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the Cariboo Advisor Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Branding ourselves Being that it’s spring and the Indoor Rodeo is coming up this weekend, it’s quite fitting that branding has been the hot topic of conversation in the lakecity in recent weeks. But it is not exactly the type of branding ranchers are used to talking about ... and come on, let’s face it, only city people can even make “branding” complicated. Everyone is up in arms after Mayor and Council hired a marketing firm for a pretty penny to come up with a clever way of promoting our fair city. The thought was to attract young working families to our city with the lure of a less-hectic, more-peaceful way of life with easy access to the great outdoors. An affordable, great place
to live, free of the trappings of big city living. A few months later, the slogan “The Republic of Life” was born -- trouble is, some people hate it! Now, after spending thousands of dollars on the project, the City has decided that it will take the matter to public consultation. In other words, they’ll let the local public decide what marketing strategy will work to prompt young families to leave their current homes and settle in Williams Lake. Being a newspaper, we know for a fact that advertising works. So, the City is certainly on the right track to invest money in promoting our area. The real question is, why spend the money with professionals if we were
just going to run a little local “contest” to see who can come up with the best idea anyway? Doesn’t it defeat the whole purpose of the work? The marketing firm must be shaking their heads. Is the City going to only consult with local people who have a marketing degree? No? Well maybe the public can go fill some job vacancies at the hospital too while they’re at it. We already know why we like living here, we don’t need a marketing strategist to tell us -- but other people in other places do. Are we really the right people to know what would grab the attention of over-scheduled, debt-burdened, young city dwellers? And where is our
sense of confidence in the leaders we elected to steer this community in the right direction? Additionally, why do our elected leaders buckle so easy to public pressure? Now that they have agreed to consult with the public, the only way they’re going to get around this one is if they consult with the public -- in places like Kelowna and Vancouver where these prospective families are going to come from! Geez, what a mess. Next thing you know the City is going to waste more time and money consulting with the public on whether we should be allowed to have a few bees and chickens in our backyard, oh wait, they are! Ranchers must sit back and laugh.
Honouring Earth Day This Monday, April 22 is Earth Day. Earth Day is an annual day on which events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day is now coordinated globally and is celebrated in more than 192 countries every year. In Canada, we ceremoniously plant trees, give extra talks with children and perhaps take a little extra time
to appreciate our local environments. In Williams Lake, Scout Island is marking the day similarly by hosting events on the Sunday (April 21), before Earth Day. From 10 a.m. to noon, Scout Island’s Family Explorers and Young Naturalists’ Club is inviting the public to dig into the earth to enhance habitat for wildlife by planting a tree. Then at noon until
3 p.m. everyone is welcome to head to the Nature House and meet special guest Beth Bedard, professor of Archaeology at Thompson Rivers University, who will share her stories from travels around the world. Children can also engage in some hands on learning by making an “archaeology sandwich” see how archaeologists study people from the past. Students
will also get the chance to excavate for artifacts in a special junior archaeologist day camp. There are many ways to celebrate our planet Earth, and to make a positive impact every day toward a more sustainable way of life. Please take some time this week to measure your own footprint on our environment and show our kids there are ways we can all make a difference.
Angie Mindus photo
With a food donation in her backpack, Williams Lake Girl Guide Paige Andrews joins other children Saturday morning to raise awareness about poverty with a Hike for Hunger event. The various clubs walked from local grocery stores to the Salvation Army where they gave their donations and had a tour of the food bank.
What a grown-up tantrum looks like Getting older has its advantages. The first time I said “Fifty years ago,” I shocked myself. But as my mind scrolls down the years, a few perspectives have emerged, though it now takes me longer to escape the chair where I first thought of them! One brief muse: “Children can come up with genuine naughtiness singlehandedly.” That may even include a bit of obnoxious pestering, an attempt at temper tantrums, or some other misbehaviour.” I certainly remember
Living out Loud with Rita Corbett coming up with a few wicked actions that seemed pretty original to me at three, or nine, or later . . . But I am wondering . . . are some roots to a child’s naughtiness
found in accepted models of adult conduct? Do we model that it’s OK to sling ultimatums around, refuse to work with the opposition, and stamp our feet uncooperatively? What would a grown up temper tantrum look like, anyway? I can’t remember the last time I saw an adult laying on the ground, kicking and screaming when things didn’t go as planned. When life, home, business and government need modifying, might our so-called ‘adult’ behaviour dem-
onstrate the very actions we forbid our children? Let’s just say a sixyear-old doesn’t want to go to school, so he balks at every step, resisting and obstructing any way he can. If he doesn’t get his way, he may offer negative behaviour until the other side comes around. Six years old, did I say? Perhaps even younger. But how do adults get what they want? Recently, while downtown, I met a number of very friendly persons, all of whom waved at me. Great, I
thought, but the cause troubled me. The placards claimed unfairness, injustice, and gross inequality. But what to do about it - resist and obstruct? Due to disagreement, adults had refused to work, and were holding business and government hostage until their demands were reached. Early on, when unions were formed, children were literally being worked to death. Worker abuse was rampant, and unions originated for the best of motives. But have those
early ideals been lost? Wouldn’t it be best if solutions worked for everyone? Perhaps we have lost sight of the larger landscape, while considering only me, myself, and I. Some things need to be fixed, definitely. But is the penalty for disagreement a childish obstruction, no matter what difficulty that causes? Is it OK for adults to act out younger “no-nos” to get what they want? It’s funny how we tell our children to talk things out. I can’t ever remember
recommending a temper tantrum. There must be a grown-up approach! When life is unfair will we adopt the tactics of a three-year-old, or methods we can be proud of? The three-year-old, and the image in the mirror, need to meet the same standards. Let’s work together toward lasting solutions. Examples are needed - for communities, governments, and kids everywhere. Adult examples, not temper tantrums. LOL@caribooadvisor.com.