The local newspaper reported the current School District 6 (Rocky Mountain) Superintendent has left their position. In usual School District fashion the reason for leaving or if severance was paid was not disclosed.

The local School District has operated behind closed doors with very little public access to information for many years now. In the past, information on use of pesticides on school grounds, wage hikes for administration staff, staffing issues, school space inadequacies and allegations of abuse have always been restricted regardless of the public’s interest and right to know.

Of course it doesn’t help that local media has become bare-boned and unable to pursue and report on these issues. The days of strong local journalism is long gone. . . Replaced by Facebook. . . Lord help us!

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CBC reported on a study done by the RCMP examining coming threats that could affect policing. They included world affairs such as wars, environmental issues, economy, political polarization and extremist movements. The report painted a bleak future to say the least.

It made me think how, in our small community, how unprepared we are for these coming obstacles.

I don’t believe we will be helped by local government. Unless it involves development or tourism they are uninterested. Environment, homelessness, climate change and health and welfare of common citizens are not exactly their strong suit.

It is difficult to forget during the height of the Covid pandemic, when federal and provincial medical officials were recommending not to travel, our small town officials went on Alberta media telling tourists the Columbia Valley was open for business and to come and visit.

It was that kind of thinking that resulted in many low paid service employees getting sick, including fifteen people who I knew personally. Some of them got sicker than others. Luckily everyone got through it, but the severity of Covid was not known at the time. It was dangerous for our politicians to ignore the best scientific advice at the time to assure cash registers kept ringing.

It makes me think that it will be up to the citizenship to band together in the future to fight coming threats mentioned in the RCMP report. It may not be possible to rely on government and certainly not local government.

I believe the larger the government the less effect it has on our lives. For instance, our Federal MLA is a man who has rarely, if ever, stepped foot in Invermere. He is a long time party back bencher, and for all intents and purposes ineffectual and all but invisible to his constituents. He certainly doesn’t dictate policy that influences lives in his riding.

Our Provincial MLA is much the same. However, we do see him more often and he can bring forward concerns in the Provincial House. Still, his ability to change anything is limited at best and nonexistent at worst.

But our local governments, Mayors and council members can make a big difference, good and bad, to the lives of the people they are said to serve. It is interesting to note these members, although paid well, are paid substantially less than their Federal and Provincial counterparts. Regardless, they are often awarded in other ways due to their control of local policy, thus you often see wealthy businessmen such as realtors, business owners and developers in these positions.

I think history has shown, one can’t depend on politicians, regardless of stripe or office, to do the right thing for the majority of people. The best we can hope is that what is good for them is also good for the majority. Most of the time it is.

Who knows what the future holds.