issue 20 oct. 27th

Rocky Mountain GoatThe

Your source for weekly news and views in the Robson ValleyWednesday, October 27, 2010 Volume 1 Issue 20

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More Inside:The danger of the mineral lickThe Goat goes subscription

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The Valemount Community Forest has decided to take a new direction, focused on accommo-dating local mills. Community forest director Shane Bressette says the idea is to bring in 20 or 30 loads into a yard and sort it. While dealing with large vol-umes of mountain pine beetle wood has been the priority, he says he understands that small mills need local wood supply to continue producing.

See A3

Local teen nabbed for World Junior A

A new sort of local timber

Valemount Secondary student Kate Soucy serves the ball in last weekend’s tournament in Jasper. The team brought home gold, which was their second gold in only two tournaments this year. See A11

Volley for gold

Photo: Ellen Duncan

“When some of the local small-er guys needed to meet an order, they needed the wood on short notice. It can be hard to facili-tate these spot markets. A lot of times, it is only one or two loads.” He says it is not operationally efficient to send equipment out for one or two loads. A sort yard should help by acting as a type of log bank, where wood can be harvested at an economic vol-ume. Then, small buyers can buy stored wood as needed.

Since he began skating at age three, Dylan Walchuk of Mc-Bride has had his stick on the ice. Earlier this week, the 18-year-old learned he will be playing among the best junior players in the world in the World Junior A Challenge tournament being held in Penticton, B.C. this No-vember. “It was just an unbelievable experience,” he says of the try-outs. “Not many guys get to put on that Canadian jersey.” He says he skated alongside many talented players in the training camp where other young hopefuls jostled for one of 22 spots on Canada West.

The team is chosen from five leagues, from B.C. to northern Ontario, about 55 teams in all. Dylan was one of the four cen-tremen that were chosen from 220 who play that position in the league. His team will be playing against many of the best 17, 18, and 19-year-olds from their respec-tive countries. Unlike the World Juniors you will see at Christmas time these are the younger all stars and the Canada team is al-lowed a maximun of five 19-year-olds. Other countries such as the U.S. do not have a WHL league so Walchuk will play their best players, which in the USA come from the USHL.

Laura [email protected]

See A8

A2 Wednesday, October 27, 2010 www.therockymountaingoat.com

They are wet, they are mucky and they are attracting wildlife to the highway. Mineral licks- naturally occurring mineral-rich ponds- are attracting moose along Hwy 16, but a new program intends to help. For the first time in B.C., researchers and highway maintenance crews will be filling in those beacons for wildlife with the goal of decreasing vehicle-animal collisions, says Gayle Hesse, co-ordinator of the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program, which is managed by the B.C. Conserva-tion Foundation. “The moose are attracted to these mucky wet soils and the minerals associated with them,” she says. “They will come and lick up the water and the soil found next to the highway.” Researchers have identified 29 moose collision hot spots in north-central B.C. along Hwy 16. Nine of those hot spots are associated with mineral licks. Carnivores get a variety of minerals through meat. But herbivores, such as moose and deer, don’t have access to min-erals through eating meat, Hesse explains. Females crave these minerals, especially during the spring when they are nursing new calves. During rutting season in October and November, one deer dies every four to five days as a result of colliding with a ve-hicle around Valemount and McBride. In December and January, when moose are most active, a moose dies every four to five days. There’s another peak in deaths during spring, due to calving season. Maintenance contractors have been out in the McBride-Valemount area deactivat-ing sites in the past couple of weeks, Hesse says. They are using one of two methods: fencing or filling-in. The fencing method is effective, but ex-pensive, Hesse says; and filling in the area with rocks is still attracting animals to the location. “What we’re finding is the moose are coming to the fenced area and they look around and then they go away,” she says. “There’s a lot more activity at the rocked areas.” And while effective, fencing also has drawbacks when it comes to disturbing free movement in the surrounding eco-system. “You could almost fence the whole thing from Prince George to McBride,” she says. “But if you fence, it kind of restricts ani-mal movement throughout the landscape. That has a really big effect on carnivore populations.” Hesse says the increase in collisions in the past 15 years is significant. The num-ber of deer collisions in the Robson Valley more than tripled between 1996 and 2005, going from seven to 27. She says for every dead animal that

Fewer dead animals, target of new programLaura [email protected]

highway maintenance contractors remove from the road, they figure another three are hit and killed, but move away from the road to die. Hesse says they’ll put rocks on the licks that are close to the road, and the ones fur-ther away will be fenced, but it’s too early to determine the best method. They are monitoring animal presence at each site. Moose are more attracted to mineral licks, and they have not yet examined a correla-tion between deer and mineral licks. “In terms of reducing collisions, it’s pret-ty hard to tell,” she says. “We don’t yet have a year of data.” Minerals licks are widely distributed in north-central B.C., so taking away sources near the highway should push animals to other available sources, Hesse says. “It’s a success story in many ways,” she says. “The Ministry of Transportation is taking some proactive steps.” Due to the discovery of mineral licks, Hesse says they can now pinpoint where to put up new reflective signage warning motorists.

• Six people are killed annually (five-year average 2004-2008 RCMP data)• 381 people are injured annually (five-year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)• $600,000 is spent by MoT to clean up and remove roadkilled carcasses annually (MoT data published in 2004)• 19,600 animals are killed by wildlife vehicle collisions (MoT WARS data)• $31 million spent on animal related crashes (five-year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)

North Central B.C.• 2939 animal related crashes reported to ICBC (five-year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)• 133 people are injured annually (five-year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)• 2 or 3 people are killed annually (five- year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)

• $12 million spent on animal related crashes (five-year average 2005-2009 ICBC data)

McBride-Valemount area including Mt Robson and Tete Jaune:

Deer• Highest risk months are May, Oct. and Nov.• In Oct. and Nov. the highest risk times of day are between 6-8 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.• About one deer is killed on the highway every five days• About 60 deer are killed every year.

MooseHighest risk months Dec, Jan• In Dec and Jan the highest risk times of day are between 5 -7 a.m.• About one moose is killed on the highway every 5 days

Wildlife Collision Stats for B.C.

Map courtesy of the Wildlife Collision Prevention Program

Valemount

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 A3 www.therockymountaingoat.com

The Rocky Mountain Goat is issued every Wednesday


Photo: Laura Keil

Local hockey phenom heads to U.S. next yearCont’ from A1

Parents seek music program

WHL players are ineligible to play as they are considered pro players. Walchuk, who ordinarily plays with the Vernon Vipers, scored the winning goal for his team last year during the RBC Cup rookie all-star game in Winnipeg. After that, his hockey stick was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. At age 16 and 17, he led the entire league in points and was rookie of the year. Last year he scored 47 points (19 goals, 28 as-sists) in 56 games for the Vipers. “I think his mother met Wayne Gretzky one time,” says his dad Stan Walchuk. “I’m not sure where he gets it.” Next year he will be playing with Northern Michigan on a full four-year scholarship to the university. He says he chose to go the Junior A route instead of the Western Hockey League, because he wouldn’t be eligible for post-secondary scholarships. Dylan says it will also allow him a few more year to develop his skills. Stan Walchuk says roughly 40 per cent of NHL players do the college route. He says his son has already had European coaches

“It brings out the cre-ativity in children. Not everyone can paint and draw.”

Monique Bos, Valemount parent advisory council

tell him they will eventually of-fer him a professional contract to play in Europe. But Dylan hasn’t always had his path go smoothly – it’s his deter-mination that got him through. “Even though he was passed over at times in his life, he just stuck with it,” Stan says. Dylan began his hockey career with CanSkate and the McBride Grizzlies. Now, At 5’9” and 173 lbs. he is known for his speed and agility on the ice. Hockey scout Dan Sallows wrote of Walchuk on his blog: “Walchuk is a good team player, that comes to the rink ready to work every shift.” Dylan says he is excited to play and work hard to show his grit. His team will play in Group B at the 2010 World Junior A Challenge, joined by Russia and Switzerland, while Canada East, Sweden and the United States will comprise Group A. Round-robin play will run until Nov. 10, with both semi-finals taking place Nov. 13. The gold medal game, which will be shown nationally on TSN/RDS, the official broadcasters of Hock-ey Canada, is set for Nov. 14.

Dunster students await Nov. 1 Students of the Dunster Fine Arts School will be headed back into their school building on Nov. 1, as the building is transferred hands from the School District 57 to the Dunster Fine Arts School Society. The school will be hosting a Halloween party and potluck that day, says parent Seth Macdonald. A fundraising event will also be held later this November. Students have been locked out of the school building since the beginning of the school year. A sale agreement was reached at the end of September.

The high school storage room behind the theatre contains horns, flutes, guitars and drums among other in-struments and stacks of music books. Music programs were cut several years ago in the Valley.

The parent advisory coun-cil for Valemount’s elementary school is looking at ways to start a music program. PAC member Monique Bos says many parents want more music in their children’s lives in a more formal way than is avail-able in their regular classrooms. “It brings out the creativity in children,” Bos says. “Not every-one can paint and draw.” She says it’s not that the school is void of music, but that parents want a more substantial pro-gram. No formal music program has been available to students at the school for several years. Valemount Elementary School principal Priscilla Soucy has ap-plied for a grant from ArtStarts, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the arts in B.C. schools. If all the costs are included, Bos says they expect it would cost roughly $20,000 to run a music program in entire school for one

year. Soucy says it’s possible they could do it for as little as $5,000. The ArtStarts grants are a maximum of $1,800 per school to cover up to 60 per cent of the cost of bringing an artist into the school. The school applied for the same funding last year and was turned

down. The grants this year will be announced mid-November. Bos says the PAC is also plan-ning to advertise for a com-munity volunteer to teach an after-school music program. If they can find a qualified instruc-tor, she says they have already received word that they could borrow instruments from the high school, which also no lon-

ger has a music program due to budget cuts and lack of a trained instructor. In the high school storage room behind the theatre horns, flutes, guitars and drums are piled among other instruments and stacks of music books. “They have some really nice ones, we just need people who know how to play them,” she says. “If there’s a flute player out there, we’ve got flutes. If there’s a guitar player that could teach a couple hours a week, or even a couple hours a month would be good, if we could get enough people willing.” Bos says even without full funding, they hope to obtain some of the instruments that were taken out of the Dunster Fine Arts School and are now in storage in McBride. Instruments are generally con-trolled by individual schools, says Valemount schools trustee Valentine Crawford, meaning trading and sharing can be co-ordinated on a local level.

submitted photoLast year Dylan Walchuk’s hockey stick was retired to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.


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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

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Laura KeilCo-Owner

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Office: 1070, 5th Avenue, Valemount, British Columbia

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

The Rocky Mountain Goat is a free distribution newspaper serving a population base of approximately 5,000 residents from Blue River and Valemount, to McBride, Dome Creek and Jasper.

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Wow! What an amazing five months it has been. There has been no lack of support for our new newspaper and both Laura and I appreciate this greatly. All in all, we are on a good course to becom-ing well-established both as your source for credible and professional journalistic coverage, as well as a locally owned and operated business through which local commerce can promote itself. We are getting more and more interest every week for public involvement. Letters are starting to come in regularly. People are commenting more and more on our sto-ries. Local and provincial politicians and business leaders are starting to quote our paper and its content, which indicates we are on the mark and covering stories which are relevant to you, our Robson Valley reader base. It was one of our main missions to ensure that the entire valley got equal coverage and we definitely hope to keep this up in the future. It is interesting how many comments

we get about our name. So far, none have been negative. It is certainly not easily forgettable, and this was one of the reasons why Laura and I settled on it last spring. Our newspaper is starting to show up high on the list of Google searches and our website has attracted a regular following of mainly out-of-town readers, many former residents. We have reached a point where we are going to change our marketing strategy. I was worried when we first started this paper that there would not be enough advertising revenue to remain free. While there certainly is during the summer months, the winter is much slower. As such, we are going to start charging for our paper effective next week. Our mail subscriptions for anybody residing be-tween Blue River, Mt. Robson and Dome Creek costs $62.50 plus HST ($70). Our weekly print will also be available at local stores for newsstand prices. We will also be adjusting our ad rates accordingly. In a way it is unfortunate that we will not be able to throw our work out to the world like we used to. It certainly has been fun crashing onto the scene and watch-ing people read and comment on our work. But the print world is entrenched. Sadly, the business side of a newspaper is critical, and good journalism on its own does not pay the bills. In an effort to help secure our business we have decided to broaden our income base.

We certainly have made inroads on government ads, but the system is set up to make it difficult to make it through the first year. Government advertisers are leary of newer publications. We have been told that we must simply exists a year. June 2011 is now our target. Membership in the B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association is critical, and this also requires one year of existence. We have a dream. We are going to continue to grow and become a new model for community newspapers: a newspaper owned and operated by pro-fessional journalists and the people who work there. Our home base is an infec-tious buzz of youth and hope. We have even more young journalists already on the way to join our team. With your sup-port, we will help turn this valley into an amazing, dynamic center where the old interacts with the young, where old ideas adapt into new ideas. Where we can be proud of our past, without hanging onto it to the detriment of the future. While the buzz and adrenaline of the summer have been rewarding enough to plough through to where we are, we are looking forward to settling down, becoming more established, and adopting a much more sustainable pace. We look forward to serving you well into the future.

Thank You,Joseph Nusse, Publisher/Co-owner


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Wednesday, October 27, 2010 A5www.therockymountaingoat.com

Editorial The Goat’s Letter Policy The letters section is an open forum through which anybody can let out their opinion regarding any general policy or public issue be known. We reserve the right not to print any letter we deem to be libellous or offensive. Accusations of wrongdoing should be brought to us per-sonally. We have our tools to verify facts and, if justified, print a story on an issue. For instance, we will not print a rant out of the blue, but we will print comments in response to a public process, as long as the response is coherent and founded on rea-sonable grounds. As a responsible newspaper, we cannot print anonymous letters. There is no ac-countability back to the author. A news-paper is a powerful medium. It is a per-manent record that every valley resident can access for perpetuity. So please do not hesitate to send us letters outlining your opinions and comments about our stories or any local public issue. But write it in such a way that you can put your name on it and look other residents in the eye say-ing the same things to their face.

Thank YouThe Rocky Mountain Goat

Photo: Harmeet Singh

Signs are the valves to our hearts


Whether they plan it or not, tourists often drive bumper cars. Only the thing that knocks them in a new direction is not a wall – it’s a sign. In the city, we are bombarded by bill-boards, flashing lights, and signs telling us or confusing us about lane changes and exit ramps. The landscape can be obnoxious and send your mind into a tailspin. But in places like Valemount, Dunster, Blue River and McBride, signs are the valves to our communities’ hearts. With-out them, we would have no new blood pumping through. Let me draw a picture of common tour-ists in the region: they are geographically unaware of our roads; they don’t read maps; they dislike gravel roads, especially long ones; they believe there is nothing beyond the commercial area of town and that the unknown is scary and should be avoided. These are gross assumptions, obviously not true of the attitudes of many people. But let’s deal with the lowest common denominator. Tourists are like parents in Disneyland: after they’ve hit Cinderella, Toon Town and the Wookies, they are only going to walk around in the confus-ing, busy hub if there are signs to guide them. At this point, their minds are likely cinders, and they need a bread crumb trail just to find a washroom. If you place said tourists in Valemount, Dunster or McBride, they will see only one entrance to the community from the

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highway. At the end of Main Street in McBride or 5th Avenue in Valemount, they look left, they look right, and our unadventurous middle-aged couple or time-strapped musical group turns right back around to the highway munching on their puffed wheat. To be fair, there are often a few signs signalling that something lies somewhere ahead after several unmarked forks in the road – but that isn’t good enough. Every town or city has a personality. Valemount’s personality is a beautiful girl who is reading her book and does not want to be disturbed. If pressed, she’ll point in a direction with her head still down. I’m talking the physical village, not the people – the people of the Valley are un-arguably very helpful to newcomers. But not all newcomers know they need help.Some will honestly assume there is noth-ing here. Or they will not bother, since they assume the residents don’t care enough about their town to flaunt it. These assumptions are obviously wrong. There is plenty to explore and residents do care. But most locals don’t realize that newcomers don’t read maps, hate the unknown gravel road, and talk only to their pet Chihuahua instead of to a helpful local.

In addition, the signs that do exist are often tiny, vague or broken: the signs’ state of disrepair a sign in itself. Now clear your mind and imagine a Valemount or McBride that is like Google Maps: images of boating the Fraser River and Kinbasket Lake pop out of bill-boards along the highway, much like on the digital map people can find on the internet. The road that leads past the old mill site in Valemount would have reas-suring signs that this is indeed the way to the lake – and to continue past the tracks past the slight curve towards Canoe Road. In Dunster, you could install sev-eral “bread-crumb” signs along the road after the bridge, letting motorists know that the store is just up the hill and to the left – and here’s a photo of the cute shop you’re looking for. Ramping up the idea even more, for people who walk up and down 5th Av-enue, past the Saas-Fee property/off-leash dog park, why not install historical panels explaining some of the village’s history or interesting personalities? Most tourists do not bother to check the museum for these facts – they want them on the road, Google Map style, not on a map or under museum glass. The same goes for trailheads. We can-not assume tourists will make an effort to decipher local maps or visit the Visitor Information Centre. Signs must be large, with smaller signs in between acting as the bread trail. Our imaginary tourists do not like making leaps of faith. And here’s the worst: out-dated signs. Sushi restaurant on Main Street? You’re two years late. The more we integrate the psychologi-cal landscape into the physical, the better chance we will have of tourists bouncing around our community, discovering its beauty, and knowing that the people here are rooted to a place they are willing to share. I’m willing to sign onto that.

Thank you The McBride Anglican United Church Women thank all those who contributed to the success of our 2010 Harvest Supper. This event would not have been pos-sible without the work of the volunteers who gave so generously of their time to prepare the vegetables and desserts and to cook the hams and turkeys for our event. A special thanks goes to Susannah Krinke who, for several years, has single-handedly provisioned and manned the beverage table. We appreciate all the donations of foods and cash so generously given by members of the McBride/Dun-ster and Area residents, making this event possible. And special thanks to all those who attended our social event in celebra-tion of the meaning and atmosphere of Thanksgiving.

McBride Anglican United Church WomenD. Simpson, Secretary

The sign in front of the Trading Post in Valemount.


Dunster Community AssociationRecreational Property – River Road

The Regional District of Fraser-Fort George intends to consider adoption of the Dunster Recreational Property Use Agreement Authorization Bylaw No. 2648, 2010 at its meeting of Novem-ber 18, 2010.

Bylaw No. 2648 will authorize the Regional District to enter into a renewal agreement, terminating in 2015, with the Dun-ster Community Association for the recreational property lo-cated off River Road, in Dunster, BC, Electoral Area H. The subject property is described as the West ½ of the Southwest ¼ of District Lot 7180, Cariboo District. In consideration of the entitlements given, the Regional District will receive a nominal sum of $1.00 for the specified term of the agreement.

A copy of Bylaw No. 2648 is available for viewing on the Re-gional District website, at: http://rdffg.civicweb.net/Docu-ments/DocumentList.aspx (Agenda for October 2010 Regional Board meeting item #9.3), or in hard copy at the Regional Dis-trict Service Centre at 155 George Street, Prince George, BC during regular business hours. Persons wishing to file a writ-ten submission in respect of Bylaw No. 2648 should do so not later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 5, 2010.

J. MetcalfeService Centre Leader

Main Office: 155 George Street, Prince George, BC V2L 1P8Telephone: (250) 960-4400 / Fax: (250) 563-7520Toll Free: 1-800-667-1959 http://www.rdffg.bc.ca

Valemount residents were treated to a unique perspective of the village and of B.C. history last week. Jay Sherwood, au-thor and historian, presented photos and journal entries detailing northern British Columbia’s past through the eyes of Frank Swannell, one of Canada’s most famous surveyors. Return to Northern British Columbia: A Photojournal of Frank Swannell is the third, and likely final book in Sherwood’s series. It laid the basis for his presentation at Valemount Secondary School Oct. 21, which focused on Swannell’s work from 1929 to 1939. As part of his research, Sherwood trav-elled the same paths as Swannell, taking photos from the same spots as the famous surveyor. “It’s interesting going back and seeing the areas and re-photographing,” he says. The presentation began with an open field and a stunning mountain landscape behind it—a black and white photo of Valemount in 1936. Before the village was built up around it, the land was sur-veyed by Swan-nell and various other people. Sherwood’s past as a surveyor, along with his interest in the outdoors and in history, inspired his interest in Frank Swannell. As a school li-brarian, Sherwood’s research skills came in handy. Each book took roughly three years of work in total, he says, including researching, writing and travelling all around B.C. “I’ve had the chance to go places I would never go otherwise,” he says. But, naturally, he couldn’t always do it alone, and for Sherwood, the biggest challenge was making connections. For his most recent book, he was able to meet with a descendent of one of Swan-nell’s team members, as well as Swan-nell’s own grandson. Together, they trav-elled near the Swannell River Valley and the Ingenika River. Along the way, they found evidence of Swannell’s adventures, including surveying pins engraved with his initials. Valemount resident Penny Courtoreille came to Sherwood’s presentation. She is descended from the Blackman family, some members of which were featured in Sherwood’s presentation. Her grandfa-ther, Bill Blackman, also travelled British Columbia during the 1930s and photos of him were included in the presentation. Her family was raised on stories of the Be-daux Expedition, a journey from Edmon-

ton to northern B.C., and other projects involving Swannell and the Blackmans, she says. “It’s been talked about always in

our family,” says Courtoreille, who incidentally lives on Blackman Road. What her family didn’t have were many of the pho-tos and journal

entries researched and col-lected by Sherwood. “It’s sweet because Grand-pa passed away when we were really young,” she says, “so any pictures like that are really neat.” Sherwood says it’s difficult to find people who know about the history of north-ern B.C. firsthand. “Sometimes people have the interest but they have no documents at all,” he says. “Sometimes people have these documents sitting in the back corner of some place and they don’t know what they are.” For people like the Black-man family, he says, being able to connect their own stories with archived jour-nals and photos is a lot of fun. “I made them come. They weren’t really keen on coming,” Courtoreille says of bringing her children along. In the end, though, she says her daughter found the pre-

sentation very interesting. Several other Blackmans also attended the event. “It was good to see our family come to-gether.” Sherwood will be making similar pre-sentations around B.C. Much of the material found in his books can also be found through the Royal B.C. Museum’s archives.

Historical presentation piques local interest

Harmeet [email protected]

Tales of a historical surveyor

Author Jay Sherwood answers questions from Valemount residents about his latest research on surveyor Frank Swannell. Sherwood’s Oct. 21 presentation focused on Swannell’s work during the 1930s, during which time he surveyed and photographed Valemount.

Photo: Harmeet Singh

“It’s sweet because Grandpa passed away when we were really young,... any pictures like that are really neat.”

Penny Courtoreille,Valemount resident

Berg Lake trail use down from 2009 Poor weather this season is likely the cause of a decline in use of the Berg Lake Trail, says Wayne van Velzen, area super-visor for Mt. Robson Park. Use of the trail during the day was down 18 percent, from 49, 860 to 40, 624. Over-night use, or people camping on the trail, was down 11 percent. “Several weeks of ‘no fires’ and heavy smoke in August, generally our busiest month, kept visitors from the area. Many thought the park was actually closed dur-

Briefs:

Winter Driving Tips B.C. drivers should be preparing for winter, says Shirley Bond, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. She recommends the DriveBC website as a resource for highway conditions, road re-ports, weather forecasts and winter driv-ing tips. Some important recommendations in-clude: *Before the trip, check the current road conditions and weather forecast.*Learn and practice winter driving skills after a storm in an empty parking lot – practise such manoeuvres as han-dling a skid.*If you absolutely need to drive in stormy weather, take someone else with you.*Try to travel during daylight only and let someone know your route.*Keep at least four seconds distance be-tween you and the vehicle in front of you.*Drop your speed to match road condi-tions - the posted speed is the maximum speed under ideal conditions.*Watch for black ice - slow down when approaching shaded areas, bridges and overpasses as these sections of road freeze sooner than others.*Avoid sudden moves - slow down and steer smoothly and gradually to avoid skidding.*Be extremely cautious when approach-ing maintenance vehicles.*If you get stuck or stranded, don’t pan-ic - stay with your vehicle for safety and warmth.

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TMX Pipeline expansion south on holdKinder Morgan will wait for market demand before starting next phase

While the second phase of twinning the Trans Moun-tain Pipeline from Rearguard Station near Mt. Robson to the lower mainland is still on the books, a represen-tative from Kinder Morgan says market demand will need to pick up before it starts to build again. Lexa Hobenshield, a media relations representative, says the company will proceed with public consulta-tion once the market favours further expansion of the pipeline’s capacity. She says several key regulatory fil-ings would also still need to be processed before ex-pansion plans proceed. In the summer of 2008, Valemount experienced a short economic boom as hundreds of pipeline workers moved into town for the Anchor Loop Project, or the twinning of the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Hin-ton, AB to Mt. Robson. The new pipeline was put in service at the end of October 2008. The twinning of the pipeline increased capacity from 260,000 barrels per day to 300,000 barrels per day. Ac-cording to Hobenshield, there are other smaller sec-tions of twinned pipeline, but most of the remaining duration of the pipeline is single piped. She says twin-ning a pipeline has similar benefits to adding sidings to rail tracks. Even if the pipeline is not twinned the entire way, sections of twinned pipe do significantly increase capacity. If the pipeline is twinned the entire way to the lower mainland, capacity would increase to 700,000 barrels per day. The Trans Mountain Pipeline is not typical of most other major pipelines in North America, since it is designed to move more than one type of product all at once. It is also unique in that Kinder Morgan does not own any of the product being piped. Instead, it charges fees for transporting products, similar to a railroad service. Hobenshield adds that because the Trans Mountain Pipeline transports a wide array of petroleum products, future expansion will be based on a general increase in market demand, rather than a sudden increase of one product.

Future proposals by Kinder Morgan could include a pipeline capable of transporting 400,000 barrels per day branching north through McBride to an end point at Kitimat B.C.. The twinning of the line all the way from Mt. Robson to the Lower Mainland is the next priority, once market demand picks up.

Map submitted

Currently, about 100 Kinder Morgan staff are positioned along the pipeline route in BC.

Products can be temporarily stored along the pipeline in 22 tanks in Kamloops, Sumas Mountain and Burnaby.

Westridge Marine Terminal Located on the southern shore of Burrard lnlet in Burnaby. It accommodates ships that transport crude oil to the U.S. and overseas markets, and stores incoming aviation fuel.

Puget Sound Pipeline System: A 110 km pipeline sends crude oil from the main pipeline at Sumas to refineries in Ferndale and Anacortes, Wash.

The Trans Mountain pipeline transports about 90 percent of the diesel and gasoline delivered to lower mainland.

In operation since 1953

The Simpcw First Nation and Commerce Resources Corp. held a signing ceremony in Vancouver on Oct. 25 to officially mark a mineral exploration agreement for the Blue River Tantalum-Niobium rare metals project. The project is located in the Kamloops Min-ing Division, approximately 10 km north of Blue River in the heart of the Simpcw First Nation’s traditional territory. The Simpcw First Nation is based in the North Thompson area. Today, about half of the 600 Simpcw people live on the Simpcw First Nation Indian Reserve at Chu Chua just north of Barriere, B.C. and on the Louise Creek Reserve. Commerce Resources Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company with a particular focus on tantalum, niobium and rare metal deposits that have the opportunity for environmental-

Simpcw First Nation and Commerce Resources Corp. sign mineral exploration agreement

ly-sound and economically-viable development. Traditionally, First Nations become involved in mineral exploration during the advanced stages. This agreement means that both the Simpcw First Nation and Commerce Resources Corp. will be working more closely together during the early stages of mineral ex-ploration.

Winter can be long.Stay informed and entertained!

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Box 21, Valemount, BC, V0E 2Z0


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 Mt. Robson. He has lived, worked and gardened in the Dunster area for more than thirty years.

The end of October is a good time to see if we have done a good job of putting the garden to bed. If we have, then we can go with a clear conscience to the next stage of our gardening year – “the winter dream stage” – where we take the time to ponder garden books and magazines for those new or even old ideas to try in next year’s garden. Soon the seed catalogues will be arriving in the mail and you can let your imagination run wild if you are anything like me! But first, back to reality with a checklist of fall chores.Has the garlic been planted and is the mulch ready to cover it once the ground freezes? Some gardeners mulch their garlic as soon as they plant it while others wait until the ground is frozen. Have the raspberry canes that produced fruit this year been cut back to the ground? They are the two year old canes that have the bark that is beginning to fall off and the dried up flower spurs. Also remember to cut the new canes back to armpit height. This will encourage more side (lateral) branches next spring and thus produce more fruit. Have you planted your fall bulbs such as tulips and daffodils? A sprinkling of bonemeal mixed with the soil in the bottom of each hole will give better blooms next spring. Be careful to plant the bulbs to the depth recommended on the package or ask your bulb sup-plier for the depth appropriate for this area. If you have a problem with voles (very common in this area) you can make “bulb cages” from hardware cloth or chicken wire and plant a cluster of bulbs in the cage

buried at the correct depth. A few years back a friend invested over $200.00 in bulbs and got only a few dozen blooms but miles of vole trails the next spring when the snow melted. If you can build a new compost pile with all the fall leaves, garden waste and a few pails of manure, it can get working before the really cold weather sets in and will be ready for next spring.Remember to dry off your potatoes well before put-ting them into storage. For the first eight weeks after harvest, potatoes go into a “sweat” where they give off a lot of moisture. If you have any scabby potatoes or their skins are constantly wet, this is the ideal time for rot to start. I try to check the spuds once a month until January. If you grew dahlias or purchased some bedding dwarf varieties, dig the tubers and dry them well. Cut the stems to a few inches (5-6cm) and remove the dirt from between the tubers. I spread mine on wooden trays in the root cellar where there is sufficient mois-ture. Other folks pack theirs in peat moss. Too much moisture will cause rot. Too little will dehydrate them over the winter. Check them every month or so.If you have ideas you would like covered in future columns, please feel free to call me at 968-4334.

Bressette says this means they will probably end up sitting on some wood for a while. “We are trying to help out these small-er guys.” He says initially it is going to be a small enough volume so that the risk is low, but big enough that loggers can cover their costs of setting up. The location of the yard has not been final-ized, but several local options including exist-ing yards with scales are being explored. “I will be phon-ing around to our locals, in-cluding McBride, to get a bit of a feel for what kind of wood, what kind of sorts we would be most likely to move in the next six months and then I would try to tailor the wood to these demands.” Bressette says that the new National Choice Mill in McBride will be a part of that puzzle since it looks like they will be interested in picking up some of the

down fall sorts such as short tops. “We are just going to start small and see if it will go. The message we have been getting is that if there was wood available when the local mills need it, our smaller guys could grow in pro-duction capabilities,” says Bressette. “If that’s what it takes to keep more wood in the valley, we will try to expand that.”

He says that cedar will be a pretty big part of this new small scale supply, but it could include anything. “I would like to get a range of species and sorts. Then we

can have some wood on hand if some-body wants to jump into a new product and take a different direction.” Bressette says the community forest will try to have the wood brought in this winter and available for this spring. This should align with many of the spot mar-kets for specialty woods which typically start opening up at that time of the year.

“We are just going to start small and see if it will go. The message we have been getting is that if there was wood avail-able when the local mills need it, our smaller guys could grow in production capabilities.”

Shane Bressette,VCF Director

Local wood production a priority...Cont’ from A1 B.C. premier Gordon Campbell announced several changes to the provin-

cial cabinet on Oct. 25. Ministers with new or changed portfolios include: Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation – Hon. Barry PennerMinister of Agriculture – Hon. Ben StewartMinister of State for Building Code Renewal – Hon. Naomi YamamotoMinister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development – Hon. Stephanie CadieuxMinister of Education – Hon. George AbbottMinister of Energy – Hon. Bill BennettMinister of Environment – Hon. Murray CoellMinister of Finance (Minister Responsible for Small Business) – Hon. Colin Han-senMinister of Forests, Mines and Lands – Hon. Pat BellMinister of Health Services – Hon. Kevin FalconMinister of Labour – Hon. Iain BlackMinister of Natural Resource Operations – Hon. Steve ThomsonMinister of Public Safety and Solicitor General (Minister Responsible for Hous-ing) - Hon. Rich ColemanMinister of Regional Economic and Skills Development – Hon. Moira StilwellMinister of Science and Universities – Hon. Ida ChongMinister of Social Development – Hon. Kevin KruegerMinister of Tourism, Trade and Investment (Minister Responsible for the Inter-governmental Relations Secretariat) – Hon. Margaret MacDiarmid

Ministers retaining their existing portfolios include: Attorney General – Hon. Mike de JongMinister of Children and Family Development – Hon. Mary PolakMinister of Citizens’ Services – Hon. Mary McNeilMinister of State for Climate Action – Hon. John YapMinister of State for Mining – Hon. Randy HawesMinister of Transportation and Infrastructure – Hon. Shirley Bond

Cabinet shuffle, who is who?


The Business DirectoryTeepee Meadows Cottage

Spectacular 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 Leigh at 250-569-8807 or

[email protected]

@ Country Wide Sales & Services LtdConveniently located downtown @ 1160-5th Ave

CRACKMASTERWindshield Repair/Replacement Specialists

PET SUPPLIES-HOME ELECTRONICSSHAW DIRECT TV-SIRIUS RADIOS

FLAT GLASS-MIRROR-SCREENS CUSTOM VINYL SIGNS-BANNERS-VEHICLE

GRAPHICS-MAGNETIC SIGNSWOOD & PELLET STOVES & SUPPLIES

WOOD PELLETS

Open 9 am -5:30 pm Monday thru Friday 250.566.4380

For Drywall ServicesCALL TODD

@WAHOO ENTERPRISES

250-569-0320

New Construction, RenovationsAdditions, Framing, FinishingCabinetry & Wood Doors

Certified Septic InstallerBobcat Skid Steer With

Various Attachments

G & A Moore Ventures

Gerald Moore

Contractor

www.mooreventures.caMcBride, BCTel: 250.569.2269 Cell: 250.569.7147

Eatery and Gift Shop1152 - 5th Ave, Valemount B.C.250-566-0154

STR8 UP Renovations New Construction, renos, form building.

shops, decks.

Journeyman carpenter, 17 years experience.

Call Jeff Wagner, 250-569-7906

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

Building Materials

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

Aries: An easily surmountable obstacle will see you skip physical exercise this week. All that matters is that you were definitely going to...Taurus: Everyone thinks your idea is great. Too bad you meant it as a joke. Good luck implementing it. Gemini: Should you stand up for yourself or go with the flow? It’s up to you! ...But the stars will force you to be assertive.Cancer: Instead of trying to become a better per-son, simply lower your expectations of yourself. Leo: The heavens have set out a well-laid plan for you, but it is fragile- so for pete’s sake don’t touch anything! Virgo: Stick to what you do best and you will be able to comfortably float through life unnoticed. Libra: You can’t do everything. To prove this to yourself ,try to juggle four angry goats. Scorpio: Distant images bring you great happiness this week. This should be vague enough to cover lots of different things. Sagittarius: Get your life in order this week. I prefer alphabetically myself. Capricorn: You need to make a decision regarding a relationship, finances or dinner very soon. Aquarius: Last week was difficult and you made your sacrifices. The gods will be pleased. Pisces: You’re feeling extra cozy of late. This being said, it is not socially acceptable to wear your house-coat in public.

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


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 at 1070 5th Ave

How to submit an ad

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

For Sale

Nanny Needed

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.

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.

For RentShared Accommodation - dwntwn McBride Incl: lge bdrm with private entrance, ADSL, phone/voice box, furniture. Shared: util, TV, house/yard. NS, ND/A (no drugs/alcohol), No Pets. Refs plse. $450 - 569-8807

$295 plus shared utilities. 1 bedroom in 2 bedroom apartment in Valemount. 250-566-4044

Roommate Wanted

Flooring, Wide Plank Fir, 8”, T&G, new, kiln dried, select grade, $2.95/sqft. Please call 250-573-1817 evenings.

Nanny Required. Sept – Dec part time. Requires 2 days in Crescent Spur, 2 days in Dunster Jan–Apr – full time live in at Crescent Spur. Sal-ary based on experience. Pls email resumes or inquires to [email protected]. You can reach me at 250-553-2300 or 250-968-4486.

Mazda B4000 4/4 1994. C/W Canopy, 2 sets of tires on rims, well maintained, kept all receipts, 293K. Rea-son for sale; family got big-ger. Asking $2500. Call JF at 250-566-8411.

Glass carboys, $20 each (re-tail $40) and multi-purpose plastic tubs 30L, $15Call 250-566-4606

For Sale

Two used satellite dishes. As is, taken off of house. Open to offers, 250-566-1444.

Older 2 bedroom house on 6th Ave. $450/month plus utilities. 250-566-4790.

Minolta 2050 copier with two bottles of toner. Ask-ing $300 OBO. Black and White copying only. Upto 11x17 size, also double sided. Older machine but still reproduces well. Handy for someone who needs to make copies of maps, book-lets, handouts, etc. Call Rashmi at Infinity 250-566-4225. Available for testing / viewing at Infinity Office & health, Valemount.

Quickway Pilot looking for part time drives. Phone 566-1722, or fax resume to 566-4207, or mail Box 69 Valemount.

Employment

1 pair of black, OR, Goretex gaiters on McKirdy Peak. Call 250-566-4396 to claim.

Found

ARE YOU BORED? I’m looking to start a friend-ship club for winter sports, hiking, events and activities in Jasper, and nighboring towns. Call Vanda at: 250-566-0173.

I am looking to carpool periodically with someone who travels to Jasper, and to travel to other towns. I will pay for part gas! Call 566-0173.

5th Wheel. 28.5’ Cita-tion Supreme 1997 Ex-cellent condition, Queen walkaround Bed, Oakcabi-nets, 2 DoorFridge, Micro-wave, 3 Burnersstoveoven, Full Bath, Awning, Aircon-ditioning, $14900.00. Call 1-250-566-9884, Valemount or [email protected]

Carpool

Post your ad online

[email protected]

Wanted

Fishing flies for Christmas? Call Garry at 250-566-4456. Flies, Fly boxes, Rod build-ing and rod repairs.

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An adult male is in custody after Bishop David Monroe, the Roman Catholic bishop of Kamloops, B.C., was severely beaten at the city’s cathedral on Friday October 22. Another priest on the scene dislocated his shoulder trying to fend off the attacker. RCMP were called to the Sacred Heart Cathedral in down town Kamloops on Friday night, and found Bishop David Monroe bleeding on the floor of the church rectory. Police believe he had been beaten with a blunt object. Monroe, 69, was rushed to hos-pital. The assailant fled the church. Reports indicate that police found the man in a shed at his father’s home on the north shore of Ka-mloops. It appears he swam across the Thompson River. He also appeared to be in a very unstable mental state. Monroe, who has been bishop since 2002 of the 155,000-square-kilometre central B.C. diocese including Valemount and Blue River parishes, was taken to hospital with what have been de-scribed as serious injuries. On Monday, John Bandura, 30, was charged with aggravated as-sault, assault with a weapon and mischief. He has been diagnosed with bi-polar and is on mood stabilizers. Monroe is expected to make a recovery and will be released from hospital shotly.

Local Roman Catholic Bishop‘severely beaten’ in Kamloops


Community Events

Got a community event or announcement? Let us know!

[email protected]

Every WednesdayValemount Seniors’ Music Night, 7p.m.Location: Valemount Golden Years Lodge

Every ThursdayCribbage tournament, everyone welcomeLocation: Valemount Golden Years Lodge lower level1-4 p.m.

Every FridayIn Valemount:Musical jam at The Gathering Tree cafe, 7 p.m.Hamburgers and drinks at the Legion, 5:30 p.m.

Every second SaturdayValemount Circle Dance, 7pm - 9pm Contact Micah: 250-566-1782

First Saturday of every monthDunster Family Dance 7pm to 10pm Instruction from 7-8pm and short ses-sions 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 - maxi-mum of $10 per family.

Ongoing diversionsOctoberOct. 27McBride Secondary Talent Night7 p.m. at the Roundhouse Theatre$5 admission, children freeFor details or to enter, contact: 250-569-2295

Oct. 279/11 Truth Movie7 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, ValemountFree AdmissionSept 11/2001, three skyscrapers were demolished in downtown New York and something damaged the Pentagon. The evidence indicates these events could not be achieved by a few radicals with box cutters.

Oct 30Indoor Yard SaleTete Jaune Community Hall9am - 12pm Table rentals $10Call Wendy: 566-9706

NovemberNov. 2Canoe Valley Skating ClubAGM 7 p.m.Upstairs at the arenaFor more info call Crystal: 569-8491

Nov. 4John ReischmanRoots musicianMcBride Roundhouse Theatre

Nov 6McBride Elks and Royal Purple Garage Sale 10:00 - 2:00 p.m.. If you would like to book a table @ $10.00/table, please call Barb Jackson: 569-2645.

Nov. 20Valemount Arts and Crafts FairLocation: Valemount Secondary gymContact Jan: 250-566-4396 to book a table

The Valemount Senior Volleyball girls placed first again this past weekend in a four-team tournament in Jasper. The girls met senior teams from Hinton, Edson and Jasper. It is their second tournament of the season, and their second first place finish. Their first tournament was held in Barriere two weeks ago.Back row: Kelsey Griffin, Rebecca Lerch, Lea Werner, Linnaea Van der Zwan, Stephanie Blanco, Coral Hogg, Sylvia Grigat, Kristin Prosser, Coach Cheri DenkeFront row: Stacey Duncan, Kate Soucy, Rita Gonella, Natasha Frank, Nina Grigat, and Haley Van der Zwan. Absent: Carey Newby

Weekend Gold

Photo: Ellen Duncan


Prince George medical student missing for more than a month, presumed dead

is pleased to add

to our list of services!SEARS Catalogue Orders

Pick-Ups - Returns - PaymentsPhone: 250-566-4225

Interned last summer in Valemount and McBridePhoto: Reiner Thoni

25-year-old Rachael Bagnall served as a medical intern in the Robson Valley during the summer of 2009. She and fellow medical intern Jan McPhee hiked and climbed many local mountains together, including McKirdy Mountain. McPhee asked that their entry into the summit log be taken down and photocopied. Both Bagnall and McPhee were finishing up senior years in medical school at UBC in Vancouver.

Bagnall and her boy-friend, 34-year-old Jonathan Jette, went hiking on Saturday, Sept. 4. They were due to return on Monday, Sept. 6. They were ex-perienced hikers and were equipped with appropriate gear and food for two to three days.

So far, the RCMP and search and rescue crews have only locat-ed the couple’s vehicle

on a Forest Service Road approximately 14 km north of Mt. Currie, near Pemberton B.C..

issue 20 oct. 27th

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