For 2021, we can look forward to picking up where we left off and getting on with the betterment of the community. Yes, that’s what I wrote a year ago; so how has that worked out?
Well, COVID-19 is still with us and changing with the times; we set heat records in the summer and rain records in the autumn. On the other hand, the flooding passed us by, we haven’t seen a tornado and the majority of us are vaccinated.
Right, now let’s get on with that betterment idea. At the qathet Regional District we are still working to reduce the negative impacts all of us have on the environment. The mandate that we reduce, recycle and repurpose is still front and centre, so work on the resource and recovery centre carries on and now we have an award on the wall to remind us that sometimes simple is the answer we were seeking as we trudged through the complicated.
In this case the problem was stormwater runoff from the site contaminating the waterways down to Willingdon Beach and the ocean beyond. The consulting engineers devised an elaborate drainage and containment system that would do the job, but at great cost in both time and money.
qRD staff devised a natural filtration system that protects the environment at a fraction of the cost and is in place now. The 2021 community excellence award in asset management reflects the skills and dedication of our neighbours working for our betterment.
While some of us labour in the trenches, others are at the forefront of the seemingly endless battle with COVID. The miracle cure is not yet with us but our neighbours in health care are working day and night to keep our families safe and our community functioning.
I may mutter about masks and restrictions, but I try to keep it down and speak up with thanks to those who do so much with the tools they have.
So once again, I will remark on a new year, with new challenges, but with the knowledge that we can do it, we know how, and 2022 will be better for it.
