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Let’s focus on the positive in this great place where we all get to live

I moved to the Cowichan Valley, specifically the Duncan area, in Spring 2014. I have to say, I love it here.

Cowichan Valley, a place to call home!

I moved to the Cowichan Valley, specifically the Duncan area, in Spring 2014. I have to say, I love it here. Everywhere you look, beautiful views, a warm breeze, and smiles from almost everyone you walk past down the street.

But one thing I have noticed is that so many of the locals don’t see how good they have it here. I read the local paper weekly. I can’t help but notice that there are so many writing in about such trivial things. Whether it be how they don’t agree with the plantings in roundabouts, the “poor” conditions of our roads, the local restaurant, a bypass through town to make commuting easier, parking downtown, Canada Avenue construction, should the school be allowed to water or should they not? The list goes on and on. Life is too short to worry about such petty things.

Coming from the prairies where we were lucky to have even three months of flowers blooming, I would like to extend a thank you to the folks that are continuing to keep our town beautiful whether it be planting in roundabouts, watering the flowers through town, or weeding the gardens.

As for the poor road conditions that I seem to hear come up far too often, I have seen potholes back home that could almost swallow your car created by the six months of -40 weather. Enough said.

And why do we feel we have the right to bully others in the community? Do we not teach our children every day that bullying is wrong? If so, why do we feel it’s okay to be so cruel to a local small business owner that is trying to do nothing more than support their family and make a nice place for YOU to come eat, where they will wait on you, and clean up after you!

And a bypass, really? Having worked in the downtown core of a large city, this actually amuses me. I don’t feel that sitting in traffic for at most 10 minutes to get from one end of Duncan to the next on the Trans Canada is an issue. Definitely not worth spending millions of taxpayers’ dollars on.

Next time you are downtown, stop and say hello to our friendly parking patrols. I do every day! You will see that they are not, in fact, out to get you. In my previous city, I used to have to arrive downtown at least a half hour before work, and pay my $10/day for parking after driving around several parking lots trying to find a spot. God forbid I couldn’t find a spot in a lot. Well, then it was out to the parking meters every two hours to put my toonie in, and if I was five minutes late, a $50 parking ticket. So needless to say, our $1 a day pay parking that’s a two minute walk from pretty much everything downtown is pretty generous of the city. Thank you City of Duncan!

Canada Avenue construction? I’ve never lived through such a fast construction job in my old city. Great work everyone for getting traffic moving smoothly again so fast for everyone!

Last time I checked, the schools weren’t abusing their water privileges.

So next time you are travelling through the Cowichan Valley, stop to smell the roses, stop at a local restaurant, say hello to the person you pass on the sidewalk.

I have met so many great people and visited so many great local businesses. Whether it be, the pub or restaurant in Maple Bay, offering AMAZING views with great prices. Or so many of the great stores downtown. Say hi to Sarah at Eclectic Avenue, or Alan at Indigo Children’s Consignment. How about Anna, Bree and Sheridan at The Ginger Room? Let’s not forget the ladies at Leaf & Petal, Cherries, The Twisted Mug, I could go on and on as there are so many more great businesses downtown.

We have it so good here. So let’s look at the bright side of things and focus less on our “first-world problems.”

 

Ashleigh Friesen

Maple Bay