This September 23rd at the Fernie Golf and Country Club, one of Fernie’s local celebrities is finding a way to give back to a community that has supported her through thick and thin. Emily Brydon will be launching a foundation that focuses on raising money for young skiers in the Elk Valley at the 1st Annual “Emily Brydon Foundation� (EBF) Golf Tournament.

To some, this may come as a bit of a surprise, but for those who know Emily and the story of her life and successes to date, this may have even been anticipated. EBF provides Emily with the opportunity to instill in young athletes the fundamentals to success in pursuing their dreams while continuing to be involved in academics and society.

EBF firmly believes that being involved in athletics and sports help to build character in an individual, and this foundation will allow for individuals to experience this growth and the pursuits of their dreams by relieving some of the financial pressures involved in competing and training at these levels. “If this foundation results in 1 person experiencing half of what I have experienced thus far in my life, I will have accomplished my goal.�

The EBF 1st Annual Golf Tournament is the kick off to the foundation and is meant to raise awareness of its goals and future involvement in the Elk Valley and local ski programs. It is a fun event that will bring members of the community and sponsors together to support a local cause. The shotgun start is at noon, with unique themes developed at each hole by the sponsoring company or individual.

For more information on how to get involved or to reserve a spot in the tournament, please contact Rosemary Brydon at 250-423-4782.

This story is about a three year old Grizzly bear, first introduced to the public three years ago when she showed up in Jaffrey. She was featured in the Kootenay News Advertiser on September 20th, 2004. Her mother had taught her that fruit trees in residential areas were the ideal food source; but she didn’t teach her the consequences of an easy lunch. Grizzly bears, intelligent and curious animals that they are, have an incredible ability to remember food sources (called memory mapping), so this lesson stuck well with the young cub. Often a cub who follows its mother into a residential area to feed on fruit trees during summer will return to the same spot to feed, even as long as three to five years later. This will put the bear in conflict with humans and the bear may be destroyed. People who live in bear country need to understand that attracting bears to their property, knowingly or unknowingly, is illegal.

Your local Bear Aware Program wants to remind you that it is the community’s responsibility to ensure that we do not bait bears into our neighborhoods. Many people wonder why bears shouldn’t feed on fruit trees in their backyard, but the answer is that it should not matter if a bear passes through their back yard, as long as it is not rewarded with food. When a bear is rewarded with an easy food source it will prolong its stay and may return the next year, It also learns that a residential area and the smell of humans can mean food. Unfortunately, the Grizzly mentioned above was killed by conservation officers earlier this month after she was found wandering the Park Royal neighbourhood of Cranbrook. This is a classic story of a bear habituated to humans and conditioned to human food sources – and the ending is familiar as well.

Grizzly bears, like this one, are increasingly important to the survival of the species. Populations are disappearing from South to North with very few Grizzlies now crossing over the United States / Canadian boarder. The loss of this bear is tragic and a reminder that all community members must be Bear Aware so that we may continue to live among these animals for generations to come.

The following attractants are most common in your area and some simple solutions are provided:

• Garbage - Please keep garbage indoors until the morning of collection or until you can bring it to a transfer station. Freeze smelly items until you can dispose of them.

• Fruit Trees - Pick fruit as it ripens or consider replacing the tree if you do not use the fruit.

• Compost - Make sure your composts is not smelly, for tips on proper composting visit www.compost.org

• Bird Feeders - Please only use bird feeders in the winter when it is most needed.

A Bear will also be attracted to your yard to seek out pet food, BBQ’s, petroleum products, beehives, and nut bearing trees and shrubs.

Your local Bear Aware program will be hosting a Teddy Bear picnic at the Tie Lake Regional Park August the 27th. The award winning movie, Show Down at Grizzly River, will be featured in Fernie at the Arts Station on September 7^thand at the Jaffrey Pub on September 10^th. Bear Aware will also be hosting local photographer Terry Parker’s bear and wildlife slide show in Sparwood and a community awareness event at the Lamplighter Pub in Elkford in October. Please contact your local Bear Aware Program for more details on community awareness events and to get tips on keeping your property bear safe or visit www.bearaware.com.