Anarchist Mountain Community Society

ANARCHIST AND SIDLEY MOUNTAIN QUILTING PROJECT 2022

Do you like to quilt? Or would you like to learn?  Please join a group of fellow quilting enthusiasts as we learn some fun quilting techniques from a local quilting expert, Miriam March.  As we learn, we will help make a beautiful quilt which will be raffled off at Christmas time with all proceeds going to the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department.

This free opportunity is thanks to a Community Foundation South Okanagan/Similkameen Neighbourhood Small Grant.

Here’s a draft timeline of the quilting project.  A final timeline will be based on participants’ availability. 

• Join us over the summer to select a design and then help prepare and cut the fabric. 
• In September help sew the quilt blocks
• By late September, help assemble the quilt
• In October, see how the long arm quilting machine is set up and then help bind the quilt
• In November, enjoy the success of a completed quilting project AND a raffle fundraiser for the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department

If you have any questions or wish to register, please contact Patricia Edney at 780-718-6832 or pedney@shaw.ca.  Registration is requested by June 30^th, 2022.

Please pass on this invitation to any of your friends from Anarchist or Sidley.  Thanks!

Announcement

Have you been to the JSMP on Sasquatch yet?  Recently? If no, head up to Sasquatch, take the right-hand trail to the right of the mailboxes, and bring a picnic basket to come enjoy the new additions to the park.  Three new picnic tables, each of solid wood construction, have been situated amongst the trees alongside the pond.  

The JSMP is a unique community park where we can celebrate the memories of loved ones amidst the beauty of Anarchist.  A trail system is being developed that leads you on a nature walk through the 6-acre park.  And, of course, there is the beautiful pond. 

A lovely piece of mountain folklore is evolving about this work.  Read on …..

“Once upon a time in the land of Anarchist, in the fall of 2021, 3 Wise men were given the task of building 3 picnic tables for the Jamie Soule Memorial Park.  Ken in his wisdom called for meeting with Steve & Rudy. They went on a field trip to the land past the town of Oliver to the Donut Shrine near the new Wine Village.  There were picnic tables outside for them to gaze upon.  With coffee and treats in hand (our bad we forgot to submit the receipts) they took pictures and measurements. 

With the approval of the Supreme Council, Ken then called the Lords of the woods in the far away village of Rock Creek (The Lindquists, John and sister Tara) to mill some mighty timber.

When they called, Ken and Rudy took the long trek along gravel roads and slipped by various road agents and unknown nefarious clans and brought the logs home to Ken’s house where he hid them under tarps and stored them for the winter.

In the spring of 2022 Ken stripped the bark of the logs and sanded and cut them to size.  He then took upon the task of pre-staining the logs and boards and drilling holes  to make assembly easier. 

At the Park the 3 men cleared and leveled 3 sites for the tables with the aid of Steve’s tractor and the close supervision of Janet McNally and Sammy (Ken & Jamie’s dog) keeping guard and warding off vicious unknown animals.  Of course these sites were once again predetermined by the Supreme Council.  Concrete was mixed and placed.

When the concrete was dried the 3 men heaved and grunted and managed to get the tables on their trucks and delivered them to JSMP where they were assembled  with Sammy’s once again watchful eye. Too cold for Janet. The staining was completed during assembly and after the screw holes were filled with dowels, Ken did a final sanding and staining.

There they wait for all to use and to be amazed.”

A big round of thanks to Ken Wright, Rudy Reimer and Steve McNally for all of your dedication and hard work. Thanks to Wendy Shah who was awarded a Neighbourhood Small Grant to help in the financing of this aspect of the park with the remainder of costs paid for by AMCS.  

The Jamie Soule Memorial Park committee is always looking for new members. Feel free to contact Wendy ( wendy.shah2011@gmail.com ) if you are interested or have a few questions.

By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle

The cool rainy spring may be deceiving but make no mistake, fire season is just around the corner and all the folks connected to FireSmart want every homeowner to think about how they can protect their home and their community.

For those unfamiliar, FireSmart is a program developed out of years of experience dealing with interface wildfires. Through guidelines and assessments, homeowners are aided in making strategic choices around their yards and with their structures aimed at increasing the wildfire resiliency of their property. 

“This event is really all about education,” Alex Giovannelli AMFD Deputy Fire Chief said. “Neighbours helping neighbours and trying to understand fire behaviour and what you can do to actually mitigate fire coming into our neighbourhood. The more that you can do personally on your own property it helps the entire neighbourhood so that’s what this whole forum is all about,” he said.

Last year’s devastating wildfires in B.C. are still fresh in most people’s minds and with the recognition that climate change will make this sort of event more commonplace all levels of government are eager to promote the FireSmart message. 

Speaking at the Anarchist event, Kerry Riess, FireSmart Coordinator for the RDOS highlighted the provincial government spent upwards of $550 million on wildfire suppression last fire season.

“So taking a small chunk of that and putting it towards educating people and communities can go a long way,” he said. 

This includes funding for public education events such as the one at Anarchist, as well as home-owner rebates with the Province offering limited rebates for up to $500 for mitigation work completed on a property.

“We saw that last year with Anarchist in the resilience of this community and it’s just amazing how everyone pitched in. We’re thankful nothing burned down last year, it’s quite a testament to the people that live here and work on the fire safe community committees and fire department.”

Future Anarchist Mountain Fire Department firefighter?

Indeed the AMFD is celebrating 10 years since it first formed its FireSmart committee and it and the community have come to be seen as leaders in wildfire resiliency and preparedness.  

Deputy Fire Chief, Alex Giovannelli commented on how rapidly the program is changing. “Fire smart is changing in the 10 years that we’ve been doing this, it’s been evolving and I’ve seen more changes within the last year than I have in the previous eight or nine,” he said. 

Part of this is being driven by the wildfires that California has been experiencing over the last 5-6 years, “they’re going to be coming up here as part of climate change,” he adds.

The increased emphasis on FireSmarting communities has seen the addition this year of the FireSmart Home Partners which is a voluntary property assessment program that helps residents identify specific actions and upgrades they can take on their property to reduce wildfire risks. This existed in the FireSmart program already but has been more tailored to individual homeowners for their property. 

Once a property owner meets all mitigation criteria and attends an online course, they will receive a “mitigation certificate” confirming that they met the FireSmart best practices on their property.

 The broader focus on neighbourhoods and communities remains under the general FireSmart umbrella.

Anarchist Mountain Fire Rescue Society

WILL YOU BE NOTIFIED IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY? Voyent Alert! is a system used by RDOS & RDKB. As a resident, all you do is sign up and you will be notified by telephone, email, text or all three. We HIGHLY recommend you register. Get the Voyent Alert! app For email, text, or phone notifications, register here: https://register.voyent-alert.com More info visit: https://voyent-alert.com/ca/communityVoyent Alert! gives you a choice of notifications to receive – ranging from public hearings, change in garbage collection, to emergency alerts or evacuation notices.

ENPrep (Emergency Notification and Preparedness) also has a separate automated system used by the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department.Why two systems? This is in case AMFD issues an urgent local alert such as a closure of Highway 3 due to a hazardous material spill. ENPrep represents 10 areas on Anarchist Mountain each with one or two Area Leads who provide personal support to residents of a particular area. You likely have been in contact with your Area Lead, but message us if you have not. ENPrep and its AMFRS partners are committed to providing one-stop contact for information on safety and preparedness issues our community faces. Questions? Message us and we would be happy to connect you with your Area Lead or answer any questions.

Wapiti Pit Opening 2022

The Wapiti pit will be open for yard waste starting Saturday May 7^st

The hours of operation will be from 10.00am to 12.00pm

The pit is located on Wapiti Way. The driveway is the first road on your right.

We will be accepting burnable yard waste and branches. No construction debris or rocks.

Please check in at the gate. You will be asked for your address to keep track of the number of loads.  We will have fire smart brochures for anyone wanting to know the recommended fire smart practises.

Please line up on the right hand side of the drive to allow people to exit safely. When instructed to enter the pit please follow instructions of operators. Place materials as far as possible into the pit and unload onto the pile.

This year we are alternating between Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate everyone.

Hours of operation are from 10am to 12 pm.

Saturday May 7th^t                          

Saturday May 14th

Sunday May 22st

Saturday June 11th

Saturday June 25th

Sunday July 10th

Saturday July 23rd

Saturday Aug 6th

Sunday Aug 21^st

Saturday Sep 3^rd

Saturday Sep 17th