All posts by Art Martens

Bremner Lance Takes Down Tree In Hedley

Bremner Lance

It ‘s well known by longterm Hedley people that Bremner Lance has plenty of experience working in the woods. As a logger his work has taken him into some challenging, rugged terrain. When we began hearing the incessant buzz of a chainsaw in Hedley recently, we weren’t surprised to see that the operator was Bremner. He began by trimming the branches and was ready to take the tree down piece by piece. Silhouetted against the vastness of the sky, he was a lonely figure, seemingly in another world. This type of situation requires a robust physique and nerves that do not falter. There is no tolerance for complacency or befuddled thinking up there. Not if you want to live. Observing Bremner, I could tell he was totally focused and apparently not at all scared. It’s not work for the faint of heart. Definitely not work I have ever felt called to.

Meghan Garbett Made Radical U-Turn In Life

Meghan Garbett made a u-turn in her life.

In a candid conversation in our home, Meghan Garbett didn’t hide the fact that as a youth she had slipped deeply into a nether world of alcohol and drugs. “I was quite outrageous when I was a teen,” she admitted. “In the high school year book, I was voted the most likely to go to jail.” For her parents and teachers, she was a handful.

Born in the Princeton Hospital, she attended school to grade 3 in Hedley. It was in high school that the trajectory of her life descended into a dark place. “Along with the alcohol, I was using Ecstasy, LSD and Mushrooms,” she said. “A few times at parties I tried cocaine.” Her lifestyle interfered with getting an education and in grade 9 she was expelled from school. That’s when she received a lesson about consequences. Her mother, a no-nonsense lady said “if you’re not going to school, you can’t just sit around the house. You’re going to work.”

Her work assignment proved to be fortuitous. “I loved horses,” Meghan said. “My grandparents had bought a Shetland pony for us kids to ride when we were young. When I was about 10, Dave Williams, a local rancher gave me an older horse. I was given responsibility for looking after Gerry Smith’s horses. I fed them grain and hay, watered them, brushed them and rode them. Gerry was a positive influence. He got after me for the way I dressed, which probably wasn’t very conservative. Also for lipstick. We became good friends. Taking care of his horses wasn’t a big punishment, but I did learn that not going to school wasn’t so great.”

Having worked with troubled adolescents, I’m aware of the importance of constructive influences in a young person’s maturing. “I was placed in an alternate school,” Meghan said. “My teacher, Robin Richter was always available to talk. She was understanding. I was also very close to my grandfather.”

She received a harsh lesson when she lost two friends to drugs. “One died of an overdose,” she recalled. “Another was in a car accident. Alcohol was a factor. When something like this happens to friends you’re close to, it really opens your eyes.”

In time an awareness buried deep in her psyche began bubbling to the surface. “I’d always known I wanted to have a family,” she said. “I’d also always known I wanted to do something with my life. The path I was on was taking me away from the life I really wanted. I made the effort to complete high school. That was a real victory for me. My boyfriend, now my husband, and I moved in together right out of high school.”

Meghan’s radical u-turn away from drugs, alcohol and riotous living must have astonished former classmates. “I attended Sprott Shaw College and got a Community Support Worker diploma and an Early Childhood Education certificate.” she said. “I worked at Portage (on Hwy # 3 west of Keremeos). When we moved to Calgary, I worked for the Boys & Girls Club, then at a treatment centre for Indigenous youth.”

Meghan might have been lost to Hedley. “I always swore up and down I’d never move back,” she said, “but when my grandfather Ray was diagnosed with cancer, we returned. Losing him hurt me deeply.”

After returning to Hedley, Meghan and Dan were married and now have 2 young children, Dominic and Danika. Her experience with alcohol and drugs helps her understand the dangers they bring. “Drugs are everywhere,” she noted. “Meth and cocaine are in schools. It scares me for the future of my kids. We do a lot with them. Our lives are centered around them. We’re pretty outdoorsy.”

As Hedley librarian, Meghan has a Story Time for children at 10:30 am on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. “We begin with a circle song, then I read a book. We do a physical activity to get the jiggles and wiggles out. We end with a craft project.”

Knowing that drugs, alcohol and riotous living can lead to a murky end, Meghan views the library as an opportunity to help children make a connection with their community. “As a teen, I always had a safe place to go to when my life was in turmoil. I want the library to be a safe place for everyone, especially children.” Her smile and congenial presence are making this happen.

Cupid’s First Arrow Went Badly Awry

Ashtine Nair & Jesse Regier

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, I asked Jesse Regier and Ashtine Nair for a conversation, thinking their story might be quite unconventional, and interesting. Over coffee and Linda’s cookies, they talked about meeting online. “I found her there when I was looking through the catalogue, searching for pretty girls,” Jesse said.

Cupid’s first arrow went badly awry and their budding online romance just about withered. “It was 2012 and we were both in Alberta,” Jesse recalled. “Ashtine lived two hours away and we were having cold weather. I had only my motor cycle for transportation to our first date. On the way I realized I’d freeze if I continued, so I turned around and called her.”

Ashtine picked up the story. “He wanted to reschedule and I agreed, but I told him if he cancelled again, that would be the end.” Realizing she wasn’t a woman to be trifled with, Jesse made the effort, even though the timing was against him.

“I’d been in a fight the night before,” he said. “I had two black eyes, my face was bruised. swollen badly and bandaged. I hadn’t shaved.” Not a face to inspire love at first sight.

Another woman would almost certainly have slammed the door upon seeing him. “I wasn’t sure about this character,” Ashtine said. “His eyes were just slits, but he had driven two hours in stormy weather. I felt he deserved a chance to show who he was behind that bruised face.” It was an impressive demonstration of patience and understanding, essential qualities in a relationship.

They continued to see each other, but before making a longterm commitment Jesse wanted to deal with his $20,000 debt and establish himself in a career. “I did a lot of things, including carpentry, security, delivering papers and tree planting.” He lived in his pickup truck one summer to save money and pay off debts. While still in Alberta he took a truck driving course. For a time he drove a ready mix truck in summer and worked in the oil patch in winter.

Ashtine obtained a degree in Business Administration and Strategic Measurement. They were planning for a life together and were determined to be successful. “The degree was a step in our plan to one day have our own business,” she said.

They were married in June 2, 2018. “Jesse arrived a couple of hours early for the wedding,” Ashtine recalled. “I was getting my hair done and came late.” Possibly a little pay back for Jesse missing that first date?

They consider themselves fortunate to have had good role models while growing up. “My mother was Catholic,” Ashtine said. “My father was an aircraft mechanic and at that time a non-practising Hindu. They worked through differences and have stayed together.” There was a note of deep respect in her voice.

Jesse’s experience was quite different. “My Dad had an aneurysm while working on a railroad maintenance crew,” he said. “He lost the ability to walk and talk and needed to relearn these. He persevered. Mom became a nurse to support the family, while Dad looked after us kids and ran the farm. I was about age 4 and my brother Jacob was two. My parents were young and it was a tough time for them, but they rebuilt their lives.”

Coping with Terry’s medical crises made the Regiers strong, a good source of life advice. “Dad told me to always complete what I take on,” Jesse said.

“My Mom and Aunt stressed the importance of pushing through the hard stuff,” Ashtine said. Jesse and Ashtine have pushed through some challenges and now are embarking on a new adventure. He drives a logging truck for a Princeton company. “They treat me well and I like driving,” he said. “It provides the income we need for our business plan.”

“We recently bought the River House on Highway 3 and have started a B&B,” Ashtine added. “We want to have a cafe and convenience store one day. We plan to sell creations made by local artisans.”

At the end of our conversation I told them I’d like to take a few photos. When Linda, trying to be helpful, suggested Jesse might want to run a comb through his unruly hair, Ashtine laughed. “He likes it that way,” she said. Together they have a good deal of character and personality. Clearly, in time Cupid’s arrow did find its mark.

Hedley BC Winter 2020

In the foreground, that’s our car, under the snow.

When the snow started falling last week, it just wouldn’t stop. Definitely the biggest snowfall Linda & I have experienced here. There were a lot of sore muscles from the continuous shovelling, and even the snowplows had difficulty contending with the volume. A semi slid off the highway & struck a concrete barrier. Its fuel tanks were ruptured and diesel spilled on the highway. A crew specializing in hazardous cleanup was on the scene for a couple of days and traffic was limited to one lane.

Although the snow has stopped falling, the mercury continues to go well below freezing at night, and daytime temperatures tend to hover around 0 Celsius, or slightly above. We’ve still got plenty of snow, and increasingly we’re hearing people say, “Enough is enough. I’m waiting for warmer weather.” So far, mother nature seems in no hurry to release the grip of winter.

Our neighbourhood.
“Roundabout” at the Cenotaph.

The Power Of A Campfire

TV fireplace scene

The “fire” on my mother-in-law’s television place burned almost continuously, day and night, during the recent Christmas season. When Linda and I stayed in her home I experienced a real dose of insomnia. Sometime during the night I sleepily wandered into the den where she has the tv. The fire seemed so genuine, I was moved to touch the screen. In my sleep deprived state I actually thought it might be warm. It wasn’t, of course, but the image of the fire burning so lustily conjured up camp fire memories from expeditions on the Bowron Lakes circuit near Barkerville.

I was working at that time with young offenders at the One Way Adventure Foundation, situated on the periphery of Hedley. The five youths in my group had experienced mostly failure and were considered unwelcome in their own communities. By taking them into the wilderness we wanted to give them a success experience, and also hoped to develop relationships of trust with them.

One expedition provided particularly vivid memories. There were two groups. Toby, our no nonsense Expedition guide was paddling with the other crew because their worker had little outdoors experience. On our second night, setting up camp at Wolverine Creek on Isaac Lake, we saw several bears observing us with great interest. They had learned that campers carried food.

I was becoming aware of a feud simmering between two boys in my group. Clem, a kid with a street fighter reputation, had taken a strong dislike to Jerry. With his long unkempt black hair, a faint, scrawny moustache and several front teeth missing, Clem’s appearance tended to intimidate. He seemed to need an adversary and had selected Jerry. Jerry was Clem’s equal in height, but lacked even a hint of ferocity. He was clever though, and let it slip he had a brown belt in karate. Clem understood instinctively he might be at a disadvantage against a trained practitioner of martial arts. No one was certain Jerry actually had a brown belt.

As we were about to depart from Wolverine Creek on Wednesday, the third morning, another camper offered me a trout he had just caught. I tied it behind my canoe and my paddling partner and I towed it all day. That evening our two groups camped at the end of Isaac Lake. Toby built a large, hot fire as usual. Clem furiously chopped wood, consuming some of his pent up inner frustration. Carl, Jim, Jerry and Howie joined me in setting up tents and hanging a tarp over the fire in case of rain. A couple and their son had stayed near our party on the lake and we invited them to our camp after dinner.

Sitting on blocks of wood around Toby’s roaring fire, we basked in the warmth. Everyone, including our 3 visitors, received a piece of perfectly done fish. I prepared cups of hot chocolate and handed out chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. Then Toby read a chapter from Jack London’s Call of the Wild. By 9 o’clock the sun had slipped to the other side of the mountain and we retired to our tents.

Thursday we broke camp early and paddled and portaged to McLeary Lake, where we had a rest day on Friday. The only excitement came when Carl caught a fish on his line. When he pulled it close, the fish darted under the canoe. Exasperated, Carl jumped into the water and followed the fish. He emerged spluttering, empty handed.

Saturday morning we encountered a stiff headwind on Lanezi Lake and drew close to the rocky shore. When the wind eased, the black flies descended on us. That spurred us on and we entered Sandy Lake. Here Toby surprised us by singing “Bobby McGee.”

We camped on the lake’s sandy shore and were again joined by the couple, their young son, and a family of 5. Toby was asked for an encore performance. We sat around the fire until late, telling stories and singing. For the boys it was a novel social experience and even Clem laughed occasionally.

After two more days of paddling, we reached the far shore of Bowron Lake. When we had dragged our canoes onto land, the boys spontaneously formed a circle, locked arms and did a victory dance. Then Clem approached Jerry and I heard him say, “You’re ok man.” Jerry reached out a hand and said, “You too Clem.” Maybe it was the magic of the campfires.

Credibility

Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood (pixabay)

I have come to regard the flagrant squandering of credibility as foolishness at its best. When it is gone, it’s virtually impossible to regain. We were provided with a very public example of this recently when the Iranian government adamantly denied having shot down the Ukrainian airliner carrying 176 passengers, many of them Canadians of Iranian origin. Any observer of the international scene is aware that the Islamic Republic controls the media and routinely shapes news to suit its own purposes. The people are often uncertain as to where the truth lies. When the government reversed its version of the downing of the plane and admitted its role, Iranian citizens were enraged by the attempted deception. Many lost faith in government statements.

The numerous instances of prominent individuals and government leaders engaging in deception to gain unfair advantage have fostered within me a fascination with credibility. One of the most extreme examples, exposed in 2008, is the Ponzi scheme of former NASDAQ Chairman Bernard Madoff. He kept his hedge fund losses hidden by paying early investors with funds from those who bought in later. He admitted to his sons, and subsequently to investigators, “it’s one big lie.” The scheme has been cited as the largest fraud in U.S. history. His untrustworthiness cost many investors their life savings.

It’s disappointing when those living and working at lofty levels choose to flaunt their disregard for integrity. They seem not to understand that their example confuses and distresses people struggling to feed a family, buy shoes for their children, pay the mortgage or rent, and hope the bank will loan them the funds to replace an ailing vehicle. They seem unconcerned that their example undermines the values that hold our society in place.

Most of us have witnessed attempts at deception on a personal level. A few years ago a friend, Virginia, wanted to borrow twenty dollars from me. “I need to buy groceries,” she said. “I’m getting some money tomorrow and I’ll pay you then.” About age 30, she still retained an attractive figure and pretty face, but her reputation was somewhat shaky. I knew she was deeply addicted to tobacco and realized the money was likely intended for cigarettes. Wanting to show trust, I gave it to her anyway. The next evening I attended the Hedley Street Dance and noticed her across the street. Seeing me look in her direction, she quickly disappeared into the crowd and has avoided me since then. I still regret that for a mere twenty dollars, she sacrificed the trust I had placed in her.

True credibility comes when there is a sound foundation of integrity. When parents give their children an example of speaking the truth and being honest, their offspring are more likely to pass this on with their own lives. Virginia didn’t live this way and her 3 children struggled socially and academically. Unable to cope with an unstable home scene, they turned to pharmaceutical and illicit drugs to calm their anxieties. They had no dependable scaffolding for the building of their lives. Seeing this, Virginia became distraught, but floundering herself, she could not help them.

For the most part, my generation grew up in homes where there was at least a measure of integrity. I never caught my parents lying or cheating. I was surrounded by strong, authentic role models. When my Uncle Cornie’s chicken flock was decimated by disease, he didn’t have insurance and could have declared bankruptcy to avoid paying the feed company and bank. It would have been the easy option. Instead he went on the road with his tractor and rototilled gardens until he had paid his debts.

I’ m deeply grateful I had role models I could trust. The example of upright individuals built into me and many of my generation, a solid foundation of values. Even if we didn’t listen to the words of parents, uncles and aunts, teachers, and others, their trustworthiness was indelibly imprinted on our hearts and minds.

Unlike my generation when distractions weren’t as plentiful, the thinking, attitudes and character of many children, adolescents and also adults today are being shaped by social media. This is not likely to change. If we want young people to develop a constructive direction for their lives, we will need to show them an example of unimpeachable credibility.

Rollo Ceccon Is Still Enthusiastic

(This blog is a reprint. It was first published in May, 2015)

When Linda and I walked into the former business office of 87 year old Rollo Ceccon in Princeton, he greeted us enthusiastically. Then,

Rollo Ceccon Explaining His Photos
Rollo Ceccon Explaining His Photos

with the energy and passion characteristic of the deeply committed, he urged us to join him at a photo gallery on 3 walls. There were pictures of him with dump trucks and other equipment dating back to before the middle of the past century. I understood quickly this man grasps the value of preserving a record for future generations.

“I was born in Treviso, Italy,” he said when we had seated ourselves at his desk. “In 1930 my mother and I joined my father in Canada. As I was growing up, my father impressed on me how good we have it here. If I complained he’d say ‘you should go to another country and see how people live there.’” As a father himself, Rollo would later give a similar message to his son and daughter.

He attended the Edmonton campus of Chicago Vocational

Rollo Ceccon & Friends, With His First Car, 1945 Model T Ford
Rollo Ceccon & Friends, With His First Car, 1945 Model T Ford

School, learning diesel and automotive mechanics. Not happy with his first job and the big mosquitoes at Uranium City, he quit and was hired by Minneapolis Honeywell Thermostats. Being young and strong willed, he said to his boss one day, “if I don’t get more pay, I’ll quit.” The boss said “there’s the door.” Rollo laughed when he told us, “I never did that again.”

In 1950 he bought his first truck, a 1944 3 ton Ford, and started in business. He became a fan of Ford trucks. “The other models broke down,” he said. “The 6 cylinder engines couldn’t hold the trucks back going down the hill from Copper Mountain and Blackburn. I bought 8 cylinder Fords.”

A serious accident on Nov. 10, 1954 shaped his thinking to

Rollo's Father and the Crushed Truck
Rollo’s Father and the Crushed Truck

the present time. He was backing his dump truck to the edge of a 1,000 foot deep “glory hole.” The edge broke away. He and his truck tumbled down 250 feet. A rock outcropping prevented the truck from hurtling all the way to the bottom.

The man sent down to help rescue Rollo later told him, “I thought you were dead. Then blood spurting from your head wound hit me in the eye, so I knew your heart was pumping.” Three hours later the winch of a D6 Cat hoisted him to the surface. He had 6 broken vertebrae, several broken ribs and a broken leg. Wounds on his head required 120 stitches. He remained unconscious 2 weeks. “That day my father’s hair turned white in one hour.”

Rollo Ceccon Late Summer 1956, At Work & Still In A Walking Cast, On Crutches
Rollo Ceccon Late Summer 1956, At Work & Still In A Walking Cast, On Crutches

In the hospital he was placed in a body cast. After regaining consciousness the specialist said to him one day, “we’ve done all we can. The rest is up to you.” Rollo was determined to get out of the hospital. Now in a walking cast and using crutches, he signed himself out. Four months later, still in the cast and on crutches, he was back at work.

He leaned toward us from his side of the desk, as though about to say something of deep importance. “If I hadn’t had that accident,” he continued quietly, “I would never have understood how good I have it. People helped me a lot.”

Before the accident, he had started going into the Traveller’s Café. He became keenly interested in Blanche, a pretty young waitress. “It took a long time to persuade her to go to a movie,” he remembers.

Eventually she agreed to marry him and “we tied the knot on March 2, 1957. That day I threw away my crutches and started using a cane.”

Rollo’s business was flourishing. He bought dump trucks, a back hoe, a screening plant and other equipment. Blanche did the books.

When the Hope slide covered the # 3 Highway, his was the first company on the job. “One of my machines blew a line,” he said. “Phil Gaglardi, Minister of Highways, had just landed in a chopper. He told me to remove the line and he’d fly me to Chilliwack to get a new one.”

Rollo Ceccon, Still Enthusiastic About Life
Rollo Ceccon, Still Enthusiastic About Life

Until 2013 he still owned a front end loader. Without charge, he continued to clear snow for the Legion, firehall and arena. In 1973 the Princeton Chamber of Commerce named him “Citizen of the Year.” He was also honoured by the Lions Club for his “invaluable services and cooperation.”

Rollo’s last words to us were, “I’ve had a good life and it’s still good.”

Shirley Grant, Joyous Death Doula

Shirley Grant

Famed comic Woody Allen once said, “I’m not afraid of dying. I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Many of us can relate to these words. Thoughts of dying tend to induce queasy emotions in the depth of our being. But not for everyone. In a 3 hour conversation over coffee with Shirley Grant of Hedley, I was surprised at her upbeat perspective on this subject. A registered Death Doula, (helper), she accompanies dying individuals in this uncharted, often frightening last phase of their life journey.

She comes with an interesting perspective as she assists people in their approach to the “end zone” of life. “I see death as a sacred passage,” she said. “It’s not a medical event. It’s a natural event. We need to bring dignity to it.”

Shirley worked as a care aide in a facility for 10 years, until her back wore out. Attending to her dying sister, Linda, pointed her toward what she is doing now with palliative care patients. “Linda didn’t need just a pat on the back and some reassuring words,” she said. “When her cancer returned, she knew her remaining time was short.”

Wanting to give her sister an opportunity to express the deep emotions brought on by cancer she asked, “how do you feel knowing you have only about a year to live?” It was the beginning of a deep commitment. “Every time she became restless I’d embrace her. I’d sing and pray. I gave her my word I’d hold her hand at the end.”

This time with Linda helped Shirley understand the need of dying persons to have someone at their bedside in these lonely days, when each breath may be their last. Wanting to assist others, she travelled to Colorado and took the training to become a Death Doula. She now works primarily in assisted living facilities and care homes, mostly in Penticton. Usually she is hired by the patient’s family.

Listening to Shirley, I concluded she is intuitive, compassionate and innovative. She frequently uses vision mapping to help the patient wrap up unresolved areas of their lives. This may include dealing with banking, a mortgage, relationships, unfulfilled desires, and other important issues.

One morning she entered Helen’s room, a woman with a reputation for being rude to staff. “Just put me in a wheelchair and push me over a cliff,” Helen demanded without preamble. Undaunted by the brusque tone Shirley asked, “What else would you like me to do for you?” Helen had a ready reply and her sour mood quickly dissipated. “I’ve always loved the drive around Skaha Lake, but I know that’s not possible.”

Shirley took Helen’s hand and said enthusiastically, “This is your lucky day! Close your eyes and we’ll do it in our imagination. I’ll drive and you tell me what you see and hear.” Uplifted by Shirley’s positive spirit, Helen closed her eyes and began describing what she saw. Later a care aide asked Shirley, “What did you do? She fell asleep and didn’t wake every hour.” That night having been granted her ultimate wish, Helen passed away while sleeping peacefully.

Dorothy’s ultimate wish in her last days was to attend an Elvis concert. The renowned singer was long gone, but Shirley was thrilled when a co-worker located an Elvis impersonator and arranged a private concert for Dorothy, her family and caregivers. “It put a smile on her face and gave her a lot of joy in the closing hours of her life.”

“Sometimes when a family is distressed I can explain things,” Shirley said. “When Emma was in her last hours her daughter, Sandy, wanted to be there when she passed away. She needed to leave the room for something though and while she was gone, Emma ceased breathing. Upon returning, Sandy was distraught. I explained that her mother had chosen this moment because she didn’t want her daughter to carry the memory of seeing her die.”

At times families need counsel to make wise decisions. In one case Shirley advised the family to move their mother from the hospital and return her to the facility she considered home. “That way she can live her last days in a place that is familiar and comfortable to her,” she told them.

Shirley’s joyous spirit is contagious. After our lengthy conversation, I thought even Woody Allen’s anxieties might be quieted if she was at his bedside in his last days.

Homer-Dixon Provides Glimpse Into The Future

Thomas Homer-Dixon (Green Party photo)

Only those timid souls who have buried their heads deep in the sands of time can be unaware of the unsettling political, economic and environmental developments around the globe. Having just crossed the threshold from 2019 to 2020, many of us are wondering what we might encounter in this new year and new decade. Political leaders everywhere are more focused on retaining or gaining power than on dealing effectively with issues that threaten to disturb the present world order. In 1968 when Mary Hopkin sang the words “those were the days my friend, we thought they’d never end,” she aptly described the time in which we now live.

Hoping for a glimpse into the obscure future looming before us, I turned to University of Toronto professor, Thomas Homer-Dixon’s observations in “The Upside of Down”. He contends there are a number of stresses simultaneously converging on an increasingly maligned earth. Among these are global warming, population imbalance, energy scarcity and the growing gulf between rich and poor. Because they are coming at us simultaneously, he says, we no longer have the luxury of responding to them one at a time. “Surprise, instability and extraordinary change will be regular features of our lives,” he suggests, then adds, “the reliable landmarks of life will become strange and distorted.”

Homer-Dixon’s “The Upside of Down” book cover.

Writing in the early years of this century he asks, “Thirty years ago, who would have anticipated the implosion of Soviet Communism, the widespread adoption of personal computers, emergence of AIDS, opening of a gaping hole in the stratospheric ozone layer over the Arctic, or airplanes flying into the World Trade Centre?”

To this list we could now add the increasing indiscriminate violence of terrorists, the rampaging wild fires currently ravaging vast tracts of Australia, and the continuing loss of forests. There is also concern about instability of the North American electrical grid, impact of global warming on polar bears, and dangerous levels of air pollution, especially in India and China. Having lived in Abbotsford many years, I know how polluted air impacts health and enjoyment of life. Even though we may be anxious about the desecration of the planet, we seem unwilling to alter our destructive ways.

I became acutely aware of this human resistance to change when I worked with prison inmates. Corky was a prime example. Stocky, barrel chested with a shiny bald pate, he faced life with arms crossed. He resisted all attempts to divert him from his heroin dependent, small time law flaunting criminal persona. He would not, or possibly could not, change his thinking. Corky viewed life through a cynical soul destroying prism. Out on parole, he stopped at a bar in Princeton one evening, then drove his car off the highway into a deep ravine. He was confined to a wheelchair until he suffered a massive, life ending stroke a dozen years later. His inability to adopt a more optimistic outlook invited disaster into his personal life.

Unless many of us become willing to view our circumstances through a less selfish, less self-centered lens, we too could face calamity. Increasingly, observers of world wide trends are warning us we’re drawing ever nearer to an abyss of calamitous events. We are already faulting our government for the various ailments festering in our country. We need to recognize, though, that politicians alone cannot derail our society’s progression toward a chaotic future.

Although on a global scale there is much that we in the Similkameen Valley cannot remedy, we can do things in our back yards and our communities. Denial of reality or responsibility is not an adequate or acceptable response. In the realms of environment, pollution and climate change we can take measures to decrease our personal footprint on Mother Earth.

Where do we begin? Homer-Dixon says that to rescue our planet from further degradation, men and women with courage and good sense will need to take action. In a world of relentless change and surprise, he suggests we must constantly re-invent ourselves, our society and our future. We must be willing to grapple with complacency and our inclination to shrug off tinges of guilt.

Corky resisted self-change, at great cost to himself. To this time we’ve been blessed with many good years. Let’s not assume they will never end. It’s essential that as individuals we challenge our thinking and look for ways to protect our little corner of the planet.

Sergeant Rob Hughes At Hedley Town Meeting

Sergeant Hughes discussing an issue with Hedley resident, Lindsay Fairweather

In a meeting with Hedley citizens Thursday evening, Sergeant Rob Hughes of the Princeton RCMP answered many questions about local concerns. He admitted at the outset he has not participated in this type of forum previously. He said he had desired the meeting because of a recent issue that had caused anxiety for residents. Upward of 50 people attended in spite of steadily falling snow, indicating a considerable depth of concern.

Sergeant Hughes quickly established guidelines for the discussion. “My purpose in being here is to begin a dialogue with the community,” he said. “We’re not going to attack particular individuals or dwellings. I want the police to have a constructive relationship with the people of this community. ”

Even so, the matter of an alleged drug house in town was mentioned repeatedly by attendees. One distraught mother said her teenage daughter had been given drugs and then physically and sexually assaulted. “If drugs are being sold,” the Sergeant responded, “it means there is a market. The users need help, and the community can get involved in that.”

One individual replied, “We don’t have contact with these people. They aren’t part of our community. They have their own community.” Some in the audience felt otherwise, saying they had interactions with some of the drug users.

Sergeant Hughes wanted to foster a more complete understanding of the nature of police work. He emphasized that police cannot conduct a search or make an arrest on the basis of an anonymous complaint. “The benchmark to get a search warrant is very, very high,” he said. “We can’t just target a person because the community is mad at them. Often when a complaint is called in, there is an unwillingness to provide a name and address, make a statement, or appear in court to support the complaint.” Several individuals mentioned fear of retaliation if a complaint is made.

Hughes recognized that at times this is a significant impediment but stressed the importance of keeping the police informed. “We need you to call in when you have a concern. We have 7 officers with a very large territory to patrol and protect. Statistics determine how many officers the province assigns to a detachment. Your calls give the province the statistical information required to assure you receive the attention you want and need.”

“How often should we call in?” one member of the audience asked. The response was, “We want you to call in as often as it takes for you to feel safe.” When someone suggested going to the local dealer to buy drugs for evidence, Sergeant Hughes said, “That’s a dangerous idea. It could put your life at risk. Let’s get a good relationship between this community and the police and work together.”

Throughout the meeting Sergeant Hughes had taken notes concerning specific issues and concerns, and promised to look into them. At 7:30 he glanced at his watch and closed the meeting. For him it wasn’t the end though. A number of individuals lined up to speak with him. Others gathered around Constable Rogers, who had accompanied the Sergeant. Small discussions continued elsewhere in the hall.

For those in attendance, the forum provided insight into the challenges of police work. For many it also pointed to the importance of collaborating with the police and local organizations to construct a community in which we feel safe. “It’s a good beginning,” Russ Stony said. Sergeant Hughes agreed it was a productive first step, but recognized more needs to be done. “I’m prepared to come out again,” he said, “possibly in 4 to 6 months.”