"We must be clear-eyed: the world is a more dangerous and uncertain place than at any point since the Second World War. Canada is facing challenges that are unprecedented in our lifetimes.” King Charles, Speech to the Opening of Parliament
The Royal visit got me thinking about the Commonwealth of Nations. King Charles is the symbolic head of the Commonwealth, a voluntary group of 56 countries from all over the world who have diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds but are regarded as equals within the group.
The countries (total population 2.5 billion) share values like the promotion of democracy, world peace, the environment, etc.
I was interested in how the Commonwealth works but got sidetracked by the fuss about Williams Lake being a dangerous place with too many rogue street people and council eyeing declaring a state of local emergency.
There’s talk about the need for facilities, and it just happens that BC Hydro is pondering what to do with its 1,700-person work camp at Site C.
Opened in 2016, the “mini city” cost B.C. taxpayers $470 million. It includes a movie theatre, gymnasium, fitness centre, cafeteria, 21 three-story dorms, (each with about 80 rooms with a bed and bathroom), plus a coffee shop, a games room, an outdoor fire pit and beer on tap at the bar.
If BC Hydro hasn’t found a buyer for the buildings by the end of the year, they’ll take it all to the dump The Peace River Regional District doesn’t want that massive amount of material in its dump.
So let’s dream a little dream.
What if Williams Lake, and other interior communities who are having trouble with street people, combined forces, got the Site C buildings, and turned them into a shared rehabilitation facility. With some provincial and federal help, surely it could be done.
