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A Life That Matters:

Don Davies, The Challenge of Change

DESTINATION WELLNESS | I SPY... CLUBS, HALLS, AND LODGES THE SIREN CALL OF DINGS | THE BRIDGES OF KIMBERLEY

After Mining

Teck was pleased to host guests from the British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation and the Canadian Land Reclamation Association’s 42nd Annual Mine Reclamation Symposium on a tour of its reclaimed Sullivan Mine. The group saw our ongoing water management and reclamation activities, the Kimberley Underground Mining Railway and the SunMine—the site of B.C.’s largest solar project and Canada’s largest solar-tracking system.

To learn more, visit www.sunmine.ca or www.teck.ca/aftermining

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CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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SALES & DISTRIBUTION

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COPY EDITING & SOCIAL MEDIA

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ART DIRECTION & DESIGN

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CONTRIBUTORS

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Jill Christie

Mike Gruggen

Monica Karaba

Jeff Pew

Think. Do. Inspire. Care. Mould. Teach. Become.

W: Monica Karaba

P: Alana Krushen Imagery & Design

In the last five years, a new ‘industry’ of offerings and services has been growing organically and enhancing the well-being and health of our community and its visitors. If you haven’t noticed it yet, there happens to be a growing number of practitioners of various healing arts and alternative and holistic healing modalities operating within Kimberley or nearby.

Mayor Don McCormick was kind enough to discuss his observations on this interesting and exciting evolution for Kimberley. According to the Mayor, in the last five years there have been approximately 20 or so new business licenses for healing or wellness practitioners outside of the existing ones we already have here such as for physio, acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic services. The mayor believes that the demand may have originated with visitors and tourists looking for spas and spa-type services, but these services have greatly expanded and have also become more integral to local residents looking to improve and sustain their wellness and health.

There is plenty of new research coming out that scientifically validates the benefits of many alternative forms of healing and relaxation, for example, lying in a float tank or sitting in a salt sauna, both of which are offered at Zen Mountain Float + Wellness, or simple practices such as mindful breathing, meditating, or using essential oils. We are fortunate to have expertise and offerings for all of these and more right here in town.

If you have been curious about learning and experiencing new forms of wellness or alternative healing methods or techniques, there is a unique event being held this fall that will have something for just about everyone looking to expand their knowledge or learn about local offerings on how to create and maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul.

I had a chance to ask the inspiring co-creators and founders of the Abundance Holistic Health & Yoga Fair, Danette Polzin and Cristina Borgogelli, to explain their vision and passion around wellness and to share more about their second annual holistic fair which will be returning to Kimberley this October.

“We are here to uplift, inspire, and expand people’s perceptions on what healing can look like and how to bring more of it into your life.”

—

Cristina Borgogelli

“We saw that Kimberley was attracting numerous practitioners of alternative health, wellness, yoga, and other modalities central to well-being, so we wanted to create a festival-type event to celebrate and showcase all of the amazing offerings people are establishing as they move to the area.”

What does wellness mean to you? Why do you value it and seek to share it?

Danette: Wellness is holistic to me. It includes all levels of mind, body, and soul. As a society, we tend to focus a lot on food and exercise and although that is incredibly important, we still often feel off or unbalanced because we are leaving out other pieces that are just as important. We need to nourish, feed, and heal our minds and souls, too. In my perspective, wellness includes all three of those elements, and there are many modalities and pathways that can take you there.

What is the Abundance Holistic Health & Yoga Fair? Who are you targeting?

Danette: I feel that Abundance is a bridge to connection, healing, and growth. It connects healers to people who are seeking more in their lives and gives people an opportunity to explore modalities and concepts they may not have been open to or considered exploring before now. And it provides them with a safe, supportive, loving environment to do so. They can bring their friends and also make new friends over the course of the weekend. I know this is broad, but we’re really targeting anyone 18+ to 100+ who wants to start creating that mind, body, and soul connection in their lives.

Cristina: The Fair is a safe place for those searching for new or undiscovered ways of helping themselves ease discomfort in their physical bodies, create new pathways in their brain to help heal trauma/stress/anxiety, and to explore potential causes to any spiritual dysfunction within their etheric bodies.

What was your intention in creating the Abundance Fair?

Danette: Cristina and I are so passionately and whole-heartedly committed to this work in our own lives and we know the power that is has to change lives and provide the answers and solutions that people are seeking and often not receiving from more traditional approaches. In addition to creating a safe place for people to connect, heal, and grow, we also wanted to make it affordable. Many similar events cost several hundred dollars or even thousands to attend, and we feel that accessibility is important to serve our purpose.

Cristina: We saw that Kimberley was attracting numerous practitioners of alternative health, wellness, yoga, and other modalities central to well-being, so we wanted to create a festival-type event to celebrate and showcase all of the amazing offerings people

are establishing as they move to the area. We built upon the Kootenay Wellness Expo that took place in 2017, but expanded it to include a variety of other workshops and talks such as art therapy, meditation, dance, yoga, tai chi, nutrition, self-care, spiritual work, and more.

What would you like the community to know about or be inspired to explore at the Fair?

Danette: I want to encourage people to step outside of their comfort zones and be willing to take a chance and try something new. Trust that by attending Abundance with nothing more than an open heart and open mind that you will find new modalities and teachings that will light your heart and soul on fire, inspire you to grow and change in truly positive and healthy ways, and that will uplift you and help you to experience more authentic joy and happiness in your life.

Cristina: We want guests to come and enjoy and find others whom they can make connections with. We want people to feel empowered to make choices for themselves and to provide a safe space where they can really explore and discover new ways and maybe uncover layers and release some of that stress or trauma that they have experienced.

Why do you think this is important or needed in the East Kootenays?

Danette: We think it’s important everywhere. We felt that there are so many incredible practitioners in our area and some of them are quite unknown. There is a disconnect between the people offering and the people seeking. For the professionals, it can be challenging at times to get your name and services known and for the people seeking, many times you may not even know what you want or need. The Abundance fair creates a bridge between the two sides.

What do you have planned for the upcoming fair?

Danette & Cristina: This year we’ll be offering about 36 classes, talks, and workshops being offered by approximately 20 different facilitators over the course of the weekend. There will be a marketplace of services and vendors, and this year the vendor market will be free public admission. There will be a wide range of offerings including art therapy, meditation, dance, yoga nidra, nutrition, self-care, spiritual work, examining the energy around money, a grief workshop, kaleidoscope yoga, Chief Joe Pierre will be storytelling spoken word traditional Ktunaxa stories, forest bathing, chakradance, mandala painting, sound therapy, crystal bowl sessions, and much more.

“First and foremost this is a community event, and it really is all about benefiting and strengthening the health and well-being of the community at large.”

Our first and last session will bring the whole group together, and then participants can choose up to four other sessions to attend throughout the day. The beauty is that guests can create an a la carte experience for their weekend to discover new ways to connect to themselves and the community at large. We’ll also have a room for people who want down time to process or simply relax between sessions. And we will have practitioners available to offer assistance throughout the weekend. Saturday evening there will be a special musical performance by an Afro Sassy Drum Dance collective, In The Sticks, that is family-friendly for all ages. The weekend fair pass will include admission, but we will have a separate affordable ticket rate for those who only want to attend the show.

Any parting thoughts you want to share with our readers?

Danette: I think it’s important for people to understand that first and foremost this is a community event, and it really is all about benefiting and strengthening the health and well-being of the community at large. It’s being funded by two working moms organizing this event in our free time because we’re so passionate about it, believe in the work, and really strive to be a part of the change needed in this world. We hope to see you all there!

For more information on the Abundance and Holistic Health Fair happening Oct. 19-20 at the Kimberley Conference & Athlete Training Centre, you can find updates on Facebook or on the website at www.abundancewellness.ca.

“Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.”

MICHAEL JOSEPHSON

A Life That Matters:

Don Davies, The Challenge of Change

W: Jeff Pew | P: Julie-Anne Davies

I’m struggling with how to begin.

I want to start with the obvious: how goddamn handsome he was. That Camelot smile. The Aussie charm. How he was a Renaissance man: author, artist, athlete, self-taught pianist, philosopher, outdoor adventurer, conservationist, trail-builder, educator, and family man. How when I met my wife, twenty-seven years ago, Don Davies was playing piano in a dimly-lit coffee house. I want to talk about how he was born a fighter, yet became a gentle sage.

I want to talk about one late-spring afternoon at his kitchen table. Don, 78, stared at the Rocky Mountains, an oxygen tube strapped beneath his nose as he laboured for breath. In the last month, he’d suffered two heart attacks from congenital heart disease. He talked about his grandkids and how he struggled with the thought of leaving them. How he couldn’t survive without June, his wife, who, when she walked into the room to deliver potassium

Found in a drawer in Don’s art room the morning after his passing.

pills, called him pet while rubbing his white-socked feet. He called her love. He talked about how rough it is on his three kids, who, in shifts, relieve their mom every night to stay awake to monitor his breathing. When I got up to leave, after an afternoon of reminiscing about their charmed life and the challenges that lay ahead, I asked Don, “The article’s coming out this fall. You plan on sticking around to see it?”

Ruggedly frail, Don looked at me, shook his head, and smiled. “I’m bloody well gonna try,” he said. “You bet. I plan to be around till I’m 120.”

Two weeks later, on June 24th, 2019, during an afternoon thunderstorm with his family by his side, Don Davies passed away.

As if wired into his childhood DNA, Don became a man who never gave up.

I want to begin with this.

ON A SHELL-SHOCKED COUCH in the front room of a house in Coventry, England during a Luftwaffe bombing raid that cratered roads, killed neighbours, and destroyed nearby houses, a baby boy named Don Davies was born. It would be almost five years later, before the war was over, when he’d first meet his dad who brought him a pair of bright red boxing gloves.

As a teenager, he contracted rheumatic fever and was bedridden for eight months. His dad would carry him to their piano where he taught himself to play by ear. As if wired into his childhood DNA, Don became a man who never gave up. He saw every struggle as an opportunity to grow, each experience riddled with choice and guided by the imprint and echo of being born while everything around him was being torn apart and these bright red boxing gloves, swinging wildly at his father’s open palms.

I want to start with that. The rest of the story’s the easy part. Well, most of it, anyway.

When Don was 12, his family emigrated to Australia, where his dad hand-stitched the upholstery of fancy cars. They loved Australia, the fresh air, the open countryside. In his twenties, he lived on the same Sydney street as June who he passed every day on the way to college. One morning, 55 years ago, he stopped and introduced himself. “I knew he was the one,” June said, and since that day, they were inseparable.

Don graduated from Sydney Teachers College, then taught PE and coached rugby at Granville Boys School. “No field, just a blacktop,” Don said. “It was tough teaching tackling on the church lawn.” Following that, he worked for two years at an outdoor fitness school, where he’d take 30 kids on nature training camps.

IN THE EARLY ’60S, on the lookout for a new adventure, Don worked as a flight attendant for Qantas Airlines. He travelled the world for four years while June remained in Sydney. In 1967, he received two competing job offers: a Qantas position based out of Mexico and a two-year teaching job in Kimberley, BC. “I decided to flip a coin,” Don jokes. “Heads, Mexico. Tails, marry June and move to Kimberley. It was tails.” They got married and left the next day for Canada.

When they arrived in Kimberley, a train was unloading freight in the middle of town, and the bush was on fire. June, a new bride, burst into tears at the stark reality of their move.

For the next 32 years, until his retirement in 1999, Don worked in four Kimberley schools, first as a PE and outdoor education teacher, then as an administrator.

Upon news of his death, hundreds of former students, colleagues, and friends wrote messages expressing their appreciation and gratitude. They wrote about what an exceptional man and mentor he was, how he was gentle, kind, and adored. How he lived a life that mattered. Shenoa Runge captured Don’s legacy perfectly: “He amazed my 5-year-old brain and planted the first seed that life can be a path we choose and not a path predetermined by social norms.” Van Redecopp wrote, “One of the most interesting men I’ve met.”

“I shall always think of him as a Renaissance Man,” Mike Redfern, past president of the Kimberley Arts Council, wrote. “I’ll miss him both as a passionate and compassionate human being, but also as a talented artist who bared his soul in his writing, his love of his environment in his drawings, and his delight in music through his fingers on the keyboard.”

DON’S DAUGHTER, Julie-Anne, reflects on her dad’s role in the community: “It’s hard to know where to start,” she says. “So many people have told me that if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be who they are. He brought rugby to Kimberley, played in a band since the first year he arrived, started the Kimberley to Cranbrook relay, put a new quote on the office wall every single day for 32 years to inspire his colleagues, fought for years to save the Lois Creek Trails (at his celebration of life he was awarded the first ever Kimberley Trails Society Stewardship Award), and in his honour, the Centre 64, Kimberley Arts Council bought him a seat with his name on it.”

His friend and colleague, Blake Rawson, describes Don’s environmental legacy: “When Don and June moved to Trail Street in the late 1960s, he discovered a trail down the bank from his house leading to a network of old resource roads and trails in the Lois Creek watershed. While other users accessed them to dirt bike, dump garbage and rusted-out auto parts, Don realized this as a quasi-wilderness environment that needed protection. He named the main trails, then made and mounted the first set of signs. Don became the originator of Friends of Lois Creek and remained the leader of this community volunteer group right up until the end of his life.

“So many people have told me that if it wasn’t for him, they wouldn’t be who they are.”

In May of 2010, the Lois Creek Trails were given official trail status and a 35-kilometre, non-motorized protected trail system was established.

While Don and June sat at the kitchen table, they held hands. Often, June would smile, stare towards the Rockies, then shake her head slowly, love’s silent language of remembering. “She doesn’t let me get away with anything,” he said. “Not sure how I would have coped without her.”

“We do everything together,” June said. “We’ve never been apart.”

“Just as an avalanche can be triggered by just one snowflake,” Don writes, “so can we do our part to bring about a healing of the world’s mistakes.”

The Challenge of Change

IN RETIREMENT, Don and June adventure-travelled. In his book Headwinds & Horizons (2006), he writes about his Australia Bike Challenge, where he circumnavigated the country on bike while June drove the support van. In Backpacks and Saddlebags (2018), Don details their many adventures: hiking trips in the Rockies and Purcell Wilderness, walking across England, and the epic cycling trips, including his unsupported, solo trip from Kimberley to New York City.

In December 2008, while visiting Australia, Don began experiencing excruciating back pain and partial paralysis. He was air-evacuated to Sydney for what appeared to be severe spinal compression. After waking from spinal surgery, where they removed three vertebrae and inserted titanium rods, Don received some sobering news, which he describes in his book, The Challenge of Change, Finding Meaning

and Purpose in Your Life (2009). A tumour had crushed Don’s fifth thoracic vertebra, exposing and compressing his spinal cord. In addition, the doctor informed Don that he had Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells that starts in the bone marrow and renders the bones brittle. Don was told that he might live five to six years. That was 11 years ago. He was his oncologist’s longest living Myeloma patient.

In the book, Don lays out “a framework for a plan of action that, if you choose to pickup the gauntlet, will make a significant and productive difference in your life and hopefully restore some healing to the health of the planet.” It’s Don’s treatise on making the world a better place. “Just as an avalanche can be triggered by just one more snowflake,” Don writes, “so can we do our part to bring about a healing of the world’s malaise.”

He believed that the best way to take care of the future is by focusing on the present, while recognizing the paradox that it’s essential to make future plans. It’s about action. “If you want to avoid living a life of regrets,” he writes, “now is the time to make that bucket list and begin working through the checklist.”

“Find the time to take your grandson fishing. Take those piano lessons, make that music CD, write a book, go sailing in the Greek Islands, take flying lessons, or go on a safari.”

Don’s diagnosis helped clarify his purpose. “If there is one thing that brings a sense of purpose into focus, it is being confronted with your own mortality,” he writes. “Each day is a new awakening that I embrace with deliberate interest... I look at life through a simpler lens, liberated from all the clutter that I used to surround myself with. The acid test is to ask the question, ‘Will this matter a year from now or a hundred years from now?’”

“It’s never too late to learn a new skill,” he writes. “Find the time to take your grandson fishing. Take those piano lessons, make that music CD, write a book, go sailing in the Greek Islands, take flying lessons, or go on a safari. Look for ways to serve and bring joy to others and fulfill your purpose in life.”

Moments before I left Don and June’s house, I asked if they had any final thoughts. June got teary-eyed. “I’ve always been so proud of him,” she said. “I’ve loved our life together. It’s been an incredible journey.”

“It’s tough to fit it all in,” Don said, then chuckled, “but it’s up to us, isn’t it?”

lunch

Clubs, Halls, and Lodges

Urban decay has always fascinated me…maybe from growing up in the City and always seeing old buildings in various states of disrepair and how nature continues on without notice or opinion. Looking around Kimberley is part of my work ritual, and I always stumble upon its past, whether it be old basements, buildings, or structures.

W: Andy Christie | Building Photos: Julie Christie | I: Ashley Dodd

“CLUBBING” IN KIMBERLEY IS A THING OF THE PAST. Decades ago there were a wide variety of clubs, service organizations, and societies that had halls and lodges throughout Kimberley. Many are still standing—repurposed, and you walk through them without the past reference. Take for instance the current location of the Top Crop store in Kimberley. Next time you are shopping there, walk to the back of the store and climb up onto the stage that was the Loyal Order of Moose’s pulpit for meetings. This hall operated for years and hosted many events here such as the “Nine O’clock Ceremony,” which you can look up online. The Loyal Order of Moose was founded in the U.S. in 1888 in Louisville, Kentucky with headquarters (and hindquarters) in Mooseheart, Illinois. This society had a rather contentious history and was involved in many scandals throughout its existence due to its rather racial mandates. The Order’s Kimberley building became Top Crop around 1996 and has been ever since (dogs allowed but no moose).

The City of Kimberley had two Royal Canadian Legions within its boundaries (well, one was located in the former Village of Marysville). The first one, Branch 67, was located in the building that Gym 67 now inhabits. It held a multitude of events, had cheap beer, and was located across the street from the old Cenotaph. The second location, Branch 233, is now the home of Resker Hall and the Boy Scouts of Kimberley since 1994. Currently, no Royal Canadian Legions exist in Kimberley for veterans, but the new veterans’ memorial park offers a place for recognition and remembrance.

The Kimberley Elks Club, with a rooftop elk beckoning patrons, still hosts many functions, parties, dances, and regulars since its inception. The doors opened early in Kimberley’s history and have rarely closed since. The basement still features Kimberley’s only remaining bowling alley and has manual pin setters that take care of your horizontal pins. They come with a lofty seat, courage, and some coaching

tips. This may be one of the last manual pin setting alleys left in Canada. The current hall hosts pool leagues, meat draws, poker players, bowlers, darts, and dancers regularly.

Other societies have older buildings remaining in Kimberley. The old Masonic Lodge has been converted into a residence beside Centre 64 on Deer Park Avenue. The Freemasons were made famous in recent years with conspiracy theories and have been celebrated in films and books. The old Royal Canadian Air Cadet’s hall (#266) has also been recently converted into a residence. It once functioned as many other meeting spaces including the Chapman Camp Community Hall. Many dances, festivals, and local events blessed these halls throughout Kimberley, and many of the places are now quieter. Perhaps it is time to revisit community halls, but for now all we can do is drive by ...and spy.

The Siren Call of Dings

A KIMBERLEY TEACHER’S ATTEMPT TO BRING PRESENCE BACK TO KIDS

W : Mike Gruggen

P : Jeff Pew

Ill : Ashley Dodd

THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS BEING BORED ANYMORE.

If there’s ever an awkward pause, there’s always our cell phone. Waiting for someone at a restaurant? Check Instagram. Daydreaming during a work meeting? Scroll through Reddit. At home with nothing to do? Log into the infinite, on-demand choices of Netflix. Our new reality has become tallying how many likes we get, the siren call of dings, notifications and virtual messages, and the constant dopamine hit of being in our own personal spotlight. But, if adults are constantly exploring the frontier of unapologetic consumption of social media, what mark has it left on our kids?

AS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER, we have our mandatory conversation with students every September: respect the focus of the classroom. Be present. Use cell phones only with the permission of the teacher. But as comfort levels rise and classes get busy, the conversation gradually morphs into an argument. Although cell phones offer the promise of digital learning, students are constantly pushing the boundaries and displaying signs of increased addictive and depressive behaviours. Students are less engaged in the non-digital world and struggle to navigate their online world. As an educator, I felt compelled to research what’s going on.

A U.S. National Institute of Health study recently outlined some disconcerting findings: the average teenager spends 4.5 hours a day on their cell phone and those who spend more than 2 hours a day score lower on language and thinking tests. Babies who play on iPads are not able to translate motor and executive functioning skills into the real world. Teenagers possess different physiological brains than their parents.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt found that since 2012, when smartphones and social media became widely available, rates of anxiety and depression in adolescents (ages 12-17) doubled. Hospital admissions for non-fatal self-harm in teenage girls (ages 15-19) saw a 62% increase and in younger girls (ages 11-14) a 189% increase. Suicide rates of teenagers (ages 15-19) have skyrocketed with a 25% increase for boys and a 70% increase for girls. Locally, at Selkirk Secondary School, we’ve seen significant increases in student mental health issues, such as clinically-diagnosed depression and anxiety.

Haidt blames it all on social media.

AS A RESPONSE TO THIS EPIDEMIC, I created a project in Psychology 12: Unlearning Anxiety Through Cell Phone Asceticism, which studied the behavioural, cognitive, and emotional effects of our students’ cell phone usage. For one full week, students were asked to voluntarily give up their cell phones and quit social media, cold turkey. The student response to the project varied from excitement and curiosity to downright refusal to participate. Some parents even rejected the idea.

Students spent more time engaging in their face-to-face relationships.

Student productivity increased signiﬁcantly. Homework was completed before dinner. Bedrooms were never cleaner. Some even read a book.

2 INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Psychology 12: Unlearning Anxiety Through Cell Phone Asceticism INCREASED FACE TIME

90% RELAPSE IN BEHAVIOUR

1 THIS WAS MY MOMENT OF REALIZATION: OUR KIDS ARE IN DANGER.

project findings

3 IMPROVED SLEEP

When the project was completed, a ﬁfth and more horrifying ﬁnding revealed itself. When students were given their cell phones back, over 90% relapsed into their old behaviours.

4 DECREASED ANXIETY

Students slept better.

By the end of the week, students reported being happier. Levels of anxiety around “cell-phone separation” lowered. Fear of missing out (FOMO) subsided. There was less social comparison and no device to engage in any relational aggression (aka cyberbullying).

Haidt recommends

Crossing rivers is a part of the history of humans depicted in pictures, stories, folklore, and fairy tales through the trials and tribulations of fording rivers, avoiding trolls, wading horses, utilizing stepping stones, and bobbing boats. It is intertwined with the climax of many a story: a suspense-filled, treacherous log crossing perched over a gorge, in an attempt to escape a predator. Imagine the importance that a bridge holds in times of war when taking out a bridge meant hand-cuffing both sides. Consider the land that would be unavailable to explore or inhabit without the bridge? How much longer does a journey from one side to the other become without a safe dry crossing? Think of the times in your own life where you attempted, failed, and/or succeeded to cross a stream, creek, or river in an adventurous moment. Remember the intuition that kicked in pre-cross, knowing that the results were a major unknown. Few water crossings come with full ease, except for the naive.

For me it generates multiple memories from my own childhood playfulness to trekking and bailing hard with a heavy pack on, to ferrying through rapids in canoes and kayaks. (Honestly the most dramatic experiences I have had with bridges were when we put on a figurative

hoof-and-horn show through the re-enactment of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” with my children each time we crossed a bridge. My boys knew the story by heart (as children alone can do). It included the whole family, with Andy (their father) as the troll (who else), and the boys and myself as the various incarnations of billy goats. The story strangely ended the same way each time! While rivers give life (food and water), beauty, and peaceful meditative moments, they also pose elements of risk with flooding, swelling, flashing, and taking you downstream regardless of your wishes, intentions, or hopes. They can be our friend and also our foe−a moody and unpredictable medium at times.

Humans have been devising mechanisms for crossing rivers since time began using stones, logs, rudimentary ropes, or well-positioned planks in perfect spots to allow for easy access to the opportunities that exist on both sides of the river. The grass is always greener... In our attempts to navigate natural watery obstacles, human engineering has come a long way in unifying the spans of one bank to another. Take for example Hong Kong’s 55-kilometre Zhuhai-Macau Bridge system that includes a 6.7-kilometre man-made island and an underwater tunnel or the proposed Norwegian Coastal Highway that includes

W : Jill Christie | P: Megan Strachan

“A bridge has no allegiance to either side.” ~ Les Coleman

Proper Bridges Kimberley The of

“The roofed bridge is a place to catch your breath, contemplate the music of a river’s behaviour, and connect with the natural world.”

floating bridges, submerged floating tunnels, and miles of below sea level tunnels that burrow 390 metres under the sea. Right here in our own community we have our own system of shore stitchers that land nicely between primitive technologies and modern day engineering masterpieces.

Mark Creek ribbons itself through town creating a flowing incision that divides one side of Marysville from the other, Forest Crowne, Blarchmont, and the ski hill from Townsite and downtown. The bridges of Kimberley have been placed along Mark Creek and its tributaries to connect the ties between the various subdivisions of Kimberley proper.

Most of these bridges have been recently renewed with beautifully-crafted roofed bridges that add a new element to our town bridges in Kimberley. These bridges, as others, provide a function of ease through shortcuts or dry-cuts along the Mark Creek shores. They connect our sub communities and steri-strip the edges of the shore in select spots giving us choice. These bridges allow community interaction. Without bridges Kimberley as we know it would be fractured into microcosms, and isolation from communities such as Cranbrook, Fernie, and beyond would completely change our existence.

Our roofed bridges function as more than practical pathways from A to B; they beauty demonstrates our local artistry. They are a solid presence winding their way south to north or vice versa, beautifying our urbanscapes. Additionally, they provide protected space out of the elements as well as spots to stop and reflect. The roofed bridge is a place to catch your breath, contemplate the music of a river’s behaviour, and connect with the natural world. A moment of peace and a minute to contemplate the in-between of two shores, two places, two sides.

With the onset of autumn we are granted bursting blue skies, leaves afire, and larches torching the backdrops of our local landscapes. As the dance of the vibrant life of spring and summer slows into dormancy for winter, bridges become a romanticized notion for me. Thoughts of jeans, wooly sweaters, and cozy boots guiding my ferrying feet from shoreline to shoreline and beautiful strong beams of natural wood shuttling me towards another perspective, to the other side. Who knew bridges could offer so much to be grateful for?

50,000 eyes are nothing to sniff at. That’s a lot of people! It means that every year the combined populations of Kimberley and Cranbrook will see this magazine. Wouldn’t it be great if they were looking at your business, too? Our new directory format gives each ad enough space to stand out and ensures that your business has a consistent presence in each issue for the entire year. Our design team will help build it, and the price will probably surprise you. Send us an email or give us a call to find out more.

CITY MAP KIMBERLEY

KIMBERLEY CEMETERY

OCTOBER

First Saturday “Oktoberfest”

Ongoing Gallery Exhibition

Arts, Culture & Heritage Celebration

Oct. 5 | 9 am – 10 pm | Kimberley’s Platzl & Centre 64

Concert #2: Holly Hyatt

Live@Studio64 – Fall Concert Series

Oct.19 | 8 pm | Studio 64

tickets $24-$28, series pass $66-$72

Members pay less! | Tickets available at Centre 64 or eastkootenay.snapd.com (check calendar)

NOVEMBER

Invitational Christmas Gift Show & Sale

Ongoing Gallery Exhibition

Nov. 19 – Dec. 24 | Tuesday – Saturday

1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | by donation

Exhibition Opening Reception

Sept. 28 | 2-4 pm | Centre 64 Gallery

Women for Women

Second annual women’s event

Nov. 1 | 7 – 11 pm | Studio 64 | tickets

$30 advance, $35 door | no host bar raising a glass to support the arts

Horrorfest “Welcome to the Freakshow”

Local Film Festival

Nov. 2 | film screenings 7 pm, cocktail hour 8:30 pm, live music by Lennan Delaney & Oliver McQuaid 9:30 pm Centre 64 Theatre & Studio 64

Debra Powers with Steve Pineo Band

Blues

Nov. 8 | 8 pm | Studio 64 | $26 + GST Tickets available at Centre 64

Kimberley Makers Market

Handmade Market

Nov. 9, 10 am – 4 pm | Nov. 10, 1– 4 pm Studio 64 and Centre 64 Gallery kimberleymakersmarket@gmail.com

Have Camera Will Travel “India” with Terry Anne Wilson

Travelogue

Nov. 26 | 7:30 pm | Centre 64 Theatre by donation

Invitational Christmas Gift Show & Sale

Ongoing Gallery Exhibition

Nov. 19 – Dec. 24 | Tuesday – Saturday 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | by donation

Exhibition Opening Reception

Sept. 28 | 2 – 4 pm | Centre 64 Gallery

Concert #3: Andrea Superstein

Live@Studio64 – Fall Concert Series

Nov. 23 | 8 pm | Studio 64

tickets $24-$28, series pass $66-$72

Members pay less! | Tickets available at Centre 64 or eastkootenay.snapd.com (check calendar)

DECEMBER

Invitational Christmas Gift Show & Sale

Ongoing Gallery Exhibition

Nov. 19 – Dec. 24 | Tuesday–Saturday 1– 5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | by donation

Exhibition Opening Reception Sept. 28 | 2 – 4 pm | Centre 64 Gallery

The Great Gatsby NYE Pre-Party Party like it’s 1920 Dec. 31 | 8 pm | Studio 64 | Burlesque, dueling drummers, theatrical show, prizes | Come dressed to impress! Tickets available at Centre 64 or 2020gatsby.eventbrite.ca

202O

“Unframed” Open Exhibition

Ongoing Gallery Exhibition

Jan. 6 – Feb. 1 | Tuesday – Saturday 1-5 pm | Centre 64 Gallery | by donation

Exhibition Opening Reception Jan. 9 | 2 – 4 pm | Centre 64 Gallery

Have Camera Will Travel “Summer Adventures” with Lyle Grisedale Travelogue

January 28 | 7:30 pm Centre 64 Theatre | by donation

Have Camera Will Travel “Vietnam” with Julie-Anne Davies Travelogue

February 25 | 7:30 pm Centre 64 Theatre | by donation

Have Camera Will Travel “The High Arctic” with Craig Beattie Travelogue

March 24 | 7:30 pm | Centre 64 Theatre by donation

Have Camera Will Travel “East Kootenay” with Janice Strong Travelogue

April 28 | 7:30 pm | Centre 64 Theatre by donation

Tickets available at Centre 64 (unless otherwise indicated)

Call: 250.427.4919 | Email: info@kimberleyarts.com

coming events FALL

September

Sept 24 - Oct 19 | “Healing Arts” by Irene Rutherford − Gallery Exhibition | Centre 64 | Tues-Sat, 1-5 pm

Sept 27 | Dynamiters vs. Princeton Posse Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Sept 28-29 | Kimberley Community Fall Fair

Exhibits, Food, & Entertainment | Marysville Arena | All day

Sept 28 | Opening Reception for “Healing Arts” by Irene Rutherford − Gallery Exhibition | Centre 64 | 2-4 pm

Sept 28 | An Evening in Monte Carlo − Bridge Interiors Fundraiser for East Kootenay Foundation for Health 125 Slater Rd, NW Cranbrook | 7 pm

Sept 28 | PIGS: Canada’s Pink Floyd Tribute Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

October

Oct 2 | Michael Kaeshammer & His Band | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 4 | Kimberley Business Excellence Awards | Sponsored by Kimberley Chamber of Commerce | Kimberley Conference & Athlete Training Centre Cocktail Hour, Dinner, Awards, and Music by Kootenay Lately | 6 pm

Oct 5 | FIRST SATURDAY — CELEBRATE OKTOBERFEST!

Annual Kids’ Parade, Hiking, Art Market Plus Workshops & Demonstrations, Bavarian Festival, Live Entertainment, Kids Creative Corner, Kimberley Library Imagination Station, Story Wall, Beer Gardens, Bavarian Bar Races, Oktoberfest

Family Dance Party at the Elks Hall | Platzl & Elks Hall | 11 am start

Oct 5 | Dynamiters vs. Golden Rockets Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Oct 5 | The Small Glories | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 6 | Symphony of the Kootenays: The Fifth | Key City Theatre | 3 pm

Oct 7 | Sons of the Pioneers | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 8 | Dynamiters vs. Golden Rockets Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Oct 11-12, 17-20*, 23-26 | “I’ll Be Back before Midnight” by Peter Colley, directed by Landon Elliott | Cranbrook Community

Theatre The Studio 11 - 11th Ave., S. | 7:30 pm, *Matinee 2 pm

Oct 11 | Dynamiters vs. Castlegar Rebels | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Oct 12 | Dynamiters vs. Kelowna Chiefs | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Oct 13 | Thanksgiving Celebration | Livestock Tours, Dinner, and Music featuring Sage Grass | Fort Steele Heritage Town | 10 am – 4 pm

Oct 19-20 | Abundance Holistic Health & Yoga Fair | Kimberley Athletic Training and Conference Centre | Yoga, Therapeutic Workshops, Meditation, Health & Wellness Vendor Market, Music & More! | All Weekend

Oct 19 | Dynamiters vs. Summerland Steam Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Oct 19 | Holly Hyatt — Live@Studio64 Concert #2 — 19 | “We Paint in Harmony” by the We Paint! Painting Group – Gallery Exhibition | Centre 64 Gallery | Tues-Sat, 1-5 pm

Oct 22 | The Lonesome Ace Stringband | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 24 | Burton Cummings–Up Close and Alone Tour

Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 26 | Opening Reception for “We Paint in Harmony” by the We Paint!

Painting Group — Gallery Exhibition | Centre 64 Gallery | 2-4 pm

Oct 26 | Halloween Spooktacular | Trick or Treat, Haunted House, Music & Fireworks | Fort Steele Heritage Town | 4-9 pm

Oct 26 | The Legendary Downchild Blues Band 50th Anniversary Tour

Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Oct 30 | The Young’uns | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

November

Nov 1 | 2nd Annual Women for Women — Supporting the Arts Event Centre 64 Studio | 7:30-11 pm

Nov 2 | Kimberley Horror Fest & Halloween Party Scary, Strange, & Hilarious Films by Local Filmmakers Kids Contest Daytime & Adult Contest Evening Centennial Hall | Time TBA

Nov 5 | A Simple Space: Gravity and Other Myths Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Nov 7 | Larchfest | Stonefire Pizzeria | TBA

Nov 8 | Dynamiters vs. Castlegar Rebels Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Nov 9-10 | Kimberley Makers Market — Handmade Goods by Local Artisans | Centre 64 | Daytime

Nov 14 | Arts Club: Bed & Breakfast | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Nov 15 | 3rd Annual Countdown to Christmas & Late-Night Shopping Event Platzl & Vicinity | 5 pm - Late

Nov 16 | Light-up Night with Santa | Sponsored by Kimberley Chamber of Commerce | The Platzl | 6:30 pm

Nov 16 | Colin Linden | Key City Theatre | 7:30 pm

Nov 19-Dec 24 | Art Exhibition: Invitational Christmas Gift Show & Sale Centre 64 Gallery | Tues-Sat, 1 pm – 5 pm

Nov 22 | Dynamiters vs. Nelson Leafs | Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm

Nov 23 | Opening Reception for Art Exhibition: Invitational Christmas Gift Show & Sale | Centre 64 Gallery | 2-4 pm

Nov 23 | Dynamiters vs. Creston Valley Thunder Cats Kimberley Civic Centre | 7 pm