Wow! They did it!
Congratulations and thank you to all the Public Works staff for successfully completing the installation of the three new valves and coordinating alternative water supplies for the whole town — except for 53 unlucky residences.
It was an amazing job of planning and preparing for all the interconnections of water lines to bypaswws the massive mainline that runs from the water treatment plant to the pressure reducing station at the oval-about. Not to mention the work of engineering, purchasing and installing the new valves. Visit the District of Summerland’s Facebook page for some interesting pictures of the work.
I am told the whole job went off without a hitch and just a couple of surprises with the alternative water supply, which were quickly dealt with. I am sure that the crews enjoyed the treats that were dropped off for them by thoughtful residents. It sure is nice to see the people of Summerland supporting one another that way.
Life on council
It has been about two and half years since this council was elected and perhaps I should answer a question that I have been asked since we were elected. That is, “So how do you like being on council?”
The answer is, I find it very interesting. As most of you know, how much you enjoy your job can depend on the people you work with, and in Summerland we have a terrific group of staff who I believe are all excited to make Summerland a great place to live and council gets along well.
If there was one thing that perhaps I did not expect, but should have, was how much reading there is. Every two weeks on Thursdays there is an Agenda that averages 150 pages of reports and letters etc. Plus, there is a lot of correspondence concerning the Banks Crescent proposal. However, I have been accused of being a bookworm in the past, and now that helps.
Library
My experience reading started when I was a child in Summerland and my father would take us to the public library about every other Tuesday evening. Both my parents were avid readers and were obviously an influence in that regard. The new library in Summerland is the third library building we have had in Summerland in my lifetime here and I hope that a new generation are regularly visiting it with their children, it may prove useful when they grow up and run for council.
Museum AGM
Lastly, I would like to remind everyone that the annual AGM for the Summerland Museum and Heritage Society is this Saturday at 1:00 PM, upstairs at the new Cultural Centre Building (old library). As the Council representative to this Society I attend their meetings and I must commend the board and staff for accomplishing a lot of good things in the last couple of years and there is more to come.
Richard Barkwill is a
Summerland councillor.