08/30/2026
Earlier today I wasn't able to speak at the Rally for the Valley event where dignitaries thanked people for their work during the flood. If I had been able to, I would have said this:
We live in an amazing place with a lot of interesting people and even more interesting things. And while this summer was more interesting than we would have liked, we made it through so much already and things are slowly getting better.
Sometimes people look at local politicians and say we've made a mess, other times they say we did a good job. The reality is, while its pretty easy to really make a mess, we rarely do a good job. The good jobs are done by the people, not the politicians. Its the staff at each municipality, the fire fighters, the volunteers and most of all the residents who make good things happen.
As politicians our job is really to create an environment where everyday people can do amazing things. To provide the support they need, to clear the roadblocks that are in the way and to learn from their great ideas.
The reason there is a splash park in Benito is not because a politician waved a magic wand - its because people believed in a dream and the politicians didn't mess it up. We found ways to say yes instead of looking for ways to say no.
That is exactly what made our valley so resilient to the summer flooding. Politicians who care about our valley let people have the freedom to find solutions while also providing support. We spent time making sure the provincial government knew we needed help and we encouraged that help to apply to everyone.
Rare is the politician that didn't fill and move at least a few sandbags so that no one could say they "did nothing". But it simply wasn't any of us who saved homes and fought the water. It was you, the people.
It was also you that had incredible losses that many can't begin to imagine. It was you that wondered how to pay the bills, and how to make things normal for your kids. It is you that may not yet know how Christmas is going to work... or that lays awake at night worrying about groceries and repairs.
Our job is not to brag about what we have done, it is to figure out how to create more conditions where you can keep being amazing. To figure out ways where you can not have your family worry about whats next. Our job is to find ways to let you return to normal as best you can.
As an example of that, I hold up my friend Glen Simard. He was a teacher but lately he has a more interesting job as the Minister of Municipal Relations. I spent some time with him today to watch a master at work. With each conversation I watched I never heard him say "We Did" but instead ask how are you doing? How can we help?
Glen came to the valley today to show his support, not to look for photo ops. He didn't even bring a sign with - we made him one so he didn't look goofy riding around in the parade if no one recognized him.
The message from local politicians should be the same. Not a list of "We Did" or "I called" or even "Look at Me" but instead just the simple question... what else can we do to put conditions in place for you to prosper? It should be real information on what is happening, even if that news is bad. It should be realizing we are here to help you, not to control you.
Thank you so much to the people who worked hard so "we" looked good today. The people I work with at the Chamber of Swan Valley Chamber of Commerce had an excellent parade - their board members should be proud.
Thank you to all of you who have worked so hard to get the valley back on track. While the worst may be over, it will be years before everything is back to the way it was. I have every confidence that together everyone will get to the spot where the flood is only a memory instead of a living nightmare.
You should probably stop reading now. Just move on to the next post. You'll feel better if you do!
Ok... so you stayed anyway...
The next nine weeks or so are going to be wild. It's election season and things aren't as they have always been. Politicians are tense, and some are pretty grumpy too.
Democracy doesn't mean you have to pick someone new. It means that its ok to have a choice to stick with the person who leads a community now, or to try someone new if you think that may be better. Its a normal, healthy thing and every four years we should stop to think about who should lead for the next little while.
It isn't a personal shot when someone says "I think I can do a better job" - its what built our valley. People saying "we can make this better" resulted in so much progress. Having new people say "lets get better" and sharing their plans for how to do that is healthy, needed and what so many of us want to see.
I expect the mayor to say things like "of course you should speak" because we all live here together and we all have a role to play. I think I had some important things to say.
If the mayor choses to be involved in keeping me from speaking because he is upset that I think our town deserves to have a choice in who leads for the next four years... that isn't democracy.
I likely owe Lance an apology... he may have got the idea that I plan to run against him for the Mayor job. I do not. I simply think we should all get a choice in whether Lance remains mayor or whether the majority decide to try someone new.
I don't think that because I hate Lance. I kinda like the guy. We've had many good visits. I think we should have a choice because I know Swan River can do so very much better and I hope that everyone gets a chance to choose the team who brings us to that better.
I was not planning to vote for Lance to be Mayor next term. But after what I've seen the last few months and what I saw again today, I can confidently say that I will not vote for Lance for any reason, for any position, ever again.
