e-KNOW Editorial

By Ian Cobb

It’s safe to say most folks are getting a wee bit tired of winter.

Sparwood and Elkford area residents are trying to figure out where they will shovel/blow the projected 30 odd centimetres of snow on the way in the next couple of days. Backs are sore and a general sense of harrumph has settled over much of the growing population of the East Kootenay.

Sorry for the click bait headline, but there is a clump of truth in it. The federal government today released a first taste of Census 2016 and in it we learn the East Kootenay has grown by 6.6% and is again over 60,000 residents.

Perhaps that is why there are more complaints about winter highways maintenance than ever before…

Moving on, it needs to be said that the efforts of Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting, Parks Canada and municipal public works staff in all eight of the region’s incorporated communities are appreciated.

Yes, there are lots of complaints and some are well founded, but this was easily the plumpest piling of snow in at least 20 years in most parts of the region. The roads are drivable and, best of all, no lives were lost during an apparent record-breaking snowfest.

A great many people have bent their backs this past week, shoveling neighbours’ and shut-ins’ sidewalks and driveways. Those with snowblowers or ATVs with plow-blades cleared lanes, sidewalks and plow-ridges away from driveways. People cleared snow away from fire hydrants; they stopped to help others get unstuck; they went out of their way to help.

Weather events and disasters always bring out the best in people.

We’ve seen some greatness in our citizens in recent floods, fires and windstorms and we are always reminded in times such as this how blessed we are to have the emergency services personnel that we have in the East Kootenay, from the RCMP, to fire and rescue, search and rescue, BC Ambulance, emergency room personnel, organizers and more.

Best of all, East Kootenay residents don’t wait for those above-mentioned people to carry all the weight; there were countless examples of what the true meaning of community is during ‘The Great Storm of 2017,’ as stranger aided stranger; as volunteers warmed stranded travellers at Elko, Fernie, Sparwood and in Crowsnest Pass.

It does the heart good to see that our community – the greater regional one – truly remains the East Kootenay, despite population growth in most areas. We still work hard, play hard and look out for one another.

Nice work East Kootenay. Here’s hoping the incoming storm isn’t too nasty.

And now back to the Decline of the American Empire, starring Donald Trump. Tonight’s episode: The Bowling Green Massacre.

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