Alfred was that shy guy that hailed from Blaine Lake and came to the Saskatoon Doukhobor Youth Choir (SDYC) Practice in 1959. It worked out that we caught the same bus from choir and Alfred felt comfortable with me. The conversation was not quite over when we got to his stop and flowed over as we stood in front of his grandfather’s place where he boarded. I then caught a bus to my stop off on Ewart Avenue.

So the friendship was cultured and eventually included Keith Tarasoff and Mitch Tarasoff. Alfred invited us to visit his parents on their farm in Blaine Lake. His parents were very hospitable and those visits were sure to add a few pounds as well as genuine love that they showered upon their son and his friends.

We sang many songs together on outings such as these. It was fitting that we sang a quartet as part of the program that the SDYC developed in our tours throughout Saskatchewan.
Alfred went into Education and taught throughout Saskatchewan but kept his home base in Saskatoon. He married Betty Shiskin, a SCDYC member. This seemed to be typical of many of the Choir members who enjoy married life till today.

Marilyn and I left Saskatchewan in 1963 to pursue my career in Engineering and Building Construction. Although the friendship continued, opportunities to enjoy each other’s company became challenging. When Marilyn and I came to Saskatchewan, we had to split the two weeks available with large families in the Eastern part of Saskatchewan with those in and around Langham. There was little time available for friends when two day return trips back to British Columbia needed to be factored in to the time.

The Kabatoffs did come and visit the Verigins in British Columbia once and there were group gatherings in Saskatchewan that were attended by the old gang from SDYC. There were occasions when we would go to dinner together.

Once Alfred and I did get together at his house after his unfortunate accident and retirement was his only alternative. That was quality time for the two hours we spent together. I asked Alfred about his continuing use of crutches et al and why not get another operation to fix it. Alfred was uncomfortable and had lost his trust in the medical fraternity. He just was not able to make another try.

In 2014 we called the Kabatoffs for a possible dinner date but they were busy and so our last opportunity was lost as Alfred passed away shortly thereafter.

This note is to fondly remember a friend.

Elmer’s writings dated January 06, 2015

In Memory of Bill Zarikoff (deceased November 10, 2014)

I first met Bill as a young man when he took interest in the discussions that were taking place in the late ’60s about the Doukhobors and where Youth was in the future of Doukhobors.

This resulted in the formation of a Castlegar branch of the Doukhobor Youth Discussion Group. The intent of this assembly was to explore all avenues in how the “splintered” groups of Doukhobors could work together on common areas of agreement. This group of some twenty-five members eventually registered under the British Columbia Societies Act as the DCA (Doukhobor Cultural Association) when it became obvious that “Youth” was an aging process and would not be appropriate as a name.

It was the organizing fundamentals of the DCA to have all its members become knowledgeable in parliamentary procedures and using known techniques to become capable of chairing meetings and working constructively in committees so that any objective could be developed with a strong support of the group.
Bill served in all capacities, as Chair, Treasurer and Director during the continuing existence of the DCA of over forty-five years as a functioning group.

During this time the DCA was involved in sponsoring seniors projects under the Doukhobor Benevolent Society with projects constructed in:

• Grand Forks
• Delta
• Castlegar

Bill became very much part of the founding, construction and management of the Rosewood Manor, the twenty unit seniors project on second street in Castlegar, B.C.
Bill can be congratulated for being the organizing Management Committee which was responsible for incorporating the budgets and operating procedures with B.C. Housing that essentially became the successful management for twenty-five years. During this time, the following can be attributed to Bill’s careful administration:

1. Balanced budgets
2. Maintenance program
3. Equipment replacement
4. Housing applications for applicable Tenants
5. Retirement of mortgages
6. Transfer of property back to BC Housing once mortgages were retired

Bill also supported the Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999 in its establishment of a Retreat at Whatshan Lake on 208 acres of property. Bill participated in the following:

• Signing Betty and his name along with thirteen other for DCA Members for a loan that was able to fund a $125,000 bid on the estate property initially in 1981
• Careful DCA management to conduct selective logging to retire the debt
• Bill also served as Treasurer once the Whatshan Lake Retreat became a project under construction and for a short time as an operating entity
Bill also participated with the DCA in the following successful efforts:

1. Participating in a yearly Doukhobor Sports Day that was a Fund-raiser
2. Conducting a selective logging operation on the DCA lands at Whatshan that raised over $100,000
3. Distributing funds to many worthy recipients including
a. Student Scholarships
i. Selkirk College
ii. Stanley Humphries High School
b. Third World child support
c. Hospice
d. Canadian Red Cross
4. Whatshan various needs
5. $50,000 feasibility study that was a precursor to launching the Grandview Housing Project
6. Castlegar Health projects
a. Hospital Foundation
b. Talarico

Bill eventually settled with Betty at Grandview by purchasing a duplex unit. He resided in this unit until his passing.

There was a lighter side to Bill as a model in various fashions shows Betty would enter him at the DCA social events. He enjoyed good jokes!

Bill was always a good neighbor and a friend!

He was honest, very dependable and trustworthy

Elmer’s writings dated January 02, 2015

This year was a combination of health challenges for Marilyn and good news stories in the results:
1. Breast Cancer – clean bill of health follow ups
2. Min-stroke – no noticeable changes in health as a result
3. virus Infection in the Eye – successful treatment
4. Peripheral vision issues – no change

Elmer and Marilyn continue to respond well to the Pure North Health Maintenance recommendations and are feeling very good for our age. So now our health is now off the agenda for this year’s story

We now have twelve families and two Teenagers that make up our growing tribe. All are actively pursuing their goals in life successfully and enjoying good health. We could not possibly be more thankful for all these very important gifts that have been afforded us.

Some notable events n our family:
• Another college grad
• The first Masters pending grad
• Another thinking of starting a Masters Program
• Two more entries into College
• A two year old Great Grandson that can almost drive
• Rumors are that another may be on the way
• Career promotions abound
• Everyone has jobs
• A wedding in 2015 with others potentially to follow
• Another High School grad
• Our last entry into High School
• A Great Grandfather who continues to pursue his enjoyable career
• Another very happy house owner

Our real lives are still filled with experiences that seem to add humor and spice that never seem to stop to make us “scratch our heads”:
• We now will park our car in Pelly when we visit sister Mary in Benito (ask Mary why)
• The “musical” locks on our car doors that make it very exciting as we never know which door will not open under any circumstances
• The car heater switch that can only be turned off when the driver’s door is opened
• Our hearing aids and glasses that keep moving from where we left them but are eventually found in mysterious places around the house
• The dastardly TV controller that keeps hiding on us
• “Mice” that keeping eating chocolate bars, candies and other goodies that Marilyn hides but somehow disappear
• Credit cards, passports and other vital information that are “stolen” for weeks at a time but “someone” puts them back just when the RCMP were being contacted
• A neighbor continually leaving our garage lights on
• No matter how many garage sales Marilyn has, the accumulation of “prized possessions” continue to multiply
• The designed empty crawl space has been inundated with cardboard boxes so that maintenance crews are unable to service our furnace

We are very thankful for our family and friends. We are always ready to have another visit. Do drop by!

Marilyn finally has her kitchen table and chairs. Do come and break bread with us!

Elmer and Marilyn

Sometimes we are concerned when young people say they will go to the “End of the Earth” to get to know the World and experience life. So six weeks ago they set off for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

This is likely better than two years of University credits!

Here is what they have to say about their trip so far. (I was not able to transfer the pictures which are referred to in their Facebook entry). This was forwarded to Gramps and Granny by his mother Nona,

From: Garrett Kucher [mailto:kucher16@me.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2014 10:29 PM
To: Kucher Nona TRAIL
Subject: my experience

Hi family,
I’m almost 6 weeks into the trip and Santana and I are having the trip of a lifetime. I just wanted to say hi to everyone because I miss you guys so much and Christmas is coming, unfortunately I will be on the islands of Thailand and anyone is more then welcome to join us! 🙂 Anyways, I feel I should share some of the experiences and things I’ve learned along the way with whoever would like to read. ( sorry about the grammar and run on sentences Kayla and Allie) I’m in a small cafe on the side of the street in Battanbang Cambodia stealing the wifi so I’m writing this as quick as I can. I’m not sure where to start but I will tell you some things and my thoughts about them.

Eating in Vietnam- if you want to know exactly what your eating, only eat vegetable pho. It is the best thing in the world, but once you get something else I’m not even kidding it’s a flip of the coin wether it’s dog or cat( I’ve never had chicken that looked or tasted like this so this is my guess). The butchers on the side of the road just lay all the meet on a table in 35 degree weather all day, you can buy anything you want, cat, dog, turtle, snake, eye, buffalo nose, chicken feet

Dining- when you use something or it’s garbage everyone just throws it on the ground, napkins in restaurants get thrown on the ground, trash is literally everywhere.
Transportation- everyone rides scooters, in Hanoi there is 6 million people and 5 million bikes, I’ll show you the video of trying to cross the street when I get home if anyone would like to see!, they carry everything on bikes, up to 5 people, kids ride on them and everything, babies just get held in between the parents, and kids under the age of 6 don’t wear helmets because it could “hurt their neck”.

anyways that’s just a brief touch of Vietnam it’s tough to really explain how everything is but it’s honestly like being on a different planet, I’ve never experienced anything even close to this before that’s why I’m sharing this crazy eye opening trip. I’ll touch up on Cambodia after we finish the temples and get into Thailand.

I’ve never seen or imagined that anyone can be this poor, from living In wood huts and eating rice and fish they catch, and just going to the washroom where ever they are close too it’s all so crazy, the kids are all just naked in Cambodia playing in the mud and dirt. Here is a house that a mother and 3 babies live in

Seeing all this stuff has really changed my outlook on life and how fortunate I am to even just have a house and family to go home too, the kids play with a beat up old soccer ball for all hours of the day because that’s literally all they have, they all sleep in hammocks outside their huts. Santana and I have chose to rough it like I mean really rough it to get the experience of having nothing, we have stayed in 1$-6$ hostels and a couple decent rooms along the way, but I’m telling you it’s not very fun having the runs for three weeks and this is your toilet

or waking up and having to go shower using this

it honestly blows my mind to see all this people that have nothing at all and still when you walk by them or come to give them something they have the biggest smile on their face, for example we were on a bus from Kampot to Phnom Phen the other day and we had a tray of cookies so I leaned forward and gave two cookies to two middle aged Cambodian men and they didn’t stop saying thank you and staring at me, it was like they have never had a cookie before. Don’t get me wrong their is a lot of nice places and people with lots of money over this way but it’s very scarce, majority of the country is dirt poor. I’m not even half way through this trip and I can say that is has changed my outlook on life in many many different ways, I’m so thankful to have all of you and we are so lucky to have a family like this, oh ya and gramps, I don’t know what you would do if you saw what a construction site looked like over here haha, anyways if anyone wants to FaceTime or catch up at anytime just Facebook me and hopefully we can find a time, I think I’m 15 hours ahead over here, love you all very much and I hope everyone is doing awesome have a great holiday season.

One last thing, Nigel I’m so proud of you brother, I heard you had a great opportunity tonight and you just killed it!!! Good for you cousin! Keep rockin it!

Love everyone very much hope to talk to all very soon

Love Gus

PETER VERIGIN TRIBUTE
(Deceased August30, 2014)

Peter Verigin comes from a special fraternity nicknamed: “The Fabulous Fourteen”. With great pride, I too, have membership in the group of first cousins born to brothers Bill, John, Sam and sisters Polly and Anne, all children of Vasyl and Auxuta Verigin.

Interestingly enough, the original family started out living communally on the original homestead, five miles North of Veregin. Peter played with his cousins Mildred, Mike, Lawrence, Russel until the decision was reached that Bill, John and Sam would leave the homestead to George, Alex and Anne and raise their families on their own.

That original kinship continued over the years with the fourteen cousins so that everyone considered themselves as brothers and sisters rather than cousins. We have now lost five (5) of this group.

So some stories that I recall about Peter include:
1. Tolstoi School was the educational hub of many of these cousins with an unbeatable school softball team. Some of these alumini are present here and can attest to how formidable this team was at all the school track meets including the Regional Meet at Kamsack. Peter was the Catcher and Sam the Pitcher they became able to predict what each were going to do. With the support of teacher MacLaughlin, they perfected skills that were unusual in a rural community
2. Peter and cousin Sam carried on their compatibility to cooking and realized that butter must be used in a pan when frying potatoes after inundating the kitchen with smoke
And so years went by and families grew along with the maturing of friendships beyond the blood relationship. I would classify my personal kinship with Peter was to total love which extended to my wife Marilyn and then to all my children who became attached to all Peter and Evelyn’s offspring. This continues to this day.

Peter also had total confidence in his sons that was demonstrated a few years ago when I had asked Jason Morozoff if I could meditate in his White Sand River Retreat. Jason was not so sure about his uncle’s ability to challenge the Beavers, Bear, Ticks and Mosquitoes and had taken the precaution to ask David and Tim to keep an eye on me.

I was leaving one day and decided to clean up. Cleaning up meant emptying the spent ashes from the stove and barb-b-q. Being an Environmentalist of sorts I decided that dumping in the river was not as good an idea as spreading them in the ravine across the road as fire remains assist plant growth. This followed by a trip into Veregin to the Drop-in Centre to join Peter and his friends and learn all about Philosophy and the History of Veregin.

On my way back I saw smoke and realized that there may have been embers that were encouraged by the wind to burn the dead grass that was below the spring grass. I called Peter for help and got Tim. David followed sometime later by Peter on his van. Peter never even got out of the van after seeing that his sons were in control of the situation and just proceeded to return home.

Now that was confidence!

That was definitely confirmed when David causally remarked after the fire was out and we were dousing the flames inside us with a beer “so what will you do for excitement this afternoon?”

Yes there will always be pleasant memories that will be recalled.

Cousin Elmer

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION TO THE WRITER’S STRUGGLE WITH STRESS AND DEPRESSION

It may not be a surprise to the Reader, that I am a normal human being that is just as challenged with Stress and Depression as many others that may even include you.

So I have been searching for positive solutions to me dilemma and I noticed this book advertised by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, entitled “STRESS-FREE Living”.
Marilyn and I had been to the Mayo Clinic several years back and so we were on the Mayo Clinic email list that kept us abreast of what was available and updates on various treatments for the many maladies that can affect us humans.

We ordered the book and after reading it, I am recommending the reading to Marilyn and whoever else may struggle with this type of problem in their life.

I will make some quotations which I am doing for my personal use as quick reference to get me on track again. If you find it useful, feel free to contact the Mayo Clinic directly or request more information from me. I really feel much greatly enlightened after a three week journey with Dr Amit Sood, MD., MSc. and his bevy of professionals that assisted him in preparation of this book.
All quotations will be in italics:

Preface xiii “……..Stress is the struggle with what is. A mind that doesn’t have what it wants or doesn’t want what it has experiences stress. Saddled with hundreds of
“open files” in the mind, we spend half our day physically here but mentally elsewhere. We get so caught up weeding the yard that we completely miss the tulips that nature gives us for precious weeks. We postpone joy………….”

Page 63 “…….A 7-Point Program for Increasing Energy
1. Eat healthy, nourishing food
2. Sleep seven to eight hours a day
3. Keep company with good people
4. Avoid news overdose
5. Follow an exercise routine
6. Do something meaningful each day
7. Think good thoughts for others
Each of these steps, individually and together, will increase your energy…….”

Page 70 “…….Every day, serve yourself some fresh air, brewed moments ago by the trees that surround you……”

Page 81 “…..When you see someone, before any thought or judgement wells up, remember that there’s a 50 percent chance that the person is in the default mode at that moment, likely tackling some person struggle. With this understanding, as a first reflex, align your heart and eye, and send a silent intention: I wish you well. Remember CALF:
• Compassion is the understanding that everyone is fighting some battle
• Acceptance delays negative judgement, giving others room to breathe and permission to be different
• Love helps you picture others in the circle of people who love them; you can place yourself ion that circle to the extent you feel comfortable
• Forgiveness guides you to move beyond the minor inconvenience others may have caused you
Kind attention is a two-way flow of energy…………”

page 83 “…..Kindness gifted is Kindness received….”

Page 84 “….Kindness is infectious….”

Page 101 “……Gratitude is an outer expression of inner humility….”

Page 117 “…..Use gratitude to harness your hurts
Think about a painful event in your life. Then ask yourself these questions:
• Did this experience help me grow?
• Did it prevent something worse?
• Can I be grateful that the pain came to me and not my kids?
• Am I a better or kinder person because of experiencing adversity?
• Can I be grateful that I had the resources to deal with it?
• Am I connected to some people because of this?
We often confuse good and pleasant. Not , not everything pleasant is good. Likewise not everything unpleasant is bad. Find meaning in the unpleasant and be grateful for that meaning. You can learn important lessons from the hurts you experience………”

Page 131 “…….Anger treated with anger is a moment to forget; anger treated with compassion is a moment of progress……..”

Page 141 “……When you perceive a threat, ask yourself if your fear stems from inner security or outer reality. Is this fear a holdover from childhold? One way to decrease threat perceptions is to use your kind attention training. Silently wish others well or offer a two-second prayer for them. With time, kind attention will change the tint of the lenses through which you view the world…..”

Page 157 “…..Part of your unhappiness comes from living in an imperfect world. But the greater part comes from the desire to control and change others and the frustration at your inability to do so. The more you try to change people, the greater your assault on their egos and the more stubborn they’ll become. The one person who (might) listen to you and be willing to change is you. Trying to change others is an insurmountable task, like trying to paint a moving cloud; the paint won’t stick.
The key to changing people is with them, not you. Only they can change, once they are willing. They will be more willing if they feel good about themselves. They’ll also listen if they perceive your unconditional warmth. How can you enhance self-esteem and some your warmth? Accept them as they are…….”

Page 211 “……All these statements describing forgiveness are true:
• Forgiveness is your gift to others
• Forgiveness is your choice
• The forgiven are often undeserving of your kindness
• In forgiving, you don’t intend to forget the wrong
• In forgiving, you don’t intend to deny the wrong
• In forgiving, you don’t justify the wrong
• Your forgiveness doesn’t allow people to get away with or repeat the misconduct
• You can stop the process of forgiveness if you become uncomfortable with it……..”

Page 217 “…….Don’t let a moment of anger destroy a lifetime of love…..”

page 247 “…..Waiting for others to send you positive energy will put you at the end of a very long line……….”

Page 251 “……Let go the satisfaction of being proved right if being right risks losing a loving relationship….”

Page 263 “……Research also shows the benefit of relaxation programs—–particularly meditation—-for improving symptoms of many health conditions including:
• Anxiety
• Asthma
• Chronic pain
• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Heart Disease
• Insomnia
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Psoriasis
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Tension headaches
Meditation has also shown to improve memory and concentration, adherence to exercise programs, weight loss, risk of falls, and musical performances. Some astronauts, golfers, swimmers and athletes practice meditation and other relaxation programs have now become part of ordinary life……”

Page 282 “…….Your mind can be your prison or your wings. When you spend your days quenching its satiable thirst in its wandering default mode, your mind becomes your prison. The alternative is to suffuse your mind to the highest principles so it contemplates the divine. The mind then becomes your wings and takes you higher than you could have thought………..”

I want to thank Dr Amit Sood and all those who assisted him in the preparation of this book. You have provided me with the tools to live the rest of my live in a much better way as I will exercise using these tools to advance my perspective on all that is around me in a much better light.

Elmer Verigin
Written October 27, 2014

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE WITH KEN HOOD
(Deceased September 30, 2014)
We take for granted that the Sun is a constant. We accept that it will rise in the morning and set in the evening at times that vary with the seasons. We always look forward to a beautiful day but accept that we may have clouds, storms, warmth and cold that ‘s not cyclic but follows influences that we have yet to thoroughly understand.
So it is when a new soul comes to Earth. We welcome that soul and our expectations are that it will be harbored within a body that will enjoy good health, character and live in peace with itself, firstly, and secondly with all living beings that encountered during its life here on Earth.
All that I have just said is what we accept as common place.
Like the seasons and their effect on how the day will be, it is so with people. That is why it is so interesting to be alive so that we can experience the differences in each other. Nobody is exactly the same as the other.
Marilyn and I noticed that difference in Ken and Elaine when they first came to build their bungalow at Grandview. There was this genuine aura that we soon became accustomed to and enjoy for all the time they lived across the street as our neighbors.
I had the good fortune to act as a Project Manager for Grandview and reported to Ken as President representing the Board of Directors.
I soon learned that Ken believed in the supreme dignity of mankind. Like the Sun which is always above the clouds, Ken knew that within every person there is goodness no matter how much it was disguised by negativity. No matter how much stress was imparted by a member directed at the organization or the directorship, Ken never reacted in a negative fashion but patiently dealt to dissipate the situation into the best possible solution.
Ken reminded me of my years in the Rotary Club where the universal ideals and mottoes go something like this:
• “We come to this world and rent a space. Let us check periodically if our rent is paid”
• “Service above self”
• “One profits most who serves best”
• “The 4 Way Test:
o Is it the Truth?
o Is it fair to all concerned?
o Will it build Goodwill and better Fellowships?
o Will it be beneficial to all concerned?”
The above reasons are why I was a Rotarian for over continuous 35 years.
When I think of Ken Hood, I see all of those objectives that Rotary has was entirely the way he lived his life as a Christian. I say all this without any reservation, that if Ken had chosen, he would have made a model Rotarian.
Ken did not have to join Rotary because he already knew all that I had said and was an example in his community that will be a hard act to follow.
Ken knew he had a difficult challenge with Cancer and would soon start treatments. He was advised he must conserve his physical and mental strength to assist in recovery. After a brief discussion with him one day, he then excused himself as he had to go to Robson. Later in discussion, I asked him what he was doing n Robson and this was the exchange:
“there were some trenches at the church that needed backfilling that were left open far too long so I decided that I better do that now”
” were you not advised that is exactly what you must not do by your Doctor?”, I was surprised.
“Yes that is true”, he slowly responded “but I could not be settled knowing that that job was left undone”
There were times that some Coop members were very frustrated with the challenges that the Cooperative was facing and would speak out negatively. Ken would not hesitate to meet these people one on one and rationalize with them. He believed that everyone had a right to an opinion but needed to know the facts. This is the type of respect that Ken earned and never needed to command as President.
Ken never stopped his volunteering and at Grandview participated on the Strata Council, the Garden Club and attended most of the Committee Meetings as an ex-officio member.
At another time, my position as Project Manager was being challenged by a member because he was not satisfied with the way nature was reinstating itself over the right of way used by the Cooperative through his property and demanded action right away. It was difficult in a circumstances like this to organize a volunteer group of members to do raking and seeding. Ken just said to me, I will help you and there we were with rakes and shovels trying to pacify a member that had taken his complaint to an unreasonable level.
Then there was the lighter side of Ken as I noted him walking around at Grandview with a large back pack for days on end. So I asked him what was going on. He explained that every year his family gets together and goes out to nature in the rugged East Kootenays.
“I am just preparing my body for the hiking that we are going to do.” Then the truck would be loaded to the top of the racks and off they would go.
“I thought maybe you were going to a boot camps” I quipped.
“No, just love with my family” he smiled.
I chatted with Ken a few weeks ago and asked him how he was. His answer was very profound “I am still alive and in the hands of God.”
There was no complaint of pain nor his suffering but a calm resolve of acceptance of Gods Will..
If I have suggested to you that Ken was of an exceptional character and individualality than I have achieved my objective of expressing my deepest respect for my neighbor Ken Hood.
Elmer Verigin, October 11, 2014

Hi

The propaganda campaign by climate doomsayers continues unabated in spite of the fact that global warming stopped more than 17 years ago. In fact, we are now experiencing a naturally-occurring cooling cycle.

During the past year, David Suzuki’s columns have been appearing in our local newspaper at least once per month together with a similar number of articles/letters by other victims of the global-warming/climate-change hoax. Only a few articles were written by climate realists.

Suzuki’s August rant prompted me to reply as follows.

Best regards,

Thorpe

Trail Times  Tuesday, August 12, 2014

CLIMATE DOOMSAYERS ARE GETTING DESPERATE

Contrary to the claim made by David Suzuki (Trail Times, 8 August 2014 – Copied below), it is the climate doomsayers that are getting desperate, primarily because nature refuses to co-operate with their catastrophic, CO₂-induced, global-warming narrative. Suzuki’s nonsensical diatribe is obviously inconsistent with the scientific method. So is his endorsement of the BBC policy to suppress scientific debate.

It appears that David Suzuki is still living in the mythical, computer world of discredited climate models. Consequently, he continues to deny reality and demonize carbon dioxide (“CO₂”).

While appearing on a recent Australian Broadcasting Company’s TV program, Suzuki  learned, apparently for the first time, that global warming stopped more than 17 years ago. Astonishingly, Suzuki freely admitted that he was completely unfamiliar with the 4 agencies responsible for collecting and publishing the world’s temperature data used by the UN.

The chief scientist of one of these agencies (Professor Phil Jones of the UK’s CRU) testified in 2010 before a Parliamentary Select Committee that global warming had stopped in 1995. His testimony related to the 2009 Climategate scandal.

Unfortunately, the CO₂ content of our atmosphere has been seriously depleted by natural processes to such an extent that we can never hope to restore the highly-desirable levels of CO₂ found in ancient atmospheres. The dinosaurs enjoyed an atmosphere containing 5 times the current CO₂ level. Our reserves of oil and gas would have to be 30 times larger to even double the CO₂ content of our CO₂-impoverished atmosphere.

It seems that David Suzuki should be reminded of a fundamental biological fact; that is, CO₂ is essential to sustain plant and animal life on this planet. Regretfully, CO₂ does not give us the means to control our ever-changing climate. With 4 major climate cycles, the planet’s climate has been changing since the beginning of its existence.

Global cooling has always been, and will continue to be, the greatest climate threat to civilizations. We must learn to adapt or perish.

Thorpe Watson, PhD

Warfield

David Suzuki: Climate change deniers are getting desperate

by David Suzuki on Aug 5, 2014 at 2:47 pm

http://www.straight.com/news/700351/david-suzuki-climate-change-deniers-are-getting-desperate

This same article was published in the Trail Times on August 8, 2014.

TRIBUTE TO PHIL NOVOKSHONOFF
June 29, 2014
When I offer words in commemoration of someone’s passing, I do so from my personal perspective and knowledge of that person.
I had met Phil on the Talarico Wing construction, back in 1991 while he was installing the fire sprinkler system. I had earlier known his father Joe, who was a Director of the Doukhobor Benevolent Society while building Parkside Villa in Grand Forks as well as members of his family at various Doukhobor functions. I found it was easy to talk to Phil and that first meeting seemed like it started a relationship that now I wish to high light.
It appeareded that Phil had an interest in what the Doukhobor Cultural Association was doing as he would take his father, Joe, to the Doukhobor Sports Days and so when he heard that we were starting the development at Whatshan he approached me during a Talent Night Kootenay Choir performance in Grand Forks and offered his assistance should we require anything Mechanical. The Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999 had many capable volunteers but the Building Inspector required that all Plumbing must be installed by a Journeyman Plumber in order to meet the requirements of the Building and Plumbing Codes. In due course, I made the call to Phil which went something like this.
After briefly outlining the scope of the Retreat Building, Phil asked the question, “Well what would you like me to do?”
Of course I took this opportunity to present my wish list:
• “Well pump and related piping
• Water line from well to Retreat Building
• Power hookup for well
• Pressure tanks
• Septic tank pump to 2,500 foot field
• Showers piping
• Kitchen stove
• Stove propane piping”
There was absolutely no hesitation in his response, “that is no problem. I will charge the equipment at cost and my hired Trades people labor at cost. My time and equipment will all be donated. We just need to find a suitable time slot when to do it. I will research the well Suppliers as well as the other equipment”
I was shocked at this as it was a tough job building something in the hinterland away from normal supply houses and equipment with volunteer help, donated materials and no sure source of funding.
Phil called and said that he would arrive on site on this appointed date. It was a sight to see as a large truck, pickups and a crew of men arrived and began work just as if they had all been there before. A derrick attachment was set up on the back of a flat deck and the process of lowering the pump along with steel piping and electrical wiring began, Work inside the building was also taking place. All continued until complete within three (3) days and the water system was operational.
What a significant boost to the morale of the Volunteers who now did not have to haul water in water jugs from Castlegar.
Phil looked at the kitchen stove that we wanted to convert from natural gas to propane and shook his head. “Elmer it would be a waste of time as this stove is better off in the dump”, he consulted.
“If you can spare $5,000 I will get you a reconditioned unit that will be shop tested. I will bring it from Spokane and then make all the propane connections”, he added.
This came to pass and he called me to see if I could pick it up at his shop and transport it to Whatshan. Of course I agreed but alas, I was unable to find a suitable truck and a willing person to make the delivery. So I advised Marilyn that we would detour via Grand Forks and just pop in at Mainstream Mechanical to pick up the stove on “Silver” my little Ford pickup.
I had no idea where Mainstream was located in the first instance and absolutely no concept of the size and weight of the steel stove and besides this would be on a shortcut over the summit that would take me past Edgewood.
So Peter and his brothers were given the task to help me load this stove which was a simple transfer from their flat deck to Silver. I didn’t blink an eye when I saw that this was like hauling an elephant on a child’s wagon. The boys in their stead were very business-like as we all labored with this challenge. When the stove finally settled in on the box, Silver immediately raised his hood desperately trying to stay with all four wheels on the ground.
I think it was Peter who offered the first comment “pretty heavy load, eh?”
I nonchalantly countered with “Silver is used to all this work”, trying to show my confidence which was blocked by a choking tongue.
“How do I get over the hill?” was my parting comment.
“Oh, so you were never on that road?” all the boys were now curious as they contributed to the directions.
As I got into Silver, Marilyn was looking for assurance with “so you know where you have to go?”
“No problem” and we lurched slowly into motion.
On the flat stretch, it was just a chore to keep Silver running straight as every curve swayed him from one side to the other. When I started climbing the mountain, though, it was difficult to see over the hood which was now higher still. This was certainly a potential good ad for Ford as Silver groaned his way up the summit while I looked for signs that would tell me I was taking the correct fork.
Suddenly I realized we had crested as Silver started to pick up speed and I geared right down to first and thought of what I was going to do if the gears failed. I want to remind you that even going downhill, Silver’s hood was still raised. Marilyn had already turned green and was no support whatsoever. Then I recalled my mother’s hopeless effort to teach me Pasallmee which I never did master. Let me assure you that I recited all six of them three times on my way down that hill. The outskirts of Edgewood looked like New York when we finally made it down.
When Phil and his Gas Fitter arrived later, he looked at me and asked “did you have any difficulty getting it here?’
“Piece of cake!”
And so this is the way Phil and his sons established an assistance program that carried on to plumbing five cabins and the Whispering Pines Centre. More recently that involved “On Demand” Hot Water in the Retreat Building and replacement of the Kitchen Stove complete with a new automatic starting mechanism.
When I saw the young Novokshonoffs work, They applied their trade as grown adults even though they were barely teenagers at that time. Most important to note is that they followed their father’s instruction completely.
I watched as a thirteen year old jumped into a pickup and backed a trailer into a spot like a seasoned Trucker, in a straight line with no hint of a jack-knife . Our mouths dropped open in disbelieve.
My continuing visual picture is Phil sitting on a stool in the middle of the yard while they were working on piping in the septic tank. What amazed me is that Phil was knew exactly what they were doing as he would offer advice from his location some 25 feet away “with try that wrench, it will work better!”
In the evenings we had many occasions to talk and I learned that Phil had a deep understanding of “What is a Doukhobor” as that is the way he lived his life.
This is a Celebration of Phil’s life and so I need to mention another humorous incident that took place when I visited Phil in the hospital during his challenges with weight reduction. He had been transferred from Calgary and was in the West Kootenay Regional Hospital and on the second time I visited with Phil, he told me this story and I admit we laughed heartily.
Phil started with “these guys were not providing me with enough food so I called 911 at 7:00 P.M.”
“So what happened?” I was surprised to hear.
“Well the Paramedics came charging into my room to the surprise of the Hospital Staff”, Phil explained.
“When everyone finally settled down, I said that they are starving me here!” as we both laughed at his sense of humor.
“That is not all, Elmer,” Phil continued, “I called in for a Pizza delivery and got two pizzas into my room before anyone caught on.
I believe that I can speak from all of us at the Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999, we wish to express our sincerest thank you to Phil and the entire Novokshonoff family for your contributions to the development of Whatshan.
Let Phil’s spirit become synonymous with all those great spirits that have blessed us here on Earth and now he can continue with his greatest mission yet.
Elmer Verigin, President
Doukhobor Heritage Retreat Society #1999
Written June 28, 2014

THIS IS ALL ABOUT KATIE (Deceased May 10, 2014)

I knew Jim before I met Katie and after meeting her I became encouraged….there was hope for this guy yet.

There was a special bond created between Jim and I when we unceremoniously became delegates to initiate a unification of young Doukhobors in Western Canada back in 1969. January was a bad choice to go to Saskatchewan but after six days of marathon meetings, blizzards mixed with hospitality, I knew that Jim was a good leader when he drove into Swift Current in a blinding snow storm while I navigated. I asked that infamous question “are we there yet as the speedometer suggests we must be?”

His answer was “how would I know as I cannot see a thing!”

I opened the door and bumped into a parking meter, “We are here!”

Yes I knew then I was safe with Jim. No, we did not achieve unification of Doukhobors!

But we created a bond, recognized by Katie as she melted into this friendship through the rest of our lives.

Katie had unique attributes which revealed an intelligence that was modest as she never boasted nor indicated any desire to stand above anyone around her. Her Doukhobor upbringing enabled her to live entirely under the direction of the psalm Be Devout. When you read this psalm, Katie’s character becomes clear.

Oh yes, Katie could party with the rest of us and so she was part of the gang.

Right at the outset Katie couldn’t wait to start her family and when she became pregnant with Jamie, there was a glow around Katie as an enthusiastic and expectant mother. She immediately became involved with raising her family which was to be her obsession as the rest of the boys came along.

It was volley ball, baseball and about anything the boys did always received the entire family support with love. Coaches and the team families became welcome at their house, room, campground or wherever the event was being staged. All these people became the extended family.

This meant that getting together with the Laktins had to be second to what was happening in the family. We all understood and were happy for them. Of course that did not prevent soaking in their Jacuzzi and drifting on the Arrow Lakes in their House Boat whenever time permitted.

At this time the Latkins were part of the Doukhobor Cultural Association that interested themselves in hearing from thought-provoking speakers on a variety of subject matter. On one such occasion, John Verigin Sr came to speak to us. Katie was our Secretary at that time and I occasionally looked her way to see what she was doing about making notes on this profound presentation by our speaker. I did not see her make one note. Two weeks later, she gave her seven (7) page account of John Verigin Sr’s presentation that astounded all of us in its completeness and clarity. So you be the judge of that lady’s capability.

Katie’s reputation of a good cook was well known by those who had the privilege to sample same. I recall our infamous Curling Team decided that a Bonspiel in Revelstoke was very necessary. We convinced our wives that we would have to leave Wednesday to get there by Friday evening using the irregular Galena Bay Ferry schedule, icy roads, etc., as justification for the lengthy trip. Katie took this very seriously and loaded the van with countless jars of dill pickles, pickled cabbage and asparagus not to mention pickled hardboiled pickled eggs. We found it amazing that Katie knew what food was necessary for professional Curlers.

Well everyone at the Bonspiel heard about our stash and crashed our room till all hours of the night exalting at the fantastic cook that created all this. Needless to say, Katie won in the culinary field but her heroes lost every game.

In recent years the Laktins came back to the Kootenays and we reinstated our relationship when Jim and I started working together at Grandview.

There were times that I was present when Jim was having lunch. Let me tell you that Katie knew how to pack a lunch. As I watched Jim gorge himself, my saliva dripped. It was an easy decision to stay away at lunch time so that I would not have to watch with envy. I tried different times and guess what: he was eating no matter when I showed up. What a lunch lady!

We decided to do things like creek fishing, picking Suzziki, mushrooms or Huckleberries and just plain visiting. No matter when, eating and Katie’s hospitality abounded. I am not sure now what was more exciting, the fishing and outing event or getting to see what Katie packed for lunch. There was always enough for twice as many people and perhaps Katie was naturally always ready for that possibility.

When Jamie became an entrepreneur with the Market, Katie was there in support, creating her special borsch recipes along with an endless supply of Pyrahaee for the enthusiastic customers.

A special high light in Katie’s life was when the grand children came along. It just seemed that her love for family rose to an exceptional height. Although all received an equal love, her excitement over the arrival of the triplets made even all her friends share in her rise to this wealth in family relationship. I never heard the word triplets used so many times with the corresponding amount of love.

Then when the Medical Fraternity gave Katie a clean bill of health this past February we decided to celebrate that occasion. We loaded up with:

• Fresh Oysters
• Lobster Tail
• Jumbo Prawns
• Scallops

and headed for the Laktin house. The visit started with the fresh oysters and carried on from there. We were overjoyed that Katie loved seafood and also knew exactly how to prepare same.

Wow what a party!

No such celebration can be enjoyed by Doukhobors unless there is a competition between men and women with a game of Doorock. After 20 or more games the ladies asked if we had been cheating. With absolute innocent faces we responded , “of course not. It is just the way the cards fall. You know that Doukhobors don’t cheat in Doorock!” Sorry Katie, now I must confess to your spirit that maybe I did once or twice but I am sure that Jim did not.

We made plans to go on a Casino junket next time but it was not able to happen. I have to admit that 24 hours after she died, she was pressing the right keys for me at Chances and let me win a few dollars. If that is the way you want to continue participating Katie, I am fine with that.

When I ponder on this issue, I cannot fathom what goes in our bodies when over 10 trillion cells that make up our bodies regenerate so that, save our heart, bones, teeth and brain, replace themselves every 7 to 10 years. This means that Katie’s body was able to do just that at least 6 times successfully. Medical Science is still determining why this last time Katie’s body became a victim of faulty programming of those cells who attacked each other in a futile control struggle that resulted in her body expiring.

In my understanding, Katie is just in another dimension and with us even today and likely with remain with her family for a time. Quantum Physics agrees with this but unfortunately we are not able to communicate between dimensions although we can feel that something is definitely happening.

Katie, our memories with Jim and you will be ours for a long time.

Elmer and Marilyn Verigin May 16, 2014