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Column: Snow reveals the character of a community

For every internet complainer there were two more willing to help a neighbour
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Gerry Beltgens Special to the Chronicle

At a time when we often listen to the news or read comments on Facebook with dismay, we can still be assured that we live in a town that cares.

During the wind storm in December and the recent snow storm the people of Ladysmith proved that when it comes to helping others this town punches well above its weight.

My personal experience started while digging my car out to take my wife to the airport. My neighbour Jerry Anderson was about to walk his dog but grabbed a shovel and started helping me without being asked.

Another neighbour came by pushing a snow blower and continued to keep the sidewalks clear on a large section of Bayview for the duration of the storm.

I mentioned these incidents at an interview and the woman that I spoke to told me about her two sons.

They went around the neighbourhood shovelling people’s walks and driveways, even if they did not have the money to pay.

They really were excited to do the driveway of a couple of seniors who were away for the day. The boys wanted to see the look on their faces when they saw the cleared driveway and did not know who did it. They loved the idea of an anonymous act of kindness.

I posted a comment on Facebook and received several stories about our community reaching out and helping others.

Vicki Geoff Blackburn reported that Art Franzen volunteered to assist his neighbours using a small tractor equipped with a snow blade. Lots of seniors trapped in mountains of snow were helped. Three cheers for Art!

Nicole Differ spoke of an act of kindness by her best friend. After she completed her own driveway she went on to do her sister’s and mother’s driveways; both were suffering from health issues. She then did the driveway of an elderly neighbour while being “helped” by her two small children.

Bob Burgess lives in Rocky Creek Park. The residents were trapped in very deep snow. Bob has recently had shoulder surgery and needed to go to doctors appointments. Four of the neighbours came to dig the residents out and helped with rides to appointments and getting groceries. Bob is very impressed with his community of seniors.

So, don’t buy into the mean comments you might read online. People come together when there are problems, disasters or other crises. We live in a time when the news is often bad but I believe that most people are inherently good and that was proven again during the snow storm of 2019.

Thank you residents of Ladysmith, I am so glad we moved back here.





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