THUNDER BAY – Editorial – We are wet and weary but we will win! There is a solid never say die attitude in Thunder Bay. Our local residents have stepped up fast and generously to assist our fellow citizens. As of Friday morning, the state of emergency and disaster zone declarations are still in effect in our city. That means conserving water from going down the drain.
We are only at the real beginning of the flooding crisis in Thunder Bay.
The reality likely is that for the most part many people will start ignoring those concerns, time and better weather will likely be a factor.
The truth is we are really only at the beginning of this situation. While the flooding happened fast, the full recovery is going to take time. Much of that will start happening now as people drain their homes of flood water and sewage. Some will continue as disaster relief efforts continue.
Hats are off in our city to the residents and businesses who stepped up to support the Dougall Media radio-athon on Thursday, $249,000 plus was raised in this event yesterday. It clearly demonstrates that people in Thunder Bay care.
However it is going to take, time, talent and treasure to fully make a difference in this entire situation. To give you and idea of the time likely involved, yesterday in the House of Commons, James Bezan, the Conservative MP for Selkirk—Interlake stated, “Last week, I again toured areas devastated by the Manitoba floods of 2011 and met with flood victims and municipal leaders. Flood victims have had to deal with heartache and headache, and do not seem to be any closer to putting this ordeal behind them”.
Thats right, a year later. Likely no matter what happens right now, in Thunder Bay the impact of the flooding will be with our community for a long time. Right now the process of responding to the emergency and evaluation is still ongoing.
There are families who have lost everything. It is going to take time to get everyone back on their feet.
As a community, we have a history of doing what is needed to come together – That is going to be important in the coming weeks and months ahead.
One point that must be raised, in terms of information, one of the keys to making sure we all move forward together is having accurate information. For many, between social media and gossip, it is very easy to get information out there that might not be accurate. My advise is simple. If you hear something, before you comment on it or pass it on, first go to the source to make sure it is accurate.
James Murray
Chief Content Officer