Money in the Columbia Valley has been in the news, both locally and across the country, for different reasons this week.
On one side, the final amount of funding has been found to complete the kitchen at the Golden Civic Centre. The project, which has seen a number of volunteers, local politicians, and groups come together, is the final piece to finish off the multi-year development.
For some people the topic of money in the Civic Centre has been a sore spot. As the cost of the project continued to go up, questions were asked about why that was happening.
Of course, most of the money for the centre came from a series of grants, and even some donations, with the local tax payers only making a relatively small contribution.
Now that the CSRD has decided, based at least partially on the recommendation from the Golden Town Council, to release the final $60,000, it seems likely that those people who supported the project will celebrate, while those who felt it has cost too much already, will once again complain.
This chapter of history will come to an end when the kitchen goes in, and even more events will hopefully come to the area.
But it is doubtful that people on either side will meet in the middle with their opinions.
The source of funds has also caused a cross-Canada stir as a Liberal MLA hopeful was invited to Calgary to have a fundraiser.
The immediate response was a tad predictable as the finger pointing started. If fundraising happens in oil country, then what does that say about the party who went there?
The Liberal answer was that the candidate was representing the people of B.C. at the evening.
For well over a year we, the people, have been in the middle of a campaign for an upcoming election.
Money coming from fundraisers, in some cases, and taxes in other forms, has been spent. The arguments on how ethical this move was, not only for the candidate, but also the senior ministers who were in attendance, is going to be answered by each individual person. Some people might not care where the money spent came from, and would prefer this method over using our tax money.
For those people who see this as a way to make friends with the oil barons to the east is just one more reason on top of a pile of reasons of why the political system in this province does not function as well as it could. In both cases the money involved seems to be a side issue to something in which people have already made their minds.
Whether it is about a centre that has cost too much, or which way to vote in the next election, people in most cases are just looking for another reason to complain about what they do or do not like.
