Shawn and I moved here 22 years ago because we wanted to start our life together in a family-friendly small town with good schools, a hospital, grocery stores, great beaches and a Main Street.
We felt Summerland met all our needs and was poised to grow… on the cusp of being the next great place.
We thought we were getting in on the ground floor for a good life.
I remember buying fabric at the 5¢ to $1 Store, a christening gift at the jewelry store and flooring for our kitchen renovation right on Main Street.
I remember the thrill of moving to Mayberry.
I remember the feeling of camaradery and fellowship.
Well, it turns out we were wrong about quite a few things.
The hospital closed, the school district was amalgamated with Penticton and this past year taught us even the actual bricks and mortar schools are not safe.
Instead of a free flowing exchange of ideas, people are silent in fear of sharing their thoughts should they be deemed too controversial and potentially harm their business.
Really good and creative people are hesitant to stand for public service much less committees and service clubs.
There seems to be a feeling of us versus them rather than a common purpose or direction.
Summerland has not truly grown, or embraced our potential, or changed, or accepted new thoughts and directions. There are those who claim a moral high ground, and damn those who do not.
Our young people continue to leave, our businesses struggle, our Main Street has lost its lustre and we continue to say NO to opportunities.
Summerland seems to revel in saying NO.
We have said NO to several world class development options that would bring families to our town, support local businesses, provide short and long term skilled employment, expand our volunteer pool and increase our tax base. We have said NO to land swaps, tall buildings, small buildings, cell towers, prisons, commercial buildings, industrial expansion, highway development, combined emergency services, flat land development and hillside development.
We almost said NO to a sewer system! Really. It was close.
Now, don’t get me wrong… there are excellent examples of growing despite the dreaded NO.
Bottleneck Drive comes to mind. How fabulous to watch the wine and cider industry grow. Bead Trails, Cherry Tree Quilts, Maple Roch and True Grains are other examples of people pursuing their passions and creating thriving businesses.
There are many others as well. I would argue, however, by repeatedly saying NO we are hindering their chances of their own long term success as well as that of Summerland.
So, let us consider what would happen if we turned the initial reaction of NO to a strong, bold, definitive YES. How exciting would it be to get to the place of YES?
YES to optimism, new ideas, new people, quality concepts, well researched plans, infrastructure upgrades and an increased tax base.
Can you think what might happen if we say YES first, then figure out a way to get it done, rather than create roadblocks right out of the gate.
Just think about it… YES, we can. Let’s figure out how to make it happen.
Use our considerable talents and expertise to create positive change and growth, to assess risks and find solutions. YES to become the Summerland we have been poised to be for decades.
Lisa Jaager is a hands-on mom to three pretty great kids, an avid gardener, a patio wine drinker, a library regular, a Rotarian and a Summerland cheerleader.