Standing ovation for Summerland

Dear Editor: Re: water shut-off in Summerland (Herald, March 3, March 5, March 6).

Bravo Summerland. Take a bow — you are receiving a standing ovation.

Every person who was involved in even the minutest way, deserves a huge thank you from the citizens of Summerland. Your calm, professional, courteous handling of this unforeseen (and I am sure at times very stressful) situation should be emulated and envied by other communities and levels of government. (May I use you for conversational “show and tell”?)

My gratitude and thanks to council; to the administration and staff of Summerland Municipal Office; and particular thanks to the “boots on the ground,” who worked non-stop shifts 24 hours a day on the weekend to make the repairs to the water system.

We may never have the opportunity to express our thanks to each of you in person, but rest assured we do appreciate all that you have done for us

I am impressed with the forethought, planning, organization, and communication, which started the project moving forward many months ago. Then, when any change to the plans was necessitated by the evolving situation, further public notices kept us well advised and up to the minute.

On the weekend of the repairs, the “communication centre” and the “water angels” were the epitome of the organizational planning that typified this entire event. I believe you achieved your goal with the least inconvenience and interruption possible. This was truly honesty, transparency, sharing and involvement “writ large.”

By receiving complete information at the outset, there was time for many discussions and conversations over the months by citizens of Summerland that helped us to arrive at a comfort level with the inconvenience precipitated by the restrictions required by the necessary repair work on the water system infrastructure.

This could be looked at from an interesting community sociological perspective that progressed from ire, uncertainty, disbelief, denial, grudging acceptance, full acceptance — through the full gamut to “coping” plans and arrangements that helped to foster a great deal of pride in self and community.

Ultimately, I believe we felt we were an integral part of the entire process. We are proud to live in Summerland and I reserve the “bragging rights” to the best place to live in B.C. (probably in Canada). Loretta and Ross Krauter

Summerland