By Sally Watson
Welcome to the brand new year! New Year’s Baby 2021 will arrive with an N95 mask and a container of hand sanitizer, and with good planning and observance of protocols will leave with a very visible grin on its face. I am a “full glass” kind of person.
For many of us, last year was a very difficult one, with the passing of family and community members for whom we were not allowed to gather in order to mourn or celebrate their lives. Might I suggest that when we are once again allowed to gather we meet in our much larger groups to celebrate all the souls who left us, and indeed all who are still here.
Some of you may already know that I recently retired from my job with Canada Post, and now am more available by phone for issues that you need my help with. Thankfully, some of those calls will have to go to voice mail when I am on my horse (I am a lucky woman). No big holidays or world travel are in the plans, even if COVID wasn’t stopping them.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District is working on connectivity, hoping that we will improve that issue for at least some of our areas. None of this is easy, but I believe that the Information Highway cannot bypass us. We need faster, reliable, and less expensive internet, and that isn’t going to come for Christmas. It is very difficult, for anyone who is not connected, to work with any government program or get any information, so this is long overdue.
No New Year’s resolutions, but I do have some questions for you:
1) I am concerned about communication with constituents. The TNRD does have a website (www.tnrd.ca), where you can find many things. Do you go there to find info? Do you check out the TNRD Facebook page or Twitter account? Do you read my TNRD Area “E” update on Facebook? Do you catch up on my column in the Clinton Lariat?
My columns aren’t exactly hard news and are mostly my opinion. Is that what you are looking for, or would you like the TNRD official version instead? How do you feel we could better get our messages out? Please send your answers to director.swatson@tnrd.ca, or call me at (250) 395-0278.
2. Here I will open a can of worms. Is there any issue on which you feel that we did either very well or very poorly?
Please let me know. Your opinion counts. We want and use your taxes; let’s make sure that we want and use your opinions to the best of our ability.
I know, I should be more careful about what I ask for, but it’s a long winter. Let’s use the time to work on improvement.
Happy 2021 to everyone!
Sally Watson is the director of Thompson-Nicola Regional District Electoral Area “E” (Bonaparte Plateau).