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Volunteers make our community what it is

There have been numerous activities around the community lately. The larger ones included the 10th Annual Great Lake Walk and the 30th Annual Appollos Slo-Pitch Tournament.

There have been numerous activities around the community lately.  The larger ones included the 10th Annual Great Lake Walk and the 30th Annual Appollos Slo-Pitch Tournament.

We also had the Terry Fox Run, the Car Show at the A&W, Music in the Lake, Movies in the Park, and the Nedfest Music Festival.

There has been a river clean-up in addition to a clean-up of the lake. AB Greenwell Elementary held a bottle drive fund-raising event. The Blackberry Pie Festival and Salmon & Mushroom Festival are upcoming events.

These are just some events off the top of my head.  What do they all have in common?  Volunteers - these events are organized and managed by volunteers.  The editorial in the Gazette recently was bang on in its praise of our volunteers.  We have so many who contribute to the strength of our community and don’t get the recognition they deserve.

While I wandered around the finishing line at the Great Lake Walk, it became very apparent to me that the numbers of volunteers, of all of these events, are vital to the well-being of our community.  So, if you know one of these volunteers, an occasional pat on the back goes a long way.

Last year at the ½ Cutz Ball Tournament, there was a head shaving to raise money for kids with cancer in the Cowichan Valley.  All monies raised stayed in the valley to assist families who have a child stricken with cancer.  Two young women, Trina Brubaker of Lake Cowichan, and her cousin, Brittany Mayo of Duncan, were inspired by this event and decided they would have their heads shaved this year.  They set the goal to fundraise $5,000 for the cause and with their determination and help from family and friends raised over $11,600 this year.

Brittany went first, having her head shaved at the ½ Cutz Tournament and Trina had her head shaved last weekend at the annual Cody Classic Tournament.  I want to recognize the character and heart these women have and want to thank everyone involved or who contributed to the cause.

The Advisory Planning Commission has done a great job on the Official Community Plan.  This document has taken years and countless hours to complete.  The dedication and commitment to better our Town through this valuable tool is certainly appreciated.

I urge everyone to take the time to read this document to understand the role it will play in deciding our future development.

Recently, the Cowichan Water Board provided an opportunity for students to do a survey to find out how much people actually know about our local water.

Thank you to the students who provided the survey, in addition to everyone who participated in the survey.  Results will be out soon and your answers will be helpful in identifying areas of weakness which we need to address.

We have been very fortunate this past year to have James van Hemert employed one day a week as our Town Planner.

We can’t understate how valuable James’ expertise has been especially in helping us complete our Official Community Plan.  James is moving on to a new opportunity with a planning company and we wish him nothing but the best.

Thank you to all our staff and employees.  Also, to our families, thank you in advance, as election season is quickly approaching.