Dear Canimites
Spring, beautiful spring! We spiked 20 C on the north side of Canim last week.
Bob Campbell says the summer neighbours are arriving back at Hawkins Lake, with everyone outside “sucking up the sun” over the Easter weekend.
Birds are returning too, both Bob and Wayne Traill noted the first insect-hunting warblers and kinglets, and in the open water at the creek mouth - wood ducks, hooded mergansers, ringed-neck ducks and goldeneyes, accompanied by swans. Here at Canim, sandhill cranes now stalk the Cabbage Patch lowlands.
Festival of the Arts
Hisako Arai and Judy Lauzon are working hard with four students of the Forest Grove School in preparation for competition at the 100 Mile Festival of the Arts, which will run for two weeks starting April 16.
Two of them are Miah Scarpino, 9, and her sister, Harmonie, 7, of Hawkins Lake, who are daughters of proud dad Terry Scarpino. Harmonie will recite in two categories - humorous poetry and poetry of a Canadian author. Her older sister will perform in those categories, as well in lyric poetry and sight reading.
Hisako will be competing in poetry recital and song. Her great love for language is evident in her song selections – Au Bord de l’Eau (French), St. Matthew Passion by JS Bach (German), and Aria for Don Giovanni by Mozart (Italian).
Hockey star
Lucille Paul, 15 year-old daughter of Audrey Daniels and Justin Paul of the Canim Lake Band, has been selected for high-level competition over the next two months.
She is off to Calgary, Alberta with the Northern BC Selects team for a tournament April 27-29. Then it’s to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan to play on Team BC in the National Aboriginal Championships, May 7-12. After that, she’s back with the Selects in the Challenge Cup series in Vancouver, May 18-20.
Between now and the Vancouver event, she has a daily workout regime and food menu required of all players for the Selects. It’s serious hockey indeed, but Lucille takes it in stride, simply saying she is “happy and excited.”
Lucille has been in hockey since age five. Mom, Audrey, says she is a strong and solid player with good stick-handling skills after years of playing against boys, often well beyond her age.
“She can hold her ground with them. We’ve always taught her to believe in herself.”
AGM scheduled
The Forest Grove & District Rod & Gun Club will hold its annual general meeting at the Canim Lake Resort on April 22, starting at 3 p.m.
A new executive will be elected and a program set out for the year. Martina Dopf welcomes all who are interested to attend. “It will be a great time to meet people and ask questions.”
People news
• Stan and Linda Gidora watched a “life-and-death” drama unfold opposite their home on Hawkins Lake during the Easter weekend.
A young otter was caught on the open ice by a pair of watchful eagles, themselves tailed by a pair of ravens. The four birds scrambled to dive on the small creature while it dashed for its hole, ducking each time a bird swooped by.
Linda says he made it, encouraged no doubt by their cheering.
• Carol MacKenzie is looking forward to another summer as contractor at the Mahood Lake Park campground this year.
• Martina and Michael Dopf have birthed 23 lambs this season, with one yet to come. Apparently the couple had a fair bit of “helping” to do.
“There were some short nights,” Martina said with a laugh, “but it’s all going good now.”
That’s all for now. Until next time, here’s wishing you many blessings.