Some of you may have already heard that Friday will be my last day as the editor of Lakes District News (probably because I’ve been selling all my furniture online).
Personal circumstances are now taking me to Vancouver. However, you might still see my name in the paper since I will be helping out from a distance until a replacement is found.
Since this is my last week in Burns Lake, I can’t help but think about my approximately three and a half years working for this newspaper.
With nearly half of its population being Aboriginal, it was interesting to see how First Nations in Burns Lake interact with local and regional governments, and learn more about their culture and issues.
I also learned a lot from covering our local government. Although council and I did not always get along, since the beginning I’ve been impressed by the transparency and efficiency of our municipal office. And as someone who’s still relatively new to Canada, watching decisions being made at the local level really helped me have a better understanding of the country as a whole.
But I must admit that it wasn’t always easy living here. Before I moved to Burns Lake I had never called the police in my entire life (and I’m from a developing country notorious for being dangerous). But here, I’ve had to call the police dozens of times due to domestic violence and other issues in my apartment building.
I’d say that domestic violence is one of the most pressing issues in our town, followed by housing, homelessness and post-secondary education.
Speaking of which… when I first moved to Canada I studied journalism in a small town in Newfoundland called Stephenville. The question you’re probably asking is, “What makes a Brazilian go to an unknown town in the middle of nowhere to study?”
The answer is that they were offering a cool program - different from what was being offered in major centres. And just like me, students from all over the country and the world flocked to this small town.
So why aren’t we offering interesting programs like that in Burns Lake? Is the digital delivery initiative really what we need? I find it hard to believe that this strategy would attract people to Burns Lake; and yet our council has been applauding this initiative.
We seem to be living in a pivotal moment for Burns Lake – trying to diversify our economy and reinvent ourselves. But I see that we have remarkable people here with great ideas, and who believe enough in this town to make it happen.
I’ll be living away, but part of my heart will always be with this town. You can be sure that I’ll be watching what happens.
It’s been a privilege to work here. Thanks for the warm reception!
@flavio_nienow
newsroom@ldnews.net
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