Fauquier BC

Heart Creek Culvert in Fauquier Soon to be Replaced by a Bridge

/ Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Fish Enhancement Project on Heart Creek in Fauquier Gets Go-ahead

by Jan McMurray

Reprinted with kind permission by http://www.valleyvoice.ca

A project to eliminate a fish barrier at the mouth of Heart Creek in Fauquier is a go for this year. A large culvert will he replaced with a bridge, hopefully by the end of October.

Photo of Heart Creek Culvert on Highway 6 by Peter Klopp

Photo of Heart Creek Culvert on Highway 6 by Peter Klopp

“The fish want to go up that stream to spawn, but that culvert must be a six-foot jump,” said Hank Scown, president of the Nakusp Rod and Gun Club. “It’s an impossible height for those fish to leap up and get into the culvert.”

The Ministry of Transportation has partnered with the Nakusp Rod and Gun Club, the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans through its Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program, to fund the project.

Scown says there are kokanee, Rainbow trout, and probably Dolly Varden that will spawn in Heart Creek once the culvert is replaced. “Every fish that spawns means potentially many fertilized eggs and more fish that enter the Arrow Lakes,” he said.

Phase two of the project, which Scown says will happen in the “not too distant future,” will see the removal of a second culvert further upstream, opening up an additional 1.2 kilometres of stream habitat for fish.’s

Scown says that if this project proves to be beneficial to fish, “perhaps other systems along the Arrow can be assisted in a similar way. If a creek can naturally produce fish, we should be allowing that to happen.”

He points out that human beings like to manage nature, but it’s been shown over and over that we can’t. “All spawning channels have proven that,” he said. “When things go bad, all your eggs are in one basket.”

Scown said the Nakusp Rod and Gun Club has been wanting to do something about the fish barriers on Heart Creek for a long time. He believes the culverts were installed back in the late 1960’s, when the highway was realigned to accommodate the flooding of the Arrow Lakes and the construction of the High Arrow Dam at Castlegar.

Let us hope that the Fish Enhancement Project will become reality at the Heart Creek in Fauquier, BC.

Hiking in the Spring – Part III

/ Peter Klopp / 2 Comments

A Spring Walk around Fauquier, BC

 In February I tried very hard to show beauty on a foggy and drizzly day. But this time in the middle of a gorgeous spring, I don’t even have to try. Nature has fully sprung into action. With its dandelion-speckled meadows, the fragrance of apple blossoms in the air, birds twittering in the cedar trees,  with its glorious presence Nature is creating a more joyful mood. Today I suggest a more leisurely walk around our beautiful community. If you take the time to stop often to look at the landscape and listen to the birds chant their cheerful songs, you will need about 40 minutes to complete the loop.

IMG_1047

Google Earth Map of Fauquier with the red dot marking the starting and end point of the walk around the loop

01We start our walk at the General Store, where a bed of tulips adds color to the country store.

02Going west on the commercial street, we walk past a colonnade of trees.

03At the motel we turn left and begin a gentle climb.

05The St. John the Baptist Church looks beautiful any time of the year, but especially now in springtime.

06There is hardly a house in Fauquier that does not have trees and shrubs to beautify its yard.

10The trees have grown so tall you cannot see our house on Google Earth any more.

12A neighbor farther up the hill is completed surrounded by shrubs and trees.

13After you have reached this large property on the left at the top of the loop, the road begins to level off.

14Now it is going downhill with a wonderful view of the Arrow Lake down in the valley.

15You walk alongside a murmuring brook, where the first shoots of wild mint are emerging from the water.

17Turning around under a flowering chestnut tree, you look back on the hillside road you’ve just come from.

18Turning into the opposite direction, you see the Fauquier Elementary School, where I have been teaching from 1976 to 2000. It is now closed and houses the Fauquier Communication Centre.

19You now cross Highway 6 and savor the fantastic view of the lake across the Fauquier golf course.

20Taking the pathway parallel to the highway, you complete the loop by going past the club house.

The Wonderful Plant Called Hops

/ Peter Klopp / 3 Comments

Growing Hops in our Garden

Hops Rhizomes Ready to be Planted

Hops Rhizomes Ready to be Planted

Stefan, our youngest son, has many great hobbies, traveling, photography, active hockey, playing board games, cooking and baking, designing websites, maintaining his own blog ‘This Timeless Moment’ at kloppmagic.ca, hanging out with friends, just to name a few. Three years ago he started making his own craft beer at his little home in Vancouver.

Tender Shoots Seeking a Foothold

Tender Shoots Seeking a Foothold at the Poles

When I heard about it for the first time, I had no idea that I would have any involvement in his latest passion. One day over the phone he announced that I would soon receive a parcel from a hops nursery in BC. It would contain hops rhizomes for me to plant in our garden. My attitude has always been this. When accepting a new task, do it right or don’t do it all. The idea of Stefan brewing beer with the hops I would be growing appealed to me, especially since I am a fan of good beer. In my mind I was already sampling his tasty, refreshing brew. So I accepted the challenge of growing a new plant in our garden. I won’t go into the details, as one can easily read up on the topic on-line.

Within less than four Weeks they are at the Top

Within less than four weeks they are at the top of the poles.

To find out which variety of hops plants would do best in our climate and soil, Stefan had ordered eight different kinds: Mt. Hood, Willamet, Fuggle, Chinook, Golding, Centennial, Cascades, and Sterling. The reader, who has knowledge of the Pacific Northwest, may recognize some of the names as bearing resemblance to geographical places in Oregon. That is no coincidence, as Oregon State boasts of having the most and best breweries in the States.

My Wife under the Roof of an Abundant Crop

My Wife under the Canopy of an Abundant Crop

The hops plant is quite modest in terms of maintenance and care. Also it grows in most types of soil, but needs a trellis system of poles and strings allowing it to grow 6 to 7 m high. It grows at an incredible speed. You can literally watch it grow some 30 cm in a single day. Later in the fall, you can marvel at the dense green canopy overhead with thousands of cones hanging from the side shoots of the hops plants.

Baskets and Baskets of Hops Cones

Baskets and Baskets of Hops Cones

Picking and plucking off the cones is time-consuming and quite tedious. They also need to be dried and then put in plastic bags, where they will stay fresh in the freezer. But the pleasure of drinking the finest beer that Stefan brews is well worth the effort.

Dreaming about the best Pale Ale turns this kind of work into pleasure.

Dreaming about the best Pale Ale in the World

A Young Boy’s Fatal Accident in 1949 and a Trophy in his Memory

/ Peter Klopp / Leave a comment

 

The Story of the Danny Devlin Memorial Cup

Adapted from newspaper clippings at the Arrow Lakes Historical Society

Daniel Edward Devlin, five-year old son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Devlin of Fauquier met a tragic death Tuesday afternoon while playing on some saw logs decked on the beach. A log rolled and crushed him and he was rushed to the Arrow Lakes Hospital but he died en route. From a newspaper clipping of Thursday, April 14, 1949

Danny

Funeral services for Daniel Edward Devlin were held on Good Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Community Hall, Rev. Hartley officiating. A large crowd of sorrowing friends and relatives were present to honor the memory of the sturdy, lively little fellow and the many floral tributes were token of their esteem.

Hymns sung were: “When He Cometh” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus”. Mrs. Morrison acted as accompanist.

Burial was in the new Fauquier cemetery. Daniel Edward is the first to be laid to rest there. Pall bearers were Peter and Frank Bilinski, Raymond McTaque and Bill Maitland.

Daniel Edward Devlin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Devlin, was born at New Westminster, April 27, 1943.

In a brief interview with his surviving brother Alan Devlin, I heard that Daniel liked the school (now the clubhouse at the Fauquier golf course)on the hillside, which was located not too far from the present Fauquier ferry landing. Even though he was not yet of school age, he often showed up at recess and lunch to play with the older kids. After his tragic death it was Mr. Wilkin, the principal and teacher of the Fauquier School, who came up with the idea of instituting a memorial cup for the school district.

Daniel was a very likable little chap and endeared himself to all those who came in contact with him. In donating the cup, Mr. Wilkin said in his letter, “We should like to have our little friend, still move in spirit among his friends and therefore we will promote a competition among the schools to foster the friendly play so characteristic of Daniel.”

The Danny Devlin Memorial Trophy

The Danny Devlin Memorial Trophy

From then on, at the end of each school year, a softball tournament was being held and the trophy named after the little boy, the Devlin Cup, was awarded to the winning school team of the district. For forty years Daniel’s memory was kept alive through this trophy. Then district school restructuring  and greater interest in soccer put an end to the softball tournament.

It is my hope that this post will make a small contribution in keeping Daniel’s memory alive.

Hiking in the Spring – Part II

/ Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Adventure into the Backcountry

The ‘Pin Creek Trail’ is actually a logging road. But logging trucks rarely use it at the present time. It is is quite a pleasant way to explore the back country of Applegrove south of Fauquier. To get there, you start at the Arrow Motel in Fauquier and travel 7.6 km south on the Applegrove Road. I recommend you park your vehicle at the fork and start your hike from there. There is a sign warning you about road safety and it advises to use extreme caution. Any car with a low clearance will have trouble crossing the water bars.

Start of Pin Creek Road with Warning Sign

Start of Pin Creek Road with Warning Sign

The hike will take quite a bit longer than going on the Taite Creek loop as described in Part I. The destination is a 70-year-old cabin that used to house the loggers of long ago (see earlier post on Like-minded People of Applegrove Road). During my teaching years at the Fauquier Elementary School I would take my intermediate students up there for a history lesson in logging and mining in our area. To keep them occupied with a meaningful task on their way up, I asked them to collect leaves, cones and bark pieces for later identification of larch, western hemlock, cedar, pine, fir, spruce and birch trees. The distance is about 2.5 km one way and is quite steep in some places. The closer you get to the cabin, the more the road will level off. Then Pin Creek, a tributary of Taite Creek, will soon announce its presence through its waters tumbling down in the ravine to the right.

Deer Posing for a Portrait

Deer Posing for a Portrait

At approximately 2 km up the mountain side, a smaller road branches off to the right and leads you directly to the creek. But don’t get sidetracked, continue on the main road and enjoy the break from the strenuous climb in the lush green of the dense forest all around you. Once you are at the cabin, it is time to have a snack and something to drink, before you do some exploring around the cabin.

IMG_5659

Beauty wherever you go on Pin Creek Road

 

My students went inside to satisfy their curiosity. In its state of utter dilapidation, much of the roof has succumbed to decades of rot and decay. But the walls are still standing. If you are lucky to find any of the bits and pieces of newspaper wedged in between the walls for insulation, you might get to read the latest news from 1946.

Cabin where Loggers once Slept away from Home

Cabin where Loggers once Slept away from Home

If you really want to enjoy your hike, plan on a minimum of altogether two hours of hiking to the cabin and back to your vehicle plus half an hour at the cabin. There are also a few places, where you can climb down to the creek and listen to the calming sound of rushing waters.

A Log across the Creek creating a tiny Water Fall

A Log across the Creek creating a tiny Water Fall

Some other time you may wish to add three expansions to the itinerary, for which you should plan at least half a day to fully enjoy it. Forestry people told me that the side road, which I mentioned earlier in this post, takes you over a bridge to a number of cut blocks at a much higher elevation. Once there you will enjoy fantastic views into the valley below and the mountains on the Edgewood side across the Arrow Lake. You could also continue on the Pin Creek road, which will take you to Heart Creek. It provides the drinking water for Fauquier below. There used to be a bridge. In the spring of 1985, the creek swollen by heavy rains and melt water completely destroyed the bridge.

Serene Atmosphere at Pin Creek

Serene Atmosphere at Pin Creek

But the most exciting experience requiring an adventurous spirit and quite a bit of courage on your part would be a visit to the nearby abandoned silver mine from about a hundred years ago. For this adventure you need to bring along a flashlight and a pair of gum boots. At the cabin across the road on the left you will find a partially overgrown trail that is quite steep. Make sure to stay on the trail until you come to a path to the left that leads you to the entrance of the mine shaft. You would be well advised to have someone come with you. How the early miners managed to dig a hole so deep into a mountain with only the simplest of tools is quite amazing.

View from the Look-out onto the Arrow Lake

View from the Look-out onto the Arrow Lake

When you drive home, don’t forget to stop at one of the look-outs about half a km from where you parked your vehicle. There on the left you will get a fantastic view of the Arrow Lake. Ah, before I forget, take your camera with you to capture all these memorable moments.

 

 

 

Four Seasons Journey Through Our Yard – Part II

/ Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Two Weeks Later – What a Difference!

FrontNot too much change is noticeable here except for the greening of the little bush on the left. The tulips in front of the house are gradually replacing the daffodils.

Side ViewOn the wild hazelnut and maple trees the tender light-green foliage – two weeks ago barely visible – is becoming dense and is preparing to provide shade for the summer.

shedThe cherry tree behind the shed is beginning to show off its white flowery dress, while the plowed garden plot in the background is still waiting to be planted. Frost is still a menace at the beginning of May.

orchardIn our mini orchard the filbert bush is no longer bare, while the apple and pear trees seem to say, ‘Just wait ten more days and we will put our splendid aromatic blossoms on display.’

StudioOnly sharp eyes will detect the rich colors of the tulips. But the plum tree, which produces the biggest, roundest, and juiciest fruits in the fall, clearly marks  the difference  of two weeks with its blossoms.