl ower gardens. The home features 2700 sq ft of open, bright living on the main fl oor & fully fi nished basement with 2 1/2 baths, 4 bdrms

$339,900 mls#k150057

INVERMERE

Well established Auto Parts Store Business, terrifi c location in Invermere’s Industrial Park, easy access with 4400 sq. ft. Be your own business owner!

$79,000+Inventory+ GSTmls#k3600103

DAVID342-1524Strata Management

Tuesday, February 13th

4:30 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. Arena Mezzanine$500 per person or $2000 per family

Bring your sweethearts and support minor hockey!

WATER CO. LTD.

• Drinking Water Systems • Water Softeners• Whole House or Specialised Filtration

Call (250) 342-5089385 Laurier Street Invermere, BC V0A 1K0

Ask about our winter water softener

maintenance special!

Rising Sun

Massage & Spa

@ The Radium Golf Resort

Phone: (250) 347-9311

www.radiumresort.com

Lyn BirkettRegistered AMTWP

Cell: (250) 341-5668email: [email protected]

Massage • Reflexology • Spa Treatments • Public Welcome • Full Spa Facilities

WINDERMERE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGTuesday, March 6th, 2007 at 7:00 p.m.

{Windermere Community Hall}

We welcome your input and ideas for making our Community an even better one to live in.

Submitted by Cheryl WillardWindermere Valley Ski Club

Straight up but with a twist!Th e Windermere Valley Ski Club’s annual silent

auction is slated for Saturday, Feb. 17th at Pynelogs Cultural Centre, right next to the botanical gardens . . . appropriate, as the theme this year is grow a ski racer.

Th is full-on gala event (break out your formal ski sweater!) starts at 6 p.m. and all funds go to subsidize local ski racers.

“Th is year we decided to redesign a classic event,” said Cheryl Willard, one of the event organizers. “We have done this auction for several years, but we really wanted to breathe new life into it, make it more excit-ing, have a theme and truly showcase our sport.”

Th is means not only is it a more formal event, but

the venue will be decked out with roses and all the items dressed up for a glittering evening.

Another exciting new aspect to this event is the fact the auction is not only silent and live, but for a few select items, on-line as well.

Cheryl said you will have to come and see the truly unique items of ski memorabilia that will be up for grabs.

“Th ere are also some specialty clothing items from Alpine Canada that you just cannot get anywhere else, as well as sports adventure packages that we have as-sembled.”

Enjoy free hors d’oeuvres and a wee sip from the cash bar while perusing the upwards of 85 items on display that may be purchased.

For more information or if you have an item you would like to donate to the auction, call Cheryl at 342-7122 or co-organizer Carol Simek at 347-9168.

‘Grow a ski racer’Skiers Madison Simek, left; and Ashley Willard, right; are photographed with Olympian Christina Lustenberger.

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3February 9, 2007

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Cranbrook MLA quits cabinetafter e-mail meltdown

By Brian GeisPioneer Staff

East Kootenay Liberal MLA Bill Bennett resigned from his cabi-net post as Minister of Mines after sending an inappropriate e-mail to Fernie veterinarian Maarten Hart.

In the e-mail, he used foul language and accused Mr. Hart, a landed immigrant from the United States and president of the Fernie Rod and Gun Club, of possible es-pionage for the Americans.

Mr. Bennett has apologized to Mr. Hart in a prepared statement for his inappropriate and infl am-matory comments.

According to a report in the Vancouver Sun, Mr. Hart wrote and criticized Mr. Bennett for en-dorsing a proposal to change pro-vincial big-game allocation rules that, he said, unfairly favoured guides and outfi tters over resident hunters.

Mr. Bennett exploded in an e-mail reply, accusing Mr. Hart of being “a self-infl ated, pompous American know-it-all.”

In the e-mail dated January 29th, he wrote: “It is my under-standing that you are an American, I don’t give a shit what your opin-ion is on Canada or Canadian resi-dents. As someone who has spent the past six ears working my ass off for my constituents, I am not about to take that kind of bullshit from someone who, for all I know, is an American spy. . . ”

In his apology, Mr. Bennett stated: “It matters not that the e-mail I wrote was hastily sent in a fi t of frustration after a long day of work. My comments were inappro-

priate and infl ammatory.“As a member of Cabinet and

as an MLA, I have a duty to con-duct myself at all times in a manner befi tting of my offi ce and the peo-ple who elected me. Clearly I failed to meet that obligation in this case, and for that I am deeply sorry.”

Mr. Bennett said he was not asked to resign by his party or op-position, but that it was entirely his decision. “. . . hopefully my con-stituents and colleagues will respect my attempt to uphold the honour of my offi ce by stepping aside from Cabinet,” he said.

B.C. Conservative Leader Wilf Hanni took the opportunity to at-tack his opponent, issuing a press release charging the Liberal Gov-ernment of selling half of all B.C. hunting rights to outfi tters who ca-ter to non-resident hunters.

“Th is is a terrible display of ar-rogance,” stated Mr. Hanni, “and although Bill Bennett resigned because of his lack of judgement in referring to a constituent as an American spy, and using foul lan-guage in a written communication,

he should have been forced to re-sign over his support of the current wildlife allocation proposal.

“Th e resident hunters are being shafted in an attempt to provide more money to Guide/Outfi tters and to the Government of British Columbia.”

Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald of the NDP, who is the fi rst-term mem-ber for this constituency, said Mr. Bennett has established a pattern of rude and inappropriate behavior in response to criticism, and that it’s about time he paid the price.

“I think the resignation was appropriate and good on him for that. Give him credit for resigning, it was the right thing to do,” Mr. Macdonald said in a telephone in-terview.

“I think friend or foe would agree that he tends to be pretty thin-skinned. Th ere’s an arrogance in him. You just can’t talk to people that way.”

Mr. Macdonald said Mr. Hart’s criticism over the wildlife alloca-tion proposal was valid and a posi-tion with which he agrees.

“In my perspective, it’s the wrong way to go,” Mr. Macdonald said. “Resident hunters should have primary access. It’s part of their cul-ture. Th ey’re the ones out there do-ing the conservation work.”

Mr. Macdonald said that when the legislative assembly returns, he will be fi ghting for the rights of res-ident hunters over the guides and outfi tters, not that there isn’t a place for the outfi tters too, he added.

Mr. Bennett is midway through his second term as the MLA from East Kootenay.

East Kootenay MLA Bill Bennett


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Elevate Your Wedding Experience Bring your hearts together in the perfect setting.

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Call 342-0562 to book a tour or to request a wedding package.

Happy Valentine’s Day from your friends at Eagle Ranch.

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RCMP ReportBetween January 28th and February 2, the RCMP

received 62 calls for service. Ten of these complaints were accidents, with four of these incidents being Hit and Runs.

• January 27: Police were on patrol on Kinsmen Beach and observed a vehicle which was stopped on the lake.

As the member approached the vehicle on foot, the Columbia Valley resident reached out of the win-dow of the vehicle and handed a small bag of mari-juana to the uniformed member prior to the member having actually noted the odor. Th is fi le is still under investigation!

• January 28: Police arrested a 16-year-old Radi-um male and a 16-year-old Invermere male after they were detained by Panorama Security for attempting to steal skiing goggles. Police are exploring their eligibil-ity for alternative measures under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

• January 28: Police were conducting a road check on vehicles traveling on Lake Windermere. Th e driver of one overloaded vehicle admitted to drinking a beer when coming back onto land, and since the subject was a new driver under the graduated driver’s licenc-ing was issued a 12-hour driver suspension.

It is suspected that the new driver will lose his/her

driving privileges once the superintendent of motor vehicles reviews the police report.

• January 29: It was reported to police that the gymnasium door at the school in Canal Flats had been vandalized having been spray painted “4:20 smoke weed and crack.” Th is fi le is still under investigation!

• January 29: It was reported to police of an in-cident where an Invermere house was egged on 15th street.

• January 29: It was reported to police that a cam-era and case was stolen from the corner of 7th Av-enue and 13th Street while the victim was waiting for a bus.

• January 31: Police observed a vehicle with a de-fective taillight and pulled the vehicle over. An odor of alcohol was noted and the breath demand was read. Th e driver blew a fail with the road side screening de-vice.

An administrative Driving Prohibition was served as a result of obtaining two samples of the driver’s breath of 100 and 90 milligrams percent, which is just over the legal limit of 80 milligrams percent.

• February 2: A 24-hour suspension was issued to an Invermere resident who had been stopped as a re-sult of weaving over the center line with their vehicle. Alcohol was a factor.


Doulbe the circulation, double the advertising powerof any other local newspaper!

T H E P I O N E E R

Don’t forget to takeyour Pioneer!

Take a photograph of yourself on holidays with Th e Pioneer and win two nights at the Fantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall, sponsored by Th e Pi-oneer and Travel World in Invermere. All valley resi-dents who participate will have their names entered in a draw to be made at the end of 2007.

Here three more en-trants join the contest. Top: Dan “Bundy” Mar-shall and Elin Einaisson of Calgary, long-time friends of the valley, and Henry and Eileen Bilodeau, Windermere residents, were in Jamaica recently. Here Dan proudly displays Th e Pioneer with the most Honourable Portia Lucre-tia Simpson-Miller, Prime Minister of Jamaica!

Centre: Michael and Stacey Boucher of Invermere were recently on vacation in St. Lucia in the West Indies.

Bottom: Martine and Allegra Newill are back in the valley after hibernat-ing in Th ailand, Laos, and Cambodia for the month of January.


PERSPECTIVE

is independently owned and operated and is published weekly by Abel Creek Publishing Inc.

Box 868, #8, 1008 - 8th Avenue, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0Phone (250) 341-6299 · Fax (250) 341-6229 Email:

[email protected] · www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Dave SutherlandAdvertising Sales

PIONEERThe Columbia Valley

Th e material, written or artistic, may not be reprinted or electronically repro-duced in any way without the written consent of the publisher. Th e opinions and statements in articles, columns and advertising are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff of Th e Columbia Valley Pioneer. It is agreed by any display advertiser requesting space that the newspaper’s responsibility, if any, for errors or omissions of any kind is limited to the amount paid for by the advertiser for that portion of the space as occupied by the incorrect item and there shall be no liability in any event greater than the amount paid for the advertisement.

Bob FriesenAdvertising Sales

Zephyr RawbonGraphic Designer

Elinor FlorencePublisher

Brian GeisReporter

Sarah TurkOffi ce Manager

Don’t hit that send button!

Historical Lens

By Elinor FlorencePioneer Publisher

MLA Bill Bennett’s ridiculous Email to a constitu-ent made everyone in our offi ce shake their heads, after we had fi nished laughing.

Th e president of the Fernie Rod and Gun Club said nothing worse than accusing the Liberals of “bow-ing down to Wall Street three times a day, rather than Mecca.” Surely the Liberal ministers must have a thick enough skin to withstand such a general criticism.

But B.C. Minister of Mines Bill Bennett must have been having an off day, because he fi red off an outraged Email in response, at one point accusing his constituent of being an American spy! And although Mr. Bennett has apologized, he is also blaming the Email system itself for his blunder.

“In the old days before e-mail I would have writ-ten that letter, looked at it in the morning and tossed it into the wastepaper basket . . . but I blew my cool and e-mail was too easy,” Mr. Bennett told the media.

Th at’s certainly no excuse for Mr. Bennett’s hasty temper. Th e Cranbrook MLA is known to be outspo-ken; he got into hot water here in Invermere last year when he implied that the Jumbo Resort Development would go ahead, with or without the permission of the Regional District of East Kootenay’s board of direc-tors, and his speech was reported by Th e Pioneer. He is an advocate of the resort and it remains to be seen whether his resignation will have any eff ect on the out-come of the project.

However, his actions serve as a clear warning to the rest of us. Recently I wrote a long, angry e-mail to one of my critics and (thankfully) saved it in my draft folder; the next day I reviewed it and cut it down by half; the third day I toyed with sending one or two sentences; and the fourth day I deleted it altogether.

Time has a way of tempering all feelings, right or wrong; and the written word has a way of lingering long after the spoken word has been forgotten.

Dear Editor:

Th is letter is a response to one written by Patrick Hasburgh that appeared in your February 2nd, 2007 edition.

Th e AXYS Grizzly Bear report that was commis-sioned by the B.C. government and the Jumbo Resort promoter stated that: “Th e proposed project and its associated access has the potential to locally reduce habitat availability for bears and impede north-south regional grizzly bear movement and dispersal and di-rectly or indirectly aff ect long term grizzly bear popu-lation in and around the Central Purcell study area.”

Th e Matt Austin Grizzly Bear report Number 2 commissioned by the B.C. government stated: “In-stead I recommend that it will be assumed that there will be a substantial impact to grizzly bear eff ective-ness, mortality risk and most importantly, the frag-mentation of grizzly bear distribution in the Purcell

Mountains over the long term as a result of this proj-ect.”

Th e Simon Fraser University Dept. of Biological Sciences stated that in a letter to the B.C. government that “. . . the proposed Jumbo Creek Development, if approved, will adversely aff ect the regional population of grizzly bears in the South Purcells.”

Th e Iris/Sno Engineering feasibility report com-missioned by the B.C. governement stated: “It appears doubtful that the Resort can achieve economic break-even.”

Th is letter has gone on long enough so I won’t bring up the subjects of global warming, avalanche control, melting glaciers, rising costs and minimum age jobs.

Jim GallowayBrisco

Lake Windermere in pre-development days . . . the east side of the lake shows none of the homes that now line the lakeshore and the mountainsides above, rather just a series of forested bluff s leading down to the water.

Photo courtesy of Windermere District Historical Society

Grizzlies DO live in Jumbo


LETTERS

BETTER THAN WOOL SOCKS

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Invermere Industrial Park (just off the road to Panorama)

Dear Editor:

“In our every deliberation we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” - From Th e Great Law of the Iroquois Confederancy.

Let that sink in a while . . . Th is is probably the true defi nition of sustain-ability.

Most of civilization doesn’t even consider the impact their decisions will have on people a few hours later, let alone seven generations out; yet, if we think about it, our decisions must be considerate of our future generations if we want our children’s children to have an acceptable quality of life on this frag-ile planet of ours.

Jumbo Glacier Resort is one of those decisions we must make. Is this project going to benefi t future genera-tions or not? Th e main reason we are even entertaining the development of remote glaciated areas like the Jumbo Valley is because civilization has pursued unsustainable growth and development everywhere else in the world to a point where global warming will negatively aff ect most of our livelihoods.

Th ere is no dispute that the Jum-bo Valley has been scarred by previous industrial eff orts but is that an excuse to continue to do so or should that be an excuse to try to correct the damage done? Th e JGR will off er incredible ski-ing, and create many more jobs. Th e question is at what cost? Th e JGR will cost many millions of private and tax-

payer dollars to build, millions of tax-payer dollars to maintain, and all for a relatively small number of people to enjoy. If that amount of money and hu-man eff ort was put towards truly sus-tainable eff orts that would help improve this area for all future generations, we all would be much better off .

I read Patrick Hasburgh’s letter to the editor last week and I really under-stand his point of view because I was there once. We moved to the valley 14 years ago and, at that time, I was also in favor of opening up the Jumbo Val-ley for skiing. Patrick’s justifi cation for allowing the resort to proceed was the same as my own. I even created a bum-per sticker asking people to “Let Jumbo Fly.” Over the years I came to under-stand the cost and the sustainability of such a development and I cannot justify the cost to future generations. Patrick is right, the future is a freight train com-ing but that freight train is unsustain-able development. Like in many Hol-lywood movies, I hope we are able to jump aboard that runaway train and use all our strength to stop it. We need to make sustainable choices one small step at a time and that can start with Jumbo Glacier Resort. If we choose to contin-ue to allow unsustainable development then we should apologize right now to future generations for our lack of cour-age and foresight.

Dale WilkerInvermere

Jumbo developmentwon’t justify the cost

Dear Editor:

I wish to thank Dr. F. Louw and the medical and nursing staff at the Invermere hospital following my treatment at the Banff Mineral Springs hospital.

I am grateful for the visits from my friends and thank them for the baking, fl owers, cards, fruit and

prayers which are all greatly appreci-ated.

Th e wonderful assistance and encouragement has helped my recov-ery from the injuries sustained in my traffi c accident. Th ank you all, and God bless you.

Stan RokoshInvermere

Thank you, hospital staff


LETTERSDear Editor:

Let me start by saying, fi rst of all, I am a lifetime resident of B.C.; a full-time resident of the Columbia Valley for the last 13 years, and a dedicated enthu-siast of the outdoors. I, too, own both a quad and a snowmobile, and up until I read Patrick Hasburgh’s letter, was not strongly opposed to the Jumbo Resort development.

So I’d like to thank you for your eye-opening glimpse into the world of blissful and self-righteous ignorance! It must be nice to plant yourself in our community and blindly start throwing out your un-educated and misinformed opinions.

Mr. Hasburgh, your views of the summer and winter activities in the Jumbo area are so wildly ex-aggerated you should be embarrassed. While I agree that the valley is not 100-percent undisturbed, and that many people enjoy the spectacular scenery and incredible recreational opportunities the area off ers, I must argue with you on several points: most quad-using hunters are taking advantage of pre-existing logging and mining roads, and are certainly not ask-ing for paved access to the back country. I’ve never run into any ‘mad-core mountain bikers in armored leotards’ up there; there are no downhill trails in the area that I know of. As for high-marking sledders, the Jumbo valley is not a snowmobiling destination, due to government restrictions.

And I guess that grizzly must have already gotten out of the zoo, because I have had countless person-al encounters with Jumbo wildlife, including grizzly bears, and I can assure you they were not in cages. Maybe you’d prefer them that way, so you can observe the wildlife from a safe seat in the ‘fun eatery.’ My point being, the current level of use is not destroying the Jumbo valley.

Mr. Hasburgh, I also happen to be a so-called ‘nail-bender’, and have a fairly good understanding of the construction industry. I know that when money starts to run thin, corners are cut, and some great con-cepts are left unfi nished. If I believed the Canadian government would enforce the proposed environmen-tal standards, I might feel better. But since I know how developers and our government work, I have very little faith.

Maybe it’s diff erent where you come from. Plus, I’ve lived here long enough to have witnessed the building boom at Panorama, and while some homes in the resort were built by local construction companies, most, if not all larger amenities were built and man-aged by out-of-town companies and labourers. And in fact, most materials, right down to door knobs, actu-ally are sourced elsewhere. You should personally ask our local hardware stores how much business they got from Intrawest. And we know from experience that the mostly temporary, minimum wage jobs a resort provides will hardly create a booming local economy.

When the boom stops in Invermere, us nail benders won’t be paying for new trucks with a job at Jumbo.

Your opinion that the only way to save our wilder-ness is to invite more tourists is absurd. If you truly believe developing the Jumbo valley will help to edu-cate tourists and our youth about the importance of preserving other wilderness areas, maybe you should think about why you moved here. Newsfl ash! It’s not the tourists’ job to save our mountains, it’s ours, and that’s what we’re trying to do. I believe we should learn how to make better use of the areas we’ve already devel-oped, rather than continuously encroach our wilder-ness. Just because it’s not untouched doesn’t justify ski lifts, much less quaint ‘shops and fun eateries’. How original! Don’t we have enough of those? Spoken like a dyed-in-the-wool consumer!! If that’s your idea of wilderness, I think you’ll be happier back in Aspen.

So, Mr. Hasburgh, I encourage you to buy your quad, drive up into the Jumbo Valley, maybe even hike around and explore where the condos are pen-ciled in. You honestly think building a resort there would improve the environment? Better yet, just stay in Panorama - more wilderness for the rest of us. I must admit, I’m having a hard time imagining what would possess you to put so much eff ort into writing a ridiculous letter about an issue you obviously know very little about. Unless, of course, you have shares?

Byron Leinor, Windermere

Writer lives in 'blissful ignorance'

Doug Charlton is a carpenter, general contrac-tor and keen skier and hiker who has lived in the Windermere Valley for 32 years. He says he has never written much of anything, let alone a letter to the editor!

Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to Mr. Patrick Has-burgh’s letter of February 2, 2007. Mr. H. seems to be confused about our local geography, referring to “mine tailings,” “clear cuts,” “timber debris” and “root balls” along Toby Creek as having something to do with Upper Jumbo Valley.

If Mr. H. would like to lead the battle for reha-bilitation of Toby Creek that would be wonderful, but referring to Jumbo Creek as an “environmental catastrophe” can only be construed as “intentional disinformation.” Th e sawmill site at the proposed Jumbo Glacier Resort is so small that most people

have trouble fi nding it! And the only recently log-ging in that area is the very heli- ski runs Mr. H. enjoys so much!

If Mr. H. came down off his quad, snowmo-bile or helicopter, he might more enjoy the peace, quiet and beauty (not to mention the abundance of wildlife) of Jumbo Valley, as thousands of locals and tourists alike have treasured for decades. Most of these folks would gladly welcome a lifetime of snow-shoeing and ski touring, not to mention hik-ing, climbing, biking, fi shing and camping. What a wonderful penance that would be! Perhaps the tourists you speak of may not care about our de-bate and probably don’t “give two candy kisses” about our valley’s future, but the many tourists I meet enjoying Jumbo Valley, do! I am sure they would be stunned that others would think there is no “no reason to go,” as you claimed.

As a contractor in the valley, I know fi rst-hand of our latest building boom. I also know how hard

it is to get sub-trades, labourers, materials and equipment in an ever-competitive market with soaring prices and increasing shortages. I for one am not naïve enough to think the local building in-dustry will be able to supply the materials, labour and sub-trades for the proposed JGR. Th ings are hard enough in the valley as it is. I would hate to be trying to build a house in the Windermere Valley if all of our builders were at Jumbo!

Th e small percentage economic gain for our building industry does not justify the large percent-age loss of our wilderness! If mega-development is allowed to continue “this region’s honourable working class” won’t have to worry about paying off their trucks and snowmobiles. Instead, they will be more concerned with thoughts of where and how to aff ord to live. Maybe it will be cheaper to live in Aspen!

Continued on Page 18

Come down off your quad!

>>>>>> >>> >>> >>>>EncoreWHAT’S HAPPENING IN THECOLUMBIA VALLEY

MUSIC • VISUAL ARTS • DINING • BAR SCENE • ENTERTAINMENT • PERFORMANCE ARTS

PAGE 10

The fi lm series at the Toby Theatre begins February 19th. See Page 12 for more information.

Your Weekly Guide to

What’s Happening Around the

Columbia Valley

PAGE 11

Out & About

PAGE 13

MOVIE REVIEW

NEW BOOK

PAGE 10

Cinefest Movie · Stranger Than Fiction · Toby TheatreMonday February 19th at 7:00 pm.

Call To Artists · For 2007 Gallery Season CalendarApplication available on our website at: www.columbiavalleyarts.com/artistinfo

CV Arts Website · Check out columbiavalleyarts.comUpdated Events, Gallery Shows & Workshops!

Visit columbiavalleyarts.com for our current events calendar, or call 342-4423.

What does ARTmean to you?

Roll them, Cinefest!

Local author Andy Stuart-Hill will autograph his new book A History of Panorama: Th e Hill that Became a Mountain, on Saturday, Feb. 10, from noon until 3 p.m. at Dave’s Book Bar.

Th e perfect-bound paperback edition of the book is selling well, Mr. Stuart-Hill reported.

Th e book will be available for $14.95 on the day of the book signing. Th e book is also available through four retail outlets in Pan-orama.

Featured in the December 8, 2006, edition of the Pio-neer, A History of Panorama is a photo-laden history of the Panorama Mountain Resort.

Th e book currently shares the front window of Dave’s Book Bar in Invermere with Colin Cartwright’s Empty on the Swan: A Trucker and Loggers View of the Whiteswan Road.

Th e books by Mr. Cartwright, Mr. Stuart-Hill and the recent book by Shelagh and Dusty Dehart, Th e Kinbasket Migration, build on a growing library of local history which includes:

• I Flew the Lancaster Bomber by Leo Richer• Th e Legacy of Fairmont Hot Springs by Janet Wilder• Th e Night the Tin House Burned by Ron Ede• Nipika, a Story of Radium Hot Springs by Dale Zieroth• Tales of the Windermere by Winn Weir• Trails I have Travelled by Dix Anderson

Oscar-winner and off -beat direc-tor Michel Gondry’s Th e Science of Sleep follows his own distinctive style developed in rock videos for Bjork, Beck, and Radiohead, among others. Sleep is the story of a young artist who is coaxed back to his mother’s apart-ment building in France from his na-tive Mexico on the promise of a job.

Th e transition for Stéphane, played by Gal Garcia Bernal (Th e Motorcycle Diaries, Y tu mamá tam-bién) is complicated by the fact that since age fi ve, his mother explains to a suitor, he mixes his dream life and his waking life.

Stéphane lives in a world - a ver-sion, I suspect, of Gondry’s own world of dreams - created of shifting themes,

cardboard cut-outs, stop-motion ani-mation and fantastic inventions like a time machine that move you forward or backward in time for one second. When the job arranged by his mother falls below expectations, he turns his attention to his neighbor, Stéphanie, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, in whom he fi nds a kindred soul.

Gondry creates the perfect dream-scape which draws you in. Like real dreams, Th e Science of Sleep is disori-enting and weaves back and forth in time, without turning off the viewer.



Movie Review: Science of Sleep

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Last Week’s Top 5 Rentals New Releases Feb. 6

1 Grudge 2 2 Flicka 3 Running with Scissors 4 Flags of our Fathers 5 Trust the Man

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1 Departed, The2 Marie Antoinette3 Half Nelson4 Ron Clark Story5 Zoom Academy for Superheroes

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RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 HEADS

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11February 9 , 2007

Toby Th eatre

• February 7 - 10: Eragon• February 14 - 17: Rocky Balboa

February 9th

• Rotary Club of Invermere “Citizen of the Year” nomination deadline. Mail nominations to Box 877, Invermere, BC, V0A 1K0.• 7:30 pm: Castlegar vs. Columbia Valley Rockies, Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

February 10th

• 2 pm: Valentine Tea & Bake Sale, Radium Seniors ‘Hall. Sponsored by Edgewater - Radium Health Care Auxiliary. For info: 347-9874.• 2 pm: Tea & Bake Sale, Mt. Swansea Chapter #80, Eastern Star. Held at the Masonic Hall, adults $4, children $2.• 7:30 pm: Grand Forks vs. Columbia Valley Rockies, Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

February 12th

• 1 pm - 4 pm: Valentine’s Dance, Seniors’ Hall, 1309 14th Street. For info: 342-3990.• 7 pm: Town Hall Meeting for Area G, Brisco Community Hall. For info: 1-888-478-7335.• 7 pm: Future of Food: Columbia Valley Film Series, “Future of Food”, DTSS Th eatre. For info: Alison Bell 342-9213, ext. 217.

February 14th

• 11 am: All mothers with toddlers aged 18 months - 2 years are invited to the Radium Library for the new reading program.

February 15th

• 7 pm: Town Hall Meeting for Area G, Edgewater Community Hall. For info: RDEK, 1-888-478-7335.

February 16th

• 12 pm: Heritage Luncheon at the Legion, sponsored by the Windermere District Historical Society. Limited seating, for tickets and info: 342-9434, or 342-6892.

February 17th

• 7 pm: Syndicate Rail Jam Series, Panorama Mountain Village. Register at CanSki and Guest Services in the Ski Tip Lodge, Showcase Snowboards in the Tamarack Lodge, and Syndicate Boardshop in Invermere.

February 18th

• 7:30 pm: Showcase Halfpipe Competition, Panorama Mountain Village. Register at CanSki and Guest Services in the Ski Tip Lodge, Showcase Snowboards in the Tamarack Lodge, and Syndicate Boardshop in Invermere.

February 19th

• 7 pm: Community Forum on Childcare, Invermere Community Hall, refreshments served. Learn about funding cuts and their eff ect on the Valley. For info: 342-9516.

February 20th

• 1 pm: East Kootenay Brain Injury Association Support Group meeting held at Valley Connections Facility. For info: 250-344-5674.

February 23rd

• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm: J.A. Laird PAC Annual Spring Carnival, Laird elementary school gym. Games, food, and lots of fun, sponsored by J.A.Laird PAC.

February 26th

• 7 pm: Future of Food: Columbia Valley Film Series, “Slow Food Revolution”, DTSS Th eatre. For info: Alison Bell 342-9213, ext. 217.

Hot Springs Hours of Operation

• Radium Hot pool, Sunday - Th ursday 12 pm - 9 pm; Friday - Saturday 12 pm - 10 pm.• Radium Cool Pool, Friday 6 pm - 9 pm, Saturday - Sunday 12 pm - 9 pm. For info: 347-9485.• Fairmont Hot Springs Hot Pool Hours: 8 am - 10 pm daily. For info: 345-6311.

Columbia Valley Food Bank

Tuesdays and Th ursdays from 1 pm - 2 pmTo donate, mail a cheque to: Box 2141, Invermere.

New Video Releases Tuesday

• Th e Departed • Zoom• School for Scoundrels • Marie Antoinette• Man About Town • Raising Genius • Th e U.S. vs John Lennon • Half Nelson• Th e Ron Clark Story • Th e Quiet

Invermere Th rift Store

Th ursdays, 10 am - 4 pmFridays and Saturdays, 1 pm - 4 pmAlso: • Flatware for rent “For All Occasions”, Invermere Health Care Auxiliary. $2.50/dozen, 300 place settings available. For info: Karla Schager, 342-9981.

Radium Library Hours

• Wednesday, Th ursday, Sunday: 2 pm - 4 pm• Tuesday & Th ursday: 7 pm - 9 pm• Saturday: 10 am - 12 pm

Student News

• Elkhorn College is now accepting applications of interest for September 2007. Apply to: Elkhorn Ranch Ltd., Box 128, Windermere, BC V0B 2L0.TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9th:• 7 pm: PAC Meeting, JA Laird.TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13th:• 7 pm - 11 pm: DTSS Leadership Class presents the school dance, held at Bud’s Bar & Lounge. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, and $7.00 at the door. Open to DTSS and Open Doors students only. Proceeds go towards building a school in Kenya.FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd:• 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Spring Carnival, JA Laird gym.

OTHER

• Windermere Fire Department is seeking community minded volunteers. For info: Aaron at 342-3965.FRIDAYS:• 3 pm - 6 pm: Public indoor rock climbing, JA Laird gym, $5 drop in. For info: 342-9413 or 342-6232.MONDAYS:• 8 pm - 10 pm: Men’s basketball, DTSS. For info: crossfi [email protected], 342-5588.

Out & AboutPlease call 341-6299

or Email us at [email protected] enter your event in our FREE listings.


Visit harrisonmckay.com/faq for more answers to frequently asked questions about marketing, advertising, and website design.

Ask Harrison your own question! E-mail [email protected].

“What is a target market?”Your target market is the group of people that is the “most typical” pur-chaser of your product or service. For

example, a luxury spa’s pri-mary target market may

be professional women

aged 35-50 with a household in-come of $75,000 or greater.Demographics are statistical data that describe the makeup of a cer-tain population (whether a geo-graphic area, or the readership of a

certain magazine). Demographics includes information such as age range, sex, education levels, and average household income. An ex-ample of the use of demographics is to advertise in a magazine with a readership that matches your tar-get market.


Stay out of the Doghouse!Valentine’s Day is Wednesday, February 14th!

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Eastern Star DayTea & Bake Sale

Saturday, February 10th, 2:00 p.m.Masonic Hall (above Lambert-Kipp)

Adults $4.00 Children $2.00Door Prizes

Submitted by Jennifer WoodburnColumbia Valley Arts Council

Th e monthly independent fi lm series, Cinefest, begins its new season this month.

Back again at the Toby Th eatre in Invermere on select Monday evenings, this popular local evening or-ganized by the Columbia Valley Arts Council resumes with an diverse and exciting line-up of fi lms.

Th e fi rst fi lm, “Stranger Th an Fiction,” plays on Monday, February 19th. Will Ferrell, Emma Th omp-son and Dustin Hoff man star in this smart, funny, powerful fi lm about a man who realizes he is a fi ctional character in someone else’s story. When he discovers that the author is plotting his death, the adventure be-gins!

Th e next fi lm in the series is the Golden Globe winning “Babel.” Th is fi lm stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett in a story which crosses boarders, cultures, confl icts and the internal lines that people draw be-tween themselves.

April’s fi lm is the period drama “Th e Painted Veil” based on the classic novel by William Somerset Maugham. Actors Naomi Watts and Edward Norton play a husband and wife who follow a dangerous jour-ney into the heart of China looking for redemption and happiness.

“Volver” plays in May, starring Penelope Cruz in the story of three women – a good mother desperately in love with a man who is far from being a saint, a young mother carrying a hard life on her shoulders

and an illegal hairdresser whose shop is the meeting point for all neighbourhood gossip.

Th e fi nal fi lm of the series is the Canadian directed “Away From Her.” Th is follows a retired couple’s jour-ney as memory loss, new romance, and letting go try their relationship. Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent star in this touching fi lm.

Th is season CV Arts is happy to announce a new sponsor for Cinefest.

Harrison McKay Communications has agreed to sponsor the program, which in turn helps the arts council off set the costs incurred in presenting Cinef-est.

“It’s exciting to support such a worthwhile pro-gram,” said Mr. McKay. “CV Arts really needs and ap-preciates business sponsorships. All of us at Harrison McKay are nuts about great fi lms, so it’s a perfect fi t.

All fi lms play at the Toby Th eatre in Invermere, at 7 p.m. Cinefest tickets are $10 per person, and can be purchased at the door. Season passes will also be avail-able at the February 19h show. Th e cost for a season pass is $40 for the fi rst fi ve fi lms.

For a full description of the fi lms visit CV Arts’ website at www.columbiavalleyarts.com/cinefest.

Film Series Schedule:February 19 Stranger Th an FictionMarch 19 BabelApril 16 Th e Painted VeilMay 14 VolverJune 4 Away From Her

Cinefest unveilsexciting fi lm schedule

Will Ferrell stars in Stranger Th an Fiction, the fi rst Cinefest fi lm of the season, on February 19th.


Need Blinds? Best QualityCall The Blind Guy!


Dance to the Original Recorded Sounds

BIG BAND, DISCO, ROCK & ROLL, COUNTRY, SWING

Advanced Tickets $10 • At the door $15Snacks and Spot Dances Included

Tickets Available at Pip’s Store or on the night at the Legion.For more info call Doreen, 347-9550 or Vi, 347-0044

Valentine’s DanceTo the great sounds of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s & 70’s

Saturday, February 10th9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. • Edgewater Legion

Valentine’s DanceTo the great sounds of the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s & 70’s

Saturday, February 10th9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. • Edgewater Legion

Chisel Peak Medical Clinicis pleased to announce that

Dr. Cord continues to accept patients to his practice.

To make an appointment, please phoneChisel Peak Medical Clinic at 341-6900

or visit the clinic at 417-10th Ave., Invermere, B.C.

Clinic Hours areMonday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm

Great rates, products and servicewww.meridianmortgagesolutions.com

Step by step, professional mortgage support.

Bill Rainbow Mortgage Broker(250) 342-3453

Future of Food:Columbia Valley Film Series

February 12th – Future of Food “There is a revolution happening in the farm elds and on the dinner tables.”

February 26th – Slow Food Revolution “Traditional foods are at risk of disappearing forever, as a

speed-obsessed world turns increasingly to fast foods.”

David Thompson Secondary School Theatre 7:00 p.m.

Fill your head with fun foody facts. Door prizes, fun quizzes, organic food for sale.

Entry by donation. All proceeds to the Greenhouse Project.

For more information contact: Alison Bell 342-9213 ext. 217 or email [email protected]

Presented by: Columbia Valley Botanical Gardens/Centre for Sustainable Living, David Thompson Secondary School

and Columbia Valley Slow Food.

Mary Matheson DTSS- Fish on a Platter ?

By Brian Geis,Pioneer Staff

“I’m empty on the Swan at the bottom of the lad-der,” is something you might hear on the radio from a trucker hauling logs up and down Whiteswan Road. It means he’s heading east, into the bush, just past the two-kilometre-mark off Highway 93/95. He’s head-ing up Stepladder Hill. Th e Ladder is an innocent-looking, kilometre-long, low hill with several gradual bumps along its length. Th is time of year, it sends cars and trucks, big and small, off its slippery surfaces and into the ditches in both directions.

Canal Flats native son Colin Cartwright explains why in his new book, Empty on the Swan: A Trucker and Loggers View of the Whiteswan Road.

Th e gray-haired, denim-clad logger, trucker, historian and writer said the book is his attempt to preserve a fading vernacular invented by the truckers. It was the lan-guage he heard growing up on the Swan and working on it his entire life. His fa-ther, Gil, was the ranger in charge of the Canal Flats Forest District. His uncle C. P. Williams was the en-gineer in charge of building the Swan.

“I’ve been associated with the Swan since the be-ginning,” he said. “I worked in the bush most of my career, and now I work maintaining the road.”

Over the years, Mr. Cartwright said, timber in-dustry transportation managers began insisting truck-ers use the kilometre markings to report their where-abouts on the Swan. Th e kilometre markers replaced mile markers, he said, and in danger of being lost is the system of place names the natives, loggers and truckers invented to describe the road.

“Th e truckers gave names to every turn, every twist, every bump in the road,” Mr. Cartwright said. Th e place names—like Stepladder Hill, Looking Glass Corner, Coyote Junction, Porcupine Corner and One Mile Dip—are a better, more accurate way of referring to locations along the Swan. “Fifty years from now these names will still be valid.”

Th e old place names divide the road up into natu-ral sections, refer to specifi c places, he said, and are easier to remember and identify because of the lore from which they derive. Cam Faulkner, an early truck-er, gave the Stepladder hill its name. Th e Bottom of

14 is a swampy area named after the old No. 14 log-ging camp, which was located nearby. Th e 13-kilome-tre mark is called Lindbeck’s corner, because a trucker named Art Lindbeck rolled a logging truck there.

Looking Glass Corner, just past “the 18 board” (kilometre marker 18), got its name after two truck-ers passing each other in the corner touched rear-view mirrors, sending shards of broken glass across the roadway.

Th e stories abound, some funny, some terrifying, all entertaining, about the 30-kilometre section of road and the people who use it.

“I think it will be a very good guidebook for ev-eryone, area residents and tourists,” Mr. Cartwright said. True, the book details every inch of the road from Highway 93/95 to the White River, including crossroads, points of interests, wildlife habitats, even good views of nearby mountains and valleys, as well as stories about the people who built and worked the road and the neighbors who grew up around it.

In fact, he wrote, one of the reasons why Steplad-der Hill is so treacher-ous for such a shallow grade is because the Ladder faces south and catches a lot of sun-shine, which results in extremely slippery conditions.

“We hope every-body will look at the Swan a little diff erently after reading the book,” Mr. Cartwright’s wife Kathy added.

Rubbe rnecke r s will enjoy all the de-tails of wrecks along the Swan included in the book. As a main-

tenance worker, Mr. Cartwright, has witnessed and responded to dozens of accidents along the road.

Empty on the Swan includes a lot of wreck pho-tos, in case you were wondering what a loaded log-ging truck looks like after being squeezed off the road and rolling to the bottom of the canyon at Narrow Gauge.

“I left a lot of stuff out. Th ere are a lot of gory details,” Mr. Cartwright added. “Sombody went over a bank and got mashed up in a car. Nobody needs to read about that.”

Former Canal Flats chief administrator Bruce Woodbury did all the global positioning system map-ping for the book and provided technical help, while former teacher and Pioneer proofreader Anne Picton edited it.

Th e book is available at Dave’s Book Bar and Home Hardware, at Bigway Foods in Fairmont, at the Mountainside Market in Radium Hot Springs, and at the Hoodoos Gas Station, as well as Lotus Books and Katrina’s Books in Cranbrook.

Canal Flats trucker turns author

Colin Cartwright


Brendan DonahueInvestment AdvisorPhone: 342-2112

GIC Rates as of Feb. 5th cashable 4.03%90 days 4.11%1 yr 4.20%2 yrs 4.25%3 yrs 4.26%4 yrs 4.30%5 yrs 4.35%

New High Interest Savings Accounts

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InvestmentsGICs, Stocks, Bonds, Preferred Shares,

Income Trusts, Mutual Funds, High Interest Savings, RRSPs

Rates subject to change without notice.Subject to availability.

Brendan Donahue, BCOMM, CIM, FMAInvestment Advisor

Berkshire Securities Inc.342-2112

Jason Elford, CFP

Investment AdvisorBerkshire Investment Group Inc.

342-5052

The Columbia Valley’s Premiere Wealth

Management Firm

PlanningEstate Planning, Retirement Planning,

Retirement Projections, Income Splitting,

Registered Educational Savings Plans

ServicesRSP Loans, Mortgage Referrals,

Pension Transfers, Group RRSPs, Complimentary Portfolio Reviews

Most people review their Investment portfolio regularly!When was the last time you reviewed your Life Insurance Portfolio?

In our ever changing world it is important that your insurance is reviewed constantly to ensure that it is the best and most appropriate coverage available.

As one of the valley’s only truly independent Life Insurance brokers, I have access to most of the major carriers and can help you to ensure that you have the best products to suit your needs.

For a complimentary review and to see if we can lower your cost or improve the quality of your existing coverage call me at 342-5052 or just stop in to the Berkshire offi ce and ask to see Jason.

Jason Elford has been a wealth management specialist in Calgary for more than 9 years. Now a full time resident of Invermere, Jason recently joined the Berkshire offi ce with Brendan Donahue and Bruce McLaughlin.

Jason ElfordCertifi ed Financial Planner

Insurance Advisor712 - 10th Street, Invermere

Phone: 342-5052

Market Action As of Feb. 5th, 2007 Weekly Gain/(Loss) YTDS&P/TSX Composite Index 13,166 220.73 2.00%Dow Jones Industrial Average 12,661 170.96 1.59%Nikkei 17,344 (63.60) 0.14%Oil (New York) $58.74 $3.32 (3.78%)Gold (New York) $656.10 $5.40 2.52%Canadian Dollar (in US dollars) $0.8449 (0.0014) 0.97%

Th inking about death and putting off planning your estate — one is diffi cult and the other is very easy. Together, if they remain ignored, the two can combine to create a sticky situation for you and your benefi ciaries. Every Canadian adult — regard-less of fi nancial situation — should have an up-to-date estate plan that outlines the following:

• Who is responsible for distributing your assets;• Who gets what and when they get it;• Who will take care of your children;• Who will manage any trust accounts; and• Who will make fi nancial and medical decisions

if you’re incapacitated.To take control of your estate, follow these steps:1. Determine your estate planning goals.2. Consider which estate planning tools fi t your

situation best.3. Choose the people you want to speak for you.4. Start raising estate-planning issues with your

family.5. Keep your estate plan up to date.Without careful planning, your estate may be

tied up in the courts for months or even years. Th e government could end up collecting more taxes than otherwise. And, most importantly, how your legacy is disbursed may be decided for you.

Depending on the complexity of your estate, you may require the services of a lawyer, a fi nancial advisor, an accountant, an insurance agent or a trust offi cer.

Developing a complete estate will require much more than a will. Depending on your personal situa-tion, you will need to consider a combination of the following components:

• Will: the core document in your estate plan that identifi es an executor, distributes your assets and names a guardian for your children if they are minors.

• Trust: is established to take care of assets you don’t want transferred immediately after your death or to manage investments for benefi ciaries who are inca-pable of doing so themselves.

• Life insurance: can help ensure your heirs aren’t negatively impacted by their inheritance, or to pay your funeral expenses or fi nal taxes.

• Power of Attorney for property: allows a trust-ed family member or friend to make fi nancial deci-sions for you should you become incapacitated, but only while you’re alive.

• Power of Attorney for personal care: allows someone close to you to make medical decisions based on your own previously expressed wishes.

• Living Will: sets out your preferences for medi-cal care if you’re unable to express them yourself. Th is concerns continuing life support and similar impor-tant decisions.

• Organ Donor Cards: is an offi cial statement of whether you would like your organs to be donated to someone who would benefi t from a transplant. You will also need to discuss this with your family as doc-tors may need their consent as well.

• Funeral Arrangements: helps decide how you would like to be remembered.

• Business Succession Plan: decides what will happen with a business you own in part or whole. Th ere are complex rules regarding selling a business or passing it to heirs.

• Tax Planning: In Canada there are no “estate taxes” owed on the entire value of an estate. However, your estate may be subject to probate or income taxes. Th ese are paid out of your estate, reducing the amount paid to your heirs.

Probate and taxes are foremost considerations when planning your estate.

YOUR MONEYPreparing your estate plan


The first wordin retirement planning

Your retirement is more than an RSP.Talk to us about a plan today.

Visit your closest BMO Bank of Montreal branch or call 1 (800) 363-9992

® Registered trade-marks of Bank of Montreal

WOW!! We would like to thank this overly supportive valley for your contributions to the Franci Sterzer

New Year’s Eve Dance and Silent Auction. Your support will assist Franci in her recovery and future needs.

Bigway FoodsCanal Flats Family FoodsFire Valley ResturantGrant’s Food BinsAG FoodsSobeysAzure Massage & WellnessBighorn Meadows ResortBPB Canada IncorporatedBrenda & Brian StringerBridge Interiors&Long Valley SteelCanal Flats Wilderness ClubColumbia Valley RockiesColumere Park DevelopmentsCoy’s Par 3 Golf CourseCranbrook Minor HockeyCranbrook PharmasaveDale, Joanne, Kylie SteedmanDave Roy - Edge of ExcellenceDutch Creek Resort & RV ParkFairmont Hot Springs ResortFairmont Resort PropertiesHavADay DevelopmentsHigh Country PropertiesHuckleberry’s ResturantJoan & L. Bond EscavatingKicking Horse Coff eeKimberly Continuing EdKris Newman ContractingMega Silk ScreeningMountain Fur TanneryNorthStar Mountain VillagePanorama Mountain VillagePlante G. Sales & ServiceQuasar Western ElectricRadermacher ChiropracticRandy & Kathy Faulkner& FamilyRedeye Rentals & SalesRenaissance WellnessRiverside Golf EstatesRobert Paulson Gen. ContractingRocky Mountain RealtySchoni Wood Oven BreadScott/Rob/Dr. NiedermayerSmoking Waters Coff ee ShopSparwood Trophy & EngravingKimberly PeeWee SteelersStay Cool Marine & AutoThe Badgers Hockey ClubThe Dollar Store InvermereThunderhill Sand & GravelWalter, Brian & David McKersieWrench Bender Towing 2004WAA Construction

Anywear GarmentsBare Hands SpaBavin GlassBliss BeadsBond ExcavatingCanal Flats Civic CenterCanal Flats Minor HockeyColumbia InnColumbia RaftingCranbrook Golf CourseDave’s Pepper JellyDecoy LandscapingDonna & Ivar LarsonDetails by JoanneEagle Ranch Golf CourseFairmont GoldsmithFairmont SepticJohn & Donna SwallowJustin & Layne GertnerKimberly Golf CourseSportsmans PubKoochin TruckingKootenay AdvertiserKootenay Wine CraftersBoyd’s Seafood RestaurantLambert Kipp InsuranceLambert Kipp Pharmacy Langridge LoggingLarson LoggingLinda & Bruce BeldingMajestic U-BrewMarks Work WearhouseMax Helmer ConstructionMayook Valley RanchMelody MotorsMickey’s AutobodyMister Tire CranbrookMountain PetroleumNewalta CranbrookNorthstar MotorsPenningtonsPerpelitz FamilyPetroCanada CranbrookPlayers BenchPopcorn & MoviePretty Woman BoutiqueRockies Ride & GlideRural Roots ImagesShades of GlassSpecialty FootwearSpeers ConstructionThe Flats Golf CourseTrims and TreasuresKim Westergaard

A&W CranbrookAir LiquideArtym GalleryBMO staff Bootleg GapCopper PointDairy QueenDesign CentsDr. D. UrbanDR SportsDr. C. CallenFairmont SepticFarside PubFitz FlooringHooDoo GrillHX LoggingInterior WorldIt’s a WrapKathleen TurnbullKootenay IceLake AutoLee Jay MotelMarble CanyonMcIntosh Logging Monkey’s UncleNite FramesOasis GiftsPACETe Papa NuiPenners ShoesPlayers BenchRadium ResortReadman’s SpaRunners RVSafewaySpirit TrailsSuzanna WoodleyTembecTiff any’s ThreadzUsanaWalker’s RepairValley FitnessLakeside PubWalmart - PharmacyWildside Gift ShopSpruce Grove ResortWayne Shaw EnterprisesTouch of DutchTim & Donna StrandVivian & Dennis BondBruce & Linda BeldingCarolyn BarsleyChristine KeshenDon & Brenda McBlain

A & S DavisAdele TraskB & C FarrowB WoodburryC Murray Craig Sterzer D & P Dergousoff D GautierD SandersonDana BjorkmanDave OaksDwayne ZaharaE & G PerryF & C CanningGeorge GreeensideGreg ThompsonHenri KarperienJ & C ConroyJ & T AdamsJill WhiteJoe BjorkmanJohn TilleyKim CollensL & J SchalkL CharetteL. MidyetteLeslie FournierLoreen PurdyM & J FournierMary Hoobanoff Marilyn KraayvangerMr. CarterN & J BidderNeal FamilyP & N Ruault R & C ThompsonRoxy & Brian FlowersS & D WillicomeS & M Langenek Sage Family Sandy Meyers Shannon & DougGertnerShauna CranchSpring Hawes T Broadfoot Tara ReiveTaylor FamilyTodd RotvoldV & A MacalaVal BrackenW & J BrentWayne PelterSiegried & Anna Kopp

A special thank you to Dana Bjorkman, Daphne Neal, Kim Westergaard, Tiffany Gulbe & Crew, Shannon Gertner and Tara Reive and to all who helped decorate and volunteer at the event. We sincerely apologize for any omissions.

By Melinda DrewsDavid Th ompsonSecondary School

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner at David Th ompson Sec-ondary School.

Th at means the sell-ing and receiving of “crushes”, which consist of cream soda and carna-tions.

Th e student council sets up a table and sells “crushes” to students, and then on Valentine’s Day will deliver the drinks and the fl owers to the lucky re-cipient in their classroom.

It’s a great way to give your boy-friend or girlfriend (or favourite teacher) a little special something on Valentine’s Day. All funds go towards the great work doen by the student council.

Th e other special event being held is the highly anticipated Valentine’s Day dance at Bud’s Bar and Disco.

Th e leadership class has been work-ing non-stop in order to get the one and only school dance up and running. Th e dance will take place on Tuesday, Febru-ary 13th, from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Th e dance was held last year for the fi rst time in many years, and it was a huge success. Last year the char-

ity function managed to raise $1,000 for Spring Hawes, who was injured in a biking accident.

Th is year the money earned at the dance will go into a fund which will sponsor the building of a school in Kenya.

So far over $7,000 has been raised for the school, with $10,000 be-ing the amount needed

to complete the job.As this is my last Valentine’s Day at

this high school, I would like to send my own wishes to a few of the many special people here at my school:

Mrs. Jackie Th esen in the ad-ministration department, for always greeting me with a hug and a smile;

Mr. Werner Kopp. I’m sending my wishes fl ying across the world to you in Australia on your one-year exchange, and I know everyone at school looks forward to hearing your corny jokes next year;

My soccer coach Becca Wright, for bringing our team to the top of our game, and making it more fun than I ever expected;

My good friend Jamie Roberts, for always being cheerful and fi lled with laughter.

School Zone


will help you stay on top of your worldShizu E. M. Futa, Touch for Health Level 2

[email protected]

Mustard Seed Health Foods,#103 Parkside Place, 901 7th Avenue, Invermere, BC

Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Please phone (250) 342-2552 for an appointment

Hi - Heat

385 Laurier Street, Invermere, BCPO Box 117, Windermere, BC V0B 2L0email: [email protected]

• POOLS

• HOT TUBS

• CHEMICALS

• FIREPLACES

• BBQ S

• HEATING

• VENTILATION

• AIR CONDITIONING

• RESIDENTIAL

• COMMERCIAL

Phone: (250) 342-7100Fax: (250) 342-7103

www.diamondheatingandspas.com

4966 Fairmont Frontage, Fairmont Hot Springs

345-6600

Sewer/Drain CleaningSeptic Tank Pumping

Portable Toilet Rentals• Complete sewer/drain repair

• Reasonable rates - Seniors’ discount• Speedy service - 7 days a week

• A well-maintained septic system should be pumped every 3-5 years• Avoid costly repairs

Bruce Dehart 347-9803 or 342-5357

NEW

Great Selection of:

*Wood blinds *Sunscreens *Woven Woods *Pleated Shades *Roller Shades

and more!

Tamara OsborneBrenda McEachern.

Phone /Fax

345-6422For all your interiordecorating needs.

Bus: (250) 342-6336Fax: (250) 342-3578Email: [email protected]: www.is-r.ca403 - 7th AvenueInvermere, BC

• Certifi ed Septic Installations• Excavation & Bobcat Services

• Landscaping

Graham Tabaczuk R.O.W.P.(250) 342-5922

BOOK NOW FOR SPRING 2007BOOK NOW FOR SPRING 2007

INVERMEREPhone: (250) 342-9866Fax: (250) 342-9869Email: [email protected]

HEAD OFFICEPhone: (403) 287-0144

Fax: (403) 287-2193#200, 6125 - 11 Street S.E.

Calgary, AB T2H 2L6

AvionConstruction Ltd.

CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS - GENERAL CONTRACTORSDESIGN/BUILD CUSTOM HOMES • MULTI-FAMILY & COMMERCIAL PROJECTS

STEVE GUTSCHE, Project ManagerColumbia Valley District

• Road Building • Land Clearing • Logging • General Excavating

Loretto Keenan MCPA, CBTBC

chartered physiotherapist

Fairmont Physiotherapy & Accupuncture Clinic

For appointments callLoretto at 345-0094

5020 Mountain View PlaceFairmont, BC

HERE TO SERVE YOU

• Rug Cleaners •

Jason RoeRR #4, 2117 -13 Ave.

Invermere, BC V0A [email protected]

Bus: (250)342-9692Res: (250) 342-7327Fax: (250) 342-9644Cell: (250) 342-5241

Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery CleaningFlood Restoration • Window Tinting

The Pioneer has a circulation of 8000, reaching more people than any other publication in the valley

We’re

February 9, 2007 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17

Your search for quality and dependability ends with us.

Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning SpecialistsTruck Mounted System • Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed

Dean HubmanCertifi ed Technician

342-3052

RR3, 4874 Ridge Cres.Invermere, BC

V0A 1K3

INVERMERE GLASS LTD.•Auto • Home

• Commercial • Mirrors • Shower Doors

• 27 years glass experience

Telephone: 342-3659Serving the Valley for over 11 years • #3, 109 Industrial Road #2, Invermere

Jeff Watson

Floor Covering & CabinetsBlinds & Paints

335 - 3rd Ave., Invermere, BCTelephone 342-6264 • Fax 342-3546 Email: [email protected]

www.warwick-interiors.com

THE CENTER OF REAL ESTATE ACTION IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Growing with the Tradition of Quality

• Framing• Renovations • Decks

• Exterior Finishing

Kristoffer Bennett(250) 341-5030

[email protected]

Bennett Construction

Dan EmmsGeneral Manager

P.O. Box 1079Invermere, BCV0A 1K0

Ph: 250.342.1666

[email protected]

Residential and Commercial Lighting

LAMBERT-KIPPPHARMACY LTD.

J. Douglas Kipp, B. Sc. (Pharm.)Laura Kipp, Pharm D.

Your Compounding PharmacyCome in and browse our giftware

Open Monday - Saturday9:00 am - 6:00 pm

1301 - 7th Avenue, Invermere

342-6612

Complete Automotive Repairs

Phone: 342-6614 • www.autowyze.com

(Beside the Petro Canada Car Wash)

Invermere Electrical ServicesInvermere Electrical Services

(250) 342-8878(250) 342-8878

• Reasonable rates• Residential - Commercial• Electric furnace and hot water tank repair• Maintenance and service• Central vacuum systems

For all your electrical needs call:

Free Estimates! or e-mail [email protected]

INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

BOX 2228742 - 13th STREETINVERMERE, BC.V0A 1K0PHONE: 342-3031FAX: 342-6945

BOX 4597559 MAIN STREET

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BCV0A 1M0

PHONE: 347-9350FAX: 347-6350

Email: [email protected] • Toll Free: 1-866-342-3031

Lambert

HERE TO SERVE YOU

February 9, 200718 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

A.R.K. Concrete Ltd.

Residential • Decorative ConcreteFloors, Decks, Patios & Sidewalks

342-6522 Offi ce 342-6512 Fax 342-5465 Aaron Karl 342-1457 Ryan Karl

w i n d o w f a s h i o n s

Interior WorldNeed Blinds?

Call Bill Cropper (250) 342 4406

Automotive Repairs7 days a week

GAS • PROPANE • DIESEL

7507 Main St. West, Radium Hot Springs(250) 347-9726

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS ESSO

Freight & Passenger Depot

WINDERMERE 342-6805

SHOLINDER & MACKAYEXCAVATING Inc.

Septic Systems Installed ~ Pumped ~ RepairedPrefab Cement Tanks Installed

Water Lines Dug InstalledBasements Dug

INVERMERE BARBERS507B - 7th Avenue

Invermere, BC(beside the laundromat)

Phone: (250) 341-3240Tuesday to Friday 9am - 5 pm

Saturday 9 am - 3 pmClosed Sunday and Monday

No Appointment Necessary

Invermere Dry Cleaners Ltd.

Dry Cleaning • Laundry • AlterationsRepair • Bachelor Service

Phone: 342-6610 • 507A - 7th Ave., Invermere

F i n e H o m e s e r v i c e s

(250) 342-9207

VACUFLO

HERE TO SERVE YOU

READY MIX CONCRETEConcrete Pump • Sand & Gravel

Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service

Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years

For competitive prices and prompt service call:342-3268 (plant) 342-6767 (offi ce)

Letter continued from Page 8

Mr. H. does not understand B.C. taxes and B.C. schools. Even the tax base in Aspen couldn’t give us better schools. Our school budgets are based on en-rollment which has been declining in the valley for the last ten years, paralleling our most recent build-ing boom and rising real estate values. Increased de-velopment does not mean increased enrollment or an increase in our local education budget. School taxes collected locally go straight to Victoria. Th ey may help to build new schools in Surrey, a place which is see-ing sky-rocketing school enrollment, but it doesn’t do much for the local kids!

Slyly implying a confl ict of interest on Mayor Shmigelsky’s part seems an absurd rant from a baffl ed “old crank!” Would Mr. H. have us believe Jumbo will be clear-cut if not developed by JGR, allowing Mr.

Shmigelsky to retire a wealthy man at an early age? Or, that if this resort is not built that our community will falter economically? Most would agree that Invermere is experiencing abundant economic growth and pros-perity already.

RK Heli-Ski has well documented their potential loss of revenue should they lose access to their bad weather runs on Leona and Jumbo Creeks and their bread and butter Farnham Glacier area. Does Mr. H. think he will still be able to heli-ski “Rosie’s” or “Christy’s” down to the “tasteful cluster of shops and fun eateries?” Over 50 percent of RK Heli-Ski’s skiing time will be aff ected. It will have to be some kind of record high tide to raise this boat!

Only P. T. Barnum’s proverbial “sucker” would be-lieve our only choices are mineshafts, clear-cutting or double black diamond ski runs. And the future of this valley is only an unstoppable freight train if we allow it

to be! Saving “what’s left of Mother Nature’s beautiful bounty” is the only thing I agree with Mr. H about. But, I can’t imagine this being accomplished by con-dos, shops, 20 ski lifts and 2,000 skiers a day. Clearly, the terms “condos” and “Mother Nature” don’t fi t well in the same sentence, just as they won’t fi t well in the Jumbo Valley.

Th ere seems to be an undercurrent of local-bash-ing that doesn’t sit well. We certainly don’t all agree on everything all of the time, but is still our community and we are entitled to our opinions and our bumper stickers! Mr. Hasburgh’s dream may be Aspen-style liv-ing in Jumbo valley, but it is a far cry from the reason I moved here. Time will tell whether his penance will be full fare heli-skiing or a stand-by ticket on a freight train to . . .

Doug CharltonInvermere

Condos and Mother Nature don’t go together


A.R.K. Concrete Ltd.

Residential • Decorative ConcreteFloors, Decks, Patios & Sidewalks

342-6522 Offi ce 342-6512 Fax 342-5465 Aaron Karl 342-1457 Ryan Karl

w i n d o w f a s h i o n s

Interior WorldNeed Blinds?

Call Bill Cropper (250) 342 4406

Automotive Repairs7 days a week

GAS • PROPANE • DIESEL

7507 Main St. West, Radium Hot Springs(250) 347-9726

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS ESSO

Freight & Passenger Depot

WINDERMERE 342-6805

SHOLINDER & MACKAYEXCAVATING Inc.

Septic Systems Installed ~ Pumped ~ RepairedPrefab Cement Tanks Installed

Water Lines Dug InstalledBasements Dug

INVERMERE BARBERS507B - 7th Avenue

Invermere, BC(beside the laundromat)

Phone: (250) 341-3240Tuesday to Friday 9am - 5 pm

Saturday 9 am - 3 pmClosed Sunday and Monday

No Appointment Necessary

Invermere Dry Cleaners Ltd.

Dry Cleaning • Laundry • AlterationsRepair • Bachelor Service

Phone: 342-6610 • 507A - 7th Ave., Invermere

F i n e H o m e s e r v i c e s

(250) 342-9207

VACUFLO

HERE TO SERVE YOU

READY MIX CONCRETEConcrete Pump • Sand & Gravel

Heavy Equipment Rentals • Crane Service

Proudly Serving the Valley for over 50 years

For competitive prices and prompt service call:342-3268 (plant) 342-6767 (offi ce)

Letter continued from Page 8

Mr. H. does not understand B.C. taxes and B.C. schools. Even the tax base in Aspen couldn’t give us better schools. Our school budgets are based on en-rollment which has been declining in the valley for the last ten years, paralleling our most recent build-ing boom and rising real estate values. Increased de-velopment does not mean increased enrollment or an increase in our local education budget. School taxes collected locally go straight to Victoria. Th ey may help to build new schools in Surrey, a place which is see-ing sky-rocketing school enrollment, but it doesn’t do much for the local kids!

Slyly implying a confl ict of interest on Mayor Shmigelsky’s part seems an absurd rant from a baffl ed “old crank!” Would Mr. H. have us believe Jumbo will be clear-cut if not developed by JGR, allowing Mr.

Shmigelsky to retire a wealthy man at an early age? Or, that if this resort is not built that our community will falter economically? Most would agree that Invermere is experiencing abundant economic growth and pros-perity already.

RK Heli-Ski has well documented their potential loss of revenue should they lose access to their bad weather runs on Leona and Jumbo Creeks and their bread and butter Farnham Glacier area. Does Mr. H. think he will still be able to heli-ski “Rosie’s” or “Christy’s” down to the “tasteful cluster of shops and fun eateries?” Over 50 percent of RK Heli-Ski’s skiing time will be aff ected. It will have to be some kind of record high tide to raise this boat!

Only P. T. Barnum’s proverbial “sucker” would be-lieve our only choices are mineshafts, clear-cutting or double black diamond ski runs. And the future of this valley is only an unstoppable freight train if we allow it

to be! Saving “what’s left of Mother Nature’s beautiful bounty” is the only thing I agree with Mr. H about. But, I can’t imagine this being accomplished by con-dos, shops, 20 ski lifts and 2,000 skiers a day. Clearly, the terms “condos” and “Mother Nature” don’t fi t well in the same sentence, just as they won’t fi t well in the Jumbo Valley.

Th ere seems to be an undercurrent of local-bash-ing that doesn’t sit well. We certainly don’t all agree on everything all of the time, but is still our community and we are entitled to our opinions and our bumper stickers! Mr. Hasburgh’s dream may be Aspen-style liv-ing in Jumbo valley, but it is a far cry from the reason I moved here. Time will tell whether his penance will be full fare heli-skiing or a stand-by ticket on a freight train to . . .

Doug CharltonInvermere

Condos and Mother Nature don’t go togetherFebruary 9, 2007 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19

INVERMERE1022B-7th Ave.

Independently Owned and Operated

Of ce: (250) 342-6505Fax: (250) 342-9611

Paul GlassfordRepresentative

(250) [email protected]

Call or

We Sell Real Estate

Your Local COLUMBIA VALLEY REAL ESTATE

Professionals

Ed English(250) 342-1194

[email protected]

Jan Klimek(250) 342-1195

[email protected]

INVERMEREIndependently Owned and Operated

Main Street, Invermere

(250) 342-6505www.ReMaxInvermere.com

www.edandjanslistings.com

RONMACIBORSKI342-5704

Invermere, BC V0A 1K0Offi ce (250) 342-6911

Fairmont, BC(250) 345-4000

[email protected]

Bernie RavenRepresentative


Daniel ZurgilgenRepresentative


INVERMERE1022B-7th Ave.Independently Owned and Operated

Ofce: (250) 342-6505 Fax: (250) 342-9611

PATBROWNJOHN

342-1262

PAULROGGEMAN341-5300

Invermere Offi ce - 526B – 13th Street

Fairmont Offi ce -#4, Fairmont Village Mall

Phone (250) 345-4000Fax (250) 345-4001

[email protected]

[email protected]

Dedicated to all your real estate needs.

Mountain Creek Properties Ltd.Strata, Rental & Commercial Property Management; Real Estate Sales & Leasing

For professional management of your strata corporation or rental property, overseen by a Certi ed Property Manager (CPM®), Certi ed Professional Residential Property Manager (CPRPM) and Power Engineer, with the accounting done by a Certi ed General Accountant, please contact Bill Weissig by phone at 341-4178, or by email at [email protected].

Our property managers are licensed under the Real Estate Services Act of B.C. For more information regarding their extensive quali cations and experience please go our web site at http://www.mountaincreek.ca.

This column is sponsored by

By Harold Hazelaar, Invermere

A few years ago, I would think to myself about how some of the OldTimers needed a lot of time to get dressed before our games, and assure myself that I would never be that slow. Unfortunately, I am now one of those guys. With my recent knee injury, I have additional equipment to put on prior to playing.

What amazes me is that we can even move our limbs after putting some of this stuff on! I, personally, have a brace for my recovering knee that is a struggle to pull on and almost impossible to get off after it gets warmed up and sweaty. Th en, I add a “girdle” that is supposed to help me from constantly tweaking my groin muscle, which I have been pulling for the past two or three seasons. After this stuff , of course, the regular pads and straps and tape that every hockey player wears fi nishes off the costume I use to masquer-ade as a hockey player.

But that’s nothing ... you should see some of the slightly older guys! Tensor bandages everywhere you can think of. Elbows, knees, ankles, thighs, wrists and, I think, some of the guys wrap their tummies for extra protection too. Don’t want to injure the hot chocolate or herbal tea receptacle, you know!

I suggest you fi nd a company that makes knee, wrist or elbow braces and invest every penny you have in their stocks because the baby-boomers are starting

to fall apart and there are a lot of us. You should be able to make a ton of dough with shares in a brace company!

Some of the smarter guys also wear a visor to pro-tect their eyes from fl ying pucks or errant sticks and some, even smarter guys, wear mouth guards for their teeth. Where is the fun in that? I like the extra atten-tion I get when I have an owwie!!

Team Wins Losses Ties Points

Hi-Heat Batters 17 2 1 35Lake Auto Mustangs 12 6 2 26Dale Christian Mud-ders

9 5 6 24

Radium Petro-Can Killer Tomatoes

9 8 3 21

Valley Vision Vul-tures

7 10 3 17

Warwick Wolves 6 12 2 14Inside Edge Black Smoke

5 11 4 14

Huckleberry Hawks 5 14 1 11

Th e Old ZoneNancy Newhouse is

the new Program Manag-er for the East Kootenay Conservation Program. Th is is a partnership of 45 organizations formed in 2002 to assist commu-nities and local govern-ments to balance growth with conservation.

Nancy is best known for her work over the past 10 years on badger ecology. She and her husband, Trevor Kinley, have operated a wildlife consulting company in the East Kootenay since 1987. Th eir work has included roadkill mitigation, land use planning, and research and conservation of a wide range of species including caribou, bobcats, lynx, badgers and bighorn sheep.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to work directly on conservation-based projects. Th e East Kootenay is unique in that it still provides habitat for the full suite of native species, from carnivores to ungulates to butterfl ies,” she said.

Call Nancy at 342-3655 or email [email protected].

Nancy Newhousenamed manager


THANK YOU

VACATION

1 or 2 weeks aff ordable accom-modation almost anywhere, use before April 6th, 2007. Call 342-6588, leave message.

OFFICE SPACE

Professional offi ce space for rent in Invermere. Large view offi ce with negotiable services. Please call 342-9450 for more info.

STORAGE

New•House Multi-storage, various sizes available, now with climate controlled units. Call 342-3637.

Fenced storage in Canal Flats on Hwy 93/95. RVs, boats, autos, ski-doos, etc. 250-349-8212.

SUITES FOR RENT

CONTRACTORS: self-contained cabins by the week or month, 250-345-6365, Fairmont Bungalows.

1 bedroom and 2 bedroom, N/S, N/P, Stein Apartments, 1 block from downtown. Available immediately, 342-6912.

2 bedroom, 2 bath furnished suite sleeps up to 7. $950/month includes cable and utilities, N/P. Call John 342-6293.

2 bedroom fully furnished ground-fl oor apartment for rent. 1-1/2 blocks from downtown Invermere. Cable, utilities, and laundry facility included. New paint, $1200/month plus damage deposit. N/S, references required. Available February 15th. Phone (250) 342-9712 evenings.

1 bedroom basement suite w/private entrance, $650/month, utilities and cable included, N/S. Available March 1st, call 342-3777 or 341-5201.

Canal Flats: 2 bedroom 4-plex unit. Electric heat, 4 appliances, walking distance

to all amenities. Close to beach & arena, great view. Available immediately, $800 + utilities & DD. Call 250-489-8389, leave message.

CONDO FOR RENT

Immediate possession 2 bedroom condo with bonus room and garage. Brand new, 5 appliances, $1100/month plus utilities. 342-3826.

HOMES FOR RENT

Windermere, 2 bedroom furnished executive house with fridge, stove, d/w, w/d, fi replace, satellite service, heated garage. N/S, N/P. $1200/month plus utilities. Available February 1st, 2007. Sandy, 342-0020.

4 bedroom home, 2 full bathrooms, fenced yard w/deck, new kitchen, w/d, d/w. Available March 1st, $1800/month plus utilities. 342-0741.

3 bedroom, ideal for family, close to Kinsmen Beach, available March 1st. Long-term, N/S, N/P, DD, references. $1100/month plus utilities, call 342-9873.

HOMES FOR SALE

2004 Moduline Landmark 14x70, 3 bedrooms, sunken LR, vaulted ceiling, f/s, w/d, d/w, comes w/addition and deck. $115,000, 347-9381, Radium.

Lochend in the Valley presents Lochend Gardens: stunning new mountain-style homes at 130 - 11th Avenue, Invermere. 1,233 - 1,433 SF, 2 or 3 bedrooms, ceramic tile and laminate, fabulous kitchen, single car garage, heat pump, and more. Prices starting at $349,000 + gst. Phase 1 sold out. Only four homes left! Call 250-342-5229.

2002 modular home for sale, 1250 sq.ft., all appliances

included, aff ordable propane heat. For more information call 342-9348.

House in Athalmer, 70 x 110’ lot with small cabin, 3 blocks from the beach, great location. $237,500 no gst, no commission. 342-6813.

CONDO FOR SALE

2 bedroom, 1033 sq.ft. condo. Heavy duty front-load w/d, s.s appliances, large bathroom, front and rear patio, new home warranty. $199,000 unfur-nished, $210,000 furnished. Call 342-5856 or 341-5661.

LAND FOR SALE

New lots along Crescentwood coming. Commercial lots avail-able NOW for less! Acreage West of town - Edgewater Develop-ments 347 9660, [email protected].

R-2 lot in Invermere, close to beach/boutiques, bakery, no building commitment. $299,900, no gst. View this and other properties for sale by this owner at WeList.com #25567, 23378, 23877. Call 342-8388.

MISC. FOR SALE

HAY, top quality round bales, alfalfa grass. Call Elkhorn Ranch 342-0617.

Kenmore washer and dryer, heavy-duty, excellent condition. $500.00, phone 342-6402.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

1989 Toyota Camry LE, 272,000 kms. Just serviced, reliable, good shape. $1450.00 OBO. 342-6557, 342-5298.

2003 Ford F150 ext. cab 4x4, green, auto, PW/PD, air/tilt/cruise, sunroof, aluminum headache rack, tow package. Well-maintained, good shape, $16,800 OBO. 347-9427.

SERVICES

Simes Painting: interior and exterior, new homes and existing, quality woodwork fi nishing, laquers, staining, and clearcoating. Call Barry. 342-0572 Windermere.

Sunsations Day Spa serving the valley for 18 years. Massage, esthetics, hair. NOW by appointment only. Tuesday through Saturday. Call Bonnie-Lou or Cara-Lee, 342-6899.

FREE Greeting Cards! Exciting new internet card company. Register to receive your free account. www.remembergreetingcards.com/dreambig.

BUSINESS FOR SALE

Wine and beer making business for sale, established clientele, $37,000 plus inventory. Phone Judy, 342-7096.

NOTICE

Notice of Intent to Dispose2nd Notice

All vehicles and personal eff ects that are being stored at Brady Creek Ranch on the Westside Road (formerly Garry Hamilton’s residence) need to be removed. Anyone who claims ownership must off er up proof within thirty (30) days of February 2, 2007, or the property will be considered abandoned and will be disposed of with no further notice. Contact L. Leroy by fax at (403) 230-3969 with contact information.

CHILDCARE

Childcare needed for 3 children aged 6, 4, and 2-1/2, 5days/week, 30 - 35 hours. Flexible schedule, contact Jolene, 342-9525 or 341-1363.

CHEERS

CHEERS to the Edgewater Recreation Commission and to all who attended the dedication of “Frank’s Rink” in Edgewater. Well done! Erika & girls.

PIONEER CLASSIFIEDS

Residential/Vacation Properties

Maintenance & RepairsDependable - Fully Insured

JIM ROBERTSONWindermere

342-9022

$10,000,000in vehicle inventory.

Go to www.cranbrookdodge.com

to view complete inventory.

Marion MurrayOct. 12, 1925 - Jan. 29, 2007

The Murray Family gives a big thank you to the staff and volunteers at Columbia House

for your kindness, love and professional care for Marion Murray. We also appreciate

the caring provided to our family by the Columbia Garden Village and Dr. Page.

I wish to thank Dr. F. Louw and the medical and nursing staff at the Invermere Hospital following my treatment at the Banff Mineral Springs Hospital. I am grateful for the visits from my friends and thank them for the baking, fl owers, cards, fruit, and prayers which are all greratly appreciated. The wonderful assis-tance and encouragement has helped my recovery from the in-juries sustained in my traffi c accident. Thank you, and God bless you. Stan Rokosh.


PIONEERCLASSIFIEDS

Manager/Ice TechnicianThe Invermere District Curling Club (four sheets of ice) invites applications for the position of Manager/Ice Technician for our 2007 Fall Season. Speci c experience and skill requirements include:

• CurlBC ice making certi cate.• Curling experience.• Organizational skills.• Good oral communication skills.• Customer service, public relation skills.• A high level of initiative/self motivation.

Interested applicants should mail or email a resume complete with salary expectations and references by Thursday, March 1, 2007 to:

Mr. Bob PagePresidentInvermere District Curling ClubBox 310Invermere, BC V0A [email protected] (e-mail)

CAREERS

Flooring Sales Manager: must be experienced in carpet, vinyl and ceramic tile. This is a senior position. Duties include sales, estimating and fi eld coordination of medium sized fl ooring projects, computer experience would be benefi cial. Excellent salary and extended health plan available for qualifi ed person. References required. Apply to Warwick Interiors, Box 2673 Invermere, BC, V0A 1K0. Phone 250-342-6264, fax 250-342-3546, Attention Dave.

Lucky Strike Gas & The Valley Alley Bowling Centre are looking for fun and energetic individuals who like to work with the public. Come Join our Team!! Bowling Alley Staff , Cashier and Gas Attendants Wanted, Needed and Welcomed! Full-time &/or part-time available. Phone 342-6117 or drop off resume at The Valley Alley.

Front Desk/Guest Registration needed at the Mountain View Lodge. Evenings, approximately 5-10 pm. Some simple accounting and light duties involved. Wage negotiable. Call Nicky or Allan at 342-6618, or drop resumes to 747-12th Street (across from the Post Offi ce).

Local logging contractor looking

for experienced processor operator. Would be working in the Parson woodland area. Wage negotiable. Please call Jacques Chasses, cell 250-342-1610 or offi ce, 250-342-6900.

Diamond Heating & Spa’s requires part-time offi ce help. 3-4 days/week. Flexible hours,

Saturdays and Mondays a must. Some offi ce skills required. Fax resume to 342-7103, attention Stacey, or apply in person at 385 Laurier Street, Invermere.

Experienced part/full-time tan-dem dump truck driver wanted. Must have Class 1 or 4 license. $25/hr, call 342-5654.

Career Opportunities in InvermereDietary Aid: This position requires an energetic, conscientious, and approachable individual who will provide residents and guests of the facility service with a smile. Under the direction of the Kitchen Manager, this individual will be a team player and a contributor to a positive work environment. The desired candidate must be Food Safe certi ed, and prior work experience is an asset.

Cook: The successful candidate must have strong leadership skills, be team orientated, and have the ability to multitask, to work unsupervised, and strong communication skills. Candidate must also be able to cook food using a variety of techniques and a high level of quality. Food safe certi cation and 5 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry is also required, however combined years of education and experience will be considered.

Candidates for both these positions will be required to supply a criminal record check, TB screening and physician’s waiver.

Please apply with work references to Karen Shand at Columbia Garden Village.Phone 341.3350 or e-mail [email protected]

W A N T E D : H I G H A LT I T U D E B A R I S TA , Cappuccino Hut & Summit Hut, Panorama Resort, BC. Are you a strong skier? A multi-tasker? Honest? Outgoing? Experienced in the business of cappuccino/light lunches? Interested in a free ski pass and other goodies? We are looking for full and part-time positions at our BUSY, alpine ski huts.We off er a great working environment, with 360 degree views, and skiing home at the end of the day isn’t bad either! We need you to be smart, responsible and friendly, the rest is easy. Starting wage is $11/hr and great tips. Please call 342-0217 for more information.

Submitted by Eastern Star

All Chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star of British Columbia are holding a special day to tell ev-eryone about our organization. What do we do?

Th e Order of the Eastern Star was formed in 1867. It was the fi rst such organization to include both men and women, and is still the largest fraternal organiza-tion in the world.

Cancer Dressing Stations were started in 1947 and have continued ever since. Last year alone, over 150,000 dressings were made in British Columbia and provided free to cancer patients referred by their doc-tors. In British Columbia during the year 2006 the Order of the Eastern Star donated a total of $64,638 to various cancer projects.

To date, our Cancelled Stamp project in British Columbia has raised $367,000 for cancer projects, in-cluding $14,500 raised in 2006.

We awarded $18,000 through our Grace Shane Bursary in the past year, supporting doctors and other medical personnel. Many Oncologists throughout British Columbia are past recipients of the Grace Shane Bursary for training and research.

Th e local Chapter, Mt. Swansea, was constituted in March 1954. Th ere were 41 Charter members. Four of these Charter members are still faithful; Mickey Hess, Audrey Osterloh, Allison Mitchell and Kay Frater.

Th rough the years the local members have con-tributed by making Cancer Dressings, and collecting, trimming and sorting used stamps. Th ese stamps are shipped to Vancouver and sold to collectors around the world.

Last year 19 workers shipped 33 pounds of stamps from Invermere. A competition is held between all six of the Windermere Zone schools and the winner re-ceives a cash award to purchase a book for their li-brary. Last year Martin Morigeau Elementary School

in Canal Flats was the winner.In addition to our usual cancer donations, we

contribute annually to a bursary which is awarded to deserving students after two years at an accredited col-lege or university.

We support the four major Cancer Centres in Brit-ish Columbia. Our commitment to cancer research and the welfare of cancer patients can be attested by the B.C. Cancer Agency and its foundations.

How do we pay for all these projects? Funds come from bake sales, teas, raffl es, donations from members and other small projects hosted by our local chapter.

We would like you to visit us Saturday, February 10th at 2 p.m. We are having a Tea and Bake Sale, and you will be able to tour the Chapter room and see our project displays.

We are located in the Invermere Masonic Hall lo-cated on the second fl oor of the Lambert-Kipp Phar-macy building on 7th Avenue in Invermere.

Eastern Star hosts tea and bake sale


Anniversary of explorer’s death marks beginning of Bicentennial years


It’s finally here! The David Thompson Bicen-tennial is finally here.

That’s what you might think if you were Ross MacDonald. If you spent all your work life and some of your free time for the last decade preparing for it. Yes, it’s finally here.

Preparations began a decade ago for Mr. MacDonald, a Park Services public educator, when he was put in charge of organizing 1999’s David Thomp-son Bicentennial at Rocky Mountain House.

After that, he was the obvious choice to send to Invermere, to organize the big one - the bicentennial of David Thompson’s North American explorations, a three-year, continent-wide public and private sector heritage awareness initiative.

The bearded educator claims to not be a historian, but speaks of the past in the present tense.

“The entire bicentennial is a grass roots enterprise without any major funders, just partners finding their own passions for the history,” he said. “More than 30 parks and sites will be involved in the bicentennial.”

“Thompson’s story is messy. It’s big and it’s messy,” Mr. MacDonald said. The Bicentennials are big and messy too, which makes it hard to wrap your mind around.

The sprawling Bicentennials, which are scattered across North America, will take place between 2007 and 2009 with additional local anniversaries taking place though 2011.

The most important of the bicentennials take place across the Columbia Valley this year and mark the anniversary of David Thompson’s entry into the valley in 1807.

The Columbia Valley is important, Mr. MacDonald said. Some of David Thompson’s most important work took place here. And, in discovering the headwaters of the Columbia River, Thompson discovered the North-west Passage to the Pacific Ocean that had eluded so many of his contemporaries.

Finding the Columbia River, Mr. MacDonald said, and figuring out that it ran north before turning south toward the sea, was the key to the solution to the puzzle of the Northwest Passage.

“And, in doing so, he closes the fur trade high-way,” Mr. MacDonald commented. Fur traders had been flooding over the mountains since the turn of the century and a gaggle of his contemporaries including Lewis and Clark and Simon Fraser were busy explor-ing the west.

“So, he’s a blip, but what a blip,” he said. “It allows you to connect Montreal to the Pacific Ocean.”

Mr. MacDonald speculates that our emotional connection to the land, the importance of geography in shaping our understanding of the world and the windows of understanding he opens to the world are the reasons why David Thompson is remembered and celebrated.

“We’re tied to the rivers. We’re tied to the land-scape,” he said, “and he’s a window to other impor-tant stories. He’s a reasonably credible witness to his times.”

“We learn about the natives, we learn about wild-life—it’s the first time anyone observed magpie fishing at the shore of melting ice. We learn about the climate, about climate change. We learn about where the toes of the glacier were,” Mr. MacDonald commented.

Mr. MacDonald admits that David Thompson has been mythologized to a certain extent and that he hopes the bicentennials paint a fair picture of the ex-plorer many credit as the greatest land geographer that ever lived.

“We’re going to try to exercise some myth manage-ment,” he said. “There is what’s written and there’s the oral history and what lies in between is the truth.”

It could be argued, Mr. MacDonald explained, that Thompson was a runner of guns and drugs.

“He understands the social ills caused by alcohol,” Mr. MacDonald commented. “Of course they watered it down and made different kinds of drinks with it, the potency would probably drive you blind.”

“Thompson recognized it created violence and so-cial issues, but he was quite willing trade in arms. In one way you could say he was a drug pusher and an arms dealer, but he was an invited guest, unlike some of his American contemporaries. And in all his expedi-tions, he never lost a man and never got into a situa-tion of bloodshed.”

Mr. MacDonald also admitted that it took a while for Thompson to figure out that the Columbia River flowed north before turning south again, but blamed it in part on his native guides who had their own rea-son for keeping that information from him.

His native guides spoon-fed him information in fear that he would arm their enemies down river.

“It’s a meeting of cultures and a bit of distrust and there is the language barrier. They’re guarding their in-formation,” he said.

Once he figured it, of course, he made history.This year, the 150th anniversary of his death on

February 10, 1857, the Columbia Valley will play host to many events honoring his achievements in survey-ing the Northwest Territories and in helping shape our understanding of the world.

Watch here for more information about upcom-ing events.

A LOVE SUPREME—Invermere’s monument to Da-vid Thompson at the foot of Pothole Park honors his wife Charlotte Small as well.

Photo by Brian Geis

Valentine’s Day, 1857Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Small couldn’t possi-

bly imagine her next 57 years when she met 29-year-old David Thompson at the North West Company trading post in Lac Isle à la Crosse, Saskatchewan.

She was the daughter of a Cree woman and North West Company clerk David Small. She and her family had been abandoned, with a pension, when Mr. Small retired and returned to England.

North West Company men were encouraged to marry native woman, but often abandoned them when their time in the colony was up.

Thompson and Small were married and set out on an odyssey that would span the continent, produce 13 children, make history and end in penniless obscu-rity.

On Valentine’s Day, 1857, Charlotte was mourn-ing the loss of her partner. The two were living with a daughter in Montreal and had fallen into obscurity, unrecognized for their accomplishments, while Mr. Thompson, nearly-blind, toiled away on his memoirs in hopes of generating some money to put food on the table.

Charlotte Small died a scant three months later. Thompson’s narrative of his explorations wouldn’t ap-pear in print for decades, but his marriage to Charlotte would be eventually be remembered as one of Canada’s most enduring love stories.


Anniversary of explorer’s death marks beginning of Bicentennial years


It’s finally here! The David Thompson Bicen-tennial is finally here.

That’s what you might think if you were Ross MacDonald. If you spent all your work life and some of your free time for the last decade preparing for it. Yes, it’s finally here.

Preparations began a decade ago for Mr. MacDonald, a Park Services public educator, when he was put in charge of organizing 1999’s David Thomp-son Bicentennial at Rocky Mountain House.

After that, he was the obvious choice to send to Invermere, to organize the big one - the bicentennial of David Thompson’s North American explorations, a three-year, continent-wide public and private sector heritage awareness initiative.

The bearded educator claims to not be a historian, but speaks of the past in the present tense.

“The entire bicentennial is a grass roots enterprise without any major funders, just partners finding their own passions for the history,” he said. “More than 30 parks and sites will be involved in the bicentennial.”

“Thompson’s story is messy. It’s big and it’s messy,” Mr. MacDonald said. The Bicentennials are big and messy too, which makes it hard to wrap your mind around.

The sprawling Bicentennials, which are scattered across North America, will take place between 2007 and 2009 with additional local anniversaries taking place though 2011.

The most important of the bicentennials take place across the Columbia Valley this year and mark the anniversary of David Thompson’s entry into the valley in 1807.

The Columbia Valley is important, Mr. MacDonald said. Some of David Thompson’s most important work took place here. And, in discovering the headwaters of the Columbia River, Thompson discovered the North-west Passage to the Pacific Ocean that had eluded so many of his contemporaries.

Finding the Columbia River, Mr. MacDonald said, and figuring out that it ran north before turning south toward the sea, was the key to the solution to the puzzle of the Northwest Passage.

“And, in doing so, he closes the fur trade high-way,” Mr. MacDonald commented. Fur traders had been flooding over the mountains since the turn of the century and a gaggle of his contemporaries including Lewis and Clark and Simon Fraser were busy explor-ing the west.

“So, he’s a blip, but what a blip,” he said. “It allows you to connect Montreal to the Pacific Ocean.”

Mr. MacDonald speculates that our emotional connection to the land, the importance of geography in shaping our understanding of the world and the windows of understanding he opens to the world are the reasons why David Thompson is remembered and celebrated.

“We’re tied to the rivers. We’re tied to the land-scape,” he said, “and he’s a window to other impor-tant stories. He’s a reasonably credible witness to his times.”

“We learn about the natives, we learn about wild-life—it’s the first time anyone observed magpie fishing at the shore of melting ice. We learn about the climate, about climate change. We learn about where the toes of the glacier were,” Mr. MacDonald commented.

Mr. MacDonald admits that David Thompson has been mythologized to a certain extent and that he hopes the bicentennials paint a fair picture of the ex-plorer many credit as the greatest land geographer that ever lived.

“We’re going to try to exercise some myth manage-ment,” he said. “There is what’s written and there’s the oral history and what lies in between is the truth.”

It could be argued, Mr. MacDonald explained, that Thompson was a runner of guns and drugs.

“He understands the social ills caused by alcohol,” Mr. MacDonald commented. “Of course they watered it down and made different kinds of drinks with it, the potency would probably drive you blind.”

“Thompson recognized it created violence and so-cial issues, but he was quite willing trade in arms. In one way you could say he was a drug pusher and an arms dealer, but he was an invited guest, unlike some of his American contemporaries. And in all his expedi-tions, he never lost a man and never got into a situa-tion of bloodshed.”

Mr. MacDonald also admitted that it took a while for Thompson to figure out that the Columbia River flowed north before turning south again, but blamed it in part on his native guides who had their own rea-son for keeping that information from him.

His native guides spoon-fed him information in fear that he would arm their enemies down river.

“It’s a meeting of cultures and a bit of distrust and there is the language barrier. They’re guarding their in-formation,” he said.

Once he figured it, of course, he made history.This year, the 150th anniversary of his death on

February 10, 1857, the Columbia Valley will play host to many events honoring his achievements in survey-ing the Northwest Territories and in helping shape our understanding of the world.

Watch here for more information about upcom-ing events.

A LOVE SUPREME—Invermere’s monument to Da-vid Thompson at the foot of Pothole Park honors his wife Charlotte Small as well.

Photo by Brian Geis

Valentine’s Day, 1857Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Small couldn’t possi-

bly imagine her next 57 years when she met 29-year-old David Thompson at the North West Company trading post in Lac Isle à la Crosse, Saskatchewan.

She was the daughter of a Cree woman and North West Company clerk David Small. She and her family had been abandoned, with a pension, when Mr. Small retired and returned to England.

North West Company men were encouraged to marry native woman, but often abandoned them when their time in the colony was up.

Thompson and Small were married and set out on an odyssey that would span the continent, produce 13 children, make history and end in penniless obscu-rity.

On Valentine’s Day, 1857, Charlotte was mourn-ing the loss of her partner. The two were living with a daughter in Montreal and had fallen into obscurity, unrecognized for their accomplishments, while Mr. Thompson, nearly-blind, toiled away on his memoirs in hopes of generating some money to put food on the table.

Charlotte Small died a scant three months later. Thompson’s narrative of his explorations wouldn’t ap-pear in print for decades, but his marriage to Charlotte would be eventually be remembered as one of Canada’s most enduring love stories.


LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH 10:30 a.m., Sunday, February 11th – Worship and Life Instruction,

“Look at us” COMMUNION will be served.

Sunday School, for ages 3 to grade 7 during the morning service.Senior Pastor Rev. Dieter Magnus • Associate Pastor Rev. Jared Enns

326 - 10th Avenue, Invermere • 342-9535

WINDERMERE VALLEY SHARED MINISTRY10:30 a.m. - Invermere - Christ Church Trinity,

Worship & Sunday School.Rev. Sandy Ferguson • 110 - 7th Avenue, Invermere • 342-6644

VALLEY CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLYSunday • 10:00 a.m.

Children’s church during the message part of the service. Children 4 - 12 years.

Sunday, 7:00 pm Prayer MeetingSenior Pastor Rev. John Cuyler • www.vcassembly.com

Highway 93/95, 1 km north of Windermere • 342-9511

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHCanadian Martyrs Church, Invermere

Saturday, 7:00 p.m. Mass • Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Mass St. Joseph’s Church, Hwy 93/95 Radium Sunday, 11:00 a.m. MassSt. Anthony’s Church, Canal Flats Sunday, 4:00 p.m. MassFather Jose Joaquin • 712 -12th Ave., Invermere • 342-6167

ST. PETER’S LUTHERAN MISSION OF INVERMERERegular weekly worship services every Sunday at 1:30 pm

at Christ Church Trinity 110 - 7th Ave., Invermere Pastor Rev. Fraser Coltman • 1-866-426-7564

RADIUM CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIPEvery Sunday 10:00 am

Pastor Wayne and Linda Frater • Radium Seniors’ Hall • 342-6633

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTSSunday, 10:00 am

President Grant Watkins • Columbia Valley Branch5014 Fairway, Fairmont Hot Springs • 345-0079

Valley ChurchesFAITH

Call 341-6151or

1-888-341-6155rayfergusonrealty.ca

WINDERMERE LAKEVIEW HOME

Fabulous views from front & rear decks.Close to community & Valley amenities

MLS# K160380 $595,000

WE SELL REAL ESTATE• Radium • Invermere • Panorama

• Windermere • Fairmont

Selkirk TV & Appliance

1229-7th Ave., Invermere 342-6415

• Kitchenaid • Inglis

• Whirlpool • Roper

PanasonicPioneer

Cell PhonesElectronics & Service

Christian Books, Music & Misc.

By John CuylerValley ChristianAssembly

A young couple was sitting a table in a dough-nut shop enjoying each other’s company. After fi nishing their dough-nuts, he got up to pay the bill, and it was noticed she didn’t get up to follow him. But then he came back and stood in front of her. She put her arms around his neck, and he lifted her up, revealing that she was wearing a full-body brace. He lifted her out of her chair and backed out the door to the pickup truck, with her hanging from his neck.

As he gently put her into the truck, everyone in the shop watched. No one said anything until a wait-ress remarked, “He took his vows seriously.”

In 1995, actor Christopher Reeve, the Superman actor, fell from a horse in a riding accident that sev-ered his spinal cord and paralyzed him from the shoul-ders down. In the days that followed, both he and his mother considered pulling the plug on his life support system.

Reeve’s fi rst lucid words to his wife Dana after the tragic accident were, “May we should let me go.” But his wife through tears, persuaded him to fi ght back, saying, “I want you to know that I will be with you for the long haul, no matter what. You’re still you, and I love you.” Dana stayed with her paralyzed husband until his death in 2004.

As we look towards Valentine’s Day this coming week, the day where husbands and wives express their love for one another by exchanging gifts or going out together for a meal, why not also take some time to examine the depth of our love for one another?

Would the depth of our love for our spouse hold true in the midst serious injury or even permanent pa-ralysis, or some other tragic circumstances or would it crumble under the strain? Is our love for them condi-tional or will it withstand whatever happens?

Do we really take our marriage vows seriously to love, honor and cherish for better for worse, for richer for poorer in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live? Adverse circumstances and tragedies should never be used to justify breaking our marriage com-mitment; true love is unconditional.

Unfortunately, we live a “throw-away” society today where everything is temporary including mar-riage. I’ve heard some couples say something to the ef-fect if it doesn’t work out we can always fi nd someone else. I am also very aware that the divorce rate among those who are churchgoers is not much diff erent from those who are not. Th e problem may lie partially in

the fact that many couples feel love is only “a feeling” and when that “feeling” is gone their love grows cold and the marriage begins to fall apart. Th is kind of love is shallow and will not last because people and circum-stances tend to change.

One passage of Scripture that is often read at wed-dings is the great love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. Verse 7 of this chapter summarizes the depth of true uncon-ditional love by stating, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” Another great verse concerning love is found in the words of Jesus who said, “Greater love has no one that this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

If the depth of our love for our spouse is great then we should be willing to “lay down our lives” for them no matter what. Th at’s just what the young farmer husband and that actor’s wife were willing to do for their loved one when their lives were suddenly and permanently altered.

Th is Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to do something special for your spouse, but at the same time why not take some time to examine how deep your love really is for each other. If the depth of your love is it true is will never give up, never lose faith, be always hopeful, and endure through every circumstance. Have a happy Valentine’s Day and may your love for one another be ever deeper each year.

How deep is your love?

“The Alpha Course”Hosted by Radium Christian Fellowship

Wednesdays for ten weeks, at Radium Christian Fellowship

Supper, a teaching video, and discussion starts at 6:30p.m.

To register and for more info. please call Linda & Mike

342-6359 or Judy & Ervin 346-3255

Need Blinds? Best QualityCall The Blind Guy!



InvermereIndependently Owned and Operated

250-342-6505

www.ReMaxInvermere.comAt Panorama: 250-341-4898Toll Free: 1-888-258-9911

Rare Location

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Home on over 6 acres, open oor plan “great room” living space on main level, gorgeous cooks kitchen, screened porch to take in the cool views below to the back deck and in ground pool. Close by are horse paddocks, fenced grazing area. Lower level walkout basement. MLS#K119313

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Craftsman Log Home

Log home master crafted in a spectacular mountain setting. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms over 3 levels, river rock exterior nish at walkout basement/patio level, large covered upper deck on main level. Landscaped. Interior nished on main and upper levels and room to create you own touches on the basement level. MLS#K118165

$750,000

Business Opportunity

Great view lot in Invermere s newest and best development at Castle Rock. Ledgerock Ridge is the highest view point there. This lot requires very little work to build on. No GST. MLS#K118654

$169,000

View Lot

This is a Must See

Privacy Awaits

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Executive cottage in Lakeview Meadows with outstanding mountain views! Large 3 level home features 3 bedrooms plus den and 3 baths. Large open plan accented with wooden beams, solid wood doors, hardwood oors and vaulted ceilings. MLS#K160458

$869,000

Great Mountain Views

3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home with open plan home. Situated to take full advantage of the views and adjoining green space. Everything is on one level with a separate guest suite on the second level. Extra large double garage and undeveloped basement. Executive home in prestigious Lakeview Meadows features private beach and recreation centre. MLS#new

$899,000

Well established Dry Cleaning and Laundromat business has just upgraded some of the main components and is ready for a new owner to take charge! Excellent location on main street in Invermere. MLS#K3600089

$139,000+gst

Wende Brash342-1300

Bernie Raven342-7415

Daniel Zurgilgen342-1612

Ed English342-1194

Jan Klimek342-1195

John McCarthy342-1758

Lynda Kirkpatrick341-1907

Scott Wallace342-5309

Andy Smith342-1709

Bryan Hookenson341-1266

Rob Rice341-5935

Deborah-Kim Rice342-5935

Katie Wallace342-5785

Paul Glassford341-1395

Fully furnished large one bedroom town house style unit with attached single garage. This is rare and very desirable location. Ski to platter lift from your door. No GST so come and see MLS#new

$214,900

Wonderful ridge lot at Lakeview Meadows, very private, treed and the lot gets late day sun to bask in. Private beach, tennis court, private recreation center with pools, tness room, games room, playground and so much more. MLS#K160439

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Build your country home on this almost half acre lot with tremendous mountain and Columbia Lake views. Oversized treed lot with environmentally friendly underground services and no building commitments. Don t miss the opportunity to build your dream home. MLS# new

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Mountainview Crest Luxury Villas at Castle Rock Estates. When you need it all, we have it. Great views, high quality nishes. Your choice of 1,2,3 bedroom Villas, includes large walkout basements. Castle Rock Villas are minutes away from gol ng, skiing, boating, climbing, biking and so much more. MLS# new

Starting at $448,000+GST

Country Estate

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