I’m the new reporter at The Valley Echo and I couldn’t be happier to be living and working in Invermere.

I spent just over 12 months working at a newspaper in rural Saskatchewan before making the westbound move. Reporting in the Prairies was enjoyable, but on my free time, there wasn’t much to do other than stare at tumbleweeds.

A few summers ago I was living in Banff working as a housekeeper. Other than my job, I couldn’t get enough of the mountains. On top of the surreal mountainous scenery, I noticed the general attitude of people living in the mountains to be much friendlier. But I most appreciate Invermere for the extreme sports which are only found in the Canadian Rockies.

Invermere makes it much easier for me to reduce my carbon footprint. The newspaper where I was previously employed tossed every shred of paper in the garbage and there was no public recycling at all; the mayor of the town proposed to implement a program, but it was very poorly received. I recycled more on my first day in Invermere than I would in a month in boonie Saskatchewan.

Writing about politics, hockey and history is what I find most enjoyable — and it seems like there’s a lot to say about those topics in the Columbia Valley.

I can’t understand why most people choose to live outside of the mountains. With the constant breathtaking views, the fresh air, abundance of wildlife and the countless things to do outdoors, you can imagine how depressing it is to reside anywhere flat.

Living in Invermere greatly raises my quality of life. I plan on getting a season’s pass at Panorama and joining a beer hockey league. Once it’s warm, I’ll be hiking the mountains and rock climbing every chance I get. But no matter what time of year, it’s always a blast to pedal around rugged terrain on a mountain bike.

Those who I’ve met so far in Invermere have treated me almost like family. I’m ecstatic to be living and working in such a beautiful environment with an active and friendly community, especially at a newspaper with such a rich history and engaged readers.