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Trafalgar boys’ basketball team rises to occasion at provincials, but fall short of gold

Thunder rumble to 15th

Photo: Submitted

Saving their best game for last, the Trafalgar Middle School Thunder took on the province’s best Grade 9 boys’ basketball teams at the 2025 provincials in Abbotsford.

Coached by Jeremy Phelan and Django Radonich-Camp, the Thunder won two of their five games — during the Feb. 27-March 2 weekend — moving from the 24th tournament seed to a 15th place finish in their representation of the Kootenay region.

The highlight of the weekend was a 51-42 win in the last game over the sixth-ranked Vernon Panthers.

The Thunder started the weekend with a 50-44 upset win over the number nine Windermere Warriors in their opening game, but proceeded to drop a 61-36 game to GW Graham Grizzlies (number eight) and were beaten by the 17th-ranked Grandview Heights, 64-27. The third lost for the Thunder came at the hands of the number five Tammanawis Wildcats by a score of 57-45.

In a statement after the provincials, the team “would like to thank the Nelson Leafs Bottle Depot and the Nelson Fisherman’s Market for their collaboration with fundraisers that made this season’s travel possible.”

Arts education programs open this spring for registration at Oxygen

Spring into creativity

Photo: Submitted

Oxygen Art Centre, fall 2024 semester open house and ArtSpeak exhibition, 2024.

Oxygen Art Centre’s spring art education semesters are now open for registration.

Taking place in two parts from April 7 to June 7 at the artist-run centre’s downtown facility, the program features classes on writing, drawing, painting and printmaking, and everything in between.

Favourites like “Life drawing” and “ArtSpeak” return, with new classes like “How to silkscreen on clay” with Imogen Carter and Marcus Dénommé, or “Exploring analog and AI writing processes” with Deryn Collier joining the roster.

Learn about the classes and instructors on Oxygen’s website. Classes are small to create a dynamic experience for each student.

Oxygen’s education program has offered professional art classes to adults and youth for over 20 years.

“The program is unique as it is developed and taught by established, professional local artists and art educators, who share their masterful skills and advanced education with the community,” said Oxygen executive director, Julia Prudhomme.

“As a non-profit artist-run centre we rely on minimum registration to pay professional artist instructor rates and to ensure enough time for instructors and staff to prepare for each class.”

Information about Oxygen’s registration policies are available on their website and on each registration form.

• Oxygen Art Centre is an artist-run centre located at #3-320 Vernon Street along the alleyway behind Baker Street.

Reunion programming celebrates achievements in arts education, the arts

School of the Arts in focus

Photo: Submitted

Tracey Fellowes

Programming that highlights both the past and the future has been recently finalized for the April 25-27 reunion of faculty, students and support staff of Nelson’s former David Thompson University Centre and its successor institution, the Kootenay School of the Arts.

“Our aim with three panels and two art shows during the reunion is to celebrate past achievements in, and ponder future prospects for, arts education, the arts, and Nelson itself,” said Tracey Fellowes, reunion organizing committee treasurer.

Besides the reunion’s various social events, the reunion will host three panels open to the public on Saturday, April 26 at Shambhala Hall on Selkirk College’s Tenth Street Campus. At 9:30 a.m. panelists will consider whether arts education is “an indulgence, career preparation or something else,” Fellowes said.

At 11 a.m. a panel will explore whether gentrification and the arts can co-exist in Nelson. And at 1:30 p.m., a panel will discuss how ideas evolve during the creative process.

"We want to celebrate what DTUC and KSA achieved in the past,” Fellowes said, “and also to look at the lessons from these institutions for the future.”

She said the panel on the value of arts education will include Nelson ceramicist Eva Myers-McKimm and Vancouver author Calvin Wharton, former head of Douglas College’s writing department. The gentrification panelists include current Nelson city councillor Jesse Woodward. And the panel on creative ideas will include Selkirk College ceramics instructor Robin DuPont, recently the craft expert on CBC TV’s Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown.

Art exhibits presented in conjunction with the reunion and open to the public will also span past and future, Fellowes said. On April 26, a one-day “We Wish You Were Here” art show at Selkirk’s Kootenay Studio Arts building, 606 Victoria St., will feature work by several artists associated with DTUC and KSA who have since died.

And opening on the evening of April 26 will be a month-long art sale and exhibit, “Continuum,” at Nelson’s Craft Connection artists’ co-op, 378 Baker St., featuring reunion registrants.

“These present-day artists, from our community and elsewhere, represent the current state and future of their art,” Fellowes said.

• More information about reunion events, and a registration form, are available on the reunion’s website at dtuc-ksa-reunion.ca.

The registration fee is $85 per person.

Past month offered some ‘unreal’ days of fishing on Kootenay Lake

Lake temperatures ideal

Photo: Kerry Reed

The snow is disappearing fast and the weather is warming up, just in time for spring break and the latest Kootenay Lake fishing report.

February started off mild and provided some decent fishing for the middle of winter and, as the month continued, we saw some cooler temperatures for a week or two and the water temperature finally dropped to winter temperatures.

As usual in the winter, when the water temperature drops, the fish’s metabolism slows down. This means that they take longer to digest and they don’t have to feed as often. However, when they feed, it’s on. So, the past month gave us some unreal days of fishing followed by some slow days when the fish were full.

Some of the crazy days we had were consistent bites throughout the day, landing up to 14 rainbow trout on that magic feeding day. Rainbows up to eight pounds have been caught in the past few weeks, as well as the odd bull trout.

What are they biting on?

The rainbow trout have been hitting on our favourite lux flies.

Lucky numbers: 203, 204, 210 and 223 have been our best. And our go-to secret spoon has been catching both rainbow and the odd bull trout on the surface. The magic Gibbs croc in the hammered brass/fire stripe has been our favourite.

And for the downriggers, we have been running the usual STS flasher, or the yellow/green mist flasher followed by the green pistachio “hoochie.” The bites on the downrigger have been few and far between, but when the bull trout are biting, we’ve been getting them between 80–150 feet.

Stay tuned for more reports as we plan on spending more and more time on the water as the weather warms up.

And remember, you just have to put your time in at this time of year. Some days might be slow, but one of the days is going to be a feeding frenzy.

Hope this helps with your next adventure.

Tight lines….

Captain Kerry

Salmo's fire department is below budget, but it's for a good reason

Salmo fire below budget

Photo: Village of Salmo

The Village of Salmo's fire service revenue was lower than initial projections for the 2024 fiscal budget year.

During a Salmo village council meeting on March 11, councillors noted fire department budget estimated revenues of up to $98,500. Despite this, the actual amount received was $71,000.

The lower revenue was attributed to reduced operational costs including fuel, maintenance and equipment replacements and repairs as well as a warmer winter season, which led to fewer expenses.

Provincial grants also had an impact.

In November 2024, the department received a $29,324.43 grant from the provincial government to put toward new equipment.

The funding was part of a B.C. wide initiative set up to enhance the effectiveness of rural volunteer fire departments. This came after a significant fire that damaged the historic Salmo Hotel which the department tackled with assistance from the Ymir Fire Department.

As a response, Salmo council has adjusted the 2025 projection to $73,000 to account for a small inflation increase.

Four fire protection departments receive boost from province for training, equipment

Fire protection grants

Photo: RDCK website

Over $700,000 is flowing into the region from the province for fire protection services equipment and training for volunteer and composite fire departments.

Through the Community Emergency Preparedness Fund (CEPF), the province is providing the money to benefit four fire departments in the Kootenay-Boundary that are wholly or partially staffed with volunteer firefighters.

The funding is expected to help build the capacity of volunteer and composite fire departments to prepare and respond to emergencies through the purchase of new or replacement equipment and the expansion of firefighter training. Composite fire departments are those that have a mix of paid staff and volunteers.

At the top of the local list is the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) which will receive $503,802 for equipment and training, to be used throughout the 16 separate fire protection services it coordinates.

Of these services, six are contracts with municipal fire departments and one is with a neighbouring regional district. The remaining 11 fire services have 17 fire halls. All RDCK fire departments are operated on a volunteer basis, 24-hours a day, 365-days a year.

“In addition to providing fire protection, RDCK firefighters are well known for their strong contribution to specialty services such as jaws of life extrication, first responder programs, confined space rescue, swift water and still water rescue,” noted the RDCK fire services website.

Just to the west, the Kootenay Boundary Regional District’s regional fire rescue (KBRFR) service will receive $134,955 for equipment, training and a live fire training facility upgrade.

KBRFR service is a full service department created in 1982 as a regional fire service with six fire stations. The six fire stations provide overlapping coverage for a large fire protection area protecting approximately 25,000 residents.

Also in the same announcement, the Nakusp fire department will be granted $40,000 for equipment upgrades, and Nelson’s Fire and Rescue Services will be receiving $39,864 for personal protective equipment and Fire Officer II training.

Discover the intricacies of weaving through this hands-on workshop

Crafts you can't be-weave

Photo: Kootenay Crafted Artisan Shop

This April, Kootenay Crafted Artisan Shop in Balour is offering a series of hands-on weaving workshops.

Classes are open to individuals of all skill levels, and participants will have three sessions to choose from:

• Introduction to Weaving: A one-day beginner workshop to create a scarf;
• Colour and Weave: An advanced beginner class focused on creating a table runner; and
• Interlocked: An intermediate session exploring clasped the intricacies of weft weaving.

Each workshop runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs $100 to participate.

Spots are limited, and anyone interested can message the Sheleigh Peers Fibre Art or the Kootenay Crafted Artisan Shop on Facebook to register.

Workforce housing plan is too vague for council to collaborate just yet, Salmo officials say

Workforce housing proposal

Photo: Village of Salmo

A housing task force is exploring ways to bring workforce housing to Salmo, either by building it directly or establishing new policies supporting its development.

Community Futures Central Kootenay is currently considering partnerships with Nelson and other local housing initiatives to establish more workforce housing in the area.

During a Salmo village council meeting on March 11, councillors discussed the need for more concrete answers before committing to a partnership.

“I asked a lot of questions of, 'How does that work?'” said Salmo Mayor Diana Lockwood. “Because there's no legislation on workforce housing.”

Lockwood noted that workforce housing does not necessarily require residents to work within the Salmo area, which she said raised her concerns on how enforcement would play out.

“Somebody could say, 'I've retired, and I want to stay here.' So with the legislation the way it is, even if you had a written contract, you wouldn't be able to remove them if needed.”

Workforce housing is designed to support middle-income earners who struggle to afford market rent rates but who don’t quite qualify for low-income housing programs.

“Area G can't say they're going to build 25 apartments right here because they don't have the infrastructure that a municipality has. So, in the Local Government Act (LGA), it doesn't allow them to do that,” said Lockwood.

The LGA provides municipalities with a framework for land use, infrastructure development and community services.

Lockwood acknowledged that the housing would need to be zoned as a multi-unit residential designation that is not tied to a specific building type to adhere to the current requirements.

Many local advocacy groups have been pushing for changes to the LGA to allow electoral areas to have a greater role in local housing developments.

“Making changes to the LGA isn't a simple or easy process,” said Salmo chief administrative officer (CAO) Derek Kwiatkowski.

“There is a significant difference in what is allowed between municipalities such as Salmo, rural districts and regional districts. Particularly when it comes to property development.”

Kwiatkowski said that he believes that due to the stage of the proposal, the council has requested to be presented with more information in order to decide how to collaborate.

“So that's really what the mayor was speaking to is that the difference between what municipalities and urban municipalities can do for development versus regional districts.

“There’s a slight different framework.”

Council said that they are waiting for a more detailed plan from the workforce housing task force before making a decision.

Intro to living mindfully talk upcoming at Nelson Library

Being mindful at library

Photo: Submitted

Modern life can be overwhelming.

How do we approach our busy days mindfully instead of with just a full mind? That very question is the topic of the “Intro to Living Mindfully” talk happening at the Nelson Library on Saturday, March 15, 7 p.m.

During the event, attendees will explore how adopting a healthy daily routine based on ancient Ayurvedic wisdom can reduce stress, improve productivity, and enhance long-term well-being. If you are a student or live with a student, this session may be of particular interest as a way to prepare for all the milestones and stresses that come with the end of the school year.

Studies show that, whether we realize it or not, our daily habits and routines deeply impact how we feel, how well we perform, and our overall happiness and this talk will explore how we can tweak those daily habits for our benefit.

Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old medical system from India, offers simple yet powerful practices that, when implemented consistently, support a balanced and healthy life. The talk will cover how daily habits can be tweaked to change the way we feel.

The introduction will be taught by Jordann who is an Ayurvedic practitioner, psychotherapist, and yoga teacher. She is also the founder of East and West Integrative Wellness and her approach blends Western therapeutic practices with the healing wisdom of Ayurveda and yoga.

“Ayurveda and yoga have supported me and my clients to live not only more consciously, but also with greater ease and joy,” she said. “Right now, more than ever, connecting with the natural rhythms of nature is so important to our individual and collective healing.

“I hope that this workshop inspires people to connect more intimately with themselves and the natural world, so they can find balance and harmony by nourishing themselves with wholesome foods, a good night's rest, movement, fresh air, and calming activities to soothe the mind, body, and nervous system,” she added.

Three Kootenay communities issue joint submission to the AKBLG to address homelessness and public safety concerns

Joint resolution for AKBLG

Photo: Samantha Holomay, Flickr, Colin Dacre

Nelson, Castlegar and Trail municipal councils have issued a joint resolution to the Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments (AKBLG) to be presented for consideration at the upcoming convention in April.

All three municipalities have cited a lack of resources for mental heath resources and addiction treatment as crucial issues that have contributed greatly to the increase of their street populations.

Trail council has endorsed the motion that was discussed during a March 10 meeting.

The proposal states that the current system in southeastern B.C. does not have enough detoxification or supporting housing services, which they stated has forced residents to leave their communities to seek proper treatment.

The collaborative task force seeks to develop a regional homeless strategy and increase funding for public safety and policing from direct grants through government programs.

The resolution also asks that there be more funding put towards community safety and crime prevention plans under the Reaching Home program for specialized policing units and mental health response teams.

Just this week, the B.C. government announced that they would be putting $230 million towards policing over the next three years across the province to bulk up specialized units and rural police forces.

The resolution will be considered during the AKBLG convention and, if accepted, will be forwarded for consideration at the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) convention. The AKBLG's 92nd annual AGM and Convention is scheduled to occur April 25-27 in Kimberly at the Kimberly Conference Centre.