Contributors
Who's Who
Larissa Ardis is a Smithers-based freelance writer and communications consultant. When not slinging words, images and sound, she’s often found chasing inspiration on mountain trails or trying to restore the accordion’s image as a cool instrument to play.
Heather Ramsay is an award-winning community reporter, photographer and creative writer who lives in Queen Charlotte City. She is deeply intrigued by lives and landscapes—past, present and future—swirling around British Columbia’s Northwest.
Rob McMahon lives in Vancouver, where he recently graduated from UBC’s School of Journalism. He was introduced to life in the North while reporting for the Prince Rupert Daily News. Rob’s writing has appeared in The Georgia Strait and Monday Magazine.
Facundo Gastiazoro is a freelance designer who focuses on logos, posters, layout and illustrations. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Facundo is currently living in Smithers. His illustrations appear in every issue of Northword Magazine.
Betsy Trumpener is a CBC Radio reporter and fiction writer. Her most recent publication is the short story Blowtorch, published in the anthology Letting Go. She’s a recent winner of a Jack Webster/CIDA fellowship to travel and report from East Africa. She lives with her family outside Prince George.
Monty Bassett is a writer and film-maker from Smithers. When not shooting documentaries for the likes of Discovery Channel, he bilds on his house. Much of his movie Sheep of Stone was shot in the Spatsizi/Klappan area, which holds a special place in his heart.
Kathy Ehman is an independent journalist. Escaped from industrial Sarnia, Ontario, trained and polished in agricultural PEI, she then turned around and followed her heart west to Lax Kw’allams, where she kick-started Eagle Eye Media Services.
Steve Ogle lives in Nelson, British Columbia. He’s a biologist who
got into a habit of exploring remote and all-too-often inhospitable regions of the planet. He says, “I’m not really into self-abuse,
I just like to be outside.”
Taylor Bachrach is a communications generalist, graphic
designer and diaper changer whose idea of a good day involves
fresh snow and Italian coffee. Born and raised in Dunster, B.C., he now lives and works in Smithers.
Melanie Watts In addition to freelance writing Melanie
used to raise sheep on her farm in the BC Peace. She has just finished building a log house, northwest of Prince George with her husband and two teenaged children.
Hans Saefkow is an award-winning editorial cartoonist, Illustrator and set designer. If you see this man, do not approach him, feed him, or listen to his idle chatter. It is simply best not to
encourage him.
Russell Bowers co-hosts Daybreak each weekday for CBC Radio out of Prince Rupert. He’s also a writer, actor and award-winning record producer. In his spare time he drives, listens to music and avoids finishing his first book; he’s not sure if it’s a romance novel or “a self-help thing.”
Charlynn Toews has been in the publishing industry since 1985, most recently as the North Coast ad rep for Northword. She has published in daily and weekly newspapers, national magazines, and loves a good quarterly,
joining us as a regular columnist from her home in Terrace.
Rudy Kelly, a father of two boys, is a program director, freelance writer, playwright, and lounge singer based in Prince Rupert. He won two BC newspaper awards while working for the Daily News, and his plays have won several awards at Theatre BC’s regional festivals.
Mel Coulson is one of those retirees who wonders how he ever found time to work. When not lending his engineering skills to community projects such as the Old Church renovations in Smithers, or recording bird song CDs, he can be found hiking the mountains, bird watching or star-gazing.
Amanda Follett spent the summer house-sitting in Smithers, where she was wooed by Northern culture and community spirit. This fall, after many disparaging looks from the long-since-returned homeowners, she finally admitted she wasn’t going home to Alberta and found her own cabin
in the country.
By: Phylls
14 January 2007
By: Karen
7 February 2007