On Friday, Nov. 2, the Cowichan Valley Regional District conducted a tour of Cowichan West to familiarize its directors and staff with our area. The elected officials of Areas I and F and the Town of Lake Cowichan are familiar with the area we live in. Other Area Directors, however, who make important decisions on our behalf, may not always be totally aware of our area.
I was unable to attend the first tour in the north part of our region, including electoral Areas G, H and the Town of Ladysmith but was lucky enough to participate in the tour of the west, which was informative and worthwhile for everyone in attendance.
Some of the highlights were stops at Mesachie Lake Forestry Research Station (very educational), Cowichan Lake Sports Arena, the weir, our museum, our Seniors’ Centre for lunch, Lake Cowichan Sewage Treatment Plant, TATA Communications Satellite Station, University of Victoria’s property at Marble Bay and the Youbou land site.
There is concern growing over a shortage of doctors in our community. The Cowichan Division of Family Practice and the Family Physician Recruitment Office has accepted our invitation to attend our public meeting on Dec. 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Upper Centennial Hall.
If you would like to attend, our meeting is open to the public. Please bring any questions you may have regarding the doctor shortage. A strong showing from the public will help validate our concerns.
Remembrance Day service was well attended this year. Thank you to everyone who came out to honour our veterans and a special thank you to those who helped make this service special: Emcee Mike Eckert, Padre Ben Yablonski, Parade Commander Suzanne Jones, vocalist Mary Popovich, Lament-piper Frank Nichol and all those who laid wreaths and showed their respect for the fallen soldiers.
In July, 2013, there will be a delegation travelling from Lake Cowichan to Ohtaki/Date City, Japan. There is still an opportunity for students, as well as adults to sign up to be part of the group. The trip will be approximately ten days with the majority of your accommodations in Japan being with home stay families. Please contact the town office for more information if you are interested.
Students at Lake Cowichan Secondary School deserve a lot of credit for the initiative they put forth through an encouragement board at their school. This board is a tool to express their respect and positive feelings towards one another. You should all be proud of helping each other when it comes to dealing with the many pressures of being a teenager.
It makes our town proud when we see the success people from our community achieve. One example is Divine Fit, a band out of Los Angeles, who appeared on the Jimmy Fallon Show and David Letterman Show. Daniel Boeckner is one of the members of this talented group. Daniel grew up in Lake Cowichan where his father, David, was a teacher at Lake Cowichan Secondary School and still resides here.
After watching this band perform, it is obvious that there will be much more success to follow. It goes to show you that with hard work, your goals and dreams can be realized. Daniel provides much inspiration for other musicians and the realization that talent and persistence can lead to success.
Volunteers are hard at work once again decorating the town for Christmas. They show great character by selflessly giving their time out in the cold to provide enjoyment for others. We extend our gratitude for your dedication and to everyone who helped by donating lights and money for our light-up. The spirit you provide is greatly appreciated.
Saturday, Dec. 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Cowichan School District No. 79 is hosting a meeting at Lake Cowichan Secondary School.
Community consultation sessions are being held around the district to engage parents, staff and community members to consider options being contemplated for our schools. Participants are encouraged to pre-register at communityconsultation@sd79.bc.ca. It is important that the public get out and have their voices heard regarding our schools and our future.
