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Keishia Treber is this issue's Artist in Profile. See Page 2 for her story. WINTER '11/'12 Issue #27 FREE! Revelstoke's Arts, Culture and Lifestyles Publication reved Quarterly
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Keishia Treber is this issue's Artist in Profile.See Page 2 for her story.
WINTER '11/'12 Issue #27
FREE!
Revelstoke's Arts, Culture and Lifestyles PublicationrevedQ
uarterly
Artist in Profile
From a basement studio in her Kamloops home, Keishia Treber is rising
up in B.C.'s art community one brushstroke at a time.
“When I wake up bright and early all I can think about is pouring myself a hot cup of tea and painting all day with my cats.”
This may not sound like a terribly lofty goal unless, of course, you are an artist and painting for a career. Only 23 years of age, composed and confident, Keishia is well on her way to success.
“I have been painting professionally for about three years now,” she explains over a steaming mocha. Born and raised in Revelstoke Keishia took her first painting classes during high school from local artist, Cecilia Lea.
Then in 2006, Keishia attended Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, graduating in 2008 with a Fine Arts Diploma. Since then, her work has showcased in galleries, artist co-operatives, cof-fee shops and restaurants in Revelstoke, Kamloops, Kelowna and Abbotsford.
“I’ve always loved to create so I knew I had to take fine arts in univer-sity but I didn’t think I’d be a painter until I took a painting course in my second year studies,” she confides, explaining how first year fo-cused on basic techniques such as making 54 shades of every colour.
Keishia paints with professional grade acrylics on canvas, wood and glass and also uses watercolour as a wash to create depth or a drip-ping effect. Modern acrylic paint versus classic oil allows her the use of multimedia, which creates more visual interest through different textures and layers. Her work is identifiable by her flowing women, glass abstractions and textured mountain landscapes. Inspired by fashion and the female figure, her paintings have a distinctly femin-ine flavour. She is perhaps most well-known for her signature piece, Eyes of Wonder, the sinuous blue woman gazing skyward often re-ferred to as The Blue Lady, gracing the front cover of this issue.
Besides Keishia's obvious talent, a lot of her success can be attribut-ed to an entrepreneurial spirit that runs in the family. She has always wanted to do her own thing instead of working for someone else.
“It is a wonderful life being your own boss and creating your own path. You can often find me painting into the wee hours of the night as I am the most creative at night.” The young painter spends a lot of time marketing herself and her artwork as well as social networking on artist websites such as etsy.com. Getting her name out in cyber world has paid off. She has sold original paintings, prints, magnets and cards to buyers as far away as Texas, Australia and Britain.
One of her biggest successes thus far was a commission for a wealthy couple from Reno to display in their condo in Revelstoke's Nelson Lodge.
“It’s the biggest painting I’ve ever done,” Keishia says of the three panel acrylic on canvas titled Begbie at Dusk. The centre panel measures 7x4 ft and the two outside panels 5x2 ft. Completed in the summer of 2009, the painting took two months of full-time work to perfect.
“I had no studio and was living with four roommates,” she laughs, explaining how she had to put down tarps and stand on a chair to reach most of the painting.
Lately, Keishia has been experimenting with painting on glass. These abstracts are not representative of anything other than “the joy of colour, shape and texture.” She explains how they are created on the reverse side of the glass so the artist must essentially paint them backwards, beginning with the outer layer and working in. Toying with the idea of painting glass panels to inlay in furniture, she has made one coffee table which she couldn’t part with and has kept for own use.
Another exciting twist in her artistic career is being approached by a snowboard company wanting to have her work printed on their boards.
“I'm not sure if it will be this year or next that they will be avail-able for purchase. It's just finding the right size and colour format to complement a snowboard,” she explains.
A heady combination of style, talent and marketing savvy, Keishia’s future as a painter looks bright. However painting is not her only craft:
“I crave variety so I started taking wire wrapping classes,” she says. Keishia’s creations twist and turn in elegant little designs of sterling silver wire to embrace gemstones used in necklaces, earrings and bracelets. These can be viewed, along with her paintings, at Art First, the artist co-operative on First Street of which Keishia is a member.
One may be forgiven for assuming the life of a painter is one of idle pleasure but success means not just talent but drive and hard work. Keishia will be doing her third solo show this year at the Kamloops Courthouse Art Gallery in December as well as Christmas craft shows in Penticton, Vernon, Kamloops, Kelowna and Vancouver. She was recently featured as the cover artist in Kamloops Currents, a Kamloops Daily News insert, and one of her textured tree paint-ings won the cover contest for Arrival Kamloops Magazine. She has completed over 100 works this year alone.
So what does the future hold? Next year Keishia plans to apply to galleries in some bigger centres like Calgary and Vancouver, a big step for a small town painter. She is hopeful but realistic.
“You have to expect to be burnt a few times,” she says with a good-natured smile. “Not everyone is going to love your work.”
Currently Keishia’s work adorns walls throughout Revelstoke. Her paintings can also be viewed at Sangha Bean, Energy Matters, The Cabin, Style Trends, Art First and the Woolsey Creek Bistro.
Visit her website at www.ktreber.com
Keishia Treber Paints Her Path by Alison Lapshinoff
Career painter, Keishia Treber. Photo: Staci Murray
"Catch of the Day"
"Revelstoke's Vert"
"Glow"
"Enchantment"
Photo of Keishia Treber's original "Begbie Glow." All photos of paintings supplied by Keishia Treber.
WHAT'S IN THERE?Pg.2 ArtistinProfile Pg.3 Editorial
Pg.4 VolunteerJob-Pick
Pg.5 What'sYourBiz'ness
Pg.6 WhatMatters; FromTheStreets
Pg.7 HealthandYou Pg.8 TheScene
Pg.9 MusicNotes Pg.10 Healthand Wellness; Sleeps and Eats
3
revedBox 2126Revelstoke, B.C.V0E [email protected]
Publisher/editor Heather Lea [email protected]
Ad sales/marketingHeather [email protected]
Design/layoutHeather [email protected]
Proof/editsLea [email protected]
Staff writersAlison LapshinoffColin TitsworthPauline Hunt
DistributionAmaiur Unzueta
Reved Quarterly is independently owned and funded solely by the community of Revelstoke. We publish in March, June, September and December. We print between 12,000 and 15,000 copies per year and distribute to over 200 locations in Revelstoke and surrounding cities such as Golden, Nelson, Vernon, Kelowna and Vancouver. ALL CONTENT COPYRIGHT 2011 by Reved Publications. No portion shall be reproduced in any way, digital or written, unless written consent is given by Reved Publications.
Editorial
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Leaving the Comfort Zoneby Heather Lea
Years ago a movie called Yes Man came out starring Jim Carrey. The movie’s theme was based around a miserable character, who is one day challenged to say yes to everything he is invited to or is asked to do. He is lured into some crazy situations but inevitably his life gets better and the movie ends with him as a happier man.
This past September, I volunteered for a month at spiritual retreat centre on Vancouver Island. The same principal was implied. We were encouraged to say yes to absolutely everything we were invited to or asked to do. Considering myself more or less of a 'Yes Woman', I didn’t think this would be much of a challenge - I’m up for almost anything. But within three days I stood twitching uncomfortably in a circle holding hands with strangers on a weekend spiritual retreat forced to sing a sort of gospel chant. These people were clapping and singing their heads off and laughing uncontrollably and garg-ling deep throaty noises from within their souls. It felt carnal and way beyond my grasp and although they all seemed over-the-moon happy, it felt a little like a nut house. As soon as was politely pos-sible, I broke free, shaking the creepy feeling off my shoulders like ice water and ran off somewhere that felt more normal.
Almost every time an opportunity lands in my lap, I take it, whether or not it seems to fit my personality. I might feel embar-rassed or out of place but still, I trust my instincts and am rare-ly steered wrong. In business and in my personal life I’ve taken risks that keep me awake at night but so far, the end result has been worthwhile. I bought a house with people I barely knew and seven years later, we have the same house and a great friendship. Starting this very publication over six years ago when statistics told me 80 per cent of small businesses fail within the first five years and then to test that theory further by deciding on a highly competitive, low-paying vocation like publishing...yet it's been one of the more suc-cessful things I've done in my life.
Leaving your comfort zone can bring great rewards. It might be something as simple as taking a different route to work one day or as intimidating as moving away from your hometown. Chances are the change from routine will open new doors, as has been proven to me.
But that doesn’t mean I’m always comfortable with my choices. A few years ago during a two-month writing course in Vancouver, our instructor assigned us to leave our comfort zones and write about it. There would be a prize for the best story. On my ride home I schemed and conspired; what would be the last thing in the world I’d want to do? Let a spider crawl down my neck? Sleep overnight in a dumpster? Call up an ex-boyfriend?
These ideas made me squirm but none were as show-stopping as the idea to attend a speed dating event. I’d heard about these things and thought they must be the epitome of discomfort. Personally, it went against my grain like petting a cat backwards. The idea that people get three minutes to ‘pitch’ their worthiness as a mate to the opposite sex within an incredibly unfair amount of time and are then asked to go home and wait for a call if they have any ‘match-es’…why would anyone invite this kind of pressure on themselves? I was curious about these people.
And so I found myself in a position of utmost anxiety, enduring the evening only by fabricating stories about my life to each of the men I met. When it was over I raced home to write the story about being the most uncomfortable I’d ever been. The night had been more or less uneventful so for the story to be good it needed to expose my ego and vulnerability. People love hearing about others' discomfort.
On Monday I read my story to the class, got a standing ovation, won a crappy prize and erased the memory from my head forevermore. But at least I won.
Why would we ever want to leave our comfort zones? Why is there even a phrase for that? Does it not seem sort of self-sabotaging? Yet we do it all the time. Humans jump out of airplanes and hike around dangerous animals and get married to each other. We seek experiences that satisfy the urge to explore and test personal boundaries. These boundaries vary drastically for each of us but the overall effect is the same. We are curious to see what we can handle and are more often than not, surprised at our own bravery. It be-comes addicting to keep testing these boundaries, regardless of the end result; good or bad, embarrassing or empowering, uplifting or ego-slaughtering, we emerge from these uncomfortable places, bet-ter in our characters and stronger in our will.
In our society where emotions are stifled and kept at bay, leaving our comfort zones might be the one way in which we get to real-ly let loose in expressing ourselves. You can scream your head off bungee-jumping and no one’s going to care. In fact, it’s expected. It feels so good to scream like that but you’d never do it just walking down the street, no matter how much you’d like to. We are humans and we like to feel emotions. We like to cry and laugh and scream and sing but if we’re always living in a comfortable place, when do we get to let those emotions loose?
So congratulate yourself if you’ve ever felt weird, scared, embar-rassed or completely out of place. Chances are you've left your comfort zone and had an experience out of the ordinary. You were likely stating what was important to you by trying something new or breaking away from that which was expected of you. And that’s something that should feel comforting.
Cartoon design: Heather Lea
www.reved.net
revedonline
Soup and a Smile team from left to right: Joan McGregor, Deb Thibeault, Anne Merrit, Beth Campbell. Missing: Kelly Conn. Photo: Colin Titsworth
Revelstoke, BC [email protected] 250-837-5600
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this paper
Delicious aromas welcomed me into the Revel-stoke United Church on a blustery Monday after-noon. Soup was on the menu, as is the case every Monday from October to May when volunteers host, “Soup and a Smile.” This community pro-gram transfers donated food from local suppliers to a wide range of thankful people.
One of the loyal Monday cooks, Beth Campbell explains, “We serve between 65 and 80 people every week. They come from all walks of life, the needy, seniors, elementary and high school stu-dents, and other members of the community. It’s a great cross-section of our city’s population.”
The luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. but I arrived a few minutes early to watch the orchestrated food preparation. Four ladies buzzed around the spacious kitchen organizing trays of deserts, pots of soup, heaps of bread and carafes of coffee. I soon realized this weekly event is more than just a meal from a can.
Beth tells me, “All the soup is homemade and Cooper’s [Foods] donates all the bread, buns and most of the goodies we serve. It’s well received by all who come and we have our regulars who come for the social time as much as anything.”
I begin with a scrumptious piece of blueberry pie while watching streams of people filter through the doors and head for a warm bowl of either seafood chowder, vegetarian, turkey-vegetable or cauliflower and broccoli soups.
My table fills with friendly locals, who engage me into their conversations as though we have been friends for years.
United Church Reverend, Ken Jones, stopped by our table to say hello to a few familiar faces and summed-up another successful feast with the words, “Great food, great people and a great program.”
The suggested donation for this spread is be-
tween$0-$5 to help cover the costs of the oper-ation, which has been running now for five years.
I slurped down a bowl of clam chowder then headed back to the dessert table for a slab of coconut cream pie before thanking the cooks for a wonderful meal.
The volunteers at "Soup and a Smile" perform a soul-hugging duty for the community every week and I was grateful to be a recipient of their kind-ness. As I walked out the door Reverend Ken Jones invited me back and said, “This is a place where everyone is welcome.”
Join the Revelstoke United Church for Crystal Bowl Meditation from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m to 9:40 a.m. and Guided Crystal Bowl Meditation, Thursday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Pay by donation.
Need a Volunteer?The Revelstoke Community Centre has a bulletin board where groups, clubs or organizations can post their needs for volunteers. Simply fill out a form at the
front desk and the staff will post it. You can also:
Post for volunteers online at www.resc.ca. Click on ‘volunteer opportunities’ and follow the links.
Want to Volunteer?If you want to get involved and don’t
know where to go, check out the Revelstoke Community Centre volunteer bulletin board and www.resc.ca to see
what opportunities are waiting.
GROWLEARNLIVEGIVE
"Soup and a Smile" by Colin Titsworth
Volunteer Job-PickCelebrating Volunteers In Your Community
5
START-UP OR EXPANSION LOANSFREE AND CONFIDENTIAL
BUSINESS ADVICE
Located at 204 Campbell Avenue call 250-837-5345 for an appointment
www.revelstokecf.come-mail:[email protected]
Do you have a business idea and are not sure where to begin?
Call Community Futures
Provides integrated and accessible social services
to individuals and families in the community of Revelstoke.
250-837-2920314 - 2nd Street East
Revelstoke, B.C.E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.community-connections.ca
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS(REVELSTOKE SOCIETY)
WHAT'S YOUR BIZ'NESS?
Putting the Big Bend in Custom Skis by Pauline Hunt
Another sign of the emergence of Revelstoke as a bona fide ski centre is one of the newest businesses in town, Bigbend Skis.Entrepreneur Daryl Ross is the creator, designer and builder of these unique skis. Daryl has many years under his belt as a fine craftsman, having spent several years building homes, fine fur-niture and doing custom millwork. His additional background in architecture and years of skiing contribute to the technical design aspect of his skis.
Daryl spent time in the U.S. apprenticing under Matt Neuman, creator of Ullr skis. They, and Michael Lish of 333 skis, are work-ing to bring ski manufacturing back to its craftsman roots. Cur-rently Daryl is the only fully customizable ski builder in Canada.
“At the time I was kind of looking at it as a possible back burner hobby; try to get some skis built and see where it all landed. But as my last job contract finished up, it just seemed like a good time to transition into trying to make this happen.”
The process begins with an online build form for customers where factors such as ski length, style of skiing, terrain prefer-ences, what kind of ski they like or have liked in the past and the skier's size and ability are measured. Even if all this terminology is Greek to you, Daryl can help you decide on a suitable ski style.
“Some customers are very savvy and they know exactly what they want. That is probably about half of my customers right now,” explains Daryl, “The other half varies between knowing a little bit to not knowing anything about what they want.”
The process continues with e-mail and phone conversa-tions to figure out exactly what it is that they are looking for. Once the ski type has been chosen the cosmetic pref-erences are determined. The top sheet of the ski can be of three styles. First is a sublimated graphic, which means pretty
much any kind of drawing or photo or a combination of both can be placed on the ski from a computer file. The second option is a thin sheet of wood veneer with many types to choose from. The third style is a creative paper laminated to the top sheet. This involves a handmade style of paper, like a rice paper, which often shows the pattern and texture of the pulp. Different paper cutouts can be added as a design, such as a leaf or flower shape. Daryl has a pair of these skis currently in his studio and they grace the feet of one lucky lady.
There are other possible options such as more carbon fibre added to the ski for light-weight, perfect for a touring ski and in the future, a heavy-duty base for those who often find themselves amidst less-than-forgiving terrain. Daryl has different core materials in different thicknesses, which helps to lighten up swing weights (ease of turn in-itiation). Carbon fibre or kevlar fabrics can be interwoven into the fibreglass portion of the ski, which allows for lighter skis with the same strength and structural integrity. The vacuum process allows for dif-ferent elements into the structure of the skis, such as camber, no-cam-ber, rocker, twin tip, etc.
“Out of this first 25 pairs of skis there isn't one pair that are alike”, states Daryl, “The beauty of this manufacturing system is that it is not limited to the shape or the size of
a given cassette for a ski press. They are unique - like tattoos for your feet.”
Currently there are designated production runs. The first batch of skis for this season will be coming out at the beginning of De-cember. Daryl is currently focusing on only 25 pairs per produc-tion run to keep quality to a maximum so spots are filling up quickly. Bigbend Skis is also taking orders on an ongoing basis for people who can’t wait for the next build cycle.
Probably about two-thirds of the skis in the first production run are for local skiers. “I've had a lot of great support from friends and acquaintances here in Revelstoke. I had this list of people as I came back from my apprenticeship who expressed interest and said when you're ready to go, let us know,” explained Daryl. “A lot of those people have actually come through and placed orders, which is great.” The other 25 per cent is from random hits on the internet and word-of-mouth.
About plans for future expansion, Daryl maintains, “The most important thing to me right now is delivering a good, quality product people are psyched to get.”
Although very busy in the midst of completing this first produc-tion run, I asked Daryl if he had had a chance to get out for some early season turns. He replied, “There's lots of time to ski yet this season. I want to make sure everyone who is super amped about their season has some new skis when it comes time.”
The company website, which Daryl also created himself, is www.bigbendskis.com. The site is full of great information interspersed with beautiful photos, many taken by local photog-rapher, Bruno Long. There is a toll free number listed on the site and Daryl is keen to talk with anyone who has further questions.
If you find yourself in the lift line this season looking at a very unique, sexy pair of skis, they just may have been produced right here in Revelstoke. Happy turns!
Bigbend Skis owner and custom ski-maker, Daryl Ross, preps a wood core for a pair of skis. Photo: Matt Neuman
From The Streets
Tina Lindergaard "Registered Retirement
Savings Plan."
Brad Christensen "A brand new Los Angeles basketball Clippers jersey."
Anna Pollo "Too much alcohol."
Yuko Tanaka-Fujimura "Splitboard. It's really
expensive, heavy to carry and walk, has a gap
between feet and board and not easy to use."
Normand Cote "Paying fees at the bank."
"What is the worst thing you ever spent money on?"
Dan Winter "A speeding ticket."
Paola Bolton "I bought an electric composter online."
Kristine Howe "A wedding ring."
Interviews and photos by Amaiur Unzueta
What W
atters
The motorcycle roared away from the dusty border town of Zegoua, Mali. Clinging tightly to the stranger at the helm was a small boy — his brown arms coated in dust and ill-fitting clothes hanging loosely on his skinny frame. He turned briefly for a quick glance back at his homeland, not knowing it would be his last.
“Just call me Uncle,” the stranger instructed as the bike approached the gateway to the Ivory Coast. The boy, only 12, thought it was his lucky day as the man had promised him paid work at a cocoa plantation. If he returned to his village without any money, his family would be upset.
A world away from the hardships of western Africa, a young girl held her mother’s hand as they entered a brightly lit supermarket, shelves of colourfully pack-aged food all vying for attention.
“Mommy, can we get one?” pleads the girl, pointing a pudgy finger to a display of smiling chocolate Santas. Her mother, thoughts occupied with turkey dinner and Christmas baking, tossed a Santa carelessly in the cart. It weighed 100 grams and only cost a dollar.
Most westerners take their cheap chocolate fix for grant-ed. But what many do not know is that their sweet treat may be tainted by the blood and sweat of child slaves in western Africa.
According to the International Labour Rights Forum, a nonprofit advocacy organization, roughly 211 million children between the ages of five and 14 worldwide don’t go to school and instead work on plantations producing things like rubber, cotton, coffee and cocoa. On the Ivory Coast, where 80 per cent of the world’s cocoa is grown, it is estimated that 10,000 children are being forcibly held and made to work on the very plantations that produce the chocolate we find in our shops. Child traffickers lure children from countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo and transport them across the border to the Ivory Coast where they are sold to plantation owners making a profit on cheap commodities.
Many things we take for granted are produced in desti-tute countries where workers are exploited, wages unfair and environmental standards nonexistent. But there is a way to change this By purchasing chocolate and other products backed by the Fair Trade logo, buyers are guaranteed these products are not produced under de-plorable conditions. Premiums from fair trade product sales go toward community development projects such as building schools and improving health care. The Fair Trade label stands for transparency and accountability in international trade.
The small, Malian boy was taken to a farm where chil-dren used machetes to hack large pods of cocoa beans from the trees. The same unwieldy tool was then used to open the pods and release their treasure. The childrens' skinny shoulders were rubbed raw from hauling heavy sacks and the air hung heavy with toxic pesticides — invisible, silent killers. Days were long, up to 12 hours, and meals meagre affairs of corn paste and bananas. The boy was unable to communicate. He did not speak the language and attempting to escape could earn him a beating. He would not be paid and would certainly never know the simple pleasure of chocolate melting on his tongue.
In spring of 2009, the Revelstoke Fair Trade Committee was formed and in December of that year, Revelstoke became Canada’s eighth designated fair trade town. Spearheaded by Revelstoke's Susan Knight, the com-mittee is dedicated to ensuring we maintain this status by putting on at least two events a year and seeing that fairly traded products are available at a number of lo-cal shops. Susan, an avid proponent of fair trade, speaks with passion about the benefits of the organization.
“When you buy fair trade you get high quality products that are close in price to more conventional non-fair trade products,” she explains. “And of course, the enjoy-ment factor is greater when you know the coffee you are drinking or the chocolate you are eating is not coming from a plantation where workers, including children, are badly treated and exploited."
World Fair Trade Day falls on the second Saturday of May. The Fair Trade Committee puts on a celebration downtown, promoting businesses carrying fair trade products and raising awareness about what the label stands for.
“I loved it when my son and his friends recognized the Fair Trade logo on some of their Halloween candy this year. Sometimes adults think children don’t notice these things-but they do. It’s important for children to under-stand when we buy products from another country we can help support communities in that country by choos-ing ethically.”
Here where chocolate is a luxury most anyone can af-ford, it is difficult to marry your candy bar to a child suffering on the other side of the globe. Unfortunately, the two are intricately linked. The good news is our pur-chasing power here can make a world of difference in developing nations. Buying products backed by the Fair Trade label brings stability, self-gratification and eco-nomic self-sufficiency to people who need it most.
Fair trade chocolate can be found in brands like Camino, Green & Blacks and Cadbury. Photo: Alison Lapshinoff
A Fair Deal to Those Who Need it Most by Alison Lapshinoff
NATURAL FOODS AND
SUPPLEMENTS
1601 Victoria Rd. 250-837-4352
& Health YouHoly Cow, Nutritious Beef!by Alison Lapshinoff
Let’s face it; beef has a bad reputation. In today’s world of food fads and trendy nutritional superheroes, beef is the cur-rent villain. But beef may be North America’s favourite food. Highways are flanked by seemingly infinite strips of fast food outlets all selling basically the same burger. And none of these places seem to be wanting for business. How on earth do we manage to produce enough beef to supply all these places? And how do we do it so cheaply?
Once upon a time cattle grazed on grass, a food their unique digestive systems are designed by nature to digest. Their ma-nure was turned into high quality fertilizer used to nourish crops and there was no need to truck out waste or truck in feed. But following World War II the demand for beef sky-rocketed. We had to step up production to fulfill this need.
Taking cows off pasture and trucking them to feedlots or CAFOs, (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), sped things up exponentially. The idyllic, pastoral image of cows munching grass on spacious, rolling farmland is fast becom-ing a fairytale, a whimsy of yesteryear. Packed closely and ankle deep in their own filth, most of today’s cows have no access to grazing land and are fed a diet predominantly made up of corn and soy, crops notorious for being heavily sprayed with herbicides and pesticides.
Raised on pasture cattle can take up to three years to reach slaughter weight. However, fed a cocktail of cheap grain, they can achieve the same weight in as little as 15 months. Imagine a human raised exclusively on cheeseburgers and sausage rolls. He’d get fat quickly and at the cost of his health. Sadly, cows are still designed to eat grass; their new and ‘improved’ diet only makes them sick.
Antibiotics in their feed keeps disease at bay and their drug laden manure, once a valuable commodity, is now waste that must be trucked out. According to Statistics Canada, Can-adian livestock produced about half a million tonnes of ma-nure daily in 2006, 38 percent of which can be attributed to beef cows. It is estimated that every beef cow produces a hefty 37 kilograms of manure a day.
Some of this waste leaks out of vast and poorly contained waste lagoons, polluting rivers and watersheds but as long as the wheels of the vast machine that is modern beef produc-tion keep pumping out cheap hamburgers, no one seems to mind too much.
Fortunately, for those who care to look, locally raised, grass fed beef is still available right here in Revelstoke. The Green-slide Cattle Company, located just south of town, owns and leases about 2,000 acres of land on which cows exist in a manner that is natural to them. Summer months see them foraging on natural rangeland and seeded grassland while in the winter they are fed hay and haylage (partially dried, fer-mented hay, perfect for wetter climates where the crop does not have time to sufficiently dry), grown organically on the farm.
Adele and Jim Graham, owners of the Greenslide Cattle Com-pany, explain how this traditional manner of raising cattle produces a “very nutritious protein containing good levels of Omega 3, vitamin E and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid),” according to Adele. Combine this with a lower level of satur-ated fat than conventionally raised beef and you have a very healthy steak. It stands to reason, after all, that a healthy cow would produce a more nutritious beef.
Cows, of course, are not the only farm animals whose diet has suffered to bring us cheap protein. Lynn and Rod Piva of Shining Star on Little Ranch in Pinantan Lake near Kam-loops take pride in raising beef, chicken, pork and eggs using organic principles. The cows and pigs raised from birth on the Piva's 133 acre farm are pastured on land never fertilized with anything other than chicken manure.
Lynn explains how conventionally raised calves are given a shot to prevent infections as well as being implanted with a microchip of growth hormone. Calves are taken from their mothers at five to six months of age and shipped to feedlots
for fattening. Shining Star on Little Ranch uses no antibiotics, growth hormones or feed with additives of any kind and calves are weaned naturally, which causes the animals less stress.
Both Greenslide Cattle Company and Shining Star on Little Ranch have their animals processed in government inspected facilities that take care to treat them in the most humane manner possible.
Merely cogs in the massive wheel of beef production, modern cows are like products being produced in a very efficient fac-tory. Perhaps this manner of farming is necessary to supply our thousands of fast food outlets and restaurants with cheap meat. It is good to know, however, the old ways are being kept alive by small farmers with a passion for raising animals in a humane, healthy and environmentally conscious manner.
Have a deep freeze? Contact Greenslide Cattle Co. at 250-837-6779 or 250-837-6749 for beef by the half (side), mixed quarter (side split into two equal amounts that include cuts from both the front and hind) or ground. All cuts are butch-ered and packaged to your specification and delivered to your door. Advance notice is required.
Products from Shining Star on Little Ranch can be found at the Revelstoke Winter Farmer’s Market at the Community Centre every second Thursday afternoon between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Cows grazing at the Greenslide Cattle Company in Revelstoke. Photo: Adele Graham
Your Keys PleezDesignated Driver Services
Call or Text: 250-837-4699
Delivering you and your car safely home.Please don't drink and drive.
Join Us.The North Columbia Environmental Society
www.northcolumbia.org
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8
TheScene
Let It Begin by Colin Titsworth
Opening day at the ski hill surges with a rare form of enthusiasm. Keeners have been sampling fresh snow at nearby alpine locations since October but opening day at Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) is special.
Throughout the early morning, riders appear from the darkness to initiate their season at the front of the line. The first swarms of life enter the metal corral equipped with coffees and bags of fast food treats. And, as daylight increases, so do the numbers in the line-up along with the excitement and intensity to be first on the gondola heading up to the slopes.
The paramount glory on opening day is claiming the first seat on the Stoke Chair. Jumping on the first served chair of the season is serious bragging rights few skiers have. As sealed gondola doors crack open at 1,193 metres above the sea, red-eyed skiers and riders charge ruthlessly out of the gates.
Gear is hastily donned according to one’s personal game plan and the race to the Stoke Chair begins. Seasoned riders tingle with anticipation for what lies ahead while newcomers tingle with anticipation for the unknown.
Powder Springs was the first ski hill on Mount Macken-zie with opening days hosted on the Powder Slug chair since the late sixties. Powder Springs became Revelstoke Mountain Resort officially on opening day five seasons ago on December 22, 2007.
The previously untouched winter wonderland above the gondola was a glorious sight few will forget. The silence amongst the trees was shattered with hollering from fan-atical powder seekers and the ski scene in Revelstoke changed forever.
Skiing resonates through the souls of many residents who torture their consciousness with pre-season powder dreams. Movie premiers spiked with product marketing light up the big screens to bolster winter desires during the dreary fall months.
Pent-up expectation festers as the snow line dives toward the valley floor and fitness plans become wishful thinking in the minds of many. Opening day is a planned event
that arrives without surprise but early season legs are usually shocked to say the least.
Opening day at RMR affects the community of Revel-stoke and the residents in endless ways. It signals the be-ginning of jobs, shuttle buses, lineups at the emergency room, Aussie lingo in the alleyways, “No Vacancy” signs, helicopter rotor noise…the list goes on.
In this region the arrival of ski season deserves the hype but many locals will wait for it to die down before redis-covering their favorite powder stash.
You’ll be reading this article after opening day happens at RMR but regardless, we at Reved encourage everyone to shred every day like it’s opening day! Have a great ski season from beginning to end.
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Wanna Free Ride?Buy a Revelstoke Resort Shuttle Punch Pass and get all the perks!
$10 Punch Pass = 6 rides for the price of 5$20 Punch Pass = 13 rides for the price of 10$30 Punch Pass = 19 rides for the price of 15
Why ride the shuttle? - less people driving cars
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Contact 250-837-1059 [email protected]
The first opening day at Revelstoke Mountain Resort, Dec. 22/2007. Photo: Colin Titsworth
An Early Riserby Heather Lea
Some people recall fond childhood memories as mom’s freshly-baked oatmeal cookies or the first time dad hands over the keys to the car. For singer/songwriter Zaccheri Gray, a Revelstoke original now living in Ke-lowna, the memories for him are of being serenaded by his Canadian father and Italian grandfather.
“My grandpa was that guy who got up in restaurants and started singing opera,” Zaccheri smiles.
While his grandfather showed him there was nothing to be afraid of standing up in front of people and singing, Zaccheri’s father was the one to put a guitar in his young son's hands and teach him how to play and sing. His dad also introduced him to the music of Bob Dylan, one of Zaccheri’s favourite musical influences alongside Kurt Cobain (he was obsessed with Nirvana as early as Grade Three), Tupac Shakur, Tool, Frank Sinatra, Dean Mar-tin and Jimmie Hendrix.
Zaccheri’s music has been described as “from the heart” by fans and crtics but with such a myriad of musical in-spiration what category does Zaccheri put himself into?
In an radio interview for Blog Talk Radio broadcast out of New York City, Zaccheri explains, “When I write a song I don’t really think about putting it into a category, it just comes out. I write from an experience or a friend’s experience or a story I’ve heard about - even a murder mystery I see on TV…anything that hits me hard - happy or sad - I’ll write about it.”
Immersed in music from a very early age, Zaccheri knew its importance but it wasn’t until he was 19 and suffering from a debilitating illness that it really drilled home.
He realized what could be taken away from him in a moment and how essential it is to go after what you love. This was the breaking point that hit Zaccheri hard enough to say, “That’s it, I’m doing music.”
Zaccheri wasn’t the type who played music or sang in school, so only close friends knew of the talent he kept mostly to himself. When Zaccheri went to school for music production (recording bands), he realized he be-longed on the other side of the glass.
“One afternoon a band we were supposed to record didn’t show up so the teacher asked if any of us could play or sing. I said I’d do it but wasn’t expecting to enjoy being recorded so much or the really positive reaction from everyone. They started calling me ‘Zac Johnson’ [after singer/songwriter Jack Johnson].”
Zaccheri and some friends thought it would be funny one night to do a mock-up rendition of Paula Abdul’s 1989 hit, Straight Up!
Zaccheri played the song that was supposed to be a joke for his friends and was interested to hear their exclama-tions of how good it actually was. The song ended up as number four of twelve on his first album titled, Zaccheri Gray, available on iTunes and at amazon.com
The album itself is a testament to Zaccheri’s smooth style. Not one to skip out on quality, the album’s pho-tography was done by Michael Benabib in New York, who has photographed icons like Tupac, Will Smith and Keith Richards. Mixing the album (combining and set-ting levels of all the audio components of a recording into a final track) was done by Warne Livesey in Van-couver, who has recorded music for the Matthew Good Band, Tegan and Sara and Midnight Oil. The album was mastered, (final touches such as balancing song levels across the CD) in Toronto.
“I thought this album would be mainly acoustic [mean-ing nothing electric] but in the studio, I had the chance to play with more instruments and realized how well they translated over.”
So how does it feel to be a regular guy from a small mountain town with his own album?
“To have a CD out that people are receiving positively is a great thing. A CD is something to ‘show’ when you are a musician.”
But he adds, “Being put on a pedestal freaks me out. Separating from your ego is the most important thing in life. Not just if you’re an artist but for anyone.”
So how does he do that?
“I [come from] a strong foundation. Lots and lots of love. And lots and lots of pasta.”
Even with such strong family values and support, Zac-cheri chooses to live in Kelowna and away from his family in Revelstoke for a few reasons, one being the Okanagan city has more resources for keeping up to date on the music scene. And when you’re in the music industry, the difference between accessing and not ac-cessing a resource can make a difference in how your music is connected to the rest of the world.
Zaccheri admits being played on Canadian radio is much harder than the states, even for Canadian artists.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunica-tions Commission is obligated to air a certain percent-
age of Canadian Content either written, produced or presented in Canada. For music it’s 35 per cent but that figure can go as low as 20 per cent if the station specializes in playing rarer content like jazz or oldies and major label artists take up a large chunk of that.
Through his many resources Zaccheri has learned breaking into music via the U.S. yields better re-sults. He explains they are more willing give atten-tion to emerging artists.
“For any kind of arts to be taken seriously, you need to be in a big market,” says Zaccheri. “[The states] are leaving doors open for me so I’m going in.”
But even the U.S. is struggling to support its artists. Zaccheri’s photographer, Michael Benabib, the one who’s photographed Tupac and Will Smith, admit-ted he used to get paid a lot of money to be flown to locations to shoot these iconic figures. But now a 40K gig has turned into a 6K gig because these art-ists can’t afford what they used to spend.
One way to save money self-marketing as a musi-cian while still getting results is to tap into the on-line market.
“I love buying and selling [music] online. I buy all my music to support my industry and I sell [my music] on iTunes and Amazon. It’s instant music but the downfall is no jacket cover. I do miss open-ing a CD case and looking through the booklet, reading about the band…but I don’t miss the clut-
ter of CD’s all over the place.
“One part of online evolution I love is you have access at anytime to pools of people.”
And pools of people spread their opinions. If someone likes what you do, they tell others, which might have been how Lullabyes Baby, song number eight on Zac-cheri’s album, may have come into the hands of the Hurricane Relief Project, a U.S. organization. The song was chosen for a compilation where 50 per cent of the proceeds go to help victims of natural disaster. Check out hurricanehealing.us
The same song also captured the attention of one young girl whose mother wrote to tell Zaccheri her daughter had chosen Lullabyes Baby for a dance recital.
“To have someone tell me a song I wrote touched them…it reminded me of how songs did that for me when I was young," says Zaccheri. "I felt like I knew these artists. I knew Tupac and Kurt Cobain. And now there are people saying that same thing about my music.”
Although it sounds like Revelstoke’s Zaccheri Gray is well on his way to becoming a star, he certainly seems to keep a healthy dose of modesty.
“For my first radio interview I had a clock in front of my face, watching every minute count down until I was scheduled on. I called exactly when I supposed to and they put me on hold! Then with no warning [the inter-viewer] comes back on and I’m like, Ak..!
“It’s the lead-up where the nervousness comes from. After I get going with talking it’s easy. I’m good, I’m into it!”
For samples of Zaccheri Gray’s music, visit www.zaccherigray.com
Revelstoke singer/songwriter, Zaccheri Gray, pictured here with man's best friend on a New York rooftop. Photo: Michael Benabib
MUSICNOTES
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Restaurants/Pubs
Big Eddy Pub and Liquor Store2108 Big Eddy Rd. 250-814-0095 $-$$
Great White Northgreatwhitenorthbar.com5km west of Revelstoke on Hwy 1 250-837-3495 $$
Isabella's Ristorante 206 Mackenzie Ave. 250.837.6743 $-$$$
Kawakubo Japanese Restaurant 109 1st St. East 250-837-2467 $-$$$
La Baguette Espresso Bar607 Victoria Rd. and Garden Ave. 250-837-3755 $-$$
Modern Bake Shop & Café 212 Mackenzie Ave. 250-837-6886 $
Paramjit's Kitchen116 First St. West 250-837-2112 $
Sangha Bean Café111 Connaught Ave. 250-814-0080 $-$$
Village Idiot Pub306 Mackenzie Ave 250-837-6240 $$
Woolsey Creek Bistro www.woolseycreekbistro.ca604 2nd St. West 250-837-5500 $$$
Eats
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Cheeky Beaver Chaletwww.cheekybeaverchalet.com802 2nd St. Wes 250-837-5886 $$
Minto Manor B&B www.mintomanor.com815 MacKenzie Ave. 250-837-9337 $$$$
Swiss Chalet Motel www.swisschaletmotel.com 1101 Victoria Rd. West 250-837-4650 $$-$$$$
The Revelstoke Snowed Inn www.revelstokesnowedinn.com823 3rd St. West 250-814-8851 $$-$$$$
Powder Pillow B&Bwww.powderpillow.ca1103 Pine Ridge 250-200-0388 $$$$
Hotels/B&B's $ = under $60 $$ = $60 - $90 $$$ = $90 - $110 $$$$ = $110 and up
Sleep
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Massage Therapy/BodyworkBeth Purser Massage NHPC101 First St. West250-814-3679
Revelstoke Massage Therapy ClinicDavid Walker RMT, Liane Dorrius RMTDeb Logan RMT301 1st St. East 250-837-6677www.revelstokemassagetherapy.com
Bodylogic Therapeutic Massage Karen Schneider RMT, Kendra Kent RMT Suite 103 - 103 First St. East250-837-3666
Helios Rehabilitation & PerformanceTina Giotsalitis RMT1605 Victoria Rd. Unit 5250-837-7171www.heliophysio.com
Repose Massage Therapy and Day Spa Ashley Sumner BC RMTJosiane Maillet BC RMTSara Gibson BC RMTHillcrest Hotel,2100 Oak Dr.250-837-3322www.reposedayspa.ca
Welwinds Therapeutic SpaDiane Mahoney RMT509 4th St E. (back alley entrance)250-837-6084
Health Gyms/SpasEnergy Matters Health Spa110 B 1st. St. West250-837-4244www.energymatterscanada.com
NutritionistsHelios Rehabilitation & PerformanceAmanda Argue RHN1605 Victoria Rd. Unit 5250-837-7171www.heliosphysio.com
Melissa Hemphill, RHN 101 First Street West250-814-3207www.namastenutrition.ca
PhysiotherapyHelios Rehabilitation & PerformanceLindsey Corrigan BScPT RPTAmy Guidinger BScPT RCAMT CGIMS RPTFraser Sprigings BScPT CAFCI RPT1605 Victoria Rd. Unit 5250-837-7171www.heliosphysio.com Red Cedar PhysiotherapyJocelyn Kutcher BScPT RPTPrue Hicks BAppScPT RPT Suite 204, 555 Victoria Rd.250-837-8519www.redcedarphysio.ca
Health and Wellness DirectoryAcupuncture/Chinese MedicineJade Mountain Wellness and AcupunctureErin Potter R.TCM.P.Kim Nicholls RMT101 First St. West250-837-3900www.jademountain.ca
Energy Therapy/CoachingGuided Energy Work and Soul Counselling Frieda LiveseyClasses in Soul Awareness Writing 250-837-3724hearttohearthealing.ca
Mi WellnessShelly Karen Isfeld, Life Coach CPFC [email protected]
MidwiferyMountain Midwifery Birte Paschen RM [email protected]
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