No time for introductions this week, let’s get right down to business with some rapid fire topics, as due to Monday being a holiday, I literally only have two days to put an entire newspaper together.
Victor’s Secret Fashion Show:
What an awesome event the seventh annual show was! Cheryl Verbrugge and the rest of the committee always do an amazing job putting everything together, and it’s easily my favourite event of the year to attend. This was my third year in a row covering the show, and I’m proud to say I have paid every single year for a ticket like everyone else, and I really wouldn’t have it any other way. With all the proceeds going to help North Island cancer patients, how can a local newspaper not show up and support it? Next year, the Gazette will be doing even more to help Victor’s Secret than just showing up and paying for a ticket — that is a promise from me to the committee that I intend to keep.
KSM Skatepark:
Due to the horrible weather for the last four months straight, the Kyle Scow Memorial Skatepark has been an inaccessible swamp. When the weather gets bad like this, we usually make our way over to Eagle View Elementary School and use the covered area once school is over for the day. Here’s a quick thank you to D’arcy Deacon, Jillian Walkus and Malcolm Fleeton for not once complaining about us using the space, and for recognizing we are just there to have fun and not damage school property. Hopefully if/when the new skatepark gets built, Port Hardy council will figure out a way to make it usable year-round for everyone of all ages to enjoy.
Highway closure:
Highway 19 was at a standstill for a few hours on Wednesday, and as usual, Port Hardy Fire Rescue and the RCMP were there on scene in the pouring rain dealing with it, doing their best to help make a bad situation better for North Island residents. Give them a round of applause for their dedication, and if you see them in person, tell them thank you, because they deserve it. On another note, I drove down to Campbell River on Wednesday to get a new phone (don’t ask), and I counted eight logging trucks on the highway! It made for a very frustrating drive, even more so due to the less than desirable weather conditions. Hopefully our MLA Claire Trevena and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations can do something about Western Forest Products decision to shut down the Englewood Train, but I’m not going to hold my breath.
Minimum wage increase:
Minimum wage should be going up to $15 an hour in 2021, and I’ve been debating writing about this subject for awhile now. What kind of effect/affect do you think this will have on the province? Will it affect small businesses by forcing them to pay their employees more than they will be able to afford? Will the cost of living go up? Will it stay the same? Will we see the working poor finally start to catch up to everyone else? I’m going to explore this topic further in another edition of Tyson’s Thoughts, and maybe even interview some local businesses about it.
Okay, that’s enough from me this week. As always, keep reading the North Island Gazette for all your daily North Island news. We get to the heart of the matter every time, and always keep our own opinion out of it.
Unless, of course, you’re reading Tyson’s Thoughts.
Peace!