We realize it’s been a long, often cold, winter and on these Outlook pages one often finds plenty of negative comment, predictions of doom and gloom, contrarian opinions and news of a negative nature.
This week, though, we’d like to point out that springlike weather is appearing more often, our days are getting longer and there is a lot to be positive about.
This week alone, there is a plethora of positive performances pervading our pages.
First and foremost, of course, are those of our Bow Valley Paralympians in PyeongChang. We do hope the Canadian Paralympic Committee has funding needed for all the extra baggage (full of medals) our Paralympians are hauling home.
Personal bests, record setting performances, huge medals hauls, our Paralympians did it all in South Korea, making Bow Valley residents and Canadians everywhere proud.
Combined with prior strong showings by Canadians at the Olympic Games, this winter has had a distinctly metallic feel to it.
Then there are our young people. Athletes on Canmore Atom and PeeWee teams have turned in outstanding minor hockey seasons, alpine skiers performed well at nationals in Ontario, climbers shone in a couple of disciplines at Elevation Place, and 120 budding scientists strutted their stuff at the recent Canadian Rockies Public School science fair.
Scoring goals, making saves, scaling the heights, studying our water or teaming up to examine short- and long-term memory, our youth have certainly added an air of positivity to valley happenings.
Then there are the groups and individuals who continually lend a hand to improving lives in the Bow Valley.
The fine Mineral Springs Hospital Ladies Auxiliary once again created and sold St. Patrick’s Day baking to aid the hospital’s fundraising efforts, while Alanna Pettigrew, Dr. Elizabeth Hall-Findlay and Lorraine Widmer-Carson were rightly honoured as Change Makers by the YWCA in our valley.
Change Makers indeed – these valley women are often to be found tirelessly working behind the scenes on projects of importance to many in the valley.
When it comes to ever popular wildlife and outdoor issues, Annie Pumphrey is working on a web series to highlight the joy one can find in communing with nature.
On the entertainment front, Banffites are celebrating the anniversary of their Latin Night event; one which celebrates music, culture and dance and which they created to fill a gap among all the offerings in the mountain town.
Then there is the plan for a Light the Night event this summer to increase awareness of blood cancer-related issues. It’s a new event we believe will be very popular.
Then again, and lest you think we’ve had rose-coloured glasses on for too long in the Outlook newsroom, there is the confusing, sure-to-be-controversial, proposed solar project on Stoney Nakoda lands.
On one hand, a recent referendum on development on Nakoda lands was defeated by Nation residents, while on the other hand, the solar project already has its own website – which would suggest planners, developers and the money handlers behind the project believed it would be a slam-dunk.
While support from Nation residents seems to be lacking at this point, wording on the Chiniki Solar Project (www.chinikisolar.com) would suggest it’s a done deal; with construction estimated to take place from June to November.
Stayed tuned on this one ...
