About

Well before Mountain Spruce Community Centre Society obtained it’s present lease for a geographically neutral area. The founders registered it’s name. They knew that MSCCS needed a strong Mission Statement perhaps more futuristic than the norm about what they wanted the Society and its members to become. And so many pages of type later it began more or less, to arrange itself into becoming a broad statement about the treasures around us; the forested hills, the many streams that water the chain of beautiful lakes and of the scattered ranch lands and the good people who live and work them. The bottom line is, we all have the same interests in maintaining the land for future generations to enjoy. Our Park is but a minuscule part of this but with it’s rich diversity of flora and fauna it becomes a good indicator of how well we are doing and where we might improve.

Mission Statement: The MSCCS is committed to upholding an earth ethic of sustainability. Each member is deemed a key component to the success of this ethic, and by his/her individual example contribute to the morale, physical and social health of the community at large.

 Present Executive Members

Chairperson: Barry Dennison

                                                                    

Director & Secretary: Jen Ostlund

           

Director & Community Events Coordinator: Darlene Furber

Director & Treasurer:  Shannon Sadlowski

Director: Sharon Oswald

Director: Patti Morrison

Director: Debbie Patterson

Director: Carol Sohier 

Director: Allan Boyce

Director: Sonja Olsen 

Recycling Coordinator: Joanne Way

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SPECIAL MENTION

Many of the projects undertaken by MSCCS in the past few years would not have been accomplished without the help and contributions of many supporters in the Four Communities we represent Hathaway, Sulphurous, Deka and Higgins Lakes and area.  Many thanks to:

Project: Community Events and interpretive Map Sign

Foundation Cement - gravel donated by Higgins Gravel Sales. Trucked in by Jim Smith of Moose Haven Resort.

Cement mixed and twin posts set in by volunteer members in the course of one long day. The cross log work of the roof section required a few more days of concentrated effort by several volunteers among them Mike Rennick of Sulphurous Lake. The structure was completed and metal roofed and given its finishing stain with noted artistry by Mary Weight.

Both sides of the 4’X 8’sign itself was completed by members Olga and Roy Tomlinson using computer graphic lettering from Backroad Signs and was ready for use later in the summer of 2007. Penny Millway keeps the events side up to date with inter community happenings and friendly advice. The structure itself requires little maintenance.

Project: Bridge to the Park Trails

Not exactly the bridge over the river Kwai; however without it volunteers had quite a struggle getting  themselves and equipment in to work on the trails, the one oversight was not making it wide enough for tractor/quad access etc. So look for a bridge widening in the very near future. This crossing required a lot of heavy lifting, pushing and prodding at the outset using whatever mother nature had supplied in the stream bed and merely lining it up with the water flow. We over laid this with heavy timbers and stringers to receive the final decking. MSCCS thanks Richard Cooper for supplying the fir decking from his own mill to the creek site and then lining it all up so a number of volunteers could make like carpenters for the day or so that it took to pin it all together. Also partner Kim kept the crew from passing out with helpings of delicious burgers that day. Thanks Richard and Kim. 

Project: Tent cum Garage Sales (several over a year or two)

This was another good idea at the time, in hindsight a lot of work for a day’s pay. However we wish to thank all those who pitched in to erect the tent shelters, who trucked in the donated items then stacked, hung and placed these goodies hither and yon, on tree branches, on truck tail gates, on each other, for display and sale to the die hard collectors who arrived early, sometimes before the goods arrived and we volunteer sales staff were fully awake, tripping over us and each other, the odd pet, tree roots, ropes, feet, however after a coffee or two we got rid of the grumps and settled into some serious pricing and selling, observing what would sell and what would not early on. All told a good experience, if you really need one. Thanks go to Joyce McManus for stashing all the loot in her basement over several years and to Ray McManus for putting it up and sorting it. To Hank and Eileen Hackett of Deka Lake for using their huge flat-deck trailer to truck the stuff back and forth. To Dolores Miller of Higgins Lake for looking after the Till cum Cash Register and to her visiting Daughter for her expertise in the Sales Dept. And here also we give thanks to Sulphurous Lake member Debbie Rennick who outdid herself as a saleswoman and whose motto for the day was ‘don’t take no for an answer’  an item or two it was noted were sold right off their owners backs, sort of; as Debbie explains it - if the item in question is attached to something that hasn’t moved in awhile and doesn’t appear to be breathing, it’s saleable. Most of her happy customers felt they had a bargain. The hard part, after the day’s activity and with the sun setting in the west was in packing the unsold items back into boxes and trucking it to the McManus’ basement.  A long day for all concerned.

Project: The Viewing Platform

This was designed By MSCCS Director Roy Tomlinson and contracted to Wayne The Roofer who gave us the rustic look we wanted along with a reasonable price. We feel he succeeded. It was designed with a sloping top to receive elbows and ID books. In a covered box you will find a well used bird book (please leave it for the next visitor, thank you) and a scribble pad. In a way the viewpoint exemplifies what the Park is all about. A place to view nature and the creatures who live there and whom we live with. If they are doing fine then all is well with us. If they have a problem so will we and, we who can think, had better solve it. The deck overlooks a large Beaver Pond we have named Heron Lake and as soon as the ice breaks a lot of activity will begin. Geese will stop for a rest on their way north. Many species of duck will skitter about on the water looking for mates. Red-winged blackbirds will hang about in the rushes giving their scratchy calls to attract tone deaf females to their turf. In other words all nature comes alive. It is a great place to bring a couple of sandwiches along with binoculars and become a part of the ‘Rites of Spring’.

Project: The Perimeter Trail

This is an ongoing project as it requires seasonal maintenance with spring being the time to clear away the debris of winter’s wind storms. We decided at the outset to again use the materials nature had left so readily at hand, we swung logs about arranging them in an order that seemed logical at the time, the first and greatest challenge was clearing ‘Trappers Trail’ beside the drainage stream as large fallen trees were criss crossed in and over each other many yards high. This area is still a work in progress as the bark chips donated by Jack Larson have yet to be hauled over and spread. This work was started by Rena Wheatley and Margaretha Lundstrom who took on the chore of hauling the chips by hand. This is usually performed by a Quad and trailer as the rest of it will be when the bridge is widened. Also we acknowledge Mario Huebel of Beaver Guest Ranch who regularly takes his guests from Europe on trail rides that extend around the Parks perimeter trails and on occasion has witnessed a wedding or two at the viewpoint. Mario takes along a chainsaw in order to keep the trail clear of any fallen trees. Clearly a unique experience for people unused to the space we take for granted.
  

Project: Picnic area Rail Fencing



Volunteers taking a lunch break at a picnic site table in summer

A section of the rail fencing in winter.  Our lease hold is in free-range  cattle  country  and anyone who knows anything about cattle know that you cannot reason with a cow and never turn your back on a bull. So we fenced them out and our visitors in, hoping the cows would stop at the fence and the visitor could figure it all out. At any rate a few of us took up chain saws and brushed our way around the area we wanted to remain unfertilized, favouring of course the shaded area chosen for a few tables and benches. Ted Weight became the main shaker and mover on this project having given up his comfortable seat in the cockpit of a 747 airliner in favour of a shaky one on a Kubota tractor ranching with wife Mary; having learned a thing or two about fencing Ted took on the job without a moments hesitation and we can see his handiwork mixed in with the other more feeble attempts by the rest of us.  

Project: Recycle Sorting Shed

A recent addition to the sorting shed was a necessary ramp built from treated lumber donated by Greg Way of Sulphurous Lake. Also we acknowledge to long standing supporter Bill Stanton of Deka Lake who keeps an eye on the recycle bin making sure that the sometimes abundant loads are taken into the sorting shed; Bill also donated a folding table and more recently two folding chairs making the sorting chore a little easier for the ladies.  Brent Clifton of Deka Lake has also been a great help in our recycling efforts by clearing the bin and in taking a pickup truck load into Gold Trail for us on occasion. 


Notice:

The Park is there for all to enjoy.  If you have an interesting adventure and photo to share 

please notify us E-mail: mtnspruce@gmail.com