The newly opened Sawai Thai Restaurant is renewing its place as a favorite eatery among locals and visitors with its recent debut in the heart of historic Fernie.

Chef Rob Hayes, member of the operating group who secured the creative branding and the culinary entitlements of the highly successful restaurant looks forward to showcasing some traditional twists to notable Sawai dishes, and adding his own  version of more future favorites.

As part of the opening, “….we made efforts to locate in Fernie’s downtown core.  “I was thrilled to obtain the space at the Royal Hotel, the appeal of operating in a century old hotel really contributes to the ambience of our dinner experience.”

Guests will delight with the return of Sesame Prawns and other hot favorites such as Volcano Chicken or the Pad Ped, spicy red curry or coconut green curry specialties.

Whether you like chili-hot, milder flavour or fragrant rice, harmony is the guiding principle behind every dish.

Their Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences pleasantly combined into something ‘uniquely Thai’.

Their staff make every effort to ensure your dinner experience is truly memorable.

Sawai Thai Restaurant is located at 501 1st Avenue (in the Royal Hotel) and is open 7 days a week beginning at 5:00 pm.  Both dine-in and take out services are available.

For more information, please contact Manager and Chef, Rob Hayes at 531—0763 (before 4:00 pm preferred)

Two of the best mogul skiers in the world left their mark at the Canada Post Freestyle National Championships Friday.

Jenn Heil of Spruce Grove, Alta., captured the ninth national moguls’ title of her career in convincing fashion and Alex Bilodeau, ranked No. 1 in the world, took the men’s title.

Competing on the opening day of the three-day nationals, Heil charged to victory in fog-delayed conditions with a score of 24.90 points in the women’s single-moguls final.

That left her more than two points ahead of defending national single-moguls champion Kristi Richards of Summerland, B.C.

Richards scored 22.56 for the silver medal, while Chloé Dufour-Lapointe of Montreal took the bronze in 22.48. Sister and World Cup team-mate Maxime Dufour-Lapointe was fourth in 20.70.

Heil, who took last season off to heal chronic knee pain and improve her physical strength, also won this event in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She has also won three national dual-moguls titles and will chase another one Sunday.

Jenn Heil and Alex Bilodeau
Along with her silver medal at the 2009 World Championships, the Alberta native, who now lives in Montreal, called this national title one of her season’s highlights.

On Wednesday March 25, Fernie Alpine Resort held an impromptu press conference to help satisfy the peaked curiosities and settle the flying questions about the upcoming 1st Annual Fernival event.  Since the first event announcement, people have been mystified by SN-O-BAMA and where Spirit of the West fits into it all?   After much speculation about what it all could mean, Fernie Alpine Resort provides solid answers that hope to bring some calm to the Fernival fever that has taken aflame since the first mention of this new and enigmatic event.  And though the press conference drew in few, for the amazing snow at the resort kept everyone out skiing, the critical Q & A session was documented and goes as follows:

Q: What is Fernival and when is it?
A:  Fernival is the name of Fernie Alpine Resort’s brand new ANNUAL SPRING CELEBRATION.  The name is a play on “Fernie” with the word “festival”.  We wanted the name to not only reflect the wonderful resort location but also stand the test of time.  With the bonus weekend planned on Saturday April 18-19th, we thought it would be a climactic way to end the season with this festive event.

Q:  What is all this talk about “SN-O-BAMA” and skiing in jeans?
A:  SN-O-BAMA is the chosen theme for the 1st Annual Fernival event.  Again, the name is a play on words, putting “snow” together with “bama” which in urban lingo means: crazy, outrageous, and odd.  Though the name has a coincidental reference to a certain current political figure, let it be known that Fernie Alpine Resort has no plan to nationalize the ski industry nor campaign political views throughout Fernival.  Despite the connotation, we felt that it was no time to bail out on some good creativity and pushed forward with the theme believing that it truly describes the unique experience that Fernival promises to give.  Recognizing a need for change, we felt “SN-O-BAMA” was an original and deserving homage to SNOW.  And since “bama” has urban roots to mean slightly unstylish, we added in the throw-back reference to skiing in jeans taking this event back to the good ol’ times when we had fun and skied!  We encourage you all to wear your jeans and ski too - Yes, you can!  All in all, we knew the name would create some stimulus in the populations and we are glad that it got your attention.  Come and get SN-O-BAMA with us!

Q:  Is the real Spirit of the West playing or is this some kind of tribute band?
A:  Lo and behold, the real Spirit of the West will be donning us with their presence and providing their fantastic music at Fernival on April 18 in the Fernie Alpine Resort plaza.  Talk about standing the test of time, this Canadian band has lasted a quarter of a century in the music industry and are a proud inductee into the Western Canadian Music Association’s Hall of Fame.  We feel our guests deserve musical entertainment that promises spirit and tradition and so we bring you Canadian alt-rockers, Spirit of the West.  Join us in the plaza at 3:00pm-5:00pm on Saturday April 18 and let their foot-stomping blend of hard rock, britpop and celtic folk fire you up at Fernival.

Q:  Are there any other activities and fun to be had at Fernival?
A:  Our spring bash will keep you entertained from beginning to end with a live DJ spinning in the plaza, fun games and activities happening all afternoon, the amazing live music from Spirit of the West, and not to mention all the fun you will have skiing and riding.  Meet new friends or hang with the old ones.  Come on out and celebrate Fernival with us - this is an event you won’t want to miss!

The Flathead River, which flows through southeastern BC into Montana, tops British Columbia’s most endangered rivers list for 2009 due to concerns about a controversial proposed open pit coal mine. The Flathead, which was number two on last year’s list, is widely considered one of North America’s wildest and most beautiful waterways. “The Flathead supports important trans-boundary fish populations while also sustaining the highest density of inland grizzly bears anywhere in North America”, said Mark Angelo, Rivers Chair for the Outdoor Recreation Council and an Order of Canada recipient.

Yet, while the US section is protected, the BC stretch faces a number of threats, the most prominent being the proposed Cline open pit coal mine. Given the size and location of the mine in the river’s headwaters, water quality would be impacted and recreational, wildlife and wilderness values would be greatly compromised. For these reasons, the public’s response during the review process has been overwhelmingly against the proposed coal mine and recent public opinion polls show more than 70% of the region’s residents support the protection of the Flathead valley. Other threats to the river include coalbed methane development, roads and pipelines.

“The Flathead River is an amazing waterway worthy of protection” notes Mark Angelo, who also chairs the newly established Rivers Institute at BCIT. “No other region along the Canada/US border sustains such a diversity of wildlife and ecosystems,” he added. Angelo also notes that “other existing coal mines in adjacent valleys have significant potential for expansion so it makes much better sense to pursue those options rather than industrialize a new pristine valley such as the Flathead.
In the number two position is the Kettle River in BC’s southern interior that runs near the towns of Midway, Rock Creek and Grand Forks. This river, already suffering from seasonal low flows, is threatened by significant new water extraction proposals in its headwaters. Unless an effort is made to better address these issues through improved watershed planning that recognizes ecological limits, the fate of this beautiful interior stream may well foreshadow what other streams in the region will confront in the face of ongoing climate change.

Coming in at the number three position is the Glacier/Howser Creek system, located near Kaslo. Glacier/Howser Creeks are threatened by a controversial independent power project along with a 91 km transmission corridor that would impact important fisheries and wildlife habitat. The area that would be affected by the project also has significant recreational and ecological values and is part of a long standing park proposal.

In the fourth spot is the Fraser River, which for the 16th time in 17 years, finds its way into the top half of the endangered rivers list. “Of particular concern this year are the development pressures facing the ‘Heart of the Fraser’ between Hope and Mission, one of the most productive sections of river anywhere in the world”, said Angelo.

In the fifth position is Brohm Creek, one of BC’s most productive steelhead streams. Located near Squamish, the area adjacent to the creek is the site of a controversial all season resort. Among several issues of concern is the potential for excessive water extraction that would severely impact steelhead stocks. “Brohm Creek is a jewel amongst steelhead streams and yet, there remains much uncertainty as to whether the planned development will incorporate the steps needed to properly care for this very significant river”, said Angelo.

“As one scans this year’s list, the problems outlined are extensive and diverse, ranging from controversial dam proposals and low summer flows to the need for improved riverside habitat protection and better collaborative planning,” explains Angelo. “The list also helps to create a greater awareness of the various threats that confront our waterways”, he added. “These issues highlight the fact that you cannot separate the health of our fish stocks from the health of our rivers; they are completely inter-dependent”.

Each year, the Outdoor Recreation Council solicits nominations for BC’s Most Endangered Rivers from its member groups, which total close to 100,000 members, as well as from the general public and resource managers from across the province. Submissions are reviewed by a panel of some of BC’s best-known river conservationists.

For more detailed information on the twelve rivers listed, please see the endangered rivers backgrounder at www.orcbc.ca

BC’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2008;
1. Flathead River – (proposed coal mine, coalbed methane development)
2. Kettle River (water extraction, development, power project proposal)
3. Glacier/Howser Creeks (power project proposal)
4. Fraser River – (urbanization, industrial development, pollution)
5. Brohm River (new development, excessive water extraction)
6. Peace River (hydro-electric dam proposal)
7. Coquitlam River (excessive sedimentation, urbanization)
8. Bute Inlet rivers and streams (massive multi-river power project proposal)
9. Coldwater River and other Thompson River Plateau streams (water extraction, development)
10. Klinaklini River (power project proposal)
11. Somass River (prone to drought and low flows)
12. Elk River (development, increasing selenium levels, wildlife migration issues)
Media only: backgrounder details on each river is found at www.orcbc.ca
For more information, please contact:
Mark Angelo – (604) 432-8270 Outdoor Recreation Council - (604) 873-5546

The Griz came through with beautiful weekend weather for the 32nnd Annual Griz Days Winter Festival in Fernie this past weekend.  With the festival barely over, the Griz Days Festival Team is already busy planning for next year’s festival.

The three-day 2009 Fernie Winter Festival, held March 6 to 8, featured events and activities for all ages, from the adorable Baby Griz race to the more rugged Extreme Griz competition; from the scavenger hunt, craft fair, pool party and snow sculpture challenge, to the snowmobile races, hockey tournaments and dummy downhill race, a good time was had by all who participated.

Griz Days is a community festival that brings people together in a celebration of winter, and is integral to maintaining a sense of community, especially during challenging times.

“A community celebration means that people get out of it what they put into it, and this year Fernie’s tremendous community spirit was reflected throughout the weekend, as adults and children lined the parade route proudly sporting their Griz costumes, and the parade entries themselves, many of which reflected hours of preparation, creativity and originality.  It does one’s heart good to see people putting in that little extra effort .  Both residents and visitors alike took the time to add their own flavor to the celebration ,” commented Festival Coordinator Lynn Flokstra.  “Fernie Griz Days is an authentic community celebration and an opportunity for Fernieites to show the rest of the world how to truly embrace winter.”

The festival also serves as an opportunity to honour our community elders, and each year honourary parade marshals are chosen to lead the Griz Days Parade. This year we were honoured to have Doug and Wilda Quail act as the 2009 Parade Marshals. The Quails are the 2008 recipients of the George Majic Spiritus Award, for their lifelong contribution to their community.

With ongoing community support and spirit witnessed this past weekend, Griz Days will not doubt continue to grow and improve. Our volunteers are the back bone of the festival, generously contributing their time and energy to the success of Griz Days. To our sponsors Columbia Basin Trust, BC Hydro, Canadian Tire and the Nohels group, and our team of dedicated volunteers, we’d like to say a huge thank you.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

Back to planning for next year… One of the new events the team is working on for 2010 is the Extreme Griz Survivor Challenge which pits individuals against the challenges of winter survival.  The grand prize is going to be awesome… stay tuned.

Crowsnest Pass artist Nichole Yanota is set to delight us with her expressive artwork on display at The Arts Station from Thursday March 26th until April 28th.  Yanota says “my interests are enjoying the beauty of the outdoors, and communicating my experiences through art”.  And this she most certainly does, with her most recent pencil & ink collection.

But she hasn’t always been influenced by just these parts.  Growing up in the foothills of the Sonoran Desert, she was strongly influenced by the brilliance of the natural world from a young age.  She began drawing as a way of recording emotions and experiences, and soon realized it was also a voice for expressing ideals.  After studying art briefly in college, she went on to attend an artist’s school where she focused on figure drawing.

And since moving to Canada two years ago, she’s been able to focus her energy into her first two shows - last year’s ‘Heart & Hand’ and her forthcoming show ‘Blackbird garden’.

This collection explores the theme of nature’s connection to the human spirit, and reflects on the potential equanimity of humankind.   Quoting Henry Moore, she says, “The secret of life is to have a task, something you devote your entire life to, something you bring everything to, every minute of the day for the rest of your life. And the most important thing is, it must be something you cannot possibly do”.

But we disagree.  From what we’ve seen of her new collection, we think she’s struck gold.  Delicate lines, expressive figures and bold colors - her work leads your eye around every last detail of her compositions, not letting you miss a trick.

So prepare to be mesmerized.  Her exhibition is opening on Thursday March 26th at 7pm and is on display until April 28th at The Fernie Arts Station.  For more info - 250.423.4842.

Manuel Osborne-Paradis (Vancouver, BC) has joined a select group of Canadian ski racers, following up the first World Cup win of his career with another downhill podium a day later.

Today’s race can be seen on Radio Canada Sports at 3 p.m. ET as well as CBC’s Pontiac Alpine Ski Series beginning at 5 p.m. ET (Check local listings for changes.)

Among those to reach the podium twice in consecutive days, Thomas Grandi (Canmore, AB) did it in technical events (giant slalom & slalom) on two occasions, in December of 2005 in Kranjska Gora, SLO, and again in Shigakogen, JPN three months later.

Ken Read won a World Cup race in Wengen, SUI in January of 1980 and followed that up by finishing second in a DH the following day. He also had podium finishes on consecutive days in Kitzbühel, AUT in 1982.

Gerry Sorensen won on back-to-back days in DH and the Combined in Put St. Vincent, FRA Jan 7 and Jan 8, 1984 while Laurie Graham did it in the DH in Banff, AB and Val d’Isère, FRA in 1985.

Canada’s female athlete of the 20th century, Nance Greene(-Raine) accomplished the rare feat on multiple occasions including winning back-to-back-to-back races in three different disciplines in March of 1968 in Aspen, USA.

Osborne-Paradis, winner of yesterday men’s World Cup downhill in Kvitfjell, NOR, posted the third fastest time today, finishing in one minute 32.58 seconds.

“It’s a really nice feeling to be able to do it two days in a row,” said the 25-year old Paradis who has vaulted up the men’s downhill standings in the last two days. He is now the top Canadian in any discipline, sitting fourth in the DH with 299 points.

“Today was a totally different day, totally different course,” he said. “It was a lower start because of fog at the top. It made it more of a sprint. It made it where the little mistakes did matter, you didn’t have time to make up speed.”

Klaus Kroell of Austria was the day’s best sprinter, finishing in 1:32.12 with teammate Michael Walchhofer in second, 0.27s back.

Robbie Dixon (Whistler, BC) finished seventh today for his second straight top 10 result, 0.23s behind Osborne-Paradis.

Another solid top ten for John Kucera (Calgary, AB) as well, placing eighth in 1:32.82 followed by Erik Guay (Mont-Tremblant, QC) in ninth.

“I am really happy with the third place and I am super happy that (four of) the Canadian boys were in the top 10. We are all finishing as a group and moving ahead as a group, it’s nice to share it with those guys,” Osborne-Paradis said. All four Canadians will participate in the World Cup Finals DH in Åre, SWE next week.

Development team racer Tyler Nella (Toronto, ON) was 49th while Louis-Pierre Hélie (Berthierville, QC) did not complete the shortened Olympiabakken piste on what was a challenging day weather-wise.

“Today is sort of a confirmation that yesterday wasn’t a fluke. The guys are firing on all cylinders and having a good performance on a hill that does resemble Whistler quite a bit,” said Men’s Team Head Coach Paul Kristofic, responding to a media question about the 2010 Olympic Winter Games coming to Whistler next season.

“They are able to handle a good result and stay focused, even at this stage in the season. We are pretty deep into it now, guys are pretty tired and it’s easy to lose focus. After an exciting day like yesterday to be able to regroup, refocus and have another solid day, it shows the strength of the group,” he said.

Tomorrow’s super-G in Kvitfjell is the final World Cup race before World Cup Finals.

Dear Editor,

I, like many others, was shocked to read in both the Golden and Revelstoke papers that a well-known environmental organization might actually support private power projects on our local rivers.  However, when I read the very long interview, it became clear that the headline was misleading and that the Suzuki Foundation actually reinforces concerns that Wildsight and many local residents have with indiscriminate private applications on Kootenay rivers. Here are three main points made in that article:

1. There is no overall land use-planning process regarding, for example, which areas are too environmentally sensitive, remote, expensive, etc.;
2. There is no overall plan—there are 600 active applications, yet nobody is looking at cumulative impacts;
3. There is a need for better environmental regulations.

We share those concerns but also add, from the perspective of the Kootenay consciousness, what about the community test? If these private power projects are so great, then let them meet the test of community approval. Instead, local governments, stakeholders and residents are completely excluded from having any influence on the process.

Locals know about proposals on rivers and creeks near their communities.  But are you aware that there is a 48-megawatt proposal (a substantial size but conveniently just below what would trigger an Environmental Assessment) on the Upper Wood River?  This is a pristine wilderness where the timber licensee has voluntarily agreed to forgo logging because the ecological, wilderness and historical values are so significant. It’s a magical, majestic mountain setting. With towering peaks, vast primeval forests, and pristine lakes, it’s a Canadian postcard come to life, a landscape unchanged by time. This is the Upper Wood River, unroaded wilderness, protected from timber harvest, the only place Thompson explored he could still recognize 200 years later. Ancient trees of a rare interior rain forest preside over critical connectivity corridors for wildlife, like the endangered Mountain Caribou, moose and grizzly bears. Pristine creeks and rivers teem with fish.

And the forest company recognizes all this to the point that there is a legal variance to the Kootenay Boundary Land Use Plan, but none of this has any influence on private power. What we have agreed upon in the past doesn’t matter. A private entity can push a road into this wilderness and harness a wild river that has hardly seen a canoe or kayak, let alone a power plant. In the future, if you do travel into this area or any of the many other places hosting private power projects that might also be your regular backcountry stomping grounds, you may very well be met with a fence and signs warning you, “Danger” and “No Trespassing”, and security guards.  Beyond the fence will be a huge excavator, ripping up the creek and riparian vegetation and leaving you wondering why private power companies don’t have the same restrictions forest companies do.

Ellen Zimmerman, Wildsight
250-348-2225
ellen@wildsight.ca

Once again the Canadian Air Force was flying high at the FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships Wednesday.

Bidding for a fourth straight World Championship medal, Steve Omischl of Kelowna, B.C. garnered a silver medal and Warren ‘Wookie’ Shouldice of Calgary took bronze in the men’s aerials final.

“I had two really, really nice jumps and I got beat,” said Omischl, whose hometown is North Bay, Ont.
“It’s tough to take, but I don’t know if I can jump much better,” added the 30-year-old, who led by four points after his first of two jumps, but was caught by Ryan St. Onge of the United States.

St. Onge prevailed with a two-jump score of 254.66, to Omischl’s 252.07, to leave Omischl with a World Championship medal collection of gold in 2005, silver in 2009, and bronze in 2007 and 2003.
Though disappointed, Omischl said: “It’s an honour any time you’re on the podium at the World Championships.”

St. Onge was second in this season’s World Cup overall aerials standings behind Omischl, who called St. Onge a hard worker and a great jumper.

“A few people have the potential to win and he’s definitely one of them,” said Omischl.

But the Canadian story of the day was Shouldice who not only climbed from ninth after his opening jump to take third, for his first World Championship medal, with a score of 240.14, but bounced back after a serious crash at in Quebec in January.

It was a superlative start for Canada at the FIS World Freestyle Ski Championships Monday, as ski cross competitor Ashleigh McIvor captured the gold medal and Davey Barr  collected a bronze.

McIvor did the unthinkable by winning the gold medal despite being the 28th and final qualifier for the ski-cross heats. “I don’t know how I did this,” said McIvor, 25.  “Even to qualify I had to hike two minutes back up the mountain because I’d hooked a gate and wouldn’t have qualified if I hadn’t.”

Her poor qualification position meant that in every heat of the finals she had the worst start position, but she worked with her coach, Eric Archer, to find a good line through the course and that, combined with a lot of hard word and a little luck, edged her past the competition round after round.
In the final heat she was quick off the start and took a temporary lead, but lost it shortly afterward, then regained it for good. “It hasn’t really hit me,” said a beaming McIvor. “All I want to do is jump up and down.”
Coupled with a silver medal in the FIS Canada Post World Cup at Cypress earlier this season, McIvor’s win here gives her an excellent shot at a berth on the 2010 Canadian Olympic squad.