Mayor's Musings for July 2023
by Steve Fairbairn, Mayor for the District of Elkford
Acronyms. You know them—and use them—pretty much all the time. FYI, FOMO, LOL and a few others too…
This edition of the Mayor’s Musings focuses on acronyms. Letters. The abbreviations of words, which are collections gathered from the 26 letters in our alphabet. Well, no—it may be more accurate to say that this edition uses acronyms to focus on the future of Elkford, and your opportunities and responsibilities to get involved and touch the future of Elkford. But I digress.
It also uses acronyms to irritate you and make you smile. You’re welcome! 😉
Acronym #1: OCP (Official Community Plan)
The OCP is the first acronym of the day. This stands for [the] Official Community Plan—and we have an OCP Advisory Committee that is looking for volunteers!
This is a rare and unique opportunity for residents of Elkford to play an active and central role in the creation of the guiding vision for the future of the District of Elkford.
This is the group that will work on the creation of ‘the future guide’ for Elkford. Here are some examples of topics that they’ll help tackle:
- Bylaws (animals, RVs, recreational ATV usage—look, more acronyms! 😊 housing sizes, and more)
- Zoning, density, housing form and function
- Advocacy areas, infrastructure build and maintenance (this includes parks and recreation facilities)
- Greenhouse gas and energy efficiency goals and plans
- Taxation and reserve funds
- Business support and advocacy
- Plus much more!
Elkford’s current OCP 😊 was created and adopted back in 2010. This new one needs to represent the next generation of Elkfordians—and you, my friends, are part of this generation! It’ll be in place for years, and it will guide every single recommendation to council and staff well into the future.
Check out the July 20, 2023, Free Press ad (page A5) for information on how to apply for this committee. Elkfordians can also check their mailboxes, drop by the District Office at 744 Fording Drive or visit our website at www.elkford.ca/ocpadvisorycommittee to learn more details and get the application form. DON’T WAIT on this: the deadline to apply is August 8, 2023.
Acronym #2: RAC (Regional Accessibility Committee)
Speaking of our website—you can also find your application for the RAC 😊 (Regional Accessibility Committee) on there at https://www.elkford.ca/regionalaccessibilitycommittee, as well as information on many other topics (just scroll down the main page). Get your dirt right from the source!
Acronyms, eh?
Acronym #3: REOC (Regional Emergency Operations Centre)
REOC is another good one, and it stands for Regional Emergency Operations Centre.
The RDEK (Regional District of East Kootenay—hello, new acronym! 😊) will be the principle agency guiding Elkford through the REOC in the event of an emergency. Why am I boring you with this detail? Because the REOC is the best and most current source of information on all emergency situations in the East Kootenay region. This includes wildfire evacuation alerts and orders.
P.S. Note that there are no politicians involved in running an EOC. Rather, it is staffed by expertly trained and knowledgeable professionals.
Acronym #4: ENS (Emergency Notification System)
I think we all recognize the dangers of relying on your friend-of-a-friend’s aunt’s sister’s cousin’s post on FB (Facebook—acronym, shucks, this is fun being a pain! 😂) as a source of reliable information. The DoE’s (District of Elkford, acronym 😊 again!) FB posts will be informed by information from the REOC in Cranbrook, with supplemental information from our very own senior staff team here at the DoE.
On the RDEK 😊 website, you can also sign up for their ENS (this acronym 😊 stands for emergency notification system), which is safe, secure and free: www.rdek.bc.ca/departments/protectiveservices/emergencyinfo. No, you can’t do that on your FB feed!
Don’t just assume your FB feed will show you the most up-to-date information, either—FB has an algorithm, and sometimes recipes, funny videos and memes overtake the important stuff. To make sure you have all the accurate information: go to www.rdek.bc.ca/departments/protectiveservices/emergencyinfo. Additionally, the DoE 😊 website www.elkford.ca/ and DoE FB 😊 page (@district.elkford) are also great sources of accurate, up-to-date info you can trust.
Did I mention the OCP 😊 Advisory Committee already? Good—because that one is an exciting opportunity to touch the future!
Acronym #5: UPCC (Urgent Primary Care Centre)
UPCC is another acronym 😊—and it stands for Urgent Primary Care Centre. This one is my teaser of the month. Stay tuned and pay attention to news from IHA (Interior Health Authority—another important acronym 😊).
The participation of residents will drive the decisions of IHA (and for that matter, your council) with respect to the future of healthcare in Elkford. Either way, you’ll carry the burden into the future—like with the new OCP 😊 (getting a sense of how important this OCP Advisory Committee is yet?)—that the DoE (which, BTW is another acronym 😊, and so is ‘BTW’, by the way!) is undertaking with your participation and guidance.
I hope my obnoxious use of acronyms and the word acronym 😊 helped bring a smile to your face.
In closing: the DoE is your community, Elkfordians, and I hope you will get involved in its future. If you don’t…then who will?
TTFN,
Mayor Steve
