Jim Cooperman

Author of the local best seller, Everything Shuswap, Jim Cooperman moved to the Shuswap in 1969 as a war resister and a back-to-the-lander, after receiving his BA from the University of California at Berkeley. Over the succeeding years, Jim taught school, worked in construction and log building, operated a sawmill, and edited a provincial environmental journal, the BC Environmental Report. His local environmental work led to the protection of over 25,000 hectares of new parks in the Shuswap, which is documented in the book, Big Trees Saved, by Deanna Kawatski. He has researched and written about local history and helped initiate and edit the local history journal, Shuswap Chronicles I and II. In 1993, he wrote the Chapter on Canada in Clearcut – The Tragedy of Industrial Forestry. And in 1998, he wrote Keeping the Special in Special Management Zones, A Citizens’ Guide, published by BC Spaces for Nature. Jim lives with his wife, Kathleen, in a log home they built on 40 acres above Shuswap Lake, where they raised five children. His column, “Shuswap Passion,” appears every two weeks in either the Shuswap Market News or the Salmon Arm Observer. Additionally, his YouTube channel has over 100 videos, including many that showcase live music, skiing and Shuswap geography.

Feb 20 2023March 12, 2023

Recently discovered missionary letters reveal new historical insights

History, Shuswap

[Note: The following article includes quotes with language that should never be used today as it would be most disrespectful of First Nations. The word …

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Jan 21 2023January 24, 2023

Arts and culture are flourishing in the South Shuswap

Culture, Shuswap

For a community to excel it often takes a visionary with new ideas to create the spark that inspires others to take actions for creating …

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Jan 7 2023January 11, 2023

80-year-old Squilax Post Office papers reveal historical gems

History, Shuswap

It is not often that original source material about the Shuswap is discovered, thus it was fascinating to find a stack of papers from the …

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Dec 18 2022December 18, 2022

Salmon Arm’s unique recreation management system

Recreation, Shuswap

Most cities in British Columbia have a parks and recreation department that provides and manages these services for their many user groups, whereas in Salmon …

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Dec 2 2022December 4, 2022

Salmon Arm’s amazing year-round tennis club

Recreation, Shuswap

One of the best examples of successful volunteerism in our community is the success of the Salmon Arm tennis club that now provides year-round opportunities …

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