Congratulations to Donna Barnett for her significant win in Cariboo-Chilcotin. And thanks to all the candidates and the people who got out to vote for helping to make our democratic system work.
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Two events held here recently were well attended and it was good to see such a diverse group of people enjoying the events together. The Gibraltar Room was packed for the Williams Lake Film Club’s premiere of The Blanketing, Trevor Mack’s excellent documentary featuring local actors William Belleau and Don Wise. There was standing room only at the library for David Williams’ presentation of the Wild Horses of the Chilcotin. There are many “wild” or feral horses in the Chilcotin, but research (including DNA testing) has found the horses in the Brittany Triangle to be genetically distinct with bloodlines that go back several hundred years.
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On the city scene, council is seeking more citizen input into the renewed branding process. According to a May 15, 2013 press release, interested citizens “are encouraged to express their opinions through an online survey on the Williams Lake Brand site (www.mywilliamslake.placebrand.ca).” The site has been up since last summer (I don’t know many who knew about it ) and the city wants “more participation to build on the one-on-one interviews and the variety of opinions” it has already recorded.
Are the young professionals who live here already responding to the survey? I got stuck on some questions. “What do you love least about the city?” Hmm. “What three inspirational words would you use to describe living in Williams Lake.” Inspirational? I hope somewhere in the process there will be a public meeting where interested citizens can discuss the issue face-to face with city councillors. Believe it or not some people don’t have computers and, besides, the website isn’t good at answering questions.