There’s just no way the people of this district are going to let a little rain — OK, a lot of rain — dampen their spirits.
A hardy, maritime folk, the people of our area carry on with work and fun through downpour after downpour, and it says a lot about their persistence and sense of community.
It might be a soccer practice or football game. It could be a protest or a flag-raising ceremony. It might a simple thing like resisting the urge to stay indoors during the rain and get to a residents association meeting. Or, as we saw Wednesday night, it could be a determined effort to ensure little ones and families alike have a happy and safe Halloween.
The popular Halloween event and fireworks in Dashwood switched locations this year to fire hall No. 2 in Meadowood. Thousands of people enjoyed the games, food, drinks, fireworks and one of the biggest bonfires we have ever seen.
Everywhere one turned at the event, one could see a Dashwood firefighter or other volunteer helping run little games for the youngsters or flipping burgers or doing traffic control. It’s a huge commitment and we salute the community-minded, selfless people who helped make this event so successful.
The fireworks display itself rivals those of much larger cities in its intensity and length. There were the usual oooohs and awwws, and a few cries from toddlers shocked by the noise who had to be taken back to the car — poor little tykes, it’s loud, we know.
The tall ship set-up, co-ordination and choreography of the fireworks were impressive. It had the expert flavour of an event being staged in a large centre like Victoria or Vancouver, but the people, volunteers and atmosphere made it much better than anything those bigger cities could possibly muster.
All in all, the Dashwood/Meadowood event, along with other successful events throughout the district on Halloween, serves to remind us why we live here and how fortunate we are to cal this region home.
So send us all the rain you feel appropriate Mother Nature, it’s not about to slow down the people of this district. — Editorial by John Harding
