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Tag: wildfires

On the lookout for wildfires

On the lookout for wildfires

Tova Krentzman’s Fire Tower is a documentary about the people stationed high above the ground in the Yukon and Alberta, who are looking for smoke or signs of a wildfire. (photo from  Tova Krentzman)

Tova Krentzman’s Fire Tower, a documentary about the people stationed high above the ground checking for wildfires in the Yukon and Alberta, has been covering the film festival circuit. Most recently, it was shown in February at the Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse, where the director resides.

The idea for the film arose when Krentzman was working as a cook at a firefighting camp one spring. Several lookouts, the people who comprise the first line of defence in battling wildfires, stayed at the camp as they were getting ready to head to their respective towers.

“I had a chance to talk to them and hear their stories. I even got to visit one of them. I was completely fascinated. The seed was planted there,” she told the Independent.

Krentzman’s diverse background includes experience as a geologist, cook, medic and merchant seafarer. She is also a photographer. Initially, she thought chronicling the stories of the lookouts would make an interesting photography book. However, when the pandemic struck, she became increasingly involved with video and turned the subject into a film.

For the documentary, she featured several different types of people who are lookouts, with ages ranging from young adults to seniors. Nonetheless, Krentzman said, they share a certain trait in common: the ability to be with themselves and thrive alone.

She was struck by the ability of the lookouts to climb a 100-foot tower every day, often many times a day, and to stay focused throughout the months they were on duty. In Alberta, where the season can last for six months, from spring to fall, lookouts work long hours without any breaks. In the Yukon, though the season is shorter, the job also requires a particular fortitude.

“It is definitely a certain kind of inner physical and mental strength to be able to do this job. When you are alone, everything you have ever done in your life comes into your mind, all your mistakes, everything,” she said. “You have to be the kind of person who can manage themselves. But these are also people who are able to feel very connected to their surroundings and derive a lot of pleasure of being connected to nature and what they are looking at.”

After spending large amounts of time with the lookouts, Krentzman observed how content they were with what they were doing. There was no drama, no breakdowns. Instead, the film raises the issue of how, in a hyper-connected world, solitude can inspire a different kind of connection with not only nature but community and one’s creativity. 

“I think the film does get into what the struggles and challenges are. And so, people reflect on things and have some quiet reflective moments that they discuss and they are personal. I would say, overall, they are pretty satisfied with what they are doing,” she said.

photo - A scene from Fire Tower. To do their fire spotting, lookouts must climb a 100-foot tower every day, often many times a day
A scene from Fire Tower. To do their fire spotting, lookouts must climb a 100-foot tower every day, often many times a day. (photo from  Tova Krentzman)

Krentzman hopes that, through watching the 47-minute film, more people will realize that the towers exist. She also hopes that the film will draw attention to the dozens of people perched in the air on the lookout for potential danger. While wildfire events can blanket the news cycle during summer months, the towers are not widely known and most provinces no longer have them, she said.

“It is important to realize all the steps that go into fire protection and prevention. The lookouts spot many of the smokes and call it in when it is a little wisp of smoke – that is when you can actually prevent it from becoming bigger. The idea is to catch it before it is a big fire,” Krentzman said. “If you can see a fire from a satellite, then it is too big – that is not prevention. 

“They are really there to protect, as a first line of defence, and then they call in the fire agencies and there is a back-and-forth going on. It is quite incredible what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to fires.”

In the time since the documentary was made, Krentzman said, the fire seasons have started so early that she likely would not have been able to gain as much filming access to the towers because of liability concerns. 

Originally from Montreal, Krentzman has lived in different places, including Israel, where many in her family still live. Yet, she was drawn to the Yukon and has spent several years there.

“The Yukon is one of those places that, as a Canadian, you have to see what it is,” she said.

Fire Tower debuted at the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto last April and has appeared on screens in the United States, Asia and Europe. The documentary was to have been shown in British Columbia last summer at the ArtsWells Festival in Wells, but the event was postponed due to a wildfire. 

For more information and to ask about a group screening of the film, visit underwirefilms.com. 

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Format ImagePosted on March 28, 2025March 27, 2025Author Sam MargolisCategories TV & FilmTags documentary, education, environment, Tova Krentzman, wildfires
Impacts of summer wildfires

Impacts of summer wildfires

Businesses in Valemount, BC, stepped up to help thousands of Jasper evacuees, but now find themselves struggling. (photo from Spencer Hall)

A member of the miniscule Jewish community in Valemount, a town in east-central British Columbia, reflected on the challenges of the past year and looked ahead with hope to 2025.

Spencer Hall is publisher and editor of the Rocky Mountain Goat newspaper, which serves Valemount, McBride and the Robson and North Thompson Valleys. When wildfires rampaged across the Alberta resort town of Jasper, about 90 minutes up the highway from Valemount, Hall’s newspaper was on the frontlines reporting as thousands of evacuees – residents and tourists – flowed in from the east.

On July 22, two wildfires exploded in the area around Jasper and fire officials and national park administrators evacuated the community in advance of the expanding inferno. The fire would tragically sweep away one-third of Jasper’s structures and kill one firefighter, 24-year-old Morgan Kitchen of Calgary. 

A welcome centre was created in Valemount, the closest significant town to Jasper’s west. With just 1,000 full-time residents, Valemount was overwhelmed by the thousands of Jasper evacuees, but Valemountians came together to do all they could for their next-province neighbours.

“I was getting ready to get the paper out to press on a Monday night,” Hall recalled. “I just finished the layout for the evening and was about to go to bed, and then we hear that all the residents and the tourists that were in Jasper – and it was the summer, so there were many of them – were coming to Valemount. I threw on my clothes and went to the community centre. The mayor was standing in the rain directing traffic for hours in the parking lot of the community hall.”

photo - Spencer Hall, left, seated, helps register Jasper evacuees who came to Valemount
Spencer Hall, left, seated, helps register Jasper evacuees who came to Valemount. (photo from Spencer Hall)

Townsfolk quickly responded to the newcomers, who were suffering physically and emotionally.

“To see all of us come together, that was nice, but obviously it was very devastating, as the fire raged on and decimated 30% of the town [of Jasper],” said Hall. “You’d have people crying on the side of the street, understandably, because they just lost their house or their pets. It was a very dramatic week.”

The economy of Valemount and the surrounding areas – the tourist draw of Mount Robson is just up the road – depends greatly on tourism. Valemount attracts snowmobilers in winter and counts on drivers heading to and from Jasper for restaurant and hotel business year-round. The devastation in Jasper has had repercussions on both sides of the BC-Alberta boundary.  

“Even though this fire wasn’t in our province, it did impact British Columbians, especially in Valemount,” Hall said. “We are seeing a lot less tourism.… There are business owners that are really struggling. Our restaurants have been impacted. We have one grocery store and they are feeling the impact as well.”

And the newspaper isn’t immune.

“The Goat has definitely been impacted because as revenues go down, the first thing people slash is their ad budget,” said Hall. “So we’ve been seeing less ads months later.”

The tourism downturn came at a particularly bad moment, as last winter saw lower-than-average snowfall, reducing the winter vacation crowds. Local businesses had hoped for a good summer to make up for the shortfall, but the July fires gutted that hope.

It is early yet in the winter sports season, but snowfall so far is promising.

“We’ve had a few people come out for snowmobiling,” Hall said. “I know that we have more snow than we had last year, so that’s good.”

Consultants are helping local businesses and the tourism authority is working to strengthen the sector. Hall said interprovincial jurisdictional issues, as well as a provincial election in British Columbia, may have slowed economic responses for the region, but the federal government seems to be particularly slow in responding.

photo - New Life Church in Valemount, BC, took in many evacuees and kept them fed
New Life Church in Valemount, BC, took in many evacuees and kept them fed. (photo from Spencer Hall)

The dramatic year was a trial by fire for the newspaper’s new owner, who took over the media outlet only in January. (See jewishindependent.ca/new-face-in-bc-media.)

“It was a lot,” said Hall. “I come from a radio background, where you’re able to communicate very, very quickly.”

The Goat, which is a weekly newspaper, effectively became a daily news platform during the fires. In addition to a new website, the Goat is developing a breaking news feature to respond immediately to any future events like last summer’s. 

Another Jewish community member, Vancouver doctor Larry Barzelai, worries that the fires Jasper saw will be an increasingly common occurrence.

Barzelai, who is BC chair of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), said that almost every year brings a climate-related catastrophe. 

“This year with Jasper, last year was West Kelowna, two years before that was Lytton that burned to the ground,” Barzelai said. “There is a pattern here. It’s not getting any better and I don’t think it will.”

CAPE has been trying to shift the dialogue, said Barzelai, but things won’t change until people change their patterns and lifestyles, massively reducing the use of fossil fuels.

“Until we get a handle on that, things are not going to improve,” said Barzelai. “I’d like to have something more optimistic to say, but it’s tough finding optimism when you see what’s going on in the world.”

A United Nations study issued recently reported that three-quarters of the earth’s surface is permanently drier than it has ever been.

“It’s just another piece of evidence that we are going in the wrong direction. The world is heating up and we’re letting it get hotter and hotter,” Barzelai said. 

Format ImagePosted on December 20, 2024December 19, 2024Author Pat JohnsonCategories LocalTags Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, climate change, climate crisis, Larry Barzelai, Rocky Mountain Goat, Spencer Hall, Valemount, wildfires
Resilience in facing fire

Resilience in facing fire

This photo was taken from about a block away from the Okanagan JCC just after the evacuation. (photo by Anne Zazuliak)

On Aug. 17, the McDougall Creek Fire, which began 10 kilometres northwest of West Kelowna, descended upon the community and brought an evacuation order to those on the west side of Okanagan Lake. By that evening, winds pushed flames across the lake to Kelowna, sparking more fires and bringing about further evacuation orders.

Aug. 18 and 19 saw the conflagrations at their most dangerous, according to members of the Okanagan Jewish community who spoke to the Independent before it went to press. On Aug. 18, Kelowna International Airport suspended all flights coming in and out of the city. Later in the day, the province issued a state of emergency for the area.

By Aug. 21, the situation was under more control, with the airport opening for a few hours and an evacuation order around the University of British Columbia campus in Kelowna downgraded to an evacuation alert. Garbage pickup and other services also resumed.

photo - The OJC is situated in an area that was ordered to evacuate. Community members told the Independent that the constant police presence around the centre made them feel comfortable that the building was safe and secure
The OJC is situated in an area that was ordered to evacuate. Community members told the Independent that the constant police presence around the centre made them feel comfortable that the building was safe and secure. (photo by Steven Finkleman)

Okanagan Jewish Community (OJC) board members said several families within safer zones were able to house evacuees. Before the evacuation orders, the OJC had messaged members requesting accommodations, support and contact information so that, when the orders came, it had a list in place to make sure everyone evacuated would be assisted.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Shmuly Hecht of Okanagan Chabad House spent a few frantic days, along with members of his family, checking in on people, collecting food and supplies, baking hundreds of loaves of bread and ensuring that people in the community would have shelter. During the worst of the wildfires, Hecht’s office was turned into temporary accommodation for an elderly West Kelowna couple.

“As soon as it started, we were thinking we have to help,” said Hecht. “Anyone in a position to help should be honoured and privileged to do so. In our upbringing, this is why we are alive, this is why we are here – to serve, especially in times of need.

“I feel that everybody – even if you yourself are running and in a time of need – can begin the process of healing when your first thoughts are, how can I help someone else who may have even less than me? There is always someone who has less, and we can be of support to them. It reminds us of what life is all about.”

Hecht told the Independent he had met with one member of the community who had lost their home.

photo - Okanagan Chabad House helped in many ways, including collecting food and supplies
Okanagan Chabad House helped in many ways, including collecting food and supplies. (photo from Okanagan Chabad)

On Aug. 25, Steven Finkleman, OJC board past president, said, “Things are certainly much better now. I believe that the fires on the Kelowna side of the lake are being brought under control, and I believe that, as of last night, the evacuation orders and alerts on this side of the lake have been canceled.”

At the time, however, evacuation orders were still in place in parts of West Kelowna, though the dangers were receding.

“The active fire might seem to be a bit more distant from civilization and parts of it might be left to simply burn out, as long as people and property are not in danger,” said Finkleman, who thanked emergency services in the region, which, he emphasized, prioritized life, structures and forests, in that order.

“Certainly, the stress levels and anxiety of everyone were challenged at the peak of the event. Several persons do live in ‘interface’ areas, where the homes are scattered amongst the trees and forest. These persons in Kelowna are always at increased risk. The colour of the orange sky and the fact that Kelowna was the most polluted city in the world (for a time) added to everyone’s stress levels. Most persons needed to stay home, only venturing out for food and supplies, and having masks on to filter the air,” Finkleman said.

Many organizations and individuals stepped forward to offer help, he added. At times, there were so many food donations that organizations struggled to keep perishable items fresh.

Finkleman praised the level of support that came from the Vancouver and elsewhere. “We seem to be getting closer and closer to the Vancouver Jewish community, and I think it is important that Vancouver be aware of what we have gone through here. Support by email, phone calls, etc., has been tremendous, from the Vancouver Jewish organizations and from the clergy that we know well across Canada and who are participating in our Shabbaton weekends. We even have received an invite from a stranger in West Vancouver stating that she is able to put people up if they have evacuated from Kelowna to the Lower Mainland. Incredible support, really.”

The OJC, which houses Beth Shalom Synagogue, is situated in an area that was ordered to evacuate. During the height of the fires, nobody was allowed to enter the building, where two Torah scrolls are kept, due to an RCMP barricade. Community members told the Independent that the constant police presence around the centre made them feel comfortable that the building was safe and secure.

Members of the OJC executive recognized the need to bring people in the community back together, as fire dangers eased. On Aug. 27, they organized a beach barbecue that was well-attended. Over the Labour Day long weekend, Rabbi Russell Jayne from the Beth Tzedec in Calgary will lead services at Beth Shalom.

photo - Members of the OJC gathered for a picnic after a two-week period of semi-isolation due to the fire situation
Members of the OJC gathered for a picnic after a two-week period of semi-isolation due to the fire situation. (photo by Steven Finkleman)

“We believe it’s vital for our community to be together after a crisis like this, so we are going ahead with all our planned events and High Holidays,” said David Spevakow of the OJC board.

“Our local talent, Evan Orloff, will be leading our High Holiday services. Everything is a go,” he said.

“These High Holy Days will definitely be emotional, with the scorched earth, smoky skies and long recovery all creating quite a tangible backdrop to the season of reflection and self-examination,” said Abbey Westbury, a member of the OJC board. “We have tried to keep our messaging buoyant, but we are ready for the tears. What a few unimaginable years we’ve had. Ready for a new start, indeed.”

Life will get back to normal at Okanagan Chabad House, as well, Hecht stressed, despite having fallen behind with regular obligations during the fires.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver has established a B.C. Wildfire Relief Fund. To donate, visit jewishvancouver.com/bc-fire-relief-fund.

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Format ImagePosted on September 1, 2023August 29, 2023Author Sam MargolisCategories LocalTags Abbey Westbury, B.C. Wildfire Relief, David Spevakow, Kelowna, OJC, Okanagan Chabad House, Okanagan JCC, Shmuly Hecht, Steven Finkleman, wildfires

Community milestones … Federation, Koerner, Broca

The annual general meeting of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver took place on June 21. Welcomed were five new directors: Gil Kimel, Dean Lederman, Lana Pulver (chair of the annual campaign), Michelle Pollock (chair of the Israel and global engagement committee), David Porte and Daniel Steiner. They join Bruce Cohen, Alex Cristall, Catherine Epstein (vice-chair), Jessica Forman (chair of the HR committee), Sue Hector, Hodie Kahn, Shay Keil, Rick Kohn, Candace Kwinter, Shawna Merkur, Kyra Morris, Lianna Philipp, Lisa Pullan, Stan Shaw and Diane Switzer.

Kwinter is the new board chair and, as such, her central challenge mirrors that of the community: how to navigate recovery and reopening in a time of great uncertainty.

“Over the past year, I have held a dual role as vice-chair of the board and chair of the Israel and global engagement committee, which has immersed me in our work,” said Kwinter in her remarks in the June 25 Federation Shabbat message. “And, through my position on our Community Recovery Task Force, I’ve gotten to know the organizations in our community and see how our community planning, convening, facilitating and fundraising functions create a valuable synergy. The health and strength of our local community is paramount, and it will continue to be a focus throughout my term.

“Israel also holds a very special place in my heart, and I am actively involved with our partner, the Jewish Agency for Israel’s board of governors, where I serve on three committees: antisemitism; unity of the Jewish people; and aliyah. In 2018, I was privileged to be part of a group of community leaders who traveled to Far East Russia to see the impact of our overseas work. As travel restrictions begin to ease, I hope we will have the opportunity to visit our partnership region in the Upper Galilee Panhandle and resume our Israel experience programs for young adults.

“At the same time,” she continued, “I remain connected to the work we do across the continent as part of JFNA [Jewish Federations of North America]. I have attended several General Assemblies over the years, and now is the perfect time for you to experience this epic gathering of Jewish leaders, because you can participate without the time and expense of traveling.

“Looking ahead, I know we have challenges to face, but this is also an exciting time in many ways. COVID has accelerated change and has prompted us all to look at new ways of strengthening our community. Rather than looking ahead to the ‘new normal,’ we need to work together to create the ‘next normal.’ That will be our collective journey over the next two years, and I am looking forward to the future we can build together.”

At the AGM, four community leaders were honoured. Jonathon Leipsic, who chaired the Federation annual campaign from 2018 through 2020, received the Harry Woogman Award, for his consistent and conscientious leadership and his long-standing and diligent campaign involvement. Yael Segal and Becky Glotmanreceived the Lou Zimmerman Award for their integral role in the revitalization of the Ben Gurion Society, a recognition society for young donors who give $1,000 or more to the Federation annual campaign. And Enav Zusman received the Young Leadership Award.

The 2020/21 annual report can be found at jewishvancouver.com/news-and-publications/annual-reports. In 2020, Federation raised $12.2 million from 2,600 donors: $8.8 million in the 2020 annual campaign; $2 million for community recovery; and $1.4 million in special project funding.

COVID-19 was a crisis that affected – and continues to affect – every aspect of the community. Because of donors’ generosity, Federation this year was able to direct more funding to its partners than ever before.

(British Columbia’s record-breaking heatwave has had devastating effects across the province. The tragic fire in Lytton was not the first that we’ve seen and likely will not be the last. With growing concerns for another wildfire season, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver has set up an emergency B.C. Wildfire Relief Fund to assist those affected by wildfires in our province. To donate, visit jewishvancouver.com/bcfire.)

* * *

On May 20, Junior Achievement British Columbia (JABC) inducted new members into its Business Laureates of British Columbia Hall of Fame, including Gordon Diamond. There was also the posthumous induction of 10 Pioneer Laureates, including Morris Wosk, z”l. Diamond and Wosk were featured in the June 25 Jewish Independent article “JA’s newest laureates.” The article accidentally overlooked another posthumous honouree, however: Dr. Walter Charles Koerner, z”l. Here is what the JABC highlighted of Koerner’s life.

Koerner was born in 1898 in what is now the Czech Republic. He developed his expertise in the forestry industry there, through his family’s lumber business.

photo - Dr. Walter Charles Koerner
Dr. Walter Charles Koerner (photo from alchetron.com)

Koerner and his brothers immigrated to Canada in 1939 and founded the Alaska Pine and Cellulose Co., of which he was president. In 1957, the company became Rayonier Canada Ltd. and Koerner became president and later chairman of the board until his retirement in 1973.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada, Koerner made the University of British Columbia (UBC) a focal point of his philanthropy. He believed that a strong university was critical to building an engaged and successful society. He served as a member of the board of governors of UBC, as well as the chair. Not only that, he was the founding chair of UBC Hospital.

Koerner was also committed to preserving Indigenous art forms and supporting the re-emergence of Pacific Northwest Indigenous art. His multiple initiatives included supporting Indigenous carvers, repatriating Indigenous works from abroad and negotiating with then-prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau for financial support for the construction of the Museum of Anthropology, to which he donated his extensive collection. In recognition of his efforts in supporting Indigenous culture, the Haida Nation celebrated Koerner as an honorary chief of their nation.

Koerner was a notable philanthropist, who donated millions of dollars to educational institutions and other public organizations and endeavours. Among his many honours, he was a Companion of the Order of Canada, and held an honorary doctor of laws from UBC.

Koerner passed away in 1995.

* * *

Vancouver’s Lilian Broca is among the artists whose works comprise the From Canada exhibition at La Maison de la Mosaïque Contemporaine in Paray-Le-Monial, France.

Every year, La Maison de la Mosaïque Contemporaine organizes and hosts an international mosaic exhibition. The 2021 edition, the 24th, is uniquely devoted to a single country, Canada, through the works of 12 artists whose origins reflect the vast expanse of the territory. This is the first time in Europe that a mosaic exhibition has been dedicated to a North American country, and it is supported by the Canadian embassy in Paris, as well as several other organizations, government agencies and communities.

Joining Broca are artists Maria Abagis, also from British Columbia; Margo Anton, Chris Sumka and Erin Pankratz, all from Alberta; Sophie Drouin, Valerie McGarry, Heather Vollans and Julie Sperling, from Ontario; Suzanne Spahi and Ginette Lussier of Quebec; and Terry Nicholls of Newfoundland.

The exhibit was arranged by Sophie Drouin and Chantal Demonchaux. It opened this month and runs to Sept. 19. For more information, visit maisondelamosaique.org.

Posted on July 23, 2021July 21, 2021Author Community members/organizationsCategories LocalTags AGM, business, Candace Kwinter, fundraising, JABC, Jewish Federation, Lilian Broca, mosaics, philanthropy, Walter Charles Koerner, wildfires
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