Dan Poirier, owner of DA Poirer Productions Inc., films a scene for the "Take Me There" promotional video. Submitted photo

Dan Poirier, owner of DA Poirer Productions Inc., films a scene for the “Take Me There” promotional video. Submitted photo

By Erin Knutson

Pioneer Intern

The Whiteway Take Me There promotional video was an undertaking of passion, inspiration and creativity that helped unite the Columbia Valley community.

A year ago, $13,000 in funds were secured by various organizations and backed by the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerces Tourism Marketing

Committeeto help create a promotional video for the Lake Windermere Whiteway.

The video was a labour of love for Andrea Tubbs, project manager at Swansea Communications, which headed up the project, eventually partnering with Dan Poirer of DA Poirer Productions Inc.

Dan took it outside the box and we were able to get the stunning aerial views necessary for conveying the proper emotion of the Whiteway on a budget, said Ms. Tubbs. Dan was able to get the look and feel of the Whiteway including the history, the lakes, and the views.

DA Poirer Productions Inc. won over the ten different production companies to which Ms. Tubbs sent proposals.

This video was created with the vision of transporting the viewer from the present into a dream-like state where clarity and remnants of the past are one in the same, she said. With vintage treatments and clear blue skies, we are taken to the place where happiness abounds, paradise is all around and there couldnt possibly be a bad day. Take me there to the Lake Windermere Whiteway in the Columbia Valley!

This was the vision of the team involved in the realization of the video.

Local musician and talent Ben Cameron of the Dandelions composed the song Take me there accompanying the entire video.

The song was an original score created, recorded, and digitally mastered in the valley, said Ms. Tubbs of the song that promises to become globally recognized once the Whiteway is recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records, she added.

Mr. Cameron owns Woodshop Productions and was born and raised in the valley. Ben created the song and it sort of fell into place, said Ms. Tubbs. He put some heart into it.

Theres been a swell in the musical community and this project has been very good for the local music scene, said Mr. Cameron, adding that the song was a careful collaboration between himself, his wife Shilo, Bruce Childs on bass guitar and Fraser Smith on the banjo. The banjo was the last thing recorded and was the icing on the cake.

The filming took place over two weekends in February while pond hockey was underway. The scenic shots that make up the entirety of the video include a package of four vignettes featuring the Whiteway, winter recreation, arts-culture, food and retail.

The response has been extremely positive thus far; comments like it gives me shivers has tongues wagging and people are definitely moved by it, stated Ms. Tubbs on the reception of the video.

A lot of people came together to try to accomplish something. There has been a sense of cohesion that has been remiss in the valley. Everyone wanted to add something, said Courtney Allen, project manager at Swansea Communications.

The community really stepped up for the filming and volunteered props, models, and extra work.

There was a sense of pride involved accompanied by the idea that this is the place where I live, said Ms. Allen of peoples reactions to the project.

Putting it all together and creating something prolific that really represents peoples emotions about their hometown is important.

We put a lot on the line creatively in the hopes that people would feel something that people would love it and that the message would translate, she said.

The video can be viewed online by typing

tinyurl.com/pyep8wj into your web browser.