Dear Fellow Residents of South Marysburgh I am in Victoria, BC as I write this, having drives across Western Canada over the last few days. There have been unexpected memories created on this trip. Flags half mast from town to town and province to province. People have been so kind - no harsh words of impatience or horn honks for folks from away, or each other it appears. People are very gentle with each other - store clerks, gas attendants, motel operators. We are told to get on with life as normal - but some of this change in the human spirit 1 want to hold onto. Two years ago November, The Mummers visited New York City. As things turned out, we got to sing Joy to the World and Silent Night in the World Trade Centre lobby. Since half our group was under 18, I doubt most of us knew what the World Trade Centre was at the time. What will eventually become "history" now has an extra special meaning for each of those Mummers I expect. We met a security guard who told us we weren't allowed to sing there and we have affectionately referred to the incident as being "kicked out of the World Trade Centre." I keep wondering about that security guard ... While we didn't make a lot of sight seeing stops along this current trip, we did make time for the Terry Fox Memorial outside Thunder Bay. Because of this trip 1 "couldn't take part in the school Terry Fox Run, but I really appreciated the invitation and hope to be there next year. What a vision that young man had and what determination! We need to hang on to that energy. As another part of the trip across Canada, we stopped at Pincher Creek, Alberta to see the "windmill farm". You may have been following the articles and letters on this topic being carried in our great local press. They are definitely something to see. Very quiet but quite " awesome" visually, especially in numbers. Their potential presence in the County will be an upcoming topic of discussion at Council and if you are interested, you may 'want to attend future Planning Committee meetings for more information. Just call Shire Hall at 476-2148 for the date. I've had several questions about zoning and bylaw issues. At the current time, the Planning staff for the County work with ten (10) different sets of rules based on the previous township structure. These will eventually be replaced by "The Comprehensive Zoning Bylaw". In the . meantime, and at the suggestion of one of our citizens, the current bylaw for South Marysburgh relative to zoning and building permissions will be made available at the Library shortly (just let me get back to take it m {o Pail). It's called Bylaw 34 and I expect you'll find it near the minutes of Council meetings which the Library also makes available. If this doesn't answer your questions, 1 encourage you to call the Planning staff office located on King St. It was a terrific Fair! Thank you to the Fair Board and all their volunteers who made it happen. In a tough week, we all needed some joy and the fair never misses on that part. I had the privilege of riding in the parade with the young poster and program cover winners - didn't they do a special job for the Fair! Congratulations to the Citizenship Award winners and thanks to the folks who arranged for that recognition to happen. Hopefully vou noticed the new sign on the fair shed courtesy of the Fair Board - thank you for that donation to the community. And working hard to have it done by fair time was Jim MacPherson and Cee Holter and "crew" who primed and painted the parking lot windows of Mount Tabor. Thank you so much! We now have the makings otf a group to work on finding or creating banners to hang in the village and some of us are also interested in creating "history boards" complete with pictures and text of what we looked like over the years to stand about the village. If you are interested in contributing to or working on either of these projects over the winter, please call me at 476-8045. 1 left my oldest, Emily, with her "new to her" car in Castlegar, BC where she starts another adventure in her life. Then I hopped a Greyhound for the 12 hour trip to Vancouver. Travelling through the mountains of southern BC, I was struck by the "vision" individuals must have had to build the massive bridges and string the power lines across vast inaccessible valleys that make up this part of our country. In our own little community, 1 think and feel it is important to practice "vision". We do that when we identify something that needs improving or fixing or to be created. If I can help as your municipal representative to act on your vision, please call. _ F4 gl, Monica Alyea, ] V// los Municipal Councilior, Ward 9 P.5. How small is the world? 1 attended the United Church in Castlegar. On the back of their church bulletin that day was a story about a small community in Southern Ontario that was involved with the Canada Food Grains Project - Prince Edward South Pastoral Charge and South Bay and Cherry Valley United Churches! 1 identified myself to the minister as coming from there and discovered she was a friend and classmate of Rev. Phil Hobbs. She had just received her "usually early" Christmas card from Phil soliciting donations for his annual Terry Fox Run! 1 expect you can still make yours through the school if vou are interested.