Opinion

A column by Bruce Uzelman

Many members of our society, including politicians, say Canada is broken, that our future is bleak.

I am unbelievably thankful for this community. I truly believe that the Cariboo-Chilcotin is the best place in B.C., and I am no more reminded of this than on Stampede weekend.

Everyone came to the same conclusion: ‘It doesn’t belong to me.’

With wildfires still burning across Canada and the record breaking fire still burning in northern B.C. the Forest Practices Board is calling for urgent action by the provincial government to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and change how B.C.’s forests and landscapes are managed. The recent (June 29, 2023) 22-page report provides historical data and details on how we move forward. “Historically, fire played an important role in ecosystem functions in much of B.C.

This article is inspired by a recent book by Ilse Kohler-Rollefson a German-trained veterinarian. It is titled: Hoofprints on the Land .

This is written as imaginary correspondence between Byron the Bicyclist and sundry others.

Up until humans started to modify the landscape with machines using fossil fuels it could have been argued that the beavers had the greatest impact on the landscapes in North America. Two American geologists Ruedeman and Schoonmake in the 1930s were convinced that it was beavers working over many 100s of years that had changed a V-shaped valley into overlapping layers of sediments by damming streams to make small ponds which filled with sediment.

Recently , I had the great opportunity to learn from other communities and to hear about how the challenges they face are similar to the ones we encounter in our region. While I always prioritize staying local and engaging in our region directly, it’s also vital for MLAs to have a full picture of what is going on across the province, and to learn how other regions grapple with similar or unique struggles of their own.

Williams Lake will start hopping today as local residents and out-of -towners begin to gather for the 95th Stampede. This year will be special, no pandemic restrictions.