Out of left field: Cole reminds us all how lucky we are
By Kyra Hoggan
I have always been an advocate of progress.
I suspect this is largely due to my upbringing – raised in small-town Alberta, I was baffled by people who decried the loss of small communities and the lifestyle they entail. The town I was raised in was hugely Conservative …while I lean so far to the left, it’s a wonder I don’t fall down more. My town was a farming community, where it was an honour to have manure on your boots, and reading was something you did out of necessity … manuals, and the like … and only as a last option. I thought cow poop was disgusting and always had my nose in a book – by choice. Talk about not fitting in. I felt dislocated and unaccepted …and rightly so … until I moved to the big city as a young teenager. Yes, big city life offered more crime and pollution and more opportunities to destroy one’s life with avarice and disollution and poor choices … but it also offered a cornucopia of options and characters and cultures and new ways of looking at the world, that there was a place for everybody. Even me, amazing as that seemed at the time. I loved it, I really did. I swore I’d never again live in a small town. I mean I really, really SWORE that would never again be my reality. It was more than 15 years later that I ever again, by choice, set foot in another small town… ironically, the one I had left in total disillusionment more than a decade prior. I went there, not because I wanted to, but rather because that was the only journalism job I could find …and I took the very first opportunity that arose (at the Calgary Sun) to return to the comfortable, if indifferent, bosom of big city life. More than a decade later, it was once again circumstances, rather than willingness, that forced me back into a small-town paradigm, and I moved to Grand Forks (which I’ll admit, remains a tad too small of a small town for me). From there, I came to Castlegar. And I now find myself in a truly bizarre quandry. The jobs that will pay me appropriately commensurate with my education and experience are all in the larger centres like Victoria or Vancouver …but I’m loathe to leave the small town that has become as much a part of my family as has any individual bar my son… I don’t want to leave. It never occurred to me, in my younger years, that small towns could boast a range of character as broad and diverse as the people within them. I know different now. Castlegar is home, as are the people who live here …at least, for me. If ever I needed proof of this, the situation with 11-year-old Cole Hoodicoof is evidence in the extreme. A young man struggling with life’s harsher realities, Cole is, after an horrific skiing accident, potentially looking at life-long paralysis. But he’s not doing it alone. Almost 120 local retailers have come forward with silent auction items – up to and including a trip for two to Las Vegas – to raise funds for Cole’s family. And this is for only one of the many fundraisers scheduled to help him face this new phase of his life with all the resources he could ask for. Castlegar is, indeed, a community that cares … a community that I understand and in which I fervently hope I deserve a place – and I want you all to see the list. I want you to see, first hand, the groups of people that were able to turn even a jaded mind like mine into caring about – and wanting to be a part of – this small community. So, with no further adieu and with the grateful appreciation of a family in crisis: 1. Ken Kalesnikoff from Kalesnikoff Lumber- Lumber
2. Deb McIntosh- Castlegar Museum- Bowl
3. Kootenay Petopia in Castlegar- 70-gallon fish tank
4. Ernie’s Towing in Castlegar- 1 year free BCAA membership, $100 gift certificate for parts
5. Arnold Contracting – $100 worth of snow removal
6. Weezie’s Borscht Hub- A gift certificate
7. H&R Block in Castlegar- 2 free tax returns
8. Yvonne Aquin at Valkyr Aquatics in Blueberry- Spa Package
9. Movie Company in Castlegar- Movie
10. Denise Miner- Jewlery
11. KSCU- Picnic Basket
12. Vicki and Alfred Pether- 2 Truck loads of manure delivered in spring
13. Dragonflies and Fairydust- Picture
14. Diane at The Beach Shack- 50 Tanning Minutes
15. Frank and Staff at Rona- Armoral Vaccume
16. Bonnie Olson at 2 Grey’t Grams in Castlegar- Doggie Pack
17. May and staff at Hairlines in Castlegar- 3 free haircuts
18. Colin Miller @ Wolf’s Den tattoo in Castlegar- 1 Hour of Tattoo
19. Kris Koop @ Total Pet’s in Castlegar- 2 fish tanks, with 2 $15 gift certificates for fish
20. Andrea’s Audiotronic- Digital Picture Frame
21. Shoppers Drug mart- Radio
22. Boston pizza- Budweiser sweaters, Molson canadian cups, and gift certificates
23. Steve Verigin – Massage
24. Mark’s Work Warehouse – Men’s vest
25. Linda sorge @ the 99 cent and more store- candle holder
26. Dan Ashman at AM Ford- a Detail and 2 oil changes
27. JJ’s Fashion- Purse and a bag
28. Kootenay Center Cinemas- (3) 2ppl passes to the movies
29. Steve and Marla at 4th street Video – package with movies popcorn and candy
30. Jim and Amy at Hi-Lite Restaurant- Dinner for 2
31. 1 week blue tree resort orlando – Donated by Benson and Marla Gauchier
32. Castle Bowl- Roland and Velda Handley- 1 Hour of cosmic bowling party for 6ppl including shoe rental
33. Clay and Shannon from mystic needle tattoo- 1 Hour of tattoo
34. Sam and Linda Clark from SMR Services- Sewing Machine Service
35. Jean’s Material Things- Package
36. Fabricland in castlegar, Dan and Penny Zoobkoff- $300 amazing amazing Bedding Package
37. Simone Jewlery- Brenda Mark and Lucy- Gift Certificate
38. Aaron Seminoff form Mainjet in Nelson- Clothing and DVD
39. Gary at Playmor Power- 2 t-shirts
40. Dominic from Maglios in Nelson- item
41. Red mountain Ski Hill- Items
42. Whitewater Ski hill- 2 Passes and a t-Shirt
43. Dan Davidoff Crazy canadian gave a crazy amount of DVD’s
44. Dan and Staff at Kal Tire castlegar- oil change
45. Kyra from the castlegar source- 2 months of free advertising
46. lee sterne- Hockey stick, Picture frame, Vest
47. 2 castlegar rebel tickets and a T shirt
48. Home Hardware in Castlegar- Tools, Dog food
49. Randy robertson @ the bargain Shop in Castlegar- Sony Dream machine
50. Carol @ the thirsty Duck- Gift Certificate
51. J&P Contracting- 1 Gravel truck load of Gravel delivered
52. Val @ Super 8 in castlegar- Huge Pool Party worth $170.00
53. Karen Soukeroff @ Aeon Studio’s- Joico Shamoo package and hairspray
54. Randy @ Sandman Hotel gave 2 night
55. Canadian Tire in Castlegar – Digital Camera
56. Carol Hoodicoff – Quilt
57. Tanya Boman – Rock
58. Colleen and Staff @ The Brick- Beautiful Vase and flowers
59. Louise and Staff @ Weezie’s Borscht Hut – Gift certificate
60. Yanive – Super Cat at Studio’s – (3) 1 month guitar lessons
61. Pat White – The gift Box – Granite pestal
62. Ken Johnson – Trellace
63. Diane Wong – Cafe Michaels – Gift Certificate
64. Ada at Chopsticks- Gift certificate
65. Black Rooster – Gift certificate
66. Starbucks – Gift Certificate
67. Roland and Velda Handley – castlebowl 1 Hour Cosmic bowling Party for 6
68. Sean – from Pharmasave in Castlegar – 2 gift bags
69. Joy and Ken from the Pawn Shop in castlegar- Jewlery
70. Tea ah from Black Russian – Skateboard Platform
71. A&W in Castlegar – 4 Root Beers and 10 piece family Meal
72. Panago in castlegar- 5 Pizzas
73. Village ski hut
74. Sacred ride
75. Tribute
76. Ripping Giraff
77. Boom Town
78. Lang’s
79. Shoes for the Souls
80. Apple Auto Glass
81. Western Auto Wreckers
82. Lonnie’s
83. Downtown Automotive
84. Home hardware in Nelson
85. Nelson Auto Repair
86. Shear talent
87. Nelson Ford
88. Kalawsky’s – Detail Bucket $65
89. Cotton Wood Autobody
90. Glacier Honda
91. Chatters Salon
92. OK Tire in nelson
93. Civic Auto repair
94. Amanda’s Restaurant
95. Street clothes
96. Mountain baby
97. Taylor Wilton
98. Gerick’s
99. Brian @ Taylor Wilton
100. Trina and staff @ Coca Cola
101. Las Vegas Getaway – Airfare out of Spokane/ 3 nights at Planet Hollywood Westgate Towers
102. Vogue Studio’s in castlegar -$200 indoor or outdoor portriat sitting
103. Elaine Kalesnikoff -@ KIW – Hardwood Flooring
104. Adam Arnold @ FBI- $100 gift Certificate
105. Peter and Marge perepolkin – Biznet in castlegar 106. Jeanette and staff @ Joey’s Only 107. Treena and Staff @ Cola Cola 108. Laurie and Staff @ sears – Item 109. Cora Lee @ Hair of the Dog- Dog Food, and Gift Basket 110. Carla Pierce @ Creative Edge Gallery 111. Helena Margareta- Knit Ware 112. Community Complex Nelson donated- 10 Punch Family Pass worth $120 113. 10 Nelson Leaf’s regular season Tickets $45 114. Keith Shelefontiuk – Water Color painting of Train – Value $500 115. Trellace From Ken Johnson 116. Kevin Robertson from independent Bar Services – Coca Cola picin Basket 117. Betty and Staff at Columbia Power – Bag
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