Monthly Archives: September 2010

Kootenay Network celebrates its official launch

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While the Inthekoots (the Kootenay Network) has been online since the summer, the online community officially celebrates its launch this week.

A few of the people behind, and in front of, the Kootenay Network. Clockwise from top left: Bill Metcalfe, Julia Gilmor, Rik Logtenberg, Jenna Semenoff, Sonja Podstawskyj and Chris Shepherd.

Found at www.inthekoots.com, Rik Logtenberg created the network with the aim to give every Kootenay residents, businesses and organizations a voice in an entirely new way that makes the most of what the Internet has to offer.

“The Internet is so big and full of distraction that people are losing touch with their communities,” says Logtenberg. “The Kootenay Network is a place where people are reconnecting with the Kootenays and discovering all the amazing things that are happening here.’

The network allows any Kootenay resident to create a personal blog (an online journal) and write about what matters most to them.

The network allows any Kootenay organization or business to set up an online presence that is instantly connected to the residents of the area.

The network allows any Kootenay resident to become a reporter for their community by working with the collection of professional journalists and writers who provide some of the key writing at the heart of the network.

Logtenberg says the network has already formed partnerships with various community groups and businesses who are using the Kootenay Network in innovative marketing campaigns.

People are already sharing their stories with others online and discussing the issues that matter most to people in the Kootenays. Through that sharing, new friendships and connections have formed.

So far, the Kootenay Network has websites dedicated to gardening, food, sustainability, climbing the arts, and news and there are plans to expand that list.

The network is already helping community groups like ANKORS, organizations like Touchstones Nelson, and businesses like the Kootenay Coop and Snap Botanicals to connect to the community in a deeper and more meaningful way.

The network’s news sites (so far there is News In The Kootenays and The Nelson Post) have broken important stories for the communities they serve, bringing the news quickly and accurately to readers and providing people with ways they can help tell the story.

In it’s third month since the soft launch, the network is already serving over 17,000 people and has been viewed nearly 100,000 since it was created. Considering that’s all been by word of mouth, Logtenberg is greatly encouraged by the future of the network.

The network’s creators, contributors and supporters look forward to adding to those numbers.

To celebrate, the Kootenay Network is hosting a party in Nelson. To receive an invite, please email hello@inthekoots.net.

Myers lands speaking role in The Tall Man

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When Lucas Myers returned to Nelson he figured that was the end of any chance he’d have at acting in a TV show or even a movie, so there’s a great bit of irony for the local actor that it’s here in Nelson that he landed a speaking role in the Hollywood film The Tall Man.

Myers dressed as Deputy Campbell ahead of his audition for The Tall Man. Photo courtesy of Lucas Myers.

Myers can’t give out man details about his role, other than he’ll be Deputy Campbell, he has four lines, will be in three scenes and he will be “working” with actress Jessica Biel who is starring in the thriller that’s being filmed throughout the West Kootenay.

Landing the role is a bit ironic for Myers, who worked as a stage actor in Vancouver and had a fair bit of work as an extra (known as a background performer in the biz).

Myers never made a serious effort at breaking into television or movies. He didn’t want to shell out the $500 for glossy headshots or hire an agent, both necessary to get a role with actual dialogue in Vancouver, known as Hollywood North and home to several TV shows and used in many Hollywood movies.

Myers shares a story of a friend who bought the photos, hired the agent and spent a year trying to get work. The result: one line in a show.

“That’s the great irony for me,” says Myers. “I’ve come back to quote-unquote Nowhereville where I expected my career to die.”

He’s careful to say he doesn’t think of Nelson as Nowhereville, but to the outside world, especially the movie industry, Nelson is the hinterland.

Instead, he’s built a successful career as a one-man performer on stage and now he has four lines and three scenes in a Hollywood production.

Myers says it’s a good chance he wouldn’t have had the same chances of getting the role if the movie was filmed in the Lower Mainland.

Lucas Myers at the casting call for The Tall Man. Photo by Chris Shepherd.

Myers went to one of several open casting calls for The Tall Man. He arrived dressed in his best “small-town” attire, a costume he made up from a character he created called Randy the Benevolent Redneck.

He got a call back, practiced the lines he was given and arrived at the second audition dressed for the part he was auditioning for: Deputy Campbell.

Dress the part

Arriving in character helped, Myers says.

“When I went to acting school, I was told that when you go to an audition you should go dressed as the part. I thought it was so dorky,” Myers admits.

But after going to a few auditions for commercials, Myers saw how effective it was to dress up.

Myers rented clothes from the Captiol Theatre’s costume department and arrived dressed as a deputy.

“They loved it,” Myers says of the casting crew’s reaction. “It’s true. Dressing up as the part helps.”

Myers doesn’t expect his part in The Tall Man to lead to anything else. He’s looking forward to the experience of being in a big Hollywood production and then expects to continue on with his career, creating one-man shows and holding the attention of a theatre full of people all by himself.

In fact, this weekend Myers is performing at the Capitol Theatre. DECK: How I Instigated The Overcame an Existential Crisis Through Home Improvement tells the story of a man’s struggle to repair his deck and the identity crisis that came from that.

Kimberley struggles with dogs

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Here’s a story that will resonate with some Nelson residents: The City of Kimberley is struggling with how to get people to pick up after their dogs.

Kimberley is looking for ways to get dog owners to pick up after their pets. Photo source: Aoife city womanchile, Flickr, Creative Commons.

One councillor has suggested the city get tougher in its current bylaw by requiring dog owners to carry plastic bags to pick up the offending deposits.

However, Mayor Jim Ogilvie pointed out the city has no right to stop and search people looking for plastic bags, so the best they can do is remind people to be more considerate of others.

The current bylaw says people can’t let their dog defecate on a street, in a public space or on private property unless they immediately remove the excrement.

If they don’t, it’s a $30 fine.

Read the full story at the Kimberley Daily Bulletin.

Big renos at Nelson’s movie theatre

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Lovers of the big screen in Nelson will soon have a up-to-date theatre to enjoy their shows in, once major renovations to the space on Vernon Street are complete.

“We’re gutting it right now,” says Kirk Nielsen.

Kirk Nielsen in the theatre he's renovating and hopes to have open near the end of October. Photo by Chris Shepherd.

He’s the new operator of the theatre, re-named Nelson Cinemax when he took over.

Nielsen isn’t exaggerating when he says “gutting.”

The ticket booth at the lobby has been torn out, the concession stand is in pieces, the office is near empty and there are piles of old chairs, curtains and other paraphernalia around the building.

Nielsen carries around a flashlight in his pocket as he gives a tour of the space, pointing out the features that are going and the new things coming to the 75-year-old space.

Behind a poster on the wall he found the original ticket booth and will restore the space to its original purpose. A marble plaque commemorating the Nelson Civic Centre’s construction (1935 to 1936) sits in the old office, waiting for its new home in the renovated lobby.

For the taller members of the community, news that Nielsen is getting rid of the old chairs will be most welcome. The old seats are 18 inches wide and the rows are fairly close together. Nielsen is getting rid of those in favour of larger, 22 inch seats with high backs and cup holders.

The old seats won’t end up in the landfill if Nielsen can help it, either. He’s selling them for a dollar a piece, with the proceeds going to the Kootenay Lake Hospital Auxiliary’s Nelson chapter. So far 250 of the 764 seats have been spoken for.

The new theatre will have 440 of the new seats, arranged in a staggered formation Nielsen will improve viewing.

“Right now you might as well be riding a bus,” he says, looking at the way the old seats are arranged with one directly behind the other.

The crying room is a good thing. Really.

New to the theatre will be what Nielsen calls a crying room. This is a space dedicated to parents with young children who either start misbehaving or mothers who are nursing.

The crying room is a sound-proofed room with one-way glass that gives parents privacy and avoids disturbing the other movie goers from any crying children. A speaker pipes in the audio from the movie so parents don’t miss the story.

Nielsen will also replace the screen with one that will give a brighter picture. Nielsen has plans to eventually bring in 3D capability but that will come later, he says.

He’ll also upgrade the sound system from the current mono system (which is a huge monolith behind the screen) to surround sound.

Nielsen hopes to open the theatre near the end of October.

The original stage lights at the theatre. Photo by Chris Shepherd.

Live entertainment will also form part of Nielsen’s offerings. During the tour of the site, he points out the working lights in the floor of the stage and the trap door that leads to the old orchestra pit. Above the screen a web of ropes connected to pulleys hint at the theatre’s ability to do more than just show movies.

Nielsen wants to bring in theatre acts, comedians and bands.

Nielsen says he’s been speaking with the City of Nelson about his plans and they’ve encouraged him to work with the Capitol Theatre to ensure there’s no overlap or competition between the two theatres. Nielsen says there’s even a chance the two will be able to work together on some future arts festivals.

No stranger to movie theatres or Nelson

Running a movie theatre isn’t new to Nielsen. He bought his first theatre in his home town of Vanderhoof at the age of 18 and runs three theatres in total. He has 32 years of experience running movie theatres in B.C.

Nielsen has family in the area and has been skiing at Whitewater and Red Mountain for years.

For the latest information on the theatre, visit the Nelson Cinemax website or its Facebook page.

For more images from The Nelson Post’s tour of the theatre, visit our Facebook page.

Breast feeding challenge coming up

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PRESS RELEASE from Interior Health

  • What: Breast feeding challenge
  • When: Saturday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m.
  • Where: Chahko-Mika Mall, 1116 Lakeside Dr.

Breast milk is nature's perfect baby food. Photo source: sidminor81, Flickr, Creative Commons.

This Saturday, mothers and babies at sites around the world will compete to set the record for the most babies breastfeeding at one time. The events are also a chance to celebrate moms and babies and the role that breastfeeding plays in nurturing healthy infants and families.

Breast milk is nature’s perfect baby food. It creates zero waste, provides the exact nutrition your baby requires, protects against infant and childhood illnesses and infections and helps reduce the risk of asthma, obesity, diabetes and SIDS. Breast milk also improves cognitive ability, and promotes bonding, attachment, brain growth, higher IQ, vision/central nervous system development, jaw and facial development. Mothers who breastfeed also benefit from nursing: they are less likely to develop breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.

The World Health Organization recommends early initiation and exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age and continued breastfeeding with the introduction of solid food for two years or beyond. Yet even with all of the benefits to mothers and babies, in B.C., less than 50 per cent of moms are nursing at six months, despite over a 90 per cent nursing rate when moms and babies leave the hospital after birth. World Breastfeeding Week is a time to draw attention to the benefits of breastfeeding, and create awareness among new moms of the importance of early and continued breastfeeding.

This year’s World Breastfeeding Week Theme is: Just 10 Steps! Breastfeeding The Baby Friendly Way. The 10 steps are part of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, launched by the World Health Organization and Unicef. The 10 steps refer to specific things that healthcare providers can do to support breastfeeding, such as not offering breast milk substitutes, feeding bottles, or soothers.

Lactation consultants and public health nurses are available at Public Health Units across Interior Health to assist mothers and infants during the breastfeeding years, and to ensure families have all of the help they need to give babies the best start in life.

The Breastfeeding Challenge is sponsored by the Quintessence Foundation, a non-profit group providing education to parents and professionals about breastfeeding.

For more information about Nelson’s event, contact Myrna Lindblom, public health nurse, at (250) 505-7205.

Myers on DECK

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When Lucas Myers renovated the deck at his Nelson home, he was faced with a bit of crisis. He’s a perfectionist, see, and when confronted with the demands of carpentry, he had, at times, to compromise on perfection and just shove a shim in there and make it work.

Andreas, left, and Cliv. Not Clive.

It was this experience that led the Nelson-based actor to his latest one-man show: DECK: How I Instigated Then Overcame an Existential Crisis Through Home Improvement.

Like most of Myers’ shows, it’s him, and him only, portraying multiple characters telling a story that will ring familiar to anyone who’s wielded a hammer or knows someone who has.

“Every time I mention the show and some details, people say ‘Aahhh,’” says Myers. They’ve all been there, he says.

That’s what distinguishes all of his shows. They take common situations in people’s lives and put a spin on them that takes it in a new, but familiar direction.

DECK tells the story of Cliv – not Clive – a father who loses big during the recent economic crisis. Cliv decides to star fresh in a small town. Cliv aspires to be an eco-conscious back-to-the-lander but things go sideways on him when his new home’s deck is in need of obvious repair.

“The deck represents his attempt at living this lifestyle,” says Myers. “His inability to do it ends up leading to this crisis.”

Fortunately for Cliv, and the audience, he meets Andreas, a free spirit who comes in to help Cliv get the job done.

The dynamic duo.

Andreas is the guy we all know, says Myers. The guy with perhaps too much free time but who has skills in carpentry.

While DECK is based on Myers’ own adventures in carpentry, he avoided any major existential angst, something he credits to his father-in-law, a building inspector.

The father-in-law would show up almost every day and give Myers some pointers (“He was my deck guru.”) to guide him through the process.

Cliv and Andreas make their own way through the adventure of carpentry at the Capitol Theatre on Friday, Oct. 1 and Saturday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m. Tickets are available online, by phone or at the theatre.

Nelson Landing developer announces public meeting

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The developer behind the Nelson Landing project has released his latest vision for some of Nelson’s last waterfront property and will meet with residents in October to talk about the development.

The latest document from Sorensen Fine Homes (available here) gives a detailed look at the plans for the 12.5 acre proposal that would add 190 housing units to the former Kootenay Forest Product Lands.

A view of the proposed changes to the PECO decks, taken from the rezoning application for Nelson Landing.

David Sorensen, owner of Sorensen Fine Homes, declined to speak with The Nelson Post about the specifics of his project, citing a desire to let his website speak for itself and to not overstep the city’s “process and protocol.”

Sorensen did tell the Post he would personally present the designs on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the property.

There’ll be a tent, hot cider and posters of Sorensen’s plans

“I’ll be standing there and do my best to answer questions,” Sorensen says. “I want to do it on the site so I can point at the locations and the posters.”

There have been some concerns about the development raised in the community. Herb Couch – along with his wife, Kathy, and Anthony Hill – organized a tour of the property in question in early September to make people aware of the project. Specifically, Couch is worried the project will ruin the forest that surrounds Red Sands Beach, a clothing optional beach to the east of Nelson.

Click here for a map of the proposed development.

Some changes around Red Sands Beach

In this most recent document, Sorensen has proposed four triplexes next to the beach. This is one less than the developer suggested in his first presentation in March 2010.

Another view of David Sorensen's proposal for Nelson Landing, taken from the rezoning application.

Also missing from the March document is a single-family home Sorensen had proposed to build on the east side of the beach. That house is gone and replaced by a public gazebo.

Sorensen’s plans still include public parking for eight cars and washrooms.

That’s too much development, says Couch.

“It’s not just about the beach,” Couch says. “It’s about the natural forest around Red Sands.”

Couch says the four triplexes to the west of the beach would destroy the feel of the area.

Regardless of the number of triplexes that may go beside the beach, The Nelson Post has learned the City of Nelson could end up managing the beach and if it does, it would be for everyone, not just clothing-optional enthusiasts, says the mayor. Read that story here.

City could end up managing Red Sands Beach

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The City of Nelson could end up taking charge of Red Sands Beach and if it does, it will run the eastern-waterfront beach for everyone, not just those who want a clothing-optional venue, says Mayor John Dooley.

This image from the Nelson Landing rezoning application, shows the relationship between the triplexes and Red Sands Beach.

In an interview with The Nelson Post, Dooley said the city and David Sorensen, owner of Sorensen Fine Homes, have been talking about Red Sands Beach and its future.

Sorensen has proposed a 190-unit development near the beach, called Nelson Landing, and cover 12.5 acres. Sorensen has also proposed building a hotel and other commercial spaces making use of the PECO decks on the land.

Click here for a map of the area.

These lands surround Red Sands Beach, a clothing-optional beach, and users are worried about having homes right by the beach.

“If we’re going to be in charge of that beach it will have to be open to the greater community,” says Dooley.

Users of Red Sands Beach have voiced their concerns about the fate of the beach since Nelson Landing was first announced in 2008.

The area around the park is zoned as a park though it is privately owned land, so the zoning only affects what the owner can do with it, not access.

Sorenson has asked for the area to be rezoned.

At issue is the beach itself is public land.

Herb Couch, who also maintains a Facebook group that wants to preserve land around the beach from development, was happy to hear Dooley’s comments about the beach itself, but he has other concerns.

“Whether it’s clothing optional or not is not important to [my wife] Kathy and I,” Couch says. “We just want it to stay public.”

Couch’s concerns lie with the proximity of houses to the beach itself. He says there is precious little waterfront left in Nelson and the proposed development will take away some of what’s left.

“We don’t have an overabundance of waterfront access.”

Sorensen has just unveiled his latest vision for the lands in a new rezoning application. Read about it here.

Nelson man trapped by Bella Coola flooding

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All Steve Ogle had in mind was a day and half of good fishing in Bella Coola, plans that were washed away by the torrential rains and flooding that unexpectedly hammered B.C.’s Central Coast, cutting off communities as bridges washed out.

The Bailey Bridge connects residents on the north-side of the Bella Coola River with the rest of the Valley. Photo by Steve Ogle, steveogle.ca

Ogle, a Nelson resident, works seasonally for the Nature Conservancy of Canada at a bird observatory in the Chilcotin and he drove to Bella Coola just before a major storm dropped 204 millimetres of rain overnight, starting on Friday, Sept. 24.

Ogle has been in touch with The Nelson Post by email, sending messages from the lodge he’s staying just outside Bella Coola.

I realized I was stuck down here when I couldn’t drive 10km either side of where I was camped, because either a bridge was demolished or the river took over the road. The spot that I parked my van last night ended up with about 2m of water rushing through, so I was lucky I woke up at 3am and saw it starting to flow around me. Yikes.

Ogle writes the community’s spirits are strong and people continue to help each other out. The owners of the Nasatsum River Lodge, where Ogle is staying, have taken in some of their friends and helped them recover some personal property. The owner of the Hagensborg Mercentile, the main store in the area Ogle is staying, even opened up his shop despite having to defend what Ogle describes as a “de facto” island, created by the flooding. The shop owner is separated from his wife, who is at their home on the other side of the Bella Coola River.

Click here for a map of the area Ogle is trapped in.

Ogle doesn’t know when he’ll get out of the area. He expects he’ll end up getting out on a temporary ferry planned to help people get out.

The Hagensborg area, where Ogle is, is under an evacuation order by the Central Coast Regional District.

The situation isn’t over either. The CBC is reporting 80 millimetres are expected to fall by Tuesday, potentially bringing more flooding the area.

Ogle has shared two videos he’s shot in the flooded area.