No time like SNOW time! - Pacific Coastal Airlines

Transcription

In-flight Magazine for Pacific Coastal Airlines
No time like
SNOW time!
New ideas & innovations at BC ski hills
Powell River Airport
A vital community link
A Perfect Match
Linking BC First Nations
with business opportunities
Growth Potential
Campbell River targets diverse
economic development
opportunities
December 2012 / January 2013 | Volume 6 | Number 5
Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com • Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
Your BC Oceanfront Team
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Ed: 250.287.0011 • Shelley: 250.830.4435
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[email protected] & [email protected]
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Campbell River Oceanfront: Rare opportunity to
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Mist Island, Port Harvey: A 35.25-acre private,
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Winter Harbour Cabins: Premier fishing
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*oceanfront 2bdrm home with loft
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www.bcoceanfront.com
Soar
Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com • Great Choices for Recreational Use & Year-round Living • www.bcoceanfront.com
2
ED HANDJA Personal Real Estate Corporation & SHELLEY MCKAY
December 2012 • January 2013
Contents
Pacific Coastal Airlines’ Inflight Magazine
December 2012 / January 2013 | Volume 6 | Number 5
Features
Continental breakfast
Whirlpool & sauna
Free parking
6 Community Connections
Powell River airport brings big city link.
10 No time like SNow time
BC ski hills grow with new ideas & innovations.
Toll Free: 1-800-565-1144 Tel: 250-758-1144
4700 N. Island Highway (19A) Nanaimo, B.C. V9T 1W6
Text “Hotel” to 212121 or visit
www.innonlonglake.com/soar
17 Aboriginal Business match
Creating partnerships for business success.
20Set in Stone
Touring Trail’s historic rocks walls
and covered staircases.
Kitchenettes available
Pet friendly
High speed internet
Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton, Downtown Vancouver
22Easy Seasonal Shopping
Take a holiday trip to the big city.
25Secrets of the Legislature
Historical stories from the Capital.
26
Crafting a new
Campbell River
Economic development is driving
change in the Island city.
30
Q&A with Kevin Evans
Talking jobs and the BC economy
with the Industry Training
Authority CEO.
Departments
4Up Front
President’s Message; Flight Time; Meet a Pacific Coastal employee.
we love having you here.®
19 BC Business Roundup
News from around the province.
FREE Daily Hot Breakfast Buffet
28Datebook
Community events from
Pacific Coastal’s destinations.
FREE Downtown Drop-off Shuttle
FREE Wireless and High-Speed Internet Access
Cover: Skiing the forest peaks of coastal BC.
Photo: Paul Morrison photo courtesy Bella Coola
FREE Local Calls
Heli-Sports
Editor
Jennifer Blyth
[email protected]
Phone 250-381-3484
Fax 250-386-2624
Group Publisher
Penny Sakamoto
[email protected]
Graphic Design
Lily Chan
Kris Rogerson
Meeting Rooms, featuring Floor-to-Ceiling
Windows
Rooftop Fitness, Jacuzzi and Games Area
Published by
Black Press
818 Broughton Street,
Victoria, BC V8W 1E4
blackpress.ca
In-Room Microwave and Fridge
Aboriginal Rates!
Director, Advertising Sales
Oliver Sommer
[email protected]
SOAR magazine is published six times per year and is distributed on all Pacific Coastal Airlines flights. The points of view or
opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or Pacific Coastal
Airlines. The contents of SOAR magazine are protected by
copyright, including the designed advertising. Reproduction is
prohibited without written consent of the publisher.
A Member of the Hilton Family group of hotels
Ask about our meeting space and preferred
rates! Contact Aliya Bhatia, General Manager,
at 604 605 1455 or
[email protected]
111 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 2A8
Toll Free 1 877 602 1008 • www.hamptoninnvancouver.com
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES
3
President’s Message
Ready for your next adventure?
Quentin Smith
President,
Pacific Coastal Airlines
Tourism has always been an important
economic driver for the province. This point
was underscored in early November with the
government’s announcement of a new Crown
corporation dedicated to marketing BC’s rich
tourism resources called Destination BC.
Although much of the focus of this new entity
appears to be on the Asian market, which is
expected to grow exponentially over the next
decade, there are other leisure travel opportunities
to consider.
In recent years we have seen a substantial
growth in cultural and adventure tourism. This
trend is consistent across North America and
British Columbia has more to offer than any other
region on the continent.
With more than 65 destinations in BC and
a unique mix of regular schedule, charter and
seaplane service to some of the hottest travel spots
in the province, our airline is well-positioned to
take full advantage of these two emerging markets.
Get your Dream LAND…
We work closely with Aboriginal Tourism
British Columbia (AtBC), a non-profit
organization committed to growing and
promoting a sustainable, culturally rich
Aboriginal tourism industry, and we provide
vital transportation links to world-class outdoor
adventure destinations in BC.
We’re lucky to live in a part of the world that
provides us with such a wonderful variety of
things to do and places to see. Whether it’s ocean
kayaking off the rocky shores of Haida Gwaii,
carving new tracks through fresh powder in the
Coast Mountains, or landing the big one at a lodge
along the Sunshine Coast, we’re ready to take you
on your next adventure.
So tell me, what’s on your bucket list?
OUR CONTRIBUTORS
Susan Lundy is a freelance
writer, author and journalist,
who grew up in Victoria and
now shares her time between
Salt Spring Island and Calgary.
Alyn Edwards is a career
journalist, communications
consultant and, since
2003, a partner at Peak
Communicators.
at
Silver Spray
Susan Quinn is a veteran
Vancouver Island journalist
with more than two decades
of experience and a passion
for flying.
Oceanfront Estates
Just 45 minutes from Victoria
1-866-806-0982
Emma Levez Larocque is a
writer and photographer living
in beautiful Powell River. She
most recently published a book,
A Dream of Giants: The Story of
the Sunshine Coast Trail.
www.tarahearn.com
[email protected]
Phone: 250.384-7663
4
Soar
T
Flight Time
Lighting
‘Christmas tree’
a guide for pilots
By Susie Quinn
o a passenger flying into a major
airport at night for the first time,
runway lights often look just like
Christmas trees laid out on the pavement.
To pilots, though, these are called
precision approach runway lighting and
they are integral to a smooth landing.
Not just for show, the runway lights
are colour-coded hints for pilots. The
beginning of the runway is marked with
green lights, called threshold lights, while
the end of the runway is marked in red.
Because both ends of the runway are
used, the lights are green on one side, red
on the other.
White lights line each side of the
runway, showing pilots where the
pavement is. They also give them an
idea of how long the runway is because
the lights are spaced evenly at 60-metre
(200-foot) intervals. This is important
for taking off in inclement weather,
especially when the end of the runway is
not visible, because there are minimum
distances along a runway where pilots
need to be able to see to legally take off.
In precision approach lighting, there
are also white lights running up the
middle of the runway near the threshold,
guiding the pilot visually down the centre
of the runway into the touchdown zone.
From the other end, there are yellow
“caution” lights leading up to the red
lights at the end of a runway.
Lighting varies at each airport, but
generally is turned on between sundown
and sunup and when visibility is poor.
Did you know?
There are more than 5,000 lights
on the airfield at YVR, Vancouver’s
International Airport, and home base
for Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Meet a Pacific Coastal Employee
Name: Melissa Morden
Position: Health and Safety Officer
Time with Pacific Coastal: Five months
With a passion for promoting safety in
the workplace, Occupational Health and
Safety Officer Melissa Morden embraced
the opportunity to expand her skills when
joining Pacific Coastal Airlines this past
summer.
“I thought it would be an interesting
challenge,” says Morden, who also enjoys
the diversity of the job – and the locations
she gets to travel for it. “I really like the idea
that my job deals in many cases with remote
areas,” she explains.
Morden grew up in the Mission area,
where she still lives today, commuting to
Pacific Coastal’s Richmond base at the
Vancouver International Airport South
Terminal. When not on the job, she enjoys
family activities and gardening in addition
to pursuing further education to augment
her job knowledge and skills.
The family-based nature of the airline
has made joining Pacific Coastal an easy
transition.
“It’s so close-knit and everyone is so
ready to help everyone else,” she says.
“It’s great!”
5
powell river
Community airport brings
By Emma Levez Larocque
P
owell River’s relative isolation has long been a source of pride
for its residents. It requires that people here be somewhat
self-sufficient, and locals joke that the fact there is no road
connecting the Upper Sunshine Coast to the rest of the province
ensures that only the people who really want to be here are here.
However, the reality of the absence of a road makes access a big
issue in this community. There are two ways to get here: by water,
and by air. The airport has been a vital connection to the “rest of the
world” for many years.
“It’s all about accessibility,” says Scott Randolph, manager of the
Powell River Regional Economic Development Society. “There are
four flights a day between Powell River and Vancouver, and having
such a great service really helps to alleviate some of our access
concerns.”
Powell River’s small airport is well-used. The number of
passengers passing through the airport during 2012 will be close to
40,000 by the year’s end. That number surprises some in a region
with about half that population.
Tor Birtig is the Account Executive and former Airport Manager
for the City of Powell River. “The airport is a vital link to Powell
River for business, for medical, and for regular transportation
needs,” he says. “If a person is unable to travel by ferry, they have to
take a flight out…it’s an important link whether you’re travelling for
business or pleasure.”
Flying is a very affordable way to get to and from Powell River,
Powell River Airport manager Shawn Cator.
Emma Levez Larocque photo
when you consider the costs of time and money, Randolph says.
“Most people don’t realize that it’s actually quicker to get from
Powell River to downtown Vancouver than it is to get from
Coquitlam or Surrey to downtown Vancouver.” Indeed, a 30-minute
flight, and a 15-minute taxi cab ride will transport one from this
quiet coastal city to the centre of a bustling metropolis. With respect
to business development for the community, Randolph adds,
this easy and affordable access is critical to growth and forward
movement.
Despite the small size of Powell River’s airport, improvements
are always taking place to make things safer and more comfortable
for passengers – like a 2012 re-paving project, and a recent upgrade
to an indoor, heated baggage terminal. There are also less obvious
changes that help the airport run more smoothly.
One of the realities of living in a coastal community is fog –
especially in winter months. Two years ago the City of Powell River
put a Reduced Visibility Operations Plan (RVOP) in place to allow
planes to take off on days when fog is an issue.
“The RVOP increases the number of days in a year that Pacific
Coastal can get out of Powell River,” explains Transportation
Coordinator and current Airport Manager Shawn Cator. “Without
the RVOP they could only take off when the visibility was greater
than half a mile. With the RVOP in place, planes can take off when
the visibility is between a quarter mile and half a mile. RVOP
includes the procedures that city employees who are maintaining
the runway have to follow to ensure that they’re not out there when
visibility is low. We’ve implemented these procedures so Pacific
Coastal can take off during these times.”
Anyone who has been stuck in Powell River trying to get to a
business meeting, wedding or other important event can appreciate
the benefits of such a procedure. The RVOP does make a difference,
says Jeff Tillapaugh, Operations Manager for Pacific Coastal
Airlines.
“The RVOP helps us for the first flight of the day. It allows us
to depart when fog has settled in overnight. It probably makes a
difference a dozen times a year, allowing us to depart when we
would have had to delay before.”
Powell River’s airport is the perfect example of the old saying,
“bigger is not always better.” The airport is an important gateway to
this beautiful community – one that Tillapaugh says he loves to visit.
“It’s a great airport,” he says with a smile in his voice. “Powell River
is the heart of our company. That’s where we got our start – we love
going there.”
We thank
At the Gateway to
Desolation Sound
Pacific Coastal Airlines
for their continued support of our community.
• 31 RECENTLY RENOVATED GUEST ROOMS, PUB, RESTAURANT & DECKS
• BANQUET AND MEETING FACILITIES • FUEL DOCK AND BOAT LAUNCH
• GROCERY & LIQUOR STORE, DELI, LAUNDRY, POST OFFICE AND INTERNET
www.lundhotel.com • [email protected]
TF 1.866.569.3999 • PH. 604.414.0474
Located at the very top of Highway 101
Proud member of the Powell River Chamber of Commerce
6
604-485-4051 www.powellriverchamber.com
Soar
big city connections
Emma Levez Larocque photo
7
powell river
Winter looks
wonderful
Waterfront
Powell River’s
Specialist!
...at BC’s best-kept secret
POWELL
RIVER
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
604.483.1633 Call (anytime)
www.kathybowes.com
email: [email protected]
W
in Powell River
hile many fear winter and its entourage of snow and
cold weather, in Powell River visitors and residents
alike choose to celebrate the snowy season by enjoying
the many winter recreational opportunities available in region.
The Knuckleheads Recreation Area in the backcountry of
Powell River offers some of the best snowshoeing, cross-country
skiing, winter hiking and snowmobiling on the South Coast. The
elevation of the sub-alpine area of The Knuckleheads falls within
the Coastal Snowbelt where snowfall usually begins in November
and continues until May.
The area is largely on the north slope of the range and remains
sheltered from the sun. Snow can stay on the ground until as late
as June. Snow depth ranges from 10 feet to 16 feet around January.
Two cabins in the area, built by volunteers with funds from local
government, the Rotary Club, hiking groups and private donations,
are free to use. For more information, visit trailpeak.com/trailKnuckleheads-near-Powell-River-BC-1412
Winter diving is another popular activity in the region. With
rich sea life, natural and artificial reefs, sheer walls, shallow wrecks
and great underwater visibility that rivals Caribbean waters, Powell
River is one of the best places in the world to take a scuba diving
vacation. Famous ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau reportedly
rated Powell River’s diving as second only to the Red Sea in the
Waterfront dining on beautiful Powell Lake…
Where locals bring their guests
6233 Powell Place, Powell River, BC
Pub 604.483.3545 • Bistro 604.483.2001
www.shinglemill.ca • [email protected]
Proud member of the Powell River Chamber of Commerce
Interested
in a custom
promotion
for your
community?
Contact Soar Magazine
Oliver Sommer
Director of Advertising
250-480-3274
[email protected]
Located in the
Powell River Airport
604-485-4131 or 1-800-319-6919
7516B Duncan Street, Powell River, BC V8A 1W7
8
Soar
comox valley
Fred Bigelow of YQQ and Jen Alton of the Comox Valley Community Arts Council
pose with artists Sandra Lamb, Rick Janzen, Marilyn Peeters, Tracy Kobus, Brian
Argyle, Lisa Graham, Mary Donlan and Wes Seeley.
Comox Valley Airport launches
art and culture exhibition
Powell River’s clear winter waters
are popular with divers.
Photo Darren Robinson/Tourism Powell River
Middle East in terms of abundant, colourful marine life.
Giant octopus, wolf eels, rockfish, seals, sea lions and ship
wrecks, even a sunken bronzed mermaid, entice divers from
around the globe to return to Powell River’s waters time
and again. For more info on diving in Powell River, visit:
divepowellriver.com
If indoor activities are more your style, you can
always catch a Powell River Kings ice hockey game at the
Recreation Complex. Their fast-paced and creative on-ice
style has proven successful, as this exciting Junior A club has
been BCHL Coastal Conference champion for the last two
seasons. For more information, visit: powellriverkings.com
Powell River has a lot to offer all year-round. Learn more
at discoverpowellriver.com
To Get There
Pacific Coastal Airlines offers multiple daily flights
between Vancouver South Terminal and Powell River.
Visit www.pacificcoastal.com for more details.
Alicia Baas photo courtesy Tourism Powell River | Sunshine Coast Tourism
T
he Comox Valley Airport Commission and the Comox Valley
Community Arts Council are showcasing the work of 10 talented
artists as part of the 2012/2013 exhibition for the Art and Culture
Program at the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ).
Brian Argyle, Darren Bradley, Mary Donlan, Tracy Kobus, Lisa
Graham, Marilyn Peeters, Esther Sample, Sandra Lamb, Rick Janzen
and Wes Seeley will display artwork representative of the unique people,
places and environment of central and northern Vancouver Island.
“This year’s exhibition is an eclectic mix of photography, painting, ink
and sculpture that represents each artist’s personal view of this unique
part of the country,” said Dallas Stevenson, Executive Director of the
Comox Valley Community Arts Council. “We are so pleased to see the
program growing in popularity among the artistic community. The
number of quality submissions received for this year’s exhibition was
outstanding and it was difficult to choose just 10 artists for display.”
One of the most striking pieces to be found in the exhibition is a
10-foot-wide wooden eagle which can be seen hanging by cables from
the ceiling of the terminal building. The impressive piece was sculpted
by local artist Wes Seeley who spent more than 2,000 hours carving
the delicate features of the massive bird, including 1,000 hand crafted
feathers. Stevenson says the three dimensional piece made from fir, red,
yellow and aromatic cedar is a wonderful addition to this year’s display
and provides a great perspective on the local environment.
The Art and Culture Program is a partnership between the Comox
Valley Airport Commission and the Comox Valley Community Arts
Council. Artists participating in the program will have the opportunity to
have their work exposed to the more than 600,000 passengers and their
guests that move through the terminal building annually.
“YQQ values its unique perspective as the first point of entry for many
Vancouver Island tourists and we believe it is our responsibility to help
positively shape the first perceptions of those guests,” said Comox Valley
Airport CEO Fred Bigelow. “We believe this exhibition contributes to the
overall passenger experience in the terminal building, while allowing us
to support local artists in our community. We are pleased to be a partner
in such a positive program.”
The 2012/13 exhibition will run to July 1. Learn more about theartwork
and participating artists at www.comoxairport.com under Airport
Services/Art and Culture Program.
ski bc
Skiing fresh powder at Vancouver Island’s
Mt. Washington Alpine Resort.
There’s no time
like snow time
Photo courtesy Mt. Washington Alpine Resort
BC’s top ski destinations look forward to building on
last year’s success with new features and innovative ideas.
BY SUSAN QUINN
W
inter 2012-13 is shaping up to be a good year for ski
resorts in British Columbia, following on the heels of
last year’s successful snow season.
Last year, Western Canada out-performed the rest of North
America, leaving industry leaders “cautiously optimistic that we’ll
have another good season in 2012-13,” says David Lynn, president
and CEO of the Canada West Ski Areas Association.
Approximately half of Canada’s total skier visits occur in
Western Canada. These visits have grown significantly over the
past 30 years, averaging 4.1 million in the 1980s, 6.5 million in the
1990s and 8.4 million in the 2000s, Lynn says. Over the past 12
years, visits have leveled off, but western Canadian ski areas still
generate around $800 million in direct annual revenue, he noted.
“I think the product keeps getting better and better in terms of
what it offers skiers.”
Many resorts, like Mount Washington on Vancouver Island,
Seymour in the Lower Mainland and Red Mountain in the
Kootenays, are cycling back to the novice skier and snowboarder,
recognizing that a generation has grown up on the mountains and
now it’s time to teach a whole new set of snow sport enthusiasts.
Mount Washington did so last season with the opening of Easy
Acres, a revamped beginners’ ski terrain accessible by its new
10
covered Magic Carpets. Seymour also installed a covered Magic
Carpet, easing its people-moving load.
Red Mountain this year has opened up new intermediate
terrain, offering beginners a place to advance their skills.
This trend is critical to the long-term health of the sport, says
Lynn. “The evolution of Magic Carpets is a game-changer versus
when I learned to ski. We used rope tows and tow bars,” he says.
“We have to focus on new skiers and attract people to the sport;
make it easy for people to try the sport and learn to ski.”
VANCOUVER ISLAND
Mount Washington
www.discovermountwashington.com
www.mountwashington.ca
It’s back to basics for Mount Washington Alpine Resort on
Vancouver Island, which opened its Easy Acres beginners’ terrain
last year. The green chair, handle tow and rope tow were all
removed and replaced with four covered Magic Carpets, which
allow skiers easier access to more points in the beginners’ area.
If you’re more of a black diamond skier, the Boomerang chairlift
brings you to the Outback and some challenging terrain. And
powder can be found in various locations across the runs.
Soar
ski bc
Eric Berger photo courtesy Bella Coola Heli-Sports
The Raven Lodge is your starting point for
some first-class Nordic skiing or snowshoeing.
The resort also has a terrain park for freestyle
skiing and snowboarding, and the O-Zone
tubing park. This year Mount Washington is
also offering online rentals to speed up the
process once you get there.
The Vancouver Island Mountain Centre
opened last year and offers winter and
summer outdoor education programs as well
as a gym, hostel-style sleeping area and a place
to host events.
The resort is easily accessible from Comox
Airport, via Ambassador Shuttle.
Mount Washington has several eateries and
4,000 beds at its resort, most of them ski-in,
ski-out. When you’re done skiing, there are
plenty of opportunities to golf, surf or relax at
a spa, all within 30 minutes of the resort.
By the numbers:
Summit elevation: 1,588 m (5,215 ft)
Vertical drop: 505 m (1,657 ft.)
Total size: 1,700+ acres
Number of runs: 81 alpine, 22 Nordic
Avg. snowfall: 14 m (45 ft)
Mount Cain
www.mountcain.com
Mount Cain can be summed up in two
words: deep powder.
Located halfway between Campbell River
and Port McNeill on northern Vancouver
Island, Mt. Cain is run by the Mt. Cain
Alpine Park Society. Open three days a week
(weekends and some Mondays), the powder
accumulates during the week, leaving some
steep and deep adventures for the weekend.
Mount Cain has the highest base elevation
of any coastal ski hill in BC, Alaska and
Washington State. Peak elevation is second
only to Whistler.
Mount Cain may have a low profile
compared to other ski hills on the West Coast,
but it’s a gem in the rough. The resort had its
beginnings in 1971 when skiers from several
North Island communities formed a ski
society and began looking for terrain in the
Mount Cain area. The distinctive log cabin
lodge was built by a senior secondary school’s
shop class in 1979, and remains a focal point.
There are now 52 cabins in the Mount Cain
area, and even though skier visits increased to
12,000 in 2011, it still amounts to around 200
skiers per day – not too crowded.
By the numbers:
Summit elevation: 1,768 m (5,800 ft.)
Lift system: 2 T-bars, 1 beginner’s handle tow
Number of runs: 21
Avg. snowfall: 11 m (38 ft. annually)
12
Bella Coola offers premiere heliskiing just a 75-minute flight from Vancouver via Pacific Coastal Airlines.
TRAIL area
Red Mountain
www.redresort.com
Red Mountain Resort, located in Rossland
in BC’s Kootenays, has been called “top ski
resort for the extreme skier” by the New York
Times, and ranked No. 2 ski resort worldwide
by the Toronto Sun. This season they have
grabbed headlines again, unveiling the largest
ski terrain expansion in North America.
Red Mountain has added nearly 1,000
acres of in-bound terrain and a whole new
mountain this year.
While Red Mountain Resort has been
known for its world-class tree skiing and
incredible steeps, the Grey Mountain
expansion opens up intermediate runs.
“Grey, like Granite (Red Mountain’s other
peak), is volcano-shaped, which allows for
360-degree skiing around the peak from
a single lift, a topographical feature few
resorts in the world are lucky to have,” says
Red Mountain president and CEO Howard
Katkov.
For the 2012-13 season, Red will shuttle
skiers in groups of nine to the top of Grey
Mountain using a new Alpina Sherpa – an
oversized snowmobile-bus. A Poma Quad
chairlift will be installed next summer. At
the completion of run development, Grey
Mountain will have 22 ski runs, leaving
plenty of trees and terrain variations for
skiers and snowboarders.
“We see the Grey expansion as an
expression of our commitment to the next
generation of skiers and snowboarders,
as well as to our current fans,” says Fran
Richards, vice-president of marketing at Red
Mountain Resort.
The 997-acre expansion on Grey alone is
about the same size as the revered Mt. Baker
Ski Area in Washington State. Total acreage
(2,682 acres) with the new terrain now
makes Red Mountain larger than Jackson
Hole, Wyoming.
By the numbers:
Summit elevation: 2,075 m
Vertical drop: 890 m
Total size: 4,200 acres
Number of runs: 88
Avg. snowfall: 750 cm
BELLA COOLA
Bella Coola Heli-Sports
www.bellacoolahelisports.com
Bella Coola may sound like an unlikely
place to find some of the premier heliskiing
in Western Canada. However, located a short
75-minute flight from Vancouver along the
coast, Bella Coola has a stable snowpack and
some of the province’s more challenging,
interesting terrain.
Bella Coola Heli Sports has three lodges at
its disposal and can host eight to 16 people
at a time. They focus on smaller groups
to better cater to the individual goals and
desires of their clients. Their original base
is Tweedsmuir Park Lodge. Pantheon is just
east of the highest peak in BC and offers
dramatic terrain. Big Mountain receives the
most snow and provides the most skiing.
Co-owner and business manager Beat
Soar
Steiner has skied and filmed extreme terrain
since the 1980s. When he made a trip to
Bella Coola in February 2000, he recognized
the area’s potential, and Bella Coola HeliSports was born. “It’s all about the skiing,” he
says.
While peak season is typically March and
April, there is still stellar skiing to be had in
Bella Coola in January and February.
Bella Coola Heli-Sports is a member of
HeliCat Canada.
By the numbers:
Vertical drop: (900-1,500 m (3,000-5,000 ft.)
descents
Total size: 2.65 million acres or 10,700 sq. km (4,300
sq. mi.). inside their permit area
Number of skiers: 34 at one time inside the permit
area
Avg. snowfall: 20 to 30 m (65 to 100 ft.)
LOWER MAINLAND
Whistler Blackcomb
www.whistlerblackcomb.com
Skiing at Whistler Blackcomb is an
adventure unto itself. The ski season typically
coincides with American Thanksgiving in
late November, and runs until late April.
FLY
AND
SKI
Spring skiing opens at Whistler when
winter skiing is closing at Blackcomb, then
continues until June, when the snow runs
give way to the mountain bike park and trails
– a haven for riders from around the world.
The two previously separate ski areas of
Whistler and Blackcomb were integrated
into one operation in 1997. Both ski areas
are connected by the Peak 2 Peak gondola,
opened in 2008.
The area is served by 37 ski lifts, ranging
from people movers to quad chairlifts and
gondolas. Just about any ski scenario you can
think of can be found at Whistler Blackcomb,
from beginner’s to double black diamond
terrain.
The area is also known for its après ski,
and self-contained alpine village.
By the numbers:
Summit elevation: Whistler – 2,184 m (7,160 ft.) /
Blackcomb – 2,240 m (7,347 ft)
Vertical drop: Whistler – 1,530 meters (5,020 ft) /
Blackcomb – 1,565 m (5,133 ft)
Total size: Whistler – 4,757 acres (1,925 ha) /
Blackcomb – 3,414 acres (1,382 ha)
Number of runs: Whistler – 100+ /
Blackcomb — 100+
Avg. snowfall: 11.9 m (39.1 ft.)
Grouse Mountain
www.grousemountain.com
Since the first lodge was built in the 1920s,
Grouse Mountain has provided the Lower
Mainland with a unique history as well as fine
urban skiing.
The first double chairlift was erected in
1949; the main lodge burned down in 1964
and the resort’s two chairlifts were removed
in 1970. With help from the provincial
government, a new lodge was built and
Grouse Mountain has never looked back.
With 26 ski runs, 14 night runs (including
the Cut, which is visible from Vancouver and
outlying areas), four chairlifts, two terrain
parks and the Cut Jump Line, Grouse is
known as the city’s playground.
In addition to its skiing, snowboarding and
snowshoeing in the winter, the resort is home
to the famous Grouse Grind trail and the
Skyride gondola ride, as well as such unique
off-season activities as logger sports, ziplining
and a wildlife refuge.
In keeping with Grouse’s tendency to buck
trends, Grouse Mountain has built a 1.5
megawatt wind turbine, which was opened
prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics. It will
eventually supply one-quarter of the resort’s
Continued on Page 14
Show your Pacific Coastal boarding pass at RED’s ticket window & receive:
One free all-mountain lift ticket for skiing at RED the day of your flight
10% off lift tickets for all additional days of skiing during the trip
(regular adult lift ticket is $66 plus tax)
10-20% off hotel, motel or condo lodging when
booking with RedReservations.com
Special rate with Budget Car Rental
FREE
Fly to Trail, B.C. and
ski free that same day
at RED Mountain Resort in
Rossland with your
boarding pass!
Book your flight directly with
Pacific Coastal Airlines // PacificCoastal.com // 1-800-663-2872
Book your lodging and car rental with
Red Reservations // RedReservations.com // 1-877-969-7669
www.RedResort.com
HEATH
13
Photo courtesy Mt. Washington Alpine Resort
snow time
Continued from Page 13
power supply, making it a unique feature to
the alpine resort.
By the numbers:
Vertical drop: 853 m (2,800 ft.) at the Grouse Grind
Number of runs: 26
Avg snowfall: 305 cm (10 ft.)
Mt. Washington, in the Comox Valley, is popular
with snowshoers.
Make it a snow day!
Love snow but want an alternative to downhill
pursuits? From the solitude of snowshoeing to
thrill of snowmobiling, BC has you covered.
By Benjamin Yong
W
ith critically acclaimed resorts like Red Mountain in the Kootenays and Mt.
Washington Alpine Resort on Vancouver Island, it’s no surprise BC has long been
known as a top international destination for lovers of winter sports. But there’s
more to snowy pursuits than just skiing and snowboarding – and best of all, these activities
can be found all over the province, from the Comox Valley to Williams Lake.
Snowshoeing
Invented thousands of years ago, the art of
snowshoeing is slightly more sophisticated
nowadays than simply strapping planks of
wood to one’s feet. Modern-day models are
aluminum-framed and allow users to hike
up trails of varying difficulty, or trek through
densely wooded backcountry.
At the Comox Valley’s Mount Washington,
for example, seven trails cover more
than 16 kilometres of varied terrain with
breathtaking views of old growth forests. For
a more relaxing and delicious experience,
Mount Seymour in Vancouver offers a guided
snowshoeing tour that ends at a hand-carved
snow lounge serving chocolate fondue.
Rapidly increasing in popularity (there
were almost 800,000 snowshoers in Canada
according to the 2006 Travel Activities and
Motivations Survey), nothing else quite
compares with snowshoeing for being one
with Mother Nature.
Snowmobiling
In the winter, the province’s long stretches
of logging roads become a snowmobiler’s
paradise. Beginners can utilize the expertise
of a local licensed guide from one of the
70 snowmobile clubs in BC. In areas like
the Chilcotin region, more than 500 km of
old mining and logging roads are ripe for
exploration.
For those with an appetite for higher
elevations, the Elk Valley mountains in
Fernie make a good destination choice for
climbing hills, touring snow-packed trails
or even heading straight for untracked
alpine mountain tops.
Cross-Country Skiing
First practiced by the First Nations
people in Northern BC as a means of
transportation, cross country – also known
as nordic – skiing has been adopted by
people who enjoy gliding along primarily
horizontal snow-covered surfaces, rather
than tackling a more vertical drop.
Virtually all downhill ski resorts offer
nordic skiing as well – Kimberly Alpine
Resort, for example, features double-track
scenic looped trails (3km, 5km and 7km)
and a 3.3-km lit loop for night skiing. In
snowy Bella Coola, 30 km of trail at the
Tweedsmuir Ski Club welcome skiers from
November through April.
Snow Tubing
Tubing runs have been a welcome
addition to many mountain resorts,
offering families another way to extend
their snow day fun. Mt. Washington on the
Island and Panorama Mountain Village
in Cranbrook offer slippery slope sliding
with the purchase of a pass, for example,
while the tubing park at Cypress Mountain
features six chutes – plus a tube tow to
bring you back to the top – so all you have
to do is have fun.
CRANBROOK area
Fernie Alpine Resort
www.skifernie.com
Fernie Alpine Resort is known for its five
alpine bowls, the most in North America.
Coupled with an average snowfall of 11
metres (37 feet) and warm temperatures, the
snow conditions remain soft and appealing to
skiers and snowboarders alike.
The Polar Peak Lift installed last season at
Fernie Alpine Resort opened up new terrain;
this year it will continue to open terrain to
patrollers so they can manage snow control.
The Junior Freeski Series returns to
Kimberley in 2012-13, making the resort a
key venue on the national circuit.
A unique ski destination with an authentic
ski town minutes away with friendly local
culture, Fernie Alpine Resort offers a variety
of lodging options, from ski-in, ski-out
chalets to five-star hotels.
Picturesque Fernie will once again be
featured as the backdrop for a major motion
picture: Kokanee – The Movie Out Here,
which debuted at the Whistler Film Festival
in November.
Photo courtesy Red Mountain Resort
Once the snow melts, Fernie is also known
as one of the largest lift-accessed bike trail
networks in Western Canada with 37 trails.
Fernie is part of the Resorts of the
Canadian Rockies, which offers multiresort lift tickets with Kimberley, Fernie and
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
By the numbers:
Vertical drop: 1,082 m (3,550 ft.)
Number of runs: 142
Avg. snowfall: 11 m (37 feet)
Kimberley Alpine Resort
www.skikimberley.com
Located in the Purcell Mountains in
BC, Kimberley Alpine Resort is known
for light, fluffy snow, short lift lines and an
abundance of sunny days. Skiers and riders
of all abilities can enjoy the rolling, groomed
runs dispersed throughout North America’s
largest gladed terrain.
Kimberley boasts a Bavarian-themed
downtown and the resort has an assortment
of on-mountain and ski-in, ski-out
accommodation.
Named “Favourite Resort” by OntheSnow.
com in 2009, Kimberley Alpine Resort boasts
many unique factors, such as a ski run that
is 2.5-kilometres-long, and one continuous
run that goes for 6.5 kms. The resort is
home to a Paralympic training centre, with a
dedicated training run, offering training for
all disciplines including downhill, Super G,
slalom and giant slalom.
Fernie Alpine Resort is known for its alpine bowls.
The resort is next door to the Kimberley
Nature Park, which offers more than 100
kms of hiking and biking trails.
Kimberley is part of the Resorts of the
Canadian Rockies, which offers multi-resort
lift tickets with Kimberley, Fernie and
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
By the numbers:
(incl. 500 acres of gladed terrain)
Number of runs: 80
Avg. snowfall: 500 cm (200 inches)
Trail’s Red Mountain has opened 1,000 acres of
new terrain for the 2012-13 ski season
Henry Georgi photo courtesy Fernie Alpine Resort
WILLIAMS LAKE
Mount Timothy
www.skitimothy.com
Mount Timothy Ski Area is a familyoriented resort located in the heart of BC’s
Cariboo region, one hour south of Williams
Lake. The resort includes a handcrafted log
day lodge, 35 runs, a triple chairlift, T-bar,
Magic Carpet lift, handle-tow and a terrain
park.
The resort started with one T-bar 20 years
ago, and now sees approximately 15,000 skier
visits per year. Plans were made in 2009 for
an expansion that would see more alpine
skiing, Nordic skiing, tubing, dog sledding,
snowshoeing and ice skating, along with
increased summer activities.
Primarily serving the Williams Lake and
100 Mile House regions, and with less than
200 skiers visits per day on average, Mt.
Timothy offers an intimate snow experience.
By the numbers:
Vertical drop: 310 m (1,017 ft)
Number of runs: 35 runs
To Get There
Pacific Coastal offers regularly scheduled
flights to these destinations from
Vancouver South Terminal.Visit www.
pacificcoastal.com for more details.
15
enterprise section
Aboriginal
Business Match:
Connections
build economic
development
A
boriginal communities across BC
are pursuing business opportunities
of any size and in any industry
sector. Partnerships can supply the fertilizer
to make economies grow.
The drive and
energy behind
Aboriginal
economic
development
is fuelled by a
desire to revive
self-sustaining
economies.
“Aboriginal people
have always been
industrious,
Keith Henry
sustaining
themselves for
thousands of years with the resources
of their territories. Before Europeans,
Aboriginal people operated an elaborate
trading economy. On the Pacific West Coast
the distribution of wealth was accomplished
through the complex potlatch system,”
says QWASTeNAYe (L. Maynard Harry),
Principal Partner with Raven Events and
Communications in Sliammon, Powell River.
“Aboriginal communities and their leaders
understand their entrepreneurial roots and
are progressively working their way through
red tape, stereotypes, educational and
financial deficits, social issues, jurisdictional
confusion and governance questions to
reach the forefront of business development
in this province.”
Communities are increasingly using
economic development, project participation
and business partnerships as the means
to bring their standard of living up to par
with the rest of Canada. The private sector
increasingly understands that opportunities
are still largely untapped and Aboriginal
communities provide new markets, access
to land, a young workforce and options for
Aboriginal Business Match helps people like artisan Angelique Levac make business connections.
innovative business ventures.
Aboriginal Business Match (ABM) was
Raven Events and Communications
created.
recognized the need for a result-driven
“We had worked with Aboriginal Affairs
forum where Aboriginal and corporate
and Northern Development Canada on
decision-makers could meet. “We looked
a number of projects over the years. We
at the average conference agenda and
also had established relationships with the
networking social and decided that a much
Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC
more efficient business development event
and the Industry Council for Aboriginal
was required,” Harry says. “Who has time to
Business,” Harry says. “Our skills, resources
take two days out of an already overloaded
and goals matched and resulted in effective
schedule to accidently bump into a promising collaboration.”
connection during a coffee break?”
Supported by these organizations, ABM
PARTNERING TO CREATE BUSINESS
And so the technology-powered
ABORIGINAL BUSINESS MATCH 2013
ABORIGINAL BUSINESS MATCH 2013
PARTNERING TO CREATE BUSINESS
17
partnering
became a reality. The first annual event took
place in Lheidli T’enneh Territory, Prince
George, in February 2012. When delegates
from 110 First Nations and 100 corporations
began to congregate at the Prince George
Civic Centre, there was a sense of anticipation
in the air. For many delegates, the unique
format of ABM was new and the preparation
phase had been intense.
“At first the process seemed cumbersome
with its required reading, password, login
and questionnaires,” says ABM 2012
delegate Brian Jones, Economic
ABM 2013 FAST FACTS
Development Manager with the
Seabird Island First Nation. “However,
WHEN: Feb. 18 to 21, 2013
after attending the event it was clearly
WHERE: Penticton Trade and Convention Centre,
worth the time. The preparation
Penticton/Okanagan (Sylix) Territory, BC
created quality conversations, and for
HOW: Registration deadline for Exhibitors: Dec. 14, 2012
ABM 2013 we only have to update the
FMI: www.aboriginalbusinessmatch.com
information already online.”
ABM employs a unique format
of pre-scheduled appointments
Months prior to the event, delegates develop
between qualified business matches. First
online e-profiles showcasing companies,
Nations participate on one side of the
communities, projects, services and products
match. Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal
offered or required. Delegates review these,
companies, non-profit and government
communicate via the ABM e-message centre
agencies participate on the exhibitor side.
and select appointments based on business
interests. The ABM system computer-matches
the initial requests and issues a preliminary
appointment schedule. During the next phase
delegates request and approve additional
appointments to finalize their tailor-made
tradeshow program. The result is a schedule
with 31 twenty-minute business development
meetings, accessible to delegates well before
arrival at the venue through computer
browsers, on Smartphones and in print. At
the show all exhibitors are seated at trade
show booths. Representatives of First Nations
and Tribal Councils move through the exhibit
Become an ICAB member
from appointment to appointment.
to take advantage of
For the Tsleil-Waututh Nation in North
innovative, relationshipVancouver, which has a growing roster of
businesses, including TWN Wind Power and
building initiatives that
Takaya Developments, the conversations at
support a thriving economy.
ABM developed into two new partnerships
with Domcor Health, Safety & Security
www.icab.ca
Inc. and Eagle West Cranes. “ABM was
604.929.7379
invaluable for us to facilitate partnerships in
industries where we don’t have contacts,” says
Lori Simcox, Tsleil-Waututh Development
Corporation Project Manager.
For Trevor Proverbs, Director Aboriginal
Relations with BC Hydro, ABM provided
tremendous opportunity to speak with a
wide range of Aboriginal businesses and
organizations about their experience and
services within a timeframe that worked for
all parties. “ABM 2012 was perhaps the best
Build links to BC’s
fastest growing
business sector
– the Aboriginal
Marketplace
18
organized and productive conference I have
attended in my career. BC Hydro is very
supportive of participating in future ABM
conferences.”
ABM 2013 will be held in Penticton/
Okanagan (Sylix) Territory, BC, from Feb.
18 to 21. “We are honoured to co-host this
exciting event in our territory,” said Chief
Jonathan Kruger with the Penticton Indian
Band. “As elected leaders, we have made
economic development a strategic priority in
order to provide a certain future for us. We
welcome the opportunity to showcase our
diverse economic development possibilities
and initiatives at ABM 2013 and extend a
warm and sincere welcome to all delegates.”
Registration is open and by late October
one third of BC First Nations and as many
corporations were already signed up.
“What makes ABM unique and successful
is that it is much more than networking or
speed dating. There is nothing random or
accidental about the contacts you make. It is
focused, prepared and productive,” said Keith
Henry, President of the Industry Council for
Aboriginal Business and Chair of the ABM
Steering Committee. “The value of ABM is
provided through tools that allow gaining
knowledge about each delegate’s business
assets and priorities. ABM is not only about
buying or selling. It is about understanding
the landscape of business in BC, getting to
know the players, recognizing opportunities
and forming the relationships needed to make
the most of them,”
Interested in a custom
promotion for your
event or industry?
Contact Soar Magazine
Oliver Sommer, Director of Advertising
250-480-3274
[email protected]
Soar
business roundup
Pacific Coastal Airlines put the fun into its
Movember campaign this year, with a moustache
decal on one of its planes.
Pacific Coastal sports
Movember moustache
Pacific Coastal Airlines staff got into the
spirit of the annual Movember campaign in a
big way this year.
The annual campaign, spearheaded
at Pacific Coastal for the third year by
Procurement Manager Scott Hutchison, raises
money and awareness for prostate cancer
and men’s mental health by encouraging men
around the world to grow moustaches during
November.
In addition to the moustache-growing
challenge among staff, the company also
decorated one of its planes with a giant
moustache decal for the month of November.
The airline’s 53 participants raised an
amazing $6,556 last year and Hutchison
is looking forward to meeting or beating
that this year – assisted by the giant flying
reminder! “Anything that we can do to help
this cause is great,” he says, noting that erasing
the stigma attached to both issues is essential.
“It’s a good way to help people understand it’s
important.”
2012 BC Aboriginal
Business Awards
announced
The fourth annual BC Aboriginal Business
Awards were presented at a gala ceremony
Nov. 26 at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver.
“The British Columbia Aboriginal Business
Awards showcase the continuing positive
impact Aboriginal business has on British
Columbia’s economic development,” said
Premier Christy Clark. “The young people,
businesses, joint ventures and communityowned endeavours recognized today
exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of the
Aboriginal community.”
The BC Aboriginal Business Awards were
launched in 2008 to honour and celebrate
business excellence.
Individual Achievement – Chief Councillor
Garry Reece of the Lax Kw’alaams Band
Young Entrepreneur of the Year –
Shelley Stewart, Merritt
Business of the Year (one-to-two person
enterprise) – Toolcomm Technology Inc.,
North Vancouver; Outstanding Achievement
– Bizzybody Events, Fort St. John and Jobkat
Excavating, Invermere
Business of the Year (two to 10-person
enterprise) – Braker Electric Ltd., Port
Alberni; Outstanding Achievement – Kisik
Aerial Survey Inc., Richmond; and Spirit
Works Limited, North Vancouver
Business of the Year (10 or more-person
enterprise) – Taba Enterprises Ltd., Fort St.
James; Outstanding Achievement – E & K
Construction, Hope and Falcon Contracting
Ltd. Prince George
Community-Owned Business of the
Year – Duz Cho Logging Ltd., Mackenzie;
Outstanding Achievement – Kyahwood
Forest Products, Smithers and Pentlatch
Seafoods Ltd., Courtenay
Joint Venture Business of the Year –
Coast Salish Development Corporation,
Ladysmith; Outstanding Achievement
– Black Diamond Cygnus, Fort Nelson
and Canoe Creek Hydro Company Ltd.,
Nanaimo
BC Hydro earns
industry gold in
Aboriginal relations
BC Hydro has earned a gold-level
designation for best practices in Aboriginal
relations from the Canadian Council for
Aboriginal Business’ Progressive Aboriginal
Relations program.
The gold-level designation is the highest
offered and is verified by an independent,
third party based on four performance
areas: employment, business development,
community investment and community
engagement. Selection also involves a juried
review by Aboriginal business people. A
gold-certified company verifies its suitability
as a good partner, a great place to work, and
commitment to the prosperity of Aboriginal
communities, businesses and individuals.
“We are thrilled to have earned the
CCAB’s top award in aboriginal relations,”
said Charles Reid, President and CEO, BC
Hydro. “The gold-level designation is a
confirmation of the deepening maturity of BC
Hydro’s efforts and desire to build enduring
relationships with First Nations in British
Columbia.”
Columbia Power’s Chief Operating Officer, Frank Wszelaki (middle) and Health and Safety Manager, Andre Noel (left) with Jim Burpee, president and CEO of the Canadian Electricity Association,
accepting the 2012 CEA President’s Award of Excellence for Employee Safety, Silver Award Level
and the CEA Vice President’s Award of Safety Excellence, Bronze Level for Generation.
Columbia Power earns health & safety honours
Columbia Power recently received
the Canadian Electricity Association
President’s Award of Excellence for
Employee Safety, Silver Award Level
and the CEA Vice President’s Award of
Safety Excellence, Bronze Award Level for
Generation.
“We are very pleased once again be
recognized by the CEA. Safety is truly
a core value of our organization and we
appreciate the recognition,” said Jane Bird,
President and Chief Executive Officer of
Columbia Power Corporation.
To receive the CEA President’s Award of
PACIFIC COASTAL AIRLINES Excellence for Employee Safety, Columbia
Power was ranked within the top 25
per cent for both the all injury/illness
frequency rate and the lost-time injury
severity rate. The CEA Vice President’s
Award of Safety Excellence was initiated in
2012 and recognizes the safety performance
by CEA member utilities according to their
line of business and their size.
Columbia Power’s projects include
Arrow Lakes Generating Station, Brilliant
Dam and Expansion Project, and the
Waneta Expansion Project currently under
construction near Trail, BC.
19
HISTORIC TRAIL
Set in stone
Trail’s historic rock walls and
covered staircases offer one of
BC’s best walking tours
By Alyn Edwards
T
Photos courtesy the
Trail Historical Society
he BC interior city of Trail
hugs the banks of the mighty
Columbia River several
kilometres upstream from the
Washington State border.
This community has been a centre
for lead and zinc smelting for more
than a century with the Teck Metals
Refinery on a 450-acre plateau
alongside the river overlooking Trail’s
city centre.
Trail is also known for its many
colourful mountainside covered
staircases and hundreds of rock walls
built by Italian immigrant artisans
who settled in Trail alongside their
countrymen who brought their metal
smelting skills.
The oldest rock wall is a block off
Trail’s main street where it has held
up the hillside since 1925. But it
was during the Depression that the
City of Trail began putting people
to work building the rock walls that
support many of the streets, lanes
and properties on the face of Lookout
Mountain, high above the downtown
business district.
It was on this steep mountainside
where many smelter workers and
others built their homes that would
be served by rock and wood staircases
built by the city starting in the 1920s.
“Most of the residents of West Trail
didn’t have cars and they used the
staircases to go back and forth to
work at the smelter or downtown,”
says engineering technician Warren
Proulx, a lifetime resident of Trail.
Eileen Truant Pedersen photo
A look back at the mountainside
above the city centre shows 70
covered staircases snaking down the
mountainside through the West Trail
community. For the first half century,
city employees were dispatched to shovel
snow off the 1,800 meters of stairs.
Twenty-five years ago, the city began
installing metal roofs to shelter users
from snow and rain and to provide
lighting for safety at night.
Local resident Eileen Truant Pedersen
has produced the coffee table book Set
in Stone: A History of Trail’s Rock Walls.
It features a written and photographic
history of Trail’s staircases and rock
walls. Among the hundreds of people
interviewed for the book were 15 stone
masons or the families of those who
built the walls, including 95-year-old Bill
DiDomenico and Louie Bedin, who is
now 75.
“I started in 1957 building the walls
with a crew of two or three helpers,”
Bedin recalls. “It was all manual work,
splitting the rocks with sledgehammers
and using steel bars to move the huge
rocks into place. The work was so hard
Work on Trail’s network of rock
walls and walkways begain in 1925.
20
Soar
Hand-crafted stone walls and covered walkways wind up the Trail hillside, offering
a unique walking tour of this southern BC city.
that I used to shake when I went
home.”
Most of the rock walls were built
in winter with government work
grants. By the 1960s, equipment
was being used to excavate for the
rock walls and lift the huge rocks
into place. The results are literally
hundreds of rock walls, many of
them holding up the roads lined
with quaint houses that lead up
Lookout Mountain.
“I’m not aware of any of these
walls that have fallen down,”
Proulx says. “City policy dictates
that rock walls holding up the
roads are repaired the way they
were built. This is our heritage and
we make an effort to keep these
neighborhoods the way they were.”
There is a noticeable absence
of any graffiti defacing Trail’s
Eileen Truant Pedersen photos
rock walls and covered staircases.
Volunteers known as Graffiti
Grannies regularly patrol the
historic areas to paint over any
‘urban art’ that appears.
The city also has a court
diversion process that requires any
young graffiti artists identified by
surveillance cameras and other
means to don orange coveralls and
spend time removing their work
and that of others.
Set in Stone: A History of Trail’s
Rock Walls is available through
Trail City Hall and includes
information and maps for 10
walking tours of Trail’s rock walls
and covered staircases, allowing
visitors to experience the history
and character of this picturesque
community overlooking the
Columbia River.
To Get There
Pacific Coastal offers daily flights between
Vancouver South Terminal and Trail.
City of Trail photo
21
VANCOUVER
Seasonal shopping
From the short flying time to
the ease and accessibility of the
Canada Line, a shopping trip
to the big city is as simple as
checking in with Pacific Coastal.
By SUSAN LUNDY
Susan Lundy photo
O
n a bright, cheery day in September, I set out to prove that
a day-trip to Vancouver for shopping can actually occur
with out ferry angst, driving trauma or parking horror.
I discover there are many benefits to flying to the big city via
Pacific Coastal Airlines, especially compared to undertaking the
same trip via car and ferry. The ease and comparative cost should
have shoppers thinking everything from Christmas gift-hunting to
the (dreaded) pursuit of the Perfect Grad Dress. To top it off, the trip
offers a nice change of shopping scenery.
(Although this story specifically documents a Victoria to
Vancouver trip, one can also get 10-hours-plus in the city via a day
trip from Powell River, Campbell River or Cranbrook; or, a five-tosix-hour stint flying from Williams Lake or Trail.)
At the outset, I must confess there’s some irony in the fact I’m
writing a story about shopping. The phrase “shop til you drop”
strikes me with dread. I can think of many better ways to drop, such
as “drink Corona til you drop;” but nevertheless, I’m determined to
coax out my Inner Shopper. I’ve brought along my mother because...
well, isn’t shopping supposed to be a mother-daughter kind of thing?
Our day begins at Victoria airport’s PCA desk at 9 a.m. (45
minutes before our flight) and concludes full circle at the same spot
about 10 hours later, giving us approximately eight hours in the
city. Had we chosen earlier and later PCA flights, we could have
stretched it to 13 hours from take-off to touch-down.
Tourism Vancouver photo
Metropolis at Metrotown
22
Here is our day:
9:00 a.m. Third coffee in hand, wallet in purse, I’m ready to shop.
As we get our boarding passes, the PCA ticket agent explains how to
access the free shuttle bus on the other side. This will take us from
PCA’s home base at the south terminal to the main terminal at YVR
and, more importantly for our trip, the Canada Line to downtown
Vancouver.
9:45 a.m. Flight leaves on time and as we zoom past a ferry
lumbering through the ocean beneath us, I remember that my
friend, Shari, is also going to Vancouver today and should be on that
very boat. (As it happened, that particular ferry was overloaded and
she had to wait two hours for the 11 a.m. Ultimately, she had less
than half the number of hours we had in Vancouver that day.)
10:10 a.m. We arrive at YVR’s south terminal, walk through the
building and directly onto the shuttle, which leaves two minutes
later. (Even if we’d missed that shuttle, it runs every 20 minutes, so it
wouldn’t have been a long wait for the next one.)
10:20 a.m. The shuttle drops us off at the main terminal and
nearby Canada Line, and we get our train tickets ($8.75 includes a
$5 airport surcharge).
10:40 a.m. We’re on the Canada Line zipping towards Waterfront
Station. I’ve decided that in seeking my Inner Shopper, we should
hit two of the largest malls in Vancouver: Metropolis in Metrotown
(Burnaby) and Pacific Centre, downtown. With 165,646.6 square
meters of retail space, Metropolis is the second largest enclosed mall
in Canada (smaller only than the Edmonton Mall). Pacific Centre –
in the news recently due to the pending arrival of upscale American
department store Nordstrom – is eighth in size at 129,506.8 square
metres.
11:19 a.m. Following a small, unplanned detour, we are now on
the Millennium Line, heading to Metrotown Station. Although I had
accessed Vancouver’s Translink website (www.translink.ca) ahead of
time and carefully plotted our journey, I neglected to factor in the
“conversation effect.” Therefore, deeply engaged in gab, we neglected
to disembark at our station and were startled to feel the train lurch
in the opposite direction. Never mind, we got off at the next stop,
retraced our steps and made the transfer.
11:25 a.m. Now travelling above ground on the Sky Train, I’m
enjoying the view and wondering what I’d be thinking about if I
were a True Shopper. Would I be envisioning outfits and accessories?
Calculating the interest payments on my VISA bill?
11:30 a.m. The train has halted right beside Science World and
I’m clenching the seat, holding back on the urge to hop out for a few
Soar
made easy
Downtown Vancouver sets a beautiful scene
for holiday shopping.
Tourism Vancouver photos
hours, while my mother carries on to Shopping World.
• Time: No contest. Compare a 20-minute flight to a 90-minute
11:37 a.m. We arrive at Metropolis — a little under two hours
ferry ride, and then compare the ease and speed of train travel to the
from the time we took off from Victoria. In comparison, taking a
unpredictability and stress of vehicle travel. The flight option wins
ferry and driving through morning rush hour traffic to Burnaby, and
hands down.
then parking, would have taken closer
• Parking: Although Metropolis at
to three hours and involved a lot of
Metrotown has over 8,000 free parking
swearing.
spots, one still has to find one, and parking
11:45 a.m. I’ve decided that shoppers
time is limited to four hours. Pacific Centre
need sustenance, so first stop is the food
has a parking lot underneath it at a cost of
court.
$3.25 per half hour. Again, no contest. No
1:17 p.m. Back on the Sky Train,
car, no parking.
we’re heading for Granville Station,
• Cost: If you go solo from Victoria, it’s
which, in approximately 15 minutes, will
actually less expensive to fly. My fare was
deliver us directly to Pacific Centre. My
$118 plus tax, train tickets return amount
Inner Shopper remains undiscovered,
to under $15. Driver and vehicle on BC
and I haven’t made any purchases. Mom
Ferries, Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen, costs
bought some shoes, and I at least tried
about $130 for a round trip, and then add
Vancouver’s always-busy Robson Street.
on a pair and imagined buying them.
gas and parking.
1:32 p.m. We arrive at the station, walk
• Parcels: Here is an advantage to a having
up a series of stairs, and cross the street to the mall. We have five hours a vehicle – a place to store and carry the many parcels a Shopper
left before our flight, and only about 30 minutes of that is travel time.
would purchase. The solution, we realized, is to take a suitcase or large
I’m pretty sure this amounts to a “Shoppers’ Day Dream.” However,
bag on wheels. Problem solved.
just across the street, I spot the Vancouver Art Gallery, and must push
• Weather: Although we set out on a glorious fall day, we wondered
aside the longings of my Inner Art Lover.
how a day of Vancouver rain might impact the joyous excursion. In
2:45 p.m. After meandering through the mall, I realize a Shopper
fact, it would have little impact at all, as we were inside or under cover
might want to visit funky Robson Street. So we wander around there
the entire trip (excluding Robson Street).
for awhile, impressed with the number of places a Shopper could
All in all, it was a fine way to spend a day. And although I didn’t find
go, and besides all that, enjoying some remarkable people-watching
my Inner Shopper, I did enjoy a Corona upon my return home.
opportunities.
5:00 p.m. Back on the Canada Line (easily accessed from the lower
To Get There
level of Pacific Centre), we’re amazed at how smoothly the day has
Pacific Coastal offers regular flights between Vancouver South
gone, and how easy it all was.
Terminal and many communities in Coastal and Interior BC.
In comparing the two modes of travel – flight and ferry – this what
we discover:
23
’TIS THE SEASON
Seasonal celebrations in Pacific Coastal communities
turn the centre of the garden
into a realm of sheer wonder.”
For information: vancouver.ca/
ravelling through the
vandusen/
Christmas months?
• Peak of Christmas at Grouse
Communities across BC
Mountain, Nov. 24 to Dec.
are honouring the festive spirit
24, sees the area transformed
with a wealth of seasonal events.
into a winter wonderland with
Activities include everything
outdoor ice skating, sleigh
from skating in a quiet, winter
rides, reindeer, breakfasts with
wonderland at Anahim Lake
Santa, live entertainment and
to watching a full-out, rocking
more. For information: www.
Christmas performance near
grousemountain.com/events/theComox.
peak-of-christmas-2012
Christmas craft fairs, Santa
• Bright Nights at Stanley
Claus parades, and lightPark illuminates Stanley Park
up events are set for most
communities, but some Pacific
Tourism Vancouver photo with two million twinkling lights
Winter trolley rides in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
Nov. 30 to Jan. 2. Enjoy a train
Coastal Airlines destinations
ride to see animated displays,
have more unique seasonal events
while holiday classics play and
happening this December and
filled with song, silliness and crazy characters.
hot chocolate, fresh popcorn or roasted nuts
January. Here’s a look:
This is family entertainment at its best, where
warm the night. For information: http://
the audience is part of the show. So come for
Anahim Lake and area
chance to sing out loud, to cheer and boo, and vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/
• The Eagle Nest Resort at Anahim Lake
bright-nights-train.aspx
to call out that well-remembered warning,
gets rave reviews as a magical Christmas
‘Look behind you!’” For information: www.
Victoria
destination with an “old-fashioned”
sidwilliamstheatre.com
Christmas at Victoria’s Butchart Gardens
atmosphere. “Enjoy the 4,000 Christmas
• Mount Washington Alpine Resort hosts
is a must: “Tens of thousands of coloured
lights around the property, the special
the Coca Cola Torchlight Parade and
lights combine with evergreen swags and
Christmas menu, skating on our ice rink, or
Fireworks Display on Sunday, Dec. 26. For
wreaths of holly and winter berries to line
cross-country skiing on the frozen lake. The
information: www.mountwashington.ca
walkways and festoon lamp posts.” Search
northern winter is a special experience.” For
the gardens for the popular Twelve Days of
information: www.eaglesnest-resort.com
Trail and area
Christmas displays, enjoy entertainment in
• Just 25 minutes down the road, at Nimpo
• Skate to your favourite Christmas carols
the Piazza from 5 to 9 pm, and take a turn
Lake, there’s an annual New Year’s Eve party
at the annual Christmas Eve Skating Party,
around the outdoor skating rink.
like no other. Promo material says there’s
held in Fruitvale at BV Arena from 11 am to
• The 21st annual Victoria Festival of
“fireworks, ice bar, snacks and barbecue,
2 pm Dec. 24. Admission is free for the event
Trees transforms the Fairmont Empress Hotel
skating, curling with rocks made from
which includes a visit from Santa (around
into a “lush forest of beautifully decorated
aspen stumps, music, bonfires, Christmas
12:30 pm) and refreshments.
trees” from Nov. 20 to Jan. 4. The event raises
lights, torches and fun.” Bring your own
• The 115th annual Rossland Winter
money ($126,000 last year) for BC Children’s
refreshments. No charge but donations for
Carnival takes place Jan. 25 to 27. This year’s
Hospital as sponsors, local businesses,
the fireworks are welcome.
carnival features some new events alongside
organizations and individuals come together
old favourites, including a bobsled race,
Comox Valley area
and decorate trees, which are then displayed
John Heintz relay, Slocan ice sculpture, Rail
• The Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular
at the Empress (a beautiful place to visit even
Jam, fireworks and kids carnival. The event
is an annual celebration, Dec. 11 at the Sid
without the festival).
coincides with the fifth annual Blizzard
Williams Theatre. Presented by Razzle Dazzle
Music Festival, with two stages and more
Williams Lake
Productions, this year’s event includes a
than 12 hand-picked acts “to help cool down
With the Winter Lights Celebrations
cast of 14 professional singers, dancers and
the alpine city over three days of winter
program, Williams Lake is a sight to behold
musicians, performing hits by Neil Diamond
carnival festivities and musical freeze.” For
at Christmas time. Since 2003, the Winter
and Tom Jones, a Marilyn Monroe tribute, a
information: www.rosslandwintercarnival.
Lights committee has lived up to its mandate
“Christmas Around the World” set, medleys
com and www.blizzardfest.webs.com
“to enhance the city during winter months
from Singing in the Rain and Les Miserables,
with decorative, spiritual and cultural
plus many Christmas favourites. (Also
Vancouver
programs.” At Christmas, this means
showing at the Cedar Community
• The Festival of Lights at VanDusen
decorating downtown with evergreen baskets,
Hall in Nanaimo.
Botanical Garden, Dec. 7 to Jan.1,
lighting up more than 20 trees in Herb
www.yellowpointchristmasspectacular.ca)
includes elaborate light decorations, nightly
Gardener Park, and decorating the downtown
• Courtenay Little Theatre presents
appearances from Santa, a “dancing lights”
with wreaths, eight-foot angels and snowflake
The Magic Tinderbox Dec. 26 to 31 at Sid
show, community choirs and more. “Be
sprays.
Williams Theatre, “a traditional pantomime,
dazzled when millions of twinkling lights
By Susan Lundy
T
24
Soar
Secrets
THE CAPITAL
of the
Legislature
by Kyle Wells
E
very year thousands of tourists
wander through the halls and stare
agape up into the dome of the British
Columbia Parliament Buildings, but there
are stories to be told about our most famous
building that many never hear.
David Nicholls, outreach officer with the
Public Education and Outreach component
of the Legislative Assembly, knows all the
best lesser-known nooks and crannies of the
116-year-old building, not to mention the
best stories.
The first government buildings were
built in 1859, a full 12 years before British
Columbia became a province. Those
buildings, which sat on the same land as
the current Parliament Buildings, served
the Colony of Vancouver Island up through
confederation and until the construction of
the current building.
The current Parliament Buildings were
designed by the notably young English
architect Francis Rattenbury, who also
designed Victoria landmarks The Empress
Hotel and the CPR Steamship Terminal
Building.
He was just 25 when he won the bid over
numerous other architects to design the
building in 1892. In 1898, despite going over
budget by $400,000, the building was officially
opened.
If these walls could talk: The storied halls of the BC legislature.
The real juicy story, however, takes place
after Rattenbury returned to England in 1929.
Despite the early fame, things did not turn
out all that well.
It was there that Rattenbury’s second
wife, Alma, began an affair with the couple’s
17-year-old chauffeur. On March 23, 1935
Rattenbury was found beaten in the head,
wounds he died from four days later.
The chauffeur was charged for murder and
sentenced to death, but was released after
seven years. He ended up joining the army
and fighting in the Second
World War, and lived until
2000.
The courts acquitted
Rattenbury’s wife for the
murder but she committed
suicide not long after being
set free.
Actress Helen Mirren
played Alma in Cause
celebre, an English TV
movie about the crime.
“It’s not the best movie
ever,” Nicholls said. “But it’s
still interesting.”
Sharon Tiffin photos
Rattenbury’s building still stands,
commemorating his glory days but also
holding a few places that most don’t get to see.
In the basement, for instance, is a jail cell
with black metal bars, as one might imagine,
but it has never held occupants. These days
it’s used for storage but technically the
sergeant-at-arms of the legislative assembly
has the authority to arrest people and bring
them to the legislature to give information or
evidence.
In 1917 the treasurer of a railroad,
Richard Duff Thomas, was summoned to
give information in front of the legislative
assembly. He refused and was held on the
property for two weeks, although not in the
jail cell. He apparently slept in a boardroom
and dined at the Empress.
“They must have just built it in case of
something coming up,” Nicholls said.
There have long been rumours of a
tunnel that goes from the basement on the
Parliament Buildings to the Empress Hotel.
Nicholls said that while that is not true, there
is a tunnel that goes underneath Government
Street to another government building. The
25
CAMPBELL RIVER
Crafting
a new
Campbell River
Island town targets its
diverse potential for growth BY SUSAN QUINN
R
esource-heavy Campbell
River has taken some
mighty big hits over the
past few years, with declines in
the forestry and fishing sectors
and the closing of both the
TimberWest sawmill and Catalyst
Paper’s Elk Falls pulp and paper
mill. But economic development
is on the rise, thanks to the focus
of the Campbell River Economic
Development Corporation
(Rivercorp) and a key partnership
with the BC Jobs Plan.
An eight-member volunteer
board comprising business
leaders and professionals runs Rivercorp. Vic
Goodman has been at the helm as its CEO
since July 4, 2011, and he’s had his work cut
out for him in a community where 1,200
forestry workers and 1,500 pulp and paper
mill workers are out of work and retraining
for other industries.
Rivercorp is owned by the city of Campbell
River but operates as a separate entity. “There
are notable advantages to being separate from
the city when doing economic development
work,” says Goodman. A municipal
administration can be put in a conflict of
interest when trying to attract business and
regulate it at the same time, he says.
Last December it was announced that
Campbell River was one of four pilot
communities to partner with the province
to foster economic development through
the Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan.
The regional economic investment pilot was
aimed at attracting investment, identifying
opportunities, economic diversification
and job creation within the BC Jobs Plan
areas. To accelerate growth, the BC Jobs
26
“In 20 years,
Campbell River
is going to look
completely
different,”
says Vic
Goodman, CEO
of Rivercorp,
the Campbell
River Economic
Development
Corporation.
Plan leverages the strengths of BC’s most
competitive sectors to bring new money
into the economy. Those sectors – forestry,
mining, natural gas, agri-foods, technology,
tourism, transportation and international
education – align perfectly with the sectors
Rivercorp is focusing on, Goodman says.
It all comes from a simple business
philosophy, he adds: “Success comes from
figuring out what you do best and doing
more of it.
“When we do our investment attraction
work we should be looking for what
economic engines our community is going
to need in the coming years…and that’s what
we did.”
The city has completed an agricultural
plan that provides a blueprint to support
businesses in this industry. There are
approximately 5,000 hectares within the city
that provide prime agricultural possibilities,
he said. Salmon farming also falls under the
agri-foods heading.
A creative industries council has been
created in Campbell River to attract
The John Hart Generating
Station Replacement Project
is expected to begin in 2013.
technology-based or creative businesses such
as advertising and marketing, graphics and
design, research and development, animation
or video companies. “We’re actively trying to
recruit a cluster of these people to Campbell
River and build out from there,” Goodman
said.
Other projects Rivercorp has been
involved in include completion of the
Downtown Revitalization Plan for Campbell
River, partnering with GeoScience BC to
do an aerial survey of the North Island for
attracting mining investment and completing
a regional asset inventory with Tourism
Campbell River.
Construction will also be a huge economic
generator for the next decade, Goodman
predicts, with the John Hart Generating
Station replacement project due to begin in
2013 and a new hospital in the wings as well.
The hydro station will take at least five years
to complete at a cost of nearly $1.3 billion;
the hospital will be another $700 million or
so, he says.
Rivercorp is in the process of creating a
major projects web portal, which will be
a one-stop community website resource
targeted at prime contractors interested in
bidding on jobs in Campbell River.
Rivercorp works independently of the
three major First Nations in the Campbell
River region, the Wei Wai Kum, We Wai Kai
(Cape Mudge) and Homalco nations. “They’ve done some good work themselves
in terms of economic development,”
Goodman says of the nations.
Wei Wai Kum is responsible for the
Soar
The rotunda in the BC Legislature
secrets
Photo courtesy BC Hydro
Discovery Harbour Marina, Discovery
Harbour Shopping Centre and Thunderbird
Campground, among other ventures.
In June 2012, the Wei Wai Kum and We
Wai Kai nations signed an impact benefit
agreement with BC Hydro for the proposed
John Hart Generating Station replacement
project. The milestone agreement provides
both nations with a number of benefits
including training and education funds,
economic development opportunities
related to the construction of the project
and also wider involvement in BC Hydro’s
watershed activities.
The Homalco are looking at various
run-of-river hydro projects in Bute Inlet,
which has six of the top 50 locations in
Canada that would be ideal for tidal energy
equipment, Goodman said.
“In 20 years, Campbell River is going to
look completely different,” Goodman told
the Campbell River Mirror. “The economy
will be booming.”
To Get There
Pacific Coastal offers daily flights
between Vancouver South Terminal
and Campbell River.
Visit www.pacificcoastal.com for
more details.
Photo courtesy BC Salmon Farmers Association
Aquaculture and tourism will continue to be economic drivers in Campbell River.
tunnel is no longer used and is closed off.
Nicholls swears it’s the only one.
The upper rotunda still features its
original mosaic tile floor, a feature almost
lost to renovations in 1961. James Nesbitt,
a journalist, heard that the government was
considering removing a portion of the floor.
In protest Nesbitt camped out on the floor
with a sleeping bag and an old rifle until the
government agreed to keep the flooring.
The press room might not be top of the
list for most tourists, but it’s one of the more
interesting rooms in the building. As one
would expect, compared to the immaculate
cleanliness of the rest of the building, the
press room is a dimly lit mess of desks and
scattered paper. One can almost still see the
low-hanging haze of cigarette smoke in the
history-filled room.
The ceremonial entrance to the Parliament
Buildings is kept gated and only used on royal
visits and for the first day of parliament. The
Queen is welcomed through it on visits, such
as her Golden Jubilee visit in 2002, as are her
representatives, the Lieutenant Governor and
Governor General.
The doors are opened for special occasions
also, such as the signing of First Nations
treaties, when the elders involved are
welcomed to pass through the ceremonial
entrance.
Other notable visitors to the Parliament
Buildings include Emperor and Empress of
Japan, who visited in 2009, and and Charles,
Prince of Wales and Camilla, The Duchess of
Cornwall, who visited the same year.
Despite, or maybe because of, all the stories
that surround the Parliament Buildings,
they are still best known for their beauty and
for their importance to the province and its
governance.
Free tours of the Parliament Buildings
are available throughout the year. For more
information visit www.leg.bc.ca
27
datebook
WINNING
SMILE
Comox Valley
Torchlight Parade & Fireworks
Dec. 26
Barbara Fabian, left, is
all smiles after winning
a Pacific Coastal Airlines
grand prize package at
the Black Press Women
in Business awards and
gala in Victoria. Presenting
Fabian with her prize is
Janet Gairdner, Black Press
Advertising Manager.
Seasonal fun at Mt. Washington Alpine Resort.
FMI: www.mountwashington.ca
Comox Valley Polar Bear Swim
Jan. 1
Annual community event at Saratoga Beach.
Registration begins at 11 a.m. outside of the
Fishermen’s Lodge Pub.
FMI: www.discovercomoxvalley.com
Cranbrook
Business Excellence Awards
nominations
Though Feb. 20
Cranbrook and District Chamber of Commerce
welcomes nominations of companies and business
people whose significant business achievements
have made an important contribution to the
economic and social well-being of the Cranbrook
area.
FMI: www.cranbrookchamber.com
Chamber of Commerce
Turkey Drive
Dec. 5
Help the Cranbrook and District Chamber of
Commerce help others in the community with
a Christmas Turkey, with $20 donation for each
turkey. Call the Chamber office at 250-426-5914
with your pledge between 9am and 4pm.
Trail
44th Field Engineers’
Polar Bear Swim
Jan. 1
Welcome the new year with a splash at Gyro Park,
noon. FMI: www.trailchamber.bc.ca
Vancouver
Victoria
Vancouver Resource and
Investment Conference 2013
Jan. 20 & 21
Truck Loggers Association
Conference and Trade Show
Jan. 16 to 18
The world’s largest investor-focused resource
exploration conference held at the Vancouver
Convention Centre.
FMI: cambridgehouse.com
Walk for Memories
Jan. 27
An indoor walk to raise awareness and donations
for the Alzheimer Society of BC. Registration
begins at 9 am; walk from 10 am to 11:30 am at
BCIT Aerospace Technology Campus, 3800 Cessna
Dr, Richmond
FMI: www.walkformemories.com
Association for Mineral Exploration
BC Mineral Exploration Roundup
Conference
Jan. 28 to 31
70th annual gathering at the Victoria Conference
Centre.
FMI: www.tla.ca
Victoria Whisky Festival
Jan. 17 to 20
The eight annual festival explores and celebrates the
golden nectar at the Hotel Grand Pacific.
FMI: www.victoriawhiskyfestival.com
Two Worlds: Indigenous Media and
Performance
Jan. 26
Celebrating the intersection of tradition and
technology in the work of BC First Nations artists,
at the Royal BC Museum.
FMI: www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Resources for Life: Digging Deeper – The roundup is
the world’s premier technical mineral exploration
conference, at the Westin Bayshore.
FMI: www.mining.bc.ca
Reach an influential audience.
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Pacific Coas
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28
Match
Linking BC
First Nat
with bus
iness opp ions
ortunitie
s
Growth Po
tential
Campbe
ll River targ
economic
ets diverse
dev
opportunitie elopment
s
December/Ja
nuary 2012/
2013 | Volum
e 6 | Numb
er 5
Soar
December • January 2012/2013
Doc Creek
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BRITISH COLUMBIA
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ANAHIM LAKE
Haida Gwaii
Klemtu
WILLIAMS LAKE
BELLA COOLA
PORT HARDY
Gi
BELLA BELLA
Hakai Pass
Rivers Inlet
A
ay y
Broughton Archipelago
PORT HARDY
d
n Islan
dleto
ding
Pen awsons Lan
D Good Hope
Finn Ba y a
Wadhams
B
y
Johnson Bay
Sle e p e B
hin
Su ns
A
B
Port McNeill
PCA Destinations not shown on map
- Jenny Inlet
- Ocean Falls
- Tom Bay
ALBERTA
CAMPBELL RIVER
COMOX
POWELL RIVER
CRANBROOK
VANCOUVER SOUTH TERMINAL
CANADA
TRAIL
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
VICTORIA
MAIN PACIFIC COASTAL HUB
WASHINGTON
AIRPORTS
FLOATPORTS
Destinations
Pacific Coastal Airlines: Route Map October, 2011
Instrument Flight Rules boost winter flight reliability
W
orried about weather
grounding your Pacific
Coastal Airlines flight
this winter? Aircraft at Pacific Coastal
are equipped with instruments and
specially trained pilots, enabling use of
IFR – Instrument Flight Rules – during
flight.
IFR rules help guide pilots through
airspace and provide assurance that
safety rules are always in place during
flight. By using IFR, pilots are able to
fly at night or during a storm.
“We fly designed instrument
approach procedures down to a safe
altitude close to the runway and then
conduct a visual landing, minimizing
the time in low weather,” says PCA
operations manager Jeff Tillapaugh.
“Flying IFR also means that we can get
up above the turbulence over the Strait
of Georgia, providing a smoother flight
to our customers.”
Instrument flight rules are rules and
procedures for flying aircraft where
navigation and obstacle clearance
is undertaken using only aircraft
instruments. Separation from other
aircraft is provided by air traffic
control. The benefit of these regulations
is that they allow an aircraft to safely fly
through clouds, which is not permitted
under VFR – Visual Flight Rules.
(Flights operating under VFR are
flown by using reference to outside
visual clues such as the horizon,
buildings and landscape).
Flying IFR permits an aircraft to
operate in “instrument meteorological
conditions”, which have much lower
weather minimums than VFR.
“Procedures and training are
significantly more complex as a pilot
must demonstrate competency in
conducting an entire cross-country
flight in IMC conditions, while
controlling the aircraft solely by
reference to instruments,” notes one
source.
“As compared to VFR flight,
instrument pilots must meticulously
evaluate weather, create a very detailed
flight plan based around specific
instrument departure, en route, and
arrival procedures, and dispatch the
flight.”
Susan Lundy photo
29
Q&A
Kevin Evans
CEO, Industry Training Authority
F
or young people exploring future employment options or adults
pondering a new career start, today’s trades are offering myriad
opportunities. Helping lead the way in British Columbia is the
Industry Training Authority, responsible for the province’s industry
trades training and certification system. For a closer look at what’s
happening in the trades, SOAR spoke with Kevin Evans, Industry
Training Authority CEO.
Q. How did you become involved in Industry
Training?
A. It was the realization, in a previous career in journalism, that –
thanks to demographics – the limit to BC’s continuing growth and
prosperity was going to be human capital rather than financial
capital. A well-trained, highly skilled and productive workforce has
never been more important to our future competitiveness and I’ve
always liked being on the front lines where the action is.
Q. What is the Industry Training Authority’s
role in the province?
A. The Industry Training Authority (ITA) is an industry-driven
provincial government agency that governs and manages BC’s
industry trades training and certification system. We register
apprentices and sponsors, maintain apprentice records, administer
exams and assessments, issue credentials, fund training providers
and set program standards. ITA offers two pathways to obtaining
certification for close to 100 skilled trades in BC, including more
than 40 Red Seal trades:
• Apprenticeship training – which combines paid, work-based
training (about 85 per cent of training), with technical training in a
classroom or shop setting (about 15 per cent of training).
• Challenge process – which allows those who have not participated
in a formal apprenticeship program to undergo certification
assessment based on their prior experience and existing skills.
Q. How is ITA helping BC industry address the
current shortage of skilled workers in
numerous sectors?
A. First, by helping to change old, outdated attitudes towards careers
in the trades. They’re not the consolation prize for the kids who
couldn’t make it into university. We’re increasing opportunities for
high school students to get a head start on apprenticeship while still
in high school. We’re also providing support for more Aboriginals,
women and immigrants to enter the trades, and focusing on things
like essential skills to set them up for success. Last year, we awarded
nearly 9,000 Certificates of Qualification to trade journeypersons
– more than ever before. We’ve still got a lot of work to do to tackle
the skills shortages forecast for the years ahead, but are we making
progress? Absolutely.
30
Q. Where do you see the real opportunities
in industry training and employment over
the next 10 years?
A. The government’s BC Jobs Plan really points the way for
the decade ahead and there’s no question that a key focus of
opportunity is in the north. Skilled tradespersons are currently
building and maintaining about $3 billion in capital investment
activity in the north. And there’s another $34 billion on the
books by the end of the decade. Trades connected with natural
resources, construction, transportation and personal services
will be in demand. For a young person choosing a career, the
opportunities have never been better or as wide-ranging in the
trades as they are today.
Q. Are there challenges ITA is facing to realize these opportunities?
A. The lifestream of apprenticeship is employers sponsoring
apprentices because 80 per cent of the training takes place on
the job. There are over 9,000 employers who see the business
advantage in engaging in workplace training. Without them, we
would not be able to support the more than 32,000 apprentices
registered in the province. But according to the Canadian
Apprenticeship Forum, only one out of five employers who hire
trades journeypersons also take on apprentices. If we could even
increase that to two out of five, we would be well on our way.
Q. What’s your take on the economic
outlook of British Columbia generally?
A. We’re a province blessed with an abundance of natural resources
that the world wants and trade proximity to Asia. If we can
leverage that good fortune with a highly educated workforce
that is exceptionally productive and competitive and a player in
the knowledge economy, then watch out.
Soar
When you’ve reached the edge of your world,
ours begins!
Haida Gwaii is a series of islands at the most-westerly point of
Northern British Columbia, boasting pristine beaches and untouched
rainforests. Often referred to as Canada’s Galapagos Islands, quaint
villages, secluded inlets, and miles of ocean front await your discovery.
Authentic, spiritual, life-changing - these are the words visitors and
residents alike use to describe their experiences on Haida Gwaii. This
isn’t your typical destination!
Photo Credit: haidagwaiiphotos.com
Reconnect with yourself or that special someone as you stroll along
a beach, clear of footprints, staring into the star-filled night. Feel the
sheer power of 90 km winds and the deafening sound of waves crashing
against the shore in one of our amazing winter storms. Enjoy the mist
on your face as you paddle the inlets of Gwaii Haanas, watching jellyfish
move gracefully along side your boat. Haida Gwaii will rekindle that
spark within, leaving you with much more than just a memory!
With adventure this
pristine you can fill
your entire leap list
in just one visit!
Entrench yourself in the rich Haida culture that defines the islands.
The award-winning Haida Heritage Centre & Museum will provide
you with the context to connect with the rich history of this coastal
First Nation. Experience the traditional ways of the Haida people
by paddling a Haida canoe through the Skidegate Inlet, or visiting
one of the original Haida communities located in Gwaii Haanas.
Complete this spiritual adventure with a cultural culinary experience
at Keenawii’s Restaurant in Skidegate.
Dare yourself to try something new. Want to climb a mountain Sleeping Beauty awaits. Spur that internal daredevil by surfing the
North Pacific, or climbing a tree in the rain forest. Want a fish story
to beat all fish stories, charter one of our many fist class guiding
companies. And for the greatest challenge of all…take a sip from the
St. Mary’s Spring – for the story goes, once you drink from the spring
you never want to leave the islands.
With daily flights on Pacific Coastal and Air Canada from Vancouver,
BC Ferry Service and North Pacific Seaplanes from Prince Rupert,
getting to Haida Gwaii is easy. The hard part is…oh yeah, there is no
hard part!
For more info, see www.gohaidagwaii.ca •
email [email protected] • call us at (250) 559-8050
Relax - you’re on
Haida Gwaii time
now…
A T R I V E R S I N L E T, B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A
THE FISHING ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME
Battle the legendary Rivers Inlet Chinook and Coho Salmon on calm protected waters. Legacy Lodge offers
all-inclusive salmon fishing adventures for those seeking the ultimate fishing experience. Come enjoy our
superior amenities, in-boat instructor program and warm hospitality as you renew your passions for the
great outdoors.
Unlimited use of Scout boats with
electronics and premium gear
Private rooms in a spectacular
setting, exceptional dining and
Experience Humpback, Grey and Killer
Whales feeding in our fertile waters
friendly staff
RESERVE YOUR LEGACY EARLY TO ENSURE AVAILABILITY.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT LEGACYLODGE.COM OR CONTACT US AT 877.FISH.LEGACY (347.4534)
LEGACYLODGE.COM
|
877.347.4534

No time like SNOW time! - Pacific Coastal Airlines

Transcription

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