Grateful for elections as they inspire more....
Updated: Oct 31, 2022
Grateful for elections (and "peaceful"intentioned protests, convoys) as they inspire more awareness, accountability, transparency, motivation and engagement to address issues and hopefully lead to change or at least better understanding and connection for those in concern.
This post is to share a few new things that have recently happened in the last couple weeks, that validate progress towards a more inclusive and engaged community that encourages curiousity, questioning, accountability, empowerment, and much more… I love our community! We have such good people everywhere and it is wonderful to see the efforts being more intentional and action driven towards bridging the gaps that governments have created among us, in various ways over many years, generations.
Grateful for the Local debate and election this past month.
I trust Gladys Atrill and the new council will do a good job addressing the growing issues, that have greatly increased over the past few years, especially having the awareness now of Murray Hawse representing a large minority (around 43.6%). With these results it emphasizes we need to be considering everyone not just majority groups. We didn't get to these growing issues and concerns overnight or just because of Covid... something has been missing for a while and I am grateful for the action being taken now, due to the motivation behind a close election process. The commitment, responsibility and motivation to truly strive to bridge the gaps and lack of communication and connection with various minority groups in our community and of course the many concerns such as homelessness, crime, fiscal responsibility, low engagement of eligible voters, as we head into challenging times with growing mental health concerns, health care systems struggling, inflation, etc.
https://www.interior-news.com/news/atrill-re-elected-mayor-of-smithers/
Smithers Talks
Thank you Madeleine Ghatavi for bringing this to our community. Grateful for Ted Talks and the people creating these amazing projects and opportunities for us to tap into, if it feels authentic to do so.
https://www.interior-news.com/news/registration-opens-for-smithers-talks-project/
Link to Ted Talk:
Welcome to a new Community Police officer Perry Lewin and thank you to Matt Davey for his contributions over the many years.
Excited to hear -- "Lewin looks forward to getting the Community Watch and Citizens on Patrol groups active within the community again.
Explaining his vision is not just enforcing by-laws, but to help improve safety of the community. “I’m driven. Firstly, by empathy. I try to understand people, I tried to engage with them, and I try to see how I can help and then to engage any agencies that that can help,” Lewin said."
https://www.interior-news.com/local-news/smithers-welcomes-new-prevention-and-community-safety-officer/
November 3 -- Information meeting for Citizens on Patrol
Never heard of an ombudsperson --- this is great to know that there are avenues out there to support people in their confusions and struggles around complaints.
“When our phone lines open each morning, we hear the voices of people who are struggling, with confusion about how government works, with frustration about bureaucratic systems, and with the pandemic and how it has made access to government services in many cases harder,” Chalke says in the introduction to his report.
The investigations by the ombudsperson’s office helped solve numerous complaints, he says.
“We helped to address barriers facing doctors seeking to practise in the province, helped a woman get the heart medication she needed, and helped to expedite a critically needed surgery that had been repeatedly cancelled.”
https://www.interior-news.com/news/health-care-tops-list-of-complaints-to-b-c-s-ombudsperson-report/
Thank you Taylor Bachrach for speaking up around the questions and concerns towards the Arrive CAN App and the governments lack of accountability and transparency.
I appreciate Taylor's passion in this clip and the courage to speak up on these matters. There is a need to rebuild trust in the liberal/ndp government and asking questions like these is a start. Our future matters and we deserve more accountability around decisions made that are and have cost us much more than just money.
Link to clip:
https://youtu.be/xYb5TNnG31g
Conservatives starting to get more engaged in the north
Healthy competition keeps us all striving to grow and work hard, stay on task, towards our vision, goals and greater well-being for All.
https://www.interior-news.com/news/skeena-bulkley-valley-conservatives-start-preparations-for-next-federal-election/
My FB Posts:
My FB posts and this website are what has held me accountable to my values and has kept me from feeling completely hopeless and helpless over the past couple years. Even though I have felt afraid, too vulnerable, alone, crazy, depressed and maybe misunderstood in my intentions around all this, I am grateful for this journey as it has taught me a lot and continues to. Here are a few FB posts that share the past few weeks journey of change for me.
Oct 16
Beautiful day!! Congrats to All those that were in the election. I am very excited for our community as we have a growing desire for our community to be more inclusive and open to other perspectives, ideas and concerns. Thank you Murray Hawse for bringing a voice to 43.6% of those that voted. And Congratulations to Gladys Atrill for her success as Mayor again. I feel with the enthusiasm of the live debate and this close election that there will be much more engagement over these next few years in supporting our town to thrive during any challenging times that may be present and coming. We have to work together, its not a one sided show especially when it's so close.
Key take aways for me from this election process:
1. We need to empower the people to vote! oh my gosh I am shocked that less than half of the eligible voters voted. I hope in 4 years we have empowered and inspired more people to engage.
2. Even though I was not eligible to vote, I am stoked that these results prove that out of towners are valued and have a strong influence on our town matters. Having the mayor and another councillor not living in Smithers reinforces that openness. Our voice does matter whether you are in town or not . So lets start showing up more...maybe even influence the voting boundaries to change???...that'd be kinda cool seeing as not even half of those living in town care to vote.
3. I am stoked to have more conversations and debates since the minority is not that small. Opportunities to rebuild trust and grow in better ways for communication, feeding connection and empowerment. I loved hearing Murrays weekly updates and I hope he continues to keep us up to speed on town happenings. I hope Gladys or one of the councillors will also set up something similar. For those, like myself, audio is so much better and keeping it simple including what steps I could do to contribute towards making things "better" for our community around whatever issues are being discussed. We have the technology to reach more learning and communication styles as well as lifestyles.
4. I am grateful for where I live and the passion and hearts of those in this beautiful community. I believe we are here to grow and become the best versions of ourselves...painful as growing can be it will be worth it in the end and I trust in that.
Oct 11
I just want to put a shout out for Murray Hawse running for mayor. I truly appreciate his efforts to connect with people throughout our community and to share a little piece of his journey with us on his blog/website.
Whatever unfolds over this week, and the final votes, I feel that we now have a stronger motivation within our community to connect more with greater communication and involvement in How our town is led and the direction it is going. Healthy competition is good as it keeps us striving to do better and keeps us more accountable. Thank you Murray for stepping up and providing this opportunity for us to hear some new perspectives around many current matters.
I believe as community members, we need to be empowered to get more involved and the town can do this by creating more engaging opportunities to do so. Sometimes I have felt deflated in my efforts...dismissed as "it is just the way it is" or it is at a provincial or federal level...note: it is easier to dismiss concerns/issues if we can pass it onto something else. We need to come together at the roots and that I believe is found within our unique communities needs. Anyways, There are lots of good ideas out there and it is exciting to see more people coming together to contribute towards a thriving healthy community. We truly are so blessed to live here. However things unfold I believe we are continuing to build a more inclusive curious community throughout this election process.
Once again Thank you Murray Hawse for your blog/podcast/website...I believe this is a great way to build a connection with our mayor ... and slowly and steadily rebuild relationships that may have not felt supported in the past.
Oct 6
Great to see a full house at the Town Debate thing. I stupidly spoke up because I wanted to address the increase in crime. Hard to ask question around this as we all know it is not an easy one solution answer.
Yes crime may be a provincial or federal issue but it is affecting our community so I think it is Our issue. The homeless are Good people in hard times and i think we need to treat them with more respect and empower them. The growing tent city by library is not that and i think it has brought in other people that choose to stay victim and harm others (theft, drugs, violence, etc). This may not be the case but it keeps growing and things are getting worse in town and beyond.
In the debate i awkwardly spoke and shared I was in a hit and run and my intention for this was to stress things are getting worse... property damage and material theft is bad but do we really want to wait until someone gets seriously injured or killed by these criminals (not the homeless) that are now having much more presence in our town. WE have gotten here somehow and we need to reflect and start doing something different.
I am tired of things being dismissed as its just the way it is or it is provincial or federal etc... WE need to step up if the provincial, federal systems are failing us and motivate change, and I believe that our town representatives could be leaders in this and empower us, the community members, to step up and encourage change. It is not a small group that will make anything change...we all have to get more engaged. (Note I attached below a post i did earlier about some possible ideas towards solutions...i am not just complaining and putting it to others to fix our problems). I was stoked to see the turn out tonight...WE do love our community.
Anyways... I am exhausted. I was super lucky in the accident but it still hurt me and I need to take care of myself. People say "glad you are ok and didn't get hurt". I may look ok but this week has been hard and I finally get to see a doctor tomorrow. Trauma is bigger than the outside physical affects.
I deeply Thank all those that are running for council and mayor. Truly courageous and I honour you all for your passion and commitment to the well being of this town and community. I love this community as you all know... that is why I am hurting...It breaks my heart to see where we have fallen to. But if we learn from the past and move forward with what we know now with great compassion, love and empowerment things can get better. Everyone in leadership roles are doing their best with what they've know at the time. We are all doing our best... and as we learn more and take accountability/responsibility we can do better. Lead by example, model humility, curiousity and growth.
Anyways... before i end this long babbling post I wanted to also address this from tonight -- I found it very disappointing that the media's First question to Murray was about the controversial freedom convoy. I was grateful for his passionate open heart and honest answer. I too think, We need to be more Curious about others and not rapidly judge and/or dismiss. I thank Frank (I think it was Frank) for pointing out that that question was not relevant to the matters of this debate. It was good though to address the elephant in the room as Murray truly is a leader that steps out and speaks from his heart about concerns he has heard from many people around all/many areas and matters even if controversial to the mainstream narratives. We all matter and i continue to appreciate anyone that questions any narrative that takes all power and allows no questioning. Murray is curious...and courageous, intelligent with much life and creditable experience and has a huge heart. I believe other candidates may be too....this is not about playing sides. I just am tired of media disappointing me and had to get this off my chest.
Anyways here is closing from my post earlier today:
"We the people have to come together and help in making things better in our community, and province and even country. We can do this with great love and compassion and honouring of all. The hurt are hurting others. Handouts and quick “fixes” with no accountability does not work. It feeds disempowerment dependency victim hood and division. We need more programs to help people heal, face their traumas, find their place to contribute to healthy society and we need personal responsibility required to remedy the hurt that has been done to others...there has to be consequences, not punishments, consequences to harmful actions. Anyways I believe our community can come together and find better solutions to our growing concerns if we all step up and take our own responsibility as citizens to help and serve the well-being of others including ourselves, as our tax dollars have not been doing it, it seems things are just getting worse and worse and complaining about it to representatives or others has not helped. We have to come together and hopefully more leader(s) will step up/show up to help guide us and empower us in a better direction."
I do have great hope and faith in our community and whatever unfolds on Oct 15 I trust will be great steps towards addressing some increasing significant concerns in our community. ALL the members running for council and mayor are wonderful people. Once again I thank you for your courage to pursue and take on these roles. Not easy at all and I am truly grateful.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! There is So Much to be Thankful for!!!
Great song:
Nahko And Medicine For The People - Black As Night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=lkGBLLjAXEA
