Crank

Easter weekend. The tourists and second home owners from Alberta are running amuck. CBC says money is tight, the US is going to swallow us up whole, but you wouldn’t know it looking at these folks.

The Flickers and Starlings are fighting over the holes in trees to build nests. The Ospreys are back working on their home beside our old house. They seem to be the only commuting second home owners I have any use for. A Bald Eagle is perched over the river below the bridge an eye out for easy prey. They better do it quick before the river is covered in white bloated tourists.

***

The town as we turn into a small city stinks. The sewage lagoons are not working again, the bacteria having died. A common problem as we outgrow our infrastructure. The sewage will get flushed into Toby Creek that will soon start to back up into Lake Windermere. Invermere officials thinking it is long gone flowing downstream once in the creek, while they allocate funds to grow business and entice more second home and short term rental investment. I haven’t met one small town politician who didn’t think it is money that makes the world go round.

***

The US Whitehouse continues to implement and sustain tariffs. It is difficult to know their reasons, they say it is to bring manufacturing back to it’s home soil. But what if it does what economists say it will and make everything too expensive to buy? Would that be such a bad thing. I think our appetites could use being curbed. That is probable not the intention of the US. Sooner or later though we are going to have to slow consumption. Fill these big second homes, that are only lived in a couple months a year, with people who need housing. Wouldn’t that be something.

***

Canada is in the throes of a federal election. In our riding it will be an easy lay up for the incumbent, Rob Morrison of the Conservative Party. Mr. Morrison was parachuted into the riding in 2019 to challenge the hapless NDP candidate, Wayne Stetski a true dullard. It has been a lucrative and easy position for Mr. Morrison. One that he can keep doing for as long as he chooses.

The Conservative Party of Canada, under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre, looked like it would hop, skip and jump over the listless Trudeau into power. But not so fast, with the US in the state it is. All of a sudden conservatism doesn’t look as sweet to Canadians.

The CBC is firmly behind The Liberals and Mark Carney. So much for impartiality in media. And why not, their bloated budget is on the line as Mr. Poilievre threatens to cut their funding if elected. The CBC is fighting for their life even if it means getting behind Mr. Carney, a high minded banker who has never garnered one vote from the Canadian electorate.

The theme is we need someone to stand up to Donald Trump in the Whitehouse and their desire to make Canada the 51st state. Something first said, as a barb to Trudeau, that didn’t even dignify a response has now become our main election issue, ramped up by social and mainstream media.

It is with this in mind that Poilievre and Carney are offered up as saviours. Like most politicians, two guys I wouldn’t trust to lead me across the street.

***

Behind Swansea, down on the creek, the rain kept up. A few buntings topped the trees. Deadfalls snapped half way up blocked Novembers once clear path. My pant legs soaked through keeping up with Willow.

Breezy

A couple of uprooted fir trees at The Springs Golf Course in Radium Hot Springs.

Last Friday we had a severe wind storm. A nearby weather station clocked the winds at over 200km/hr, which is unheard of in this area. The mountains usually protect us from high winds. Not this time.

The storm was accompanied by rain and lightning. There were shingles flying off roofs, billboards knocked over, moored motor boats swamped and sunk (I guess it wasn’t all bad), trees uprooted, buildings damaged; basically shit scattered from asshole to tea kettle, everywhere, in every direction.

Luckily, as far as I know, no injuries were reported.

Power was knocked out throughout the valley. Most was restored within 12 hours, however BC Hydro is still working to get power to some areas.

We were lucky. Only a few branches to pick up around our place. Work was a different story, plenty to clean up there.

A funny story that reminded me of my Mom. Two young women, Bex and Molly, from the UK that I work with were surprised at how fast the storm hit.

Bex saw the lights flicker and said, ‘Molly get the kettle on!’ They didn’t want the power to go off in the middle of a bad storm without being able to make a cup of tea. The kettle boiled just in time before the power went off for the duration.

My Mother was the same way. No matter what was about to hit a cup of tea seemed to make things a little better.

I sure hope this kind of weather doesn’t become part of our new normal.

severing

This morning’s ever reliable moon going down after a long night over the District of Invermere.

Interesting article in last weeks local newspaper. The District of Invermere and its Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) have ‘departed’.

Departed is an interesting choice of words. There is only two ways to depart a job; the CAO either quit or was fired. So which is it? As usual when it comes to local politics, no one is talking.

Since the District’s CAO is generally considered the leader of the ship and often the highest paid employee of the District one could argue citizens have a right to know. That doesn’t mean they get to know every detail, but they are entitled to a few answers, certainly more than offered.

Not specified in the article, but I was able to find out, was that the former CAO was paid severance. How much and why is covered by a non-disclosure agreement. There goes the citizens right to know.

I knew something was up when our Mayor was unable to be reached for comment for the newspaper article. Our Mayor revels in the sound of his own voice, and can be relied on, if for nothing else, to comment on all subjects whether he knows anything about them or not, which is more often the latter. The subject does have to be in his interest, however.

The District has a history of hiring some turkeys over the years that have cost the taxpayers dearly. To rid themselves, a handsome severance packages is often part of the cost.

I remember spending a trip to Cranbrook, an hour and a half drive away, with a former Director of Public Works for the District. By the time we were ten minutes out of town I knew the guy was full of shit and useless as tits on a bull. Yet somehow, he was apparently interviewed by numerous people and hired by the District, who then suffered through his employ for longer than they should have. He was finally given a generous severance package so they could ‘depart’ ways. Probably the best money the District spent on this employee.

Funny enough this man landed in another government position where he has been a thorn in their side ever since. Proof that government is a holding pen for many of the worst workers in Canada.

The point is, the District of Invermere and all government should be extra careful in their hiring practices as it is the taxpayer that shoulders the cost of enduring, and often ridding themselves of the ineptly acquired baggage.

This and That

The local newspaper reported the current School District 6 (Rocky Mountain) Superintendent has left their position. In usual School District fashion the reason for leaving or if severance was paid was not disclosed.

The local School District has operated behind closed doors with very little public access to information for many years now. In the past, information on use of pesticides on school grounds, wage hikes for administration staff, staffing issues, school space inadequacies and allegations of abuse have always been restricted regardless of the public’s interest and right to know.

Of course it doesn’t help that local media has become bare-boned and unable to pursue and report on these issues. The days of strong local journalism is long gone. . . Replaced by Facebook. . . Lord help us!

***

CBC reported on a study done by the RCMP examining coming threats that could affect policing. They included world affairs such as wars, environmental issues, economy, political polarization and extremist movements. The report painted a bleak future to say the least.

It made me think how, in our small community, how unprepared we are for these coming obstacles.

I don’t believe we will be helped by local government. Unless it involves development or tourism they are uninterested. Environment, homelessness, climate change and health and welfare of common citizens are not exactly their strong suit.

It is difficult to forget during the height of the Covid pandemic, when federal and provincial medical officials were recommending not to travel, our small town officials went on Alberta media telling tourists the Columbia Valley was open for business and to come and visit.

It was that kind of thinking that resulted in many low paid service employees getting sick, including fifteen people who I knew personally. Some of them got sicker than others. Luckily everyone got through it, but the severity of Covid was not known at the time. It was dangerous for our politicians to ignore the best scientific advice at the time to assure cash registers kept ringing.

It makes me think that it will be up to the citizenship to band together in the future to fight coming threats mentioned in the RCMP report. It may not be possible to rely on government and certainly not local government.

I believe the larger the government the less effect it has on our lives. For instance, our Federal MLA is a man who has rarely, if ever, stepped foot in Invermere. He is a long time party back bencher, and for all intents and purposes ineffectual and all but invisible to his constituents. He certainly doesn’t dictate policy that influences lives in his riding.

Our Provincial MLA is much the same. However, we do see him more often and he can bring forward concerns in the Provincial House. Still, his ability to change anything is limited at best and nonexistent at worst.

But our local governments, Mayors and council members can make a big difference, good and bad, to the lives of the people they are said to serve. It is interesting to note these members, although paid well, are paid substantially less than their Federal and Provincial counterparts. Regardless, they are often awarded in other ways due to their control of local policy, thus you often see wealthy businessmen such as realtors, business owners and developers in these positions.

I think history has shown, one can’t depend on politicians, regardless of stripe or office, to do the right thing for the majority of people. The best we can hope is that what is good for them is also good for the majority. Most of the time it is.

Who knows what the future holds.

Mt Nelson Place

Mt. Nelson Place is a 24/7 staffed residential home for adults with developmental disabilities. Lisa and I have known many of the residents since we were youngsters. My Mother Isabelle was on the board that used to manage the facility many years ago.

We had not met Ed before. He turned out to be quite a joker. He was also a fan of hockey. His favourite teams are The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.

Over the years, Lisa and I have been asked to take pictures of the people who live at Mt. Nelson Place.

Lisa and Edith worked together for several years at the bakery. They had a good laugh talking about how they didn’t miss it.

The residents are kind, gentle people. It is an exciting day for them with a beautician coming to their home to do their hair and get them ready for the portraits.

Edith is a long time resident. She enjoyed getting ready and was happy to pose for Lisa.

Lisa is exceptional at taking portraits, because she connects with people and makes them feel comfortable. She was the same when we used to photograph weddings and family events. I was always the 2nd shooter and my job was easy as the subjects were always at ease due to Lisa’s banter.

Jarett enjoyed getting out in the fresh fall air.

Isabelle, was also a wonderful photographer and she also had the knack of gaining people’s trust. So important when taking portraits.

Although we didn’t know Marlene when we started to take her photo, we became fast friends with this lovely lady over the course of the session.

The portraits of the residents will be sent to family and friends all over Canada and beyond. It is nice to be able to be part of this special project and always an honour to take photos of these wonderful people.

Lorie found it a little chilly outside, but had plenty of smiles. This is a photo captured while she waited for the other residents to join her for a group photo.

Crazy

Been keeping up with long walks after work. It is easing my mind in a crazy world. Good dorg Willow has also been enjoying it.

***

District of Invermere, Councillor Gerry Taft has taken a leave of absence due to a recent mental health issue. He has been very forthcoming with his recent struggle, posting on Facebook, possibly to the detriment of his reputation, and granting an interview with The Columbia Valley Pioneer Newspaper. The article can be found here.

Gerry has been steady as a rock in local politics and as a businessman for many years. He served three terms as mayor. I have never asked him a question that he hasn’t answered, unlike many of the small town politicians that inhabit the local council chamber.

He has been a successful businessman running several businesses. He has had to give up his real estate licence, which I find funny, as a real estate licence is a licence to lie, cheat and steal, but apparently you must be sane to do so.

Gerry is however continuing to work on his latest project, transforming a downtown, historic, but dilapidated building into a small modern mini mall to house several unique businesses. I was impressed when he gave me a tour a few days ago.

I haven’t always agreed with his position on local political issues, but have always respected his opinion and the way he puts his ideas forward. He will be missed on Council by the citizens of Invermere for the stability he brought to the young inexperienced Councillors and the current ineffectual Mayor.

Hopefully, this is a bump on the road for Gerry and he will be back to full strength quickly. Knowing Gerry he will use this ‘break’ to reach greater heights and share his knowledge to benefit his community.

***

It is surprising to me that even more people don’t experience mental health issues considering the state of the world, country and community, exacerbated by social and news media that fosters incertitude in what should be the best time of human history.

Weed

Good to be up a little later. Tomorrow will be the first day in a very long time I won’t have to get up for work at 4:30am.

No bugs to speak of. The garden is hanging in there without a sign of frost. Tomorrow I will have to pick a few flats of tomatoes.

Plenty has been neglected. Wood needs piling. Photos need editing. The yard and garden needs sorting.

Bought a small axe, wooden handle, short at 28″. It kept slipping out of my hand as I am used to a three and a half foot handle. An axe with a wooden handle that long is hard to find and expensive, but worth it. If I ever win the lottery I am going to have bunch of axes, fancy ones, made in Sweden and Germany, and split wood just for fun.

A couple pictures of colourful cannabis flowers. It is coming good and needs to be harvested before frost.

The tomatoes are in the same boat. Same as the spuds.

Tomorrow is a day off. With luck I’ll get some work done.

Late July

Woke up about 3:30. The bedroom smelled like smoke so bad I got up and went outside to make sure nothing was on fire. The moon was orange in the west. Everything was okay. Thats the way it is. A few fires burning close by. Nothing threatening.

***

Fire fighters are up from the United States to help fight the fires. They drive army style trucks with the name of their squad on the side. Forest fire fighters are called Hot Shots in the US. They must be contracted by the BC or Federal government to help out and we could use all the help we can get. I am sure every local citizen is grateful for their service.

I looked up two of the firefighter crews, they were from Idaho and California. Hopefully those areas won’t be short if fires break out there.

***

Invermere’s Mayor dusted off his Covid Speech, tooling it to the wildfires, welcoming ‘Our Alberta Friends’ to the community, regardless of impending threats.

https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/invermere-mayor-welcomes-tourists-despite-two-nearby-wildfires

Agreed, things are not as bad as they can get, so why let a little thing like smoke, flames and breathing clean air deter tourists from spending money in the valley grocery, galleries, cafes and hardware stores.

A reminder our politicians are clowns, concerned about they and their friends monetary interests instead of doing the right thing for people and the environment.

Not surprising. We should be used to it by now.

***

The kids came over today and helped in the garden, picking veggies and filling their baskets with peas, giving the old wrinkled ones to Willow or Grandpa.

***

Plenty of wasp nests this year to be dealt with at the resort and home. Tomorrow morning when it is chilly and they are docile I will try to move them. Almost impossible when they are protecting combs and laying eggs. Most will end up dead. Unfortunate, if it was up to me, we would mind them, knowing we will get stung occasionally as the price of sharing. We have become intolerant of the natural word, considering even ants and some plants a nuisance.

***

The next five or six weeks will be busy. I have started working 7 days a week. Saturday and Sunday should be shorter days. The overtime will come in handy in a tourist hotspot where prices continue to increase. Not that we are complaining it is the same everywhere.

***

The winds are up. The trees are swaying one way and the clouds are going another. Never good when the bush is on fire.

***

I wrote the above last night but didn’t publish it. I thought I may have been too judgmental of the Mayor of Invermere and wanted to think about it overnight. I did soften it a little, even taking out the word ‘shill’.

When I arrived at work this morning the staff parking area was filled with two large trucks pulling wake boats. They were from Alberta. The word staff used to describe them was entitled.

The outside pool and hot tubs had a skim of ash and burnt needles floating on the surface. Things can get worse, no matter how hard we look on the bright side.

summer

A wind storm blew through this evening. Rain was forecast. It never transpired. The wind sucked the moisture from the ground, drying the grasses and trees.

Campfires have been banned across BC as the back country dries.

Dry winds in the valley have been commonplace for many years now as the climate warms.

This year saw an abundance of grasshoppers, supposedly, due to dry conditions.

Forest fire season is just getting going.

***

The Canadian government’s stance is; we must adapt, and ultimately buy our way out of climate change. We must switch to expensive, inefficient electric vehicles and solar electricity. The more people change the cheaper and more efficient they will become we are told. It sounds like a con in light of all the many things we could do right now to cut emissions. Unfortunately the cuts would only hurt the wealthy and that is not acceptable.

***

The changes we are told we must make, electric cars, solar panels, etc. will also mostly benefit the wealthy who own the companies ready to provide these products. It is our only salvation we our told by government and media, so get on board!

***

Meanwhile, on my little spot on earth, the government and business community, cater to second home owners. Homes only occupied for a small time of the year. BNB’s that put working people out of housing in favour of vacationers. Vacationers polluting with recreation vehicles such as boats that sully Lake Windermere and its shores, dead anyway from second homes. Canada welcomes tourists by the millions coming on planes and automobiles. Can there be a bigger excess of emissions than the well off and rich recreating?

***

You will never hear a word from government or even staunch environmentalists, who make up a good portion of carbon emitting recreationists about this. Instead the mantra is we must buy electric cars. It will save and absolve us. We can buy our way out of this, giving our money to those same wealthy second home owners and recreationists who own the companies who provide the ‘solution’.

***

We have a McDonalds in town now. It’s just been built and opened. People love it. It’s like we have come of age. On one side of it, is Lordco Auto Parts store, on the other side will be a new gas station. It is a development built by Brett Wilson, Canadian investment banker and former panelist on the TV show Dragons’ Den.

I stopped at McDonalds on the way to work the other day. The drive through was two lanes and freshly paved. I was the only one in line. I ordered a breakfast sandwich and coffee. They took my money and gave me coffee and told me to wait in stall two where they would bring out my sandwich. I idled for 10 minutes, burning fuel, wondering where the next gasstation was, before figuring they forgot about me, risk being late for work, l left with my $9 coffee.

I shouldn’t have been there in the first place and it taught me a lesson. Brett Wilson reminded me hucksters are alive and well.

***

The climate is changing. I see it. If it is man made, as media and government say, and why take the chance it isn’t, there is plenty we could do right now to make a difference. But we don’t. I do know, beware of grifters saying it will be okay as long as you purchase the remedy.

Mid June

A good spell of rain put the grasshoppers on pause. The buggers got all of the carrots, beets and some of the lettuce.

***

Skipped town early for the bush. Lisa and I fell a dead fir. Willow and Lola ran around while we knocked off branches and bucked it up.

***

Cormac McCarthy passed away this past week. He wrote many good books. Suttree, No Country for Old Men, The Road, Blood Meridian and others.

When I read Child of God, I wondered how he could write it. How did someone, a loved one, tell him, you can’t write that.

It is in that space where conscience and violence takes hold, deep down, where truth dwells. Cormac McCarthy had a seat next to this other world and reported back in prose that could stun.

When I broke my leg I was higher than hell on morphine awaiting an operation. My sister Wynanne gave me a copy of All the Pretty Horses.

I read and reread until I could say it in a slurred voice:

They rode out along the fenceline and across the open pastureland. The leather creaked in the morning cold. They pushed the horses into a lope. The lights fell away behind them. They rode out on the high prairie where they slowed the horses to a walk and the stars swarmed around them out of the blackness. They heard somewhere in that tenantless night a bell that tolled and ceased where no bell was and they rode out on the round dais of the earth which alone was dark and no light to it and which carried their figures and bore them up into the swarming stars so that they rode not under but among them and they rode at once jaunty and circumspect, like thieves newly loosed in that dark electric, like young thieves in a glowing orchard, loosely jacketed against the cold and ten thousand worlds for the choosing.

***

I rarely get angry anymore. I’ve paid dearly for things I’ve said, but I stand by them all.

Recently my name came up at a District of Invermere (DOI) council meeting. Somebody had left an anonymous message in a Facebook post criticizing the Mayor and Council. They attributed it to me without proof.

It is true I have been critical of DOI council and the mayor on this blog. My name and email is beside everything I say. I give reasons for my criticism.

I despise anonymous comments and the people who leave them. They are seen everywhere on news sites. My feeling is, if you have something to say you put your name to it.

When I heard Mayor, Council and DOI staff were attributing critical anonymous comments to me I was pissed off.

I had a talk with one of the Councillors today. Of course getting to the bottom of who said what is like herding cats. The more I tried to shake him the further down his tongue went.

***

The hot weather is picking up speed. It will be winter before long and the wood will come in handy.

Palliser Pass

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