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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1081341
60 BCBUSINESS MARCH 2019 "I can burn some extra enery that I have left and just enjoy playing hockey with my teammates and have a few beers after that," he says. "I don't have to think about work or anything like that. It's just a good hour and a half of fun times." Choquette, who likes being part of any team, especially enjoys hockey because it's fast and physi- cal. He plays goaltender, a position he loves for the skill set it requires and because it's the backbone of the team: "[I] try to stop the pucks and keep our team in the game," he explains of his work between the pipes. Choquette took up the sport in his late teens in his hometown of Laval, Quebec, but didn't really get into it until moving to B.C. in 1998. After studying classical French cuisine for three years at Montreal's l'Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec, followed by an apprenticeship in Mon- treal and three months at a restaurant in France, he headed to Vancouver, where he landed a job as chef de partie at Lumière. Apart from a couple of years in Australia to broaden his culinary experience and a stint at Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island, he was based in Vancouver until 18 months ago. In late 2017, Choquette and his girlfriend, Chelsie Osmond, moved to Ross- land, which immediately felt like home. The former mining town, popula- tion around 3,500, in the Monashee Mountains of the West Kootenays, has reinvented itself as a tourism and recreation destination—for hiking, biking and especially skiing. Despite plenti- ful snow, Rossland has a moderate climate with mild winters and com- fortable summers. "It's very lovely," Choquette says. "It's awesome—a small community with lots of outdoor activity." Besides playing hockey, he snowboards in the winter, and in the warmer months participates in a slo-pitch men's league. At home, he brews his own beer. The couple's Bernese mountain dog, Russell, adopted as a puppy in Vancouver, also approves of the move—he can be oŸ-leash, play on the mountain and romp in the snow. "There's so many dogs here, so it's fantastic," Choquette notes. He expects to stay in Rossland for a while. "[I'm] very well established here now," he says. "I had a chance to purchase a home, and I totally feel part of the community, so I'll enjoy this new adventure for a little bit." ( quality time ) History Lessons Geographer Derek Hayes is a prolific author whose work includes the Histori- cal Atlas Series–like British Columbia: A New Historical Atlas, now avail- able in paperback. Its 900 maps tell the story of the planners, gold seekers and fur traders who built B.C. (Douglas & McIntyre, 368 pages, $36.95). Published last fall, the White Rock resident's Iron Road West: An Illustrated History of British Columbia's Railways (Harbour Publishing, 240 pages, hardcover, $44.95) is not just an exhaustive account of B.C.'s railroads since the first line in the 1860s. It also explains how they influenced the province's development, from opening up the Okanagan for fruit growing to their use in logging and mining. Make Tracks If reading about trains isn't enough, there are two rail-related events this month. The 35th annual Nanaimo Model Railroad Show on March 10 features operating layouts, swap-n-shop tables and demonstra- tions. And on the 24th, the West Coast Railway Association's 37th Western Rails, billed as Canada's largest railroadiana show, takes place in Burnaby. A F T E R HO U R S Congratulations Kathy Butler Managing Director & Head CIBC Capital Markets – British Columbia and Technology & Innovation, Global Investment Banking Proudly named one of BC's Most Influential Women in Finance