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Land use plan threatens coaldevelopment, mining company says

By Joni MacFarlaneEditor

As one of the last potential coal mining areas in Canada, development of the south-east-ern flanks of the Rocky Mountains is threatened by the province’s proposed land use plan, council was told. President and CEO of Altitude Re-sources Inc., Gene Wusaty, appeared before council on Dec. 17 and said his company was set to begin exploration activities in the area but are concerned about the South Saskatchewan Re-gional Land Use Plan (SSRP) that proposes to protect areas adjacent to coalfield sites. Altitude Resources was started about three years ago and recently listed on the Van-couver Stock Exchange, said Wusaty. Last sum-mer, Altitude signed an exploration and option

agreement with Elan Coal Ltd. that gave them the option to acquire a 51 per cent working inter-est in 23,000 hectares north of Crowsnest Pass. Under the agreement, Wusaty said, Al-titude is committed to spend $15 million by the end of 2016 on drilling and exploration activi-ties to identify coal reserves that would support a new export metallurgical coal project. The prop-erty extends in a north-south direction for about 50 km north of Riversdale Resources’ Grassy Mountain project. The coal deposits are similar to Teck’s in the Elk Valley, said Wusaty. He added that there are several other companies with property in the area and emphasized the potential opportunity that exists. “This opportunity in the Pass here is one of the few remaining coal development po-

tential sites that I see in Canada,” he said. “It’s a commodity business and you need to have in-frastructure. It’s by no mistake that Altitude’s located close to the CN line... those lines have spare capacity and they lead to the west coast ports that also have spare capacity. And that’s probably the single biggest reason why Alberta has suddenly seen a resurgence in coal explora-tion and development is because other places in the world, such as Australia, [have] run out of spare port capacity and rail capacity.” Wusaty said Altitude has an exploration target of about 740 million tonnes with an ini-tial drilling program north of Grassy Mountain. An application for a drilling permit was submit-ted about a month ago and they expect to begin work in the second quarter of 2014. Cont. on Page 2...

Skiers and snowboarders of all ages took advantage of the mild temperatures and great snow offered at the Pass Powderkeg Ski Hill over the Christmas holidays. The municipal ski hill’s regular hours are Wednesdays through Fridays from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photo by J. MacFarlane

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From Page 1... “We’re targeting those proper-ties because they hold the best opportu-nity for a large reserve,” he said. “And really they’re the closest to rail which is very important.” Wusaty also told council how important it was for coal development to have the support of the local com-munity and said he hoped to have the community behind them when they ap-proach the Alberta government about the SSRP. “All the coal in Alberta that’s coking coal is found in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains on the eastern slopes. So this is the last bastion for coking coal development in the south part of the province,” he said. “Right now what’s happening is the SSRP is going to impede that if we don’t get some of it reversed.” The draft SSRP includes all of the land containing Alberta’s remain-ing coking coal and proposes new pro-tected zones and parklands within this land, said Wusaty. He added that 58 per cent of Alberta’s Rocky Mountain region was contained within parks and other protected areas and now another large piece of land is being proposed for protection. “The coal lands that could be impacted are significant from a coal de-velopment potential basis but represent a small component of the overall pack-age of lands proposed for protection by the RRSP,” he said. “For us that really impacts our business because a lot of the extension of the Livingstone Park and other protected areas are in the area where we’re trying to do our coal development.” Of particular interest, said Wusaty, was that the “draft SSRP fail[ed] to examine... the Crowsnest Pass, to determine if these areas are fully participating in regional econom-ic growth and the need for alternative strategies”.

“If you take a look at the SSRP document... Although it says that it deals with economic issues, it doesn’t deal with any economic issues and the creation of additional parkland and more protected areas will not change your economic situation in the Pass,” said Wusaty. “The real big opportu-nity... is the development of these coal resources that we have.” Proposed extensions of park-land, even if not directly on coal compa-nies’ land, will impact mining develop-

ment activities because eventually there will be requests for buffers between the properties and “another piece of land will be neutralized, coal-bearing land that will be asked to be a buffer”, said Wusaty. Along with other coal and ex-ploration companies, Wusaty said they were working with the Coal Association of Canada and have been meeting with provincial ministers to get protected areas pushed away from coal-bearing lands.

Wusaty asked council for their support and said that the SSRP, in its current form, provides no alternatives or actions to reverse the municipality’s economic decline. “The Crowsnest Pass is critical in addressing this element of the draft SSRP and potentially has the most to lose from implementation in its current state,” he said. Wusaty added that the SSRP doesn’t kill coal development but it takes away significant opportunities.He emphasized that a window of op-portunity exists with rail and port ca-pacity and strong Asian interest in Ca-nadian trade opportunities. The province has imposed a deadline for public input of Jan. 15 with an expected implementation date for the plan of April. Several council members weighed in with their support. “The South Saskatchewan Re-gional Plan just leaves the Crowsnest Pass out totally,” said Councillor Bill Kovach. “I for one, think when you start to bury non-renewable resources, you’re not looking down the road... for generations to come.” Dermot Lane, a consultant working with Altitude Resources, said council needs to let the province know about the municipality’s situation. “...what really matters the most is what communities want and what community interests are,” he said. “The community will have a long lengthy process to go through whether to make that decision [to allow mining develop-ment]. The critical issue here is protect-ing your options for the future and you don’t have a lot of time to act on this.” Later in the evening, coun-cil agreed to draft a letter to Alberta’s Premier, and the Ministers of Energy, Municipal Affairs, and AESRD. It was also agreed to solicit support from the Committee of Mayors and Reeves of Southern Alberta.

Mining company sees land use plan atodds with economic future of Crowsnest Pass

Students from Isabelle Sellon School made a donation of 319 pounds of food and $382 in cash to the Crowsnest Pass Food Bank shortly before Christmas. Left to right: Kristian, Libbey, Paige, Del-lan and Lyndon.

Submitted photo

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joni.macfar@gmail.comStudents at Horace Allen School participated in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ by bringing in donations to the Crowsnest Pass Food Bank. Along with some of the students, School Secretary Maryanna Misseghers (back right) presented 660 pounds of food to Food Bank President Bruce Street (back left).

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By Joni MacFarlaneEditor

Next June marks the 100th anniversary of the Hill-crest Mine Disaster, a tragic day that indelibly scarred the Crows-nest Pass and mining commu-nity across the country. Committee representa-tive Lynnette Jessop presented a review to council on Dec. 10 with an overview of plans and requirements. One hundred years ago on that day in June, 235 miners went underground and only 46 survived, leaving 130 widows and 400 orphans, said Jessop. Most of those killed were buried in a mass grave in Hillcrest while others were buried at various Crowsnest Pass cemeteries or returned to their hometowns for burial. In 1985, the Hillcrest Cemetery was declared a Pro-vincial Historic Resource that has since attracted thousands of visitors on the Crowsnest Heri-tage Route, Jessop said. Restora-tion projects have been ongoing at the site for years and large-scale plans have been developed for its commemoration next year. These include a new entrance feature with archway that will appropriately identify and honour the significance of Canada’s largest mining disaster, landscaping, highway signage, new parking area, interpreta-tive panels, and a new gate that drives down to the cemetery. Jessop said the budget has been estimated at $385,000 with the majority funded through grants and spon-sorships. As well as cemetery restorations, one of the legacies of the project is to fin-ish the ball diamond nearby, said Jessop. A large temporary tent will be installed for the event as well as completion of the snack shack and washrooms.The Hillcrest Memorial Committee has been working with the Crowsnest Heritage Initiative and Community Futures, said Jessop, and a commemorative weekend is planned for June 19 to 21 that will attract

visitors from across Canada. The actual anniversary on Thursday, June 19 will be a somber day of remembrance with a funeral procession re-enactment and graveside service, Jessop said. The mayor and council are asked to host a dignitary event that evening and although it’s not yet confirmed, the com-mittee is working to get Paul Brandt for a concert at the Coleman Sports Complex. Friday will celebrate the Spirit of the Miner with historic facilities show-cased, a miners’ picnic, beer gardens, and an outdoor dance with the Coal Creek Boys.

The traditional Bellecrest Days will be moved to the ball diamond on Satur-day and will feature Maria Dunn at the Hillcrest Miners Club and a live mu-sic event co-hosted with the museum. Jessop said invitations to dig-nitaries and special guests have been sent out, a com-memorative bro-chure and a book will be available, and a media cam-paign will be con-ducted across the country to attract people to the event.C o m m i t m e n t s and promises were made by the previ-ous council said Jes-sop, and included hosting of VIPs on June 19, waiving of equipment and fa-cility rental fees, re-surfacing of the Old Frank Road, and a matching capital fund of $150,000 if needed. Formal sup-port still required from the municipal-ity includes an extra

$20,000 for events, insurance, loam and grass seed or sod for Hillcrest Main Street, further land-scaping around the

cemetery site, and potable water to the ball diamond. Councillor Dave Filipuzzi of-fered congratulations to the committee.“I’m really appreciative of where you are going with this and I think it’s of great benefit to the community,” said Councillor Filipuzzi. “I think what you’ve done there already is really nice. It’s really an asset to the community.” Administration was asked to put together the municipality’s costs for the project and bring back to council for re-view.

Canada’s largest mining disaster took place at the Hillcrest Mine on June 19, 1914 and community volunteers are busy planning a commemora-tive weekend that is expected to attract visitors from across the country.

Photo by J. MacFarlane

Borrowing bylaw approvedBy Joni MacFarlaneEditor

Final reading of a bylaw to bor-row funds to provide cash flow for the first half of 2014 was approved by a vote of 6-1 on Dec. 17. The bylaw allows the municipal-ity to borrow up to $1 million if neces-sary and is used to cover expenses before taxes and grants are received. Myron Thompson, chief ad-ministrative officer, presented the an-nual borrowing bylaw and told council its purpose was to pay mandatory funds to the province that are due before pro-

jected property taxes are paid. The Alberta School Founda-tion Fund (ASFF) requires a payment of about $675,000 each quarter. The pay-ment is withdrawn from the municipal-ity at the end of March, June, September and December. In addition, the Crowsnest Pass Senior Housing Requisition of $22,515 per month is also withdrawn. The property tax levy is not due until June 30th with 88 per cent of resi-dential and commercial taxes being paid on the due date. Only 12 per cent prefer monthly preauthorized payments, said Thompson.

“...the cash flow required to op-erate the municipality on a monthly basis is directly impacted by the legislated pay-ment of requisitions,” wrote Thompson. Councillor Dean Ward moved to defer the bylaw until further informa-tion was received on whether the funds had ever been used before. “We would only utilize it if it’s required. It’s just there as a fail-safe and it is a normal process for this communi-ty,” said Thompson. The motion was defeated and the bylaw passed second and final read-ings by a vote of 6-1 with Councillor Ward opposed.

COMMUNITY CALENDARJANUARY 11 – Crowsnest Con-solidated High School will holds its 2014 bottle drive on Saturday, Jan. 11 from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. If you are not home and would like

your bottles picked up, please leave them outside and clearly marked. If you would like to donate your bottles before or after Jan. 11, please call CCHS at 403-563-5651 and we will gladly arrange a time for pick up.

JANUARY 13 - Metis Nation monthly meeting to take place Monday, Jan. 13 at the Provincial building in Pincher Creek at 7 p.m. Please use east side entrance.

4 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Crowsnest Pass Free Press

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By Joni MacFarlaneEditor

In response to a request for in-formation, Director of Planning, Engi-neering & Operations Frank Besinger pre-sented council with an update of the con-solidation of Public Works Operations facilities. In a report prepared by Russell Farmer & Associates as part of its munici-pal inspection report, three key areas were identified that the municipality could improve upon in this area, said Besinger. Essent ia l ly, they were to contin-ue rationalizing op-erations, particularly equipment, to create efficiencies in opera-tions and administra-tion, reduce dupli-cated equipment and supplies, and better communicate plans. Besinger said

the municipal-ity owns 33 buildings used by the pub-lic, utilities or o p e r a t i o n a l functions with most being old, i n a d e q u a t e l y maintained and under-utilized. O p -erations in the east are con-ducted out of the Hillcrest facility and in the west out of the Blairmore facility. Staff report to either the Hillcrest or Blairmore fa-cility and the Coleman and Empire shops are used for storing equip-ment only. “It has been deter-mined that only one facility is re-quired allowing one to be disposed of as a surplus asset,” said Besinger.

Although no current appraisal has been done, the Cole-man shop’s assessed value is $213,120 with annual utilities

at $14,372 and the Empire shop’s cur-rent assessed value is $168,050 with annual utilities at $10,971. Besinger said

there have also been areas of improve-ment identified re-garding municipal vehicles and heavy

equipment. Some are old, in poor state of repair and beyond their serviceable life expectancy, he said. “In most if not all cases, major costs have been expended for on-going repairs out weighing the residual value of the units,” said Besinger. “The intent is not to recommend dis-posal of select pieces of equip-ment but to re-duce the fleet by attrition annually that in turn lends the opportunity to right size our

building facilities.” Council dis-cussed whether it made more sense to keep one shop in Coleman open

for staff rather than have them drive to Blairmore and then back again. Some

members of council also questioned the Farmer report’s as-sertion that the mu-nicipality rationalize operations “to a level that is more in line with comparable mu-nicipalities”. “Our com-munity isn’t a square or a circle, we live in a long line which is really hard to get comparisons of other communities, said Mayor Blair Painter. “I think we have to relook at this and see if this is really an efficient way to do things.” Administra-tion reiterated that the intention was to keep one shop in Coleman to store equipment and bet-ter utilize Blairmore facilities. It was agreed that these issues would be discussed with department heads during budget meetings.

Public Works looks at Coleman shops

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In a few short months a very important centennial is going to take place in Crowsnest Pass. On June 19, we will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Hill-crest Mine Disaster, an event that has left an indelible mark on our community. On June 19, 1914, 235 men went underground at the Hillcrest Mine; only 46 came back out of the mine that day. One hundred and eighty-nine men lost their lives in what is Canada’s worst under-ground mine disaster. Since Dec. 12 the Crows-nest Museum has been paying hom-age to the men who died 100 years

ago, by featuring each of them on our social media streams and shar-ing a glimpse of who they were and their unique lives. On Facebook you can like the “Crowsnest Museum, Gift Shop & Archives” and on twitter follow “@CrowsnestMuseum”. You may also search #hillcrest100, for all the Hillcrest Mine Disaster centennial postings and updates. Please feel free to comment and post, especially if you have any information about the person we are highlighting that day. We hope that by featuring all 189 men for 189 days we will all get a deeper appreciation for the importance of the centennial we are about to com-memorate.

Municipal council and administration is examining the feasibility of consolidation of its Public Works Shops. Two Coleman shops are currently used to store equipment while staff work out of either the Blairmore or Hillcrest facilities.

Photo by J. MacFarlane

Museum honours fallen miners

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Bohemian Waxwings:welcome visitors to the PassBy Susan Douglas-MurraySubmitted

My specialty is trout. So I am out on a limb here dis-cussing birds. Why birds? Well af-ter the magnificent show of Bohemian Waxwings before C h r i s t m a s I was again besotted by the incred-ible variety of winged wonders we see in the C r o w s n e s t Pass…even in winter. F o r those of you fortunate to have moun-tain ash trees nearby, chances are you will have w i t n e s s e d the Wax-wings swarm to the ber-ries of these trees. A nervous feeding fren-zy ensues, then, as one, they take flight to a safe zone. Then back again, back again, until the berries are demolished. The Waxwing have a high tolerance for fermented berries as they can metabo-

lize the sugar efficiently. How-ever, just like their two legged friends, too many berries can lead to intoxication and possi-bly death. The Waxwings I ob-served looked to be in perfect harmony with the odd tipsy bird engaged in a drunkard’s lean on a twig.

The large flock of perhaps 80 birds is common during winter migration. They begin moving south in September as they search for fruits and insects. They usu-ally reach our area mid-to-late November and as is the norm

for migratory species, will stay or leave depending on food availability. The Bohemian is dis-tinguished by the vibrant yel-low band on the end of their tail feathers, a wiggly streak of yellow on the wing and the smidge of red on their

wing tips. It is this red tip re-sembling a wax mark which gives the birds their name. Their body colour is a soft downy brown to grey and they’re just shy of the size of a robin. Their eyes are deco-rated with a streak of black, much like Lady Gaga might ap-ply. A distinc-tive ruddy red crest tops the males head. The Bohe-mian Waxwing

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Phone: 250-509-0177Email: publisher@cnpfreepress.ca

For news tips, community, sporting and other events, please contact Joni MacFarlane at 403-563-7725 or email: joni.macfar@gmail.comOpinion

12707, 20 Avenue, Blairmore, AB T0K 0E0 • 250-509-0177Chris Hopkyns, Publisher Email: publisher@cnpfreepress.comPublished weekly each Thursday by The Crowsnest Pass Free Press, a division of Black Press Group Ltd. and distributed throughout the Crowsnest Pass. Free circulation, 1,700.

Free PressCrowsnest Passthe

Chris HopkynsPUBLISHER/SALES

Bridget FixPRODUCTION

Joni MacFarlaneREPORTER/EDITOR

As the gate quickly closes on the dead-line for input into the government’s South Sas-katchewan Regional Land Use Plan, many are now scrambling to protect their interests. The plan encompasses an area of 83,765 kilometres from just north of Calgary to the U.S. border and from the Rocky Mountains to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. It’s home to more than 1.6 million peo-ple (45 per cent of Albertans) and dozens of in-terest groups and individuals. Conservationists believe the plan does not offer enough protection for the numerous animal and plant species that inhabit the region. Many feel that the watershed has not re-ceived adequate protection, particularly in flood-prone areas, and that the plan falls short of of-fering a clear long-term vision. Motorized off-road vehicle users believe their needs have not been met and that restricted access to the backcountry will jeopardize future tourism. Mining companies interested in devel-oping the coal industry in southwest Alberta believe their efforts will be hampered by pro-tected land butting up against theirs. They say this threatens the future economic growth of the region. Municipal leaders believe the Crows-nest Pass was excluded from the process to de-velop the land use plan and their concerns have not been heard. Clearly, this plan will not – and cannot - be all things to all people. There are far too many competing interests and few will be satis-fied with the outcome. However, it’s also clear that the major-ity believe their input has not been considered. The deadline for input should be ex-tended and another public session needs to be held in the Pass so all voices can be heard. The plan is too important to the future of too many to be set in stone without it.

JLM

Regionalland useplan demands more thought

The Crowsnest Pass Free Press welcomes letters to the editor that are of interest to our community.

Whatever the subject, there are a few basic guidelines to follow before Crowsnest Pass Free Press will publish your comment.

• Letters must be received by 4 p.m. Thursday for the following week’s paper.

• One letter per person per month.• Letters should be typed or neatly written and present

the issues as clearly as possible in 350 words or less.• All letters must contain the name, address and signa-

ture of the writer, and a phone number where they may be reached during business hours.

• Anonymous letters will not be published and pen names may not be used, except in exceptional circum-stances at the discretion of the editor.

• The editor reserves the right to edit for length, clar-ity or reject letters over matters of libel, legality, taste or style.

Letters published do not necessarily reflect the edito-rial policy or belief of this newspaper.

LettersRe: “BC Employment receives complaint against Fernie’s Tim Hortons” December 12, 2013

Dear Editor, Please accept this as an open letter to the people of the Elk Valley, Crowsnest Pass, and especially Fernie. We have a long-standing, personal re-lationship with the town of Fernie and its residents, including our employees. Kristine was born, raised, and went to school in Fernie and Pierre has lived here for over 34 years and also went to school here. We’ve both worked for local restaurants, small businesses, and the coal mines for 15+ years, earning honest wages to build a life and family and, eventually, invest in and own our own small business. We have many close friends and fami-ly here and affiliations with different lo-cal groups, charities, and volunteer or-ganizations. We are actively involved in many community events and our chil-dren’s schools. At this time, we would like to express how extremely saddened and shocked we are at this recent turn of events and want to set the record straight with our local community. As you know, we employ Tempo-rary Foreign Workers as part of our restaurant team because of the signifi-

cant shortage of food service workers in the area. Fernie, along with many other communities, has been in a critical la-bour shortage for many years. Having the Temporary Foreign Worker program available to us has not only allowed us to keep our doors open, serve our commu-nity, and maintain our hours of opera-tion and therefore, jobs for our other em-ployees, but also to protect our family’s future. We are real people, local Fernie-ites who like everyone work hard to make a living. Our Temporary Foreign Workers are valued members of our business and community. Some have moved on to oth-er jobs and cities, and some have brought families to our area with our assistance. And we as employers have been proud to get to know and trust them on a personal and professional level, attending wed-dings, births, birthdays, parties, and just about anything else you do with some-one you call a friend. We feel it’s very important to set the record straight on our support of Tem-porary Foreign Workers and mention that not only have we provided jobs for these team members, but have also given assistance by providing vehicles, bikes, furniture, laptops, groceries and cloth-ing to help get them started. We’ve also written letters of confidence to the gov-ernment so they could return after they

went home to visit families. ALL of our team members are important to us and we help out whomever we can, however we can. At this time, we want to assure everyone that we are dealing with these allegations as they unfold, and are fully cooperating and complying with the BC Employment Standards Board. We intend to respect the process and are not in a position to comment publicly on employment issues or matters relating to the investigation. We want people to know that we have always sought to maintain and run our business with integrity. We have always worked hard to maintain high standards in our business practices, as we have in our community. You all know the many local charities, children’s events, sports teams and community events that we take part in and support. And many of you know us on a personal level and know our character. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the overwhelming outpouring of support: the calls, texts, emails and words of encouragement. We will do our best to get through this with courage and dignity. At this time, we re-spectfully request your patience while we try to deal with this through the proper channels. Thank you for your continued support, Pierre & Kristine Pelletier

Crowsnest Pass Free Press Thursday, January 2, 2014 7

As I sit reflecting over 2013 and looking ahead deciding what changes I can make to better myself and my busi-ness, I wonder how many others make “New Years Resolutions” only to prompt-ly forget or break that resolution in a few days or weeks. Many years ago I chose to work on myself not once a year, but daily, week-ly and monthly and then reflect at the end of the year to see how I’ve done and where I need to continue, add to, and “add new changes” to continue to create myself into a healthier person, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. To continue building relationships, with family and friends and to continue growing my busi-ness. Four years ago, as I said in my earlier column, I began looking after my health. I had forgotten about this aspect of me. The problem with forgetting about this part of me (and you) is that if it’s lost, everything else is lost too. If you do not look after your health, you are not look-ing after your life! After losing 60 pounds, life sure did look a lot different! Walking, running, exercise, sleeping (yes sleeping), shopping for clothes (became fun again), hiking, going to the Zoo, visiting, going out for

dinner, going to work, everything became easier, and enjoyable... even housework, and I loved doing my yard again! I had be-gun to detest my day-to-day life. Losing 60 lbs and getting my health back, gave me my life back! Reflecting back over 2013, I was thinking about all the wonderful people I have met through my Clinic, how many hundreds of pounds have melted away, and how many people bounce out of my office thanking me for helping them get their lives back again. I know I will never go back to that unhappy girl, because I will never sabotage myself by eating unhealthy or in my case not eating enough foods or drink-ing unhealthy drinks, and forgetting about me again. We have to give ourselves the pleasure at holiday times to enjoy festive foods and drinks, but then we must pull ourselves up quickly and get right back into doing the right thing. But how do you know what to do and when to do the right thing? Alcohol is one of the pleasures that has empty calories and turns directly to fat. Beer is probably the worst alcohol for weight gain for two reasons: 1) The main sugar in beer is maltose. Maltose is a

disaccharide composed of two molecules of glucose, this means it’s very high on the glycemic index and will trigger twice the amount of insulin. 2) It is a diuretic, the more you drink, the more you pee! It is not uncommon at a football game for people to down 3/6 pack of beer during a 3-4 hour period... try to do the same thing with water, you couldn’t! The same idea is used in soft drinks; caffeine is added, which is also a diuretic. You can consume more as it nev-er quenches the thirst but actually makes you more thirsty... just like beer... it just tastes like more! Wine is another sugar which likes to adhere to our waist and not let us waste away, but keeps our middle growing. Just like the chocolates, cakes, cookies, chips, pastas, white breads and many other car-bohydrates that like to stick to our mid-sections and sit heavy on the thighs. They are foods that need to be eaten with cau-tion, and that we need to be taught when to eat. There are so many amazing foods out there that we have not been taught about that are so good and tasty. Learn it, Live it, and Love it! Losing weight is not about giving up everything you love to eat forever. It’s

about learning how your body works, how food works for your body, what the mini-mum amount of protein your body needs to work at is best, how many carbs your body needs, and how your body burns fat. Exercise is a part of this too. Los-ing weight is about understanding your body... because your body is specialized. Wishing you a very Happy New Year as you reflect what changes you may want to make in 2014, if any! Coming in my next column will be more tips and the start to 2014 with a new recipe each month. Here’s a quick easy lunch for those on the run;1 cup Kale1 cup Cucumber1 cup Spinach3 oz Water1 pkg Fruit Protein Drink (25-30g of pro-tein powder) Liquify in blender and drink as a smoothy. This is filling and healthy. You have all your lunch veggies and required amount of protein serving for meal (ap-prox18g) Changes Weight Loss & Wellness is owned and operated by Linda Germo and is located at 12319-20th Ave., Blairmore. Call 403-562-2111 for more information.

Changes - getting back on track after holiday festivities

An open house held at the Pass Powderkeg Ski Resort on Dec. 12 gave Board members a chance to talk to the community about the ski hill’s future plans including a fundraising campaign for the installation of a chairlift.

Photo by J. MacFarlane

CROWSNEST READS Crowsnest Reads is a new section in the Free Press that talks about what we’re reading and why. We will fea-ture a few selections every week and hope many, many people in the community par-ticipate. If you would like to be included, please send a brief paragraph or two telling us what you’re reading and why you chose it, what you liked (or didn’t). Any and every genre goes – children’s books, non-fiction, biography, business, historical, how-to’s, self-help, graphic novels, romance, hu-mour, whatever you’re into. Let’s talk about what we’re reading. Send your sub-missions to joni.macfar@gmail.com.

Darsey Milford Over the last six months I’ve made a real ef-fort to read what my kids are reading, both for enjoyment and to keep in tune with what they have going on. It has been a pleasant surprise for me as I’ve quite enjoyed my-self. The first series was a 10-book series called “The Rangers Apprentice”. A great mix of action, adven-ture, world travels and strong friendships, the series follows a group of orphans that are given an opportunity to train as apprentices in their medi-eval society.  As they grow up and gain expertise, they devel-op strong bonds while defend-ing their kingdom.   A great series for both kids and adults The second series is “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”. Popular enough that movies have been made about two of the books. The series follows a young “half-blood” (half human, half Greek God) as he discovers his heritage, fights battles

against monsters and Titans that the humans are unable to see. This series is full of ac-tion, fun, and Greek mythol-ogy as strong friendships are formed.

Cory Schultz I am currently read-ing “House of God” by Sam-uel Shem M.D., which is a fictional story about the tri-als and tribulations of medi-cal interns who are starting their careers during the early 1970s.  The tone of the book ranges from light-hearted ab-surdity to the desperate and depressing aspects of their chosen careers. Common themes in the book deal with the care of the chronically ill, frustrating interactions with hospital ad-ministration and the toll the demands of their jobs take on their personal lives. The book could be subtitled ‘Dilbert for Medical Students’ based on some of the ridiculous and amusing stories that are cov-ered. I have found the book quite entertaining, but think it may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Lorraine Halton I have been fascinat-ed by the fact that a brilliant freelance writer who I have a lot of respect for reads mur-der mysteries. So, once again, I have attempted to understand the addiction to the “who dun-nits,” and have been reading Louise Penny’s Chief Inspec-tor Armand Gamache series. She is a Canadian author and the setting is a secluded village in Quebec. She writes well with bits of unexpected humor and lovely descrip-tions. The characters are charming, but the plot, hmm, a bit far-fetched at times. Still, I am waiting

with bated breath for the li-brary to inform me when the next book will be available.

Aggie Mitchell I read lots -usually murder  and  detective sto-ries. Right now is a John Grisham novel called “Syca-more Row”. It’s about a man prior to committing suicide (he was  dying  of lung can-cer), writing his will and leav-ing his children (greedy and never seen) not a cent of his $22 million assets and leaving it mostly to his black house-keeper. He was white. This man had ev-erything written and  direc-tions  for funeral-etc etc and this young struggling honest lawyer received these direc-tions in the mail. It is difficult for me to stop reading and do my housework!

Joni MacFarlane Right now I’m read-ing a novel called “The Lumi-naries” written by Canadian author Eleanor Catton and winner of The Man Booker Prize for 2013. I try to read fairly current books and am always excited when a new voice shows up on the scene, especially Canadian. The Luminaries is set in 1866 in the backwoods of New Zealand during the heady days of that country’s gold rush. A mystery that gets more and more intricate, the story is richly peopled with a colourful set of char-acters. The setting is so well described, you can practically feel the never-ending rain soaking into your bones and the cold wet mud sticking to your boots. A fascinating story about a time and place I know nothing about, and a gripping page-turner I don’t want to end.

Submitted

Teck Coal recently an-nounced their continued support of the Boys & Girls Club of Crowsnest Pass through a $25,000 donation. The funding was directed towards the 2013/2014 After School program which is now underway. “This level of support is critical to our continued opera-tions in the Crowsnest Pass,” Club President Scott Warris explained. “Teck has certainly made a serious committment to the kids of the community through this funding. This is their second year specifically supporting the After School Program and is in

addition to many other areas of support to the Club such as radio advertising, fundraising campaign sponsorship and mine site tours for the kids. We are very grateful to Tammy Ogden and her depart-ment for considering us again this year.” The funds will be used towards operating costs of the program such as staff, wages, rent and transportation. The majority of the program budget is financed through private and corporate donations, Federal, Provincial and Municipal grants, the United Way, various southern Alberta Foundations, the Boys & Girls Club of Canada and many local volunteers.

Boys & Girls Club receivesafter-school program funding

8 Thursday, January 2, 2014 Crowsnest Pass Free Press

We wish you good health and big

smiles thru 2014 Dine In or Take Away

Breakfasts, Lunches and Sweets from scratch. Gluten Free Options.

Bold Flavours from around the World. Fine Rooibos Teas; Oso Negro and

Crowsnestcoffeeco.coffees

Winter Hours: Wed-Sun 8-5 Gift certificates available

Healthy food on Highway #3403-563-8510

www.crowsnestcafeandflyshop.ca

Crowsnest Cafe and Fly Shop

All Day Breakfast

Open every day 7am-5pmSunday 10-4pm

13019-20th Avenue, Crowsnest Pass, AB

Ph/Fax 403-562-2230www.stonesthrowcafe.ca

Stone’s Throw

Café

Peking & Cantonese CuisineWestern Food - Fully Licensed

Lunch buffettuesday - friday 11am-2pm

Dinner buffetfriday & Saturday 5pm-8:30pm

Dine in - tAKe Out - DeLiVerY

Ben

Ben WongRestaurant and Grill13249 20th Ave., Blairmore, AB

(403)562-8388

hours: Sun. 11am-9pm, Tues.-Sat. 11am-9:30pm, Mon. closed

free DeLiVerYon orders over $65 (before

tax) within Blairmore

10% Off on cash pick up over $65

(before tax)

1130 Table Mountain Street, Pincher Creek, AB • 403-627-2787

Here to make you

happy

Specials 11-8pm Wednesday-Steak Day 7 oz

NEW YORK� ursday-Pasta

(including Spaghetti or Baked Lasagna)Friday - Homemade Fish and Chips

Saturday - BBQ RIB Night

Pick Up Orders 403-564-4522

Crowsnest Pass Eat & Drink

Call Chris to reserve your spot on our

Eat and Drink Page(250)509-0177

(403)564-454511001-20th Ave., Blairmore, AB (next to the Bargain Shop)

FIVEPIZZAR I V E R S

Quality Ingredients,

Better Pizza!

Hours: Sun. 11am-9pm, Mon. Closed, Tues. & Wed. 3-10pm, Thurs.-Sat. 11am-11pm

...now that’s good food!

Pizza by the

slice available for lunch

Now open Mondays!Visit our Facebook page daily specials

The Best Western Fusion Restaurant in the Pass.

8329 20th Ave Coleman, AB403 563 5555

R E S T A U R A N T

Popiel’s

Salt. Such a small word to cause so much harm. It has been proven to be one of the risk factors in high blood pressure, with good cause: most peo-ple’s salt intake is at least double what it should be. It is up to us to track it down, sometimes in the most surprising places.

Firstly, it has to be understood that consuming 1,500 mg of salt — or sodi-um — per day is sufficient, and that 2,300 mg per day is considered to be the

absolute maximum. Nevertheless, men consume about 4,000 mg per day on average, and women, 2,800 mg!

When people think of salt, the picture of a salt shaker on the kitchen table immediately leaps to mind. However, salting food on the plate only accounts for about 5 percent of consumption. The real culprits are fast food and processed and packaged foods, which contain phenomenal quan-tities. For example, two slices of a commercial thin-crust vegetarian pizza contain 1,360 mg of salt; a large portion of fries, 1,080 mg.

Snacks and crackers are overflowing with salt as well. Even more surpris-ing is that a lot of prepared sweet foods contain appreciable quantities, particularly breakfast cereals and flavored oatmeal.

What to do about all this salt? First of all, try to do more home cooking, which will help you avoid all the salt in packaged foods and restaurant dishes. Check nutrition labels for sodium levels at the grocery store and leave the high-sodium products on the shelves. Choose foods that contain a maximum of 140 mg of sodium per portion.

Enough is enough!

What you need to know about fibre in your diet

Do you know everything you should about fibre, that essential element in a healthy diet? You may not realize it, but your life wouldn’t be much fun without it. It helps regulate blood sugar levels and it keeps bowel movements regular. Test your knowledge with the help of this quiz.

1. Which of the following foods con-tain fibre?a. Wholegrain productsb. Legumesc. Nutsd. Fruits and vegetablese. All of the above

2. When fibre content in the diet is increased, it is important to consume more:a. Liquids (water, juice, hot drinks)b. Sugarc. Snacksd. Dairy products

3. What is the recommended intake of fibre for men and women aged 19 to 50?a. 5 to 8 gb. 15 to 18 gc. 25 to 38 gd. 35 to 48 g

4. A portion of 250 ml of cooked white spaghetti is equivalent to 2.4 g of fibre. How much is contained in the same quantity of whole-wheat spaghetti?

a. 2.4 gb. 3.0 gc. 4.0 gd. 4.8 g

5. Which of these fruits contain the most fibre?a. Pearsb. Datesc. Applesd. Bananas

AnsWers1.e) Sometimes fibre is added to

certain packaged foods such as juices and yogurts.

2. a) Ideally, eight glasses of water should be drunk every day.

3. c) Although after 50, the recom-mended fibre intake is 21 g for women and 30 g for men.

4. d) Likewise, a slice of white bread contains 0.6 g of fibre and a whole wheat slice, 2 g.

5. b) Ten dried dates contain 7.1 g; 1 pear, 5.1 g; 1 apple with skin, 2.6 g; and 1 banana, 1.9 g.