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THE FREE PRESS Thursday, December 12, 2013
Opinion
Phone: 250-423-4666 Email: editor@thefreepress.ca
Production Manager Bonny McLardy Creative Kaitlyn Haarstad Member of
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Wanda MacDonald
Andrea Horton
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Call 250-489-3455 or toll free 1-800-665-2382 for Subscriptions Established in Fernie, B.C. in 1898 and published weekly each Thursday by The Free Press, a division of Black Press Group Ltd. and distributed throughout the Elk Valley and South Country. Free circulation 6,000. Reproductions of any material contained in this publication is forbidden without the prior consent of the publisher.
Editorial by Andrea Horton
I couldn’t let this edition pass without paying respect to a man recognized across the globe for his forgiveness, compassion, and desire to ensure all people are treated equally. On December 5 the world lost an icon, Nelson Mandela (July 18, 1918 – December 5, 2013). While reading Mandela’s famous quotes, I couldn’t help but think of how they were relevant to this week’s local headlines. “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Upon reading this quote I immediately thought of our front page story this week, where a selfless young couple risked their own well-being to save the lives of a family who had gone off the road and ended up in the Elk River. I thought about the allegations made against another local couple who are accused of mistreating their employees when I read the following quote; “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” How much better the world would be if we lived by Mandela’s wisdom. We can all learn from a man who spent 27 years in prison and, upon being released, chose forgiveness and reconciliation instead of preaching anger and hatred toward his captors. At Mandela’s public memorial service at the First National Bank (FNB) Stadium in Soweto, 91 world leaders joined 90,000 citizens on Tuesday December 10. Perhaps we can look to our leaders at this time of loss as Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro took a page out of Mandela’s book putting aside their differences and shaking hands at his service. Mandela’s funeral will be held on Sunday December 15, 2013. He will be laid to rest in Qunu in the Eastern Cape province.
Angela Treharne EDITOR
Nicole Obre
ADVERTISING
Sara Moulton
ADMINISTRATION/ CONTRIBUTOR
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Tamara Hynd
REPORTER
I am getting tired of all the propaganda that is raised over employment rates. B.C.'s rate is up for November, 2013 but is also up for Alberta and Saskatchewan, but our B.C. news media fail to mention this. If you look at the rates from Jan to Nov/2013, you will see that each month, B.C. is always in fourth place each month out of the 10 provinces. So are the other provinces. e.g.: Saskatchewan is always first, Alberta second, Manitoba third, B.C. fourth, etc. Never changes. Only changes in the minds of the B.C. media spreading propaganda. Also when Stats Canada says that E.I. claims are down is not because these people have found jobs. Their EI.. has run out and now they have gone to file a claim with the provincial income assistance branch in their province. WHY IS THIS NEVER MENTIONED? What has happened to the days when we can read news that has had all of the facts listed before making propaganda news headlines? Joe Sawchuk Duncan, B.C.
CONTRIBUTOR
Shelby Cain
CONTRIBUTOR
Jacquie Zutter FRONT OFFICE In Absentia
Letters Welcome The Free Press wants to hear your opinion, especially on local issues. We reserve the right to edit letters for legality, length and good taste, as well as the right to refuse publication of any submission. Copyright in letters and other materials submitted to the publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. Your letter must include your full name, address and phone number. All letters to the editor will be published with the authors name. 300 word limit per letter. Email your letter to editor@thefreepress.ca
Letters to the Editor Get the facts straight
Jenna Jensen
Canada Post choice
The wording in the article regarding changes to hours at the Jaffray Post Office has led to misconceptions. "The Jaffray Post Office is proposing to change its hours" is not true -- Canada Post is proposing changes to the hours at Jaffray Post Office. The postmaster was never consulted in this regard, never asked for input. Nor was the community. This pending change is not the choice of the local postmaster. Quite the contrary. This is a busy post office, and given the volume processed, it would be difficult to maintain the same service with cut hours. Incoming parcels have increased dramatically with the advent of online shopping. We are a rural community, the Jaffray Post Office being the hub of our other smaller ones in the rural area. The crux of the matter is: this is a Canada Post choice, not a Jaffray Post Office choice, as suggested. Dave Allen Jaffray, B.C.
Deer cull
So, I heard on CBC this morning the Town of Elkford "The Wildlife Capital of BC" is going to cull up to 40 deer. They are an apparent problem in a wildlife capital? If it was not so cruel and uncalled for it would be a joke. Mankind’s answer to nearly all so called wildlife problems. I take Elkfords approach as really obnoxious, first they take over wildlife territory then they have the audacity to bill themselves as the "Wildlife Capital of BC" to supposedly attract tourists to make money. Then when they cannot co-exist, oh well, we will just kill them, seems to work for deer, bear or anything else that gets in our way. Was this cull decided by a referendum? If so how many people actually voted? So many times in politics, politicians use numbers to convince, if a hundred people vote in favour of something out of 5000 - politicians will say it was 100 per cent passed from the number of votes submitted, giving the impression all of the people wanted whatever it was that the referendum was for. Elkford (and any other community for that matter, who might be considering such a move) should be ashamed. They offer up the idea that the meat would go to the local food bank as some kind of reason or justification of this extermination. I say, learn to live with wildlife; they are trying to live with us. That, in my opinion makes them the better living being; we have a lot to learn. David R Gildea Fernie.B.C.
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