The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE, DAMMIT!
EDITORIAL - March 6, 2007
Call it a victory or just the start of many victories to come. Whatever you consider the outcome of the 'battle' between the Similkameen Valley and coal-fired energy generation to be, you have to admit one thing...it brought us all together (well, most of us) with a common goal.
The Similkameen Valley Planning Society (SVPS) has been trying for years, the Chamber of Commerce has been trying for years and Similkameen Country has been trying for years to put a short, sweet, simple tag onto the Similkameen Valley to promote what we are outside of our area.
What they've come up with are slogans such as "BC's Best Kept Secret" and "Diverse By Nature" and "The Fruit Stand Capital of Canada" and while each of them have value we think the unification of the Similkameen Valley, as was demonstrated when a perceived threat was looming around the corner, says something much stronger and should be what we promote our Valley to be outside of our area.
Give it a cute little slogan if you must, but remember the Similkameen Valley as a place where residents aren't afraid to stare big business down the throat when we feel threatened.
View it as a variation of the story of David and Goliath if that gives you a better understanding, but from where we sit we are truly proud of how people from across the Valley - regardless of political stripe, cultural connections, age, gender, income level, etc. - identified what they wanted to protect and were willing to go to the wall with it.
Dr. David Suzuki touched on it when he was in town last week. He made it clear that we can truly control our future but we need to start now. He suggested identifying what it is that keeps us here and making a commitment to protect that and looking forward from there.
It appears that the people of the Similkameen Valley have already accomplished the first half of that equation.
The next step is up to our elected officials from ALL governing bodies in the Similkameen Valley to join together and start the visioning process.
If the environment is the number one attraction in the Similkameen, does it not make sense to protect it not only for our use but the use of those who come after we are long gone?
If it wasn't for the efforts of SOS (Save Our Similkameen) and FOS (Friends of the Similkameen) would it have been as obvious to you?
