jan feb 2013

PM 41979554

CULTURE LIFESTYLE SOUTHERN ALBERTA 6x YEAR

JAN FEB 2013

COOL

R U N N I N G SSled Dogs and Skijoring

2 Spicy RecipesEast Indian Cuisine

Tales from NUNAVUT

A Day in LifeOkotoks EMS

��

103 - 3 Ave SW, High River403.652.1162

austenjewellers.com

“Western Canadian Retailer of 2011”

403.818.3184

...remember to decorate your life....ca

A Whole New Look = $75/hrDinner Out ,no wine = $75 Live Theater, for one = $75 New Shoes = $75

4655 - 37 St. SW

(One Block North of Glenmore Trail)

(403) 249-5451

Best Winter & Summer Gear for Mountain Fun!

X-C SkiingBackpacking

Hiking

www.NorsemanSki.comroutesmagazine.ca JAN FEB 2013

2

JAN FEB 2013

Photo by Peter Worden

pg.30

PM 41979554

CULTURE LIFESTYLE SOUTHERN ALBERTA

6x YEAR

JAN FEB 2013

COOL

R U N N I N G S

Sled Dogs and Skijoring

2 Spicy RecipesEast Indian Cuisine

Tales from NUNAVUT

A Day in Life

Okotoks EMS

Cover photo: Roy, guide with Mad Dog and Englishmen Expeditions, skijoring at Mount Shark, Kananaskis by Neville Palmer.

FEATURES

6 Cool RunningsDog Sledding and Skijoring

20 Rest AssuredGravestone Engraving

23 East Indian CuisineJunction House Cafe and Market

26 A Day in the LifeOkotoks EMS

DEPARTMENTS

14 Arts & Entertainment

Spotlight on Talent16 Book: Boundary18 Book: Soup Sisters Cookbook

30 DetoursThe Nunavut Experiment

COLUMNS

12 StargazingJupiter, King of the Planets

24 Fifty Shades of Fitness

routesmagazine.ca JAN FEB 2013

4

Being an independent publisher in a small town has its benefits and its struggles. On the plus side, almost daily I am fortu-

nate to be able to personally visit with local shop owners. These are my friends and neighbours. They are supporting their children and planning holidays and retirement around their businesses; busi-nesses that often began as a special talent or a desire to do something unique.

Many choose to work close to home and work for themselves in order to have more family time, or they desire a path that is life–work balanced, not work dominated.

On the challenging side, finding time to socialize is hard enough, but finding time do social media piles on that ‘should-do’ list. Still, I know how important it is.

Through social media I get bits and pieces of what’s going on in the com-munity, outside my own little circle of activities.

From business tweets and posts there is information on the usual fundraisers and sales, new items and things of interest.

But lately, the posts that have been catch-ing my attention are the ones surround-ing the closing of yet another business; another fellow entrepreneur who poured heart and soul into a passion found him or herself closing shop for one reason or another. It is not until the store is gone that people say they miss that shop, or as it winds down they show up to that going out of business sale. Why don’t we invest in our friends and neighbours? This is what it takes to keep our small communi-ties strong and vibrant.

I have to be cliché and say shop local – it’s not all about getting the best deal, it’s about supporting each other.

Take a look at our advertisers and you’ll see the faces and hearts of your neighbours. Take a look at the amazing activities, concerts, and events happening right here in our community and remem-ber – it’s the people who make the place great.

Do more than shop local, be local!And don’t forget your routes…

Ed

ito

r’s

No

te

Sandra WiebePublisher/Executive Editor

Ed

ito

r’s

No

te

Sandra Wiebe with dogs Jack and ShiaPhoto by Neville Palmer

We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand

fibers connect us with our fellow men.” ~Herman Melville

Routes Media Inc. 19 - 3 ave SE, High River, AB T1V 1G3

Canada Post Publications #41979554

January | February 2013Issue #20

PublisherRoutes Media Inc.

Executive EditorSandra Wiebe

Copy EditorPat Fream

Art DirectorSharon Syverson

PhotographerNeville Palmer

SalesMelissa Driver

[email protected]

ContributorsJames Durbano, Pat Fream,

Veronica Kloiber, Lori Lavallee, Trenda Tyschuck, Peter Worden

ProofreaderDoris Daley

Routes Media Inc.19 – 3 Ave. SE

High River, AB T1V 1G3Ph: 403.652.1100 ext 102

[email protected]

Subscriptions:1 year: $18.90 (GST incl.)2 years: $29.40 (GST incl.)

Routes magazine publishes 13,000 copies, six times per year.

They are distributed throughout southern Alberta via Wall2Wall Media,

local retailers and by subscription.

We want to hear from you. Please post comments on stories at

www.routesmagazine.ca

Printing by TC Printing

For permission to reprint articles, excerpts or photographs,

please email [email protected]

Copyright © 2013 All rights reserved.

Non-deliverables, please return to:


5

Lori Lavallee is a content strategist specializing in web development. Educated in BC and the Maritimes, and living in the land of the wind turbines since 2000. Her feature articles have been published in various trade and literary journals including Canadian Grocer, Danforth Review, and Prairie Books NOW. She has an interest in the culture of death and enjoys the park-like setting of cemeteries. Her son Luka learned to ride his bike in Archmount cemetery in Lethbridge.

Veronica Kloiber is a writer, mother and soon to be butcher. She happily lives in Black Diamond with her sweet little family and ample following of house dogs. Her favourite topics for articles are ones that bring adventure, however vicarious. The next action items on her bucket list are to fly in a glider plane and spend a night or two in the bush with her sister and our horses.

Peter Worden is sampling the Great White North - Nanton Experiment style. From newswriting to blowing big bucks on bacon, Peter is reportedly having a blast. Watch for his return sometime after the groundhog declares spring.

Left to right: Pat Fream, Melissa Driver, Sharon Syverson, Sandra Wiebe.

Photo by Neville Palmer at Vespucci, High River.

Since only the girls could get together for a contributors photo we decided to have some retro fun at the salon!

Contributors

A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.” -Coco Chanel


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Co

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COOLRUNNINGSBy Veronica Kloiber

Photo courtesy of Mad Dog and Englishmen Expeditions


7

A man walks into a bar and orders three sled dogs. True story, kind of.

The man is Russell Donald and while he didn’t order any dogs that day he did leave with a

new calling. While on a visit to the Rockies from his home in Edmonton, Donald struck up a conversation with a musher. You may know the kind: a bit frostbitten, partial to hats with earflaps made of animal fur, who relishes in strapping a pack of dogs in front of a sled and heading out into the wilderness at top dog speed.

The musher invited Donald to check out the Sled Dog Classic in Canmore, and the rest, as they say, is history. So began Donald's 20-year affair with dog sledding and skijoring.

“I never intended to get involved in this,” admitted Donald, “but I was invited to meet the dogs and they just blew me away. Coming from England I’d never seen any-thing like this.”

For the first two seasons, Donald, still residing in Edmon-ton, lived all year with great anticipation of those few days in February in Canmore. With rigs showing up from places that never see snow, including Arizona and New Mexico, an idea began to form. If desert dwellers could figure out how to run sled dogs, maybe a British expat could join the game. After another season of running 500-mile races, Donald knew.

“It was absolutely enthralling,” said Donald. “The life-style was fantastic, I was hooked.”

There are strange things done by the men who run dog sleds. Apparently mushers are a bighearted lot, giving Donald his first three dogs, all huskies. Those original three soon doubled in number and with this growing pack he started a skijoring business. A business, which began much the same way as his dogsledding enterprise.

Strapping on skis and rigging up behind dogs bred to pull sounds like a bit of a lark, but remember, there are no brakes. If you go down you’re in for a bumpy ride until the dogs notice the drag. That’s skijoring and that is exactly how Donald got his first taste of it, face first, skidding along behind his dogs.

He may not be living in the land of the midnight sun, but dog sled owner and operator Russell Donald is living his life just the way he likes it in Canmore.

I never intended to get involved in this... but I was invited to meet the dogs and they just blew me away.”


8

“I had such a time I started a business,” quipped Donald, who figured if this new career turned out to be a bust at least he was having fun.

His best advice on skijoring: make sure you know how to ski first. It has happened before that customers come for a lesson without any idea how to stay upright.

“It’s not a free ride, skijoring,” explains Donald. The sensation is like water skiing and without cross-country or downhill ski experience you won’t know how to adjust your balance.

Donald’s credentials are hard to beat. He holds the unof-ficial record of longest distance travelled with the most dogs while skijoring (nine kilometres, 12 dogs). The details still need to be ironed out with the Guinness Book of World Records but proof can be found online: video footage of Donald skijoring with a dozen dogs across a frozen lake.

He is also the founding member of the first British National Skijoring Team. They competed in 2001 in Fair-banks, Alaska. Donald laughingly admitted it went about as well as the Jamaican bobsled team’s 1988 performance in the Winter Olympics in Calgary, but either way it sounds good on paper.

Co

ver

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ry

It was absolutely enthralling... The lifestyle was fantastic, I was hooked.”

Photos by Neville Palmer

Skijoring (ski-jur-ing) is a winter sport in which a dog (or up to three dogs) assist in propelling a cross-country skier. The skier wears a skijoring belt, the dogs wear harnesses and they are connected by a rope. The skier provides power using skis and poles and the dogs join the motion by running and pulling. There are no reins or measures for controlling the dogs; they respond to verbal direction and their innate desire to run.


9

Photos by Neville Palmer

Skijoring is a Norwegian word that means ski-driving. The sport can be traced back hundreds of years in Norway where people used to ski while being pulled by horses. Today, skijoring is both a competitive sport – vying for Olympic status - and a recreational sport, involving both long distance travel and short (sprint) distances.

While some breeds of dogs are naturals at skijoring (e.g. northern breeds such as Alaskan Huskies (shown here), Malamutes, Siberian Huskies and Inuit dogs), any sort of athletic dog with the energy and a desire to run can be trained in this sport.


10

His company, Mad Dogs and Englishmen Expeditions, an adventure dog sledding and skijoring outfit offers day or afternoon trips in the Bow Valley, as well as expedition length tours. Customers are not exclusively adventure-seek-ers; the British Army is also a client with soldiers participat-ing in military training, survival skills and team building.

The company's kennels are home to about 100 dogs. Only 70 are actually working, the rest are either in train-ing or enjoying their retirement. Donald’s dogs typically live long into their teens and while they can still run and pull a sled, that exercise is no longer required of them.

If the dogs aren’t enough, he and his wife Dawn are pursuing a shared passion for cooking. With a Burmese grandmother and a father born and raised in India, Donald's history is steeped in curries. Under the name, A Russell Donald Curry, Canmore and area residents have been enjoying spice kits, samosas and other East Indian delights for years.

So here’s the punch line. This man, Russell Donald, is a paragon of living your dream. Perhaps he won’t see it this way, but from an outsider’s perspective he is doing exactly as he pleases, no midnight sun required.

Photo by Neville Palmer

www.signaturesmilesdentistry.ca

InvisalignZoom WhiteningDigital X-RaysCosmetic DentistryImplantsConscious Sedation

PROGRESSIVE FAMILY DENTISTRY

403-603-3364201,103-3 Avenue SW, High River

Dr. Vicki McMullen

Evening and Saturday Appointments Available

New Patients

Welcome

Signature Smiles is pleased to welcome Dr. Scott Spackman to our team and our community. Scott is accepting new patients and offers evening and Saturday hours in addition to our regular week day hours of 8 am – 5 pm. Dr. Vicki McMullen opened Signature Smiles in June, 2007, having worked in High River since 2001. She is very community oriented and supportive of local businesses. As most of our staff has grown up in this area, we are a familiar face to most of our patients. We pride ourselves in customer service and provide a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.Your satisfaction is our first priority and we strive to meet the unique needs of every patient. We look forward to establishing long-term relationships with our patients. Once you come to our office, we are confident that you will send your family and friends to us as well.

PROGRESSIVE FAMILY DENTISTRY

Dr. Scott Spackman

403-601-6671(direct line) [email protected]

19 - 3 Ave SE High River, AlbertaRE/MAX Southern Realty 403-652-4020

HigH RiveR Agency

#5, 28 – 12th Avenue SE High River, AlbertaPh: 403-652-1426

Monday – Friday:10:00 am – 3:30 pm


11

Cross Country Ski BasicsClassic Nordic Skiing is good fun and an unequalled cardio workout. There are many advantages to this activity, includ-ing easy access to groomed scenic paths, low or no fees, and no need to contend with crowds or lift lines. Techniques can be self-taught but taking a lesson will enhance your enjoyment.

The GearSkisToday’s classic skis are highly engineered devices that fulfill two functions: to grip the snow and to glide. The weight and the skill level of the skier determine ski type and length. A lightweight skier on hard skis will not be able to properly grip the snow, and conse-quently not glide, as the kick zone will simply be out of service. A heavy skier on soft skis will grip but not glide, as the kicking zone will drag on the snow.

Buy skis for your current needs, skill level and activity. The shorter the skis, the easier they are to handle; the longer they are the faster they go. More important than length is how they flex for you. Make sure you deal with a knowledgeable, experienced salesperson. The skis should be fitted using proper instruments, not the archaic paper test.

Hard-core skiers will always wax their skis for better performance to suit the conditions. Waxing is tricky around the freezing point; take a clinic to learn what works for you and the conditions you may encounter.

Back-country skiing and skate skiing (free style) require different kinds of skis, boots, bindings, poles and even clothing. Make sure you get properly equipped for the unique con-ditions and environment.

BootsCost and style are the least important prior-ity when buying boots. Buy boots based on comfort.

Accessories and ClothingWear a base layer, a second layer and a shell, and keep a fourth layer in the daypack, just in case. All layers should be light and breathable. Avoid cotton; its long drying time will make you cold after you perspire. For bottoms, you need two layers: long johns and a shell.

- Provided by Alec Bialski, The Norseman Ski Shop, Calgary

Trail dos and don’ts• Skiers going down the trail have priority.• Keep right at all times, except to pass.• Keep dogs and foot traffic off set tracks.• Smile and say hello to other skiers on the trail. You share the best show on earth.


12

Sta

rgazi

ng

Look for Jupiter in the eastern sky after sunset in early January. By late-January, it will be in the southeastern sky and by the end

of February it will be in the southern sky.It’s easy to spot Jupiter because of its

extreme brightness. It looks like a gleam-ing beacon and currently it outshines everything in the evening sky, except the moon.

Point your telescope to Jupiter and see if you can locate its four large moons lined up on either side of it. The moons are named Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto and collectively they are known as the Galilean Satellites in honour of Galileo who discovered them in 1610.

The moons dance around Jupiter in a beautifully choreographed manner

and sometimes they pass in front of it or behind, so not all four are always visible. If you observe Jupiter hour by hour or night after night it is possible to track the changes in the moons.

Ask any kid in grade six and they will tell you that Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system, but did you know that it is bigger than all of the other planets combined? It truly is the king of the plan-ets! So get out there and take a look at Jupiter tonight. Even if you don’t have a telescope or binoculars you will be impressed by its sheer brilliance.

As an added bonus, if you observe Jupiter on the evening of January 21 you will see the waxing Gibbous moon located less than one degree away. This event is called a conjunction. A Jupiter-moon

conjunction happens once a month, but this conjunction is a rather close one and that makes it all the more spectacular to observe. Enjoy!

Jupiter is a bright planet and a great target for anyone just starting off in astronomy. You will be able to see its four largest moons and its dark equatorial cloud belts through your telescope, or even with a pair of binoculars.

James Durbano is an astronomer who specializes in education and public outreach activities. He has been keeping an eye on the sky for more than 25 years and enjoys sharing the wonders of the universe with others. He is the founder of the Big Sky Astronomical Society and operates a small business called Astronomer 4 Hire.

King of the Planets

By James Durbano Photo courtesy of NASA

DATE START TIME DURATION January 9 6 p.m. 10 hours

January 19 6 p.m. 4 hours January 30 11:45 p.m. 3 hours February 2 6:15 p.m. 8 hours February 9 6:15 p.m. 8 hours February 14 6:30 p.m. 2 hours February 23 9:15 p.m. 4 hours February 28 7:00 p.m. 6 hours

You can track the Galilean Satellites on your iPhone or iPad. Check out the JupiterMoons app in the App Store.

The true colour mosaic of the Jupiter App was constructed from images taken by the narrow angle camera onboard NASA's Cassini spacecraft on December 29, 2000, during its closest approach to the giant planet at a distance of approximately 10 million kilometers.

This table indicates when you can see all four Galilean Satellites located on the same side of Jupiter.

RODNEY GREEN

403-601-9439

[email protected]

Homes • Cottages • Additions

Thank youto those who anonymously nominated me for the

Okotoks and District Chamber of CommerceProfessional Service Award. It has been an honour

to serve the Okotoks community and I wisheveryone happiness and health for 2013.

Dr. Lori DarrochCHIROPRACTOR

Call 403-938-2230

or email [email protected]

#6 - 87 Elizabeth Street

Okotoks AB T1S 1B7

www.drdarroch.com

Box 5173 High River, AB

T1V 1M4

403.603.0121farrellyhomes.com

For Your New Home

Needs!

Homes that think ahead.

HIGH RIVER 403-601-0541 [email protected] www.goldenviewstorage.com

• Self Storage Bays Ranging from 5’ x 10’ to 10’ x 30’

• Secure Outdoor RV Parking / On Site Management


13


14

Art

s &

En

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ain

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Jan 6Cross Country SkiPeter Lougheed Provincial ParkLearn efficient techniques for flat terrain and get started in classic cross country skiing. $75www.norsemanski.com[KS]

Jan 13Old Fashioned Outdoor Skating PartyOkotoks Recreation CentreThe outdoor family fun with ice skating, hot chocolate and a fire pit to stay warm. 1 -3 pmwww.okotoks.ca[OK]

Jan 11Janice Tanton and Bruno CanadienOkotoks Art GalleryLarge Gallery: "Camp" by Janice Tanton and Small Gallery: "Inviolable" by Bruno Canadien. Reception from 7-9 pmwww.okotoksculture.ca[OK]

Jan 13Looking Glass DuoFlare n Derrick Community HallA classical matinee performance. 3 pm www.beneaththearch.ca[DV]

Jan 11The RuminantsGitters Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Jan 13Calgary Philharmonic in Okotoks IIRotary Performing Arts CentreA small ensemble of musicians will perform an interactive recital. www.okotoksculture.ca[OK]

Jan 24Keeping your Finances AfloatOkotoks Public LibraryChart your course by closing the gaps of debt reduction, estate planning, invest-ments, real estate and mortgage manage-ment, 7-8 pm, Free.www.okotokslibrary.ca[OK]

Feb 6Winter Walk DayPason Centennial ArenaGet Active! All residents are encouraged to take some time to stop in and walk at the indoor track at Pason Centennial Arena.www.okotoks.ca[OK]

Jan 25Jim PeaceGitter’s Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Feb 8Rob Hollis TrioGitter’s Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Jan 18Backyard BettiesGitter’s Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Jan 27Diamond Valley Soup SistersDiamond Willow Artisan RetreatGather together to make nuturing and nourish-ing soup in support of Rowan House Emer-gency Shelter.www.diamondwillowartisantretreat.com[DV]

Jan 19Mariel Buckley, Minerva, MabelsOkotoks United ChurchAdults $25, under 12 $10www.aroomfullofsound.com[OK]

Feb 1Don WilsonGitter’s Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Jan 20Bridal FairHighwood Memorial CentreGreat Fashion show and vendors to help make your wedding day complete. Free admission. 1 pmwww.cottonwoodbridal.com[HR]

Feb 2100 Mile House in ConcertOkotoks Rotary Performing Arts CentreThis trio of musicians has been winning over audiences with their energetic and intimate live shows. www.okotoksculture.ca[OK]

Janice Tanton

[FM] Fort MacLeod[PS] Priddis[BC] Bragg Creek[DV] Diamond Valley[MV] Millarville[CY] Calgary[SY] Stavely

[OK] Okotoks[HR] High River[MS] Mossleigh[LV] Longview[NT] Nanton[CH] Claresholm[KK] Kananaskis

o u r m u s i c

l i v e s h e r e ,

112 - 4th Ave. W., High River 403.652.4995 www.gitterspub.com

Great Food • Great People • Great Music Great Food • Great People • Great Music

we keep it right next to the beer

Step Out

Step Out

www.cottonwoodbridal.com

403.652.4993 110 3rd Ave SW, High River

ottonwood ridalormals

Bridal FairBridal FairHigh RiverHigh River

Jan. 20th, 1pm @ The Highwood Memorial Centre,

High River


15

Arts & Entertainment

Feb 9Mark Berube and the Patriotic FewBragg Creek CentreOrchestral jazz-folk, music that goes beyond the orchestral sound. $27, 8 pmwww.braggcreekperformingarts.com[BC]

Feb 9Jim McLennan, Amy Thiessen, and Carla LuftOkotoks United ChurchAdults $25, under 12 $10www.aroomfullofsound.com[OK]

Feb 9 The OnceFlare n Derrick Community HallThe Once is a folk trio based out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, featuring Geral-dine Hollett, Phil Churchill and Andrew Dale.www.beneaththearch.ca[DV]

Feb 10Duo Rendezvous: Café ParisHigh River United ChurchViolinist Jasper Wood and guitarist Daniel Bolshoy invite you to a musical rendezvous celebrating Paris, with a program featur-ing music by the composers who made Paris their home in the early 1900s. 3 pmwww.highrivergiftofmusic.com[HR]

Feb 10NDC Blues BandNotre Dame CollegiateFeaturing NDC Blues Band, Grade 7 and junior concert bands. Admission by donation. 3 pmwww.ndcfinearts.com[HR]

Feb 14"Love in Training" Dinner TheatreAspen CrossingA Valentine's day comedy with performances are February 14-16 with a matinee on the 16, Evening shows at 6 pm $65-$75www.aspencrossing.com[MS]

Enter your event at www.routesmagazine.ca



Feb 15JoelleGitter’s Pub www.gitterspub.com[HR]

Feb 14-15Louise PitreEmpress TheatreTony Award nominee (Broadway debut in Mamma Mia) Louise brings her outstanding talents to southern Alberta with an intimate concert.www.empresstheatre.ab.ca[FM]

Feb 17Jim and Lynda McLennanDiamond Willow Artisan RetreatHouse Concert Turner Valley, 2 pmwww.diamondwillowartisanretreat.com[DV]

Check out our new website launching in December

www.highrivermusicfestival.org

Festival Dates:

Deadline for Entries

March 4 - 22, 2013

January 14, 2013

Watch our website, or find us on

www.facebook.com/MusicFestivalHRwww.twitter.com/MusicFestivalHR


16

Arts & Entertainment

Spotlight onTalent

BOOK

Boundary Road by Gord Cummings

This coming of age story fol-lows the protagonist through Southern Alberta from Brooks to Calgary. Boundary Road tells the story of Jeremy, an isolated young man who, while growing up on the prairies, medicates himself with alcohol and falls into fruitless friendships and juvenile pursuits in a desperate attempt to escape his reality.

When Jeremy finds himself in a close relationship with his social studies teacher, he learns there is more to education than the class curriculum.

What appears to be overstep-ping by Ms. Hammond ends up helping a lost boy learn about love, sex, respect and critical thinking.

Boundary Road is Gord Cummings' first novel and was inspired by his upbring-ing in Bassano, Alberta. Gord's previous work has been in independent comic books where he has made a name for himself and been published in numer-ous anthologies throughout North America. Gord is a social worker who resides in Calgary.

Enter your event at www.routesmagazine.ca



Feb 17Calgary Philharmonic in Okotoks IIIOkotoks Rotary Performing Arts CentreA small ensemble of musicians from the CPO perform an interactive recital, starting at 3 PM.www.okotoksculture.ca[OK]

Feb 28Chart Your Course - Real Estate InvestingOkotoks Public LibraryNow may be the right time to map out your course for success in purchasing a revenue property, 7-8 pm, free.www.okotokslibrary.ca[OK]

Feb 22Mich O'ConnellGitter’s Pubwww.gitterspub.com[HR]

Feb 23Jesse Wall, Hutchison Trio, June BugsOkotoks United ChurchAdults $25, under 12 $10www.aroomfullofsound.com[OK]

Feb 25 - Mar 1The Loft: Black Box Gallery TheatreNotre Dame CollegiateStudent Art Showwww.ndcfinearts.com[HR]

Mar 4-22Lions Music FestivalHigh RiverThe High River and District Lions Music Festival, an annual event since 1979, pro-motes over 1,000 musicians and speech-art performers.www.highrivermusicfestival.org[HR]

www.welcomewagon.ca

For your gift basket with civic and business information and invitations phone:

High RiverBlack Diamond & Turner Valley

Danielle 403.862.0724

OkotoksAdele & Chantelle

403.938.2532

Reaching: *New Residents*Expectant Mothers*New Mothers*Brides-To-Be*New Businesses*Job Opportunities

TRANSCONTINENTAL

MEDIA

TRANSCONTINENTALPRINTING

MARCH 14 -15 2013CARRIAGE HOUSE INN, CALGARY

THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING IS NOW Expand your knowledge, skills and networks in editorial, design, digital media, circulation,

sales and the business of publishing.

AMPA acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) of the Department of Canadian Heritage, as well as the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Multimedia Development Fund.

– FEATURE SPONSORS –

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Visit albertamagazines.com/conference for details


17

Soup Sisters Cookbook #2By Sharon Hapton with Pierre A. Lamielle

The Soup Sisters Cookbook showcases delectable soup recipes from many of Can-

ada's top celebrity chefs, including Michael Stadtlander, Bonnie Stern, Lucy Waverman, Massimo Capra, Anna Olson, Michael Bonacini and Elizabeth Baird. The pages are filled with gorgeous photographs by Julie Van Rosendaal and illustrations by Pierre A. Lamielle. The book also offers advice on making and storing stock, and the essential ingredients, techniques and equipment required for excellent soup making. A perfect winter warm-up!

Calgarian Sharon Hapton founded Soup Sisters in 2009 with the simple philos-ophy that compassion can be whipped up in a pot and ladled into the lives of women and children who are abused or distressed. Look for a Soup Sisters event near you or visit www.soupsisters.org.

Spotlight onTalent

BOOK

PETER NIEMANSWATER WELL DRILLING

403-652-7211

Pumps, Chlorinations, Flow Testing

High River, AB

The Original!

E

st. 1971

TURNER VALLEY - OKOTOKS - BLACK DIAMOND - HIGH RIVER

www.mikesite.biz

p.403.842.1125 c.403.807.9741 [email protected]

Please call us or visit our website formore information about our exciting

winter programs and exhibits including:Fabulous Fourth Avenue

Two Bucks: The Demise of the DeuceChop Suey on the Prairies:

A Ref lection on Chinese Restaurants.(until February 10, 2013)

406 1 Street S.W., High River • [email protected] • www.museumofthehighwood.com

MANY FACES. MANY STORIES.

Join us in the WARM former CPR stationin downtown High River.

Open year round:Monday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday: noon to 4 p.m.

Baby Rayne 3 Months

Capture your moment in time!

call Jean 403-684-3067 or 403-990-3067

Preserve the actual size, shape, and lines of your baby's tiny hands and feet in a 3-dimensional casting, mounted on a

classic antique style frame.available at

STUDIO IMPRESSIONSBlackie, AB

ImpressionsOur Baby

www.bestbabygift.org


18

Saturday Nov 17, 2012 7:30 pm

StevePineo’s

Elvis Show

SUNDAY Jan 13, 2013, 3:00 pm

LookingGlass DuoClassical Matinee Performance

Saturday Feb 9, 2013 7:30pm

The Once

Saturday Mar 23, 2013 7:30pm

Harry Manx

Saturday Apr 27, 2013 7:30pm

Paul ReddickWeber

Bros Band

Flare n’ Derrick Community HallMain Street, Turner ValleyTickets available from:

Coyote Moon Cantina – Turner Valley Bluerock Gallery – Black Diamond

Millarville General Store – Millarville Okotoks Natural Food Store – Okotoks

info: www.beneaththearch.ca403.933-7040 or 403.933-5811

THE Place for Live Music

Your 100 Mile Art Diet

Open daily 11 - 5 (closed Tuesdays) Shop the gallery online!

n eclectic collection of regional, comtemporary and traditional art and

fine crafts.

110 Centre Ave. W Black Diamond

403-933-5047 www.bluerockgallery.ca

Glass - Cards - Books - Pottery - Jewelry Paintings - Furniture - Custom Framing

A

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20

Featu

re

Driving down Scenic Drive in Lethbridge I have an impulse to turn into Mount View Cemetery. While admiring

the symmetry of the white headstones and reading a few inscriptions, the sound of a nearby air compressor starting up catches my attention and I spot a guy in an orange safety vest engaged in a task that is curiously foreign to me.

After introductions I learn that Cris Picco is a mobile headstone engraver. I quickly get a sense that he’s proud of what he does and that there’s a certain honour in it. “A lot of people think it’s morbid,” he admits, but clearly he is a man with a more practical nature. “Yes, there are people buried here but I see it as a bunch of stones above the ground. What’s below the ground is part of the earth to me.”

When people learn what he does for a living, says Cris, an engaging conversa-tion usually ensues. “No one ever thinks about who does the engraving. It’s almost like these things magically appear.”

The monuments he works on are mainly companion markers, indicat-ing that the remains of two people will be buried in close proximity, sharing a marker. The names and birthdates of both intended candidates are gener-ally inscribed when the headstone is manufactured, with the years of death inscribed later as required. Adding these dates is Cris’s job and it’s not always as straightforward as it sounds.

When Cris sets out to perform his craft he sometimes finds himself in some of the most obscure and forgotten burial grounds in the province. “A lot of cem-eteries you just can’t find on Google maps,” says Cris, adding that often he has to depend on verbal instructions that don’t exactly match the road. One of his most memorable experiences was when the directions were so complicated that

in order to find his way back he took a photo of every intersection he came to.

Not unlike a tattoo artist adding to an existing design, his task is to somehow bring harmony to a piece of artwork that was originally crafted in another place and time.

“Quite often the original lettering has been handset, created from reused tem-plates,” says Cris. The font may be dis-torted and difficult to match, as is the depth of the previous inscription.

This is the way things were done prior to the introduction of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) hardware and software in the late 1990s.

Chris began his work at Sunset Memorial & Stone Ltd. (Calgary) as a design assistant in 1997, just as the com-pany was transitioning to CAD designs. Back then mobile engraving services did not exist. When new inscriptions needed to be added to existing headstones, the monuments were removed from the cem-etery and worked on at the shop. In addi-tion to the risk of damage during removal and transportation, reinstallation was costly.

Hoping to improve the process, the company started to make rubbings from the existing stones on location. The sten-cil would then be cut at the shop and brought back to the cemetery, where it wouldn’t necessarily match. The changes offered some improvements, but there were still some issues, such as the bulky truck-mounted sandblasting equipment that included a compressor and a long cumbersome hose. Over time a more compact system was devised.

When ownership of Sunset changed hands in 2010, Cris decided to offer mobile engraving services himself. In addition to investing in sandblasting equipment, he set up his vehicle with a scanner, computer and stencil cutter. Now after getting a rubbing Cris can scan

the existing design and create a layout for the new inscription on location. Once he transfers the design to a rubberized sten-cil he can cut it and secure it to the stone in preparation for sandblasting. He’s even been able to inscribe over an open grave before the interment.

“That’s the best service I can provide and I think it has a huge impact on the family,” he says. “They can see it is done and it’s one less detail they have to follow up on after their loss.”

When words on a gravestone are complete, Cris knows he has inscribed

the final details of someone’s life and pro-vided his solemn duty in a proud tradi-tion of craftsmanship.

From his pocket he retrieves a camera and takes a picture of his work, not just to get paid, but to record this last docu-mented message from the deceased to their loved ones. Families can take com-fort knowing that the final details have been recorded. Rest assured.

By Lori Lavallee Illustration by Sharon Syverson

No one ever thinks about who does the engraving... It’s almost like these things magically appear.”

Cris Picco has mapped out almost every cemetery in southern Alberta, not because he’s a genealogist or anything like it, but because he’s an artist, a craftsman and a dutiful inscriber of the final details of someone’s life.

Craig Snodgrass Owner/Funeral Director

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Fo

od

Curry is not what springs to mind when one mentions Dead Man’s Flats. People often speed past this slip of a hamlet perched between the Bow River and the TransCanada, so many are unaware of the East Indian delights hidden beyond exit 98.

At The Junction House Café and Market, Russell Donald and his wife Dawn welcome curry-starved travellers with the rich fragrances of cardamom and coriander. For the past 16 years Russell has been selling spice kits, samosas, chutneys and pickles to the good people of Canmore.

Now the mouthwatering aromas stirred up by the couple are enticing not only Bow Valley locals, but also day trippers and tour-ists who are making the restaurant a go-to destination for exotic eats. The menu is ample but not so huge that it makes deciding a chore. The Donalds have wisely included timeless favourites such as burgers, stews and fish and chips for those who can’t or won’t eat curry. Next time you find yourself near Dead Man’s Flats, consider a pit stop in at The Junction House. Or at the very least, open your windows as you barrel past to catch the sweet scent of garam masala on the frosty Bow Valley air.

The Junction House Café and Market Enticing travellers with the sweet smells of East Indian cuisine

By Veronica Kloiber


23

Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower curry)

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:¼ cup vegetable oil1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces 1 bunch fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped 1 small green chili pepper, chopped into small pieces (or 1 tsp chili powder) 1 large cauliflower cut evenly into eighths 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces 2 small cans diced 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp salt 2 tsp garam masala

Method:• Heat vegetable oil in a large

saucepan then add chopped onion and cumin seeds to the oil.

• Stir together and cook until onions become golden and translucent.

• Add chopped coriander stalks, turmeric and salt.

• Add chopped chilis (to taste) and stir tomatoes into onion mixture.

• Add ginger and garlic and mix thoroughly.

• Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).

• Stir to coat vegetables with curry sauce.

• Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.

• Cover and simmer, add garam masala and stir.

• Turn off heat, cover and let the curry sit for 20 minutes to let the flavours blend.

• Serve warm and top with coriander leaves.

Chicken Tikka MasalaServes: 4-6

Marinade for ChickenIngredients:1 cup yogurt1 tbsp lemon juice2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ground cinnamon2 tsp cayenne pepper2 tsp freshly ground black pepper1 tbsp minced fresh ginger4 tsp salt, or to taste3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces4 long skewers

Tomato Cream Sauce Ingredients:1 tbsp butter1 clove garlic, minced1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped2 tsp ground cumin2 tsp paprika3 tsp salt, or to taste1 small can tomato sauce 1 cup heavy cream¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Method:• In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon

juice, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger and salt.

• Stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

• Preheat a grill at high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate.

• Thread chicken onto skewers and grill for about 5 minutes on each side.

To make the sauce:• Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over

medium heat. • Sauté garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. • Season with cumin, paprika and salt. • Stir in tomato sauce and cream. • Simmer on low heat until sauce

thickens, about 20 minutes. • Add grilled chicken and simmer for 10

minutes. • Transfer to a serving platter and

garnish with fresh cilantro.• Serve with basmati rice and naan

bread.

This appetizer sampler consists of samosas and onion Bhajiis, both can be purchased frozen in the market area at Junction House. These items and spice kits can easily be prepared at home.

These two special buffets items are easily prepared with items you may already have in your pantry.

Recipes by Dawn and Russell DonaldPhotos by Neville Palmer


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Fit

ness

I want to try and maintain my independence all of my life. I want to be able to walk, dance and socialize with friends NOW and WHEN I GET TO A RIPE OLD AGE.

Fifty Shades of Fitness

As a certified fitness professional specializing in the mature population, I want to share my spice-of-life secret with the

public. Shhh… I am starting early (at age 45) with my Fifty Shades of Fitness. Why? Because I want to be able to do the basics when I get to my 80s, 90s, 100s; feeding, clothing and dressing myself. Don’t you?

I am following the lead of some great motivators – notable celebrities I think of as resources: Jane Fonda, who, despite knee and hip replacements keeps on making fitness videos; Richard Simmons, who is still movin’ and groovin’ with piz-zazz; and Mary Ann Wilson from the PBS program Sit and Be Fit. I say - don’t knock it ’til you try it couch potato friends!

Most importantly I have my local mentor and idol Shirley Stirling who, at age 78, walks everywhere every day. She also does line dancing, Nordic pole walking and Zumba and has over 2,000 Curves workouts to her credit. Shirley is a perfect example of being fit in the

prime of life. I believe she is fifty shades of fabulous!

Recently I have been witness to many changes within the health and fitness industry. Baby boomers are seeking ways to improve their lifestyles. I think this is an amazing and positive trend! With the rise in obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other health issues it is easy to see why so many people are on the hunt for effective fitness choices.

I also relate from personal experience: I have a husband who had a heart attack at age 50. He is challenging fifty shades of fitness for sure!

Richard Simmons, himself once mor-bidly obese, said that obese individuals are “committing body suicide”. I believe this harsh statement contains some truth. You only have one body and you should learn to care for it so you can continue to be physically independent all of your life!

Therefore, I have 50 suggestions for the mature and sometimes grey-haired adult. I made these suggestions into a

contract where you can check off the boxes that interest you and then check your local com-munity for resources such as gym programs, exer-cise classes and even the library for videos and books.

Join me in my spicy little secret and begin your own quest by committing to my Fifty Shades of Fit-ness contract.

Trenda Tyschuck is an adult fitness specialist. She teaches aerobics, zumba, seated zumba, belly dancing and Nordic pole walking in High River.

By Trenda Tyschuck

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SOFT LIMITS - Basic Exercises

Walk

Nordic pole walk

Run/jog

Nordic/Cross country ski

Hike

Bike/spin

Rollerblade

Skate

Swim

Volleyball

Basketball

Hockey/shimmy

Baseball/softball

Racquet sports (tennis, badminton, squash)

Tai Chi

Yoga

Nia

Pilates

Ballet/Tap/Jazz/Jazzercise

Zumba/Belly/Bollywood dance

Hawiian/Poi fire dance

Burlesque/pole dance

Two-step/line/square dance

Weight training

Outdoor fitness parks

Archery

TRX

Balance balls, beams, bosu

Water aerobics

FIFTY SHADES OF FITNESS CONTRACT

I _________________________________________________

hereby agree to try one item on this list per season to complete four items on this list. This contract will consist of one winter, spring, summer and fall activity that I will stick with until completion. Effective _______________________ (today’s date).

HARD LIMITS - challenging/adventure exercises

Luge/bobsled

Bungee jump

Alpine/heli-ski

Roller derby

Circus activities (trapeze, acrobatics)

Spartan training

Boxing

Wall/rock climbing

Snowboarding

Surfing

Martial arts (Judo/Tae Kwon Do/kickboxing)

SCUBA/snorkel

Horseback riding

Kayaking

Extreme biking

Spelunking

Skijoring

Waterskiing

Parasailing

Whitewater rafting

Cliff diving/basejumping


26

By Pat Fream Photos by Neville Palmer

They do their job like anyone else – only faster and with lives at stake. Their personalities, ages and backgrounds vary – there is no signature gene that defines the audacious breed of people who grow up, suit up and become first responders in medical emergencies.

A Day in the LifeSaving LIFE of a PARAMEDIC

Christie Nicholson is all business in her crisp EMS uniform, checking and restocking her ambulance at the beginning of

her 12-hour shift in Okotoks. “We have a 90-second chute time,” she explains, meaning she and her partner must be in the ambulance, heading to an emergency within a minute and a half of getting the call. The trick, she informs, is to be ready all the time – ambulance stocked, mind focused, tummy full, bladder empty, boots on.

This day there is a heavy snowfall warning for Calgary and south and the roads are a disaster. Okotoks EMS has two ambulances at the ready, each unit home to a team of two – a paramedic (leading the rank) and an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Given the weather, no one is expecting idle time, but this is not the kind of thing you can predict.

“Yesterday we got called out at 8:15 a.m. and we were gone for the whole shift,” says Christie, stuffing extra rubber gloves in a box already overflowing. Everything about this woman says she doesn’t miss a beat.

It’s tough to fathom how skilled and sharp these people have to be to do their job. They seem eerily subdued as they fill in the minutes waiting for the first alarm of the day; chatting, studying, snacking and taking turns doing hall chores. They appear to operate in two primary gears: low-key idle and full throttle. An underly-ing alertness and the stiff imposing uni-forms (boots on) reinforce the fact that medical emergencies trump vacuuming the common room. Nevertheless, some shifts call for both.

Five hours into the day a call comes and everyone snaps to attention. Christie and her EMT partner Julia board the truck in a flash and I run to catch up and take a seat in the back. It’s game on, beginning with a race.

The intensity of the race is dictated by a code word – Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta or Echo – indicating the level of urgency from least to greatest*. This is a Delta call demanding speed, lights and sirens. Someone out there is in serious distress.

It’s Julia’s day to drive and despite hellish roads she is dauntless at the wheel. Christie is her right arm, calmly navigat-ing and detailing the emergency – infor-mation gleaned from a computer screen mounted on the dash. Nothing about this scenario says no can do.

As a ride-along passenger, the trip to the emergency scene is harrowing enough. Why aren’t those cars moving out of the way? No one says it out loud but surely a collection of minds are screaming... move it! Julia is a machine – stoic and focused, accelerating then brak-ing and intermittently reaching up to sound the heavy-duty foghorn. Coming through!

When we arrive at the scene the driver and passenger evaporate – gone before I manage to get my seatbelt off. Inside, the atmosphere is charged and too warm. Authorities in the establishment are well versed in crisis management; they have harnessed the panic and are keeping the gawkers at bay. The medical responders are on a whole new plane, performing a perfectly synced lifesaving routine.

Christie has command of the situa-tion: victim engulfed in her steady atten-tion, a fireman on her left (where did he come from?)** and Julia on the right, pass-ing instruments and answering demands a millisecond before anyone asks. Com-munication with the victim is constant and reassuring. Pertinent information is gathered and assessed while continuous measures are taken to diagnose and treat. All three responders know their roles and carry them out with astounding finesse.

When the victim is stable, a mobile stretcher appears delivered by firemen who have been guarding the sidelines.

A Day in the LifeSaving LIFE of a PARAMEDIC

*Alpha means no lights or sirens. Anything Bravo or greater demands a ‘hot’ EMS response, a race to the scene with lights flashing and sirens blazing. More information comes in the form of card numbers: Card 29 for a motor vehicle collision, Card 9 for a cardiac arrest, and so on. Computers with GPS, details of the emergency and directives from dispatch are mounted in every EMS truck.

**The Fire Department crew also received the Delta call and they arrived first since they were at another call nearby.

Publisher’s note: Due to Alberta privacy laws the writer was not permitted to disclose any information revealing the exact nature of the emergency or its location.


28

Quickfacts

• Okotoks EMS shares quarters with the Okotoks Fire Department and together the crews respond to calls anywhere in the MD of Foothills including Okotoks, High River, Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Eden Valley, Priddis, Millarville. They may also be called to cover calls in Nanton, Vulcan or Calgary.

• EMS, police and firefighters are sometimes called to the same emergency. Police are there to handle traffic and bystanders. Firefighters (many whom are EMRs or EMTs) remove any hazards and help gain access to victims. EMS crews perform acute medical care and transport victims to a care facility. All of their jobs overlap in extreme emergencies.

• Historically the field of EMS was male dominated but recent statistics estimate roughly 60/40 male to female.

• EMS responds to approximately 1,400 calls in Okotoks annually and to over 5,000 calls annually for the greater MD Foothills area.

Once in the ambulance more time is spent stabilizing and

assessing, then it’s off to the hos-pital, Christie in the back attend-

ing to the victim, Julie behind the wheel.

To which hospital the crew is going is a collective decision between

the EMS team (assessing the severity of illness or injury) and a central dis-

patch service that measures other fac-tors like facility equipment, hospital

specializations and access. If hospitals or clinics in the area can service the patient

(e.g. Okotoks Urgent Care, High River Hospital, Black Diamond Hospital), those

get first priority.For this patient, a Calgary hospital is in

order, and just like that they are gone and I am out, my ride-along is over. Notes I took from an

earlier interview will have to suffice to fill in the gaps in this half -day in a life...

In a perfect world, the Okotoks EMS crew executes a speedy and uneventful trip to the hos-

pital, they turn the patient over to a skilled medical team and the patient is successfully treated. In a less

than perfect world, the patient deteriorates, or worse, parishes en route and the team is forced to stop at a

medical facility in the area to receive urgent care or extended treatment. In any event, the Okotoks EMS

team does what it takes – exercises any measures called for – simple or extraordinary.

After their trip to Calgary the crew may be able to head back to the station to debrief and restock; they might

even have a chance to grab food and coffee along the way. However, some days there’s barely time for a bathroom

break. They go from one call to another and spend the whole shift either responding to emergencies or transferring patients

between facilities.As I reflect on the day, I wonder how they cope, crisis after

crisis, shift after shift. I know about the work-related protocols and programs: debriefing, counselling and a gym on the premise

for before and after work. But the real support seems to resonate between the EMS crew members and all first responders. They are

bound by courage – heroes at large.

At age 30, Christie Nicholson has a lifetime of EMS experience, having grown up with a father who was a paramedic in Calgary. Destined for a similar path, she completed nearly four years of training in Calgary and

then experienced several remote rural placements before landing her current position in Okotoks.

Today, with nearly nine years on the job, Christie acknowledges that her profession demands strength, stamina and fast thinking under extreme pressure, but names communication as the skill she prizes the most. She explains that first responders

have to deal with people who are commonly injured, hysterical, in shock, intoxicated, overwhelmed and/or sometimes hostile.

Communicating with them is pivotal – the key to getting cooperation and the informa-tion she needs to do her job. Married and the mother of a three-year-old boy, Christie commutes from Calgary, explaining that she wouldn’t want to live where she works as

that might make responding to emergencies too personal.


29

Levels of Emergency Responders

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) Three month training that allows individual to perform advanced first aid mainly in industrial settings.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) An additional year of training and education that allows participants to work in an EMS setting.

Paramedic An additional two years of training that per-mits a lead role in an EMS setting. Paramedics can provide Advanced Life Support treatment – which means they can administer medication to patients while transporting them.


30

Deto

urs

When popular Routes contributor Peter Worden of Nanton announced that he was moving to Nunavut for a six-month stint to work for Northern News Services, none of us were jealous… but we were certainly curious! Here is his first report from the great Canadian Arctic.

At 63° North, Iqaluit’s not quite in the Arctic Circle but it’s close enough. While Nunavut’s (and Canada’s) northernmost Inuit-inhabited community of Grise Fiord plunges into 24-hour dark-ness on Halloween (spooky), Iqa-luit receives just over 18 hours a day of real darkness in the winter. Stay tuned for the next winter report – armchair meteorologist opens patio door and deems it “truly unpleasant.”

IN OTHER NEWS:

Disaster! Sewage removal and water delivery truck drivers accidentally swap keys; disconcerting mix-up categorized as a ‘Level-5 SNAFU’.Homeowners in Nunavut’s hamlets and many in Iqaluit receive daily water and sewer service. Each day, trucks fill up water tanks and empty sewage indicated by a red light on the sides of houses. Homeowners pray drivers hopped in the correct truck that morning.

SEAT SALE! Flights from Calgary to Iqaluit now slightly less than return-ticket to Beijing - barely.

ON THE FOOD FRONT: Nunavut is home to some of the planet’s most expensive hankerings.The grocery store sells buckets of frozen KFC flown in from Ottawa for $55. For my part, I can pass on the Colonel but cannot give up bacon. Some mornings I feel positively rock starish blow-ing a cool hundy on breakfast meats. At any rate, I’ve given up equating products in real-world dol-lars. I now measure cost in fish instead of dollars to help pretend-keep prices in perspective, e.g. one beer = two fish. That way, KFC is really only F11.

IN OTHER FICTIONAL NEWS: Commission called to look into the rotun-dity of the Territory’s ravens. “Seriously, they’re freaking huge,”says one local.

IQALUIT WEATHER: Today:

Cold, mostly darkTomorrow: Dark Long-weekend:

dark, dark, dark

In Nunavut, you can drive around aimlessly forever and never get lost because roads only go as far as needed in a community then loop around or stop. There are no formal addresses, or roads connecting towns, although in Iqaluit there is a Road to Nowhere (actually). In Iqaluit, taxies run on a flat rate of $6 anywhere in the city and with a population of only 7,000, taxi drivers know every single house. They also often pick up other pas-sengers en route.

RECENT ROAD STUDY:

Husbands relieved there’s no need to ask directions in Iqaluit

.......................................................................................................Iqaluit, NU – I arrived in Nunavut your typical southern journalist familiar with neither the political, social nor really even actual landscape of the territory. .......................................................................................................News? Everything was news. Every polar bear sauntering into a hamlet somewhere, every near-apocalyptic blizzard, every $20 gourd at the grocery store; it all seemed pretty newsworthy to me. And yet, it wasn’t – not here.

It’s easy spotting news in a place so new its license plates begin with 000. Indeed, the newest, northernmost, 2-mil-lion square kilometre territory boasts not a single traffic light,

highway or tree. But in Iqaluit (pronounced Ick-hal-oo-weet) no Inuk is amazed when it snows in August, no local elementary school student is shocked at the sight of a seal being skinned on the gymnasium floor, and no one is alarmed when they walk 65 kilometres and fail to see another human being (there are only 33,330 people living on this land the size of Western Europe).

Far be it for me then, a total outsider, to report on and

attempt to educate the southern masses with this dubious, semi-fictional news lampoonery. This Nunavut Experiment is merely a reincarnation of a mockumen-tary-style report I once scribed in Nanton. And like the Nanton Experiment, the following so-called “news” is only 40 per cent true, meant purely in fun, and would never pass as actual news anywhere – north or south or snorth.

Special Baffin Island Edition – Semi-fictional news from in and around the Arctic Circle

EXPERIMENTStory and photos by Peter Worden No. 1

Southern Alberta journalist reports live from NunavutEDITORIAL:

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Reasons you will love Montrose

16 acre linear pond with walking paths throughout the community

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Master-planned award winning community

You’ve arrived in a great place.

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