On Reflection

Thoughts from resident and former mayor Douglas Miller

This week of the holidays provides a lull, ideal for looking back on the year just ending.

It is difficult not to have compassion for the growing numbers affected by these difficult economic times. The increasing economic disparity in our society is resulting in rising numbers of people struggling to provide the very basics of life; food and shelter. As a country, I like to believe that we are better than this.

Raising a family in this environment must be a daunting prospect, even in this socio-economic wonderland of Lions Bay. My hat is off to those who take on the task of raising our next generations.

The temperature of our local politics seems to have cooled considerably over the past few months. Fortunately, British Columbia has the Community Charter and a proactive Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The former sets out how municipalities are to operate and the latter is there to ensure that those rules are followed. I did wonder how crazy things would have to become before the Ministry finally has enough and decides to just make Lions Bay part of West Vancouver. May sanity prevail at the council table in the year ahead. I extend best wishes to our elected officials, our new CAO, and the rest of the Village staff for a harmonious 2024.

For those who have settled in Lions Bay over the past 20 years, you will be unfamiliar with a publication called The Seagull. It was a monthly newsmagazine delivered in hardcopy format to all the local mail boxes. It contained an eclectic assortment of articles and stories about local activities and people. It became onerous for its editor and publisher, Karen Dyer, to write articles, sell and design sufficient advertising, do the layout for the printers and, finally, deliver it to our post office.

Fortunately, times and technology have changed. Coupled with renewed energies on the part of Karen Dyer, The Seagull was reborn this year in digital form under the banner of The Watershed. Thanks to her training and experience as a journalist, we once again have an accurate documentation of our local affairs. Her unbiased reporting on the Village council meetings alone is worth the proverbial price of admission. No longer must we rely on the rantings and raging in local social media “silos” for our information about local activities. Karen and The Watershed are deserving of our support.

I am unsure how to approach this final thought without encroaching on the person’s privacy. We have someone who has been living among us for almost 25 years. He has chosen an unconventional lifestyle. He lives outdoors just outside our municipal boundaries. I often think of him when heavy rains fall and strong winds blow. Despite circumstances that can at the very least be described as “difficult”, this gentleman invariably presents himself well and exhibits an amazingly positive outlook on life. He appears to make most of his income by collecting aluminum drink cans along the highway. Some locals save their returnables for him. Lately, my concerns for his well-being have increased. He is now in his 70’s and his is not an easy life. If you are willing to set aside your aluminum drink cans in a box or bag rather than putting them into your recycling container, I would be glad to pick them up from your home. The alternative is to drop them off at my residence, 229 Bayview Road. My phone number is 604-351-1400. This small act on your part would make a significant difference in the life of a deserving individual.

In advance, “Thanks”.