Stories, Excerpts, Backroads
Bad weather with no chance to see Comet Lemmon again.
The garlic is in the ground. Four rows, I hope they come up in the spring. You can never be sure.
Very strange year, weather and otherwise!
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It would be great to have Dougie Ford and Wab Kinew running the show. This ad sure got under the skin of the Whitehouse. I know we are going to have to back down, but it was fun while it lasted.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
The United States decided to throw the North American Free Trade Agreement out the window and impose tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods.
This could mean interesting and hard times ahead. The Canadian economy is very dependent on selling to the United States. Consider this a wake up call for Canada to expand its customer base. The question will be if we as citizens are prepared for the economic pain that may mean. We have had all our eggs in one basket for a long time.
It also may be advantageous for Canada to expand it’s own manufacturing of products. Something we have always been poor at, instead happy to export raw resources elsewhere to be processed.
Regardless, nothing is going to happen overnight, except, of course, the tariffs.
The Whitehouse says the tariffs are necessary in Canada due to fentanyl and people entering the United States through the northern border. Although the problem is minuscule compared to the southern border it doesn’t mean we can’t do better, and we will and have put in measures to do so.
The underlining truth is the White House may see tariffs as a way to pay down their massive deficit. Fentanyl and people entering the United States illegally probably has nothing to do with implementing tariffs. Just as weapons of mass destruction had nothing to do with Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld justifying invading Iraq.
Canadians may have to exercise our own, often understated yet proven, resilience and patriotism to weather the coming storm.
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AND speaking of the weather! Our mild winter continues. A bit of blowing snow. Swans in the wetlands seem early to arrive, maybe they are holdouts. The clouds continue to push down. It would be nice to see some blue sky this season.
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.
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!
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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.
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.
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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.
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Invermere’s Mayor dusted off his Covid Speech, tooling it to the wildfires, welcoming ‘Our Alberta Friends’ to the community, regardless of impending threats.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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The winds are up. The trees are swaying one way and the clouds are going another. Never good when the bush is on fire.
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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.
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the District of Invermere (DOI) continued water woes. The water continues to be dirty intermittently, along with this, now DOI is having sewer trouble.
The smell of sewage, especially in the morning, fills the air concerning citizens and District officials.
The waste water lagoons are located in Athalmer beside Toby creek. The water is treated through a series of ponds and then seeps or is discharged into the creek. The water is continually tested at the discharge end to assure it is pure enough not to be harmful to the environment once discharged. This is the way most systems work, waste water is eventually returned to the ecosystem. Done right it works.
When sewage ponds start smelling it means the system is not working. Often it is because the micro organisms that purify the sewage have died. There could be plenty of reasons for this. It could be lack of oxygen. If you have ever seen a sewage lagoon you may have noticed a bubbling in the middle, almost like a fountain. That is a pump oxygenating the water for the bugs.
Of course there are other reasons why a system may stop working. DOI’s response is that the weather has changed and too many people are flushing sanitary wipes, designed to kill germs that are also killing the micro organisms in the wastewater ponds.
This explanation could be true. The result is an awful smell that is getting the attention and ire of residents. However a larger problem than smell may be happening. The waste water currently may not be treated and it is ending up in Toby Creek. If that is not bad enough. During May and June, the creek, during high water, flows backwards into Lake Windermere.
As mentioned previously regarding the quality of the water, DOI has ignored infrastructure for a long time. Choosing instead to focus on tourism, bringing more people to the valley and supporting business interests. In short, acting more as a chamber of commerce than local government. Our current mayor is a past President of The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce and it sometimes seems he doesn’t know the difference between the two positions.
I can’t count the number of times I have been told by DOI officials we need more tourists and second home owners, because they are the ones paying for badly needed infrastructure upgrades. I remember a past Mayor of DOI, standing on my doorstop, telling me he cared less for the people living here and more for the people, they are enticing to the area, for that very reason.
That’s fine. I get it. More tax payers, more services. But it only works if that money is used to upgrade services. In DOI case the extra money has been used to buy land to support more tourism, get more boats on the lake, and promote Invermere as Calgary’s ‘back yard’ where anything goes.
So now water and sewer problems are becoming hard to ignore and that can only mean one thing, higher taxes. There is no problem or incompetence money can’t fix.
DOI council has poor leadership, but good minds in supportive rolls. That’s important, weak leadership can always be swayed to do the right thing with proper reinforcement. The trick is to remind leadership what is good for most people is also good for them.
It is time for DOI to stop catering to tourists, second home developments and business interests and start serving residents as promised.
Put some of the seedlings in bigger pots. They looked half dead and pissed off after I was finished, not much for starting plants inside.
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Twitter labeled CBC “government funded media”. Which made me laugh. Of course they are. Most of their funding comes from the government. It doesn’t necessarily make the CBC bad. True the broadcaster endorses the Liberal Party agenda. But so what? I take heed when Chrystia Freeland tells us to buckle down and Justin Trudeau says everything is going swimmingly. There isn’t a news agency out there that is reporting without an agenda. That’s the way it is now. If you are seeking the truth, listen to a lot of news. The bullshit will come through. Of course it will be fucking exhausting and will leave you crosseyed, bewildered and, more than likely, worse off. I’ll take CBC any day, sometimes you have to settle for the least of the worst.
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I think Orwell has me right. While the shit hits the fan. I am looking forward to tomorrow. I have a bunch of work to do. The work is going to make me happy, appliances fixed and running tickety boo. Grass mown. Looking good, for this time of year.
The body has been aching. I have the job of taking out 80 old mattresses and replacing with new. Some are up three flights of stairs. Most are king size. My main job, I keep reminding myself, is not getting hurt.
I am about half way there. I counted 40 in the underground.
About the only thing I have to offer an employer is my strength. Of course getting old is going to limit my worth. I don’t blame them. No big defined government pension awaits to soften the blow. That’s my own fault too!
I’ll hang in there as long as I can.
In the meantime the first beer tasted good. Give me another.
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I grew up with the sound of dogs barking and trains going by. It has been replaced with the rev of motor boats and car alarms. That does something to you.
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People walk by with dogs on leashes. They never bark. Not the dogs, not the people. Willow hates the leash and barks plenty. I let her. I think all the silent dogs scare her.
Socked in down below. We headed for higher ground. Lisa said, she hoped it wasn’t a harbinger to come. The valley bottom can close in on you. Sometimes the only way is to meet the blue halfway.
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The stores had bare shelves this weekend. The only things left were expensive. Sobeys had a two rib roast, about three pounds for $119. I often wonder who pays that or does that roast go to waste. It could be it is a long weekend and the tourists are out in force. Prices go up on long weekends. It was the same in all three grocery stores.
We keep food in the freezer for these occasions. Some shank meat, garlic, onions, beef broth and red wine makes for a good stew.
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Our national broadcaster, CBC, gives us news and entertainment, and also lets us know, or suggests how we should think and prepare. More than likely exceeding their mandate. Lately, there has been plenty of articles about belt tightening and preparing for the worst. If they are to believed, the economy is going to go in the shitter. Higher prices and interest rates, less medical, education and safety nets.
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Canadians, unlike Americans don’t blame our politicians. We concede it is world wide. Americans put up stickers of President Biden pointing at the increased price at the pumps with the caption, ‘I did that’.
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It is hard to know what will happen next. We are lucky to live at a time in history, that we don’t die of an ear or tooth infection at nine years old. We get to live to the oldest age in human history. Our warring has slowed. Technology has spared us from the fate of our ancestors. Yet we can only think about how bad things are for us. Plenty of people on this planet have reason to complain, but here, in Canada and the US, for the most part, we do not.
Palliser Pass 