Aug. 4 2010 volume 1 Issue 8

Rocky Mountain GoatThe

Your source for weekly news and views in the Robson ValleyWednesday, August 04, 2010 Volume 1 Issue 8

Free!

www.therockymountaingoat.com

More Inside:24 hours of adrenaline A colony of harpists in McBride

Joseph [email protected]

Cancer centre hub for north

Photo: Laura Keil

Jasper and Blue River men conquer 24-hour raceLaura [email protected]

Betty Huegle of Edmonton says her dogs Buddy, Peewee and Sweet Pea get very upset if she goes quading with-out them. The dogs, a Chihuahua-Yorkie cross, were out with Huegle who was quading with Floyd and Travis Hammond on Canoe Mountain Road last weekend just outside of Valemount.

A Blue River man and a Jas-per man are close to the 24-hour world championship for mountain biking in Australia after placing at the 24-Hours of Adrenaline competition in Canmore last week. Cory Wallace of Jasper placed first and Andy Aufschnaiter of Blue River placed eighth at the race of some 1,500 people. It was Aufschnaiter’s first time

at the races. The 47-year-old ski instructor from Blue River says the adrenaline was definitely there. “You’re so charged up,” he says. “My heart rate was so high.” He says he entered the race to learn about what his body is capable of doing. The race takes place on a 16.5 km track. Wal-lace finished 20 laps around the track in the 24 hours. Auf-

Construction on a new cancer centre in Prince George means some northern patients are one step closer to receiving treat-ment without tiresome drives. Premier Gordon Campbell says the service will eliminate the need for northern residents to travel south for treatment. But residents of the Robson Valley will still have to com-mute to Prince George for treatment. Pam Tobin of the Northern Cancer Control Strategy says the new facility will offer more reasonable accommodation for patients and accompanying family who still need to travel the distance. The Centre for the North will also offer patients and their families more care options such as radiation therapy. The 5,000-square-metre cen-tre will be the B.C. Cancer Agency’s sixth regional can-cer centre. It will also include a computerized-tomography simulator; a chemotherapy treatment unit; a pharmacy; and general outpatient clinics. The total capital cost of the Northern Cancer Control Strat-egy is $102.8 million, funded almost entirely by the province. Construction and operation of the project is contracted as a public-private partnership with a capital cost of $69.9 million.

Shirley Bond, Prince George-Valemount MLA, says they have been waiting for this for a very long time. “For decades we have been asking to find ways to keep can-cer patients closer to home, sur-rounded by their loved ones.” The B.C. Cancer Agency has contracted Plenary Health to design, build, and maintain the new centre for 30 years. Key design features include the first green roof in Prince George, as well as extensive use of wood, a decision Min-ister of Forests and Range, Pat Bell, says reflects one of the pri-mary industries in the North. Construction-related projects should create around 445 di-rect construction jobs over the life of the project. According to provincial health analysts, the annual number of new cancer diagnoses in north-ern B.C. is projected to reach approximately 1,628 by 2020 – an increase of nearly 26 per cent from 2010. The Centre for the North will be a key resource for North-ern Health’s community can-cer clinics located across the region, said Dr. Charles Jago, Northern Health board chair. The new cancer facility if part of a three-year, $2.6-billion health-sector capital plan by the province. Cont’ A6

schnaiter did 15. “It’s a tough race,” Auf-schnaiter says. “After 16 hours my body broke down.” He said he started too fast and paid for it later. It was 4 a.m. when his body said it had had enough. He had to rest half an hour, he says. That is the only time he stopped for more than the time it took to eat and drink.

A2 Wednesday, August 04 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

Mud races struggle to keep mud

North West Mud Racing Association Pres-ident Dave Biddlecombe hoses down the race track during an intermission Satur-day. The hot day and sandy soil meant less than ideal conditions for the mud racing. Taylor Harabie, 4, and Kiara Harabie, 7, were happy to be part of the mud races with their dad Steven. Rod Dobson says the dry sand helped him to drive faster in his vehicle “Lethal Injection.”

Photos: Laura Keil

fresh valueessentialsservice

qualityenjoy life taste it!

savingsselection

variety

Just 25 minutes west from Mt. Robson...

R.V. Parking!5th Avenue, Valemount BC

Laura [email protected]

The riding was hot last weekend at Valemount first-ever mud bog races - a little too hot, perhaps. “There’s not enough mud,” said North West Mud Racing Association President Dave Biddlecombe on a very hot Satur-day afternoon as he grabbed a hose and began spraying water on the track dur-ing intermission. The dual 200-foot long tracks were a foot deep, but the water just wouldn’t stay in the pit as it should. This didn’t stop Rod Dobson from having a good ride, however. He zipped his truck, Lethal Injection, down the pit in 3.3 seconds. The dry sand helped him accelerate to 100 km/h by the end of the track, he says. “It’s lots of fun.” Dobson, like many competitors, built his vehicle himself and has been work-ing on it roughly eight years. Steven Harabie built his vehicle too, completely out of salvaged materials. “I hate waste,” he said as he fine-tuned his machine before the race. Harabie was run over by a vehicle at

the races in Chiliwack last year, but is back again this year. He says his vehicle is outfitted with many safety precau-tions and last year was simply a stroke of bad luck. Some $8,000 was paid out to the win-ners of the mud bog races last week-end. Several dozen people competed in the race which saw a good turnout, organizers say.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 A3 www.therockymountaingoat.com

The Rocky Mountain Goat is a free weekly paper

Check out our new rates!$30/week.

$28.5/week for 4 weeks, or $22.50/week for 10 weeks

Email Joe: [email protected]

or call 250-566-1444

Discounted ads for long-term contracts!

$28.5/week for 4 weeks, or $22.5/week for 10 weeks

Email Joe: [email protected]

or call 250-566-1444

The George Hicks park trail has long offered visitors a chance to picnic next to Swift Creek and watch salmon spawn just west of Highway 16 in Valemount.This year, a new trail will be completed in the park, offering visitors a chance to take a scenic nature walk not far from the highway. Local workers were not commissioned this year to work on the trail, however. Regional district parks spokesperson Petra Wildauer says that two out of three local workers left the project last year, and with that turn-over rate the hiring process is too costly. “We have limited time to complete a project throughout the construction season,” Wildauer said. “Due to the ex-perience from last year, with the time spent trying to hire local people, the re-maining work in the amount of time de-fined can be completed by staff already employed by the regional district.” Work on the new $10,000 trail began three years ago, and is set to end this September. The funds came from the Community Tourism program through the Union of British Columbia Munici-palities. Four staff from the district are work-ing on the trail. The path is intended to connect the Valemount Visitor Centre to the park and provide information on the marsh system. Local Village of Vale-mount staff are taking care of the park maintenance. The long-term plan for the park is to add interpretive signage, another salm-on-viewing area and shelter near Swift Creek.

Regional park trail nearly doneLocal workers snubbed by districtLaura [email protected]

Photos: Laura Keil

www.therockymountaingoat.com

Valemount Village updates

Within Canada ($90/Year) International ($90/Year +Postage)Robson Valley ($70/Year)

Subscriber’s Name:

P.O. Box #:

Street Address:City/Province/Country:

Postal/Zip Code:

e-mail:

Phone:Please check off the appropriate boxes, fill out all of the lines, cut out the form along the dotted line, and mail with a cheque, or money order to:SubscriptionThe Rocky Mountain GoatBox 21Valemount, BCV0E 2Z0

Convenience Mail Delivery Subscription For questions, call The Goat at (250) 566-4606, or e-mail [email protected]

The Rocky Mountain Goat is produced and distributed by ‘The Rocky Mountain Goat News’ and is subject to copyright. Reproduction, or distribution of any article, photo, or other content must recieve prior consent from Joseph Nusse (Co-Owner/Publisher) or Laura Keil (Co-Owner/Editor).

Joseph NusseCo-Owner

Publisher/[email protected]

Laura KeilCo-Owner

Editor/[email protected]

Office: 1070, 5th Avenue, Valemount British Columbia

Telephone: (250) 566-4606E-mail: [email protected], or [email protected]: www.therockymountaingoat.comMail Address: Box 21, Valemount BC, V0E 2Z0

The Rocky Mountain Goat is a free distribution newspaper serving a population base of approximately 4,000 residents from Blue River and Valemount, to McBride and Dome Creek.

The Rocky Mountain Goat is distributed free weekly

Illustrations by Luke Siemens

Stop signs will be installed at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Elm Street. There are cur-rently two stop signs headed north-south on Elm Street, but none on 5th Avenue headed east-west. Village councillors voted unanimously to install the signs at that corner, citing concerns from residents about limited visiblity because of the planters.

On Tuesday Aug. 24th, the Vil-lage will help host a reception for former mayor Jeannette Townsend in honour of the B.C. Achievement Award she received this spring. The date

Laura [email protected]

New stop signs, zip line meeting, seniors moving day

A4 Wednesday, August 04, 2010

and time are to be announced.

Terracana will be meeting with the province in mid-August to discuss the proposed zip line near Valemount.

Seniors will likely be able to move into their new B.C. Hous-ing homes in Valemount by Dec. 1st.

The grand openings of the se-niors housing, water treatment plant and downtown revitaliza-tion will be celebrated together.

Next council meeting is Tues-day Aug. 10th at 7 p.m.

Photo: Laura Keil

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 A5www.therockymountaingoat.com

Pulling at the harp stringsHarp colony stakes claim in McBride

A dozen harpists sit in a circle, arms reaching across the strings of their in-struments. On a cue they begin to play, and their music fills the room with vi-bration. It’s the first annual harp colony in Mc-Bride, far from the heat and noise of the city where many of the participants are from. “Everyone is enjoying McBride so much,” says Regina Timmins of Calgary, who co-founded the event. “The Indy 500 is going on in Calgary right now, so all over the city you hear ‘raaaayyyr!’” A dozen harpists from across west-ern Canada, including some from Mc-Bride, joined the colony which ran the last week of July. It’s a week-long retreat where participants can have one-on-one lessons, get their harp fine-tuned by a harp technician, or learn a duet with a new partner. Roberta Froese, 19, of McBride, was one of the locals who took part in the retreat. She has been playing the harp for four years. “I like it because it’s different and I like to be different,” she says. She ordered her harp through a cata-logue and built it with the help of her brother. Last week she sat in the cool rehearsal room at the North Country Lodge for her private lesson with Gianetta Baril, as Baril explained the finger motions of a new song. Froese has already played at two wed-

dings, including her brother’s this July.Giving young harpists a chance to ex-pand their skills is part of the idea be-hind the colony Baril says. As a teacher, she is learning too. “I’m really enjoying it,” she says. “I’m going from room to room, whereas at home I’ll teach seven hours straight though.” She says her goal is to pick out how she can help the student within the week they have. It’s different approach to teaching, she says, especially for the students she will only see this week. “It’s nice to teach some students that aren’t necessarily my own.” Next summer harpists from around the world will travel to Vancouver for the World Harp Congress. Timmins says they will promote the McBride gathering there with the hope that many more people will come to pluck strings in the Robson Valley. She says they will hold the McBride colony either right before or right after the Vancouver Congress. They may also extend the colony for 2 weeks. McBride is the perfect setting for the event, she says. “In Vancouver, even though there may be more students, for people to come in it’s too expensive.” She said participants were able to stay in McBride for $900 for the entire week.Next year there will once again be per-formances for non-harpists, private les-sons, and a chance for beginners to test their playing.

Laura [email protected]

Instructor and co-founder Regina Timmins says McBride is a great location for the harp col-ony. Participants such as Caroline Parker travelled from Calgary for the week-long retreat.

Photos: Laura Keil

A6 Wednesday, August 04, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

Adrenaline cycle He says some people slept two or three hours. “You’re abusing your body a lot,” Auf-schnaiter says. “It’s something you have to train for, for sure.” He says his diet and exercise regime play a big role in his success at the race. He’s been training seriously for long-distance biking for the last six years. Teams also competed in the race, alternating their racers throughout the day. The soloists did the entire 24 hours by themselves. Aufschnaiter says doing a variety of activities such as skiing and swimming are a good way to train. Although he qualified, Aufschnaiter

Cont’ from A1

“I started way too fast and then I had to pay for it during the night.”

Andy Aufschnaiter, eighth place at the

24-hour mountain bike competition

says unless he finds funds for the flight, he won’t be going to the world cham-pionships in Australia this October.

He will com-pete soon in the TransRock-ies Challenge, a seven-day solo mountain bike race between Fernie, B.C. and Canmore, Alta.

Laura [email protected]

Heavy and obscure is the instrument of change

Harpers’ colony. No, it isn’t our Prime Minister’s shovel-ready plan to give his family jobs. The harp players are not on the provincial government’s slate either. But wait. These well-postured mu-sicians are hauling their instruments many miles in search of the perfect spot to nest. And McBride may benefit from their choice. Last week more than a dozen harp-ists gathered at a hotel in McBride for a week-long harp retreat. Members of the public were invited to concerts and to try out a harp for themselves. Harp-ists plucked from a number of options including private lessons and ensemble work – and at affordable rates, organiz-ers say. Next year will be the big year, as or-ganizers get ready to promote the event at the World Harp Congress in Van-couver. Their marketing pitch is simple: McBride may be out of the way, but it is quiet, affordable, and friendly. The people of McBride will most cer-tainly benefit from the harpists’ choice.

Two weeks ago, I drove down to Kim-berley, B.C. to meet my Grandma for the international old-time accordion cham-pionships. It’s been running for 37 years. Today the festival sees upward of 3,000 visitors. They fill the streets. They fill the hotels. Their RVs fill the campgrounds and the lawns of obliging locals. My grandparents once camped in some-one’s front yard. But the dubbed “accordion invasion” began much more humbly. An article from the local paper describes the festi-val’s first year in 1974:

“Accordion contest held – little inter-est may force re-location.” The year it began was only two years after Kimberley made it its mandate to become a “little Bavaria.” Over the years, the accordion championship grew in attendance, size and reputation as the only old-time accordion festival in North America. People flocked from all over the globe to eye the bellows of names such as Myron Floren. Accordions are hated by many, but for those who hold a stubborn love of the instrument, being surrounded by

people who appreciate the music is like a homecoming. Many people come back every year, says organizer Jeany Irvin, and sometimes it’s the only time they see certain friends. The event is a huge plus for the Kim-berley economy. Volunteers come from all over to help. “I think it’s more important than any-one can imagine,” Irvin says. “It brings a lot of people to town.” Kimberley, population 7,000, was home to the largest lead-zinc mine in the world until it shut down in 2001. While the city took a hit, its identity as the “Bavarian City in the Rockies” and events such as the accordion festi-val ensure its economy remains viable throughout the year. Irvin says hosting the event in a smaller centre has many advantages. The friendliness of the town, the un-crowded streets and the excellent camp-grounds are all suited to hosting. She says their best advertising is word of mouth. Unlike when you play the accordion, strumming the harp is unlikely to get you nailed in the head with a pillow by your roommate. But the obscurity of the harp still means you’re unlikely to find too harpists or instructors nearby. The event could grow into something that draws harpists from around the world. They will come to listen to the melodic strumming reverberating through the Valley.

The Kimberley accordion championships have grown from humble beginnings into an event that draws up to 5,000 people each year.

Submitted Photo

Photo: Laura Keil

Andy Aufschnaiter only rested for 30 minutes during the 24-hour race. Right: his last lap.

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 A7www.therockymountaingoat.com

Joseph [email protected]

Tales of a brave UlyssesLocal man returns after seven years wandering the other side of the Pacific

Attention all Robson Valley tourism businesses: The Rocky Mountain Goat is now distributed free in Jasper AND Mt. Robson

Robson Valley Weather

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Sun319

Monday

It was not supposed to last more than a year or so, but when local high school gradu-ate Johnathan Anthony left Canada to visit his sister in Australia in April of 2003, he had no idea that he was about to embark on a seven year ex-tended working vacation. He spent one and a half years between Australia and New Zealand working a variety of jobs from picking bananas to operating machinery. He even worked as a salesman selling desktop and laptop computers. The pivotal moment in An-thony’s life came when in Feb-ruary of 2005 he was faced with a dilemma. “I had a French girlfriend in New Zealand. I promised her I would go travelling with her to Thailand is she wanted to go. I was going to come back to Can-ada at this point, but she decided to go alone if I would not go with her. I knew that Thailand was a dangerous place, so I de-cided to go with her.” And with that, Anthony em-barked on an Asia odyssey which would keep him from returning to Canada for five more years. He says that his experience was a progression that went deeper and deeper into the root of many regional Asian cultures. “When I first got to Thailand, I was pre-occupied with my girl-friend, but then we went to the north, to Changmai, and then even further into Laos. At this point our relationship started failing. I felt that she was not respecting the local culture to the extent that is was rude.” Anthony recalls Laos as be-ing particularly eye opening, especially once he made it into regions accessible only by river

boats. “Laos was by far my favourite country of all the countries I have ever been to, but for all of the ‘wrong’ reasons” he laughs. “It was very poor and the po-litical system was messed up, but this created a lot of regional autonomy. As soon as you left the borders, there was almost no government presence.” “The people deal with their own situations. Most people made everything themselves. It is a land-locked country. There also seemed to be alot of re-gional social order there even without any police. You go to a bridge and it would just be constructed by a family and they would sit there and collect a fee.” He also notes other social at-tractions to Laos. “The women in Laos were

very modest. It was so unlike Thailand with its sex trade.”

Anthony also ventured into Vietnam for six weeks with an English guy he met. They rented

motorcycles, hiked the tallest mountain in the country, and ventured into the remote north. According to Anthony, there is still animosity in northern Vietnam towards some west-erners. “We met this one woman in the north who spoke really good English. She was from a tribe. We hung out in the hills with her in her village. One day we went to another village with her husband. It was really weird. They wanted to fight him, I think because he brought a for-eigner in with him. We expe-rienced some tribal animosity first hand, but in the end it was all good, though I did get bit by a dog,” he says and laughs. For Anthony, yet another

country was to be explored. They went into Cambodia and saw Ankor Wat, the famous temple built during the 12th Century as well as ‘The Killing Fields’. After the Americans pulled out of Vietnam in 1975, the Khmer Rouge, an extreme communist regime, took con-trol of Cambodia. For Anthony learning about the atrocities committed at these sites was an eye opener. “They warped communism into a hatred for all things ur-ban. They would raid cities and look for ‘urbanites’. People with glasses, for example.” They would torture and kill at these fields. Two million people died between 1975 and 1979. Analyzing social differences started becoming more notice-able for Anthony at this point. Cambodia’s GDP is much higher than Laos, but in Laos nobody begs, he says, as they have a working social structure. In Cambodia this was notice-ably lacking. “I went to the dump and people lived there. In that same town, there were Hummers in the street. In Laos, everybody was poor together and happier.” He went back to Thailand and met up with Justin Black, a high school buddy. They ventured

south into Malaysia where they went to Tama Negara National Park, which some say is the oldest jungle in the world. Anthony could not help but note social differences in Ma-laysia as well. “I could see how the age or maturity of a good economy reflected in the people. In Ma-laysia, a lot of stuff was older, but still worked. In Thailand, everyone drives a new car be-cause they have newer money. Malaysia is richer, but they have had money longer. In Malaysia they have landline telephones. In Thailand, they only have cell phones.” Anthony says that it was at this point in his trip that money constraints started to become a reality as the funds he had saved while working in Austra-lia and New Zealand started to dwindle. He went back to Thailand and started teaching. But he was not a teacher. So he got a fake di-ploma. “It seemed like they really did not care as long as I could teach.” The transition from carefree traveller to teacher was not easy, however. “It was simple English, but I had to get used to being a teacher. I was teaching at a high

school. I did not have training, so I did make a lot of mistakes at first.” Anthony would spend 10 months teaching in Thailand, along with his high school friend Black. He says he spent alot of time learning how to speak Thai. “I also had a Thai girlfriend who helped me learn, so I started hanging out with locals more.” But adventuring was not over for Anthony despite his new-found professionalism.

Johnathan Anthony has been teaching in Asia several years. He graduated from Valemount Secondary School in 2002.

‘Anthony’ cont’ A11

Sun278

Cloud/Rain 70%2411

Cloud/Rain 60%2111

Cloud/Rain 60%2011

Rain 40%2010

“We did catch fish and some giant clams. We tried to get a ray with a spear, but failed.”

John Anthony on spending a week on a

deserted island

A8 Wednesday, August 04, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

Do you like The Rocky Mountain Goat?Tell your municipal, regional, and provincial government representatives that you would like to read announcements in The Rocky Mountain Goat

As owners, we live here too!

Gardening with PetePeter AmyoonySpecial to The Goat

Pete Amyoony is a gardener in the Robson Valley of central B.C. high in the Rocky Mountains near Mount Robson. He has lived, worked and gardened in the Dun-ster area for almost thirty years.

Most gardeners know that the quick-est way to lose a crop is to forget to water their garden. Many vegetable crops such as tomatoes or celery are up to 95% water. If starved for water, they will produce smaller, less juicy and fewer fruits. If there is not a film of water sur-rounding the tiny root hairs the nutrients do not get to the plant. The plant will stop growing and goes from growth mode to crisis mode. The leaves will toughen, blossoms will appear too early, the sugar content of the fruit goes down, the plant bolts and tries to go to seed, some roots die and leaves will fall off. Plants in stress like this are much more attractive to diseases and pests. A gardener’s aim is to have steady growth from seed to harvest. A steady water supply is the key. Good watering begins long before you reach for the hose. By deep digging in the spring, adding lots of compost and other organic matter and planting in beds so you are not walking on the

root zone all help the soil to stay loose and hold moisture better. Compost can hold six times its own weight in water.The average plant needs around 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week. However, small seedlings may need more in hot weather and closely spaced plants or those that are mulched may need much less. Onions and garlic need no water when they begin to die down. You have to use your judgement and experience to decide when and how much to water.The general guidelines are: 1. Don’t let the plant leaves wilt. This show that their roots have used all the available water and the plant has started to withdraw water from their extremities to survive. 2. Learn how to feel your soil for moisture content. Pick up a handful of soil and gently squeeze it into a ball. Open your hand and gently touch the ball of soil with a finger of the other hand. If you can squeeze water out of it or if it comes apart in large lumps, it is too wet. If it falls apart by itself when

you open your hand, it is too dry. If it crumbles evenly into small granules when you touch it, it is pretty well right. Water needs can vary greatly throughout the lifetime of a plant. At the seed and seedling stage, constant moisture is necessary to insure germi-nation and growth until the roots get deeper into the soil. Then less frequent and deeper watering is better. You can check with your hand to be sure water is going down 4-6 inches (10-15 cm). Then the top few inches can dry out before the next water-ing. Remember, roots and organisms in the soil need air as well as water. It is good to remember that clay soils retain water well but take it in more slowly. You will likely have to water less often but for a longer time. Sandy soils absorb water quicker but

lose it more quickly too. It is best to wa-ter more often but for shorter periods.

More snags for Dunster schoolLaura [email protected]

With the beginning of the school year less than a month away, community members in Dunster trying to keep the elementary school open for classes are facing more hurdles. The school district sent the recently-formed Dunster Fine Arts School Soci-ety an offer to sell the school for over $39,000. The school society had submitted a request for the school for $10, on the advice of members of the school district in June, says Dunster resident Chris Taylor. The district now wants fair mar-ket value for the land, she says. “It was never more than a nominal amount,” Taylor says of the conversa-tions they had had with the district be-fore the formal sale offer. “That’s where this $10 offer came from. That’s the path we were led down.”

The school district wanted a down-payment of several thousand dollars and the full amount by the end of July. Taylor says the school society is trying to organize a face-to-face meeting with the district. The school district says they are not discussing their counter-offer with the school society and have not met to review the society’s response. “There are no discussions. We sent them out counter offer and they sent one back,” says school board vice-chair Lois Boone. “We have not come togeth-er to meet to discuss this counter offer.” The school district has officially closed the school, and students were expected to attend elementary schools in Mc-Bride or Valemount, both some 35 min-utes away.

Jean Ann McKirdy of Valemount placed eighth in the biggest national mountain biking race of the year, the Canadian Mountain Bike Championships in Canmore Alberta July 15-18.

Courtesy Local Ride Bike Shop

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 A9 www.therockymountaingoat.com

The Tourism Directory

The Business Directory

Teepee Meadows CottageSpectacular mountain and marshland scenery

Located 3 km west of ValemountHosts: Claude, Alke & Noland Germain

545 Jack Adams Road, Box 786Valemount, BC V0E 2Z0

Phone:250-566-9875

$40 for 4 weeks, or $20 for one weekCall Joe at 250-566-1444 or

[email protected]

Don’t miss out!Tourists read

The Rocky Mountain Goat

We have lowered our rates!placing your business card

in the Business orTourism Directory nowcosts only $40/4 weeks.

Briefs:

Open at 4:30 pm daily

1002 5th Avenue Valemount, B.C.

Visit us at www.caribougrill.com

ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTING CREWS WELCOMED British Columbia is welcoming addi-tional personnel from Alberta and On-tario to help B.C. fire crews as fire ac-tivity continues to increase around the province. The Alberta and Ontario personnel will be placed mainly to the Cariboo and Kamloops Fire Centres, but place-ment will also be determined based on fire activity and anticipated need. Im-porting additional crews will also help ensure all firefighting staff get their re-quired time off in accordance with safe work standards. Two hundred and thirty experienced firefighters and fire specialists are ar-riving Sunday, August 1. This includes 10 four-person initial attack crews, five 20-person sustained action unit crews, three highly specialized incident com-mand teams, fire behaviour analysts, incident commanders and division su-pervisors. British Columbia has also acquired 14 additional aircraft, including birddog planes and airtankers from the Prov-ince’s two airtanker suppliers, and from

Alberta and the Yukon. The Provincial Air Tanker Centre is establishing a tem-porary facility at the Quesnel Airport to accommodate these additional aircraft. All deployments are co-ordinated through the Canadian Interagency For-est Fire Centre, with the Ministry of Forests and Range’s Wildfire Manage-ment Branch paying the costs of the deployments. Earlier this year, British Columbia sent crews to four other ju-risdictions to help with their firefighting efforts. Right now, 353 wildfires are burning in the province, 150 of which started over the last three days. Since April 1, crews around the province have responded to 1,100 wildfires, of which 487 have been human-caused, 580 lightning-caused and 33 are still under investigation. These fires have burned a total of 59,781 hectares. In BC, two air tanker pilots as well as one civilian have died as a result of wild-fires, and suppresion efforts this sum-mer to date.

1,598 HECTARES OF COASTAL DOUGLAS-FIR TO BE PROTECTED Under a new land use order, British Columbia will increase the protection of the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem on provincial Crown land to almost 40 per cent, “Protecting an additional 1,598 hect-ares is an important step in our ongo-ing effort to preserve B.C.’s Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem,” said Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell. “Most of the ecosystem lies on private and municipal land, so even with the Province’s signifi-cant contribution to conservation, only six per cent of the Coastal Douglas-fir Zone is protected. We will continue to work with local governments and pri-vate landowners to ensure everyone is doing what they can to be part of the solution.” The Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is home to 29 endangered plant com-munities. Eighty per cent of the global range of Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem occurs in the southern Strait of Georgia area. Of the 256,800 hectares in British Columbia, only nine per cent, or 23,500 hectares, is provincially owned.

The additional 1,598 hectares will in-crease the amount of provincial Coastal Douglas-fir Crown land protected from logging and other resource develop-ment activities to 9,197 hectares. The majority of new areas selected for protection are on the east coast of Van-couver Island, between Courtenay and Nanaimo. Provincial Ecologists consid-ered a number of criteria when deciding which parcels to include for protection. These included land parcel size, adja-cency to already protected areas, risk of being disturbed, landscape context and ecological diversity. In addition, social and economic considerations, as well as existing com-mitments for First Nations treaty set-tlements, were also factors in parcel selection. During the public review and comment period that closed in Febru-ary 2010, more than 1,000 individual submissions were received. Eleven per cent of Coastal Douglas-Fir ecosystems are owned by other levels of government and 80 per cent is in private ownership.

Salvaged metal siding for sale. Perfect for any out-building or shop. Approxi-mately 550-600 square foot coverage. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444

Varying lengths of flores-cent light fixtures for sale. Will consider any offer! Call Joe 250-566-1444

Used Building Materials

Twenty for a Toonie: The Classified Ads Plain Talk HoroscopesBy Craig Elder, M.A. Economics

Aries: You will achieve enlightenment on this date, but not this year. Taurus: Do not attempt large budget magic tricks this week, it will end poorly. Gemini: You will be very creative today, sadly your papier mache does not impress your co-workers. Cancer: Follow your nose this week, it won’t steer you wrong. You might put on a few pounds though. Leo:The focus is on you this week, don’t embarrass yourself like you did last time. Virgo: Libras will be extra nice to you this week. Libra: You best butter up a Virgo if you want them to do that favour for you next week. Scorpio: Take an extra treat while no one is looking. Sagittarius: Your life will get a sudden influx of excitement as you are recruited to a top secret black ops commando team.Capricorn: The stars are out of alignment this week, you best get them in the right places before some-one notices. Aquarius: Love, money and happiness are in the cards for you, but the universe knows you stacked the deck while it was in the washroom.Pieces: People have been walking all over you and you’ve ‘haddock’ up to here with their ways.

Be the first to sponsor the $2 classified ads!Let The Rocky Mountain Goat assist your business

with targeted marketing ideas.

Wanted

Trusses for sale. Approxi-mately 42 foot span. 14 units. Single slant, could be modified with a chalk lineand skill saw. Now consid-ering offers! Call Joe 250-566-1444 and skill saw. Now considering offers! Call Joe 250-566-1444

A10 Wednesday, August 04, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

To submit your classified ad, e-mail or call the goat, or place your ad in an envelope with pay-ment and drop it in our mailbox, 1070 5th Ave

Exclusive 2.25 inches high by a whole page width at the bottom of the calssified page for $75/week

How to submit an ad

500 gal. single-wall fuel tank. Asking $200. Call 250-566-5069, ask for Jared

For Sale

Small truck canopy to fit S-10. Length 75” by width 60”. Message 250-566-1588

For free! Desperately seek-ing a good home for a small 3-year old blue-healer-rott-weiller cross male dog, or if you can also provide tempo-rary foster parenting as well, please call: 250-566-0173.

For Free

Classified ads policy

If it is for free, it is free. Up to 20 words for $2, 30 words for $3, 40 words for $4 etc. If the asking price is over $499, then it is $5 for 20 words, $6 for 30 words etc.

Non-business an-nouncements are wel-come at the same rates. The Rocky Mountain Goat reserves the right to refuse to print any classified submission that is not an advertise-ment of a private sale, or rental arrangement.

Harwood Flooring. 150 square feet or more. Call 566-0010 before 10:00am and after 7:00pm, ask for Jimmy

Garage Sale

Mobile Home with full ad-dition, and large garage on a lot, in Valemount re-cently renovated. comes w/ fridge stove washer dryer. Currently rented. Asking $110.000.00 O.B.OCall 778 328 7285 leave a message.

Lost Black Samsung Telus Cell Phone. Please call 250-566-4044.

Heifer and one-year old llama for sale. Cute kitten to give away. Call 250-566-0010, ask for Maria.

House For Rent. 3 bed-rooms. 14 th. Wood Heat and propane. $900/month. Call 1-867-332-4778. Ask for Ryan.

House for sale. Three bed-rooms. Two bathrooms. 14th Avenue. Asking $175, 000. Call 1-867-332-4778. Ask for Ryan.

For Rent

Wanted to rent 3-bedroom house in Valemount. Must allow one clean, polite, non-shedding dog. Please call 566-3071.

Multi-family Yard Sale. Ri-day August 6, 9am-1pm and Saturday August 7 9am-1pm. The Stewart’s Farm, 840 Whiskey Fill Rd. 250-566-4770.

www. Sudoku-Puzzles.netSudoku, Kakuro & Futoshiki Puzzles

Sudoku 9x9 - Medium (138089477)

8 2 3

1 2 4

5 3 7

9 3 4

3 7 6 1

7 6 5

1 3 2

8 7 3

7 9 8www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Solution:

www.sudoku-puzzles.net

Garage Sale

Place your

classified ad

HERE!

Why pay more for a classified ad than what you are selling is worth?

Our classified ads are cheap, and EVERYBODY reads a free newspaper. Call 250-566-1444 to place your ad today!

Community Announcement Dunster Family Dance - Saturday, August 7th from 7pm to 10pm- Bring the children, grandpa and the whole family and learn a few new dances or steps. Instruction from 7-8pm and short sessions throughout the evening. Lots of variety dances ( waltz, fox-trot, polka, cha-cha, two-step-schottische, etc). Pot luck snacks at 9pm and then more dancing until 10pm. Admission - $5 for anyone over 12 - maximum of $10 per family. Dust off your dancing shoes and join in the fun! These family dances will take place on the first Saturday of each month throughout the year. All welcome!!

Wednesday, August 04, 2010 A11www.therockymountaingoat.com

He could be as crazy as a cougar swinging off a chandelier some days. But if he stood you toe to toe, looked you square in the eye and shook your hand, his word was his honour. He rode away an honourable man. He called me “Crazy Horse”... sometimes... I miss him...Fondly remembered, your friends HorseThief, John and Karen.

The Rocky Mountain Goat is available weekly on Wednesdays. Next issue: Aug. 11 , 2010

He had an Australian friend come visit and they went to Borneo for five weeks, where they spent seven days on a deserted island. They brought only rice. “We did catch fish and some giant clams. We tried to get a ray with a spear, but failed. We also could have got a turtle, but decided not to.” For Anthony, a new frontier was becoming visible, but not for adventure, rather for professional opportunities. “I left Thailand around 2006 to Taiwan. I went to work as a teacher. Their stan-dards were much higher, but the pay was good, almost twenty dollars an hour. I started going to classes to learn how to write Mandarin within nine months of ar-riving in Taiwan.” But learning the language was not enough for Anthony. For Anthony, Taiwan was becoming a transition point in his life, and he started thinking about university. “I had to pass a test to get into college but I was also teaching English full time. I was very busy, very focussed. I also stopped speaking English altogether at one

point. I stayed away from other foreigners, as I did in Thailand, because all they would talk about was their sex-tourism experiences.” Anthony has now completed one year working towards a degree in geography at a university in Taipei. Everything is taught in Mandarin. Anthony learned the language both through formal lessons and self-study. He will go back to finish three more years. “My grades are good, and I am doing well.” For the summer, Anthony will be spending time in Valemount, as well as working out of 108 Mile House, but he will be Asia-bound by the beginning of September. He has already started doing some translating for pay. He says other career paths may lie in the immigration industry, for example becoming an immigration officer. Anthony is already seeing a career as a translator as being rewarding. “As a good translator with a name I could make a few grand a month living any-where I want. The demand for Mandarin translators is huge right now.”

Mandarine translators in high demand‘Anthony’ cont’ from A7

Legendary Canadian mountaineer passes awaySpent last years in Tete Jaune and Jasper

An esteemed mountain guide has died, leaving a legacy of strength and courage in his wake. Willi Pfisterer was 83 when he passed away at the end of July. He was known throughout the world for mountain res-cues, which he had often performed twice a day. The Jasper and Tete-Jaune resident helped map the backcountry around Jas-per and the Robson Valley, guiding Pierre Elliot Trudeau and training dozens of safety officers. “He was very strong,” recalls Alf Burstrom, who worked with Pfis-terer for many years. “Mentally and physically.” Pfisterer grew up in a family of mountain guides near Salzburg, Aus-tria. He climbed his first 3,000-metre peak at age 11 and competed on the national Nordic ski team. He came to Quebec’s Laurentian moun-tains in 1955 where he taught skiing. His first Canadian climb was a solo ascent of Mount Sir Donald in Rogers Pass. He began doing mountain rescues for Parks Canada soon afterward. “There were always close calls,” Burstrom says of Pfisterer’s rescues. “But he was always able to work it out.” Pfisterer helped develop the Rogers Pass’ avalanche research pro-gram. He trained wardens through rescue school and in 1968 became Parks Canada Alpine Specialist responsible for Jasper, Revelstoke, Gla-cier, Kluane and Nahanni parks. Until a recent illness, Pfisterer split his time between a home in Jasper and a home in Tete-Jaune. His funeral was held last week in Jasper.

Laura [email protected]

A12 Wednesday, August 04, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

The Right Agent... For Today’s Market

RE/MAX Centre city • 1679 15th Avenue • Prince George BC V2L 3X2 • 1-250-562-3600

Each office is independently owned and operated

250-981-5742 or 250-569-0125 or Toll Free: 1-877-732-5767 • [email protected], VALEMOUNT, AND AREA www.robsonvalleyrealestate.ca

Data is from sources believed to be reliable but accuracy is not guaranteed.

AL Miller THE HARD-WORKING NICE GUY

$398,000

$163,500 $350,000$159,000 $349,000

$132,500

201 Dominion St, McBride 4592 Mountainview Rd, McBrideSpittal Crk, Tete Jaune Cache

100 Mountanview Rd, McBride

On the river, McBride-Riverfront parcel-Over 217 acres-Private & secluded-Treed & cleared-Rare find

-Market garden potential-Prime 19 acre parcel -Sides highway for sales-On community water

Dyke Rd, McBride-View property-6 bdrms/ 2 baths-17 plus ac with shop-Excellent location

-Nestled in the Rockies-Cottage & modular-Spectacular views-Private 9.15 acres

-Valley view home-5 bdrm, 4 baths-Open and spacious-On 13.5 treed acres

-Nice heritage home-On two large lots- Five bdrms, 2 baths- Excellent guest house- Central location

3709 Hinkelman Rd, McBride-On the River-30 acre horse farm-Nice log home-Big truck shop

1890 Koeneman Rd, McBride

$399,000

-Nice private 2 acre parcel-Within minutes to river-Immaculate 4 bdrm home-Truck shop, gardens, etc

$549,500

Congratulations Jared and Kathryn

May the sun shine on many years of happiness and love. Below: MUD KIDS! Colin Larson, Makenzie Larson, Brendan Astbury, Jesse Maunu, Jake Buxon, Ken Griffith. Photo: Laura Keil

Heat Wave!

Valley residents sun bathe as temperatures soared well into the 30’s during the past week.

Photo: Laura Keil