Full disclosure: I’ve been working on this editorial for the better part of a month.
For those who are yet unaware, my time with the Observer has drawn to a close. My esteemed colleague Grace Kennedy is returning to work from her leave and the time has come to transfer the helm back into her very capable hands.
But not to worry! I will remain with Black Press and am just hopping to the next town over – Hope. I’m happy to report that in the near future, I will be the Standard’s newest reporter, taking over for my other esteemed colleague, Emelie Peacock.
Since Hope shares a school district with Agassiz-Harrison and our news intersects frequently, it’s safe to say you likely haven’t heard the last of me. Whether that’s a threat or a promise depends on who you are, I suppose.
I feel mixed emotions moving on and fostered the same cocktail of peace and heartbreak as one of the longest years of our collective lives drew to a close. I guess I should’ve realized this year was going to be different when a mid-January super-storm shut down highways across the Valley, causing me to miss out on the usual training. Then the landslide that trapped hundreds of people on Sasquatch Mountain happened, and I thought that would be among the most interesting and exciting events to cover during my time as editor.
Spoilers: It was. But 2020 had plenty more in store for us all.
RELATED: Hundreds stranded at Agassiz’s Sasquatch Mountain after heavy rain, landslide
I wouldn’t consider myself a front line worker in all this; perhaps I’m more like air recon, watching and reporting on events as the unfold from a forest-for-the-trees perspective.
I’ve been frightened for our collective future. I worried for how we will hold up not only in terms of health but in terms of our economy and the way we live our lives. I mourned the dead. I felt overwhelmed as chaos reigned in the states and spilled over into Canada. My anger boiled over at times handling naysayers and COVID deniers. I rejoiced in the discovery and deployment of the vaccine.
RELATED: Canada gives first doses of COVID-19 vaccine
On one hand, the fear of missing out is quite real. There was so much I was looking forward to covering this year, not the least of which were 125th anniversary celebrations, Sasquatch Days, the Festival of the Arts, among many others. While it’s true that I missed out on all of it, what I’ve had the honour to cover will live on, taking a no-less-important place in local and even Canadian history.
It’s been a privilege and an honour, Agassiz-Harrison. I’ve come to love both communities very much and you’ll always hold a special, unforgettable place in my heart.
I ask that you welcome Grace back with the same open arms you provided for me as she takes the helm once more. As I said before, may this new year be a much more boring one for you, and I mean that in the most loving way possible.
With that, I yield my time.
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