When you are the editor of a small town weekly newspaper, people what to know what kind of guy or woman you are.
 
Locally, the editor of our town newspaper, The Dryden Observer is Chris Marchand. On Wednesday last, Chris shared a few highlights from his life story with Dryden Rotary
 
Chris began his talk by letting us know that he is the son of a former Dryden Rotary Club president, Tom Marchand.  Hence it was not a surprise to learn that he grew up in Dryden. In fact he lived just down the street from Rtn. Roland Swan who recalled taking him skiing at Dryden hill. Later the family would move out to Lake Wabigoon.
 
After graduating from Dryden high school, Chris headed west and lived the life of a skiing and
Snow-boarding fan in the Rockies.
 
After a few years Chris took up his study of journalism which of course led to his present career.
 
Because, there was little opportunity for reporters in BC and since his present wife had opportunities in Ontario, they moved back to Dryden where Chris became Observer editor.
 
One of the strengths Marchand brings to The Observer is his expertise and interest photography. He shared with us some stunning photos that he had taken, one of which has been used for the Dryden phonebook cover.
 
The blocks of coloured ice and the finished castle
 
Chris is perhaps most notorious for one year making  coloured ice blocks using food colouring to build a fort in his back yard . The fort took close to 400, eight-litre ice blocks, which he froze over the course of a month. He took photos from the event and posted them on the website Imgur, a division of Reddit.com. Within 12 hours, he had about 700,000 views. CBC even did a story on his fort.
 
Marchand is also into mountain and “fat” biking and does much of his riding on the trails near Ghost Lake. He and his wife Lindsay are now the parents of a daughter who began school in 2014.
 

Rtn. Janet S wins 50/50 Pot

With only two cards left, Wednesday's pot swelled by a couple of hundred dollars...and Janet Shaffer had the chance to get lucky.....and she did - finding the Ace of Spades.
 
Club VP Rtn. Carl E. looks as happy as Rtn. Janet S.