Mayor Cook's Weekly Column - Mar 14th

Editor's Note - if I was a resident of Horsefly, Big Lake or Miocene and read the comments below of Mayor Cook regarding the WL Community Forest and an 'atmosphere of respect' - I probably would be offended at that language… Meanwhile - retired Ministry of Forest forester Jim Hilton talks generally on the subject of more community forests - especially for 100 Mile House and Quesnel.  Read Mr. Hilton's column here

Community spirit was alive and well at the Business Excellence Awards Saturday, with a wide range of nominees and winners representing all aspects of the community.

Now more than ever, it is important to come together and showcase our amazing community spirit. Hats off to the Chamber for hosting another excellent event recognizing the individuals and organizations that go above and beyond to make Williams Lake a great place to live.

Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners. Total Ice Training Centre won the Customer Service Award, The Bean Counter won the Food Services Award, the Stampede Association won the Hospitality/Tourism Award, M&M Meat Shops won the Community Booster Award, and Jason Ryll won the Hugo Stahl Memorial Award.

Industry was well represented, with Gibraltar Mines winning the Greatest Improvement Award, and West Fraser winning the Manufacturer Award.

Business of the Year was Pioneer Log Homes, whose Timber Kings show was a big hit. It will now reach American audiences on Discovery USA, and I can’t wait for a second exciting season.

The Williams Lake Stampeders won the Newsmaker of the Year Award, just before they hosted the Coy Cup tournament this week. We won a very exciting game Tuesday, and a strong win on Wednesday.

The city and the Williams Lake Indian Band are very pleased with the announcement that our Community Forest partnership has been approved by the Province. This initiative has been years in the making, and involved an atmosphere of respect, a lot of co-operation, consultation, and hard work to make the Williams Lake Community Forest a reality.

International Women’s Day has been celebrated on March 8 every year since 1975, and in Williams Lake again this year, Irene Willsie and the Women’s Contact Society held an event promoting the importance of women and recognizing their achievements. This year, participants watched Miss Representation, a documentary that exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence, and held a panel discussion.

We need to encourage more women to get involved in leadership roles, and I am very proud that two of our Junior Councillors, Rebekah Corbett and Hanna Hett, took part in the discussion. Rebekah and Hanna, as well as fellow Junior Councillors Monica Rawlek, Gagan Vaid, and Brooklyn Thiessen, are bright young women.

We as a community support them as they step into their leadership potential.

Come on out and cheer on the defending Coy Cup champion Stampeders this weekend. I hope to see you there!