Happy Spring Everyone!
We hope you’re all happy, healthy, safe and sound during these crazy and unprecedented times of COVID-19.
I don’t think we have to remind anyone of the seriousness of the global pandemic which has emerged rapidly over the past few weeks, but hope that all of you are following the directions of health authorities and the government in staying home and practicing social distancing and regular hygiene practices to keep our risks low. We know this is a very stressful and almost surreal time for many people for a variety of different reasons. Please try not to despair, and take comfort in the fact that there are a lot of supports falling into place for those who need them, including the federal government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan which is evolving daily, and BC’s COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information site. There’s also lots of information out there with the most up-to-date health details on what’s happening in our province at the HealthLink BC site or you can call 811 to speak with a BC health service navigator who can help you find health information and/or services you may require. The CRD also has a COVID-19 information site which takes its cue from our Provincial Health Officer.
As a responsible board, your OPSRRA directors are also respecting social distancing in helping to keep COVID-19 at bay in our communities. We are holding our spring quarterly meeting on Monday, March 30 at 8 PM on Zoom to keep our work running as much as possible.
Spring AGM Postponed
In respecting the social distancing that will be essential in battling the current epidemic, OPSRRA’s AGM, originally scheduled for 1:30 PM on Sunday April 5 at the JdF CRD Services Building in Otter Point, has been postponed until deemed safe to do so by the Public Health Authority. We have a great speaker on food security in our communities lined up (a timely topic) and hope we’ll still be able do this sometime in the not too distant future, along with our annual board elections and update from CRD. We’ll let you know when this starts moving again.
Update on “Welcome to Jordan River diitiida” Signs
We have finished the final touches on the “Welcome” signs and have received the wave motifs from Camosun Innovates, with many thanks again to the hard working faculty and students at the College. We are still hoping to get the signs installed sometime this summer (conditions allowing) and have sent around some letters to our local businesses to see if any of them would be able to help with fundraising for the installation. This was just at the start of the epidemic and no doubt businesses have other concerns right now, so we hope to pick this up again when the epidemic subsides. We are also still hoping that the new road maintenance contractors for our region, Emcon Services, will be able assist with the installation at some point, along with CRD. Again, if you’re able to help us with costs through donations or other ways, please go to our donation page.
Otter Point Rd and Highway 14 – Corridor Improvements
As you’ve probably gathered, road upgrade activities in our communities seem to have come to a virtual stop and hopefully this will pick up again once the worst of the epidemic has passed.
Membership Renewal Process – Reminder
We are continuing our transition from lifetime to 5-year renewable memberships and have had good responses to date. Thank you to everyone who has already renewed. You can renew your membership several ways, and it’s only $10.00 per person for five years and $10.00 per year for a business. You can fill in the membership form, send an e-transfer to info@opsrra.ca, or mail a cheque to the address below:
OPSRRA
c/o 9193 West Coast Road
Shirley BC V9Z 1G3
Reminder New Board Members
OPSRRA is looking for a secretary and a membership director. If you’re interested in helping to make a difference in your community and in finding out more about director positions, you can read about them here. Please contact president@opsrra.ca or vpresident@opsrra.ca for more information.
In the meantime we wish you all happiness and good health. Be safe, relish in the downtime everyone, and enjoy the coming spring and all it has to offer outdoors!
OPSRRA 