It is difficult to believe that a decade ago, government agencies were fighting the community over opening a unique hospice.
Our cover story on Oct. 20, 2006 laid out the debate over the hospice, which Lynn Turner and other residents had spent eight years rallying the community to create.
A decade later, the hospice is going strong and providing Valley residents with a home-based place to go for end-of-life care.
This model is not unique anymore, and we wish it would be a lot easier for other such hospices to open. Especially as we watch our demographics age.
Until then, the community should give Ty Watson House and the volunteers that keep it running a round of applause.
Compromise needed
The controversy brewing over Island Timberlands closing some of its gates over the May long weekend, and cutting off overnight camping opportunities for outdoor recreation enthusiasts, is not destined for a good ending, unless cooler heads prevail.
Fire hazards from recreational activities are a real threat: when fire inspectors take a look at wildfires such as Dog Mountain or Fort McMurray, they have to take into account sparks from ATVs, campfires not extinguished correctly, etc.
May long weekend camping is a treasured tradition in the Alberni Valley, and should not be ignored. Perhaps it’s time to look at creating better camping opportunities while protecting the backcountry from fire danger.