vol4issue2

NEW ARTS CENTRE

NEW YEAR’S BABY

NEW ASSESSMENTS

The Columbia Valley Vol. 4/Issue 2 Your Weekly Source for News and Events January 12, 2007

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

8

Columbia Valley

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

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17

12

Christa Stimming admires the quantity of fresh powder while looking out over Taynton Bowl at Panorama Mountain Resort. See 6.

It snows in Panorama!It snows in Panorama!

2 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer January 12, 2007

VALLEY NEWS

Fairmont Village Mall,Fairmont

Phone: 345-4000Fax: 345-4001

526 B – 13th St. InvermerePhone: 342-6911

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This very clean home has been beautifully renovated. A new kitchen, a large recreation room with a cozy wood fi replace & 3 bdrms. Fully fenced, landscaped yard.

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WINDERMEREWonderful views of the Rocky Mountains and Purcells from this huge, level building lot in the lake community of Windermere. Stroll to Artists’ Corner & beach. Excellent investment property, or perfect location for your dream home. Golf nearby.$209,000 mls#k151222

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Advertising deadline Monday, January 22.

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By Brian GeisPioneer Staff

Two Invermere men are among 52 BC Forestry Department fi refi ghters sent to help battle out-of-con-trol bushfi res raging in Southeastern Australia.

A “bushfi re” is a wildfi re that occurs in “the bush,” the collective term for the forests, scrub, woodland or grassland of Australia.

Cy McConnell, Forest Protection Offi cer for the Invermere Fire Zone, said that Plans Chief Jason Hall and Division Supervisor Mark Weis arrived safely in Melbourne on January 7th and are now in place in East Gippsland.

It’s the fi rst time Canadian fi refi ghters have been asked to help outside of North America, he said. Th e crew will join over 2,400 fi refi ghters currently on the ground, including personnel from New Zealand and the United States.

“Th is is for real. Australia is having the worst fi re season in 50 years,” Mr. McConnell said. “I can tell you they were pretty excited. It’s a big opportunity for us to show our stuff and we have a pretty good reputa-tion for doing a good job.”

Firefi ghter Hall will work from a military style command center, Mr. McConnell said, while Fire-fi ghter Weis will work in the fi eld. Th e duo, he said, will be on the job for the next 40 days.

According to a Ministry of Forests and Range press release, the team will help respond to bushfi res that have burned more than 30 homes and a ski lodge in the Australian state of Victoria. So far, more than 870,000 hectares have burned.

“Both British Columbia and Australia are among the most fi re-prone environments in the world,” For-ests and Range Minister Rich Coleman said, “so it’s

helpful for us to share both our expertise and our re-sources in times of emergency.”

To learn more about Australian bushfi res see: http://clearlyexplained.com/nature/earth/disasters/bushfi res.html.

Local fi refi ghters battleblaze down under

Locals Mark Weis, top, and Jason Hall, bottom.

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 3January 12, 2007

Thursday 25 January 2007 8:00 pm DTSS in the Gym $7.00 at the door or in advance

Box office opens at 7:00 pm Doors open at 7:30 pm

Tickets available in advance at Dave’s Book Bar and at DTSS

Bus service from north and south for students and adults to and from the performance Courtesy of DTSS

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Council BriefsPineridge Mountain Resort

property rezoned

Two controversial zoning variances were approved by the District of Invermere council at their regularly-scheduled meeting on January 9th. A standing room-only crowd packed into council chambers, largely as a result of the two issues which pitted neighbors against developers in both cases.

The first was the Official Community Plan zoning amendment that would pave the way for the proposed 700-home Pineridge Mountain Resort. The amend-ment, which was unanimously approved, creates a new zone in the Official Community Plan designated R-3A, Planned Residential (Short-Term Accommoda-tion) required by a number of short-term rental ac-commodations included in the development.

At a meeting on the issue in October, 50 people turned out to voice their concerns about the project which largely revolved around the location and design of the access road to the development, Westside Park-way, and the management of short-term rental units.

District of Invermere Chief Administrative Offi-cer Chris Prosser reported that the district’s attempt to attach a covenant to the property in order to restrict the number of short-term rental units to a maximum of 400 had failed, due to the district’s lack of authority to control fractional ownership of the units.

Mr. Prosser noted that the district has the author-ity to control uses such as motels, hotels or timeshare schemes, but municipalities cannot restrict ownership of individual units. However, he said, the developer agreed to separate the rental units from the residential units with a natural buffer.

The district and the developer reached a com-promise on the access road that will replace what Mr. Prosser described as a straight line drawn on the map with a curvy, contoured road with reduced sightlines to control speed and sensitivity to the existing lay of the land. The new location of the road, which closely hugs the eastern edge of the proposed development, Mr. Prosser said, will have no measurable impact on the existing property and environment.

“I have to feel, as a resident of the area, I sup-port (the zoning variance),” Councillor Bob Campsall commented. “I know there are some people who will want to have my hide, but I have to do what’s right for the community. I knew where the lane was going

when I bought my place up there.”Councillor Ray Brydon agreed. “I think we’ve

done our best to meet all the needs of the people in-volved.”

“This subdivision is a long time coming. It wasn’t designed for this kind of density, but neither was the valley,” Mayor Shmigelsky said. “It’s the best compro-mise we have. It’s great to come from our engineers and it’s a road and it’s not a straight line. I think they finally get it.”

Cardel’s Purcell Point rezoning request approved

In the second zoning variance approved, council agreed to rezone a portion of the property being de-veloped as Purcell Point by Cardel Homes of Calgary at the intersection of 12th Street and 10th Avenue in Invermere. The zoning bylaw amendment was initially part of a complicated proposal to council that includ-ed the closing of a portion of 9th Avenue and a land swap that would give back to Invermere a portion of the road for a public park.

The amendment changes the zoning classification for the property from R-4, Multi-Family Residential, to CT-1 Tourist Accommodation Zone.

There was still some confusion and blending of the issues on the part of the board.

“Is this even legal to throw these kinds of issues into the mix?” Councillor Campsall asked.

Councillor Gerry Taft said he is unclear why the 9th Avenue side of the development is considered an interior sightline when the road is still in use.

Mr. Prosser explained that 9th Avenue is consid-ered an undeveloped roadway or laneway.

“I find it hard to support the sideyard setback when some portion of the roadway can still be used,” Councillor Gerry Taft said. He asked for an amend-ment specifying a setback of 4.5 metres.

“We could end up with a situation where you have 20 feet between the back door of a restaurant and a three-storey building,” Councillor Taft commented.

In the end, council agreed that the new zoning would be more compatible with the intended use and the Official Community Plan. The zoning amend-ment passed unanimously.

A decision on the 9th Avenue road will come for-ward as a separate proposal.


The Valley’s website, print and advertising design agency.

Harrison McKay Communications is pleased to welcome

Dan Robideauas Web Developer. Formerly with Bell Systems and

Critical Mass in Calgary, Dan contributes a wealth of web applications development expertise. His past projects include Mercedes Benz USA and Coop Sweden.

Dan has family in the Columbia Valley, who join us in welcoming him. Dan can be reached by calling (250) 341-6064 or e-mailing [email protected].

harrisonmckay.com

INVEST • RENT • OWNToll Free: 877.344.2323

www.bighornmeadows.ca

Helen Rose new managerat local fitness centre

By Elinor FlorencePioneer Staff

The Valley Fitness Centre has a new manager.

Helen Rose has taken over the job from Roslyn Pruitt, who has been manager for the past five years. Roslyn will remain on staff until April before moving to Victoria, where she will wed Robert Firth in September.

Those who meet Helen for the first time will notice a slight British accent. That’s because the 30-year-old lived in Calgary until she was 10 years old, then spent the next 14 years in England where she earned a psychology degree from the University of Leeds.

Helen, who is unmarried, returned to Calgary for two years before moving to Invermere in 2003.

She worked at Panorama for two

years as the day care supervisor and spent another year as supervisor of guest services before taking up her new position.

“My goal is to keep upgrading the equipment, and to keep the fitness centre as a real community place,” says Helen.

A former fitness centre member, she participated in running clinics, ski fit-ness classes and yoga.

“This is a great place for newcomers to meet people and get fit at the same time,” she says.

The Valley Fitness Centre is run by a non-profit society and currently has 555 registered members. There are great membership specials on now for anyone who wants to start their new year with a fitness program.

Helen welcomes everyone to drop in and say hello.

Helen is ready and willing to tackle the job of fitness centre manager.


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Between December 30th and January 5th, 2007 the Columbia Valley RCMP received 94 calls for ser-vice, with 19 of these calls being reported motor ve-hicle accidents.

• December 30: At approximately 3:30 a.m., the Columbia Valley RCMP responded to a commercial alarm at LORDCO Auto Parts in Invermere. Un-known culprits had gained entry and stolen a cash register which was located later in the morning in the downtown area along with other evidence. This file is still under investigation!

• January 1: It was reported to police that two pairs of skis were stolen from a vehicle in Panorama over the night after the unknown culprits gained entry through a sunroof.

• Columbia Valley RCMP are attempting to locate Garnet Smith, who may be a resident of the Invermere area. Smith was involved in the rescue of a drown-ing woman in Calgary in 2005. If his whereabouts are known, please contact Columbia Valley RCMP at (250) 342-9292.

• Columbia Valley RCMP received several calls this week of people being contacted and advised that they had won a Caribbean vacation, and that the lucky winner had to press 9 to hear more details. We thought we would bring this to everyone’s attention. Remember, for most of us life is not winning it big on television or on the telephone. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Most things worth living for can’t be bought!

RCMP Report

Turkeysin thestraw

Wild turkeys in the valley seem to be multiply-ing. Local photographer Andy Stuart-Hill says they migrated from the West Kootenays at some time in recent years and can now be found in most parts of the valley. The flocks also seem to be increasing in n numbers. He brought in a photo this week, and at the same time Pioneer sales associate Dave Sutherland snapped this shot of wild turkeys lurking on a hillside just above the wetlands.

Photo by Dave Sutherland


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

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

is independently owned and operated and

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

We’re not the only ones with a labour shortageDear Editor:

It has been interesting reading the various articles and letters regarding the shortage of employees in the valley.

Th e impression I have is that the emphasis has been more on “who we should blame” rather than “let’s try to fi nd a solution.”

I can assure all employers in the Columbia Valley that the issue is not just a local one and even good old “rich” Calgary has a severe shortage of workers, and I am not just talking about skilled workers. Most restau-rants, fast food outlets and stores have “Help Wanted” ads constantly displayed.

Th erefore, the issue is not money (Alberta can af-ford to pay higher rates but still cannot fi nd people)

nor is it accommodation (it is still cheaper to live in the valley than Calgary). So let’s stop trying to point fi ngers and sit down to look at alternatives.

Th e Columbia Valley is a beautiful place, as any-one who lives here would agree.

Surely then we should be advertising the strengths and advantages of living here.

I would also suggest that we fi nd out from stu-dents why they prefer to leave the valley rather than stay and work here. Th at might give us a clue as to how we can encourage them to stay and even attract some young people from elsewhere.

Also, we have a very large population of retired people, many of whom would love to work a few shifts on a part-time basis.

Some companies have already fi gured this out.

Th e Calgary Herald has started a campaign to hire seniors for morning paper deliveries. Smart thinking! A lot of seniors wake up early, so why not earn some spare cash?

Now I see that Invermere’s Tim Hortons is under new ownership and they have also fi gured out who they should target.

Let’s face it, seniors already live here, they are reli-able and will work hard, they will be a good infl uence on younger workers and bring a vast amount of expe-rience to the workplace.

I will certainly be looking for some part-time work when I retire toward the end of this year. Anyone in-terested?

Graham Wake

Th is looks like a good way to spend a long winter’s night - sitting around a table with a bottle. Th e date on the Cockshutt calendar says February 1912, but no other information is available.

Photo courtesy of the Windermere District Historical Society

By Elinor FlorencePioneer Publisher

Th ere’s light on the horizon for the Invermere Public Library, which has announced plans to partner with the Columbia Valley Arts Council to build both a performing arts centre and a public library on the site of the old high school at the top of the Athalmer hill.

Th at’s wonderful news for our li-brary staff , which is struggling along with minimal space for new books and a horde of book-hungry members.

Th e library has several thousand members including and the largest number of inter-library loans in the province. Inter-library loans are when our library has to ask other libraries to send books for our members through the mail because they don’t have them

here. It’s a wonderful service, but also costly and time-consuming.

Th ings are looking up for the library, which also has a new group of friends. Called Friends of the Library, they are currently going through the process to become a registered non-profi t society, meaning they will be able to accept do-nations on behalf of the library and is-sue tax receipts.

One of their fi rst duties will be to start the massive fundraising necessary to build the new library facility. At an estimated cost of $12.5-million for both the library and the arts centre, the pro-cess will take years. However, with some heavy-duty fundraisers on board like Cam Berry of the arts council, success is vitually assured.

And won’t this be an attractive addi-tion to the entrance of Invermere?

Public library needsFriends with a capital F

Historical Lens


Here We Grow Again!The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) would like to invite you to a

Christmas Open House at our new Invermere Offi ce on December 8, 2006.

Come and enjoy some holiday baking and refreshments, meet with NCC staff , and learn more about our work in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Drop in anytime between 3:00pm

and 7:00pm. We’re located on the second fl oor of Frater Landing (next to Interior World)

Special thanks to all the local individuals and businesses who helped with supplies, equipment, labour including:

Kicking Horse Coff eeInterior World

CXL Construction

Quasar Western ElectricInvermere Home Hardware

Warwick Interiors

Emi, Hillary, Eva, Mark, Erin, Ania, Grahame, Trevor, Karl and Pat, Arnie, Gary, Dave, Cathi, Leo,

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T H E P I O N E E R

MORE THAN TWICE THE READERS OFANY OTHER LOCAL NEWSPAPER

M O R E B A N G F O R YO U R B U C K .

Dear Editor:

We felt it was important to voice an opinion on this proposed road exchange, as the consequences will bring hardship to a valued business in Invermere. We have lived and worked in this town for 26 years and have several multifamily housing developments to our credit.

Council would be making a mistake in approving this road exchange. Busi-nesses like Strand’s should be fostered and encouraged as they give fl avour and history to our town.

A developer who plans his project on land he does not own in anticipation of being able to acquire the land at a future date is taking a gamble at best.

In my opinion the town should not accept a proposed development plan that anticipated the use of public lands unless that decision had been approved by the public which, of course, would include adjacent property owners.

Ninth Avenue should remain as a buff er around the new development. Cardel will have to amend their plan. A few less units will not aff ect the viability of the project.

A CT-1 zone has a rear yard set-back of 4.5 metres. I think that setback

should apply to Cardel property abut-ting 9th Avenue. Th is is a rear yard, not an interior side yard, and 1.5 metres is too close to the road.

Strand’s restaurant has been a huge asset to this town for 27 years or more and must be given the due recognition of its value to the community.

I understand that Strand’s has a longstanding agreement with the town to use 9th Avenue. Th is agreement should be honoured!

Th e new development next to Strand’s should in no way limit or re-duce Strand’s ability to carry on busi-ness as it has in the past.

Invermere is known by Strand’s Restaurant. It is a landmark.

It would be morally wrong to im-pose hardship on a landmark business such as Strand’s, only to allow an over-scale housing development to squeeze a few more units onto their site, and fur-thermore, use public lands to do so.

We truly are missing the point of Smart Growth Policy when we forget the value of heritage in our communi-ties.

Martin and Gabriele BridgwaterInvermere

LETTERS Save Strand’s

Correction: In an article last week about Leo Grillmair, he was incorrectly identi-fi ed as the owner of nine ski lodges, when in fact he owned only a part. According to Mr. Grillmair, Hans Gmoser was the principal owner.


Solid Wood BlindsCall The Blind Guy!


Monthly Independent Film Series presents

What does ART mean to you?

“Rich and Culturally Resonant Storytelling”Monday, Jan 15thToby Theatre at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $10 and are available at the door

RECEIVEDYOURNOTICE?

Assessment Notices were mailed to all owners of property in British Columbia on December 31, 2006.

If you own a property, and do not receive your notice by January 17, please contact BC Assessment to ensure that we have your current mailing address.

Toll Free: 1-866-499-9980E-mail: [email protected] Service Commitment to you is to be Reliable, Accessible, Uniform and Respectful.

By Elinor FlorencePioneer Staff

Th e fi rst baby of 2007 born in the Invermere and District Hospital is thriving after being born six weeks pre-maturely.

Born at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Janu-ary 5th, the baby boy wasn’t due until the end of February.

His mother Lee-Anne Stark of Invermere said she came to the hospital with cramps on Th ursday night, but she was sent home again. “I’ll see you next week for your regular checkup,” said her doctor Shannon Page.

Th e next afternoon Lee-Anne began having pains again but still hoped they were due to something else.

Around 5:30 p.m. she told her part-ner Roger Strongitharm that she needed to return to the hospital. Because the couple lives only fi ve blocks away, they decided to walk.

“We made it as far as Candyland on main street when I told Roger I couldn’t walk any more,” Lee-Anne said.

Roger fl agged down a pickup truck with a young man behind the wheel and told him: “My wife’s in labour. We have to get to the hospital!”

Th e driver was so fl ustered he took two wrong turns on the way to the hospital, Lee-Anne laughed.

“I had two contractions on the way. I was doing my breathing exercises and the poor guy was looking pretty scared.”

As soon as the couple arrived they were checked in and Dr. Page was called from her home.

David William Strongitharm was born at 7:30 p.m., weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces - but not with-out further complications, since he was a breech birth. Th at means the baby is in the wrong position, emerg-ing buttocks fi rst. Th e danger is that the umbilical cord might be wrapped around the baby’s neck.

Th ere were a few tense moments in the delivery room, but fortunately the baby emerged intact and the cord wasn’t around his neck.

In spite of his prematurity and his relatively low birth weight, David arrived kicking and screaming as loudly as any full-term baby.

“Th ey told us that if we had come in earlier we would have been on our way to Cranbrook,” Lee-Anne said. Th e Invermere hospital has a policy of sending any maternity patients who are expecting any diffi cul-ties to larger hospitals with better facilities.

Th at was why Fairmont residents David and Alex Wilson were sent to the Mineral Springs Hospital in

Banff on New Year’s Eve, because Alex was experienc-ing back labour. Th eir daughter Jamie Elizabeth Wil-son was Banff ’s New Year’s baby, and the fi rst baby in 2007 born to Columbia Valley residents. She arrived shortly after midnight on January 1st.

In the meantime, baby David and his parents are remaining in the Invermere hospital until he is ready to go home, which will take at least until January 18th. He is not suff ering from any complications but medical staff want to stay on the safe side. “He is a perfect baby,” said his proud father. David William Strongitharm is named after his father’s father.

He is baby brother to Jessica and Alexander, Lee-Anne’s teenaged children who live in Calgary; and Taylor and Tyler, Roger’s children who live in Beaver-ton, Ontario.

Lee-Anne and Roger have lived in Invermere for the past two years. “Th e nurses here have been won-derful,” said Lee-Anne. “One of them even gave us a diaper bag fi lled with baby things.”

Because David arrived early, his parents were caught unprepared. Th ey would appreciate donations of any baby items that can be dropped off at the hos-pital.

Th ey would also like to know the name of the good Samaritan who drove them to the hospital so they can thank him in person. If you know who he is, please call Th e Pioneer at 341-6299.

New Year’s babyarrives six weeks early

Roger Strongitharm and Lee-Anne Stark with baby David William.

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

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

PAGE 10

Fire-spinning will take place during the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort winter festival on January 20. See Page 10.

Your Weekly Guide to

What’s Happening Around the

Columbia Valley

PAGE 11

Out & About

PAGE 10

Blushing Brides

Movie Review

PAGE 14

342-4423columbiavalleyarts.com What does ART mean to you?

Cinefest Movie • The Journals of Knud Rasmussen Toby Theatre • Monday January 15th at 7:00 pm.

Symphonie of the Kootenays · Christ Church TrinityWith “Miniature Classics”, performed by the Principal Players of the Orchestra. Sunday January 28, 2007 at 2 PM, Tickets $25 and $10.

Ben Sures · Pynelogs Cultural CentreBistro Concert Series, Sunday February 4th at 7:30 pm.


RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 HEADS


Gone Hollywood’sTOP FIVE OF THE WEEK

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1) Snakes on a Plane2) Black Dahlia3) Invincible4) Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest5) An Inconvenient Truth

Last Week’s Top 5 Rentals New Releases Jan. 9

1 Illusionist, The 2 Crank 3 Idiocracy 4 Bandidas 5 Broken Bridges

New Releases Jan. 16

1 Gridiron Gang 2 Protector, The 3 Texas Chainsaw Massacre - The Beginning 4 Employee of the Month 5 Undisputed 2

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Open: Tuesday – Friday • 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 pm.

Saturday • 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.CLOSED Sunday – Monday

Hair & Tanning Studio • 342-3227Anglz

Maria, Dayna & Michelle are pleased to welcome Kandi Krebs to the team.

Open:

Movie Review:Snakes on a Plane

Review by Sarah TurkPioneer Staff

This simple but catchy title proves that a name doesn’t always have to be fancy to be memorable.

The plot of Snakes on a Plane is simple. FBI agent Neville Flynn (Sam-uel L Jackson) needs to transport Sean Jones (Nathan Phillips), a murder wit-ness, from Hawaii to Los Angeles.

Claire Miller (Juliana Margulies) is on board for her last trip as a profes-sional flight attendant. Little does she know it may be her last trip on earth.

At 30,000 feet above the ground, a timer in the cargo hold unlocks a container filled with poisonous snakes. The snakes are vicious, and definitely take no prisoners.

Since there could only be one bad guy in the world who could put to-

gether such a large shipment of snakes, the FBI are able to track him down to get a complete list of snakes on the plane. That helps the snake experts on the ground collect all the necessary anti-venoms to inject the passengers as soon as they hit the tarmac.

Snakes on a Plane is full of the jolt-ing scares found in most thrillers, but it brings special effects and a knowl-edge of snakes, which makes it far from hokey. This movie is not recommend-ed for people with a snake phobia, as it will definitely make your skin crawl.

The plot does take a few unpre-dictable twists (watch for the dog) and has a satisfying outcome.

Hey, we all need a lil’ Samuel Jack-son.

The mesmerizing power of fire will entertain spectators at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort on Saturday, January 20th during the resort's third annual Winter Wings Fire and Ice Festival.

The Art of the Fire Dance, a fire per-forming troupe called Bio-Luminesce from Sandpoint, Idaho, will perform at 7 p.m. Adults and children alike will be thrilled at the fire spinning show, incor-porating music and a glowing ensemble of fire and dancing.

The troupe encourages audience participation while taking necessary safety precautions, using environmen-tally-friendly and non-toxic fuel.

The day will begin with a Snow Snake Hunt at 11 a.m. at the Fairmont Ski Area. Kids - watch out for snow

snakes and turn them into the ski school desk for a prize!

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., hot dogs and pop will be served on the ski area deck. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., enjoy free ice carving lessons from the experts at the Fairmont Ski Area.

In the evening, there will be two seating times in the Mountain Flow-ers Dining Room, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Professional ice carvers will perform their magic as you enjoy din-ner. Reservations are required; call 345-6015.

Both seating times are set to accom-modate guests so that they can watch the Fire Spinners perform at 7 p.m., either before or after dinner. Both seatings will also be able to watch the ice carvers.

Fire-spinning featuredat Fairmont festival

The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 11January 12 , 2007

Toby Th eatre

• January 10 - 13: Th e Nativity Story• January 17 - 20: Th e Holiday

January 13th

• 7:30 pm: Summerland vs. Columbia Valley Rock-ies, Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena.

January 15th

• Parry Pilates group sessions begin. For more info: [email protected], or 342-5979.• 7 pm: Columbia Valley Arts presents Cinefest movie “Th e Journals of Knud Rasmussen”, Toby Th eatre. Tickets are $10, available at the door.

January 17th

• 12 pm: Grandmothers Gathering , Columbia Gardens. For info: Marilyn, 342-6488.

January 20th

• 9 am - 12 pm: Broadband Open House, Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. For info: 1-888-478-7335.• 1:30 pm - 6 pm: Broadband Open House, Windermere Community Hall. For info: 1-888-478-7335.• 11 am: Snow Snake Hunt, Fairmont Ski Area; 11 am - 2 pm: Hot dog and a pop, $3 on the Ski Area Deck, Fairmont Ski Area; 1 pm - 3 pm: Free ice-carving lessons at Fairmont Ski Area, taught by professional carvers.• 5:30 pm - 9 pm: Dinner, Mountain Flowers Dining Room, Fairmont. Professional ice-carvers and fi re-spinners perform, reservations required, 345-6015.• 7 pm: Bio-Luminesce, a fi re-spinning group, perform at Fairmont Hot Springs. For info: 345-6015.

January 25th

• 8 pm: 2007 BC Tour “Meth” play, created and

performed by people who have struggled with meth addiction. DTSS gym, tickets are $7 at the door, or in advance at Dave’s Book Bar and DTSS. For info: 342-9213 ext. 112.

January 27th

• 9 am - 12 pm: Broadband Open House, Brisco Community Hall. For info: 1-888-478-7335.• 1:30 pm - 6 pm: Broadband Open House, Edgewater Community Hall. For info: 1-888-478-7335.• 7:30 pm: Fernie vs. Columbia Valley Rockies, Ed-die Mountain Memorial Arena.

January 28th

• 2 pm: Symphonie of the Kootenays - “Miniature Classics”, Christ Church Trinity. Tickets are $20, $10 for students, available at Dave’s Book Bar, Essentials, Pynelogs (credit cards accepted), Trims and Treasures in Fairmont.

February 2nd

• 7 pm: Laws of the Spirit Circle - Th e Law of Choice. Based on Dan Millman’s book, this circle, facilitated by Maria Kliavkoff , explores Th e Laws of the Spirit month-by-month. For more info: 347-2110, or visit www.mkfacilitations.com• 9 am: Regional District of East Kootenay Board meeting. Committee meetings are held immediately preceding board meetings, and both are open to the public. For info: (250) 489-2791.

Student News

• Elkhorn College is now accepting applications of interest for September 2007. Apply to: Elkhorn Ranch Ltd., Box 128, Windermere, BC V0B 2L0.• 9 am: Parent Advisory Council Meeting, Martin Morigeau.

New Video Releases Tuesday, Jan. 2

• Employee of the Month • Gridiron Gang• Th e Grim Reaper • Th e Protector• Modigliani • Undisputed 2• Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Th e Beginning

Invermere Th rift Store

• Th rift Shop still closed for renovations.• Flatware for rent “For All Occasions”, Invermere Health Care Auxiliary. $2.50/dozen, 300 place settings available. For info: Karla Schager, 342-9981.

Hot Springs Hours of Operation

Hot pool, Sunday - Th ursday 12pm - 9 pm; Friday - Saturday 12 pm - 10 pm.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, BC, V0A 1K0.

OTHERSATURDAYS:• 5 pm - 8 pm: Public indoor rock climbing, JA Laird gym, $5 drop in. For info: 342-9413 or 342-6232.• Karaoke every Saturday night at Th e Sportsman’s Lounge. For info: 345-6346. SUNDAYS:• 7 pm: Community Hymn Sing at Alliance Church, second Sunday of the month. For info: 342-9580.• 2 pm: Crib every Sunday at the Brisco Hall. For info: 346-3294.MONDAYS: • 7 pm: Duplicate Bridge, Invermere Seniors’ Hall, $2, visitors welcome. For info: Gerriann, 342-9893.• 8 pm - 10 pm: Men’s basketball, DTSS. For info: crossfi [email protected], 342-5588.TUESDAYS:• 7 pm - 9 pm: Crossfi re Youth Nights, Alliance Church, Grades 7-11. For info: crossfi [email protected].• 7 pm - 9 pm every Tuesday: ADHD Parent Support Group. Drop-ins welcome, School Board District Offi ce. For info: Lynda, 342-9243, ext. 234.WEDNESDAYS:• 7 pm: Archery, Invermere Community Centre, sponsored by the Rod and Gun Club, $2.• 7 pm - 9 pm: Th e Wannabe’s Art Studio, College of the Rockies. For info: Vivian, 341-3140.THURSDAYS: • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm: Options for Sexual Health, a confi dential service off ering lower cost birth control methods, counselling, and access to doctors, held at the Invermere Health Unit. For info: 342-2362.• 7 pm-9 pm: every Th ursday, Second Winds Community Band, DTSS Band Room. All levels of woodwinds, brass, and percussion welcome. For info: 342-0100.• 7 pm: Every 2nd and 4th Th ursday: Bingo, Seniors’ Hall, 1309-14th Street. Welcome all over 18. For info: 342-6478. FRIDAYS:• 6 pm: Meat draw followed by dancing at 7 pm, Royal Canadian Legion. • 7 pm: Dart Tournaments, Sportman’s Lounge. For info: 345-6346.

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 press release?”A press release, or media release, is information that is specifically de-

signed for the media in the hopes that they will run a favour-

able story about your organization. A sig-

nificant percentage of news that is printed or aired originated as a media release from a corporation.When writing a media release, the number one rule is to ensure that your item is newsworthy, and will have in-

terest to the media’s audience.Visit harrisonmckay.com/faq5 to learn more, including helpful infor-mation about media release writ-ing and formatting.



The 2007 property tax assessments came as no surprise, eh? If you are a property owner, you should have received one in the mail by now. Home values went up again - way up, compared to five years ago.

The assessment is the annual estimate of your property’s value, as of July 1, 2006. Local tax authori-ties use the figure to set and collect taxes for the year.

As you might expect, waterfront properties were the big gainers, although, the Columbia Lake water-front bubbled to the top with a whopping 60-percent increase in value this year. Also, not surprisingly, the waterfront properties, in general, led in gains over other areas of the valley.

Years of flat home values started trending sharply upward beginning in 2003, due in large part to “the Alberta influence.” Over the few years since, typical home values have doubled.

On average, Albertans currently own about half the property in the valley. Only 40 percent is owned by B.C. residents with 10 percent owned by others, according to District of East Kootenay Assessor Jim Norton.

“There’s no doubt about the Alberta influence,” he said.

Mr. Norton also cited the baby boomers reaching retirement age, and the general real estate boom that has been playing out across B.C. and other parts of North America as drivers of higher home values.

“What is happening in Invermere is not a unique thing,” he said. “You would still be trading up signifi-cantly to move to Kelowna.”

Mr. Norton said residential properties in Invermere increased by an average of 22.5 percent, slightly less than the overall provincial increase of 23 percent.

“It’s relatively high for the East Kootenays,” Mr. Norton said, “but still a pretty good deal compared to Kelowna or Vancouver or other areas of the province.” He noted that the increase was higher in Cranbrook (29 percent), Golden, Fernie and the Okanagan as well. “So, it’s at least a B.C. thing, if not a North American thing.”

Home values in Panorama have shown only slight increases in recent years and home values in Whistler have even slipped a few points this year.

Area real estate agent Ross Newhouse of Royal LePage in Invermere agrees. According to Mr. Ne-whouse, the market conditions that are fueling the boom in assessed value since 2003 are demand out-pacing supply; the aging demographic; and the price of oil.

“I suspect if you look back at what oil prices did in 2003 you will find your answer,” he said.

Continued on Page 13

Columbia Valley property valuessurge another 30% on average

LOCALE 2006 2007 PERCENT CHANGE

Invermere

Hospital/Wilder Area $279,000 $317,000 13.62%

Fort Point (off-lake) $415,000 $549,000 32.28%

Fort Point (lakefront) $1,130,000 $1,607,000 42.21%

Upper Windermere $279,000 $365,000 30.82%

Windermere (off-lake) $456,000 $629,000 37.93%

Windermere (lakefront) $842,000 $1,244,000 47.74%

Timber Ridge $427,000 $545,000 27.63%

Columbia Lake non-lakefront/Westside Road $338,000 $450,000 33.13%

Fairmont $306,000 $387,000 26.47%

Panorama $643,000 $682,000 6.06%

Edgewater $155,000 $209,000 34.83%

Wilmer $174,000 $185,000 6.32%

Canal Flats

Townsite $144,000 $189,000 31.25%

Columbia Lake Waterfront $380,000 $610,000 60.52%

Radium Hot Springs

Townsite $245,000 $301,000 22.85%

Radium Valley Vacation Resort $188,000 $254,000 35.10%

2007 TAX ASSESSMENTS—The top chart shows the assessed value of the typical home in Radium, Windermere and Invermere over the last decade. Prices remained steady until 2003 when—driven by increased demand, good oil prices and the retirement of the Baby Boomers—property values began an upward surge that has doubled values and show no sign of abating. The chart above shows the percent of increase in value for Upper Columbia Valley communities. The waterfront areas led the way, with the Columbia lake waterfront seeing the greatest increase, 60.52 percent.

Source: BC Assessment Authority

Assessed Value of the Typical Home

$- $50,000

$100,000 $150,000 $200,000 $250,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

Radium

Windermere

Invermere


Cotinued fron Page 12.

“What I have found is that real estate comes down to supply and demand, and right now, even with the talk of all the development, there is still a shortage of supply and huge demand.”

Mr. Newhouse said he predicted the boom years ago realizing the aging demographic of baby boom-ers about to reach retirement age. “They’ve got a lot more money now and they are going to spend it.”

The aging demographic, he said, also explains the flat home values at Panorama and Whistler.

“It’s an aging population. Skiiing is probably not at the top of their list any more,” he said, noting that most of his customers are more interested in golfing and hiking.

Mr. Newhouse said the top drivers of value are lake frontage, lake views, and lake access, followed by the proximity to a golf course. “I always tell my clients that it all depends on the individual. What’s important to you will probably be important to the next guy.”

The boom in assessed value means a tax roll in-crease of $175 millon or 29.56 percent for the Dis-trict of Invermere. Last year’s tax roll came in at $592 million. This year, that has increased to $767 million of assessed value.

District of Invermere Finance Director Karen Cote said Invermere council, during its budget pro-

cess, will consider how much it will cost to run the municipality for the next year and set tax rates against the new assessment roll.

Last year, which saw similar increases in assessed value, resulted in a residential tax rate hike of 3.8 per-cent. So, on $592 million of valuation, the District of Invermere collected almost $2 million in revenue.

Mrs. Cote said last year’s tax rate was set at $2.9948 per $1,000 of assessed value of residential properties and $9.9371 per $1,000 of assessed value of commercial properties, but that it is too soon to spectulate about what this year’s rates will be.

“It’s pretty preliminary, so I can’t comment on what the tax rate will be,” she said.

At last year’s rates, the owner of what Mr. Norton identified as a typical home in Invermere - with an assessed value of $321,000 - would owe $961.34 in property taxes.

Mrs. Cote said the council must set this year’s tax rate by May 14.

Owners of commercial properties can expect to pay more this year. While residential property val-ues have increased significantly in the last few years, commercial and industrial property values remained realtively stable. This year, commercial properties in Invermere had increases ranging from 5 to 25 per-cent, Mr. Norton said. Properties zoned for multi-family use and development lands have also shown significant increases.

Although B.C. Assessment boasts a 99-percent accuracy rate, if you think your property was unfair-ly assessed, you are encouraged to contact the East Kootenay Assessment Office immediately.

“Property owners who feel that their property as-sessment does not reflect market value as of July 1, 2006, or see incorrect information on their notice, should contact the BC Assessment office indicated on their notice as soon as possible,” Mr. Norton said.

“If property owners are still concerned about their assessment after speaking to one of our staff, they may submit a written request by January 31 for an independent review by a Property Assessment Re-view Panel.”

The independent panels, appointed annually by the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, meet between February 1 and March 15 to hear formal complaints.

You can also check the assesment of neighbor-ing properties for reference in the Assessments by Address database at www.bcassessment.ca from now until March 15. Paper copies of the Assessment by Address database are also available at the assess-ment office and most municipal halls, including the District of Invermere office at 914-8th Avenue in Invermere.

The district office of BC Assessment is located at No. 200, 117 Cranbrook Street North in Cranbrook, and can be reached toll-free at 1-800-556-9229.

The Radium Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce In-Room Magazine Marketing Initiative is now in its third successful year.

The Radium Magazine is placed in binders in 95% of hotel and motel rooms in Radium Hot Springs, and is a great opportunity to promote your business to a specifi c target market of more than 200,000* visitors per year!

Columbia Valley Map Book advertisers receive a 10% discount off ads.

*Based on annual fi gures of 800 rooms/40% occupancy rate/1.7 average night stays/3 people per room.

• The Radium Magazine produces results!• Creates Visibility for Radium in the competitive tourism market• Educates Visitors to BC’s Best Mountain Getaway Village• Provides marketing information to a captive in-room audience• Promotes “Stay and Play Another Day” in Radium Hot Springs• Increases Revenue to local businesses with longer visits

Contact: Bob Friesen, Sales · Ph: (250) 341-6299or call The Columbia Valley Pioneer (250) 341-6299

A Radium Chamber of Commercemarketing initiative.

N EW S PA P E R

Th e Columbia Valley


2007 Columbia ValleyMAP BOOK

Last chance to book your ad for the

• 100,000 copies• Free to readers, businesses and tourist

locations• Distributed monthly for 12 months• Sent to key visitor centres in B.C. and

Alberta

• Convenient digest size• Detailed road and street maps for all

Columbia Valley communities• Creates visibility for your business in the

highly competitive tourism market

Book Your Ad Space Today!Adrienne Turner, Sales • (Cell) 341-1201

� ��

�� No. 8, 1008 - 8th Ave. • Box 868 • Invermere BC • V0A 1K0Phone: (250) 341-6299 • Fax: (250) 341-6229Email: [email protected]: www.columbiavalleypioneer.com

Brendan DonahueInvestment Advisor

Phone: 342-2112

GIC Rates as of Jan. 8th cashable 3.85%90 days 4.08%1 yr 4.09%2 yrs 4.10%3 yrs 4.10%4 yrs 4.10%5 yrs 4.15%

New High Interest Savings Accounts

No minimum balances 3.85%No feesInterest calculated daily, paid monthlyRedeemable at any time

RRSP and RRIF eligible

Rates subject to change without notice.Subject to availability.

Bridal show coming March 17thFuture brides and

grooms who are planning to marry in the Columbia Val-ley can benefit this year from a spring bridal show.

Allison (Alli) Ramchuk and Cristina Borgogelli have announced their event as the Blushing Bride Wedding Expo and Directory.

According to Ms. Ram-chuk, the idea is to showcase local vendors and suppliers that provide wedding ser-vices. The duo hope that lo-cal brides and Calgary-based brides planning Columbia Valley weddings will utilize the local services instead of importing them from Calgary.

“We want to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got talented, quality people right here in the valley you can hire to supply your wedding,’” she said.

The two partners are promising one-stop shop-ping for all your wedding needs.

“This will be new, fresh and interactive,” Ms. Ramchuk said. “You will be able to make purchases at the show. It will all be cash and carry.”

The Saturday afternoon event will take place March 17 at The View at Copper Point.

Although this is the first of its kind, the partners intend to make it an annual event.

As part of the event, the duo are publishing a directory which will contain vendor advertising and wedding tips. The deadline for advertising in the pub-lication, which will also be distributed through Cal-gary bridal shops, is January 22.

For more information, e-mail: [email protected] or call (250) 170-0338.

Allison Ramchuk and Cristina Borgogelli


What is broadband?

What is a community network?

Is this just high speed internet?

How much is it going to cost me?

These are all questions that will be answered at a series of Open Houses regarding the proposed broadband community networks in Electoral Areas F & G.

There will be a simulation of how the network would operate from your home and technical specialists on hand to answer your questions. Find out what a community network is, learn about the kinds of services that could be available, get information on potential costs and have your questions answered.

Following the Open Houses, eligible electors in the proposed service areas will be asked whether or not they support moving forward with the community network. We want you to have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Open House Schedule:

January 20 9:00am-Noon Fairmont Hot Springs Resort January 20 1:30pm-6:00pm Windermere Community Hall

January 27 9:00am-Noon Brisco Community Hall January 27 1:30pm-6:00pm Edgewater Community Hall

Need Blinds? Best QualityCall The Blind Guy!


District of Invermere 2007 SCHEDULE

REGULAR MEETING OF COUNCIL

The District of Invermere Council meets regularly throughout the year on the second and fourth

Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the council chambers of the Municipal Offi ce (914 – 8th Ave.)

January 9th & 23rd

February 13th & 27th

March 13th & 27th

April 10th & 24th

May 8th & 22nd

June 12th & 26th

July 10th & 24th

August 14th & 28th

September 11th & 25th

October 9th & 23rd

November 13th & 27th

December 11th & 25th

Agendas are posted on our website www.invermere.net prior to the meetings or are

available at the Municipal Offi ce.

THIS SPACE IS AVAILABLE!

Call 341-6299

An interactive play about the dangers of crys-tal meth addiction will be held at David Thompson Secondary School on Thursday, January 25th.

“Meth” is a province-wide addiction prevention project, created and performed by people who have struggled with meth addiction. The cast of Meth ‘Headlines Theatre’ range in age from 17 to 63 and bring a wealth of personal experiences to the char-acters in a real-world scenario where addicts come from all walks of life and levels of dependency.

Crystal Meth is a highly addictive drug de-scribed as a ‘mix of laundry detergent and lighter fluid,’ that can be made in any kitchen with ingre-dients from the corner store. Contrary to popular belief, Meth is not a new drug – it was widely avail-able in the 1960s and 1970s, and has resurfaced in recent years. Meth does not discriminate between

rich and poor and urban and rural; its common threat is it can wreak havoc in all communities.

The play is created and performed by commu-nity members who are living the issues under in-vestigation. The play is performed once all the way through, so the audience can see the situation and the problems presented.

The story builds to a crisis and stops there, of-fering no solutions. The play is then run again, with audience members able to “freeze” the action at any point where they see a character engaged in a strug-gle. An audience member yells “stop,” comes into the playing area, replaces the character and tries out their own ideas. This is called an “intervention.” The process is fun, profound, entertaining and full of surprises and learning.

Audiences will begin to see the kind of addictive

behaviours that arise out of relationships, and also the dangerous drug moments that most children will encounter growing up.

Details:• Where: David Thompson Secondary School

(1535 14th Street) Invermere, BC• When: Thursday, January 25, 2007 at 8 p.m.

(doors open at 7:30 p.m.)• Tickets: $7 each with proceeds from the show

to go to local youth drug and alcohol prevention activities in the community. Space is limited to 300 – tickets can be purchased in advance from Dave’s Book Bar or at the door.

• Transportation: provided by David Thomp-son Secondary School. Contact Shelly Smith (Drug and Alcohol Prevention worker) for more informa-tion at 342-9213 (ext 112) or [email protected].

Dangers of meth addiction focus of play

By Harold Hazelaar Invermere

The heat from the sun is intense. Within a short time, I seem delirious and for some unknown reason start thinking about hockey. “What the heck?” I’m ly-ing on a beautiful beach, watching the ocean roll in towards us and I think about hockey, duh, must be heat-stroke! Oh well, still better than frostbite!!

Everyone knows that professional athletes can be very superstitious when it comes to game day. Did you know that some of our Oldtimers are just the same? There is so much at stake every Wednesday night that we cannot fathom doing something out of the ordi-nary!

There are so many different ones, so I will only mention a few: when we get to the dressing room, some of us must sit in exactly the same spot with the same guys beside us every week (insecurity maybe); some of us wear the same undershirt every game (hopefully it gets washed between uses, but in some cases I doubt it); we put our equipment on in the same order every game (this might just be a habit); some of us have a herbal tea while getting dressed (sometimes two, so this isn’t real consistent either); some of us feel the need to be the first or last out of the dressing room; during warm-up everyone skates around on the ice counter-

clockwise (why is that, I wonder. Maybe it’s not super-stitious and we are really related to lemmings!)

I’d better go for a swim, just to get my brain functioning properly; I have many new memories I want to create here yet, instead of day dreaming about hockey.


INVERMERE1022B-7th Ave.

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Paul GlassfordRepresentative

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Ed English

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Main StreetInvermere, BC V0A 1K0

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

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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

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Dedicated to all your real estate needs.

This column is sponsored by

The Old Zone

Harold Hazelaar is vacationing in Hawaii.

With all 120 runs open and the deepest New Year snow pack since 1995, skiers and riders at Panorama are experiencing incredible snow con-ditions.

Already this season 353 centimetres of snow has fallen at Panorama’s summit. Since New Year’s Day more than 70 cm of snow has blanketed the mountain, bringing the settled snow base at the summit to 128 cm.

“The word is out that snow conditions in British Columbia are among the best in the world right now. Looking at Panorama, and looking at the faces of skiers and riders coming off the moun-tain, it’s clear that it doesn’t get much better than this!” said Marketing Manager Marke Dickson.

According to Mr. Dickson, it’s a great time for locals to ski their mountain. “Valley skiers and riders remember last season’s epic snow, and right now conditions are shaping to be even better.”

Panorama Mountain Village, located in the Purcell Mountains, has one of the largest vertical descents in North America. Quad chairlifts give access to the summit and over 100 trails, includ-ing former Heli-Ski terrain in Taynton Bowl.

Record snowat Panorama

January 12, 2007 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17


Columbia Valley Arts Council past-president Cam Berry and District of Invermere Public Library Board President Sandy McIlwain appeared before the Dis-trict of Invermere Council Tuesday, January 9th, to outline their plan and garner the council’s support for a new $12.5-million combined library and perform-ing arts center in downtown Invermere.

The council’s support came in the form of an agreement to pony up the initial $35,000 to pay for a site survey, drawings, modelling, a possible impact study and travel expenses.

The two-story, 16,000-square-foot facility would require $1.5 million in new taxes from the residents of the District of Invermere and the Regional District of East Kootenay. To make up the difference, Mr. Berry said, $3 million would come from a B.C. and Canada infrastructure grant, $3 million from the Columbia Basin Trust, $3 million from the B.C. Gaming Com-mission, $1.5 million from the federal government and $1.5 million from private sector donations.

“If we can get one of these high-rollers to put their name on the building, then it might be a little more than $1.5 million (from the private sector),” Mr. Berry said, “And I have a few people in mind.”

The presentation, which included conceptual drawings, was invited by the district leadership after hearing previous proposals from both groups for in-dividual buildings. The combined facility would have

separate entrances for each unit from either side with upper and lower parking decks.

“We certainly congratulate these two groups for coming together,” District of Invermere Mayor Mark Shmigelsky commented. “We just need to remind everyone that there is a huge public process to go through still. I don’t want you to read anything into it and think if we make the funding available it’s a done deal.”

The library board and arts council are operating on a few assumptions, Mr. Berry said, including (1) that the district can provide an unencumbered site; (2) that the existing building will be removed; (3) that the barn on the site is relocated; (4) that the district make the necessary changes to current traffic patterns; (5) that the district provide ongoing maintenance for the facility; and (6) that the above be provided at no cost to the project.

Mr. Berry stressed that it will be a community facility and will require the support of all the com-munities up and down the valley. Mayor Shmigelsky pointed out that the current membership of each or-ganization, the library and the arts council, has repre-sentation from each community in the valley.

The building being proposed will incorporate green technology and will include 9,300 square feet of library space, 5,000 square feet for the lobby and mez-zanine, and a 2,500-square-foot theatre with seating for 350 - 150 of which will consist of disappearing, hideaway seating that when stowed away would create a smaller 200-seat cabaret-style theatre.

The facility would also include a digital cinema, a

backstage area with green rooms, a commercial kitch-en and a 55-space parking lot, Mr. Berry said.

The library portion of the facility, Mr. McIlwain said, would include a comfortably-appointed read-ing oasis, a fireplace, a meeting room and a children’s area.

“We’ve got money for books now,” he said, “but we’ve got no place to put them,” noting that the Invermere library has the smallest per capita collection in British Columbia.

Library design goals, he said, would include more light and space, visible staff, presence in the communi-ty, tea and coffee bar, an inviting teen area, interactiv-ity in the children’s area, and a larger ratio of “people space” to collection space.

Mr. McIlwain estimated an additional $50,000 in the operating budget would cover the cost of an addi-tional employee as well as the additional utilities and maintenance.

The site, at the entrance to downtown, would re-place an eyesore, Mr. Berry said, and is situated on a nice slope providing sweeping views of the mountains and lake to the east. In his argument for the facility, Mr. Berry noted that the endeavor would be a cul-tural version of the sports-related endeavor behind the hockey arena.

“A mature and healthy community is defined by the scope and support of its cultural endeavors,” Mr. Berry wrote in his presentation.

The council agreed to provide the start-up costs and resolved to revisit the matter in February.

New library and performing arts centreplanned for old high school location

January 12, 200718 • The Columbia Valley Pioneer

WE WELCOME YOU IN STYLEWe will heat your home before you

arrive for your winter holiday,start your fi replace, and tidy up!

Experienced housesitter and home security while you are away.

Weekly or monthly cleaning services.

Call for price list and appointment.

Phone: 250-342-0847 • Cell: 250-270-0495

Kane Co.

Floor Covering & CabinetsBlinds & Paints

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

www.warwick-interiors.com

the Sunfl ower Café located in the ‘Little Big Mall’

Downtown Canal Flats

Soup•Fresh Deli Sandwiches•Baked GoodsFresh Ground Coffee•Teas•Hot Chocolate

Karlene LePan, Owner/Operator250•270•0401

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

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

• Road Building • Land Clearing • Logging • General Excavating

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

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.

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

During JanuaryFridays 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Please phone (250) 342-2552 for an appointment

• Rug Cleaners • Residential & Commercial • Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning

Flood Restoration • Window Tinting

Jason RoeRR #4, 2117 -13 Ave.

Invermere, BC V0A [email protected]

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

RUSS SALBERGSERVICE AND REPAIR

ALL COMPUTER SYSTEMS

(250) 341-1779NEW COMPUTER SYSTEMS

HARDWARE AVAILABLE

COMP TIA CERTIFIED COMPUTER TECHNICIANCERTIFIED SOFTWARE SUPPORT SPECIALIST

CERTIFIED MCP(MICROSOFT CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL)

MICROSOFT CERTIFIED SYSTEMS ENGINEER

HomefrontEssentials

ElizabethShopland250-342-8978

REGISTERED& INSURED

SECURITY CHECKSQUALITY PAINTINGSNOW SHOVELLING

CERTIFIED HORTICULTURIST

HOME • GARDEN • PAINT

HERE TO SERVE YOU

B6 Juniper HeightsInvermere, BC V0A 1K2

Phone: 250-341-3616Fax: 250-341-3617

Jacob Watchel ConstructionRenovations • Additions • Finishing • References

Quality craftsmanship for over a quarter century

Bus: (250) 342-6336Fax: (250) 342-3578Email: [email protected]: www.is-r.ca

403 - 7th AvenueInvermere, BC

HERE TO SERVE YOUJanuary 12, 2007 The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 19

TOWINGCLUB

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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

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

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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

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

Michelleformerly of Sunsations, in appreciation to all clients is off ering a

20% Discount on hair services until January 31st, 2007

Call (250)688-0068 for appointmentAnglz (250) 342-3227

Happy Holidays

Michelle

Happy Holidays

20% Discount

4966 Fairmont Frontage, Fairmont Hot Springs

345-6600

Rising Sun

Massage & Spa

@ The Radium Golf ResortPhone: (250) 347-9311www.radiumresort.com

Lyn BirkettRegistered AMTWP

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

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

• 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

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)

HERE TO SERVE YOU


Complete Automotive Repairs

Phone: 342-6614 • www.autowyze.com

(Beside the Petro Canada Car Wash)

INSURANCE AGENCIES LTD.

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

BOX 4597553 MAIN STREET

RADIUM HOT SPRINGS, BCV0A 1M0

PHONE: 347-9350FAX: 347-6350

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

Lambert

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

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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]

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

Growing with the Tradition of Quality

• Framing• Renovations • Decks

• Exterior Finishing

Kristoffer Bennett(250) 341-5030

[email protected]

Bennett Construction

WINDERMERE 342-6805

SHOLINDER & MACKAYEXCAVATING Inc.

Septic Systems Installed ~ Pumped ~ RepairedPrefab Cement Tanks Installed

Water Lines Dug InstalledBasements Dug

Invermere Dry Cleaners Ltd.

Dry Cleaning • Laundry • AlterationsRepair • Bachelor Service

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

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

Interior WorldNeed Blinds?

Call Bill Cropper (250) 342 4406

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

(250) 342-9207

VACUFLO

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

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HERE TO SERVE YOU

HERE TO SERVE YOUThe Columbia Valley Pioneer • 21January 12, 2007

OBITUARY

Theresa (Daisy) KattlerJune 28, 1922 - January 3, 200784 years old, born in Regina, died at the Invermere Hospital after a lengthy illness. She is sur-vived by a loving family and her Mount Nelson friends. A memo-rial service will be held at Christ Church Trinity Saturday, January 13th at 11 a.m. In lieu of fl ow-ers, donations can be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

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.

OFFICE SPACE

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

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.

Available February 15th or March 1st. Fairmont, bright, 2 bedroom, 1 bath walkout basement suite w/laundry, LR w/fi replace, kitchen, separate dining/den area. $1000/month + utilities and DD. N/S, pets negotiable. Call Teresa, 345-4595.

Kootenay Apartments in Radium (Kootenay Motel) has clean, furnished, and all inclusive 1 and 2 bedroom units $600

- $800 for long or short-term monthly rental. N/S, N/P, DD and references required. Contact Don or Sue Miller 342-6908 (day), 342-3709 (evenings).

1 bedroom basement suite, newly renovated, very large, separate entrance, Canal Flats. $550/month, plus 1/2 utilities. Call 403-235-5507.

Available immediately: newly renovated ground level 2 bedroom, w/d, $850/month + utilities; or older-style upper 1 bedroom, w/d, w/new large sundeck, $750/month + utilities. N/S, N/P, references required + DD. Call 342-8933.

Windermere: 1 bedroom furnished condo. Rec centre, pool, N/S, N/P. References required, $675/month. 403-239-0822, e-mail [email protected].

HOMES FOR RENT

Available February 1st. Fairmont executive home, 3 bedroom + den, 2.5 baths, LR w/fi replace, FR, DR, beautiful kitchen, hardwood and slate throughout. $1500/month + utilities and DD. N/S, pets negotiable. Call Teresa, 345-4595.

Windermere, 2 bedroom furnished executive house with fridge, stove, d/w, w/d, fi replace, satellite service, heated garage. N/S, N/P. $1500/month plus utilities. Available February 1st, 2007. Sandy, 342-0020.

Available immediately. 2 bedroom condo plus bonus room at Black Forest Village. All appliances and window coverings. $1100/month plus utilities, N/S. 342-3826.

HOMES FOR SALE

Looking for an aff ordable home? This one won’t last! Located in

central Canal Flats, 3 bedroom mobile home with 25x28 shop/garage on large landscaped lot. Complete with F/S, W/D, wood stove. Take possession immediately, asking $199, 000. Phone 342-3481, or 342-1017.

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.

2 bedroom, 1 bath 1000sq.ft. townhouse in Edgewater. Completely renovated, new appliances, deck, low fees. $195,500.00, immediate possession. 341-7068.

LAND FOR SALE

New lots along Crescentwood coming. Commercial lots available NOW for less! Acre-age West of town - Edgewa-ter Developments 347 9660, [email protected].

Fully serviced lot in Radium Hot Springs. The lot is .15 acres on desirable Pine Cone Lane. Architectural controls are in place for this west facing lot,

with a beautiful mountain view. It is located directly across the road from The Springs golf course. Asking price is $175,000. Contact Suzanne or Mac at 780-459-1150 or 780-203-5556 for further information.

TIMESHARE FOR SALE

PANORAMA: 2 bedroom, April 7 - 14, 2007, $700. Other timeshares through RCI available. Phone 250-345-6115.

MISC. FOR SALE

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

Support Rockies Hockey - Firewood: pine, mixed, and birch. 342-6908.

White refrigerator w/bottom freezer, 3 years old, excellent condition, $500; beer fridge, $100; two electric ranges, white, $200 & $100; newer oak dining room table and six chairs, $500. 342-0665, [email protected].

7.5 cubic foot RCA freezer; fridge/freezer 5’x32”x26.5”. Both $75.00, 345-6272.

Shih-tzu/Maltese cross: black/brown/white, will be 8 lbs or less full-grown. Will be 10 weeks old February 8th, 2007. Non-shedding, dewormed, vet-checked, 1st shots. $550/female, $500/male. For info call 250-262-2760, Radium.

Curved chesterfi eld, ottoman, and armchair, Shermag made, contemporary cloth materials, $200.00. 250-483-5358, ask for Louise.

Bulk foods bins and glass storage jars, $6 and up. Grant’s Food Bins on 8th Ave.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

SERVICES

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

CHEERS

CHEERS to Laura and the Whitehouse Pub staff for collecting donations for the Family Resource Centre. Colleen.

CHEERS to young Mike who stopped and apologized for passing a walking trio a few weeks ago...at 60km/h.

JEERS to Westside motorists who haven’t noticed the “Share the road - 30k” posted signs.

PIONEER CLASSIFIEDS

Residential/Vacation Properties

Maintenance & RepairsDependable - Fully Insured

JIM ROBERTSONWindermere

342-9022

$10,000,000 in vehicle inventory.

Go to www.cranbrookdodge.com

to view complete inventory.

T H E P I O N E E R

MORE THAN TWICE THE DISTRIBUTIONOF ANY OTHER LOCAL NEWSPAPER

M O R E B A N G F O R YO U R B U C K .


PIONEER CLASSIFIEDSCAREERS

We are looking for lumber yard and store staff who are energetic, outgoing, self-motivated, fast learners and work well with others. Bring resume to Ace Hardware.

Dusk Construction, a local framing company, is currently seeking framers and labourers. We off er excellent wages and benefi ts package. Please fax resume to 250-345-2191, or e-mail to [email protected].

Fairmont Creek Property Management is looking for housekeeping staff . Mature, responsible person with at least 6 months experience. $11/hr wage, full time, year round employment. Medical & Dental

benefi ts and staff housing is provided. Please call Carmen at 250-345-6116.

PT/FT furniture deliveries and as-sembly, room for advancement, some evening hours, must have clean driver’s abstract, and be in good physical condition. Good wages and benefi t package. Fax resume to 342-6052 or e-mail [email protected].

PT Executive Assistant: fi ling, computer data entry, telephone, etc. Must have experience, good computer skills, good written and verbal English, a ‘take charge’ attitude, and the ability to work unsupervised. Remuneration commensurate with experience and ability. Good benefi t package. Fax resume to 342-6052 or e-mail [email protected].

Professional Sales Associate required by The Place Furniture. Experience an asset, some train-ing available. Good benefi ts package, salary, and commis-sion base. Must have excellent verbal and written English, and good computer skills. Should be able to work under pressure. Fax resume to 342-6052.

Experience framing carpenters required. Full crews, lead hands, labourers. Phone Curt at 250-

270-0744, or Glen at 250-270-0644.

STRETCH your

advertising dollar

FURTHER

Call us atThe Pioneer

Come join the Kick Ass Team!In our ongoing quest to provide the world with the ultimate wake-up call, Kicking Horse Coffee continues to build it’s legendary Production Team! Current opportunities include:

Material Handler/Labourer – Full TimeWorking hand-in-hand with packing and roasting, your key responsibilities will include organization, material handling and cleanliness in the warehouse and roasting areas. Tasks may include, but are not limited to receiving and managing green bean and production inventory, organizing materials for daily roasts and production runs, assisting packing with the shipping of nished product, cleaning and preventative maintenance of roasters.

Although previous warehouse shipping/receiving experience would be preferred, if you live, breathe and dream coffee; are highly organized and detail oriented (to the point of being called anal); are energetic, physically t, capable of short periods of heavy lifting and can remain on your feet for an 8 hour period; are a team player and have a “glass half full” disposition; have a sense of humour, even while wearing a hairnet, earplugs and steel toed footwear…

Then nd out for yourself why Kicking Horse Coffee is such a great place to work!

We provide a positive and supportive year-round work environment, excellent 100% employer paid extended health and wellness bene ts (pending successful probationary period), competitive wages, professional development opportunities, legendary staff “fun days”, paid day-off birthdays, a steady pipeline to satisfy the most discerning addiction, not to mention an awesome product and a team dedicated and committed to producing the best coffee in the country!

To apply, please email your application to [email protected] or fax 250-342-4450.

We will contact successful applicants.

RESIDENT CARE WORKERFull-time and casual, Union membership, HEU. See posting, Mount Nel-son Place. Please contact(250) 342-3699, Stepha-nie Healy, Manager.

By Louise PlatielInvermere Veterinary Hospital

Veterinarian Bruce Th eissen can still remember seeing cases of distemper in dogs. It begins with di-arrhea and vomiting, includes thick yellow discharge from the nose and eyes, a cough, and seizures. It is a viral infection against which antibiotics are ineff ective, and for which there is no specifi c treatment. If they recover, most dogs are left with muscle twitches and recurrent seizures.

Fortunately, because it is part of a regular vacci-nation schedule, distemper is rarely seen today. Th is illustrates the function and importance of vaccina-tions, which have improved signifi cantly in the past ten years. Recently the American Animal Hospital As-sociation recommended changes to vaccinations for both dogs and cats based on advances in vaccination technology.

Vaccines are essentially manufactured versions of diseases that create a memory in the immune system so that if the disease is encountered, the system re-members it and knows what to do. In the last 20 years vaccinations have all but eliminated conditions such as distemper, and have greatly reduced other fatal illness-es in both dogs and cats. Th e fi rst booster shots – small consecutive doses that accumulate to provide initial

protection – remain on the same monthly schedule at 6-8 weeks, 10-12 weeks, and 14 to 16 weeks. Ra-bies vaccinations can be given any time after 12 weeks. Th is gets the pet started and boosts immunity during this vulnerable time.

Until recently, the schedule for diff erent vaccina-tions varied, making it diffi cult to remember when shots are due. Th e recent changes have brought vac-cinations to a standard three-year interval for adult shots, so that all can be given at once. While there is no harm in vaccinating on a yearly basis, one benefi t to better serums is that the new, prolonged schedule makes it more aff ordable. Although some drug-manu-facturing companies are pushing for more vaccines, the priority of veterinarians is to have the largest num-ber of animals vaccinated for the most common and potentially fatal diseases on a regular basis. Th is gives us the chance of eliminating the worst diseases over time.

Should you still have an annual check-up? By all means! Consider that both dogs and cats age faster than we do; by age three their bodies have matured to the equivalent of twenty-eight, by fi ve they are thirty-six, and after six years medium and large breed dogs age at an even faster rate. Senior pets (those over six) benefi t the most from these examinations, as often health discomforts are concealed by what seems like

simple grouchiness. A check-up with your vet on a yearly basis is still the best way to catch small things – such as lumps, fading eyesight, or deteriorated teeth – before they turn into major health issues, and is a great time to have your nagging questions answered. See you soon!

Don’t forget to have your pets vaccinated


LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH 10:30 a.m., Sunday, January 7– Worship and Life Instruction,

“Th e Dam of Pride” COMMUNION will be served.Sunday School, for ages 3 to grade 7 during the morning service.

7:00 p.m., “Hymn Sings”… at L.W.A.C.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 LATTER-DAY SAINTSSunday, 10:00 am

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

LAKE WINDERMERE ALLIANCE CHURCH

Valley ChurchesFAITH

Call 341-6151or

18883416155rayfergusonrealty.ca

RECREATIONAL/ RETIREMENT/RETREAT

2 bdrm, ranch home. Fenced, level lot, 2 car garage, 2 storage or workshop rooms. Perfect for couple or a small in-home business.

MLS#K151673 $379,000

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.

Dieter Magnus, PastorLake Windermere Alli-ance Church

One of the power-ful stories in the Bible is Noah and the Ark. In Genesis 6-9 we have the story which tells us that God was so fed up with the way in which people lived that He sent a fl ood to wipe out life on earth, and started over with Noah. God promises He will never do that again, but what if Noah lived in our val-ley and God asked Him to do that today? Maybe the story would go something like this . . .

“And the Lord said unto Noah: ‘Where is the ark which I commanded thee to build?’ And Noah said unto the Lord: ‘Verily, I have had three carpenters off ill. Th e gopherwood supplier hath let me down – yeah, even though the gopherwood hath been on order for nigh upon twelve months. What can I do, O Lord?’ And the Lord said unto Noah: ‘I want that ark fi nished even after seven days and seven nights.’ And Noah said: ‘It will be so.’ And it was not so. And the Lord said unto Noah: ‘What seemeth to be the trou-ble this time?’ And Noah said unto the Lord: ‘Mine subcontractor hath gone bankrupt. Th e pitch which Th ou commandest me to put on the outside and on the inside of the ark hath not arrived. Th e plumber hath gone on strike. Shem, my son who helpeth me on the ark side of the business, hath formed a pop group with his brothers Ham and Japheth. Lord, I am undone.’ And the Lord grew angry and said: ‘And what about the animals, the male and female of every sort that I ordered to come unto thee to keep their seed alive upon the face of the earth?’ And Noah said: ‘Th ey have been delivered unto the wrong address but

should arrive on Friday.’ And the Lord said: ‘How about the unicorns, and the fowls of the air by sevens?’ And Noah wrung his hands and wept, saying: ‘Lord, unicorns are a discontinued line; thou canst not get them for love nor money. And fowls of the air are sold only in half-dozens. Lord, Lord, Th ou knowest how it is.’ And the Lord in His wisdom said: ‘Noah, my son, I knowest. Why else dost thou think I have caused a fl ood to descend upon the earth?’ ” [Author un-known]

When I look at the discontent, unhappiness, and grumbling of so many people in the middle of so much wealth, I sometimes wonder why God made that promise. Do we deserve what we have when so much of our world has little or nothing? No! So, what are you going to do about it?

I would like to encourage you to take two courses of action in 2007. Th e fi rst is strictly a personal deci-sion we all can make.

Be more grateful. It is amazing how a grateful at-titude increases our enjoyment of life. Be thankful for those who work so hard to serve us in government, in stores, and in the service industry. Say “thank you” to the next police offi cer you see working to keep you and those around you safe (even if it is from your own foolishness). Smile at the guys driving the snowplows, sanding trucks or garbage trucks. Be grateful.

Th e second course of action is to seek God. His promise is that if we seek Him, we will fi nd Him. God has created us as beings that are spiritual as well as physical. Without spiritual input, we are less than we were meant to be.

One writer put it this way. “We all have a God-sized vacuum in our soul that only He can fi ll.” Th is is not only necessary for this life, but for eternity as well.

What would happen if you chose these courses of action for 2007?

What would happen if . . .

Dear Editor:

I would like to share some shocking, jumbling and embarrassing facts heard on CBC Radio the other day.

Th irty-eight out of 100 people in the world live in extreme poverty and hunger. Th ey earn less than $1 per day and share the equivalent of two loaves of bread between them a day. Fifty-one of the 100 people live in the developing world. Th ey have food, but not enough. Th ey get the equivalent

of one-half cup of rice per day.Eleven people have too much to eat. Th ey have

more than enough of everything and consume 80 percent of the world’s food.

We of the latter group could do more to help. For example, if we saved the world’s military bud-get for just one day each year, there would be no more hunger. After you fi nish crying, pause for thought and take some action.

Bill Ark, Invermere

Please think about these facts


InvermereIndependently Owned and Operated

250-342-6505

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

Taynton Lodge at Panorama

The quiet building which feels like you are alone in your own mountain hideaway. Even better imagine being on the top oor, with vaulted ceilings, a replace and a balcony that overlooks the ski hill and hot tubs. Don�t let this one bedroom beauty slip out of your hands. MLS#K152013

$189,000+gst

A Gem of a Family Home

Well cared for home features above ground living on two levels. Great views from this 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom home. Fireplace and tons of windows give this home a cozy feel. Walk to all schools, parks and downtown. MLS#K160022

$394,700

Purcell Point

This alpine development is your private mountain lodge. Timber accents and cozy replaces cast an aura of warmth year round. A world of adventure awaits you here. MLS#K160078

$360,900+gst

Parkside Place

Brand new building in downtown Invermere. Parkside Place is the hot new retail area of town and this 1000 sq ft space is ready to go. The lease can be tailored to your company. MLS#NEW

$17.00 sq ft +gst

Recreation Plus…

In this beautifully renovated 4 bedroom home minutes away from the beach. Every inch of house has been fully re-done and designed for living. Comfy recreation room on basement level has its own access. Fenced yard. MLS#K160026

$219,000

Great Potential

View of the pools and ski hill. About 20 steps to the quad chairlift. In other words the location of choice for your ski, bike or golf vacation at Panorama Mountain Village Tamarack Lodge. Two bedrooms, replace, huge balcony. MLS#K160028

$299,950+gst

A Wonder in Wonderland

Westridge Beauty

Spread Out

This 2.34 acre property has room for you to roam. Enjoy the land and space, bring your horses and enjoy the mountain views at an affordable price. Five minutes to Columbia Lake. MLS#K160032

$259,900

Mountain ViewsHere is your home in Westridge Estates, four bedrooms, large double car garage, hardwood oors, bright open concept living, large yard fenced for the kids or pets. Very close to all schools and walking distance to downtown. MLS#K152020

$409,900

The WOW Factor

This top oor unit has large vaulted ceiling, top notch furnishings and fantastic mountain views. This is one of the largest units in the building and with the GST paid this is one of the best values on the hill, and being fully equipped all you need is your clothes. MLS#K160079

$349,900

Prestigious neighborhood with spectacular views! This Westridge 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home has it all. Bright rooms with lots of windows and views plus. Walk to schools, parks and downtown. Great family home, this is a must see! MLS#K160027

$479,000

2011 is the time still available to build your dream home at the Lake. 1200 sq ft minimum and across the street from the tennis courts and recreation centre, with a private beach just steps away. Call now and see yourself on the water!!! MLS#K160040

$164,900

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

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