SKEENA ANGLER
ROB BROWN

Winter Passages

hards of ice rattle against the shore of
S the Kitimat River estuary. The sea

underneath the splintered prisms is —

blue and luminous. Remnant clouds .

are clearing the way for a cald, blue
_ Sky. The stumps that clutter the estuary are top-
ped in ice and snow. Gulls whip about in the
wind. Slowed down for Sunday, the industrial
side of the arm looks benign. ‘

i make my way into the village because my
presence at his mother’s funeral seems the best
way to offer my condolences to Gerald Amos, a
truly gentle and wise man. A few people are
starting their cars, others make their way toward -
the United Church on foot.

I parked the truck beside the soccer field .
and jet the dog out for a short run. Somebody -
with bigger feet than J has left a trail of tracks
along the perimeter. His toes point to the sea. ft.
follow them. An orange basketball stands out
dramatically against the snow. It looks incon-:
gruent and important. Gerald and his brother’
Morris were all-star players in all native tourna-
ments of yesteryear. A basketball could easily
be a symbol of significance in the Amos clan,

On emotionally charged days, ordinary
things seem fo acquire energy and significance.
Maybe, I think as I walk toward the shore,’
they’re imbued with iconographic power all the
time, but we’re only sensitive to it at times
when our inner feelings are closer to our skin.

I follow the man tracks to the sea. A pair of
_ crested metgansers paddles away as I approach ;
. the shore. An eagle wings past overhead. The:

et

- road, I do too. The church is half full when I ar-!
_ tive. I sit next to Anne and Bruce and listen to
the keyboardist play a medley of hymns.

The church is like the inside of a giant life-
boat turned over. Oblique natural light streams -
in from the side windows, lights up the red, -
wooden pews, glinis off eye glasses and filters
through the thinning hair of some of the men sit-
ting in the front. At the prow, daylight filters
through glass stained green and yellow, gathers
with the oblique side light and that falling from

the fluorescent lights hanging overhead, filling
the nave with a strange incandescence.

After a choir of Haisla fills the front of the
church, the family enters and fills the building
to overflowing. Looking formidable in his white
stole, the minister stands at the pulpit and ser-
monizes about the evergreen twenty-third psalm. |

Next, Frances’ niece and her grandson step
up to the pulpit and share memories “She loved
basketball,” says grandson Trevor, barely able
to utter words heavy with sorrow.

When the eulogy is done, four women from
the Amos/Robinson family gather and sing
Amazing Grace in Haisla to the heart beat of a
hand drum. The austere pentatonic melody
floats gently and movingly over the soft thump.
of the drum. ,

For all aboard, the level of emotion begins
to grow and bloom like a dark flower as Haisla
elder, James Robertson, gives the Lord's Prayer
in his native tongue, then Louise Barbetti stands
beside her sister and sings a Haisla Song in a
soft, sweet soprano voice. .

The sun is low on the horizon, the light
from the south more sharply angled, edging the
members of the congregation in gold. A hand-
some young Haista walks resolutely to the front
and plugs in a tape player. The voice of Ger-
ald’s grandmother emerges from the black tape,
player. She sings the song the Haisla sang at the -
passing of their own long before Christians with *
a mission came ashore. The song moves many
in the congregation like nothing else has.

The pall bearers carry the casket out of the
church accompanied by the peal of the bell. My '
heritage moves me to think of John Donne, We
disembark. I follow Anne, Bruce follows me.
The casket is in the back of a blue pickup. The

_ pall bearers sit on the edge of the box, waiting

- to accompany Frances on the next length of her
journey, their breath white in the cold air.

, I make my way to the truck and drive slow-
- ly through the village, past the school, across
the bridge spanning the cold, green Whati
River, its stones girdled in anchor ice. I drive
toward Kitimat on the slick snow-covered road,
past corrugated stone walls blasted out of gra- .
nite. At the bottom of thase man-made canyons, °

-lt’s cold and dark. [ think about Psalm 23; “Yea

‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow
-of death...” I look up past the tops of the walls to
“brilliant snow-covered hillsides illuminated by
-the afternoon sun. ~

“think how singularly appropriate it is that -
after weeks of lead coloured skies and seeming.

through, ‘and: fill her valley with light on the
__ | :afternoon of the day that her family and her na-
-..-] ton ‘chose to celebrate Frances Amos’ life. © .-*

tracks bisect the field .before: returning.to the.

‘ly. dnterminable rain, the sun should break |

TERRACE

eee

TERRY MUNDAY and his 15 month old son Michael were
amongst the skiers and snowboarders to hit Shames Moun-
tain during their first weekend of operation Nov. 30-Dec. 2.

Let the fun begin

Blue skies and mild weather set the scene for the perfect way
to start the season. By last weekend Shames had a 155 cm
base at mid-mountain. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO.

BLUEBACKS Jenine Barton, Chris Morris and Allison Knoedler show off their

medais from the Methanex invitational swim meet in Kitimat.

Bluebacks third at
Methanex Invitational

By SARAH A.
ZIMMERMAN
THE TERRACE Blue-
backs are getting into the
spirit of competition as the
swim season gets into full

swing.

The team took part in
the Methanex Invitational
swim meet in Kitimat Dec.
1 and while the team
placed third in overall
points, four of Terrace’s
swimmers medalled at the
event.

Allison Knoedler, 12,
took the top spot in the 11-
12 year old division with a
score of 40 points.

Knoedler was one of
several Bluebacks whose
times at the meet qualified
them for for additional
events at the provincial
and junior provincial level,
said coach Mike Carlyle.

Knoedler had previously
qualified in the breast
stroke events and the 400
Individual Medley at the
AAA age group provincial

level,

Her times at the Metha-
nex Invitational saw her
qualify for a freestyle
swim and a butterfly event.

“It means we're not just
focussing on one or two
strokes,” Carlyle said,
“She’s getting very well
rounded,”

Leading up to provin-
cials Knoedler is expected
to be ane of the few Blue-
backs to attend age group
provincials

Janine Barton, 16, also
put in a solid performance
at the meet.

She placed third overall
in the 15-25 division with
a total score of 34 points.

She came in behind
Prince Rupert’s Stephanie
Nicholls and Megan Allen
of Kitimat,

And in the male 15-25
category two Bluebacks
came home with medals,

Thomas Demetzer, 16,
who recently moved to
Prince George but conti-

nues to swim for the Blue-
backs, tied for second
place with Prince George’s
Jeremy Zook.

And Christopher Morris,
16, put in a good perfor-
mance earning him a
bronze medal,

The older swimmers
competed in a heats and
finats format which
cranked up the excitement

and the adrenaline for the ©

swimmers.

“This was very success-
ful in that the swimmers
were laking off time from
the heats in the morning,”
said Mike Carlyle.

He said there was sub-
stantial improvement in
the times from the heats to
the finals,

Several Bluebacks also .

swam their way to 100 per
cent best times,

Dakota Algor, Hayden
Alkinson, Allison Knoed-
ler, Scott Simpson and
Nathanael Wiebe all had
100 per cent best times.

Blades take third in Fort St. John

THE NORTHERN Blades women’s
hockey team came out with a third place
finish at a recent tournament in Fort. St.

John.

Raina Kerrer of Terrace picked up an
“assist in the first game of the tournament
*-as the Blades wasted White Horse 8-1,

The win allowed the team to advarice
In- the A.pool facing the Grande Pralrie-
‘Aces, The Blades outshot the Aces 32-12:

but it wasn’t enough to pick up the win.
The Aces won 2-1.
The loss put the Blades in the C event

where they faced provincial champions

North Peace Eagles from Fort St. John.
The Blades won this one 3-2 advancing
the team to play for third,
Again, they faced the Eagles bu
_ strong defensive: play stopped. them from
“scoring and the Blades took this one 3-0.

Sports Scope

Teeth chattering.swim |...

AL? SRP) “ts by aiaio ar "eT D ae

set for New Year’s Day
IT’S NOT an event for the weak of heart or for those
who don’t handle the cold well. But if bragging rights
are what you're after, this is the event for you.

The annual Kinsmen Kermodei Bear Swim is set to
go on New Year's Day as the bravest of the brave
take a dip ia the icy walters of Lakelse Lake.

It’s one heck ofa way to ring in the new year while
raising money for charities in the Terrace area and
around B.C. and the Yukon.

Participants battle it out to see who can raise the
most money and who comes up with the craziest cos-
tume, If you think you have what it takes, call Louis
at 635-1550 for more information and pledge forms.

Local woman’s volunteer

efforts recognized

DIANA STEPHEN makes a difference.

Stephen is a director for the volunteer board of dir-
ectors for B,C. Disability Sports. According to B.C.
Disability Sports, Stephen’s involvement on the
board of directors is helping them create a communi-
ty-based board with representation throughout the |
province.

B.C. Disability Sports works to get people with
disabilities ‘to get involved in sports, recreation and
physical education,

5

DAN MULLEA, Amy Hayduk, Lyn Lavole and
Jared Johnson collact their awards for fastest
times at this year's Gymkhanas,

Saddle Club wraps up

THE Terrace Saddle Club ended the year with a ban-
quet Nov 17, Year end awards were given out for
both the Gymkhanas and the Clear Round Days.

The Gymkhana competition was stiffer this year
because of an increase in riders, especially in the
younger age groups, Despite a cool, wet, sopey sum-
mer there was a large turnout for each gymkhana
with the largest July 8 with over 40 riders.

The awards for the fastest times in each event were
divided among four 4 riders, with Lyn Lavoie receiv-
ing three Ring Spearing with a time of 9.083, Figure
8 at 17.954, and Barrels at 16.891,

Dan Muller had the fastest times in Flag Picking
9.756 and Keyhole 8,509, Jared Johnson had the fast-
est time in Pole Bending 23.949 and Amy Hayduk
won Scurries 11.425,

This was the first year for'Clear Round Days. Held
on the same days as the Gymkhanas it welcomed new
tidets, or mote experienced riders with young horses
to try or practice jumping ina relaxed atmosphere,