It was a year of triumph and tragedy, of celebrations and setbacks as we take a look back at 2016 in the Cariboo Chilcotin.
Williams Lake gathered to give a hero’s welcome home to Rio 2016’s Olympian Kayla Moleschi after her Canadian rugby sevens team won bronze in the Olympics.
Residents also turned out in droves to rally for change this year in Williams Lake at the Take Back the Park event in Boitanio Park after a string of violent crimes, including an armed robbery in the skatepark.
City council made the news themselves after the robbery with their suggestion to implant GPS tracking systems into offenders as gang violence continued to escalate in the city, culminating in the shooting death of Indi Johnny.
But, along with the bad, also came much good.
An impromptu basketball match between Aboriginal youth and members of the Williams Lake RCMP seemed to be just what the community needed after photographs of the game went viral.
There were many things to celebrate in Williams Lake in 2016; such as the Williams Lake Stampede’s 90th anniversary, the 40th BC Elders Gathering and the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce 2016 Business Excellence Awards. Local musicians Pharis and Jason Romero also won the 2016 JUNO Award for Traditional Roots Album of the Year.
