November 7, 2023

Hello Members and Friends

            Hope you are all adapting to our time-change.  I might be the only one, but I prefer it this way – DST in the summer for light in the evening and PST for the winter so our mornings are not so dark – especially for school children.

            We had a small attendance for our AGM on Sunday, October 15th but all went well.  Thanks go Deb Billwiller for managing our election process.  Here is your Board for the 2023-2024 Year: 

President:                    Joan Heart

Vice-President:            Cher Wyers

                        Treasurer:                    Jo Ann Sergeant

                        Secretary:                    Doreen Sorensen

                        Directors:                     Irene Perepolkin and Mickey Keller-Nadon

            At our regular meeting on October 18, 2023, Bob McTavish, Ted Harrison, Jason McIver, and Ken Fehr were approved as Area Representatives for the 2023 – 2024 year.  Thanks to everyone who let their name stand and thanks to Karen Watts for her service to the BHS.  Karen has stepped down as an Area Rep. but continues to give us her full support.

            We were honoured to have Lana and Dan Rodlie speak at our meeting on the 18th on genealogy and the search for our ancestors.  Lana is a long-time journalist, born and raised in Trail.  She presented us with the books she has assembled researching her mother’s family.  Dan has the largest nautical library in, I think, North America and his many copies of ship sailings, and their passenger lists were instrumental in their research. We are hoping to invite them to an Annual Luncheon or Picnic to pursue the topic of Lana’s novel “Keepers of the Garden”.  I loved the book and very much admire Lana’s writing skills.  Currently Joan has the book, but if you are interested in reading about the successes and travails of the fur trade just let me know and I’ll arrange to get it to you.  Thanks, Cher, for making this purchase on behalf of the BHS.

Justin Perras, Fence King, completed the fencing at the Upper Phoenix Cemetery the day before our AGM.  He did a great job – very interesting how he blended the fences.  He was “taken” by the cemetery and its history and said he was happy working with us. Justin is new to the area, and he did have trouble locating the cemetery.  Thanks to someone at the Phoenix Ski Hill he was successful – he didn’t see the main cemetery though as he turned around and came back down the same way he went up!!  Can’t wait to hear how he enjoys the main cemetery.  He gave us some ideas about further repairs to the Upper fence but I’m hoping to engage him in working on the front fence of the main cemetery – I’ll have to go up and measure its length.

            Joan and I took a drive up to Jewel Lake and then onto the Cemetery so she could see the changes wrought by the clean up crew in the main cemetery and the new fence at the Upper Cemetery.  Nice to not have that big “bear” hole in the back fence!! I took a picture of the rails that Michael Smith delivered to Glady’s cabin.  They are all so uniform – very nice. I sent a thank you card to Michael. A spring 2024 project, I think.  Bob and Bev were away on a cruise – welcome home both of you.

Joan has been under the weather for a couple of weeks – we are all wishing her a complete recovery soon.

            Our next  regular meeting is Wednesday, November 15, 2023 – Woodworkers Guild meeting room. This is our last regular meeting for 2023 as we take a break from meetings in December. We will be at many of our local Craft Fairs if you are interested in one of our reports or wishing to renew your membership drop by for a chat.  We will be at the GFSS craft fair on November 25th, Rock Creek on December 2nd, and Greenwood on December 9th.  Ted and Susan Harrison will attend the Christina Lake craft fair on December 2nd – thanks for your help!!

Hope November treats you well.

In history,

Doreen Sorensen

Secretary