The Trans Canada Trail Relay 2000
| Right: The
old Grand Forks Station. Below: Assembled in front of the New Grand Forks Station now operating as a restaurant and pub, are some of the 35 people, and assorted pets, that prepared for a walk on the Trans Canada Trail last SundayApril 17th, 2000 |
The Trans Canada Trail Relay
2000 will be here on Thursday, April 27th, traveling from
Greenwood to Christina Lake on that day with water gathered from
the Pacific ocean en route to Hull, Quebec. After a short stop
in front of Grand Forks City Hall the Relay entourage will be
stopping in downtown Grand Forks at 2:00pm to enjoy borscht and
bread lunch special at the Borscht Bowl and everyone is invited
to come out and join in the celebration of the official opening
of the Trans Canada Trail.
Several Grand Forks and Christina Lake residents have been chosen
as “official water carriers.” Brad Littler, Terry Gaudry,
Chris Moslin and Stu Dale will run or cycle the portion from Eholt
to the Station Pub. The water vessel will then be passed on to
Teisha Bryant, on horseback, then to Brad Ashton and Erin Acton
through Grand Forks. John Mackey, Kyle Tulk and Lylly Bryant will
carry the water east to Gilpin Station to be picked up by Barb
Saunders, Ruth Archer and Rick Seymour who will head on to Christina
Lake. Erin Bartlett will be the final water carrier, on horseback
to Cascade Cove for the reception at the lake. The Relay will
be spending the night at Christina Lake before they head over
the Dewdney Trail and on to Rossland. Everyone is invited to come
out for an evening of fun and celebration at a barbeque at Cascade
Cove Campground starting at 6:00pm on Thursday. Bob Dupis, Ron
Little, Devin Lang and Gary Wilson will be carrying the water
on Friday past Christina Lake.
More Rails More Trails
By Dave Brummet
The other day while cycling up the section of the Trans Canada
Trail from Grand Forks to Eholt I was pleased to see that some
local residents have done some clearing and raking of the trail
adjacent to their property.
Hats off to the Eagle Rd. residents, and any others,
that have put their time into this project! A few km later near
the old Fisherman station, some slides have been cleared and the
railbed regraded. The upcoming Relay 2000 has brought a lot of
attention to the old railway corridor that passes through the
Boundary Area.
The rail beds, averaging a nice 2% gradient,
makes it perfect for cycling although a multitude of outdoor activities
like hiking, horseback riding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing
can also enjoy these special areas.
There are also a number of other abandoned railways to enjoy in
this area that are worth mentioning. The largest of them is the
array of CPR and GN trackage that once serviced the city of Phoenix
and the numerous mines around Eholt. The best access is by the
Phoenix Ski Hill Rd., off of Hwy 3, or the Greenwood St./ Lind
Creek
Rd. in downtown Greenwood. There is
an excellent guide map available from either the Grand Forks or
Greenwood Museum
entitled “Phoenix Forest and History Trail.” It breaks
the trails down into seven segments and gives distance and accessibility.
There is a lot of interesting mining history and nature information
in the pamphlet, as well. Another railbed that is part of this
old system has been bisected by the construction of the main highway.
Now it must be accessed by the Thimble Mountain trail system that
is on the other side of the highway about 2km north of the Ski
hill turn-off . After the sign at the parking lot take a left
and follow along the highway 1km till you meet up with the BC
Mine Rd., which used to be the railway. This carries on up the
hill for about 4 km to the abandoned mine. The trail turns into
an old forestry rd. and continues on up to the Thimble Mtn Lookout.
In Grand Forks sections of the North Fork Rd. are built upon a
piece of railway history. Once part of the Kettle Valley Railway,
this line served the town of Niagara and went as far as Archibald
(Lynch Creek). This is a good cycle trip although you will have
the added element of automobile traffic to share the road with.
The main Trans Canada Trail is also accessed off of the North
Fork Rd., just past the Hardy Mountain Rd. turn-off. This is one
of the most frequented of the railbeds and probably the most rewarding
with two tunnels and great views of the Granby river valley. A
little closer to town, you will find a piece of old GN trackage
off of Reservoir Rd. You can travel either east or west for a
few kilometers before having to turn around. Privately owned lands
prohibit further passage so be respectful of any signage you come
across.
Right in Grand Forks there is access to a short portion that starts
from the highway by Donaldson Dr. to the old river bridge by the
mill. Primarily used by pedestrians it is a nice walk to take
on a warm evening. East of Grand Forks another section of the
Trans Canada Trail will take you to Christina Lake, then on to
Castlegar. The Christina to Castlegar section leads into some
remote backcountry and there are not a lot of access points to
this part of the system making it a trip for the more experienced
adventurer. It is, however, a very rewarding ride with some spectacular
views of Christina and Arrow Lakes. For maps and more information,
you can contact the Boundary Forest District, the Grand Forks
Boundary Museum or the Greenwood Museum.
“Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway” by Dan and Sandra
Langford is a good book to get regarding the railways in this
and other areas.
The goods and gear then
and now for the Trail ahead
As today’s Canadians take to the Trail in ever more sophisticated
and technological hiking gear and supplies, it’s worth a look
back to see what our Native Roots forefathers struggled with as
they took earlier paths into our untamed wilderness. In those
days they were out to make a fortune in Canada, not to see its
natural riches.In the way of supplies, here’s what it took to
take on the Chilkoot Trail in 1898, according to the McDonald
and Secord Outfit List for clothing and food.
100 lbs. navy beans,150 lbs. bacon, 400 lbs. flour, 40 lbs. rolled
oats,20 lbs. corn meal, 10 lbs. rice, 25 lbs. sugar, 10 lbs. tea
, 20 lbs. coffee, 10 lbs. baking powder, 20 lbs. salt,1 lb. pepper,
2lbs. baking soda, 1/2 lb. mustard, 1/4 lb. vinegar, condensed
milk, 20 lbs. evaporated, potatoes, 5 lbs. evaporated onions,
6 tins- 4 oz. extract beef, 75 lbs. evaporated fruits, 4 pkgs.
yeast cakes, 1/2 lb. ginger, 1 lb. citric acid, 2 bottles Jamaica
ginger
1 waterproof blanket, 1 pair unlined leather gloves, 1 dozen bandana
handkerchiefs, 2 suits heavy knit underwear, 6 pair of wool socks,
1 pair heavy moccasins, 2 pair German stockings, 1 heavy woollen
sweater, 2 heavy flannel overshirts, 1 pair of overalls, 2 pair
12-lb. blankets, 1 stiff brim cowboy hat, 1 pair hip rubber boots,
1 pair prospector’s high land, boots, 1 Mackinaw, coat, pants,
shirt, 1 pair heavy buck mitts, 1 duck coat, pants, vest, 6 towels,
buttons, needles and thread, comb, mirror, 1 pocket matchbox,
toothbrush etc. mosquito netting, 1 dunnage bag, 20 lbs. candles,
1 sleeping bag, medicine chest, 1 pkg. tin matches, pack saddles,
complete horses, 6 lbs. laundry soap, 6 cakes borax, 25 lbs. hard
tack, That’s sturdy stuff for hardy men, but let’s make, provisions
to also salute horses – those hoofed heroes who nayed and brayed
their way along the early trails of Canada hauling most of the
supplies.
In 1998, the supplies for hiking the Chilkoot Trail can all fit
into one backpack. The horse would come along just for the ride.
Here’s the list. Tent, binoculars, sleeping bag, camera &
film, sleeping pad, journal or novel, warm-layered clothing, trail
book, broken-in hiking boots, personal toiletries, rain/snow gear,
first aid kit, quick-cooking nutritious food, bug repellent, energy
bars/chocolate, camp stove, pots & pans, cutlery.
1898 and 1998 supply list from “Returning to Nature and the
Natural State:.
Midway River & Railway
Midway, a community of 700, on the banks of the Kettle River has
a lot to offer the exploring traveller.
Being at Mile 0 of the famous Kettle Valley Railway, the local
Museum located right on Highway #3, offers exhibits of interest
to both railway buffs and those curious of local history.
The Kettle River is renowned for its recreation uses. Whether
it’s by canoe or just floating on a tube, the Kettle is safe for
many kilometers around Midway.
If you are camping, there are shady, cool campsites right on the
bank of the river. Camping is inexpensive and clean water, flush
toilets and firewood is available. Tubes for floating the river
and canoes for a fun paddle are available. for use by campers.
The Kettle is also an excellent trout stream and is especially
good for fly fishing. Floating and fishing from a canoe is a great
way to spend a day.
The Kettle Valley Golf Course is located only ten minutes from
Midway. This is a challenging and inexpensive nine hole course
which is never too busy for a leisurely round.
For more information on activities, services and accommodations,
you can contact Steve Stewart at ph: (250) 449-2467, fax: (250)
445-6360 or e-mail: stevestewart@looksmart.com.
Postponed Nature Walk
The planned bicycle trip for children on the rail grade from Eholt
to Grand Forks was canceled due to the cold, rainy weather last
Friday. However, the trip has been rescheduled for the next Pro
D Day in May. Cycling on the rail grade is a lot of fun and can
be a perfect day’s adventure for families, especially the downhill
ride from Eholt to town. There are several access points to get
you onto the trail. For maps detailing these accesses and information
on the history of this section of the Trans Canada Trail, stop
by the Grand Forks recreation office.
If you plan on walking or cycling the grade on Thursday, April
27th you may meet some of the “official water carriers”
for the Relay 2000. They will be cycling, running and horseback
riding between Eholt and Grand Forks starting at about 11:00am
at Eholt and arriving downtown at City Hall at 1:45pm. Be sure
to join the party at “the Borsht Bowl” downtown at 2:00pm.
| Thanks for passing on the openminder recently.
I just got around to reading it on the weekend and wanted to
mention a couple of things and send you my recently created poster
of the Human Chain Event – which incidently 10 minutes ago a
person rang to ask me if they could quote it on K.B.S. The other thing was to say thanks for putting my dads poem in you paper, it was nice to see it. And actually I wrote a poem as a result of reading your article on the Trans Canada Trail Relay 2000 and today I gave it to the Human Chain event for persal, so thanks for the timely inspiration. If they ok it I’ll calligraph it and send you a copy. In human solidarity, Paul Bowles, Fruitvale. Thank you Paul for your gift. It is things like this, that make doing this publicaton worthwhile. (beside is a reproduction of the work of Paul Bowles. My copy is 8 1/2″ X 14″. |
HOW CHOCOLATE IS MADE
Chocolate is made from the seeds, or beans, of the tropical cacao
tree. The processing of the cacao seeds, better known as cocoa
beans, is complex. The beans grow inside leathery pods that are
found both on the trunk and on the branches of the tree. Workers
cut the pods from the tree trunks with large heavy knives called
machetes and from the branches with long-handled knives. The purple
or creamy-white beans are shelled from the pod, which is about
the size of a small cucumber.
At this stage the bean has a raw bitter taste. As the first step
in the long process of making appetizing chocolate, the beans
are piled in bins for several days. Bacterial action causes them
to take on a rich brown color and the fragrance of chocolate.
After several more days they become dry enough to prevent spoilage,
and they are bagged for shipment. When they arrive at the factory,
the beans are roasted in large rotating machines. This improves
the flavor still more and dries the shells of the beans so that
they can be easily removed in the next machine, the cracker and
fanner.
Here the beans are cracked, and fans blow away the brittle shells,
leaving the nibs, or meat. The nibs are the part used for making
chocolate products. The shells are saved for use in fertilizer
or as feed for cattle. About 50 percent of the nibs is made up
of a fatty substance known as cocoa butter.
In the next stage large grinding stones or heavy steel disks crush
the nibs, creating frictional heat that melts the butter. The
hard parts of the nibs are ground to powder. The result is a smooth,
dark-brown liquid known as chocolate liquor.
When poured into molds, the liquid hardens into cakes of unsweetened
chocolate, which are used in cooking. To produce cocoa powder
the warm liquor is pumped into a filter press. Pressure exerted
by a pump forces much of the cocoa butter, a yellow liquid, through
the pores of a strong filter cloth. The filter cloth holds back
a light brown cake of solid particles, which is then ground and
sifted to form cocoa powder.
Chocolate for eating is made by adding cocoa butter to chocolate
liquor. For sweet, or dark, chocolate finely powdered sugar is
added. For milk chocolate a third ingredient, milk, is included.
Various flavorings may also be added. These mixtures go through
a set of rollers that reduces them to a paste. Next, more machines
with heavy rollers knead the chocolate mass for periods ranging
from a few hours to several days. This process, called conching,
makes the rather gritty mixture very smooth. Varying the temperature
in the machines and the movement of the rollers produces variations
in flavor. Finally the chocolate is tempered, or heated to a high
temperature. This reduces the size of large fat crystals and gives
the chocolate a velvety quality. The chocolate is poured into
molds by automatic machinery.
Cocoa butter is sold separately for other purposes. When solid,
it is white and pleasant tasting. Baking firms may use it instead
of regular butter. It is also an ingredient of soaps and complexion
creams.
Mistranslations
+ In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you’ll
find they are best in the long run.
+ From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air
conditioner: Cooles and Heates: If you want just condition of
warm in your room, please control yourself.
+ Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance: – English well talking
/ Here speeching American
+ In a Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front
desk.
Easter
The greatest festival of the Christian church commemorates the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a movable feast; that is,
it is not always held on the same date. In AD 325 the church council
of Nicaea decided that it should be celebrated on the first Sunday
after the first full moon on or after the vernal equinox of March
21. Easter can come as early as March 22 or as late as April 25.
Connected with the observance of Easter are the 40-day penitential
season of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding at midnight
on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter Sunday. In many churches
Easter is preceded by a season of prayer, abstinence, and fasting.
This is observed in memory of the 40 days’ fast of Christ in the
desert. In Eastern Orthodox churches Lent is 50 days. In Western
Christendom Lent is observed for six weeks and four days.
Lent may be preceded by a carnival season. The origin of the word
carnival is probably from the Latin carne vale, meaning flesh
(meat), farewell. Elaborate pageants often close this season on
Shrove Tuesday, the day before the beginning of Lent. This day
is also called by its French name, Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).
Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, gets its name from the practice,
mainly in the Roman Catholic church, of putting ashes on the foreheads
of the faithful to remind them that man is but dust.
Palm Sunday, one week before Easter, celebrates the entry of Jesus
into Jerusalem. Holy Week begins on this day. Holy Thursday, or
Maundy Thursday, is in memory of the Last Supper of Christ with
his disciples. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion.
Many Easter customs come from the Old World. The white lily, the
symbol of the resurrection, is the special Easter flower. Rabbits
and colored eggs have come from pagan antiquity as symbols of
new life. The Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored
easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent
the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests
or given as gifts. Easter Monday egg rolling, a custom of European
origin, has become a tradition on the lawn of the White House
in Washington, D.C. During the Octave of Easter in early Christian
times, the newly baptized wore white garments, white being the
liturgical color of Easter and signifying light, purity, and joy.
The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess,
originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival
was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this
and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the
Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance
from Egypt. The word paschal comes from a Latin word that means
belonging to Passover or to Easter. Formerly, Easter and the Passover
were closely associated.
The resurrection of Jesus took place during the Passover. Christians
of the Eastern church initially celebrated both holidays together.
But the Passover can fall on any day of the week, and Christians
of the Western church preferred to celebrate Easter on Sunday
the day of the resurrection.
Tax tips
If you do not need your charitable donations to reduce your taxable
income for the current year, they can be carried forward up to
5 years
Linen & Things Expanding
Gayle Kienas, long time resident of Grand Forks and a Director
for the Chamber of Commerce, was able to realize a dream of operating
her own store when she opened Linen & Things, on October 1/99.
Seven months later, and after knocking down an adjoining wall,
the store has more than doubled in size and is now open 6 days
a week.
The planning started about 3 years ago, first in finding something
that she enjoyed doing and at the same time would fill a unique
void in the local market place. Having been a seamstress for more
than 35 years, including traveling extensively throughout northern
B.C. creating period costumes for Diamond Tooth Gurty’s in Dawson
City, for Parks Canada in White Horse.
For 2 years Gayle had operated a bridal boutique out of her basement
before moving up town. Many Wedding gowns, Graduation gowns, and
Grand Forks Pageant gowns you might have seen locally are the
work of Gayle as well. Gayle’s portfolio does not stop there,
for on top of work that has been done for theatrical agents, locally
and out of town Gayle has her own line of leisure clothing, with
extra attention given to children’s clothing.
After being closed for five years due to back surgery, Gayle went
back to college, full time, to take a business administration
course, but still found it hard to get a job, so the independen
spirit in her, brought her to the Entrepreneurial course given
by the C.F.D.C. “I did a lot of planning, a lot of researching,
a lot of costing out, to see if it was viable.” says Gayle.
“The course was excellent for getting a good look at what
you are to expect, so that you don’t go into it blindly. You take
the steps to do a profile, figure out how much it will cost to
run, and have three month, six month projections, and before you
get bigger and better, reach those goals.”
“One of my secrets to success” Gayle explains “is
that I started out very small and paid up front for everything
and still, even though now that I am established, I have accounts
I try not to grow faster than my finances.”
Consignment sales help to fill the store with a variety of items,
without having to extend the finances in running the store.
Gayle is well aware of the help that she has had in bringing her
dream to reality and extends many thanks to all her customers
and special thanks to Gloria and Len Welder, Anne and Pete Kostinoff,
Yvonne Copland.
Come in, browse,
and say hello to Gayle
of Linen & Things!
Technology for country
folk
+ Log On: makin’ a wood stove hotter.
+ Log Off: don’t add no more wood.
+ Monitor: keepin’ an eye on the wood stove.
+ Download: gettin’ the farwood off the truck.
+ Mega Hertz: when yer not kerful gettin’ the farwood.
+ Floppy disc: watcha git from trying to carry too much farwood.
+ Ram: that thar thing whut splits the farwood.
+ Hard Drive: gettin’ home in the winter time.
+ Prompt: whut the mail ain’t in the winter time.
+ Windows: whut to shut when its cold outside.
+ Screen: whut to shut wen its black fly season.
+ Byte: whut them dang flys do.
+ Chip: munchies fer the TV.
+ Micro chip: whuts in the bottom of the munchie bag.
+ Modem: whutcha did to them hay fields.
+ Dot Matrix: Old Dan Matrix’s wife.
+ Lap Top: whar the kitty sleeps.
+ Keyboard: whar ya hang the dang keys.
+ Software: them dang plastic forks and knives.
+ Mainframe: holds up the barn roof.
+ Random Access Memory: when ya cain’t member whut ya paid fer
the rifle when yore wife asks.
+ Mouse Pad: that there hippie talk fer the rat hole.
Dalai Lama – Instructions
for life
+ Take into account that great love and great achievements involve
great risk
+ When you lose, don’t lose the lesson
+ Follow the three Rs: Respect for self – Respect for others and
– Responsibility for all your actions.
+ Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful
stroke of luck.
+ Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
+ Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
+ When you realise you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps
to correct it.
+ Spend some time alone every day.
+ Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
+ Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer
+ Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think
back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
+ A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your
life.
+ In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current
situation. Don’t bring up the past.
+ Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
+ Be gentle with the earth.
+ Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
+ Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love
for each other exceeds your need for each other
+ Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get
it.
+ Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
|
The OpenMinders roving photographer will be taking pictures
of our local citizenry doing their part in keeping the Boundary
Area beautiful. Hello from Wayne Kopan, who has been with the City of Grand Forks for almost 16 years was busy this day power washing buildings in City Park. Little things like this go unnoticed, but help to keep our area attractive to visit and live in. |
Editors Bloopers
In the TC Trail story in issue #2-6, Paul Lautard was said to
be 76. Well, even more remarkable is that he is 77, and will be
78 in September. Also the nail factory mentioned as their production
was 2 tonnes a day, it was 200 tonnes a day. Sorry Paul.
In the previous issue, #2-7 in the story about the airport, one
reader said the first airport was not located where the paper
said it was, and later that day another reader phoned and said
that there was 3 locations for the Grand Forks Airport and that
I mentioned only 2.
Thank you for your input and I will be researching the airport
history and will try to have it ready to print in the next issue.
Brian McAndrew
Publisher/Editor.