One happy event last week was the celebration of Veera Bonner’s 100th birthday, held at the Elks Hall on August 25. For those who don’t know, Veera is the granddaughter of Tom Hance, the first settler in the Chilcotin Valley. She is a poet, author and historian among other accomplishments. Happy Birthday, Veera.
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Early one evening last week I saw a shadow outside my window, and thought it was a visitor. It was, but not what I expected. It was a doe. She snooped around for a bit, then wandered on. Next came two little spotted fawns. They investigated everything, snuffing out the hanging baskets and potted plants. I know deer are all over the place, one of my granddaughters found a wee one on the doorstep of her apartment one day, but having them downtown in daylight was new to me. When the fawns left, I looked out but they were gone. Maybe they were checking out Kiwanis Park.
As I write this the sun is shining, the air quality is okay, all seems right with the world. It isn’t. What if this summer’s freakish weather is the new normal ? Climate change hasn’t been high on many agendas, but this summer has more people thinking about it. A good chunk of B.C. is burning, the smoke is awful. B.C. is one thing, but there are horrendous fires and droughts in California, record breaking temperatures killing people all over the world, to say nothing of floods, tornados, earthquakes and melting arctic ice. Seems every day there is something else.
Question. Never mind climate change, air quality, whatever, do local politicians have any responsibility to protect the area from future wildfires? Do they have a plan? If not, do they have any clout to convince the senior governments to do something?
Diana French is a columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.