It is difficult, if not impossible, to highlight all of the 2016 stories that fall under the heading of “community.”
More than anything, Powell River celebrates the connections between people working together in a purposeful sense of caring and building to make things happen for the better.
If a community is judged by how it shares fellowship with others, Powell River’s best side was no more evident in 2016 than in the way it welcomed two new families from war-ravaged Syria.
The Azrak and Dayekh families arrived in June after fleeing for their lives from the battle for Aleppo.
“It was bombing all the time,” said Rezq Dayekh. “Helicopters shooting, guns shooting. No electricity. No water. It was bad. Everybody is fighting everybody.”
Imagining the arduous journey is nearly impossible. From Syria, the families travelled to Jordan, where they waited anxiously for immigration applications to be approved, and then faced the culture shock of arriving in Powell River after a long journey.
To leave everything they had ever known and move to a strange place was, needless to say, a culture shock and bittersweet, according to Sharbel Azrak, a father of two young sons.
“It’s your only memories, where we grew up, and where you have all of your family and friends,” said Azrak. “Leaving is like comparing it with your soul leaving your body.”
The Azrak family left with nothing but clothes and documents.
When he looks back on what his family left, and what is ahead in this strange new world, Azrak said he is happy to be here.
“How we are greeted here is an awesome thing,” he said. “How generous you are and how nice you are. That is what is very touching.”
The arrival of the Azrak and Dayekh families would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of their sponsors: Church of the Assumption, Westview Baptist Church and Evangel Pentecostal Church.
A community is also said to be measured by how it treats its senior citizens. One story in 2016 revealed a sad state of affairs at Evergreen Care Unit and Willingdon Creek Village, two seniors’ residences in Powell River operated under the authority of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH).
When troublesome news surfaced of seniors receiving questionable food quantity and quality from VCH’s food service provider, Sodexo, public reaction was swift.
Reports by VCH and Sodexo confirmed that, on one occasion, some residents were given a nutritional energy drink instead of a full meal.
Other complaints were raised to management about incidents of food shortages, meals of poor quality, meals not served on time and small portion sizes.
According to VCH public affairs director Gavin Wilson and Sodexo’s vice president of communications and corporate affairs Katherine Power, the problem was immediately addressed and, since September, there have been no further reports of food shortages or quality complaints.
The office of the BC Seniors Advocate has done some followup on the issue; an update is expected in the new year.
Many community heroes of 2016 deserve mention and many more, who choose to dedicate volunteer hours in anonymity, cannot be thanked enough.
Sadly, Gina Kendrick, the heart and soul of Powell River Action Centre Food Bank for more than two decades, passed away.
Local senior Hank Cummings continued to inspire. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2004, Cummings raised more than $5,000 participating in the Parkinson Superwalk.
The dedicated group of volunteers behind Powell River’s Meals on Wheels made the difficult decision to end the program that served the community for 45 years.
Any year in review would not be complete without the mention and appreciation for the teachers and educators of School District 47, who show invaluable commitment in the stewardship of our community’s youth.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of a community and it cannot survive without them. They are the reason Powell River is a renowned festival city, our less fortunate are cared for with dignity, and that our a magnificent backcountry is becoming a destination for tourists from around the world.
Dedication shown by countless people who give freely of their time for the betterment of the city and its residents extends far beyond what can be summed up in a year in review, because everyone who lives here is part of the story.
