The death of Prince Phillip was the big news this week. The Prince was one of a kind, the right man at the right time to do an uncharted job.
Some have noted the shortage of flags flying at half-mast in our city to mark his passing. Although only federal buildings in Canada are expected to lower the flag to note the death of a sovereign’s spouse, many other agencies do it as a mark of respect. I asked a couple of my younger relations if their schools had lowered their flags.
They didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. A sign of the times? Many Canadians think we should cut our connections with the U.K., but it isn’t one of my priorities. Canada has enough to deal with these days without taking on the complications and hassles involved in leaving the Commonwealth. Lowering the flag to honour a death is probably no big deal to most people, however, it is a nice nod to tradition.
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There are two sides to every story. BC Cattlemen’s general manager Kevin Boon is telling the other side of Douglas Lake Ranch’s controversial denying public access to lakes on its property.
READ MORE: The buck stops here
I’m uncomfortable with foreigners owning so much of our resource land, and the huge Douglas Lake operation is foreign-owned, but this is, as Mr. Boon noted, a private land issue. Some outdoors enthusiasts aren’t respectful of private land. They can and do cause major problems for ranchers and others by starting fires, spreading invasive weeds, leaving garbage, gates open, fences down, etc. It’s too bad a few spoil it for everyone, but what’s the answer?
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Re: COVID. Three members of Son #1’s family bubble in Fort St. John are ill with the virus in spite of being super-cautious sheeple.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian and book author.
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