Creston Valley Travel Guide

Creston Valley2013 Travel Guide

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Table of Contents

Welcome ........................................................4Location .........................................................6Life in a Small Town ........................................7History ............................................................9Four Seasons ................................................12College of the Rockies ...................................20Parks ............................................................22Golf ..............................................................24Creston Museum ...........................................26Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area ......28Wine & Dine .................................................30Farm Fresh Guide ..........................................32Agriculture ....................................................36Fresh Food ....................................................38Farmers’ Market ............................................40International Selkirk Loop ..............................41Arts ..............................................................44Creston & District Public Library ....................48Lower Kootenay Band ....................................49Outdoor Adventures .......................................50Yahk .............................................................53The Lake Road ..............................................54Maps and Kootenay Lake Ferry .......................57Ripening Dates ..............................................62

Published by:

1018 Canyon StreetCreston, BC

PO Box 1279 V0B 1G0Ph: 250-428-2266

Fax: 1-250-483-1909

LORNE ECKERSLEYPublisher

BRIAN LAWRENCEEditor

DIANNE AUDETTEOffice Manager

ANITA HORTONSales Manager

JACKY SMITHProduction

www.crestonvalleyadvance.caPublished by the Creston Valley Advance

A division of Black Press Group Ltd.Publications Agreement No. 40069240

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright and may be used only for personal non-commercial purposes. All other rights are reserved and commercial use is prohibited. To make any use of this material you must first obtain the permission

of the owner of the copyright. For further information, contact

the Creston Valley Advance at 250-428-2266

or [email protected].

www.crestonvalleychamber.com

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Welcome to the Creston Valley and thank you for picking up this edition of the Creston Valley Visi-tors’ Guide.

The following pages highlight many of the attractions, area busi-ness services and the idyllic life-style we enjoy in our beautiful valley. Surrounded by the Selkirk Mountains to the west, the Purcells to the east, Kootenay Lake to the north and the United States border to the south, the Creston Valley is ideally situated and is home to al-most 16,000 people (with 5,000 in the town of Creston).

Naturally abundant, the area is rich in agriculture related business-es and services and thriving agri-tourism. With a burgeoning wine industry, fruit and vegetable mar-kets, handcrafted organic cheese, animal and grain farms, secondary food processing and the world fa-mous Columbia Brewery, the Cres-ton Valley lifestyle epitomizes the “100 mile diet”, though in our case it is really closer to 10 miles.

Our rich agriculture heritage is celebrated in the spring at our an-nual Blossom Festival and in the fall with our annual Fall Fair.

We have extraordinary outdoor recreation. Enjoy world class boat-ing, fi shing, golf, hunting, hiking back-country skiing and snowmo-biling in the area.

The Ramsar designated Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area is rich and biologically diverse. Over 300 species of birds, 57 species of mammals and 29 species of fi sh, reptiles and amphibians call the

area home.Other key sectors include forestry,

secondary manufacturing, health services, retirement, and arts and culture.

Be sure to stop in at the Creston Visitor Centre for more informa-tion. Our centre showcases local at-tractions and businesses, maps, free wireless Internet, feature artisan displays and the Creston Valley Ro-tary Club history wall. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you plan your vacation or make your relocation a smooth transition. We look forward to seeing you!

Jim Jacobsen, Executive DirectorCreston Valley Chamber of

Commerce and Visitor Centre121 Northwest Blvd.

250-428-43421-866-528-4342

[email protected]

May 17 to 20, 2013

Creston Valley

Join us for the celebrations!

STAGE SHOW STARRING AL SIMMONSMammoth ParadeChildren’s EntertainmentLion’s Street FairDuck RaceChili Cook-offShow & Shine Car ShowMillennium Park Showcase

Children’s ParadeLion’s Kids Party in the ParkLion’s Pancake BreakfastKnights of Columbus BreakfastCreston Airport Events ... and much, much more to come!

For more information, visit our website www.blossomfestival.ca or call 250-428-4284

Fest

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Plan ahead! Next year’s Blossom Festival is May 16 to 19, 2014

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The Creston Valley

www.crestonvalleybc.com 5

Welcome to the beautiful and historic Creston Valley. If you’re looking for a great “quality of life” you’ll find it here! First established as a farming community, Creston continues to produce a wide variety of agricultural produce, drawing people from far and

wide. Crops include: asparagus, peaches, apples, cherries, and much more. Beyond its abundant agriculture, organic cheeses, burgeoning wine industries, and award winning juices, Creston is also memorable for its awe-inspiring vistas and closeness with nature. The majestic Kootenay River winds its way through this wide, fertile valley that is surrounded on all sides by the stunning Selkirk and Purcell Mountain ranges. The Creston Valley

Wildlife Management Centre, located in the heart of our valley, is a wetland of international significance (a designated RAMSAR site). Come check out the 17,000 acres of wetland that is rich in bird, fish and other wild life. To be in our valley is to be surrounded by unforgettable natural beauty.

Community attractions are numerous:

Spend some time at our newly renovated Community Complex and indoor pool. Play a round of golf on the local 18 hole course. Pop in to our farmers’ market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Tour the Columbia Brewery, home of “Kokanee Beer” and have your picture taken with the Sasquatch. Browse the galleries and shops that display local work. Enjoy history with a visit to our local Museum and Archives. Participate in the Lower Kootenay Band’s Pow Wow, held annually in May. Experience the numerous festivals and events that take place in the Creston Valley year

round. www.crestonevents.ca

Town of Creston Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 238 - 10th Avenue North, PO Box 1339, Creston, BC, V0B 1G0 Phone: 250-428-2214 Fax: 250-428-9164 Email: [email protected] www.creston.ca

“With a little planning, you

can make your visit to the

Creston Valley truly

unforgettable.

We welcome your stay and invite you to visit again

soon!”

Ron Toyota Mayor

www.crestonvalleybc.com or call the Visitor Centre at

1-866-528-4352


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The town of Creston is easy to fi nd, located along the southernmost route joining the provinces of British Colum-bia and Alberta. It is just an hour-and-a-quarter west of Cranbrook on Highway 3, or an hour-and-a-half east of Nelson or Castlegar, travelling over the Koote-nay Pass, Canada’s highest mountain pass.

Travellers from Nelson also have the option of a scenic trip along Kootenay Lake’s West Arm on Highway 3A, fol-lowed by a trip on the M.V. Balfour or M.V. Osprey 2000 between Balfour and Kootenay Bay. The six-mile trip is the longest free ferry ride in the world, which makes it even more unique. From Kootenay Bay, Highway 3A — referred to by some locals as the “lake road” — winds south, straight into Creston.

Creston is within two hours of two major airports, the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) in Cran-

brook and the Castlegar Airport (YCG). The Creston Valley Airport, six kilome-tres south of Creston, is suitable for light aircraft and small charter planes. South of Creston, in Washington, the Spokane International Airport (GEG) is a three-hour drive.

Creston is served by Greyhound Bus Lines, with one bus each day to or from Cranbrook and Nelson — and beyond. The community also offers BC Transit and Handi-Bus services, as well as Cres-ton Valley Cab Co., the town’s only taxi service.

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2013

Friday, September 6& Saturday, September 7

www.crestonvalleyfallfair.com

at the Creston & District Community Complex

Fruit • Vegetables • Home Baking • Photography • Quilts

• Needlework • Home Preserves • Arts & Crafts

• 4H Demonstrations • Poultry & Livestock

• Wine & Beer • Flowers • Woodwork • Penmanship

• Student Section • Grain & Foliage • Sunflowers

• Local Entertainers

Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7at the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & District

Fruit • Vegetables • Home Baking • Photography • Quilts

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• Wine & Beer • Flowers • Woodwork • Penmanship

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at the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & DistrictCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity Complex

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at the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & DistrictCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity Complex • Arts & Crafts


• Wine & Beer • Flowers • Wine & Beer • Flowers • Woodwork • Penmanship • Woodwork • Penmanship • Woodwork • Penmanship

• Student Section • Grain & Foliage • Sunflowers • Grain & Foliage • Sunflowers


Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6Friday, September 6& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7& Saturday, September 7at the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & District

Baking • Photography • Quilts • Needlework • Home Preserves• Needlework • Home Preservesat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & Districtat the Creston & District

Community ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity ComplexCommunity Complex • 4H Demonstrations

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Creston is still a small town, but it keeps growing. The 2011 census indicated a popu-lation of over 5,300 — more than 500 higher than in 2006. Newcomers appreciate the re-laxed, community-oriented lifestyle that per-meates the entire Creston Valley, which en-tices them to purchase homes in the area.

“Creston has become a retirement desti-nation for young baby boomers looking to spend the next twenty years enjoying an active but relatively inexpensive lifestyle,” said Creston Valley Realty owner Elaine Carr. “What brings them here are the beauti-ful views and warm climate — what makes them stay are the great people and the peace-ful pace.”

The many activities available in the valley also draw younger people and their families to the Creston Valley, where they enjoy everything from hiking to fi shing and music to sports.

LIFE IN A SMALL TOWN

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Insurance • Drivers LicensesVehicle Registrations • Local Tips

Providing one-on-one personal service

www.crestonvalleyinsurance.com250-428-2294 or toll-free [email protected] located at the Mall

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Major renovations to the Creston and District Community Complex, which began with the construction of an indoor aquatic facility that opened in 2010 and continued with upgrades to the Creston Curling

Centre and John Bucyk Arena, en-sure that families have an endless array of physical activities to keep them fi t and occupied.

The Creston Valley’s rich agricultur-al possibilities are another important factor behind the decision to move to

the valley — although the relatively inexpensive real estate, both in town and in rural areas, is also a big draw.

“It’s typically the quality of life that we enjoy here, and the climate — Creston has got one of the nicest

in all of Canada,” said Re/Max Dis-covery Real Estate owner-broker Michael Carpenter. “To boot, we have very reasonable prices com-pared to other areas that are in a 5 or 6 agricultural zone. They want to grow their own food, and get away

from the city and get away from a harsher climate. They also appreci-ate the beauty of the valley, which is somewhat unsurpassed.”

Of course, a brief wander through downtown Creston is enough to make many people want to stay. Several coffee shops and unique businesses — where all the regulars know each other on a fi rst-name ba-sis — make a fi rst visit to Creston feel like coming home.

New residents can easily learn more about what the Creston Valley has to offer by calling Hi Nieghbour Wel-come Service hostess Christy John-ston at 250-428-7074. She is happy to visit newcomers with a greeting package of coupons and information.

“The most common thing said is, ‘What a beautiful valley,’ ” said Cen-tury 21 Veitch Realty managing bro-ker Scott Veitch, a past president of the British Columbia Real Estate As-sociation. “They love the scenery, the climate, the small-town atmosphere and how friendly everyone is.”

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Your connection to Real Estate in the

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CENTURY 21 Veitch Realty – Creston1131 Canyon Street, Creston, BC

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Life in a Small Town


CRESTONVALLEYHISTORY

For centuries, the Creston Valley and surround-ing mountains and waterways were familiar only to the aboriginals known today as the Lower Koo-tenay Band, one of the seven bands that make up the Ktunaxa Nation. It wasn’t until the gold rush in the Fort Steele area that the Dewdney Trail opened east-west access in the southern portion of British Columbia.

The Dewdney Trail, which enters the Creston Val-ley along Summit Creek and then follows the Goat River eastward toward the Columbia Valley, pro-vided land access to areas where only water trans-port had previously been relied upon.

The first white settlers, who came to the area only 125 years ago, arrived to find a broad, lush valley that was flooded annually by the spring freshet. Among those first settlers was J.C. Rykerts, who was dispatched from Victoria in 1883 to set up a customs house on the 49th parallel. Transport for Rykerts upon his arrival was a rowboat, with which he made an 80-mile return river trip to Bonners Fer-ry, Idaho, to pick up the mail. The Rykerts border crossing featured a log cabin customs house.

Populating the area was a slow process and it wasn’t until 1891 that the Creston Valley’s first white baby, Christine Hood, was born. She would eventually marry Charles Sutcliffe, one of the area’s remaining pioneer families.

In 1892, Fred Little, John Arrowsmith and John Dow, staked a claim to portions of the valley along the benchland west of what is now 10th Avenue North. Little’s property would provide the location for the original townsite development.

John Arrowsmith married a daughter of William and Jane Huscroft, a pioneering couple who had ar-rived by chuckwagon and raft from Utah, staking their land claim on July 5, 1893. Jane was only a few months late to lay claim as being the first non-native woman in the Creston Valley.

Sarah Ellen Dow, wife of John, arrived on the steamboat S.S. Nelson, which plied the Koote-

(Above) The S.S. Nasookin, one of many sternwheeled steamships that plied Kootenay Lake in the early 1900s, near Kootenay Landing, at the southern end of Kootenay Lake. (Below) The 1000 block of Creston’s Canyon Street, circa 1910.

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Once Upon a Time


nay River between Bonners Ferry and Kaslo, B.C. It was her diary that would provide the first recorded glimpse into life in Creston’s early days.

Canoes were used to transport the first white settlers as they disembarked from the several steamboats that had begun to provide regular service in the area. Sarah Ellen’s husband, John, arrived at the steamboat with a canoe, and soon the couple was paddling, then walk-ing a mile-and-a-half, then crossing a slough in a dug-out canoe before arriving at the cedar log cabin they would call home.

Sarah Ellen gave birth to a son, Campbell, in Spo-kane, Wash., on Aug. 16, 1893, and mother and child came home six weeks later, greeted by a large group of Lower Kootenay Band members eager to see the new white baby.

In 1883, a solution to the water-sodden flatlands that made up much of the valley came in the person of en-trepreneur William Adolf Baillie-Grohman, who envi-sioned a rich agricultural opportunity if the floodwaters could be tamed. Good intentions were ignored by na-ture, though, and large floods often swept through the dikes, until the project was successfully carried out in the 1920s and 1930s.

Until the late 1890s, steam-powered sternwheelers plied local waterways from Creston south to Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and north to smaller Kootenay Lake set-tlements, and the ships played a large part in trans-portation until the 1930s. In the late 1890s, two rail-roads, Great Northern and Canadian Pacific arrived, making transportation in the valley that much easier.

Roads developed in short sections, which connected small communities throughout the valley and up the East Shore of Kootenay Lake. Later, these sections were joined, becoming part of a provincial highway system in the early 1920s. The government completed the road to Gray Creek in 1931, and the S.S. Nasookin made three daily stops at Gray Creek until 1947, when the road to Kootenay Bay was completed and the M.V. Anscomb(now sunk near Kaslo) was launched to ferry traffic be-tween that point and Balfour.

Traffic kept flowing along the lake, until two big changes came about in the early 1960s — the opening of Rogers Pass as part of the Trans-Canada Highway in July 1962, and the Salmo-Creston portion of High-way 3 opening in October 1963.

Creston’s modern-day history is closely tied to the development of the diking system, and the rich ag-ricultural tradition has continued. Forage and grain crops, fruits and vegetables, dairies and other agricul-tural industries have long contributed to the economic stability of an area that also boasts a strong forest sec-tor and mining history.

For more history of the Creston Valley, we recom-mend Sixty Bloomin’ Years by Helena White, which was published on the 60th anniversary of the Town of Creston’s 1924 incorporation. Reprints are available from Kingfisher Used Books.

(Top) Marion and Geoff Collis with a horse pulling a harrow in the early 1920s. (Above) John W. Dow (at the left facing right) at his cabin, about 1893. (Below) The S.S. Kaslo at the Rykerts border crossing south of Creston in 1902.

CRESTON MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES

Once Upon a Time


312 - 19th Ave N, Creston BC 250-428-7127For more info:email: [email protected] www.rdck.bc.ca\creston

Your Creston & District Community Complex

Handicapaccessible

Park area with baseball & soccer fi eldsBeach volleyball courts and horseshoe pitsChildren’s playground

Your Creston & District Community ComplexYour Creston & District Community ComplexYour Creston & District Community ComplexYour Creston & District Community Complex

Ser

ious

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Competition 25 metre 5 lane lap pool1 metre diving board

Aquatic climbing wallLeisure pool with lazy river

Hot tub and steam room

Fitness centre with indoor trackAll the latest cardio, strength, free weightsand other workout equipment Group fi tness room with spin bikesPhysiotherapy clinic

Hockey arena and new dressing roomsSix sheet curling rink and lounge facility

Large banquet room with kitchen facilityMeeting rooms

Rotacrest Hall facilitiesNew concession stand

Childminding available

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HockeyHockey arena and new dressing roomsHockey arena and new dressing roomsHockey


FOURSEASONS OF FUN

Spring comes to the Creston Valley in mid-April, with green leaves, scented blossoms and green grass seeming to ap-pear overnight, prompting residents of all ages to get outdoors and enjoy every-thing the valley has to offer.

It can often feel very much like summer by the middle of May, when the apple and cherry trees bloom and Creston hosts the annual Creston Valley Blossom Festival on the Victoria Day weekend. The festival opens with a Friday night concert featur-ing Al Simmons and the announcement of Creston’s citizen of the year, and the weekend includes three pancake break-fasts, two parades, a street festival, a clas-sic car show and a chili cook-off.

This year marks the 72nd annual fes-tival, which began as a way to raise the community’s morale during the Second World War.

“It’s a wonderful way for people of all ages to celebrate the spring,” says festi-val president Joanna Wilson. “It is a tra-dition for everyone in the valley.”

Outside the town, a demolition derby is an action-packed event in Kitchener, and the Lower Kootenay Band’s Yaqan Nukiy Powwow draws large crowds to see First Nations dancers from around the province.

The May long weekend also sees the opening of the 17,000-acre Creston Val-ley Wildlife Management Area’s Wild-life Interpretation Centre in West Cres-ton (see page 28).

Earlier in the month, the Creston Mu-seum opens for its season, which runs until mid-September (see page 26).

A visit to the Creston Valley in the summer isn’t complete without paying

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So Much to See and Do

Crowds line Canyon Street for the Saturday parade (above and below right), a key attraction of the Cres-ton Valley Blossom Festival. (Below left) The Monday morning children’s parade is a big hit with families.


a visit to the many orchards and fruit stands in the area. A few offer meals, as well as fresh-off-the-tree (or -vine or -bush) produce.

One of these is the Blueberry Patch in Lister, which offers country lunch-es, soups and homemade baking. It is opens the fi rst day of spring and fea-tures a shop with country giftware, and gourmet jams and spreads — as well as a candy cottage for the young and young at heart.

In addition to U-pick and ready-picked blueberries, the farm also has its strawberry pavilion, with 18,000 hy-droponically grown strawberry plants.

“That’s something they won’t see any-where,” says owner Michael Sproule.

Cherrybrook Farms is unique, too, with a cherry tree leasing system that allows families to pick all the fruit from “their” tree. With an orchard on Erickson Road, and a Highway 3 lo-cation that opened lin 2011, owners Gord and Caroline Martin enjoy sell-ing produce and other food products made in the Creston Valley, and visi-

tors can also take a look a scale model train sets around the place.

“Our dream is to become a community hub for local producers,” says Caroline.

For a variety of local products all in one place, a visit to the Creston Valley Farm-ers’ Market is a must. It runs on Satur-day mornings from May to September behind the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, and October to December at Morris Flowers Garden Centre. In ad-dition to fresh produce, it features live music and vendors offering crafts, art, fl owers, plants, wood products, baked goods, freshly roasted coffee and break-fast — all made, baked or grown in the Creston Valley (see page 40).

Naturally, swimming is a summer pas-time, and the Creston Valley offers sev-eral great spots to enjoy the clean, cool water of the Kootenays, as well as the in-door pool, which opened in 2010 at the Creston and District Community Com-plex. In addition to public swimming, the pool offers many swimming courses and lessons for everyone, from boys and girls to new moms to lifeguards in train-

ing — and that’s just in the water.“From swimming lessons to soc-

cer camp, from scuba to underwater hockey, from outdoor boot camp to aquatic kick boxing, there is some-thing for everyone,” says aquatic pro-grammer Brooke Cherfi ls.

Miniature golfi ng is always a popu-lar pastime, and visitors can enjoy it at Cheyenne Creek Mini Golf on North-west Boulevard. Owners Dave Schel-lenberg and Stephanie Soderling opened the 18-hole course in 2007, and it features waterfalls and rustic bridges, and misters spray cool water near one of the holes to give players a reprieve from summer heat.

It’s also pleasant to stroll through Creston’s downtown, browsing in stores — including the East Kootenay’s largest beading shop, a smoke shop and a fl ower/antique shop — and be-ing refreshed at one of several restau-rants and coffee shops.

On Erickson Street, a tour of the Colum-bia Brewery is also a must, where visitors learn how “the beer out here” is made.

Creston Valley CruisersCar Club8th Annual Blossom Festival Show & Shine • Canyon St

Sunday, May 19, 2013 10am–3pm

Info: 250-428-772325th Annual Creston Valley Cruisers

Fall Campout Show & Shine September 20, 21 & 22, 2013

at Centennial ParkInfo: 250-428-5005

www.crestonbc.com/cruisers/

Creston & District Recreation ComplexSix sheets of ice hosting Seniors curling

Mixed Curling, Junior League, Ladies League, Men’s League,and open leagues – it is all there for you to try

ANNUAL LADIES’ VALENTINE BONSPIEL - FebruaryANNUAL MEN’S BUTTERFLY BONSPIEL - MarchThe curling lounge is available for rent for your next

family gathering, wedding, reunion, curling game or meetings

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1217 Canyon St., Creston, BC250.428.4020 • 1.877.428.4020

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mining equipment

Pan for a Pocketful



While you’re at the brewery that makes Kokanee, Bud Light and Al-exander Keith’s, be sure to have your picture taken on the brewery grounds with the sasquatch sculpture, created by Canyon sculptor Karl Lansing.

Canyon Park is always hopping on Canada Day. A slo-pitch tournament and barrel racing are a big part of the event in Canyon, a few miles east of Creston, while kids’ activities and live entertainment are the highlights of the festivities in town.

The entire community will enjoy socializing at the 96th annual Creston Valley Fall Fair, which showcases — but isn’t limited to — local produce, baking, livestock and artwork.

“A true traditional country fair,” is how longtime volunteer Randy Meyer describes the September event. “There will be displays of the valley’s finest fruits and vegetables, flowers, grain and hay, as well as crafts, photography and wood-working that will fill the arena.”

The Creston Valley’s youth are well represented at the fair with presen-tations by 4-H dairy, beef and horse clubs. Visitors to the fair will find commercial booths inside and out-side the arena, and activities will be scattered throughout the various sec-tion displays.

This is also the time of year when the Creston Valley Thunder Cats kick off the hockey season. The Junior B Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team has been around for more than 25 years, and fans continue to flock to the John Bucyk Arena to cheer on the team.

The Thunder Cats season usu-ally begins with exhibition games in early September and continues through the playoffs in March.

For those who like their entertain-ment to offer finesse without brute strength, the Creston Valley Figure Skating Club, with over 70 members, presents an ice show each season.

The Creston Curling Centre is also located at the community com-plex. The club hosts the Valentine Bonspiel (for women) in February and the Butterfly Bonspiel (men) in March, which brings to Creston

players from across B.C., Alberta and Idaho.

“The social aspect is a lot of it,” said curling club member Evelyn Tingley. “They come every year and see the same old friends. And the competi-tion is good.”

Cross-country skiers won’t have a hard time finding the perfect spot to practice their hobby. The Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area has more than 30 kilometres of trails to follow, some of which weave through the marshy area surround-

ing the Wildlife Interpretation Cen-tre at 1760 West Creston Road.

Summit Creek Park, a former campground located a few minutes west of Creston on Highway 3, is also a popular choice, with trails that extend into the flat land on the valley floor. More trails can be found about 40 kilometres past Summit Creek Park on Highway 3 at the top of the Kootenay Pass, complete with a heated cabin to recharge after a day of vigorous skiing. (For more on hiking, see page 50.)

BRIAN

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(Clockwise from above) Santa arrives in Creston during a parade in his honour on the first weekend of December; the Creston and District Community Complex hosts community events and activites, including the Creston Valley Figure Skating Club’s annual ice show, the Black Eyed Cherries roller derby team, indoor swimming and the Creston Valley Fall Fair.

BRIAN

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Downhill skiers will be pleased to discover five ski hills within a three-hour drive. West of Creston are the Salmo Ski Hill, renowned for its nighttime skiing, and Rossland’s Red Mountain, where Olympic gold medallists Nancy Greene and Kerrin Lee Gartner got their start. North of Salmo off Highway 6 is Whitewa-ter Ski Resort, which, well-known for its powder, bills itself as being “pure, simple and real ... deep.” East of Creston is the Kimberley Alpine Resort, which features 80 runs.

An hour to the south, near Sand-point, Idaho, U.S.A., is Schweitzer Mountain Resort, where skiers take in panoramic views of Canada, Washington, Idaho and Montana — after travelling on Stella, Idaho’s only six-person high-speed lift.

Self-propelled sports aren’t the only ones that take place.

Snowmobiling is also popular, and about 70 members of the Ko-kanee Country Snowmobile Club enjoy miles of logging roads wind-ing through incredible scenery.

“We have a number of amazing ar-eas to ride, and each is a little bit dif-ferent so you can always find some-thing new,” says president Dean Bala. “With lots of riding areas, and not a lot of snowmobilers, there is al-ways lots of fresh snow to be found.”

Among the regular events held each season are a tailgate sale (a swap meet for snowmobilers, with local dealers showcasing new prod-ucts), a poker run and a hotdog dash (eat a hotdog, then ride your snowmobile through a course up to the top of a hill), followed by a year-end banquet with dinner and prizes. For a map that shows what areas are off-limits to snowmobil-ers, as well as more information, visit kokaneecountry.webs.com.

There is also the Creston Valley Quad Squad, which was formed in April 2002 to provide an opportunity for ATV enthusiasts to enjoy their sport together. The club members clean and maintain trails in the area, and the club offers day trail rides, overnight campouts, poker rides and safety seminars. More information is available at www.crestonquads.com .

CRESTO

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Restaurants

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A Break in Time Caffé1417 Canyon St. Creston, BC

250.428.561917 v v v v v v v v

Bayshore Resort13165 Hwy 3A Boswell, BC

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Buffalo Trails1215 Canyon St. Creston, BC

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Creston & District Community Complex312-19 Ave. North Creston, BC

250.428.467117

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Creston Golf Club Mallory Restaurant1800 Mallory Rd. Creston, BC

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Creston Hotel - Jimmy’s Pub & Grill1418 Canyon St. Creston, BC

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Creston Valley Bakery113 - 10 Ave. North Creston, BC

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Dairy Queen1804 Canyon St. Creston, BC

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Home Style CaféHwy 3 Kitchener (East of Creston), BC

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Kokanee Pub123 - 9 Ave. South Creston, BC

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Kootenay Thai Restaurant & Tony’s Bar800 Northwest Blvd, Creston

www.kootenaythai.com 250.428.7779 18 v v v v v v

Real Food Café 223 - 10 Ave. North, Creston

www.realfoodcafe.ca 250.428.8882 17 v v v v v v

Ricky’s All Day GrillJunction Hwy 3 & 3A, Creston

www.gotorickys.com 250.428.882663 v v v v v v

1809 HIGHWAY 3A250.426.3501

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Places to Eat


Down to earth.Wholesome. Goodness.

Creative Diningfreshly made every daywith locally available produce

Real Food Cafe • Creston223-10 Ave North (across from the Firehall)

250.428.8882 realfoodcafe.ca

Lunch Mon-Fri 11am-2pmDinner Mon-Sat 4:30-8pm

Hearty Portions • Great Prices • Local Organic Beef & CheeseTraditional British Fish & Chips • Really Good Homemade Desserts

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www.abreakintimecaffe.com1417 Canyon St, Creston • 250-428-5619

OPEN DAILY WiFi • Outdoor Courtyard • Music Nights • Take-Out

SECOND LOCATION Concession OPEN DAILY

at Creston and District Community Complex

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123 9 Ave. South, CrestonJust south of the grain elevators

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113-10th Ave. N Creston 250-428-2661

Daily Lunch SpecialsDaily Lunch SpecialsDaily Lunch SpecialsDaily Lunch SpecialsDaily Lunch Specials• Daily Lunch SpecialsDaily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionFull Bakery SelectionDeli Counter

Daily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionDaily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionDeli Counter

Daily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionDaily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionDeli Counter

Daily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionFull Bakery SelectionDaily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery SelectionDaily Lunch SpecialsFull Bakery Selection•• Full Bakery Selection• Deli Counter

EXPERIENCE a fine selection of breads and baked delicacies from locally produced wheat!

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Hwy 3 Kitchener BCJust 10 minutes east of Creston

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800 Northwest Blvd, Creston250-428-7779

www.kootenaythai.com

OPEN FOR DINNER Tues-Sun 4-9pmLUNCH Tues-Sat 11:30am-2pmClosed Mondays

Award Winning Thai Cuisine

Open mic, karaoke, free internet

Formerly Montri’s Thai Restaurant in Vancouver

2705 Canyon St. on Hwy#3 Creston, BC • 250-428-2229

YOUR COMFORTOUR MissiOn

[email protected]

1-800-663-7082Pets Welcome • BCAA Triple Rating

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INN“The Place to Stay”Skimmerhorn• Executive Suites• King Size Beds• Full Kitchens• Seasonal Heated Pool• Air Conditioning • Wireless• Horseshoes• LCD TVs• BBQ Pits• Playground• RIDER FRIENDLY

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City Centre Motel Close to everything but the noise.

250-428-2257220 15th Ave North, Creston • 1/2 Block off Hwy 3 (Canyon St)

www.crestonvalley.com/citycenterFor Reservations Only, Call Toll Free 1-877-506-2211

250.428.2225 • 1418 Canyon St. Creston • www.crestonhotel.com

• CLEAN, MODERN ROOMS ($75*)• FULL KITCHEN SUITES ($95*)• DOWNTOWN LOCATION• FREE BREAKFAST WITH STAY• PUB & LIQUOR STORE ON SITE

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clean, quiet and affordablecabin-like units

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[email protected]

Valleyview Motel

• Locally Roasted Coffee • Specialty Coffee • Icy Cold Drinks

• Grilled Sandwiches• Homemade Soups & Salads• Delicious Homemade Treats • Happy Trails Ice Cream Parlour

1215 Canyon Street • Downtown Creston • 250-428-5730

Open 7 days a week • Wireless Internet • Art & Live Music Venue

Coffee HouseEat • Drink • B for Buffalo


Gorgeous panoramic viewLarge, comfortable, modern executive suites

Satellite TV, Wireless InternetPrivate patios, Tranquil setting

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Pheasants Run Bed & Breakfastyour home away from home

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haciendainn.ca • 1.800.567.2215 • 250-428-2224 • 800 NW Blvd

OVERLOOKS THE BEAUTIFUL CRESTON VALLEY51 units with fridges16 full Kitchen Suites

Licensed Family RestaurantSports Lounge

Seasonal Outdoor PoolHigh-speed Internet and A/C

Executive, Private Jacuzzi, and Large Family SuitesCorporate/Senior/Family/Group Rates

Smoking and Pet-friendly Rooms availableChampionship Golf Course Packages available

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Bella Vista Bed & BreakfastModern & luxurious: Best suited for business people,

travelling couples and honeymooners.Complimentary business centre. Espresso breakfast.

1206 Lilac Street, Creston BCwww.bbcanada.com/11111.html 250.428.4847 • 250.435.0307


OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK3-1000 Northwest Boulevard, Creston • 250-428-2555

We carry a wide selection of fresh produce and meats.

Enjoy our full servicedeli and bakery.

Our pharmacy can assist you with your health care needs.

Creston Valley Mall • 11 - 1000 Northwest Blvd

and so much MORE!

Open 7 days a week

Balloons

Party SuppliesCanadian Souvenirs Seasonal Items

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IncenseHousewares

Electronics

“The strength of a ‘community college’ lies with the community — this is our college,” College of the Rock-ies (COTR) campus manager Kathy Tompkins says.

For a quarter of a century, the College of the Rockies has been delivering quality education opportunities to Creston Valley residents, and to visitors, too, thanks to activities like a summer arts program. In the summer, a series of courses on a variety of arts topics are taught by working artists.

Located in the downtown core on an old mill site donated to the Town of Creston by the former Crest-brook Forest Industries, COTR’s Creston campus of-fers full-time programs like resident care aide, adult basic education, licensed practical nursing and hair-dressing, some in rotation with other COTR campuses in the East Kootenay region. Shorter courses, such as activity assistant and practical herbalist, provide op-portunities for educational upgrading.

And the local campus has been at the vanguard of on-line education, with more than 170 general interest cours-es available through the Internet. Check the college offi ce or website for credit course opportunities, too.

Always popular has been the range of general inter-est courses, ranging from first aid to computers, class one driving certificates to stained glass and other arts instruction.

The COTR campus is also home to the Community Greenhouse, which was the setting for a two-year winter harvest program, and allows members of the Therapeu-tic Activation Program for Seniors to work in the garden with the community’s children and young families.

For more information, visit www.cotr.bc.ca, phone 250-428-5332 or e-mail [email protected].

NO END TO LEARNING

1000 Northwest Blvd, Creston250-428-0221

• GroceryRetailer• Pharmacy• LiquorStore• MovieRentals• InsuranceAgency

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• DollarStore• PastryShop• MedicalClinic

• Restaurant• HairStylist... andMORE!

Plenty of FREE Parking!


Accommodations

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Bayshore Resort13165 Hwy 3A Boswell, BC

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Bella Vista Bed & Breakfast1206 Lilac St. Creston, BC

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City Centre Motel220 - 15 Ave. North Creston, BC1.877.506.2211 250.428.2257

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Creston Hotel and Suites1418 Canyon St. Creston, BC

250.428.2225v 18 v v v v v v 25 v v v v

Downtowner Motor Inn1218 Canyon St. Creston, BC

1.800.665.9904 250.428.2238v 19 v v v v v v v v 22 v v v v v

Hacienda Inn800 Northwest Blvd. Creston, BC

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Pheasants Run Bed & Breakfast1506 - 1 Ave NW Creston, BC

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Pilot Bay Resort & Charter Services16961 Pilot Bay Rd. Kootenay Bay, BC

250.227.9441v 56 v v v v v 3 v v v v

Skimmerhorn Inn2711 Hwy 3 Creston, BC

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Sunset Motel2705 Hwy 3 Creston, BC

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Valley View Motel216 Valleyview Dr. Creston, BC1.800.758.9334 250.428.2336

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RV Parks& Campgrounds

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Bayshore Resort13165 Hwy 3A Boswell, BC250.354.4370 250.223.8270

56 50 v v v v v v v v v v v v v v

Kozy RV Park3003 Hwy 3 Creston, BC

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Mountain Park Resort4020 Hwy 3E Erickson, BC

1.877.428.2954 250.428.295445 v 7 35 v v v v v v v v v v v v

Pair-A-Dice RV Park & Campground1322 Northwest Blvd. Creston, BC

1.866.223.3423 250.428.234752 44 v 10 v v v v v v v v v v v

Scotties RV Park1409 Erickson St. Creston, BC1.800.982.4256 250.428.4256

52 44 v 6 13 v v v v v v v

Places to Stay



HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

Tons to See, Do, and Buy.

121 NW Blvd., Highway 3 250.428.4342 \ [email protected]

www.CrestonValleyChamber.com

April 12 + 13, 2013

April 11 + 12, 2014 “Best trade show in the Kootenays”

• Picnic Area• Model Railway

• Gift Shop

219 Devon St • Crestoncreston.museum.bc.ca

250-428-9262May 11-Jun 7: Mon-Sat, 10-3:30

Jun 8-August 24: Daily 10-5

August 25-Sep 21 Mon-Sat 10-3:30

THE CRESTON MUSEUM

The cabin beside the

Salmo-Creston highway

is called Jordan’s Cabin

There’s a crypt in the � oorof the Creston Museum, anda ghost legend to go with it

We can tell you why

beside the

The � rst steamshipon Kootenay Lakewas built in Norway

The � rst steamshipThe � rst steamshipThe

In 1948, the fl ats west

of Creston were under

fourteen feet of water

, the fl ats west

Creston hasn’t observed Daylight Savings Timesince 1918

Residents and visitors alike often take advantage of Cres-ton’s many parks, suitable for a quick game of catch with the kids, a peaceful place to read or even enjoy a romantic picnic.

•Centennial Park (Birch Street, entrance at Ninth Avenue South). This well-shaded park is popular with families, for obvious reasons: it has a playground, picnic sites, a gazebo, a baseball diamond, a basketball hoop, a water fountain and washrooms. An exciting feature is the Creston Rotary Splash Playground (right), an excellent way for the kids to cool off while Mom and Dad kick back and relax.

•Burns/Farstad Park (312 19th Avenue North). This is the site of the Creston and District Community Complex. The park has a new indoor swimming pool, a playground, two baseball diamonds, the Alex Nilsson Field for soccer, horse-shoe pits, a skateboarding park, basketball hoops, volley-ball nets, curling and ice rinks (in season).

•Millennium Park (300 block of 16th Avenue South). The park, created by volunteers, opened in the summer of 2004. It features walkways, one-of-a-kind wooden benches and an amphitheatre, which is often used for musical and theatrical productions in the summer. One of the park’s

A WALK IN THE PARK

BRIAN

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A young visitor cools off at the Creston Rotary Splash Park.


When is the last time you had so much

fun shopping?

raised funds for local charities byreducing and reusing donated items?plus

Gleaners807 Canyon Street • 250-428-4166Tues & Fri 9:30am-4pm • Every Thurs 4pm-7pm • Closed Saturday

Gleaners Too113 - 8 Ave North • 250-428-4106

Tues & Fri 9am-4pm • Every Thurs 4pm-7pm

Food Bank807 Canyon Street (behind main store)

Tues & Fri 9am-1pm

Gate Drop Off Hours(both locations)

Mon & Wed 6am-6pmTues & Fri 6am-4pm

Thurs 6am-7pmSat & Sun 1pm-5pm

ladies’ clothing • shoes • crafts • linens • men’s clothing • toys • jewellery • kitchen item

s • games • puzzles • housewares • work wear • boots • jackets • ornaments • pictures • wall art • mirrors • hardware•

colle

ctab

les

• boo

ks •

CDs

• DVD

s • s

mal

l and

larg

e ap

plia

nces

• fu

rnitu

re •

infa

nt c

loth

ing

• mis

cella

neou

s go

ods

GLEANERS

COLLEGE OF THE ROCKIES

www.cotr.bc.ca/creston

Serving Our Community

The goal of College of the Rockies in Creston is to provide quality, timely education and training for our area. We are a vital part of our community – and we want to ensure we grow and develop as our community grows and develops.

Check out our ever-changing programs at:Phone: 250 428-5332 Email: [email protected]

or drop by: 301 16th Ave, Creston BCKathy TompkinsCampus Manager

most striking features is the Japa-nese garden, which was developed thanks to a donation from Creston’s Japanese sister city, Kaminoho. The park may be rented for weddings or special functions on the grounds or in the amphitheatre; contact the Town of Creston for details.

•Burns Park (Elm Street and 25th Avenue South). This park has a playground, picnic tables and washrooms.

•Kinsmen Park (Birch Street and 25th Avenue South). This park has tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a running track.

•Schikurski Park (Regina Street and 14th Avenue North). Walking trails are a major feature of this park.

•Lister Park (16th Street and Hu-scroft Road). This rural park has a covered outdoor dining area, rental kitchen facilities, a tennis court, a basketball hoop, a playground and a baseball diamond.

•Canyon Park (48th Street and Samuelson Road). The park fea-

tures 30 picnic sites, a baseball dia-mond, a horse arena, a horse racing track, horseshoe pits, a playground, a pavilion, a rental kitchen and pay showers.

•Canada’s Smallest Park (Can-yon Street Walkthrough). This one is home to minature shrubs and small plants — defi nitely some-thing to write home about!

A gymkhana is a popular Canada Day event at Canyon Park. LORNE ECKERSLEY

A Walk in the Park


Visitors to the Creston Valley who are interested in spending a day on the links are in luck — 17 golf courses are located within two hours of Cres-ton. Two, the Creston Golf Club in Lister and the Canyon Heights Golf Course in Canyon, are minutes away.

The 18-hole, par-72 Creston Golf Club was the home of B.C.’s 1992 juvenile, 1998 junior, 2002 senior amateur, 2004 ladies’ amateur and 2006 high school championships. Spectacular views of the Kootenay River and surrounding mountains can be seen from the course.

“The Creston Golf Club has been built on a unique piece of property that gave our architect the oppor-tunity to create a golf course with a great deal of character as well as spectacular scenery and strength,” said Creston Golf Club profes-

sional Randy Panton. “We have holes you simply couldn’t build anywhere else!”

If you want to get in a game, but don’t have a lot of time, the five-hole Canyon Heights Golf Course

in Canyon is your best bet. The course also features an 18-hole put-ting range, located at the foot of the magnificent Skimmerhorns, part of the Purcell mountain range.

“It’s in a gorgeous corner of the valley,” says owner Dave Perrin. “It is fantastically beautiful.”

Due to the Creston Valley’s mild cli-mate, golf season starts in mid-March and usually runs until the end of Oc-tober. And because the courses are

located in pristine natural surround-ings, golfers can often enjoy a glimpse of wildlife sharing the course.

An hour north on Highway 3A, golfers will be delighted to find the 18-hole Kokanee Spring Golf Resort

in Crawford Bay, which is situated beside the 60-room Kokanee Lodge. Twenty minutes away is the nine-hole Riondel Golf Course, a few minutes off Highway 3A on Riondel Road.

Outside the valley, courses in Bal-four, Kaslo, Nelson, Salmo, Cham-pion Lakes, Trail-Rossland and Cranbrook, as well as Bonners Fer-ry and Priest Lake in Idaho, ensure variety for all skill levels.

ON THE GREEN

Putting at the Creston Golf Club.

CH

ERYL JAG

GERS


CRESTONVALLEYADVANCE.caThe Creston Valley Advance is a weekly newspaper with a circulation of 3,000 in southeastern British Columbia. First published in 1948 by Alex Carruthers as the Valley Advert, the Advance was published twice weekly until 2003, when it became a weekly paper serving the communities of Creston, Erickson, Lister, Canyon, Yahk, West Creston and Wynndel, as well as the East Shore of Kootenay Lake.Its strong readership is attributed to a commitment to keeping readers informed in all areas of life, from entertainment to government to education to the arts.

[email protected]

For your Advertising needs, [email protected]

give online readers full access to all our online tools and hyper-local content.

All Access Subscriptions Mail SubscriptionsIf you already subscribe to the print edition of Creston Valley Advance, your All Access Subscription is free!

1018 Canyon Street, Creston • 250-428-2266

ARN

OLD

LABREN

TZ


Creston Veterinary Hospital

Dr. Robert McLeod • Dr. Emma DavisDr. John Pfeffer

Ph: 250-428-9494 • 1605 Dogwood St • Creston, BC

Farm & House Call Service24 Hour Emergency by Phone

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.

CRESTON VISITOR CENTRE 121 NW Blvd., Highway 3, Creston, BC 1.866.528.4342

www.CrestonValleyBC.com

With more than half of its 10,000 arti-facts on display, the Creston Museum and Archives is the place to go to learn all there is to know about the Creston Valley’s history — from forestry to agri-culture to transportation.

“Many of our visitors are surprised at how big the museum is, and how much there is to see,” says manager Tammy Hardwick. “There are a lot of corners, and something new to see around ev-ery one of them.”

The museum, which opens May 11 and runs through mid-September, has two main buildings, both built in the 1960s by master stonemason Rudolph Schultz. Other buildings on the prop-erty include a century-old schoolhouse from Kingsgate (near Yahk), a trapper’s cabin and a shed that shelters farm equipment, including a 1920s Ford and Caterpillar.

The Creston Museum is also home to the Seventh Siding Trackers, a model railway club that has created a minia-ture version of the Creston Valley in the

living room of a former apartment on the museum grounds.

The publicly funded non-profi t facility plays an active role in the community, hosting several events during its season (May-September). The fi rst is the mu-seum’s opening day, which also marks the opening of the temporary exhibit, El-emental: Earth, Wind, Fire and Flood in the Creston Valley.

“It looks at the impact these events have had on the community, its resi-dents, and its industries,” said muse-um manager Tammy Hardwick. “The windstorm of December 1924, for ex-ample, set the local fruit industry back fi ve years; and the fl ood of 1948 is still talked about as one of the pivotal events in local agricultural history.

“Because we have virtually nothing in the way of artifacts relating to these events, this exhibit relies on photo-graphs, newspaper articles, and fi rst-hand accounts to tell the stories of these natural disasters.”

A second exhibit opening this sea-

CRESTON MUSEUM & ARCHIVES

Many of the museum’s artifacts and displays depict early life in the Creston Valley.

BRIAN

LAW

RENC

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Bringing Life to History


son is a permanent one, focusing on the his-tory of women in the Creston Valley.

“We’ve chosen three broad time frames — pioneer women, women of the 1950s and women of today — and explored the chang-ing — and, in some ways, unchanging — roles of women from one period to another,” said Hardwick. “A big part of the exhibit is made up of items contributed by members of the community — items that represent the women whom those people feel have made a difference in the community.”

A few regular events — Kid’s Day (June 8, featuring vintage games from hopscotch to marbles) and the quilt show and sale (Sept. 14, with quilts all over the buildings and arti-facts) — will keep volunteers busy.

And then there’s the perennial favourite, the Old-Fashioned Tea on Aug. 10, at which guests enjoy tea, lemonade and dainty treats on the museum’s patio. This year’s theme is the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, sure to be an en-tertaining combination of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Creston history.

“Events give our visitors a chance to live or relive history for an afternoon, and they give people opportunities to share their sto-ries,” says Hardwick. “Museums should be places where people can gather and enjoy an hour, an afternoon or a day. Our static exhibits let the people do that in a quiet, peaceful way, and our events let visitors enjoy in a more hands-on way.”

These events allow museum employees, tour guides and volunteers to glean new in-formation to pass on to future visitors.

“We collect the artifacts that illustrate lo-cal history and the stories that go with them, and we pass those stories on to others,” says Hardwick. “It’s ongoing — we’re always col-lecting both artifacts and stories. In fact, the best days we have are the ones when people come in and start reminiscing.”

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The Creston Museum’s annual Old-Fashioned Tea is popular with locals and visitors.

Bringing Life to History


Wildlife Centre

• Guided Canoe & Walking Tours • Hiking & Biking Trails • Wildlife Viewing

• Educational Displays • Science Lab • Gift Shop

www.crestonwildlife.caContact us @ (250) 402 6908 [email protected]

Centre open May - OctoberPrograms and tours May - August

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

There may be no better internationally known feature in the Kootenays than the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA). In fact, Rand McNally voted the CVWMA and the Wildlife In-terpretation Centre as a Best of the Road Editors’ Top Pick in the 2009 Rand Mc-Nally Road Atlas.

Located 11 kilometres west of Creston, CVWMA is a Ramsar site, an internation-

ally signifi cant wetland. It is also recog-nized as a nationally important bird area because it provides important habitat for migrating and nesting birds.

The Wildlife Interpretation Centre at 1760 West Creston Road is open from May to September, but boardwalks and trails throughout the marshes welcome visitors year-round. The centre offers something for everyone during its sea-

son, which runs from May to October, including guided canoe and walking tours, youth programs and educational displays. A science and nature gift shop in the centre has an excellent selection of books, natural history and educational resources, nature related gifts, souvenirs and refreshments.

An impressive feature of the 32 ki-lometres of trails is the three-story

Preserving Our Unique Nature

May 10, 11 & 122013

Info: www.crestonvalleybirds.ca • Watch for 2014 events!

Birding expeditionsProfessional presentationsWorkshopsArt tours

©Bruce Paterson


For appliances, electronics, beds and mattresses, fitness equipment, home and garden equipment, plus your Sears catalogue store and MORE!

1510 Cook Street, Creston, BC • 250-428-5301Tues to Fri 930am-530pm • Sat 930am-500pm

We Make Your House a Home!

viewing tower along the Marsh Trail Loop, a popular destination for schoolchildren, birdwatchers, photographers and nature enthusi-asts to view wildlife and enjoy the breathtaking views of the wetland. A second tower is located north of the Wildlife Interpretation Centre, by following trails that cross under Highway 3.

Why is the CVWMA important? It is home to over 300 bird species, 50 mammal species, 30 fi sh, reptile and amphibian species, thousands of invertebrate and plant species. The valley is a migration corridor for tundra swans, greater white-fronted geese, and other waterfowl and is the largest regional locale for wintering birds of prey in the inte-rior of the province. It is considered that in British Columbia the CVW-

MA is second only to the B.C. coast as a fl yway route for numbers of migrating waterfowl that follow it twice yearly.

Warm shallow waters encourage luxuriant growth of the most im-portant aquatics such as sage, clasp-ing leaf and other pondweeds, duck potato, duckweed, muskgrass and many more.

The richness and diversity of life forms would not be present on the Creston Valley Wildlife Manage-ment Area without habitat manage-ment. Because of careful manage-ment of water levels, vegetation and other habitat features since 1968, there are now more species and larger breeding populations of birds and other wildlife at CVWMA than in previous years.

The wildlife area will be a key lo-

cation for birdwatching during the Creston Valley Bird Fest on May 10, 11 and 12, planned to be the fi rst year in a proposed annual event.

Wetlands are important because they sustain as much life as many tropical rain forests, play a critical role in maintaining the global envi-ronment and provide a natural fl ood barrier that slows down the runoff of spring melt and rainstorms. Ad-ditionally, extensive wetlands in agricultural regions play a large role in water purifi cation by fi ltering the water of lakes, rivers and streams, reducing pollution. Marsh plants remove excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. Basically, wet-lands are the kidneys of the earth — understanding and preserving these wetlands is as important for our fu-ture as it is to Canadian wildlife.

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1804 Canyon Street Highway 3250-428-9800

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Preserving our Unique Nature


Tues - fri 9-6 • saT 9-5 • 1420 NW Blvd, HWy 3. CresToN • PH: 250-428-9055

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2782-20th St Lister • Hwy 21. S and follow signs 250-428-46472782-20th St Lister • Hwy 21. S and follow signs 250-428-46472782-20th St Lister • Hwy 21. S and follow signs 250-428-46472782-20th St Lister • Hwy 21. S and follow signs 250-428-4647www.blueberrypatch.ca

• U-pick & ready picked blueberries,strawberries, raspberries & more!

• Unique hydroponic strawberry pavilion• Delicious lunches, fruit smoothies,

baking and preserves• Ice cream, candy shop and Belgian berry waffl es

Great family experience!Summer Hours (May to September)

Monday to Saturday 9:30am to 4:30pmSpring, Fall & Winter Hours - Please call

Blueberry Patch products now available atTasty Pastry Shop in Creston next to Overwaitea

You’re going to need a bigger bag!

Summer (May-Thanksgiving): Thurs, Fri, Sat 10-5Winter: Saturdays only 10-5

Visit our certifi ed organic, grass-basedfamily farm and expanded farm retail shop

“good food from the soil up”

kootenay meadows“good food from the soil up”

kootenay meadows3071 - 16 St Creston BC

(beside Lister Park)250.428.9655

Farm Fresh Milk in glass bottlesHandcrafted Kootenay Alpine CheesePasture raised pork and ground beef

Summer (May-Thanksgiving): Thurs, Fri, Sat 10-5

family farm and expanded farm retail shop

Farm Fresh Milk in glass bottlesHandcrafted Kootenay Alpine CheesePasture raised pork and ground beef

Meet Your Milk Maker

www.kootenaymeadows.com

NEW!

Wine lovers and foodies delight in pairing food with appropriate liba-tions, and what better way to cel-ebrate the bounty that grows in the Creston Valley? With three wineries now open to visitors, and dozens of venues to pick up locally produced food, the area has become a gour-met — and gourmand — heaven.

For a perfect weekend meal, fi rst visit the Creston Valley Farmers’ Market or drop in to a fruit stand or farm gate vendor to pick up fruit and veggies in season. A stop at Fa-mous Fritz Meats and Deli and Koo-tenay Meadows cheese might be in order, too. Think grilled sausages and a hearty red wine! Or a cheese

plate to go with just about any local wine you happen to enjoy.

Need some inspiration fi rst? Talk to your host at the winery, or check out the menu at Skimmerhorn Winery’s bistro, where there are plenty of ideas to whet the palate and stimulate the appetite. The bistro recommends Pi-not rosé or Pinot Gris with Caesar salad or Pinot Noir with coq au vin — no surprise there, as the same wine is used in the sauce! The bistro’s recom-mendation for grilled strip loin steak is Devil’s Chair or Marechal Foch, the winery’s heartiest wines, sure bets to stand up to the charred red meat. The off-dry Autumn Tryst naturally pairs with citrus fl avours.

Looking for a place to enjoy a picnic with your freshly purchased boun-ty? Check out the pergola at Bail-lie-Grohman Estate Winery, where guests are welcome to bring their own food to eat along with a glass or bottle of wine purchased in the tast-ing rooms. Glasses are supplied!

Asparagus is a notoriously chal-lenging vegetable to pair with wine. But a little creativity in the way it’s served can be gratifying, and worth

the effort, too, with Sutcliffe Farms being the largest asparagus pro-ducer in B.C. We recommend grill-ing the tasty spears after tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper, laying them atop a couple of slices of hearty Creston Valley Bakery’s artisan bread, then slathering the works in an easy cheese sauce.

To a basic white sauce, add your favourite cheese — we are equally happy with Alpindon or Nostrala — stir until it’s almost melted and quick as Bob (or Fred) is your uncle, you are ready to enjoy with any wine you prefer. The addition of cur-ry in the sauce makes it a wonderful match with Gewurztraminer. Want to make it especially suitable with a red wine? Kick it up a notch with a slice or two of crispy fried double smoked Famous Fritz bacon or one of Thomas’ fabulous sausages.

Restaurant owners have been thrilled to offer local products, and the Real Food Café and A Break in Time Caffé both have menus with tasty Creston Valley produce and meat.

Anthony Kwan, proprietor of Kootenay Thai Restaurant, is a big

FOOD WITH WINE


fan of Creston Valley wines, so much so that he’s created a special menu that pairs Baillie-Grohman wines with some of his favourite Thai dishes. Four different sam-ples of wine and seven dishes are sure to excite those who enjoy Asian food.

The following acts as a general guide to wine and food pairing:

Light whites: Ehrenfelser, Bacchus, Sieg-errebe, Riesling, Muscat, Chenin Blanc, Chasselas, Auxerrois, unwooded Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Try with Asian style prawns or fi sh grilled on skewers, pork ka-bobs, or marinated grilled vegetables.

Medium whites: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Semillon and unwooded Chardonnay. Try with chicken satay, fi sh with a latin kick or calamari.

Rich whites: Oaked Sauvignon Blanc, Meritage blends, oaked Chardonnay and reserve (oaked) Pinot Gris. Try with grilled turkey breast, coho salmon or tan-doori chicken.

Rosé: Try with Italian sausages — or al-most anything.

Light reds: Unoaked or lightly oaked Gamay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet

5566 Highway 3A • 2 km north of Wynndel Store • 250-402-3687

Wynnwood Cellars vision is to create distinctive wines that refl ect the terroir of this unique site above Duck Lake in the Creston terroir of this unique site above Duck Lake in the Creston terroirValley of the Upper Columbia Basin. These wines will be wines of the “fi rst shores” as this site, according to geologists, was

the original west coast of North America. Above our southwest sloping vineyard one can see remnants left by ancient oceans and glaciers. This mineral rich soil gives our wines complexity and an ethos of antiquity.

Sirdar Vineyard, Wynndel, British Columbia

Tasting Room open June to October

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Wine made from local grapes has been a hit with both locals and visitors.

Food with Wine


Fruits, Vegetables and GardenAbbey Lane Farm FMNaturally grown garlic (fresh & dried), herbs, berries, fruit & vegetables. Phone sales. Joanne Gugelyk • 979 Sinclair Rd, Lister • 250-428-5832

Blueberry Hill Farm U-pick & we-pick blueberries. Vegetables in season.Betty Armitage • 911 32 Ave S, Creston250-428-8455 • 250-402-9812

Blueberry Patch Country Market FMStrawberry Pavilion late May to late Oct, pesticide free greenhouse. Lunch room & gift shop. Blueberries late July to mid Sept. Raspberries mid July. • 2782 20 St. Lister • 250-428-4647 www.blueberrypatch.ca

Castle Meadows Ltd. FMVineyard with seven varieties of grapes; fresh, whole clusters, crushed with stems removed, or juice only. Farm gate sales.James McLeod • 2182 Corn Creek Rd, Creston250-428-8841 • [email protected]

Cherrybrook Farms 100% natural dried cherries, cherry juice, hydroponic lettuce, family tree memberships, local produce, Dutch licorice, loose leaf teas. See ad page 342931 Hwy 3 • 250-428-3070 • www.cherrybrookfarms.ca

Creston Valley Vineyard Skeena cherries, Gala apples, Red Haven peaches, New Haven peaches, Early Crest Haven peaches, walnuts, hazelnuts.Sandi & John Haley • 1227 27 Ave S, Creston250-428-2423 • [email protected]

Duck Lake Berry Orchard U-pick saskatoons, chokecherries, red & black currants, jostaberries.Hetty & Hans Vermeeren • 1331 Channel Rd, Wynndel V0B 2N1250-866-5792

Faramon Farms FMFresh fruit & vegetables. Cherry orders by phone. Large selection of apples & pressed apple juice. Farm sales starting September, closed Sunday • 4730 Canyon/Lister Rd • 250-428-7278

Featherstone Farm Norwegian Fjord horses, Togg/Alpine dairy goats, heirloom birds, Angora bunnies, bees. Vegetables, herbs, fruit, processing & wildcrafting medicinal plants. Internships avail.Jana Siminiuk-Doyle & Mike Doyle • 1550 Granary Rd, Creston250-402-9934 • [email protected]

Goat River Gardens Naturally grown herbs, fresh produce, saskatoons, greens, cukes & rhubarb. Jean Hoover • 4340 Hwy 21 • [email protected]

JRD Farms FMApples, peaches, pears, Plums, apricots, & apple juiceDavid Mutch • 250-428-1442 • [email protected]

Grown and Made LocallyBeltane NurseryBedding plants & nursery stock. Cherries, apricots & peaches in season. Evan Davies • 2915 Hwy 3, Creston250-428-2062 • [email protected]

Brunham Farm GreenhouseBedding plants, cactus plants, perennials.Isabel Brunham • 3212 Beam Rd, Creston250-428-5756 • [email protected]

Evanly Creations FMHomemade soaps, lotions (no laurel sulfate); large variety of scents. Made with quality ingredients.Donna Evans • 1621 Evans Rd, Creston250-428-9150 • cell 250-402-3284

Orde Creek Pottery FMWood-fi red stoneware pottery, all food safe & completely functional. Studio sales also. Gunda Stewart •250-428-4803

Itty-Bitty Seeds FMNaturally grown in Creston. Open pollinated, heirloom, GMO-free garden seeds. Tomato, lettuce & bean seeds. Shop online.250-428-4339 • [email protected] or blogspot.

Morris Flowers Garden CentreBedding plants, ornamental & fruit trees, shrubs, berries, foliage plants, nursery stock & garden accessories. Hothouse tomatoes,vegetables in season. Corn, blueberries & strawberries.Lloyd Morris • 1403 Erickson Rd • 250-428-5262

Paper Garden FMBaked goods; including gluten free. 100% pure beeswax candles, all natural & smell wonderful, slow burning & air purifying.Lisa Forcade & Terry Vanderwolf • 250-428-904www.papergarden.ca

Tabletree Juice FM Black cherry & apple juice, culinary sauces. “Best Pure Juice Product 2012” World Juice Awards, Barcelona, Spain.Gary & Susan Snow • 3020 Erickson Rd. • 250-428-2470

Watercolour Artist FMSpecializing in fl oral and still life vignettes that celebrate our daily lives. Original paintings, limited edition prints & note cards.Laura Leeder • 250-402-6599 • Shop onlinewww.lauraleeder.com or www.etsy.com/shop.lauraleedersart

Wynndel Lavender FM Naturally grown French and English lavender, handcrafted dried lavender products. Sachets, dryer bags, bath salts, bundles fresh & dry, wreaths, eye pillows & cushions. Email inquiries and purchases. • 250-428-5756 • [email protected]

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Certifi ed Organic

Natural (uncertifi ed, but organic principles)

Conventional (conventional farming practices)

FM Farmers’ Market Sales

Kootenay Mountain Grown Certifi ed Organic

Good Agricultural Practices

Integrated Pest Management

Environmental Farm Plan

Let’s Grow • Let’s Share • Let’s Eat

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Eggs, Meats, Grain & HoneyBig Rock Simmentals Purebred Simmentals breeding stock, beef & hay.Larry Rast • 973 Reclamation Rd, Creston 250-428-8980

Golden Flax Farms Naturally-grown golden fl ax seed; fl ax straw.Judy & Don Bala • 250-428-2837 • (c) 250-402-8178 • 2673 24 St, ListerDean & Nadine Bala • 250-402-9839 • [email protected]

King Creek Farm FMFresh unpasteurized honey. “Homestead” and “Lavender” honey.Jim & Valerie Comer, Joel & Jen Comer • 732 Wilson Rd, [email protected] • www.kingcreekfarm.ca • 250-977-5362

Kootenay Meadows Farm FMCertifi ed organic, grass based, family farm & home of Kootenay Alpine Cheese. Handcrafted alpine cheese, fresh glass bottled milk, organic beef & pork. • 250-428-9655 • See ad page 30

Kootenay Natural Meats FMGrass-fi nished certifi ed Angus beef, heritage pork, chickens, turkeys & grass fi nished lamb. Wendy & Dale McNamar • 1205 15 Ave S250-428-4034 •kootenaynaturalmeats.com

Lawrence Farm Spelt, hard red winter wheat, red fi fe wheat, lentils, & oats. Member of Kootenay Grain CSA.Roy & Sherry Lawrence • 325 Swan Road, West Creston250-428-7556 • kootenaygraincsa.ca

Lydia’s Lamb Katahdin lamb (hairsheep) halves or whole. Farm visitors welcome.Lydia & Hans Bissig • 2372 20 St, Creston250-428-3365 • [email protected]

Mountain Harvest Farm Organic registered Berkshire hog producers. Pork, breeding stock & weaner pigs for sale. MSG, gluten and soy free sausages, smokies & full deli line. Kyersten & Ian Kerr • 165 Reclamation Road 250-428-0390 • www.mountainharvestfarm.com

R&S Meyer Farms Chicken & beef. Sides, quarters & ground beef available. Hay of all types in small bales, delivery available.Randy & Sheila Meyer • 2912 28 St, Creston • 250-428-7013

Shell’s Little Greenhouse Blue, green, pink, brown free-range eggs, lamb.Shelley • 1302 Lakeview Arrowcreek Rd, Creston250-428-7274 • [email protected]

Swan Valley Honey (2012) Honey, pollination, pollen, propolis & comb honey.Doug & Nora Crumback • 220 E. Placsko Rd.250-866-6861 • www.swanvalleyhoney.ca

Tarzwell Farms FMBeef: quarters, halves, whole, $100 packages. Ground beef available. Abbattoir. Tom Tarzwell • 250-428-4316 • [email protected]

Fruits, Vegetables and GardenJR Kids Orchard & Greenhouse FMBedding, pond & exotic plants. Fruits & berries. Specializing in tomatoes. Pasture raised eggs, pork & poultry. Farm gate sales.Joy Tomlinson • 2826 Erickson Rd • 250-428-5438 • 250-402-5438

Leyh Orchard 13 varieties of apples. Apricots, peaches, pears, cherries, prune plums. Bill Leyh • 2717 Erickson Rd, Creston250-428-7324

Margo’s Farm Pesticide-free fruits: cherries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears. Jim & Margo Beaudry • 2813 Hwy 3, Creston250-428-9782 • [email protected]

Marianne’s Greenhouse FMBedding plants. Freshly picked berries & vegetables in season. Farm gate sales Marianne Knopfl er • 3621 Muzzy Rd, Canyon250-428-9540

Mo & Mikey Farms FMGarlic, soft fruits & vegetables. Phone sales.Maureen Byrne • 4281 Canyon-Lister Rd, Canyon250-428-4530 • [email protected]

OM Orchards Lapin cherries; Gala, Jonagold, Elstar & Spartan apples, prune plums. Farm gate sales by appointment Reghan Ottenson • 250-402-8372

The Pickle Patch FMPickle cannery – homemade tasty pickles of all varieties: dilled, sweet, spiced, pickled eggs & relishes. Fresh eggs. Farm gate sales.Charlene Rast • 973 Reclamation Rd, Creston250-428-8980 • [email protected]

Romano’s Blueberries Blueberries. Virginia & Cliff Romano • 2603 Sunset Blvd, Creston250-428-2194

Root and Vine Acres Vegetables, fruits, berries, culinary herbs, pasture raised eggs, poultry & pork.Jessica Piccinin • 2826 Erickson Rd, Creston250-402-8475 • [email protected]

Sanders Produce U-pick strawberries. Raspberries, melons, apples, peas, beans, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, wheat & fl our.Roger Sanders • Channel Road, Wynndel 4902 Canyon-Lister Rd, Canyon 250-428-7351 • cell 250-428-6788

Sun Beam Farms Pumpkins, hay.Ginger & Ian Knudsen • 875 Hwy 3, Creston250-428-4506

Sutcliffe Farms FMAsparagus approx May 1-June 15, 250-428-9961All other veggies - farm gate & Farmers’ Market sales250-428-2734 • Doug Sutcliffe • 1300 Hwy 21, Creston

Webber’s Mountainside Cherries Farm-gate sales of Lapin cherries. Hand-dipped chocolate dried cherries in season, dried apples, & all-natural chocolate bars with fruit.Michele & Wade Webber • 5293 Bossio Rd, Wynndel250-866-5573

Willowbrook Farm Mixed vegetables, onions & squash.. Case lot sales available in season.Merv Sloss • 734 35 Ave N, Creston250-428-3507 • [email protected]

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F a r m e r s ’ M a r k e t

EVERY SATURDAYMay-Sept9am-1pm

Behind Chamber of Commerce Cook Street

Oct-Dec9am-1pm

Morris Flowers & Garden Centre

indoors1403 Erickson St

Sponsored

in pa

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OpenMarch 27 toDecember 22

W I N E R Y & V I N E Y A R D

Wineshop and FREE tasting bar 11am – 5pm Open daily July & August • Wednesday to Sunday Spring & FallSummer Bistro • Open Wednesday to Sunday 11am – 3pm

June 12 to September 27 • Reservations recommendedTours Saturdays & Sundays at 2:30pm, July through September

1218 27th Ave S.Creston, BC

250.428.4911 www.skimmerhorn.ca

“FRUIT GROWS... WE NURTURE... YOU ENJOY!”

• 100% NATURAL DRIED CHERRIES • CHERRY JUICEHYDROPONIC LETTUCE • FAMILY TREE MEMBERSHIP

2931 Highway 3Creston, BC V0B 1G1250-428-3070www.cherrybrookfarms.cafamilytree@cherrybrookfarms.ca

Local Produce,Dutch Licorice,

Train supplies, Loose leaf teas

and more!

A Unique Family Experience

Estate Winery

1140 -27 Ave South, Creston, BCTasting Room open 11am - 5pm

Wednesday - Sunday • June 12 - Sept 2Wine tours by appointment

250-428-8768www.bailliegrohman.com

Like us on Facebook: BaillieGrohman

Follow us on Twitter: @bailliegrohman

Franc. Try with pork chops, game hens, lamb popsicles, mushrooms or burgers.

Rich reds: Oaked Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Mer-itage blends, Syrah/Shiraz, Zinfandel. Try with steak, ribs, pork tenderloin with Cajun rub or butterfl ied leg of lamb.

Skimmerhorn Winery winemaker Mark Rattray, who spends most of the year in his native New Zealand, is a food enthusiast whose hobbies include cheese making. He shares his own views about food pairing with Skimmerhorn wines:

Ortega: Although not high in acid as a Riesling, it is still better suited to fi sh and more delicately fl avoured foods where it will not swamp or be swamped. With its citrus fl avours, it will complement lime- and lemon-infused dishes.

Pinot Gris: Quite low in acidity, it is best suited to richer dishes where but-ter based sauces prevail; the one will enrich the other. Well suited to fi sh and

white meats only — with red meats at a stretch — and blue cheese.

Gewurztraminer is very similar to Gris but able to handle spicier dishes, notably Asian, but really quite an all-purpose wine from aperitif with nib-bles to salads and the main event, al-though defi nitely not recommended with red meat.

Autumn Tryst (a white blend) is an aromatic sweeter white but not sweet enough to be a dessert wine. It is a great match with fresh stone fruits and a cheese platter, including blue cheeses.

Marechal Foch is an intriguing earthy red with a full but very soft mouth-feel and a touch of acidity, an excellent match with game and other red meats, tomato based casse-roles and pasta dishes. Try also with cheese, but not blue.

Pinot Noir is a classic wine for wild game but also a great match with pas-ta and Camembert and brie cheeses. For red wine lovers, its weight and softness means it will go with nearly everything!

LORN

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ERSLEYJamie O’Neil and Lisa Elsworth own Real Food Cafe,

which offers local wines and uses local produce.

Food with Wine



FARMING STILL ALIVE AND WELL

Agritourism may be a growing area of tourism, but it’s hardly new to visi-tors to the Creston Valley. In fact, par-ents have been loading the kids into the car and driving to Creston to pick up fruit and vegetables for as long as most of us can remember. There’s something special about getting one’s food straight from the source.

Fitting into the larger sector of cultural tourism, agritourism offers a variety of unique experiences, from learning about the history of agriculture to sam-pling made-on-the-property products to picking strawberries right off the plant. With skyrocketing interest in food qual-ity and security, more and more visitors to the Creston Valley are taking the time to learn about where their food comes from and to get hands-on experience.

Visitors might want to start their ag-ritourism experience with a stop at the Creston Museum, where the valley’s rich agricultural history is honoured. And tours abound — invest a few hours to learn about orchards or beer brewing or winemaking. Take some time to learn about making cheese, raising bison or growing blueberries. Talk to the mak-er of your candies, the baker of your breads or the cook who creates your jams and jellies. Wander through a local market garden or shop at the Saturday Creston Valley Farmers’ Market next to the Creston Valley Chamber of Com-merce. Bite into a juicy cherry, nibble a piece of cheese or sip an award-winning wine or beer. Just ask the friendly staff at Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce — they’ll be happy to answer questions and provide directions. Some Creston Valley farmers still use horses when haying.

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From Asparagus to Zucchini


Visitors to the Creston Valley ex-perience an up-close-and-personal look at orchards as they change through the seasons. A variety of fruit crops means that blossom time generally begins long before the May long weekend’s Creston Valley Blossom Festival — and lasts long after. But the thrill of seeing trees in full bloom in spring or, a few short months later, hanging heavy with apples, cherries, plums, peaches, apricots or pears — or grape-laden vines — never seems to fade.

Creston still has the Spartan ap-ples and other varieties that made it a destination point over the de-cades. But changing market con-ditions have encouraged local growers to switch to cherries, par-ticularly to the late-season variet-ies like Lapins, Sweethearts and Staccatos. With buyers around the world, including Asia and Europe, Creston’s orchards and several packing facilities are a hive of activ-ity each summer as the race begins to get top quality fruit to its destina-tion in pristine condition. Some or-chardists are adding value to their cherry crop by drying the fruit or making juice.

A mix of the traditional (cherries are all hand-picked, often by travel-ling workers from Eastern Canada or Mexico) and the modern (rain-falls at ripening time are quickly fol-lowed by helicopters flying low over the orchards to blow water drops from the fruit, and a couple of or-chards feature trees that are covered by white nylon “tents”), the harvest employs hundreds of local and visit-ing workers, and injects millions of dollars into the local economy.

Visitors can enjoy making their fresh produce purchases directly from growers or from the fruit stands that line roads in and around the Creston Valley, home to most of the area’s fruit production. One lo-cal orchard, Cherrybrook Farms, even offers customers the opportu-nity to lease a tree, which assures leaseholders a quantity of cherries from a well-tended tree.

A climate that features mild winters and warm summers, and some of

the country’s most fertile soil are contributors to a diverse, thriving agricultural industry. Grain, beef, dairy and even bison operations dot the Creston Valley flats and the wide valley is an enticing lure, especially to prairie residents, many of whom have chosen to make this area home.

Of course, there’s more to agritour-ism than we can mention here, but think of bed and breakfast accom-modations nestled into orchards, the

opportunity to experience firsthand the benefits of a local diet, enjoying a conversation with a farmer or grow-er, the chance to buy fresh asparagus from the province’s largest producer, Sutcliffe Farms, or making a visit a fruit and vegetable stand where you can wander out back where trees are dripping with produce.

You will soon understand why Creston Valley residents don’t want to live anywhere else in the world.

Cherry orchards buzz with pickers in late July and August when the ripe fruit is harvested.

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Planning a picnic? How about put-ting it together with all locally made products? Don’t plan the menu just yet. Take a drive out and meet the folks who work hard to provide quality food prod-ucts, and enjoy the scenery as you move around the Creston Valley.

Start with a visit to Famous Fritz Meats and Deli, where Thomas, a Euro-pean-trained meat cutter and sausage maker, produces delicious European sausages, smokies, deli meat and much more, all on-site!

Many of the shop’s products are cho-lesterol reduced and enriched with omega-3 fatty acids. Thomas uses only the finest ingredients according to old family recipes. Enjoy the wide variety of all-natural beef, bison and pork from the Creston Valley and Dawson Creek, B.C.

“Our customers love our quality and the fact that nothing gets added to our products that isn’t in the original fam-ily recipes — raw spices and meat,” Thomas said. “There are no fillers, no binders, no sugar or MSG added to our products and they are gluten free, which is hard to find these days.”

Your next stop might be for organic cheese from Kootenay Meadows cheese in Lister, right in the heart of farm coun-try. There you will find three types of al-pine-style cheeses made on the organic dairy farm of Denise and Wayne Harris and family — which are also served at the Real Food Café, which uses as many local products as possible, including beef, pork and cherries in its cooking.

How about some wine to go with your purchases? Located in Erickson, the Skimmerhorn Winery and Vineyard now

has a half-dozen vintages behind it and the accolades continue to roll in. Wines made from Pinot Gris, Ortega, Gewurz-traminer, Pinot Noir and Marechal Foch grapes have proven to be popular with critics and in the marketplace.

Marleen and Al Hoag will be happy to show off the many medals and trophies their wines have already accumulated in a few short years, in large part the result of skilled winemaker Mark Rattray, who has come to Creston for the fall in each of the last several years from his home in New Zealand. The wines can be taken

home or enjoyed at the winery’s bistro, which features a patio overlooking the Skimmerhorn mountain range. In 2011, the winery even developed a limited edition of icewine, featuring flavours that had to be tried to believe!

Right next door, Baillie-Grohman Winery produced its first vintage in 2009. Another Kiwi, Dan Barker, is in charge of making the wines. Sip from a selection that includes Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, from the winery owned by Petra Flaa and Bob Johnson.

FRESH, FABULOUS FOOD

Enjoy A Local Lunch

Gary and Susan Snow’s Tabletree cherry juice was a winner at the 2012 World Juice Awards.

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Just west of Wynndel, Wynnwood Estate Winery opened its doors to customers last summer. Made from grapes grown on a spectacular vine-yard further west, on a hillside that slopes down to Duck Lake, Wyn-nwood wines promise to be distinct and of high quality.

The vineyard is located on a rare Creston Valley slope that includes limestone, the same mineral that is found in the Bordeaux region of France. The vines benefit from the late afternoon and early evening sun reflecting off the lake, adding to the heat units available to allow grapes to ripen to their full poten-tial. Drop into the Highway 3A win-ery and tasting room for a sample and the chance to chat with wine-maker and vineyard manager Dave Basaraba.

A non-alcoholic drink option can be found in the form of Tabletree black cherry, apple or plum juice, where a pound of fruit results in a lip-smacking 8.5-ounce bottle of lo-cally grown goodness. The juice is made on-site at the orchard owned by Gary and Susan Snow and is available at LW Truscott Farms, and was developed as a means to use fruit that can’t be sold fresh.

“Because the fresh market expects such a perfect cherry, we needed to come up with an alternate process for these cull cherries that are going to waste,” says Susan.

Tabletree now also produces a line of culinary sauces that are reductions of black cherry, plum and apple juice. They are perfect for cooking and bak-ing, adding intense, fresh and all nat-ural flavours.

And it’s become a world-renowned success — the value-added product was named the best pure juice in the world at the 2012 World Juice Awards.

Fruits and vegetables can be found all around the Creston Valley — just watch for the signs. Local cherries — fresh and dried — other produce and Creston Valley Jam Company prod-ucts can be found at Cherrybrook Farms on Highway 3 in Erickson.

And for freshly picked aspara-gus, a visit to Sutcliffe Farms on the

Creston flats is a must. With about 100 acres devoted to growing as-paragus, is Western Canada’s larg-est asparagus farm, and 1,200-1,800 pounds per acre are picked each year.

“Some say frozen asparagus is almost as tasty as it is when it’s fresh,” Sutcliffe says. “I say eating no asparagus is better than eating

the frozen stuff. But that’s just me, I guess.”

Then make a final stop at Cres-ton Valley Bakery where owner Yuri Jmaeff and his team turn out a dizzy-ing array of baked goods, including a different artisan bread each day.

The artisan breads are a healthy choice, made with whole grain flour,

some with sourdough starters. All are created with Jmaeff’s commitment to use the finest ingredients and time-honoured traditions. In 2010, he in-troduced loaves of 100 per cent whole wheat flour made from wheat grown at Sutcliffe Farms.

“I think I have the only bakery in Canada that is growing its own wheat,” Jmaeff says with a smile.

The Creston Farm Fresh Guide features more than 40 food produc-ers and related organizations with farmgate or market garden sales. Produced by the Creston Valley Food Action Coalition, an organiza-tion that promotes the access to and consumption of locally grown foods, it can be found on pages 32 and 33.

Lying down on the job is encouraged — in fact, required — when picking asparagus at Sutcliffe Farms.

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FROM THE FARM TO YOUR TABLE

From a modest beginning nine years ago, the Creston Valley Farmers’ Market has grown stronger and bigger, with booths offering fruit, vegetables, honey, baking, jam — everything you might expect to find at a farmers’ market — and more, from locally-written novels to woodcarving to artwork.

“It offers visitors a real cross-section of life in the Creston Valley,” says Jen Comer, a former manager.

Those visitors are plentiful, with a whopping 1,200 attend-ing the weekly Saturday market. And the average 45 weekly are a far cry from the average 28 a few years ago.

Comer attributes part of the success to the willingness of volunteers, who take on the task of promoting local food in their own way. When a monthly column slot became avail-able in the Creston Valley Advance, she was quick to suggest that Heidi Bjarnason, a Creston resident who writes a blog at fooddoodles.com, use her skills to promote local food. In turn, Jo-Anne Schultz of the Great Canadian Cooking School used Bjarnason’s first published recipe in a demonstration at the farmers’ market two days later. Several other local food items found their way into Schultz’s popular weekly demon-strations.

Last year, farmers’ market managers and volunteers worked with the British Columbia Association of Farmers’ Markets to detail the social and economic benefits of the market in the Creston Valley — and it was estimated that the market contributes $1.72 million annually to the Creston economy.

The market is co-ordinated by a Creston Valley Food Action Coalition committee, which took over from the Creston Ro-tary Club — it having taken over from volunteers — in 2010. Starting this year, it runs on Saturdays in a permanent loca-tion behind the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce from May through December, giving it a far longer season than most B.C. markets. The new location will allow the market to utilize the chamber’s basement, which will offer fine arts vendors protection from the elements.

“Our eventual goal is to become a year-round market,” said coalition president Len Parkin. “The goal for the food action coalition is food security, and that means supporting local producers and keeping them economically viable. The market can play a large role in making that happen.”

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Creston Valley Farmers’ Market


ONE PROVINCE,TWO STATES,ONE LOOP

In 1999, the International Selkirk Loop was formed to promote international tour-ing opportunities. The loop entices thou-sands of visitors and local residents to enjoy the scenery and towns in two states and a province, and to celebrate the close ties between neighbours on both sides of the border.

Marvel at the awesome beauty around ev-ery corner of the International Selkirk Loop, a 450-kilometre (280-mile) scenic drive en-circling the spectacular Selkirk mountains in northeast Washington, northern Idaho and southeast British Columbia. Play on the loop’s crystal clear rivers and lakes, or traverse its mountain trails to view snow-capped peaks and the extraordinary variety of wildlife. Explore charming communities with fascinating history, fun festivals and picturesque settings.

Nearly the entire loop route follows riv-ers and lakeshores — creating great rides for motorcyclists — which historically were used for transportation by native tribes, ex-plorer David Thompson, gold seekers on the Wild Horse Trail and early settlers. Today, the loop’s lakes, rivers and trails are a vast uncrowded playground with a myriad of opportunities for year-round recreation, sce-nic beauty and unique cultures.

The loop is one of only 32 All-American Road National Scenic Byways in the U.S., and is one of the top 10 scenic drives in the Northern Rockies. Rand McNally Road At-las cited the ISL as one of its top 5 Best of the Roads.

Explore the International Selkirk Loop and discover the wonderful surprises that await you around every corner! For more informa-tion and driving, cycling and birding maps, visit www.selkirkloop.org.

International Selkirk Loop

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Creston Valley residents hardly bat an eye when they learn a newcomer is an artist. The area has become a cultural magnet to artists skilled in a wide variety of disciplines.

“Arts and culture are what define us and are very important components of a healthy community,” says Community Arts Council of Creston president Simon Lazarchuk. “Artists are drawn here be-cause there is such a vibrant and sup-portive arts community in this valley.”

If there is a common thread to the many attributes of the Creston Valley, it is the diverse creativity of its residents. It is especially evident among the area’s hundreds of artists and craftspeople.

Two of those, Sandy Kunze and Bruce Johnston, have turned a small building behind the Wynndel Community Hall into the Wynndel Arts Centre, now a regular home to workshops and classes.

“We decided it was time to get more utilization out of what is a very nice little structure, and to get more com-munity involvement in arts and cul-tural programs,” says Johnston.

Classes offered have included a be-ginner’s clay workshop, tile mosaics, ceramic jewelry and learning to draw, and in the works is an after-school teen program that will feature clay work, drawing, painting and jewelry.

Visitors won’t have to drive or walk far to get a firsthand look at the local arts scene. Murals large and small are scattered around the downtown area and a fun few hours can be enjoyed by wandering around to find them.

A huge bronze casting of the legend-ary sasquatch, created by a local art-

ist, can be seen at Columbia Brewery on Erickson Street. Appropriately, the eight-foot high creature is making off with a case of Kokanee beer.

Art shows are a recurring theme in the Creston Valley, with local and re-gional juried shows held at varying times throughout the year.

Both art lovers and those simply cu-rious can drop by to see the creations of dozens of artists in businesses and galleries from Yahk to Kootenay Bay. Travellers and locals alike delight in the many opportunities to meet artists and, often, see them busy creating works in their home galleries. More than two dozen galleries welcome visitors to see paintings of every description, pottery

and ceramics, beadwork, fabric art, candle making, ironwork, blown and stained glass, and even straw brooms.

Art of the written sort is everywhere, too. Many visitors will be familiar with the poignant and humourous series of books by bestselling author/vet-erinarian Dr. Dave Perrin. From her home near Boswell, writer/teacher Luanne Armstrong writes fiction and non-fiction, much of it with a focus on her life in the Kootenays. Local envi-ronmentalist Tanna Patterson-Z is the author of Butterflies in Bucamaranga, which tells the story of a Creston man who was kidnapped while working in Columbia. Works by other local writers are available at Black Bear Books and

The Arts Aboundin the Valley

The Footlighters Theatre Society presents three productions each year.

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Kingfi sher Used Books. And there are writers’ and readers’ clubs that always welcome new members.

Movie fans will enjoy the chance to see fi rst run fi lms at the Tivoli Theatre, a cinema with an old-time feel — that has an upgraded sounds system and shows 3D fi lms.

The Friends of the Cinema pres-ents a monthly series of interna-tional fi lms and documentaries at Prince Charles Theatre. Proceeds from Friends of the Cinema show-ings go to the Friends of the Library and the Creston Community Au-ditorium Society. The library also presents regular showings of Na-tional Film Board documentaries, as well as a monthly opera on video.

Top-notch live entertainment is brought in from out of town by the Creston Concert Society, which organizes an annual subscription series of visiting professional en-tertainment in the Prince Charles Theatre, a 330-seat venue attached to Prince Charles Secondary School.

The Creston Valley also has doz-ens of volunteers who present live productions throughout the year, entertaining residents and visitors at venues including the Prince Charles Theatre and Millennium Park.

Audiences have enjoyed nearly fi ve dozen Footlighters Theatre So-ciety productions — ranging from comedies to thrillers, musicals to plays, concerts to Shakespeare — since its creation in 1995. The group, which won best production at The-atre BC’s Mainstage festival in 2002, performs three shows each year.

The Footlighters 2013-2014 season kicks off at the Prince Charles Theatre in July with a comedy, the melodra-ma Headed South from the Great White North. In late November, Footlight-ers will present Almost Golden, the premiere of a play written by local authors, before gearing up for Arsenic and Old Lace in April 2014.

For more than 20 years, audiences have enjoyed hearing the Blossom Valley Singers, under the direc-

tion of Anita Stushnoff and Monte Anderson. The group presents two concerts each year, one in the spring and one in December.

The spring concert has long been accompanied by a tea, which is en-joyed by people of all ages.

“They like any excuse for a tea,” says Anderson with a laugh. “They like hearing some familiar songs, and they like hearing four-part harmony.”

The December concert features Christmas and holiday-themed mu-sic, performed by the Blossom Valley Singers along with guests choirs and groups.

“The Christmas concert has become quite a tradition,” said Anderson. “It makes people feel like it’s Christmas when they go to that one.”

And for something more intimate, the Snoring Sasquatch arts house, a business run by owners Paul and Shelli Hutcheson, regularly hosts concerts and performances by local and touring musicians.

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It’s one of the Creston Valley’s best-used and most beloved institutions. The Creston and District Public Library opened in its expansive new premises at 531 16th Ave. S. in 2006 and it quickly became one of the community’s focal points.

“With over 50,000 books, the latest newspapers and magazines, free pub-lic access computers, 24/7 Wi-Fi access,

community meeting space, and regular workshops and programming for all ages, the library is the cultural and in-tellectual hub of the community,” said chief librarian Aaron Francis. “Creston is an amazingly diverse and active com-munity — our meeting room alone has over 60 bookings a month!”

The library’s focus extends beyond books, with an extensive collection of

movies and TV series on DVD, as well as a facility to create audio-visual pre-sentations, and even Skype privately. Its eight computers were upgraded and equipped with the latest versions of Mi-crosoft Office, as well as photo editing software. Low-cost scanning, printing and faxing is also available.

“Every Saturday morning, we offer drop-in computer help sessions, and

our friendly staff are always available to assist you,” said Francis. “Record a CD or produce your own radio show in our one-of-a-kind audiovisual room, or transfer your old VHS and audio cas-settes to CD/DVD in a flash. We even host our very own Minecraft server for the gamers out there!”

The technological features of the Creston and District Public Library are

a big draw for tourists, who are also able to sign out books if they have a BC OneCard.

“BC OneCard provides out of town visitors with access to our collections free of charge, just as if you lived here, with a few restrictions,” said Francis. “All you need is a valid public library card from any library in B.C. You can even return books you borrowed here to your home library.”

The library also features a permanent art collection in addition to month-long displays of works by local artists.

“More than just a library, we are also a venue for local artists to display their works, with a donation made to the library for each item sold,” said Francis.

Traditional library events haven’t been forgotten, with baby time running every Tuesday at 11 a.m. and family storytime on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

And there’s more!“The Living Book speaker series is a

monthly forum for community mem-bers to share their unique knowledge and experience with the community,” said Francis. “Through a partnership with the National Film Board of Can-ada, we offer free documentary film screenings in our meeting room, and opera lovers can enjoy our Pseudo-Night at the Opera, held monthly.

“We carry all of the latest works by local and Kootenay-based authors, and check out our local history collec-tion for more information about Cres-ton and area.”

For more information, call 250-428-4141 or visit www.crestonlibrary.com.

CRESTON PUBLICLIBRARY

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So Much More Than Books


LOWER KOOTENAY BAND

They are only about 200 strong, but members of the Lower Kootenay Band are closely associated with all historical and cultural aspects of the Cres-ton Valley. From their traditional hunting, fish-ing and foraging history, Lower Kootenay elders continue to promote the values of environmental responsibility and respect for the band’s rich past.

From a business that sells modern and tradition-al Lower Kootenay creations (and which houses a wealth of information about local heritage) to a large expanse of managed wetlands to the annual Yaqan Nukiy traditional powwow, the band mem-bers strive to live in the modern world while still honouring their past.

All visitors are invited to the annual powwow, held on the May long weekend, where First Na-tions people gather from miles around to dance, feast, socialize and celebrate their culture.

Chief Jason Louie says he is committed to build-ing stronger relationships with residents and local governments in the Creston Valley.

“There are aspects of being from Creston that are unique — swimming in the summer at the Goat Riv-er, going to the Broaster House or Sun R Restaurant,” said Louie, a former second lieutenant in the Canadi-an Forces. “Only in Creston will traffic come to a halt to allow you to jaywalk! Being from Creston means having a strong sense of community.”

Located on Highway 21, south of Creston, Lower Kootenay isn’t just home to its members. It boasts a cultural and administrative centre, a lively school and a growing industrial development that includes a log sorting yard and log home building operation, as well as Legend Logos, an embroidery business that offers culturally-inspired clothing and home de-cor. Historical and cultural displays help visitors get a greater appreciation for the role the Lower Koote-nay people have played in the Creston Valley.

Nearby, thousands of acres on the flatland are managed for sustainability, with an eye to respon-sible economic development opportunities.

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A dancer at the Yaqan Nukiy Powwow, held each May.

Keeping TraditionAlive


Many locals will admit that hiking in the Creston Valley is one of their fa-vourite pastimes — one that everyone should experience. Not only does it pro-mote good health, but it’s also a great social activity. Difficulty levels vary, but it’s easy to find an outdoor experience suitable for almost everyone.

“I like taking to the trails here be-cause they offer a wide variety of

landscapes, wildlife and serenity, as well as various levels of ease or dif-ficulty,” says naturalist Ed McMackin, who writes an outdoors column in the Creston Valley Advance. “People will find a trail here to suit any level of ability and time available.

“There are trails from level to steep, and from short to long. Some are best for viewing wildlife while others are

interesting for their historical value. There are many trails away from the noise of traffic, which can be en-joyed without driving long distances to reach them. There are organized hikes so people don’t have to hike alone, making hiking a social and safe experience.”

A couple of books — Exploring the Creston Valley by Tanna Patterson-Z, available at Black Bear Books, and Hiking Around Creston by John and Jean Davis, available at Kingfisher Used Books — are comprehensive guides to Creston Valley hiking, complete with maps, photos and sketches.

Here are a few favourites:•Balancing Rock Trail. Ten min-

utes west of Creston, this is one of many trails on Mount Creston. It takes about 30 minutes to climb the winding trail, parts of which are quite steep. Balancing Rock (hikers will understand the name when they see it) sits atop a ledge overlook-ing the Creston Valley and Purcell mountain range. A small pullout on West Creston Road, near its inter-section with Highway 3, serves as a parking area.

From Balancing Rock, the trail leads west into the woods. When the trail forks, heading left takes hikers on a very steep hike a few kilometres fur-ther up Mount Creston. The trail to the right winds its way down the oth-er side of the ridge and into Summit Creek Park.

•Creston Valley Wildlife Manage-ment Area. Although the Creston Val-ley Wildlife Management Area’s inter-pretive centre isn’t open all year, the trails surrounding it are. From High-way 3 west of Creston, turn onto West Creston Road and drive to the park-ing lot on the left. The trails are well-

HIKING AND HUNTING

A moose on Mount Thompson, east of Creston.

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Outdoor Adventures


marked and easy to fi nd on maps posted in the area.

•Lady’s Slipper Trail. A wide variety of wildfl owers, including orchids, may be found on this trail, located north of Creston atop Goat Mountain. To access this trail from Creston, follow Highway 3A north, then turn right onto Lakeview-Ar-row Creek Road. Follow this road to Foster Road, then turn left onto the BC Forest Service road and follow it for about seven kilometres until it ends at a parking lot.

•Mount Thompson. To access the top of the mountains overlook-ing Creston to the east, head east on Highway 3, then turn right onto Canyon-Lister Road. After crossing the bridge, turn left on Whimster Road and follow it to a forestry road (suitable only for high-clearance or four-by-four ve-hicles), which winds to the top of Mount Thompson. After parking, hikers may wander through alpine meadows on the ridge, or enjoy a

picnic with a panoramic view of the Selkirk mountains to the west and south, and the Purcell moun-tains to the east.

•Lockhart Creek. This trail is lo-cated about 45 minutes north of Creston on Highway 3A at Lock-hart Beach Provincial Park. The fi rst seven kilometres of the trail

— maintained by the BC Forest Ser-vice and the Lockhart Creek Heri-tage Committee — are suitable for beginning hikers, while advanced

outdoors enthusiasts can continue to the 2,134-metre summit. The park offers treed campsites, picnic tables and beach, located across the highway near the trailhead.

Trails at the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area offer spectacular views.

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1-800-982-4256 • 250-428-4256

Scotties RV Park& campground

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KOZY R.V.Open all year

3003 Hwy #3 [email protected]

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RV PARK & CAMPGROUND

Creston’s Newest and Largest RV Park

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Telephone/Fax: (250) 428-2347Toll FREE: 1-866-223-DICE

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GOLF

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AVAILABLE

to Kootenay Lake Ferry

to Cranbook

to Salmo

to USA

Hwy

#21

NW B

lvd.

(Hw

y #3

)

Canyon St.

Erickson Rd.

CrestonTown Center

N

RV PARK RV PARK && CAMPGROUNDCAMPGROUNDCAMPGROUND

Pair-A-DicePair-A-Dice

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•Pilot Bay Lighthouse Trail. Near the Kootenay Bay Ferry Landing, just over an hour north of Creston on Highway 3A, turn onto Pilot Bay Road. After 4.5 ki-lometres, a sign reading “Light-house Trail” will alert drivers to pull well off the road, or park a short distance away at a circu-lar turnaround. At the end of the 15-minute walk along the trail is the Pilot Bay Lighthouse, which operated from June 13, 1904, to June 20, 1993, and is now main-tained by the Friends of West Koo-tenay Parks.

•Mountain biking is also popu-lar, and many local bikers enjoy frequenting the numerous logging roads in the area. The more adven-turous prefer to take their bikes off-road and onto bumpier trails — a helmet, water bottle and riding buddy are a must!

For bikers who prefer the open road, the Wynndel loop (Highway 3A and Lower Wynndel Road), the

Canyon-Lister loop (Highway 21, Canyon Lister Road and Highway 3) and the West Creston loop (Evans Road, West Creston Road, Nick’s Is-land Road and Highway 3) are pop-ular. An interactive cycling map is online at www.selkirkloop.org.

Looking to bag the “big one”? Want to try your hand at fly fish-ing? Planning to fill the freezer with fresh game? The Creston Valley is an excellent place to make these outdoor dreams be-come reality.

Duck Lake is famous for bass fi sh-ing, and Kootenay Lake is teeming with rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and kokanee. And the seemingly endless streams and alpine lakes in the Kootenays certainly make fl y fi shing a viable option.

Duck Lake is also a popular winter fi shing spot, and is almost always frozen by the end of December. This small lake 20 minutes north of Cres-ton is well-known to summertime bass fi shers, but makes an excellent

spot for families to enjoy this winter activity — and try out some skating for good measure.

The Creston Valley has some of the Kootenays’ best big game hunting, and the marshland on the fl ats is a prime location for setting up blinds and decoys to hunt waterfowl.

To hunt or fi sh, a valid licence is required, and these may be pur-chased at Sirdar General Store, Wynndel Foods or the Service BC offi ce on Canyon Streeet.

All the necessary equipment is available at Mawson’s Sports in Creston or at Wynndel Foods.

Vic Mawson, father of current pro-prietor Fred Mawson, founded the shop in 1918.

“We’re one of the oldest sporting businesses in B.C.,” says Mawson.

Anytime you’re in the great out-doors, be wary of bears, both griz-zly and black. A visit to www.bear-aware.ca is the best way to fi nd information on dealing with the creatures.

Outdoor Adventures


A visit to Yahk is the perfect way to re-lax. The Moyie River burbles softly, the forest smells fresh and — best of all — cellphones don’t work (seriously).

The fact that it’s not a bustling me-tropolis is what draws thousands of tourists each year. It’s quaintness and small-town friendliness are welcomed by many big-city visitors — and even some rural ones.

Just down the street — actually, John-son Road — is Two Scoop Steve and the Coffee Cabin, which offer the best ice cream and coffee in Yahk. While sipping a cup of joe or licking a scoop, a stroll to the Moyie River is a must. Visitors sim-ply wander behind the shop and follow the signs through the forest.

“Yahk’s atmosphere is quiet and relaxing, and the people are helpful and friendly,” says artist and Yahk resident Penny A.P. Anderson. “It is a destination for outdoor activities such as snowmobiling, quadding, hiking, hunting, fishing, rock climbing, canoe-ing, kayaking, rafting and swimming — or taking a leisurely walk along the river with an ice cream cone.”

A nine-hectare provincial park is located at the heart of Yahk, with 26 campsites available from the Victoria Day long weekend through Sept. 30.

For those who don’t like to camp, Yahk has two motels — one of which, built in 1912, still operates under its original licence — and the small settle-ment even has a laundromat for visi-tors’ convenience.

Many tourists are excited to find good shopping in Yahk — the Yahk Soap Company offers soap and other related bath products. The soaps include Kauai ginger blossom and blackberry musk, while others are a bit more fun, with names like Beaver Butt and Cougar Booger. There’s also the Skinny Dip-per Delight soap, which actually glows in the dark! The products, made with a goat-milk base, aren’t the only unique things about the business — the goats on the roof are also a popular attraction.

To top it all off, the residents of Yahk really know how to have a good time. The community hosts an annual Win-terfest and Summerfest, both of which feature seasonal games and fantastic food, with music jams and concerts in between, at the Yahk-Kingsgate Com-munity Hall, which offers a pavilion in the woods for music acts.

“We have a community full of spirit and camaraderie, working together to create a community we want to live in and share,” says Anderson.

TO YAHK AND BACK

Cold weather is celebrated at Winterfest.

LORN

E ECK

ERSLEY

Small But Unforgettable


Located about 25 kilometres below the southern tip of Kootenay Lake, Creston is the perfect starting point for a variety of daytrips — which should definitely include a tour north along Highway 3A, which offers far more than breathtaking scenery.

Resorts, beaches, art galleries and

artisan shops can easily be found throughout the journey, which takes just over an hour — if you can possi-bly keep from stopping.

Ten minutes north of Creston on the way to Kootenay Lake is Wynndel, a small community strongly rooted in agriculture. Once one of Canada’s larg-est fruit producers, the community now has smaller farms growing straw-berries, raspberries and saskatoons.

On Lower Wynndel Road, don’t

pass up a visit to Garden Hoe Farm, where owners Bev and Barry Timpany will tour you around, and you will be amazed by the many different scents of fresh herbs and vegetables.

Wynndel is also home to Sutcliffe Farms, operated by Doug Sutcliffe, grandson of Roy Staples, the master-

mind behind the dike between Cres-ton and Wynndel, which keeps the spring freshet from flooding the prime agricultural land on the Wynndel flats. The farm is the largest aspara-gus producer in the province, turning out about 150,000 pounds each season from April to June.

While passing through Wynndel, one can’t help but notice the Wynndel Box and Lumber sawmill, which was started by Monrad Wigen in 1913 to

build crates for Wynndel’s then-thriv-ing strawberry business.

Farther north is the hamlet of Sir-dar, where visitors can enjoy the old-fashioned feel of the Sirdar General Store, built in 1913, where many of the goods offered are kept behind the counter. Next door, the Sirdar Pub and Grill is the perfect place for a tasty meal — and the non-drivers may enjoy the longest beer menu in the Creston Valley.

A bit past Sirdar, a visit to the Glass House is a must. Although the area is filled with unique architecture, the Glass House is the most unusual — its walls were made from over 500,000 empty embalming fluid bottles by Da-vid H. Brown upon his retirement from his funeral business. Guided tours of the attraction are available seven days a week from May through October.

Continuing north on Highway 3A brings travellers to Boswell, the home of Flickering Goddess, a shop that specilizes in fairies and candles, many of which are handmade at the shop, which you can’t miss — it’s hot pink. Just past that is the Destiny Bay Store, a convenience store around the half-way point of the trip from Wynndel to Kootenay Bay.

Travelling still farther north brings visitors to Gray Creek, home of Sacred Journey, a relaxing shop packed with original artwork by local artists as well as quality imports from around the globe — just try to leave without buying something!

For almost 100 years, the Gray Creek Store has been the small community’s one-stop shop, with everything from books to boots and candy to wood

EXPLORING THE EAST SHORE

WEN

DY FRA

NZ w

ww

.ilovecreston.com

Kootenay Lake, located on Highway 3A.

Take the Lake Road


stoves. Arthur Lymbery started the store in 1912; the current owner is his son, Tom Lymbery, who is al-ways happy to talk about the com-munity’s history.

Gray Creek is also the starting point of a forestry road that con-nects to Kimberley — although you’ll need a high-clearance vehicle to get through and take in the rarely seen alpine scenery.

From Gray Creek, it’s only a hop, skip and a jump to Crawford Bay, which is home to more than a dozen artisan shops, including a blacksmith, a broom maker and a glassblower. None of them are in competition — in fact, they enjoy having each other nearby.

“One thing I really enjoy about being here is the camaraderie,” says Janet Wallace, who runs Bare-foot Handweaving in a straw-bale building. “I can hear the forge, I can hear the glassblowers working. If I really feel like being inspired, I just go over and watch them getting a buzz on about what they’re doing.”

Visitors also get a kick out of the rare opportunity to see so many ar-tisans hard at work.

“People are just astonished,” Wal-lace says.

Across the highway at by Fireworks Copper and Glass — where every-thing from jewelry to fridge magnets

to light switch covers are made from glass melted on copper — owners Lorna Robin and Helene Carter agree.

“Customers come in a lot and say, ‘I never imagined that was how it was made,” says Robin.

“People like to see something be-ing made and have that connection to buying it,” adds Carter.

Add to the mix pubs, restaurants, Kootenay Lake, hiking and the

well-stocked Sunny Woods Farm, a garden centre and produce stand, and you have a recipe for a great ru-ral getaway.

“We have so many amazing things to do that I find people are stay-ing, which is nice,” says Wallace. “There’s enough to do now that people will come for the day.”

Across Highway 3A and slightly west of Wallace’s shop is the home of North Woven Brooms, which you may not have heard of, but have likely seen — the brooms have been used as props or set dressing in such films as Bewitched, The Assassination of Jesse James and Shanghai Noon, on TV series including Star Trek: En-terprise, Lonesome Dove and Road to Avonlea, and on Broadway in the 2004 revival of Fiddler on the Roof.

The best-known brooms owners Rob and Janet Schweiger have made were promotional items for the Ca-nadian publisher of Harry Potter and

the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

“We’ve gone from people coming in and being surprised to find us out here in the middle of nowhere … to coming in and saying, ‘This is the famous broom shop,’” says Rob.

An event that draws many visi-tors to Crawford Bay is Starbelly Jam, held this year from July 20-22. Past editions of the music festival

have included a wide range of en-tertainment from acoustic rock to hip hop to jazz, which creates a weekend that is as entertaining as it is memorable.

“There is one beautiful moment after another,” says founding board member Brigitte Picard.

Ten minutes north of Crawford Bay is the Kootenay Lake ferry landing, which is serviced by the M.V. Osprey 2000 and M.V. Balfour, which were launched in 2000 and 1950, respectively. Although the Os-prey 2000 can carry more than twice the capacity of the Balfour, both free ferries are capable of taking aboard semis, logging trucks and RVs.

Be sure to arrive in plenty of time in the busy summer months, as waits of several sailings are com-mon. But once you get on, enjoy the ride — the longest free ferry ride in the world — as you prepare for the next adventure!

(Left) Jennie Hodgkinson of Sunny Woods Farm. (Right) A blacksmith at Kootenay Forge.

BRIAN

LAW

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Take the Lake Road

Weaving • enamelling • PotteryBlacksmithing • Broommaking

866-931-8464artisansofcrawfordbay.com

...and more! Crawford Bay - Artistic by Nature

Experience Kootenay Lake fishingfor world class Gerrard Rainbow and Dolly Varden. Your charter includes a clean, heated 24' cruiser withbathroom, high quality fishingequipment and professional fishing guide.

Pilot Bay Resort also offers first class accommodations onEastshore Kootenay Lake - call or visit our website 250-227-9441www.pilotbayresort.com

Pilot Bay Resort also offers first class accommodation on Eastshore Kootenay Lake

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Pilot Bay Resort also offers first class Pilot Bay Resort also offers first class accommodation on Eastshore Kootenay Lake

Experience Kootenay Lake fishing for world class Gerrard Rainbow and

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11935 Highway 3A • Destiny Bay • BC1-800-818-6633

Open Canada Day to Labour Day

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Sod-roofed lakefront cottagesFour course dinners

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Resort on beautiful Kootenay Lake

Home ofThe Ladybug

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15964 Hwy 3ACrawford Bay, BC250-227-9506

Sunny Woods Farm Garden Centre &Produce Market

Local Fresh ProduceLocal Beef and PorkGardening Supplies

Organic Gardening ProductsPots • Planters • Fertilizers

Pet Supplies


FOOD SERVICES: Beverages & snacks are available on the

MV Osprey 2000 only.

WINTER SCHEDULE:January 1 - June 17,

September 10 - December 31 (Pacific Standard Time)

SUMMER SCHEDULE:June 18 - September 9

(Pacific Standard Time)Anticipate Delays during peak times

between 9am - 7pm daily.

Balfour TerminalVessel Summer WinterOsprey 2000 6:30 AM 6:30 AMOsprey 2000 8:10 AM 8:10 AMOsprey 2000 9:50 AM 9:50 AMM.V. Balfour 10:40 AMOsprey 2000 11:30 AM 11:30 AMM.V. Balfour 12:20 PMOsprey 2000 1:10 PM 1:10 PMM.V. Balfour 2:00 PMOsprey 2000 2:50 PM 2:50 PMM.V. Balfour 3:40 PMOsprey 2000 4:30 PM 4:30 PMM.V. Balfour 5:20 PMOsprey 2000 6:10 PM 6:10 PMOsprey 2000 7:50 PM 7:50 PMOsprey 2000 9:40 PM 9:40 PM

KooTenaY BaY Terminal

Vessel Summer WinterOsprey 2000 7:10 AM 7:10 AMOsprey 2000 9:00 AM 9:00 AMOsprey 2000 10:40 AM 10:40 AMM.V. Balfour 11:30 AMOsprey 2000 12:20 PM 12:20 PMM.V. Balfour 1:10 PMOsprey 2000 2:00 PM 2:00 PMM.V. Balfour 2:50 PMOsprey 2000 3:40 PM 3:40 PMM.V. Balfour 4:30 PMOsprey 2000 5:20 PM 5:20 PMM.V. Balfour 6:10 PMOsprey 2000 7:00 PM 7:00 PMOsprey 2000 8:40 PM 8:40 PMOsprey 2000 10:20 PM 10:20 PM

www.westernpacificmarine.com

Photo by: Sara Rainford; Courtesy of KootenayRockies.com

Kootenay Lake


58 Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce

To CrestonTo Creston

and Cranbrookand Cranbrook

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Ministry of Environment Region 4 LEH Zone C Boundary

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? Visitor Centre121 Northwest Blvd.250-428-4342

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Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce 59

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Creston, B.C.

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? Visitor Centre121 Northwest Blvd.250-428-4342

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3A

MillenniumPark

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SmallestPark

TWo offiCeS SerVinGTHe CreSTon ValleY

1013 Canyon St. Creston106 33rd ave. S. Hwy. 3 ericksonToll free: 1-877-428-2234

offi ce: 250-428-2234

DISCOVERY REAL ESTATE

www.remaxcreston.com

OUTSTANDING Agents OUTSTANDING Results

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Wellspring Rd

1st Ave NW

Knigh

t Rd

Canyon-Lister Rd

Hagey Rd

Zapp Rd

Settlement Rd

Dean R

d

8th Ave N

Chur

ch R

d

46th

St

Spee

rs Rd

10th Ave N

Wils

on R

d

24th

St

Goat R

iver R

d S

Phillips Rd

Packing Shed

Rd Lach

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1 4th

St

7th

St

Adler Rd

Hood Rd

Hans

on

Rd

Riverview Rd

51st

St

E ric k

son

St

16th

St

35th Ave N

Uri R

d

Wellspring

Rd

East Arrow Ck. Rd

Wild Life

West Creston Rd

Wes

t Cre

sto n

Rd

Evans Rd

Teetzel Rd

Ceda

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l l R

d

Corn

Cre

ek R

d

McKa

y Rd

Wasyk

Sim

on R

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Smith

Rd

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25th Ave S

dR tterevE

Reclamation Rd

Lakeview-Arrow Creek Rd

Birc

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High

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Cree

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Plas

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Lepit

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d

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24th

St

4 th

St

Canyon-Lister Rd

Lister Rd

Mallory Rd

Porthi

ll R

d

Sinclair Rd

28th

St

Lower Wynndel Rd

3A Hwy

Northwest Blvd

Cany

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Reg

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Lloyd Rd

16th

St

Vance Rd

Hask

ins R

d

Goat Rive

r RdN

Collis

St

Clayton

Rd

37th

St

Muzzy Rd

Mehrer Rd

McMurtrie

Rd

Ditch

Sutcliffe

Pt

52nd

St

Abbot Rd

Loug

heed

Rocky Point Rd

33rd Ave S

Go at C

anyo

n Rd

8th

St8t

h

St

32nd Ave S

East R

d

43rd

St

Simmons

Canyon-Lister Rd

Sylve

ster R

d

Dow Rd

40th

St

Lister Rd

Nicks Island Rd

38th Ave N

Bossio Rd

Gran

ary R

d

Whimster Rd

Mas

uch

Rd

2 0t h

St

36th Ave N

Newdan

Bathie Rd

H ilto

n S t

48th

St

Lamo

nt Rd

Hobd

en R

d

Conn

el R d

Elsie-Holmes Rd

Robson Rd

Purcell Rd

Reclamation Rd

Spr uce R

dPeterman Rd

28th

St

Quinton Rd

36th

St

Pota

to

12th

St

Chris

t ens

o n

Jackson Rd

Monr

ose

Rd

Channel Rd

India

n Rd

Rykerts Rd

Crestview Rd35th Ave S

Ramsier Rd

Cru s

her R

d

Rogers Rd

Nicks Island Rd

Swan

Duc

North

to D

uck L

ake

k Lake

Rd

Hilt o

n St

Ash

Rd

33rd Ave S

Foster Rd

Duck Creek Rd

Riley

Rd

Wiebe Rd

44t

h S

t

Kootenay Rive

r R

d

37th

St

Payn

e Rd

Wes

tview

Rd

3 2nd

St

4thS

t

Fren

c h

Vale Rd

Aldric

h Rd

3 0th

St

40th Ave S

Samuelson Rd

38th

St

18t h

St

Pum

p Rd

Airport Rd

Canyon-Lister Rd

Helen

St

Stace Rd

Balsam Rd

Sinclair Rd

Cory Rd

Wynnd

el Rd

Lake

view -

A rr o

w C

reek

Rd

Pogany Rd

Williams Rd

40th St

Wes

t Cre

s ton

Rd

Foxtree Rd

Bea m

Rd

Lyons Rd

36th Ave S

44t h

St

Winlaw

Rd

28th

St

Parker Rd

Tooz

e Rd

Huscroft Rd

Wigen Rd

Wellspring Rd

1st Ave NW

Knigh

t Rd

Canyon-Lister Rd

Hagey Rd

Zapp Rd

Settlement Rd

Dean R

d

8th Ave N

Chur

ch R

d

46th

St

Spee

rs Rd

10th Ave N

Wils

on R

d

24th

St

Goat R

iver R

d S

Phillips Rd

Packing Shed

Rd Lach

at R

d

1 4th

St

7th

St

Adler Rd

Hood Rd

Hans

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Rd

Riverview Rd

51st

St

E ric k

son

St

16th

St

35th Ave N

Uri R

d

Wellspring

Rd

East Arrow Ck. Rd

Wild Life

West Creston Rd

Wes

t Cre

sto n

Rd

Evans Rd

Teetzel Rd

Ceda

r Hi

l l R

d

Corn

Cre

ek R

d

McKa

y Rd

Wasyk

Sim

on R

d

Smith

Rd

S evA ht72

25th Ave S

dR tterevE

Reclamation Rd

Lakeview-Arrow Creek Rd

Birc

hmon

d Dr

High

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Lake

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Cree

k Rd

dR tnecniV

Plas

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d

dR regneW

dR lanidraC

Lepit

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d

dR tluangiaD

24th

St

4 th

St

Canyon-Lister Rd

Lister Rd

Mallory Rd

Porthi

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Sinclair Rd

28th

St

Lower Wynndel Rd

3A Hwy

Northwest Blvd

Cany

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Early fruitsStrawberries ....... June 20-July 10Raspberries ........ July 10-31Blackberries ....... July 10-31Cherries .............. July 20- August 25Blueberries ......... July-Aug

Soft FruitsApricots .............. July 20- August 12Peaches .............. August-Sept 15Plums .................. August 15-Sept 15Italian Prunes ..... Sept 10Grapes ................ Sept 20

ApplesTransparents ...... July 25-August 7Wealthy (pies) .... August 15-Sept 15Sunrise ............... August 20Tydeman Red ..... Sept 1-15McIntosh ............. Sept 15Spartan ............... October 1Delicious............. October 7

PearsBartlett ................ Sept 1D’Anjou ............... Sept 30

VegetablesAsparagus .......... May 1-June 15Carrots ................ July 15-SeptPotatoes ............. July 25Tomatoes ............ August 1Peppers .............. August 10Pickling Cukes ... August 10Table Cukes ........ August 10Corn .................... August 15Squash................ Late SeptPumpkins ........... Late Sept

Ripening Dates*Farm Fresh

*All dates are approximate depending on weather

Mileage Conversion1km = 0.621 miles

10 kms = 6.214 miles50 kms = 31.069 miles100 kms = 62.137 miles

thinkmetric

emerGenCY numBerSAmbulance/Fire/Police 911Creston Valley Hospital 250.428.2286Poison Control Centre 1.800.567.8911BC Nurse Line (24-hr health information) 1.866.215.4700Crisis Line 1.800.667.8407Report a Forest Fire 1.800.663.5555/ Cell *5555

informaTion for DriVerSDriveBC road information 1.800.550.4997/Cell *4997Creston Radio CIDO 97.7 FM/ CFKC AM 1340BCAA Emergency Road Service 1.800.CAA.HELP, (1.800.222.4357)/Cell *222ICBC Dial-A-Claim (24-hour) 1.800.910.4222

TouriST informaTionKootenay Lake Ferry 250.229.4215Creston Visitor Centre 250.428.4342/1.866.528.4342Tourism BC 1.800.HELLO.BC (1.800.435.5622)Greyhound Bus Lines 250.428.3255Conservation Offi cer (fi sh & wildlife permits) 250.428.3220

CloSeST CanaDa/uS BorDer CroSSinGS

RYKERTS BC/ PORTHILL IDAHO 13km (8 miles) south of CrestonHours: 7am to 11pm (winter time differences* mean winter hours on the BC side are 8am-12am)

KINGSGATE BC/ EASTPORT IDAHO 48km (30 miles) east of CrestonHours: 24 hours/7 days a week

*Creston Valley is on Mountain Time in winter and Pacifi c Standard Time in summer.Idaho is on Pacifi c Standard Time all year.

imPorTanT numBerS10-DIGIT DIALING- The Creston Valley and surrounding areas are serviced by the 250 area code. When placing a call, all 10 digits of the number must be dialed.

C° ___________ F° 130___________ 266120___________ 248110 ___________ 230100___________ 21290____________ 19480____________ 17670____________ 15860____________ 14050____________ 12240____________ 10430____________ 8620____________ 6810____________ 50 0 ____________ 32-10 ___________ 14-20 ___________ -4-30 ___________ -22-40 ___________ -40

Celcius to FahrenheitConversion

Freezing point

Boiling point

CrestonVisitor Centre

121 Northwest Blvd(next to the grain elevators)

1-866-528-4342250-428-4342

WEN

DY

FRA

NZ

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ovec

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on.c

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1919

Pharmasave Creston

• Locally owned & operated • Bio-identical hormones

• Fast, friendly service • Vaccinations and injections

• Prescription blister packing • Free local delivery

• Compounding, including veterinary • Cosmetics

Store Services

STORE HOURS: Monday - Saturday 9am - 5:30pm. Sundays & Holidays 10am - 4pm.

1118 Canyon Street(250) 428-9080

E-mail: [email protected] www.pharmasave.com

For everything you and your family need to

Live Well.

Congratulations to Mike Ramaradhya and Jody McBlain, Co-Owners of Pharmasave Creston on the achievement of the prestigious 2012 Commitment to Care and Service Award for Rookie of the Year.

Tour times:Mid-May to Mid-October: Mon. to Fri. 9:30 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pmTours run on Weekends & Statutory Holidays in July & AugustPlease visit our website for summer scheduleClosed-toed shoes must be worn on tour

Columbia Brewery Beer Gear Store: Open Monday to Friday 9 am – 4:30 pm year round!Open Weekends July & August

1220 Erickson St, Creston, BC250-428-9344

www.kokaneebeergear.com

Documents

Creston Valley Travel Guide