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Wednesday, December 23, 2015 Eagle Valley News
OPINION
Published by Black Press Ltd. 171 Shuswap Street NW, Salmon Arm, B.C.
Things looking up for community
W
ith the taps about to be turned on at the new water treatment plant, things appear to be looking up for
Sicamous. The benefits of at long last having access to clean, potable water (as certified by Interior Health) directly from the tap cannot be underestimated. First and foremost is the fact people, particularly those with health concerns, no longer have to boil their water prior to consuming it. This seemingly simple convenience that so many others might take for granted is a big deal for Sicamous. Obviously, having clean water makes the community more attractive. It’s good for business, for tourism, for real estate. It’s good for the district, which can do away with water-quality related tax exemptions. It’s just good. But wait, there’s more. The district is working on upgrading the sewage treatment plant. That will take a while still but, when it’s complete, that will be another major bit of infrastructure off the district’s to-do list. The nine-month labour market survey has been completed, and provides valuable data for the community, showing what it needs to do and pursue in order to foster needed economic development. This will likely be useful to the economic development society the district is in the process of establishing. There’s an official community plan review process underway. Those involved in this process have already come up with ideas and concepts for the town centre that are both exciting and inspiring. And that’s just one piece of the overall “vision” that’s starting to take shape. Meanwhile, relationships continue to be built upon and fostered with other local governments such as the Splatsin, and organizations like the Shuswap Trail Alliance. These partnerships will undoubtedly prove mutually beneficial for everyone involved. Yes, there are costs involved with these projects – there always are – but, ideally, the community will start to see and feel them paying off in 2016 and long into the future.
EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
History shows hate isn’t digital creation By Paul Walton Nanaimo Daily News
London in the early 16th century does not sound like a pleasant place. Mortality was high and life expectancy low. On a day-to-day basis, just keeping warm and dry would have been a struggle. Disease and death were frequent and sudden. Every so often plague turned up. There were courts, but no police. People sued each other regularly, but there was little in the way of rights or defence for accused criminals, who were routinely tortured for confessions. At times parts of the city, records reveal, smelled awful as sewage piled up. The interment of human remains also led to problems. It was only a wealthy minority who were buried six feet under in bucolic churchyards. Short on cemeteries, the majority of corpses in London were packed away in un-
derground vaults that filled quickly and created an overpowering and unbearable stench. Associated fluids leeched into drinking water. But then, when Henry VIII was put on the throne in 1509, probably no city in Europe had infrastructure even equal to that of ancient Rome, which had sewers and piped-in fresh water. Still, the affairs of the living went on as they must. After the Hanseatic League weakened at the end of the 15th century, English merchants eagerly filled the void and began making substantial profits in continental trade. London by 1517, bad as it may have been, was hosting more and more foreign businessmen; enough that in mid-April resentment over foreigners doing business in London took a nasty turn. A Dr. Bell was persuaded by a businessman, John Lincoln, to make a public call for action. Bell did not ask that foreigners or specific groups be registered,
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or for certain nationalities or religions to be banned in England. No, Bell called for foreigners to be physically attacked. A rumour then circulated that on May 1 of that year — an annual holiday — foreigners found in London were to be targeted for death. The city must have been tense for those last two weeks of April 1517. After a few attacks on foreigners but no deaths, April 30 arrived (also Witch’s Night in Germany). Officials, likely fearing the murder of foreigners in London might lead to retribution against English on the continent, end profitable business ventures or even lead to war, imposed a curfew. But the curfew was broken and efforts to arrest offenders went awry. Thus began the anti-alien riots of 1517, also known as Evil May Day. Reaction was swift. The king was alerted and within days the military had areas of the city in “lockdown” — to use 21st-century jar-
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gon — and dozens of rioters were arrested. Henry VIII sat on May 5 to mete out “justice” to those arrested. The only fatalities were the dozen or so rioters he arbitrarily sentenced to death. The rest he let go. The preferred method of execution in those times was to hang, draw and quarter — not something you’d want to see, even on The Tudors. In many ways we have come a long way in the last 498 years. And in some ways we haven’t. Take a peek at social media to see 21st-century anti-alien sentiment, and where we also metaphorically hang, draw and quarter those we arbitrarily judge guilty of various indiscretions. Imagine Donald Trump in the White House and Marine LePen in the Elysee Palace in 2016. Mix that up with social media, and it may be that 499 years of progress was for naught.
Published every Wednesday covering Sicamous, Malakwa, Mara, Seymour Arm and serving Anstey Arm, Cambie, Cinnemousin Narrows, Craigellachie and Solsqua. All material contained in this publication is protected by copyright. Reproduction is expressly prohibited by the rights holder. We do not guarantee placement on specific pages. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY, 2 PM