YOUR local Fraser Lake, Endako, Fort Fraser & area NEWS

Phraser Connector
Distribution

Issue Date NOV 22, 2015

Volume # 42

1480 copies

Free
monthly

Shopping local helps us

Local businesss are promoting a Shop
Local opportunity for pre-Christmas
shopping.

some items may be higher here, but

some may also be lower. And until
you check out your local shops, you
will never know what gems are sitting
here for your convenience.

In past years, stores extended their

shopping hours, often opening on the
last Sunday before Christmas and opening on a few select nights in December.
From the business perspective, retailers
would come together and turn Christmas shopping into an event. Consumers
could take advantage of the extended
hours and shop at their leisure.

Many moons ago Midnight Madness

shopping promised extra savings for those
wearing pajamas. And for anyone who
could stay awake until midnight, the sales
just got better.

Local owner of Par 3 Sports, Craig

Lepoidevin says, People should give
local a chance. I do special orders for
people. It may take a week for it to
come in, but if someone gives me
their business, I will support them
too.

When you must factor in the cost of

gas for the four hour return trip to the
city plus a few meals, and factor in the
time
you spend away, you may not have
local retailers dont have the luxury of
ordering huge volumes of stock. And sub- saved much in the pocketbook.
In Fraser Lake the stores are a mix of inde- sequently cant compete with the level of
To promote the Shop Local theme, the
pendent, corporate and franchise. By ex- pricing afforded the retailer who orders
weekend of Nov 27th & 28th has been
100 of the same item. Managers are con- deemed Moonlight Madness with some
tending shopping hours, more staff must
stantly juggling the bottom line with their businesses staying open until 10:00 on
be hired and some local store managers
need to move product out the door.
dont have authority to do so.
Friday night. Read their ads on page 6 & 7.

Were all in this together

Unlike the BIG box stores down the road, Prices can vary from store to store and
from town to town and its safe to assume

Some Reasons to Shop Locally:

By supporting local business you are supporting OUR fire department, OUR library, OUR arena& curling rink, OUR parks
and OUR schools. Not the Fire Truck or the volunteers in the next town.

Local merchants donate dollars and prizes to local charities, teams & groups.

By buying local you are supporting local jobs.

When you shop local, you support the surrounding institutions like your bank, restaurants, hairdressers and liquor outlets.

You save time by shopping local.

You can reduce your likelihood of encountering icy road conditions by cutting down your trips to the big city.

Our community is unique, and our one-of-a kind businesses and crafters make their ordering decisions based on our rural
needs.

P AGE 2

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

Storey
Lines

Are YOU misunderstood on

Facebook? ...take a number
Written by Elaine Storey

In this age of technology and social media, tween fact and fiction.
much can be queried about appropriateness
#4 Facebook is merely an electronic comand the realms of political correctness
munication tool that facilitates an exchange
Communication through social media sites of typed messages between users.
is instantaneous. There is little pause to
#5 Facebook friends may not be your true
reflect or to consult, and the result often
friends in real time.
pits people against one another. Sometimes
people are looking for an argument but just #6 Personal posts on Facebook are
as often a slight made on facebook is unin- someones pumped up version of their
present reality. THEIR reality!
tentional.
Lately, due to the threats of terrorism, I
have noticed that formerly innocent comments or posts on facebook are being construed as racist and offensive.
A formerly inspirational post with a stunning backdrop displaying a blue ocean and
orange sky, endorsed with a sappy caption
reading .. Be the person your dog and
cat think you are and BAM! Out of
nowhere, the insults fly.
First the bird owners get offended because
their pet has been excluded from the post.
Then the fish and hamster owners get their
tizzy in a tangle and argue being overlooked and underappreciated.
The rational person would argue that a
saying is just that...a string of words meant
to evoke an emotional response.

When you like or a share or a

comment on their post its oftentimes a
kneejerk reaction to how the post made
you feel.

And in the interim, relax!

I would like to say this:

Please do not add to the fodder of words

about religious beliefs, the high cost of gas,
the political party in power, the folks you
voted out of power, or the new folks you
voted into power. Please refrain from

#3 Facebook does not differentiate be-

Facebook is not the forum to complain

about your neighbour or your boss or the
price of oil.

To the rest of you

#2 Facebook is not your mother.

Facebook is not the soapbox to promote

your cause. Cut your teeth somewhere in
front of a live audience where you can use
your wit, hand gestures and body language
to explain and defend your position.

Your negative thoughts on facebook travel

like fire in beetle-killed pines. One little
hint of smoke and the whole forest is under
You respond for a variety of reasons -You attack.And you will be putting out hot
may believe the post to be true You may spots for weeks to come.
love at least one line of it Or You love
There ought to be rules of etiquette on
the concept but not the dog/truck in the
facebook:
background. OR You believe your friends
would think more of you if they thought
#1 If you dont have anything nice to say,
you were capable of such deep thought dont say anything at all.
OR You always thought this to be true but
#2 If you cant look that person in the eye
were afraid to let others know you were:
and say it...dont type it!
This sensitive
#3 If you know your mother would wash
That naive
your mouth out with soap for saying it,
That brilliant
dont print it.
This much of a Redneck
BUT (note*.. capital BUT)
#4 If you know those words would hurt
you, then dont use them on others.
PLEASE consider before you share

In true definition: saying...a short pithy

PLEASE reconsider before you like
expression that generally contains
PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE do not comadvice or wisdom.
ment and, Please do not engage.
I know for many of you non-facebook
readers, this does not apply. And for those Give it a few hours, or a few days and if
you are still passionate about the topic, tell
who wish not to worry themselves with
your dog or write it into a card and send it
one more thing...you may go for a walk
now or plug in the kettle for a cup of tea. you momma.

#1 Facebook is not the Dictionary

commenting about your right to be heard,

and the right to your opinion, and your
right to express your ideals .

The intent of Facebook was to bring university students together for communication purposes. It was launched in 2004 for
Harvard students and within two years had
expanded into Canada and the world.
With people using social media as their
main form of communication, there is little
doubt they are often misunderstood.
Typed words do little to demonstrate irony, ambiguity and redundancy of thought.
Facebook is a wonderful tool for communicating but rather than a Like & Dislike
button it should have an EJECT button..just kidding!

P AGE 3

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

December 2015
Nov 27,
Community Market
11-2pm

Sun

Mon

Tue

Seniors
Carpet
Bowling 1 -3
Legion

Walking
Group
Wellness
Massage

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Seniors
Carpet
Bowling 1 -3
Legion

Walking
Group 10:00

Coffee 2:00

Crocheting
6-7:30 pm

Drop-in Sewing
1:00 pm

10

11

12

16

17
MMS
Concert

18
Last
day
school
25

19

Quilting
6:30 9:00 pm

13

14

15

Cancer Support Drop-in Sewing

Luncheon
1:00 pm
noon

20

21

22

23

24

Community
Potluck
5:30
Host Autumn
Services

Closed for the

holiday

Closed for the

holiday

Closed

Closed for the

holiday

27

28

29

30

31

Closed for the

holiday

Closed for the

holiday

Closed for the

holiday

Closed for the

holiday

Closed for the

holiday

4-7 Family
Social & Dance
7pm Charity
Hockey Game

26

Christmas
.. Day ..
Merry
Christmas

Closed for the

holiday

Closed until
Jan 04

Closed until
Jan 04

P AGE 4

P HRASER C ONNECTOR
nd

Life in a Kriegs Gefangenen Lager

On June 2 , 1916, I was captured by the Germans and spent thirty months in captivity in a
variety of camps, first in Dulman south of the
by Robert Parker Storey
Dutch border, then in Miden in Westfalia.
This is one of my stories.
...Things were not as bad in our camp at Miden as they were in most of the other POW camps. For one thing the General in Command of the Lagar was a worn-out elderly cavalry man who when he came into the compound always rode
on a white horse and often would argue in a loud shrieking voice as though he was going to have us boiled in oil the
first time any of us slipped out of line and often, to emphasize his point, would draw his useless old sabre and smack
his poor old nag on the rump. His own Commanders were more afraid of their commander than we were. We knew
his bark was worse than his bite and we were aware that his son, an officer in the German cavalry was a prisoner of
war in England.
One day when he was particularly violent on his inspection to us he drew the sabre and gave the horse a real savage
smack that startled the poor old hag of bones. It stopped, reared up and bolted. The old General was nearly thrown.
One of our lads who was nearby did what not one of the Generals own soldiers dare do. He broke ranks, grabbed the
horse by the bridle and soon soothed it. The General was visibly shaken, but he did what few German officers would
do to a POW.
He said Danke. We always showed respect for the poor old boy, and that paid off for us in many ways.
When you get a body of men together consisting of many nationalities and coming from all walks of life, you will find
that they consist of men of many trades, talents and professions. The Regular army men of both Britain, France, Russia and Italy were more or less men who were captured early in the war and were, by seniority the camp governing
body, setting up the rules and patterns for later arrivals to follow if they expected to survive. But we also had tinkerers, tailors, shoe repair men, bakers, carpenters etc.
We had artists, actors, magicians and all kinds of entertainment professionals, sportsmen and musicians.

For entertainment the Germans set aside an unused barrack where our artists and actors could put on shows. They
built a stage, made props and scenery, and by the time our group arrived in 1916, this was well underway and we enjoyed one concert a month, which was even attended by the German officers and sergeant majors. They of course occupied the best front seats. Somewhere our lads had scrounged up an old printing press and even had programs printed. Cost was one pfennig each at the door, but it was a good policy to give out free copies to the German elite.
Another privilege granted was in the summertime when the weather was fine we were permitted to go, under guard of
course, for a nice brisk route march on Sunday. About ten or twelve of the 1914 prisoners were from Scotch Regular
Regiments who were rushed to the front in the wars early stages in their kilts complete with sporrans and head dress.
They had kept their uniforms in parade condition and always headed the parade. Two of them in particular, Sergt. Bill
Craig of the Gordon Highlanders and Sergt. Bill Harry of the Royal Scots were magnificent specimens of Scottish
Highland Regiments and they were always up in the front.
My first trip was one I will always remember. We marched out of the camp all in perfect step and down the highway
towards the town of Minden, singing many of our marching songs. When we came to the town the streets were
packed, it must have been a colourful sight to see those Highlanders and further down the line the French Poilus in
their red pants and blue tunics. Among the spectators were lots of pretty girls and young women, children, older people and a sprinkling of men.
We really put on a parade performance. All of a sudden a nice looking girl of about eighteen or nineteen couldnt restrain herself any longer, she simply had to know. She made a wild run over to where Bill Craig was striding alone,
eyes fixed straight ahead and kilt swishing. She grabbed the front of Bills kilt, up they went and she let out a squeal
of delight. Bills reaction was instantaneous. He grabbed her by the arm, gave her an upside down flip over his bended knee, lifted her skirt, and gave her a couple lusty smacks on her bare behind.
Bill had hardly moved a stride before he was back at the head of the marching column, his head high and his kilt
swinging. Everyone roared with laughter, even our guards and the whole crowd. Back at the camp we had a lot of fun
with Bill.
Say, Bill, did ye know hae yer breeches on mon? Bill grinned.
Well ye ken it was a very warm day and a mon has to hae a wee bit of air, besides no true Scot would stand for a snip
of a lassie takin a wee peek at his testimonial wie oot haen a bloody guid look at her credentials.

P AGE 5

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

TWO FAMILY EVENTS COMING

On Thursday Nov 5th over one hundred people attended
our third annual HealthFest.
Nine health booths provided free information and services.
They included Medicine Centre, FL Fire Dept, FL Crisis
Centre, Cooking with Bonnie, Relaxation neck massage
with Cheryl Stewart, FAMILIES for Mental Health with
Heather Mechleson and John Allen shared information
about mental health at his Northern Health table. Loretta
Jackson performed Hep C testing and two Public Health
nurses administered flu vaccines.
Over seventy people received vaccinations throughout the
day and many participants stayed to enjoy a healthy lunch of
soup, sandwiches and home-made goodies.

Caught
this
beauty
staring
right
into
the
lens..

Photo by
Elaine
Storey

Thanks to our many wonderful contributors who gave generously for the goodie bags and door prizes.
Our Autumn Services volunteers remain busy with Community Spirit Family Fun Night on Thursday Nov 26th upstairs in the arena. This is a night of fun for all ages. As in
the past well have pictures with Santa, paint the ice, homebased vendors, a fish pond, our Chinese Auction, crafts and
much more. Admission is by donation and there will be a
50/50 draw. This is a great family event and everyone is
welcome to attend from 3:00 -8:30 pm.
In December we are organizing a family social and dance on
December 23rd upstairs in the arena. The first annual event
last year was a huge hit and we look forward to bringing
families together again on Dec 23, the Christmas homecoming. This event is held a few hours prior to the much anticipated Charity Hockey Game at 7:00pm.

Journey By Massage
Foot Care &
Wellness Massage
250.699-1837
Call Cheryl Stewart
for an appointment
Every Tuesday at Autumn Services

OFFERING:
Septic Tanks ** Lagoons
Sawdust Vac ** Dry Vac ** Dust Control
Holding Tanks ** Grease Traps Floor Drains
Car Washes ** Storm Drains ** Pressure Washing
High Pressure Water Jetting ** Thaw Frozen Lines
Portable Toilet Rentals **Water Truck Dust Control

P AGE 6

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

Moonlight Madness Sale

Par 3 Sports

See Teresa & Joanne for

your family
hair-care needs
Tasha is available for
Waxing and nails
& eye-lash extensions
Open from
9:30 5:30
Monday to Friday
Drop in on Nov 26 & 27
.the coffee and cookies are on us

20% off
Phone

accessories

699-8063
Door Crasher Sales

15% off
Hockey
Gear

starting at 4:00pm Fri Nov 27

Select Items up to 50% off
Clothing
Gloves
SHOP
Open late Friday
Toques
LOCAL Select shoes night until 10:00
Winter Wear
Shop flyer 5 days early
Tons of sales throughout store
Workwear & Boots on sale
Enter door prize draw with purchase

Thank you
for supporting local business

Community Market
INDOOR
@ Autumn Services
Friday Nov 27
11:00 - 2:00 pm
Hearty Soup & Bun
Only $5..
Come on over and
check out the local vendors

Bonnies Baking
Gills Photography
Bonnies Nerium
Natural Obsessions
Soup by Eleanor

Come out to the indoor

market
Fresh bread! Cookies!
Buy some beauty products
and a gift of local
photography.
Have a bowl of hearty soup
and a fresh bun for $5

Moonlight Madness
We are open LATE
Friday, Nov 27, 2015
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Stop in for
hot chocolate
& cookies 6-10

6:00 to
10:00 pm

Enter to WIN one of four door prizes

Check out our Pre-Christmas Specials

Thank-you for shopping local

P AGE 7

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

Lumberyard not open after 5:00

Exercise your
Community Spirit

and shop locally this

holiday season
Thurs. Nov 26, Home-Based
vendors 3-8:30pm
Fri. Nov 27, Community Market
11-2:00pm
Friday, Nov 27
These stores open til 10:00pm:
Ace Hardware
Par 3 Sports
Super Valu
A Cut Beyond -

Reg hrs Thurs & Fri

Pictures with Santa

Skate with Santa
Chinese Auction
Fish Pond/Crafts
Free Popcorn
Door prizes
50/50 draw
Home-Based Vendors
Admission by donation

Thurs.
NOV
26th
3:00 pm
To
8:30 pm
Upstairs
at the
ARENA
Family
FUN!!!

Dec 23rd

Dec 23rd

Family
Dance & Social
Upstairs
At arena

Community

Charity Hockey
Game

Before Community

After Family Dance

Charity Hockey
Game

& Social
Starts @ 7:00 pm

4:00 pm

Admission

To

By Donation

7:00 pm

P AGE 8

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

We shall remember them.

#6
#1

#4
March to the Cenotaph

#7

#5

#2

#8

#1Legion Members, Air Cadets, RCMP, Fire Dept, First Res.

#2 On the march
#3 Elders from Nadleh Whuten
#4 Legion President George Woolsey laying wreath
#5 Jamie Neilson with Beth Woolsey Reciting In Flanders Fields
#6 The boots
#7 Our flag
#3

#8 The cross
#9 Cst. Dan Carter laying a wreath

TECHNOPURE WATER
Water Treatment Systems

Drink only the best

For bottled water, pick up, or delivery

Call 699-6688

#9

P AGE 9

Local Family finding life very busy in Tsiigehtchic

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

submitted with thanks

Hello again from the land of plenty.

The abundance of the caribou and the egg fish have been a great blessing for the people this year.
There is plenty of food from the land for those who have been able to get out, and those they share with.
Once the river ice was safe, the people started to set nets for the egg fish. The egg fish are the female whitefish that are filled with
eggs. The eggs are eaten either cooked inside the fish, or raw. Some of the local fisherman say the best is just squeezed out on the
ice, with a little salt on top.
It seemed counterintuitive to us to wait for the ice for the main harvest of fish, but of course the locals know what they are doing!
With a couple holes in the ice, and a jig to move the net along, the nets are set under the ice and are checked a couple of times a
day.
Ray offered to help one of the elders with his nets. They would routinely get 80, 90, 110 fish each time they pulled their nets which
are about 75 long.
The fish are whitefish, though occasionally there is lingcod and inconnu in the nets.
The fish freeze on the ice. They are taken home in the big toboggans pulled behind the skidoos and shared or stored for the winter.
There are different ways to cook them, but a common way is to bake them whole - not gutted - the eggs are cooked inside the fish.
The eggs and fish meat are eaten together, though there is not a lot of meat on the egg fish - maybe 1/3 eggs, 2/3 meat. Another
favorite recipe of many people here are fish patties.
We enjoyed helping a local fisherman, George, with his net. He is very knowledgeable about the land. He is 80 years old and lives
in a wall tent by the river. He has lots of stories and enjoys teasing us. He has about 1000 fish for the winter. He needs the fish for
his family, and his dog team of 10 dogs. He saves the female egg fish to eat, and the male fish are for his dogs.
Cont. on page 10

P AGE 10

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

Continued from page 9

Meanwhile on the river, the ferry continues to travel
back and forth through a single channel in the ice to
keep the highway from Fort McPherson to Inuvik connected.
An excavator works steady, all day, every day, pulling
ice from the river and has amassed quite a pile of ice.
Tsiigehtchic has been cut off for a couple of weeks
now, but the crew is out in all weather building the ice
roads. Building the ice roads is very much manual labour with shoveling, chiselling ice, running pumps basically building a big skating rink. The men are out
there working from morning into the night, and may
soon work 24 hours a day. Yesterday the temperature
was -31C. They have pickups they can warm up in
time to time. They all have to wear floater suits for
safety working on the ice.
Yesterday, the Arctic Red River ice bridge opened, so
now we can go by milk!

The Steiners harvesting fish and freezing them naturally on the ice surface

A week or so back, little Theresa was really wanting some milk. She still is not used to the canned milk or powdered milk, and we
had run out of frozen milk. I went to our little store. They had long since run out of milk. I was pleasantly surprised when I found
one lonely container of chocolate milk in the back of the cooler. When I went to pay they said "oh, this is really out of date...you
can just have it". It was still palatable and Theresa was thrilled.

As we settle in for the winter, we are enjoying getting to know the people here and learning the rhythm of life in Tsiigehtchic.
God bless,
Therese, Ray, Matthias, Kathleen, Mae, Theresa Rose and little Daniel

Give us your old appliances,

power tools and electronics

Small Appliances
Power Tools
Radios
Microwaves
Vacuums
Heaters
Lightbulbs
Cardboard
Electronics like TVs & Computer parts
Cell Phones & chargers & their cords

REFUNDS for Beer cans & bottles 10 & up

REFUNDS for Alcohol bottles .10 & up

REFUNDS for Pop/Juice bottles 5 & up

We have

REFUNDS for Pop/Juice cans 5 & up

Storage

REFUNDS for Juice Pouches . 5 & up

Space

100% REFUNDS

For
RENT

OPEN Tuesday to Saturday

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Or
LEASE

20 Cougar Street
Fraser Lake

250.699-8322

Keep Fraser Lake Green!

P AGE 11

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

Are you a single parent receiving income or disability assistance?

You may be eligible for funded training through the
Single Parent Employment Initiative.
Contact our office today for more information.

caregiver must accompany

Fraser Lake Hours

Thursday 9:30 am 4:00 pm
298 McMillan Avenue
1-866-567-7375
The Employment Program of British Columbia
is funded by the Government of Canada and
the Province of British Columbia.

A HUGE THANK-YOU
to Cst Dan Carter
for recognizing my plight
and helping me at
the Cenotaph
on Remembrance Day.
You were truly kind and helpful
Thank You so much!
Signed
Lynda Rubis

Ages 1 to Adult
F L Public Library
Thursdays
Time: 3:45-5:00
Nov 26
Dec 10

P AGE 12

P HRASER C ONNECTOR

S ERVING F RASER L AKE , E NDAKO ,

F ORT F RASER & AREA NEWS

Autumn Services Centre

Home of the
Phraser Connector
312 McMillan Avenue
Fraser Lake BC
250.699-0056
Primary Mailing Address:
Box # 557
Fraser Lake BC
V0J 1S0

Phone: (250)699-0056
Or (250)699-1023

WERE ON
FAC E B O O K
AD RATES
Phraser Connector is distributed
FREE once a month to
1480 area mail boxes
Business Card size - $30 for each insert
3xBusiness Card size - $75 for each insert
1/4 Page size - $105 for each insert
1/2 Page size - $185 for each insert
Full page size - $375 for each inserts
Ask about our rates for non-profits

To advertise email:

phraserconnector@gmail.com
Dont forget to call
Autumn Services 250-699-0056
for all your
Copying & Designing needs!!
Book a Birthday Party,
Meeting or Baby Shower!

Congratulations to the Door Prize Winners at HealthFest

Hazel Edgeworth
Regina kemp
Charlotte Grimm
Shirley Man
Ruth Schmidt
Winona Hanson
Anna Carter
Darrell Stevens

Barb Hagreen
Cecile Webb
Dick Legary
Tiffiney Carter
Judy Hunter
Wendy Galvin
Kia Panagopolous
Pat Smith

Sherri Maydanilick
Randi Roy
Heather Brown
Joan Harder
Stan Zawada
Tracy Wilkinson
Patty Teir

Thank you to the Door Prize Contributors:

Endako Mine
West Fraser
Canfor
F. L. Victim Services

Fields
A Cut Beyond
FL Medicine Centre
Larworth Logging

FL Fire Dept.
FL Crisis Centre
Rexall Drugs
Par 3 Sports

Early Childhood Development Programs

at Mouse Mountain School:
Tuesday 11:30-1:00 pm Preschool Gym Time
Tuesday 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Cruisers and Crawlers
play-time for up to early walkers (18 mo)
Thursday 1:00 -2:30 p.m. Baby Talk
For pre-crawlers, speakers or topics, separate area for siblings
Baby Talk agenda:
Nov 26 Post Partum depression or Household safety
Dec 3 Public Health Nurse, immunizations feeding etc.
Dec 10 -Christmas party
Check out our facebook group for up-to-date information
on these and any future groups. Call Jana CAPC 250.567-7626
www.facebook.com/groups/FLECD/
We would like to resume the support group for families of children needing
behavioural supports. If you are feeling stressed out and/or isolated due to
your child's behaviour please call Lynn at 570-7868 and let me know when
is a good day and time to attend and I will try to accommodate you.

Martineau Plumbing & Heating

Licensed Gas Fitter & Plumber
95% High Efficient Furnace Replacement
HotWaterTank Replacement
Call Wayne Martineau
Phone 250.699-6597
Cell 250.699-1384

WANT COLOUR COPIES ? NEED COLOUR PAMPHLETS PRINTED? WE CAN DO THAT! Call 250-699-0056