Monthly Archives: February 2020

Community, Indigenous People of Similkameen Valley

Band Elders Celebrate Birthdays

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Elders Barb Schram (left) & Stella Snow (right) with Elvis impersonator Levi Bent. Both Elders celebrated their birthday with friends at the LSIB Family Centre.

I was immediately aware of an animated buzz of conversation when Linda and I entered the Lower Similkameen Indian Band Family Centre in Cawston. Approximately 40 Elders were already seated at two long tables, obviously delighted to see their friends. I sensed an aura of mutual respect and reverence, and also joy.

We had been invited by Stella Snow, who for some years has been a force in organizing social functions for Elders. She’s a lady with the will and skill to get things done. “Each month we meet to celebrate the birthdays of Band Elders,” she told us. “We have a meal and then we usually play disco bingo. Today an Elvis impersonator will perform for us.”

This month Stella was one of half a dozen Elders celebrating birthdays. I asked her to tell us about herself. “I was born in Merritt,” she began. “My birth mother had a problem with alcohol and couldn’t look after me and my twin brother. At six weeks we were sent to live with Teresa Squakin, a childless woman in the Lower Band. She didn’t adopt me formally, but she was very good to me and became my mother. She took in quite a few children. Being fluent in the Okanagan tongue, this is what we spoke in our home. When I started school I didn’t speak English and my teachers scolded me and twisted my ears for speaking Okanagan. For my mother it was not an easy time. There was no family allowance and we didn’t have electricity. To wash clothes we used a washboard. My birth mother showed no interest in me and I saw her only once.”

Now confident and articulate, she isn’t content to just watch others making things happen. “I cooked for up to 5,000 people at a National Conference in Edmonton,” she said. “I try to involve Elders in events. I brought 12 Elders to the National Conference. We teamed up with the Penticton Band. They rented a Greyhound bus and we paid them one hundred dollars each.”

Stella worked as an alcohol treatment counselor, and also as a homemaker. For some years she was a foster mother but needed to back away from this when she was diagnosed with cancer. She underwent treatment, then undaunted, again plunged wholeheartedly into band activities. Being fluent in the Okanagan language she is a translator for the band.

Noticing that people were beginning to line up for the buffet, Stella urged us to join them. Various Elders had contributed their specialty and it was a tantalizing array. I was pleased when I saw that Margaret Thomas had brought her fried bread. She’s a master of the craft and I felt lucky to get a piece.

When we had tucked as much food as possible into our stomachs, including a generous slice of delicious birthday cake, it was time to step back into the past with Levi Bent, the Elvis impersonator. I had talked with him briefly before the meal and had found him to be quiet spoken and modest, at best a low key version of Elvis. When he stepped to the mike though, his persona became instantly transformed, as though a bolt of lightning had energized him.

Levi performed popular tunes like “Don’t be Cruel, Falling in Love with You, and Don’t Step on my Blue Suede Shoes.” His intricate foot work and body moves were classic Elvis. I was reminded of the days when the famed entertainer induced heights of ecstasy and giddiness in teeny boppers, and even swooning. We were an approving audience. Some Elders sang along or just nodded their heads with the music. When Levi sang a verse of “You’re Nothing But a Hound Dog” in the Okanagan tongue, we were all delighted.

Levi Bent in one of his ‘Elvis Moves’.

Later I asked Levi about his onstage persona. “Elvis is my main influence,” he said, “also dancing in Pow Wows.” He’s a member of the LSIB.

Levi’s parents were present. “A couple of years ago Levi attended an Elvis impersonators concert,” his mother told me. “When he came out of there he was convinced he could do that.

Watching Levi perform, eating Margaret’s fried bread and other sumptuous dishes, having conversations with Elders and hearing the Okanagan language, for Linda and me it was an uplifting, soul enriching experience.

Hedley Times

Bremner Lance Takes Down Tree In Hedley

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Bremner Lance

It ‘s well known by longterm Hedley people that Bremner Lance has plenty of experience working in the woods. As a logger his work has taken him into some challenging, rugged terrain. When we began hearing the incessant buzz of a chainsaw in Hedley recently, we weren’t surprised to see that the operator was Bremner. He began by trimming the branches and was ready to take the tree down piece by piece. Silhouetted against the vastness of the sky, he was a lonely figure, seemingly in another world. This type of situation requires a robust physique and nerves that do not falter. There is no tolerance for complacency or befuddled thinking up there. Not if you want to live. Observing Bremner, I could tell he was totally focused and apparently not at all scared. It’s not work for the faint of heart. Definitely not work I have ever felt called to.

Hedley Times, Inspiration, People

Meghan Garbett Made Radical U-Turn In Life

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Meghan Garbett made a u-turn in her life.

In a candid conversation in our home, Meghan Garbett didn’t hide the fact that as a youth she had slipped deeply into a nether world of alcohol and drugs. “I was quite outrageous when I was a teen,” she admitted. “In the high school year book, I was voted the most likely to go to jail.” For her parents and teachers, she was a handful.

Born in the Princeton Hospital, she attended school to grade 3 in Hedley. It was in high school that the trajectory of her life descended into a dark place. “Along with the alcohol, I was using Ecstasy, LSD and Mushrooms,” she said. “A few times at parties I tried cocaine.” Her lifestyle interfered with getting an education and in grade 9 she was expelled from school. That’s when she received a lesson about consequences. Her mother, a no-nonsense lady said “if you’re not going to school, you can’t just sit around the house. You’re going to work.”

Her work assignment proved to be fortuitous. “I loved horses,” Meghan said. “My grandparents had bought a Shetland pony for us kids to ride when we were young. When I was about 10, Dave Williams, a local rancher gave me an older horse. I was given responsibility for looking after Gerry Smith’s horses. I fed them grain and hay, watered them, brushed them and rode them. Gerry was a positive influence. He got after me for the way I dressed, which probably wasn’t very conservative. Also for lipstick. We became good friends. Taking care of his horses wasn’t a big punishment, but I did learn that not going to school wasn’t so great.”

Having worked with troubled adolescents, I’m aware of the importance of constructive influences in a young person’s maturing. “I was placed in an alternate school,” Meghan said. “My teacher, Robin Richter was always available to talk. She was understanding. I was also very close to my grandfather.”

She received a harsh lesson when she lost two friends to drugs. “One died of an overdose,” she recalled. “Another was in a car accident. Alcohol was a factor. When something like this happens to friends you’re close to, it really opens your eyes.”

In time an awareness buried deep in her psyche began bubbling to the surface. “I’d always known I wanted to have a family,” she said. “I’d also always known I wanted to do something with my life. The path I was on was taking me away from the life I really wanted. I made the effort to complete high school. That was a real victory for me. My boyfriend, now my husband, and I moved in together right out of high school.”

Meghan’s radical u-turn away from drugs, alcohol and riotous living must have astonished former classmates. “I attended Sprott Shaw College and got a Community Support Worker diploma and an Early Childhood Education certificate.” she said. “I worked at Portage (on Hwy # 3 west of Keremeos). When we moved to Calgary, I worked for the Boys & Girls Club, then at a treatment centre for Indigenous youth.”

Meghan might have been lost to Hedley. “I always swore up and down I’d never move back,” she said, “but when my grandfather Ray was diagnosed with cancer, we returned. Losing him hurt me deeply.”

After returning to Hedley, Meghan and Dan were married and now have 2 young children, Dominic and Danika. Her experience with alcohol and drugs helps her understand the dangers they bring. “Drugs are everywhere,” she noted. “Meth and cocaine are in schools. It scares me for the future of my kids. We do a lot with them. Our lives are centered around them. We’re pretty outdoorsy.”

As Hedley librarian, Meghan has a Story Time for children at 10:30 am on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. “We begin with a circle song, then I read a book. We do a physical activity to get the jiggles and wiggles out. We end with a craft project.”

Knowing that drugs, alcohol and riotous living can lead to a murky end, Meghan views the library as an opportunity to help children make a connection with their community. “As a teen, I always had a safe place to go to when my life was in turmoil. I want the library to be a safe place for everyone, especially children.” Her smile and congenial presence are making this happen.

People

Cupid’s First Arrow Went Badly Awry

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Ashtine Nair & Jesse Regier

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I asked Jesse Regier and Ashtine Nair for a conversation, thinking their story might be quite unconventional, and interesting. Over coffee and Linda’s cookies, they talked about meeting online. “I found her there when I was looking through the catalogue, searching for pretty girls,” Jesse said.

Cupid’s first arrow went badly awry and their budding online romance just about withered. “It was 2012 and we were both in Alberta,” Jesse recalled. “Ashtine lived two hours away and we were having cold weather. I had only my motor cycle for transportation to our first date. On the way I realized I’d freeze if I continued, so I turned around and called her.”

Ashtine picked up the story. “He wanted to reschedule and I agreed, but I told him if he cancelled again, that would be the end.” Realizing she wasn’t a woman to be trifled with, Jesse made the effort, even though the timing was against him.

“I’d been in a fight the night before,” he said. “I had two black eyes, my face was bruised. swollen badly and bandaged. I hadn’t shaved.” Not a face to inspire love at first sight.

Another woman would almost certainly have slammed the door upon seeing him. “I wasn’t sure about this character,” Ashtine said. “His eyes were just slits, but he had driven two hours in stormy weather. I felt he deserved a chance to show who he was behind that bruised face.” It was an impressive demonstration of patience and understanding, essential qualities in a relationship.

They continued to see each other, but before making a longterm commitment Jesse wanted to deal with his $20,000 debt and establish himself in a career. “I did a lot of things, including carpentry, security, delivering papers and tree planting.” He lived in his pickup truck one summer to save money and pay off debts. While still in Alberta he took a truck driving course. For a time he drove a ready mix truck in summer and worked in the oil patch in winter.

Ashtine obtained a degree in Business Administration and Strategic Measurement. They were planning for a life together and were determined to be successful. “The degree was a step in our plan to one day have our own business,” she said.

They were married in June 2, 2018. “Jesse arrived a couple of hours early for the wedding,” Ashtine recalled. “I was getting my hair done and came late.” Possibly a little pay back for Jesse missing that first date?

They consider themselves fortunate to have had good role models while growing up. “My mother was Catholic,” Ashtine said. “My father was an aircraft mechanic and at that time a non-practising Hindu. They worked through differences and have stayed together.” There was a note of deep respect in her voice.

Jesse’s experience was quite different. “My Dad had an aneurysm while working on a railroad maintenance crew,” he said. “He lost the ability to walk and talk and needed to relearn these. He persevered. Mom became a nurse to support the family, while Dad looked after us kids and ran the farm. I was about age 4 and my brother Jacob was two. My parents were young and it was a tough time for them, but they rebuilt their lives.”

Coping with Terry’s medical crises made the Regiers strong, a good source of life advice. “Dad told me to always complete what I take on,” Jesse said.

“My Mom and Aunt stressed the importance of pushing through the hard stuff,” Ashtine said. Jesse and Ashtine have pushed through some challenges and now are embarking on a new adventure. He drives a logging truck for a Princeton company. “They treat me well and I like driving,” he said. “It provides the income we need for our business plan.”

“We recently bought the River House on Highway 3 and have started a B&B,” Ashtine added. “We want to have a cafe and convenience store one day. We plan to sell creations made by local artisans.”

At the end of our conversation I told them I’d like to take a few photos. When Linda, trying to be helpful, suggested Jesse might want to run a comb through his unruly hair, Ashtine laughed. “He likes it that way,” she said. Together they have a good deal of character and personality. Clearly, in time Cupid’s arrow did find its mark.

Hedley Times, Uncategorized

Hedley BC Winter 2020

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In the foreground, that’s our car, under the snow.

When the snow started falling last week, it just wouldn’t stop. Definitely the biggest snowfall Linda & I have experienced here. There were a lot of sore muscles from the continuous shovelling, and even the snowplows had difficulty contending with the volume. A semi slid off the highway & struck a concrete barrier. Its fuel tanks were ruptured and diesel spilled on the highway. A crew specializing in hazardous cleanup was on the scene for a couple of days and traffic was limited to one lane.

Although the snow has stopped falling, the mercury continues to go well below freezing at night, and daytime temperatures tend to hover around 0 Celsius, or slightly above. We’ve still got plenty of snow, and increasingly we’re hearing people say, “Enough is enough. I’m waiting for warmer weather.” So far, mother nature seems in no hurry to release the grip of winter.

Our neighbourhood.
“Roundabout” at the Cenotaph.
Inspiration

The Power Of A Campfire

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TV fireplace scene

The “fire” on my mother-in-law’s television place burned almost continuously, day and night, during the recent Christmas season. When Linda and I stayed in her home I experienced a real dose of insomnia. Sometime during the night I sleepily wandered into the den where she has the tv. The fire seemed so genuine, I was moved to touch the screen. In my sleep deprived state I actually thought it might be warm. It wasn’t, of course, but the image of the fire burning so lustily conjured up camp fire memories from expeditions on the Bowron Lakes circuit near Barkerville.

I was working at that time with young offenders at the One Way Adventure Foundation, situated on the periphery of Hedley. The five youths in my group had experienced mostly failure and were considered unwelcome in their own communities. By taking them into the wilderness we wanted to give them a success experience, and also hoped to develop relationships of trust with them.

One expedition provided particularly vivid memories. There were two groups. Toby, our no nonsense Expedition guide was paddling with the other crew because their worker had little outdoors experience. On our second night, setting up camp at Wolverine Creek on Isaac Lake, we saw several bears observing us with great interest. They had learned that campers carried food.

I was becoming aware of a feud simmering between two boys in my group. Clem, a kid with a street fighter reputation, had taken a strong dislike to Jerry. With his long unkempt black hair, a faint, scrawny moustache and several front teeth missing, Clem’s appearance tended to intimidate. He seemed to need an adversary and had selected Jerry. Jerry was Clem’s equal in height, but lacked even a hint of ferocity. He was clever though, and let it slip he had a brown belt in karate. Clem understood instinctively he might be at a disadvantage against a trained practitioner of martial arts. No one was certain Jerry actually had a brown belt.

As we were about to depart from Wolverine Creek on Wednesday, the third morning, another camper offered me a trout he had just caught. I tied it behind my canoe and my paddling partner and I towed it all day. That evening our two groups camped at the end of Isaac Lake. Toby built a large, hot fire as usual. Clem furiously chopped wood, consuming some of his pent up inner frustration. Carl, Jim, Jerry and Howie joined me in setting up tents and hanging a tarp over the fire in case of rain. A couple and their son had stayed near our party on the lake and we invited them to our camp after dinner.

Sitting on blocks of wood around Toby’s roaring fire, we basked in the warmth. Everyone, including our 3 visitors, received a piece of perfectly done fish. I prepared cups of hot chocolate and handed out chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. Then Toby read a chapter from Jack London’s Call of the Wild. By 9 o’clock the sun had slipped to the other side of the mountain and we retired to our tents.

Thursday we broke camp early and paddled and portaged to McLeary Lake, where we had a rest day on Friday. The only excitement came when Carl caught a fish on his line. When he pulled it close, the fish darted under the canoe. Exasperated, Carl jumped into the water and followed the fish. He emerged spluttering, empty handed.

Saturday morning we encountered a stiff headwind on Lanezi Lake and drew close to the rocky shore. When the wind eased, the black flies descended on us. That spurred us on and we entered Sandy Lake. Here Toby surprised us by singing “Bobby McGee.”

We camped on the lake’s sandy shore and were again joined by the couple, their young son, and a family of 5. Toby was asked for an encore performance. We sat around the fire until late, telling stories and singing. For the boys it was a novel social experience and even Clem laughed occasionally.

After two more days of paddling, we reached the far shore of Bowron Lake. When we had dragged our canoes onto land, the boys spontaneously formed a circle, locked arms and did a victory dance. Then Clem approached Jerry and I heard him say, “You’re ok man.” Jerry reached out a hand and said, “You too Clem.” Maybe it was the magic of the campfires.