The Granby
We have seen their booth at the Grand Forks, & Rock
Creek fall fairs, as well as other places, but what do we know
of them, The Granby Wilderness Society? The OpenMinder got ahold
of Nadine Dechiron, one of the founding members, to answer some
of our questions about the Organization!
OM: Well Nadine, I guess the best place to start is at
the start. How did the Granby Wilderness Society begin?
Nadine: The society got started in 1993, because we were
sensing that the interests of the Boundary region, specifically
the Granby and Gladstone Parks, were not properly represented,
so in 1994 we decided to go ahead and incorporate as a non-profit
Society in British Columbia.
OM: How many people are involved in the society now?
Nadine: We have approximately 140 members and they support us
financially with their annual membership dues and psychologically
in what we are trying to do. Not a lot of people are directly
involved. Some will write letters to the government. Some will
come to help on a particular project. But on the whole, the work
that gets done is by a small core of people.
OM: How do you feel about the effectiveness of your society?
Nadine: Well, we are really happy that we did get the protection
for the Granby and Gladstone Parks. We’ve also been working on
the gateway to Granby Park, which somehow got overlooked in the
mapping in the original Park. The first 5-km of the Granby Trail,
which includes some really beautiful old growth forests and is
the main access to the park, was not protected. Since this is
the place where most people go, we feel that if we want people
to have the experience of wilderness, that area has to be protected.
The government, so far, has just been proposing to protect a very
narrow strip along the trail, which means that logging can happen
on the West side of the river almost to the very edge of the park,
as well as on the East side of the river, where the steep and
unstable slopes of Bluejoint Mountain are. There have already
been landslides that have washed sediment into the Granby River,
destroying portions of the trial.
We have a box at the start of the trail for people to sign in,
and we have had people come from all over the world. As it’s becoming
more known that there is a provincial park, we can expect there
to be more people. It seems like a real short-sighted thing to
not protect the entrance of the park.
OM: Is that gateway that you are talking about the same
as the Traverse Creek area?
Nadine: Yes, it’s kind of a misnomer because you never
actually encounter Traverse Creek as you are making your way to
the trail. It is called that because of a forest recreation site
which is called the ‘Traverse Creek Forest Recreation Site’. That’s
why in campaigns we use the term Travis Creek area. Otherwise,
if you go up Traverse Creek Road, which is a logging road going
up on the West side of the river, you encounter a lot of clear
cut logging. So a lot of people might not understand, thinking
‘Why are they trying to protect this area when it is already logged?’
But, what we are talking about is actually a triangle of about
1,900 hectares which include the trail, the old growth forest
and enough of a buffer on both sides, as well as the slopes and
avalanche shoots of Bluejoint Mountain, (one of the tallest mountains
in the area) which is a recreational destination, because people
like to go hiking there. There is a fire lookout & you get
a really good view of the Selkirk to the East, and right over
towards the Okanagan to the West, and you also get this beautiful
view into the whole Granby park, looking up the watershed to the
headwaters of the Granby. So once you are on that peak and you
are looking down where there are 4 plots planned to be clear cut,
in this triangle that would definitely be visible, and I feel
that’s not why tourists come to B.C.
OM: What does the Granby area entail?
Nadine: Well, there was talk about renaming the whole Boundary
region as the Granby region. But, really the ‘Granby’ is just
the Granby River and the watershed of the river. The Gladstone
is actually not apart from that, as it is at the North end of
Christina Lake. They are connected in an eco sense, definitely.
When we are looking at, for example, the Grizzly bear, which has
become known as the Granby Grizzly, we can’t disconnect these
parks. They are a continuous habitat. This area is very dry, and
is not typical Grizzly habitat and because the food is in poor
supply, those Grizzlies have to cover a lot of territory. In Gladstone
there is a bit of an exception because there is land locked Kokanee
fish; bears go to the northern end of the lake to feed. There
is an estimated Granby Grizzly population of only 20 to 50 bears.
In the Granby and Gladstone park there is a main tributary to
the Granby river, (Burrell Creek), which kind of goes at an angle
towards Edgewood and the Arrow lakes, so you could actually follow
Burrell Creek road and end up at the Arrow Lakes. That road is
a big focus for development in the next 5 years.
There was a study done by Dr. Brian Horejsi, a conservation biology
analyst, on the Granby Grizzly in the Boundary, using data from
1998. By putting up developments and all the roads on a digital
map, he was able to show what kind of habitat the bears had as
of 1998, and what it was going to look like in 2003. We could
see on the map that all the remaining secure corridors between
Granby and Gladstone parks are either disappearing or shrinking.
Which means that eventually those two parks are going to become
islands. If the access to the Arrow Lake is cut off, their interbreeding
could wipe them out.
OM: Would there then be some kind of government intervention
to bring in breeding stock?
Nadine: Well, there is also the problem that their territory
is too small, to really sustain any additional populations. When
you are looking at male grizzly, they can be dangerous to cubs.
So it is really vital for the female grizzly and her cubs to have
a really secure area where they can be safe from hunting or safe
from road interference. So that means there has to be enough land
base for them to be secure. And, relocation of Grizzlies is a
lot of the time not successful.
At this stage it seems that we still have a chance, because those
logging plans have not all gone through. We have a chance to retain
some corridors some security zones, some unroaded areas between
the two parks. We want our children to know that there are Grizzly
bears out there and we want them to have a feeling that Canada
is still a lot of wilderness, still a lot of functioning ecosystem.
OM: Are the Granby Grizzlies an endangered species?
Nadine: Yes, well, in this case it looks like this population
of grizzly bears is definitely endangered. Look at the kind of
pressures that put their habitat in danger. A species very often
becomes threatened by loss of habitat; and that is definitely
true for the Grizzly bear. They need such an extensive range.
In 1995 the Ministry of Environment decided to stop Grizzly bear
hunting in the Granby-Gladstone regions. Up until that date there
was still limited entry hunting.
One of the main fractures right now in the landscape is Hwy. #3
and the more roads we are going to be building, there is a growing
possibility of bear encounters. Female bears avoid roads, so that
reduces much more of their security and feeding areas. A lot of
the roads also coincide with valley bottoms or creeks, which is
the richest habitat for bears. So those bears are going to avoid
that area, avoiding the richest source of their food.
OM: Are you involved in other aspects of conservation?
Nadine: I am involved right now in the park management
planning, which is a table of different stakeholders organized
by the Ministry of Environment and Parks. We went through the
Granby and Gladstone preliminary Plans, and what we see is that
there are people with different interests, some of them commercial
interests that want to start ventures in the park. These parks
were once protected because they were the last undisturbed pieces
of wilderness in the Southern interior. They were Grizzly bear
habitat; pieces of quiet, pieces of renewal. I do understand that
some people are used to snowmobiling in the northern end of the
area, before it was a park. But what is going to happen when,
and if, this park becomes advertised as a place to go snowmobiling?
If plans for Hwy. #6 to become a link from the Okanagan to Calgary,
become a reality, the north end of Granby Park, which right now
is fairly inaccessible, could become a thoroughfare. What the
Society would like to see, because we do not have enough habitats
for bears to sustain tourism and recreational needs, is that we
do not destroy the land outside the parks. We can still have logging,
but sustainable logging. Questions like, is this an area with
unstable terrain; is this an area that has more value for tourism
and recreation; is this an area that is really important for wildlife,
is this an area that we need to preserve as a connection between
parks: have to be asked! We can still have forest and beautiful
areas outside the park that could sustain the commercial recreation
and ventures. And this would benefit the whole Boundary region,
because we would still be keeping our forests; keeping our creeks
and rivers clean and in a way that they can provide water year
round.
OM: It seems like such an overwhelming experience to deal
with all the issues involved with this. Are you finding that you
have access to work with other organizations?
Nadine: We are in a network of environmental conservation
groups, through the B.C. environmental network, for example. Like
on the 22nd of November we are going to be having a presentation
at the high school by Karsten Heure, who is a biologist and a
park warden for Banff National Park. He has been working with
the ‘Y2Y Conservation Initiative’, (‘Yellowstone to Yukon’), which
is looking at preserving a continuous wild habitat, following
mostly the Rocky Mountains. When looking at how the Granby and
Gladstone Parks fit into this, we are right on the edge of the
receding Grizzly habitat. If you look to the West and to the South
of us, Grizzly bears have already gone pretty much extinct.
If we want to survive as a species, we are going to have to see
what kind of impact we have on the land, and learn how to live
with the land and with the systems that support us. We do not
support the forest; the forest support us. A forest is something
that evolves over a thousand years; it is very intricate and very
complicated and everything is interconnected.
OM: How can the public get more involved?
Nadine: Yes. We used to have the meeting on the second
Monday of every month and we just changed it to the third Tuesday
of the month at the Selkirk College. But sometimes, especially
if it is around a holiday, the meeting may not be held. So it
would be good if people want to confirm that the meeting is being
held.
We are always in need of volunteers and members, but we also need
people’s support with our fundraisers, such as the Coffeehouse
Gathering. We would also like to start an email list to help spread
information.
from
the editor
Safe Community?
The creating of safe communities has been more than just a topic
of conversation during this election, it has been a concern of
all of us who live here, or elsewhere. Feeling and being safe
in a community covers a lot of things from proper sidewalks and
stop lights, etc., for our physical safety, to a high level of
community spirit for our psychological and spiritual safety.
During the time I have been publishing the OpenMinder, I have
been urged by some to express my opinion and to comment on the
other alternative publication in town (G.F.). It has not been
the purpose of the OpenMinder to do this. It was started and will
continue to be a publication that will show off this Boundary
Area for what it is – a very safe, beautiful, and dynamic place,
where there is an amazing amount of energy,and also the co-operation
to bring fruit to that energy. The look on the positive side for
the OpenMinder is also how we deal with the real problems we do
have (those controversial things). Since this is election time
though, I will take this chance to deal with what I perceive to
be a problem in our community. This past week I received letters
(pg.9) and comments that brought my attention to the way a candidate
was harassed by the other “alternative opinion” publication.
Lack of formal education was the crime. What next will it be that
disqualifies a community-minded person from stepping up and trying
to get involved? (it seems as though one is not allowed to be
involved in other organizations that are also bettering the community)
As a concerned citizen who lives here and a person in the publishing
business I feel I should address this situation. I feel the psychological
safety of our community is being threatened by biased, slanderous
lies wrapped up in “opinion” and with the co-operation
by association of many who support it. All this under the guise
of “freedom of speech” “freedom of the press”
and “exposing the truth”. It seems to be the norm for
this person to go into a crowd with a machine gun and fire half-hazardly
into the crowd killing and maiming hundreds of innocent people,
then justify it by saying “I got 2 bad guys”. This is
not a way to make people feel safe in a community. To slanderously
accuse and find guilty, without chance of defense, anyone who
gets under his skin, and then throw this dirty laundry in everyone’s
face, so they may learn to discriminate against, slander, and
punish this person for him, is wrong!
My opinion is that one of the biggest threats to this being a
safe community is created by a publication like this, that is
being used by someone who feels free to abuse the rights and personal
freedoms of others and then hide like a coward behind “freedom
of speech” and it being “only my opinion”. All
protection allowed by “freedom of the press and of speech”
is lost when the freedoms and rights of others is destroyed through
it.
If formal education is necessary for trying to volunteer your
time to the community, then I would like to know where this man
got his training in publishing and journalism, to qualify him
for his position, for he definitely gives both of those a very
bad name. It’s easy to criticize from the peanut gallery but stay
away from the announcer’s microphone!
There is a saying “kids may not always do as their parents
say, but they sure do as they do”. How, then, can anyone
think of curing the problems we have with “youth violence”
or any violence for that matter, when we go on, not only allowing
this kind of disrespect for personal freedoms and rights, but
supporting it and those who agree with it. It’s not authority
that youth rebel against, they rebel, like the rest of us, against
hypocrisy!
The insult to the candidate starts off with, “As we move
into the ‘information age’ and the ‘new millennium’ we can’t afford
to have” well, I think it is obvious what we really can’t
afford to have. However it may have started out, it has gone too
far!
Quote
You are free to do anything you want, you need only pay the consequences!
Positively Greenwood
In Co-operation with the Greenwood Board
of Trade
Community Enhancement Project
For a holiday that is family-oriented outdoor fun, be sure to
include a stop in Greenwood in your holiday plans!As a second
part to our Community Enhancement Project article we would like
to tell you about the Boundary Creek Nature Walk we have built
this summer. Our crew, through a Job Creation Project funded by
HRDC, Human Resources Development Canada, and sponsored by the
Greenwood Board of Trade, has been busy building a trail along
beautiful Boundary Creek.
While traveling one can make Greenwood a destination or a pleasant
stop along the way. Our Lion Park is an inviting and safe (fenced
from road) way to burn off some of that energy that accumulates
when young people have to sit in a car for any given amount of
time.
Now we have also developed our Boundary Creek Nature Walk! It
is developed in a circle pattern that allows the walker to find
a trail to suit their physical ability and energy level. One can
go for a short walk or a longer walk. We are also installing benches
along the trail, if one just wants to take a break and watch the
water. Let’s not forget those fish, they are fun to watch too,
or if you are so inclined, they are also fun to catch!
If you are ambitious, you can walk from our “Tunnel of Flags”
at the North end of town along the railroad bed to the start of
our Boundary Creek Nature Walk, along this walkway though town
and right out to visit Lotzkar Park. This is a simple ride on
a mountain bike and will make an interesting stop for those using
the Trans Canada Trail!
Our Job Creation Project is a huge success. We have achieved,
or made good progress, with all of the projects on our list. The
final one we are working on is the Tramway Bore Site. Next issue
we will explore the work being done there. This site is one which
we hope to have developed for guided tours in the not too distant
future!
The Greenwood Museum is now closed for the winter, however, if
you have a special group or need for a tour for the Museum, or
the Court House, it can be arranged by contacting Marge Maclean
at (250) 445-6685 or Marylin Walker at (250) 445-6449.
Shooting Towards
“2000”
The Grand Forks Shooters Women’s Soccer Team is hosting a:
“SHOP LOCAL HOLIDAY AUCTION” SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20TH,1999,
8p.m. at the “Two Rivers Saloon” (Grand Forks Hotel)
AUCTIONEER: Bob Smith. Shooters Soccer would like to greatly thank
the following merchants for their support in this up and coming
auction:
ABH Car Sales, Beverly Heart, “Two Rivers Saloon”, Big
Eds Car Cleaning, The Black Knight, Brown Bear Medicinals, Chef’s
Garden, Dels Bistro, D. Onions Holdings, The Gem Theatre, Giant
Foods, Golden Heights, Grand Forks Hotel, The Grand Victorian,
Home Hardware, Lavender Herbals, Linens and Things, LongHorn Saloon,
OK Tire, The Openminder, Panagopoulos Pizza, Pepe’s Dog Grooming,
Phoenix 4 Elements, Rilkoff’s General Store, 2nd Street Salon,
Taylor Made Meats, The Station Pub, Video Update, VK Auto, What
About Bob’s, WindWard Travel, WorkWear World, Your Dollar Store
With More, Karen Thomson, Lorna Starchuck Valley Cleaners, “Grandma”
Irene Parker.
Please come out and see what our merchants have for that someone
on your list. If you would like to participate in our auction
please feel free to contact Lisa Smith/442-3018 or Michelle/442-2891.
Working together!
by Ken Thomson
Bridging the gap between people with disabilities and employers
is the goal of Career Prospects. They have successfully found
jobs for numerous disabled individuals throughout the community
and have satisfied the employers’ requirements for workers.
“More than most of us, the person living with a disability
knows how difficult it can be to find a job”, says coordinator
Ken Thomson.
Knowing this ensures that when you hire someone with a disability
you are more likely to get a punctual, hardworking, highly motivated
employee.
Of course, having a disability means that some area of functioning
has been lessened or lost. Often, the person has developed a variety
of ways to compensate for it. Sometimes, that’s still not enough.
“That’s where we come in”, says Gary Gilbert of Career
Prospects. “We sit down with the person, assess their abilities
and the challenges they face, then work with them to find employment
opportunities that match their interests and skills. It’s vitally
important that the needs of the business be satisfied. We can
have one of our highly skilled employment coordinators come in,
rapidly learn the job, then provide all the training and follow-up.”
Career Prospects works with employers to create new efficiencies.
Many employers find they need extra help but can’t justify hiring
full time. Others find themselves paying top dollar to highly
trained employees to do a certain amount of entry level work.
It can be more effective to free them up to do more of the skilled
work they are trained in by bringing in someone on a part time
basis.
“It’s a great fit”, says Gilbert, “because the
way Disability Benefits are structured in B.C. many of the people
we work with are looking for part-time work.”
“The benefits are there for the employer”, says Thomson.
Job satisfaction rises when other employees can take someone under
their wing and assist in providing them an opportunity to contribute
and succeed in their own community.
Studies have also shown that when businesses and their employees
‘do good works’ their customers regard them more positively.
Career Prospects has successfully bridged the gap and has received
the support needed to expand their employment services. Human
Resources Development Canada has provided additional funding for
the program in the West Boundary.
If you are an employer or job seeker (with any type of disability)
in the Grand Forks/Christina Lake area, contact Gary Gilbert or
Ken Thomson at the Grand Forks Access Centre: (250) 442-5015.
If you live in the West Boundary, contact Stephanie Pool at the
Midway Access Centre: (250) 449-2655.
Weird facts
+ More than one million Earths could fit inside the sun.
+ Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean.
Letters to the Editor
No Adgenda
So what if there are links between several Grand Forks city candidates,
Rotary Club members, and the industry and air quality issues?
For that matter, what if there are links between some candidates
and members of the environmental movement?
The last I heard we all still live in a democracy with the rights
of free speech and free association. And besides, just because
as individuals we belong to some group and share similar attitudes
and opinions doesn’t necessarily mean that group has a political
agenda. Some conspiracy theories not only are wrong-headed, but
also obscure, very real and important economic, environmental,
and social issues in this election.
It’s one thing to be “open for business” and quite another
to favour heavy industries over tourism, real estate, retail and
other small businesses.
It’s one thing to promote new “clean” and “environmentally
friendly” industries and another to clean up existing dirty
ones.
Finally, it ‘s one thing to decide the issues in the public or
community interest with real citizen participation, and another
to do so with a real or apparent conflict of interest, according
to personal or “special interests”, with only token
public “input”.
If you really care about our little valley town, inform yourself,
question the candidates, and get out and vote on November 20!
David J. Simm
Enough is
Enough
I was deeply disturbed by comments of Tom Hinter in the Informer,
recently. He made cruel and sarcastic reference to one of the
candidates in the election. As many of you know, I have over the
past few years tried a number of creative ways of dealing with
the behaviour of Mr. Hinter. I have written songs about him and
ignored him, however, this is one time too many. I have heard
Mr. Hinter call people names long enough. He commonly refers to
people’s physical appearances, and uses juvenile terms like “goof”
and “stupid” and “idiot”. His style is to
use sensationalism, insinuation, guilt by association and selective
reporting to publish his personal opinion. A man that calls people
names and makes fun of fat people or laughs at someone’s education
does not deserve to have one of my songs written about him. What
minority will be next? I will no longer stay quiet and all the
joking is over. This style of reporting is a blight on our town,
and I urge the businesses that support this publication to take
a serious look at the negative impact that it continues to have
on our community.
Brian Taylor
A Mexican
Christmas Event
Boys and girls in grades one through four are invited to join
international exchange student Christina Soto for a special Mexican
Christmas event on Saturday, November 27th.
Participants will learn about Mexican customs, crafts and culture
and Christina will teach a few simple Spanish phrases. The kids
will enjoy Mexican music, sample a delicious dessert and will
each decorate a piñata to take home. They’ll have fun while
they learn about a different part of our would. To register for
this event, call the Grand Forks recreation office.
Aquatics Workshop
for Caregivers
If you assist with the care of someone with a special need, you
may be interested in a one day workshop that will be offered at
the Grand Forks aquatic centre on Sunday, December 5th.
Aquatics for Caregivers is designed to teach caregivers how to
help clients or family members enjoy and benefit from activities
in the aquatic environment. Participants will gain a better understanding
of the mature, behavioral characteristics and physical limitations
of a variety of handicapping conditions.
Facilitators will include health care, aquatic and fitness professionals
and the workshop is open to all individuals and organizations
who provide special care. Swimming skills are not required and
individual concerns will be addressed. For more information about
“Aquatics for Caregivers” call the Grand Forks recreation
office at 442-2202 or the Grand Forks aquatic centre at 442-3488.
Nancy Greene
Ski League
A ski program for children aged 6 to 12, to be held at Phoenix
Mtn, starting Jan 2000 also Coaches needed for the upcoming Nancy
Greene Ski League season at Phoenix Mtn. More info: 442-5338
Hello from
Wisconsin!
Editor: A quote in issue #9, at the beginning of
the “Hunters Boat” brought someone to www.openminder.com.
from Appleton Wisconsin!
Michele e-mails… On your site, (openminder.com) you have a quote
by William Francis Butler. Can you tell me the source?
” … for these two things, rock and water, taken in the
abstract, fail as completely to convey any idea of their fierce
embracing in the throes of a rapid as the fire burning quietly
in a drawing-room fireplace fails to convey the idea of a house
wrapped and sheeted in flames.” Sir William Francis Butler
(1872)
I am helping a patron who is writing a book on John Wesley Powell
in his research. He found this quote in a book by Roderick Nash
attributed to a Sir George Back. He wanted to know the source
of the quote. In searching for the source, I found that the it
was not Sir George Back, a Canadian explorer but Sir William Francis
Butler, also a Canadian. He has written two books but I wondered
if I could narrow it down easily (!!!) to find the context of
the quote. Thanks for any help you can give us.
The population base of the City of Appleton is somewhat over 70,000.
This is a well populated region From Fond du lac to Green Bay
(around 60-70 miles) well over several million. Our new Library
Media Center is wonderful. We love working in a place with pleasant
colors, windows, good layout and good sound proofing.
Thanks, Michele W. Missner
Program Leader for Media Services Library Media Specialist
Editor: Appleton is enjoying a new 6.5 million dollar Library
Media Centre. Visit their web site at www.athenet.net/~westfive. To find the rest of the quote and story mentioned visit www.openminder.com
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