Sandy's Global Eyes

November 10th, 2018

Wanting to learn more about all the communities in the school district I am presently working in, sd91 (Nechako lakes), it was time to explore Fort St. James. Our Superintendent and Director of Instruction both live in Fort St. James but I haven’t seen either in Burns Lake yet.  We set off from Burns Lake on a beautiful morning heading mostly east towards Prince George passing through Fraser Lake, and Fort Fraser. Just prior to Vanderhoof you leave highway 16 and head north on highway 27. The trip is nearly 2 hours and 175 km. There are signs to discover the Fort St. James National Historic Site and learn about the history of Canada’s fur trade. However, this historic site is only open in the tourist (summer) season.

Fort St. James is located adjacent to beautiful lakes and mountains. It is a very interesting location because, as a newcomer to the town, the contradiction between colonial  and First People’s histories is pretty clearly exemplified. As listed in hellobc information online “Fort St. James was established by explorer Simon Fraser in 1806 for the North West Company, the site was dubbed “the Siberia of the Fur Trade” because of its harsh winters. Today, Fort St. James national Historic Site is reconstructed to the year 1896, and it includes a re-created Hudson’s Bay trading post.”

As we approached Fort St. James (approximately 4,500 including rural areas and First Nations reserves) we noticed physical changes– the temperature was dropping, the mountains (tall hills to Rocky mountain folks)  were increasing in size, ( there was increasing frost and snow on the ground, a loaded logging truck was sitting sideways in the ditch, yet the sun was shining and the beauty of the area was quite stunning. We stopped to walk in the snow near a bridge and listened to swans trumpet as they flew overhead. I noticed interesting animal hoof marks in the snow which I was told later were probably elk hoof marks.

We drove around the community and the enormous lake that actual looked like the ocean as the waves lapped on the shore! Right next to one of the reserves was the Fort St. James historical site. You drive through the reserve to access the parking lot! Ironic! Usually it is closed, but the gates were open as somebody was doing repairs. So Mark and I got to walk around the site. There was snow on the ground and the wind from the lake was bitter cold. I can only imagine what it would feel like during -30 degree weather here.

According to weatherbase.cm the lowest recorded temperature in Fort St. James was -49.4C! OMG!  But…It sure is gorgeous 🙂 There is a ski hill here and lots of outdoor (especially winter) recreational activities.

Watch out for slippery roads and large wild animals! And bring your camera!

November 4th, 2018

Today we explored Southside, Grassy Plains and even Ootsa Lake! The summer fires ravished these areas and there have been several fundraisers and thank you events for the firefighters and people who assisted these communities during the devastating fires. I wanted to show Mark the pink trees (covered in fire retardant) and meet the friendly owners of the Taksie Resort.

The area was still fascinating, but the gorgeous color from the autumn trees during my last visit no longer existed as the deciduous trees have now lost their leaves waiting for the snow.

Still…If you crave a peaceful retreat in the country, this is a wonderful area to explore.

November 3rd, 2018

My husband, Mark, and I decided to explore a new town today. Travelling northwest on highway 16, it takes about 1 1/2 hours to drive the 143 km to Smithers.  We drove past Topley, Houston, and Telkwa before arriving at Smithers (urban population 5,351 in 2016…but when you add the rural surrounding population Smithers has closer to 10,600 people).

We stopped at Topley to check out the famous Grizzly Jim’s General Store. There is a variety of items in there from food, to jewelry, pottery, and bear theme items. After Topley we did a quick tour through Houston. The giant solar panels and fishing rod were especially prominent. Then it was off to Smithers.

Smithers is a pretty tourist attractive town which has a European look and influence. It is popular for its “world class skiing” at Hudson Bay Mountain and fishing (especially steelhead). It also supports multiple extreme sports, such as, –quadding, snowmobiling, paragliding, mountain biking.

Mark was excited to locate the sausage and specialty meats stores we heard about in Burns Lake. I was really curious to explore the town. Unfortunately, although rain has been rare up here for months, we hit rain today! But coming from Vancouver Island, we have no problem exploring beautiful landscapes in the rain. Actually the fog, mist, and colors offer a new perspective in wet weather.

October 31st 2018

Happy birthday Uncle Harold! I know you are battling the dreaded “C” in Tasmania and being in the Tassie Sports Hall of Fame you possess incredible determination and optimistic strength. You are such an amazing individual and role model! We’re so glad we brought mom/Patti, your only sister, out from Canada to surprise you in Burnie for your 80th birthday last year. We love you so much xoxo. Happy birthday and may these photos of Halloween in Burns Lake bring you a smile! 😘😉

Brat the cat is a constant source of entertainment and company. She was a rescue cat and is approximately 9–10 years old according to her owners. She has a broken tail, 1 fang tooth, lots of hair, and purrs most of the time. She loves to sit on your lap or knead your neck when you are trying to sleep. She explores everywhere–even inside the dryer! She loves to have her daily bath (warm water rubbed down her head and back) and brush down in the mornings. Then she admires herself in the mirror! She is definitely the most affectionate cat I’ve ever experienced and a joy to see at the end of a challenging day!

Can you tell I am getting pretty attached to her?

October 22nd

Back in Burns Lake. What to do on a Monday evening? Well….How about attending a concert featuring global music! The Lakes District Arts Council brings some amazing concerts to the Burns Lake area. The last one was the East Coast Kitchen party. Tonight we embrace the B.C. World Music Collective! Thirteen performers graced the stage to entice the audience with sounds and culture from Brazil, Mexico, Europe, Zimbabwe, Chile, Cuba, and Canada. In addition, Ronnie Dean Harris “Ostwelve” is a Aboriginal rapper!

The variety of instruments, vocal experimentation, and harmony was upbeat and exhilarating! I was still humming and walking with a bounce in my step all the way back to my BL home base!

October 20–21st, 2018

After attending the Pro-D in Prince George, I got to spend some valuable time with my bro, Mark, at his place in Prince George. It was a beautiful sunny day and he spent all day working on friends’ vehicles switching summer to winter tires as well as winterizing his boat. His wonderful neighbors popped over and we had a lovely outdoor visit.

I also managed to go shopping and locate snow boots (2 pairs) as stores finally had a selection available! One pair of snow boots is good up to – 20 degrees. The second pair Sorels are heavy duty snow boots for up to -40 degree weather. My feet will be warm now! P.S. The pose of me in my red jacket is modelling the door prize I won at the Pro-D conference….It’s called a “kitchen boa” lol . Aren’t the Hallowe’en decorations cute on this house on my brother’s street?

October 18-19th, 2018

Still no snow! (At least none that is staying yet!) This weekend I travelled the 2 1/2 hours east toward Prince George to attend the provincial Home Economics conference. I passed the CN engine at Fort Fraser, the semi trucks and wood piles at Vanderhoof, to Mr PG marking Prince George. The draw for this conference was the connection tying tactile projects and food preparation with Aboriginal influence and customs. I was curious how similar/different the FN customs and crafts were here in mid northern BC to my experiences with coastal FN customs.

The key note speaker was articulate and his ideas were thought provoking. I took workshops which were practical and able to transfer immediately to my current positions in a Burns Lake. I missed my Sd85 and fellow BC teacher-librarian colleagues. I only knew 1 person at this provincial conference… but it was an interesting day at the biggest high school in Prince George!

October 14th 2018

Curious about the South Side and Grassy Plains, I decided to head out on an exploration adventure. Recent forest fires around the Lakes District were devastating and Grassy Plains school opened a few days late this year. The school district even contemplated having the students and staff come to one of the schools I work at to commence the school year. But luckily, the fires were able to be safely contained and are now mostly extinguished. It was time to go and see the scene for myself.  After driving to the Francois Lake Ferry terminal, I was lucky enough to have a short wait. The ferry crosses every 50 minutes and is FREE! Although the name is Francois Lake, locals tend to call it Frances Lake.

Once you arrive in South side you drive straight up the hill and soon find yourself surrounded by pasture and farm land. There is a strong Mennonite presence here including a school, a cafe, and churches. As I entered Grassy Plains I was in awe at the beauty. Across from the Grassy Plains public school was rolling hills, cattle, a beautiful little lake, and snow capped mountains in the distance!  (Tweedsmuir Park). It is so peaceful and rural here.

I stopped several times to admire the views and take photos. I followed the road past Grassy Plains ending up at Takysie Lake. There are recreational camping areas here overlooking lovely Takysie Lake.

I had seen some evidence of the fires to this point, but was quite shocked as I approached Takysie Lake Resort. The owners of this “resort” would not evacuate and the fire devastated the property across the street and even burned through their fence and sign! The owners stayed and said they fed the fire fighters every day and only slept from midnight until 4:00 a.m. most of the summer. The cabins, camping spots, cafe, store, and gas pumps all are still standing while much of the woods and land around them was lost to fires. I took some photos of the pink popular trees on the edge of the lake. The trees were covered with pink fire retardant.

I walked around the Takysie Lake “resort” then went inside to explore the unique store and have lunch at the cafe (with many of the locals). The owners and locals were super friendly and chatted with me.  It turns out the previous night was a community heroes gala in Burns Lake. The owners won an award and the husband attended but the wife stayed at the resort to cook dinner! This is a wonderful area to explore…The people are so friendly and you can definitely step back from the chaos of urban or hectic life. I will definitely be back!

October 13th, 2018

Yes. It’s Saturday! SD91 Nechako Lakes district is invested in Literacy Intervention using Joyful Literacy Interventions program created by Dr. Janet Mort. I chose to become involved as part of the Literacy team for both William Konkin Elem. and Decker Elementary schools. I participated with the WKE team for the day’s events as I actually teach there 60% of my time and 40% at Decker. It was a foggy morning as we car pooled to Fraser Lake. Usual sites included the lengthy CN trains and ATV’s in trucks. (It is hunting season up here!). This school district encompasses a vast physical area and Fraser Lake is kind of a central location.

FYI: SD91 Superintendent is from Fort St. James. (I met Manu at the Inservice). Our Assistant Superintendent is from Burns Lake (I was hired by Mike). Our Director of Instruction is also from Fort St. James. (I met Claire today too). The school board office is at Vanderhoof. Many of the other S.B.O. personnel live and work out of Vanderhoof. There is a second location (SBO at Burns Lake).  Sd91 includes: Fort St. James, Vanderhoof, Fort Fraser, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, Francois Lake, Grassy Plains, Decker Lake, and Gran Isle. This was my first experience at Fraser Lake high school. My principal drove me around the village after the conference and showed me the favorite sites here–including: the Mexican cafe, and Mouse Mountain school. Bucket list–To climb Mouse Mountain! I’m expecting it should take about 1/2 hour? Mouse Mountain is located behind the elementary school in the lower right photo! There are so many beautiful lakes and areas to explore here!