SUMMING IT UP: Greenwood City Council
By Mona Mattei
Greenwood City Council covered a lot of ground in their last meeting from updates on a potential mini-series to be filmed in the city to health care.
Mini-series
Original Pictures Inc. has been communicating with the City on and off for the past year to explore options to shoot a 13 part reality style mini-series in Greenwood. Producer Megan McElwain now has confirmation of 16 people who are interested in participating in the show.
“This reality show is like “While You Were Out” or the “Week the Women Went,”” explained Mayor Colleen Lang. “Megan McElwain said they wanted to make contact with families or people who were unemployed, struggling, could be a cancer victim, a college student, etc. With the mine down and Pope and Talbot closed in our area she thought is was an opportune time to make contact in a small town and thought our community was fitting.”
Lang said they polled their community for people interested in participating and McElwain is just starting to contact the volunteers.
Tourism Promotions
Greenwood made decisions to support the continued promotion of their community for visitors. Lang said they have taken ads out in the West Boundary Magazine, Visitors Choice for the Boundary, and supported an ad jointly with the Community Association, Greenwood Museum, Greenwood Board of Trade in the Tourism Rockies magazine. Lang said that they have moved away from promotions with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association because they feel they receive more exposure for the community through the Rockies publications.
Grant requests
The grant requests presented to council at their last meeting on May 10 from the Greenwood Heritage Society and the Greenwood Board of Trade were both tabled until further information can be determined.
Blood services at local health unit
The city received a letter from the Midway Medical Society indicating that blood collection services in Greenwood and Midway will now be limited. The service will only accept 12 clients per day in Greenwood and 18 per day in Midway.
“So if you’re number 13 or 14 you’re cut off,” said Lang. “Council will be sending a letter of support regarding this concern and a letter will be sent to the doctors and Interior Health. Unfortunately we have diabetics that come all the way from Rock Creek for blood clinics. Then there are people who have to fast, so this is very inconvenient. We’re hoping that they will at least allow one or two people at a clinic rather than saying that they are cut off.”
Policing
A letter from School District 51 was received by the Greenwood council raising a concern about a shortage of staffing at the RCMP in the West Boundary. Lang said there are currently two officers off on leave who have not been replaced.
“In the summer our officers help to cover Christina Lake so we are hoping that they will put in a replacement officer while these officers are off,” said Lang. “Crime stats are up in the area. These officers do need time off and there’s family commitments and holiday time. But if they are off they should at least bring in a replacement.”
Lang recently met with Staff Sergeant Olsen and the new corporal in Midway to discuss the staff shortage who informed her that they are bringing in a new officer.
New guard shack at pool
The Friends of the Greenwood Improvement Society have been working on upgrading the swimming pool. “To date they’ve sold numerous bricks for a new guard shack. They are to be commended for all the work that they’ve done,” said Lang. There will be an opening celebration at the pool on July 24. The efforts are largely the work of Donna Durban, Darla Ashton, Kevin Thorlakson, Dennis Radford, Deb Baker and Randy Smith.
