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The Trench Magazine

Life + Culture in the Columbia, Creston, and Elk Valleys! Learn more at https://www.thetrenchmag.com.

08/19/2026

Winter 2026/27 Ad Sales Are Open! ❄️

Ad sales for The Trench Winter issue are now open — but don’t wait! Sales close October 15. (Our Summer issue sold out three weeks early.)

📖 7,500 copies
📅 On shelves November 20–April 2027
📍 Columbia Valley • Kimberley • Cranbrook • Golden • Fernie/Elk Valley • Creston

And yes — we can build your ad!

Our Winter story line-up includes a big look at the region’s international-calibre winter sports stars, the inner workings of the East Kootenays EV truck manufacturer, hockey schoolin’, super-dogs, a year-end photo essay featuring the region’s foremost photographers and way, way more...all local tales supported by independently-owned local media.

DM us for more details or shoot an email over to [email protected] or [email protected].

08/17/2026

A pretty damn good weekend for Kootenay rugby.

The 2026 Saratoga Cup wrapped up in Fernie on August 8 & 9, with the Rocky Mountain Rogues women making club history. After three straight second-place finishes, they took down defending champions Salmon Arm to claim their first-ever Saratoga Cup title. The Rogues men also had a strong showing, finishing third after an undefeated Kootenay Rugby League season and a hard-fought semifinal that went to extra time.

If you read For Those About to Ruck… in our latest issue, you’ll know why these results are worth talking about.

Trixie Pacis took us through some 70 years of Kootenay rugby, from the Barbarians, Bulls, Colonials and Rogues to the people still hauling themselves across hundreds of kilometres to play, coach, volunteer, and keep the sport going in small communities across the region. She also wrote about the growth of women’s rugby and the Rogues’ three consecutive runner-up finishes at Saratoga.

Congrats to the Rogues women on making history, to the men on a hell of a season, and to everyone who continues to keep Kootenay rugby alive and growing.

Haven’t read Trixie's story yet? For Those About to Ruck… is online now and in our Spring/Summer 2026 issue.
Photo credit to Rocky Mountain Rogues

Trixie Pacis
Elk Valley Rugby
Rugby League British Columbia

07/30/2026

Saturday is often rugby day, and in the Kootenays that tradition runs deep.

In our Spring/Summer issue, For Those About to Ruck... traces 70 years of Kootenay rugby through the stories, rivalries, and communities that have shaped the game. Written by Trixie Pacis, the feature looks back at the clubs, players, and moments that helped build rugby culture in a region where long drives, tough seasons, and dedicated volunteers have always been part of the game.

The season reaches its biggest weekend on August 8 and 9 as the 2026 BC Rugby Saratoga Cup comes to Fernie. The tournament brings together the top men's and women's interior club teams from across the Kootenays, Okanagan, Central Interior, and Northern BC, celebrating the continued growth of the sport and one of the best weekends on the BC Rugby calendar.

Read For Those About to Ruck... in our latest issue online at https://issuu.com/gokimberley?ps=24 and then head to Fernie to catch the action.
Written by Trixie Pacis and photos by Jenny Rae Bateman Photography (first two) and Elk Valley Rugby (third)

07/22/2026

Wildfire season is here in the Kootenays and right across Canada, bringing uncertainty for many communities. With Kimberley currently under evacuation alert, our thoughts are with everyone watching conditions closely, along with the crews working every day to keep people and places safe.

With that, we want to pay homage to one of our features from our Spring/Summer 2025 issue. Life on the Line, written by Kevin Brooker with photography by Nicole Leclair and Jesse Winter, is a tribute to the men and women who protect our forests and our communities. It offers a look at the work, discipline, and commitment behind every wildfire response.

The feature opens with a reminder that feels just as relevant today:

"Nature-built to burn then bounce back, East Kootenay forests are the foundation of our economy, ecology, and communities. For nearly 50 years combined, members of the Rocky Mountain and Flathead Unit Crews have fought fires for a living. Theirs, and ours."

The story also reminds us that the work continues long before and long after smoke fills the sky. Training, preparation, equipment maintenance, and years of experience all come together when it matters most.

To everyone serving on wildfire crews across British Columbia and beyond, thank you for the work you do and the risks you accept on behalf of all of us.

If you haven't read Life on the Line, check it out today on our website at https://www.thetrenchmag.com/stories/bc-wildfire.

Words by Kevin Brooker. Photos by Nicole Leclair (first) and Jesse Winter (second)

07/16/2026

Joseph Creek has shaped Cranbrook for generations, but today it's under pressure from growing demand, changing conditions, and decades of development.

One of our latest articles, **Overworked but Underway**, looks at the work being done to restore the creek and why its future matters to everyone who calls the region home. During the dry summer months, up to 80 per cent of Joseph Creek's flow is diverted for licensed use, making restoration efforts more important than ever.

Learn more about the project at www.restorejosephcreek.com

You can also visit the Restore Joseph Creek educational booth on 17th Ave, across from Cranbrook Skate Park, on Thursdays throughout July from 1 to 3 p.m.

Read the full story by Dave Quinn and Darren Davidson in our Spring/Summer issue on Issuu, page 29:
https://issuu.com/gokimberley/docs/the_trench_-_spring_summer_2026_73a0cb58b46857

07/10/2026

Huge props to every rider who took on last weekend's B***s on Tubes enduro at Panorama Mountain Resort. From first-time racers to seasoned riders, it was another reminder of what happens when women create space to challenge themselves, cheer each other on, and have a whole lot of fun doing it.

In our latest Spring/Summer issue, the story Belle Raisers looks at how a casual Columbia Valley group ride in 2022 grew into something much bigger. What started as weekly rides became B***s on Tubes, a community built around laughter, racing, and supporting women on bikes. Today, it includes an annual women's enduro featuring timed, multi-stage racing, 1,000 metres of climbing, and even an advanced black diamond option for those ready to push themselves.

At its heart, it remains exactly what it set out to be. A welcoming event where women can set themselves an impressive goal and feel deeply supported and celebrated as they go after it.

Want to join a ride? Check out B***s on Tubes on Instagram.

Read the full story, Belle Raisers, in the latest Spring/Summer issue of The Trench on our website here: https://www.thetrenchmag.com/stories/b***s-on-tubes
Photo by Tristan Proctor | Story Written by Ellie Crabb
***sontubes .proctor
***sontubes

07/06/2026

The newest issue of The Trench is now online.

If you haven't picked up a print copy yet, you can now flip through the full Spring/Summer issue on Issuu from wherever you are.

Inside this issue you'll find stories about East Kootenay consignment and why buying secondhand makes more sense than ever, two Creston farming families navigating food's past and future, Golden mountain guide Mark Herbison's remarkable story of survival and redemption, a fictional farewell to the Sullivan Mine, a look back at the roots of rugby in our region, and yes, b***s on tubes.

Read it on your lunch break, with your morning coffee, or while you're pretending to work.

Find it here: https://issuu.com/gokimberley/docs/the_trench_-_spring_summer_2026_73a0cb58b46857

06/25/2026

🎣 CASTING CALL 🎣

On rivers and streams around the planet, mankind’s fascinated quest beneath currents has spanned ages of empire and aristocracy. Ardent angler, Mike McPhee, reflects on the deep allure of fly fishing — and the East Kootenay’s extraordinary place amongst it all in our most recent issue of The Trench.

Read the full article on our website here: https://www.thetrenchmag.com/stories/east-kootenay-fly-fishing

Words and photos by Mike McPhee

06/19/2026

It takes a mountain of volunteers to make a mountain race happen.

In our Summer/Fall 2025 story What Comes Around, we explored the heart behind Kimberley’s beloved Round the Mountain event. Documentary filmmaker Lukas Nemeth captured that spirit in his short film The Spirit of the Event, wanting to “highlight the simple fact that if there’s no volunteerism, events like this don’t exist.”

Round the Mountain is a race that presents a scenario of impassioned volunteerism and an authentic community panache.

The multi-discipline race, which features a 20-kilometre run, bike, or hike, was conjured up over 15 years ago by a group of go-getter locals.

The race is 100% volunteer run and all proceeds go right back into trail maintenance for runners and riders.

Whether you're pinning on a race bib, lacing up your hiking shoes, hopping on two wheels, or cheering from the sidelines, Round the Mountain returns to Kimberley on June 20 and remains one of the best examples of what happens when a community rallies around its trails.

Register and learn more at https://www.roundthemountain.ca/

Read the full article in our Summer/Fall 2025 issue at https://issuu.com/gokimberley/docs/the_trench_-_summer_fall_2025

06/11/2026

Fernie, your summer reading has arrived.

The Summer 2026 issue of The Trench has hit shelves and countertops around town, from cafés and breweries to bike shops, local businesses, and other spots where good stories tend to find good company.

Inside, you'll find a fresh collection of stories, people, places, and perspectives from across the Columbia, Creston, and Elk Valleys.

Grab a free copy, take it to your favourite patio, trailhead, riverside camp chair, or après-ride hangout, and settle in.

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