Even though Trout Lake had a short summer, it was hardly uneventful. While vacationers, beachgoers and backcountry riders indulged in their annual fix, here’s what else went on in our neighbourhood.
The annual general Trout Lake Community Club meeting was held on the July long weekend and was well attended by 58 members. The annual membership is now at a record number of 120 which indicates strong support for the Club.
The 2011-2012 directors’ election results are: John Wall, President; Carrol Christiansen, Vice President: Pat Gaviller, Secretary and Paula Burns, Treasurer. Other directors joining the executive for the term are Peter Kearns, Mike Rankin, Lothar Thiem and Keith Thomas. Congratulations to you all!
In July, the Trout Lake Community Club hosted a volunteer appreciation social to recognize those who donated time and effort on community projects and events. Over 60 volunteers were in attendance to mingle and enjoy appetizers, a slide show and a great selection of door prizes.
We were pleased have Pascal Janin prepare another of his sensational cakes which, as usual, was a highlight of the evening. With Nancy Savage and Fred Steiner in attendance, they, along with Francois and Irene Linden and Bubs Kelly (posthumously), were recognized as honorary members for their contributions to the Trout Lake Community Club. Special thanks to Columbia Basin Trust, who generously funded a substantial portion of the event and to all the vendors who donated door prize merchandise. I send along my appreciation to the organizing committee who helped pull the event together: Paula Burns, Barb Little, Gerry Johnstone, Tammy Heck and Janice Spencer.
The annual Trout Lake Community Club garage and bake sale, held over the August long weekend, was a tremendous success bringing in over $1,300 for community projects. As coordinator, I wish to thank the numerous volunteers who donated their time on set-up, working the sale and cleanup for the event.
The annual arts and crafts sale, hosted by Jeanette Gordon, drew a steady crowd. Along with Jeanette’s paintings, Barb Little’s hand-painted glassware and Vanessa Freberg’s handmade feather headpieces and beautiful postcards attracted much attention.
A captive audience enjoyed an August evening with recording artist Dominique Fraissard. Accompanied by Johannes Kroller on violin and mandolin, Dominique’s acoustic sound embraced genres of folk, roots and rock which had the crowd tapping out the rhythm throughout the two hour performance.
The long awaited Trout Lake Cemetery plaque arrived in time for a dedication ceremony held on the September long weekend. Nearly 30 people gathered at the monument to see the unveiling of the commemorative plaque honouring pioneers who are buried at the cemetery. Trout Lake Community Club President, John Wall, thanked Loni Parker for the CSRD’s generous funding for the project. He also recognized Milt and Rosemarie Parent from the Arrow Lakes Historical Society and Lawrna Myers from the Vernon Family History Society, along with many other organizations who offered their unwavering support during our project research. Also noted were HMC Services Inc., John Bos of A&M Signs, who guided us with the plaque design, as well as Rolling Stoneworks and BHEX from Nakusp for their skilled site preparation and rock work.
As chairperson for the project, Carrol Christiansen extended her thanks to everyone who helped out. A dedicated group of volunteers made the effort to work on the cemetery cleanup and get the plaque designed.
Kootenay West MLA, Katrine Conroy, visited Trout Lake in September for a ‘meet and greet’ gathering.
The Trout Lake, B.C. Internet Society was officially established on September 2, 2011. The Directors are John Wall, Bob Little, Pat Gaviller, Paula Burns and Peter Kearns. They preparing the sites and working many hours behind the scenes to get high speed Internet up and running.
The Society is anticipating that Halcyon Hot Springs, Galena Bay, Beaton and Trout Lake will be online before the snow flies. All the sites have been prepared except for the radios, which are expected to arrive the last week of September.
And with that, it’s now time to fold up the lawn chairs and trim up the gardens to make way for fine-tuning the snow removal equipment and keeping those home fires burning!