e-KNOW Editorial

By Ian Cobb

Well, wasn’t that a year?

It seems that 2016 is heading toward the departure gate without many sad farewells.

Poor 2016, it will be remembered as a trying and challenging year and one where human kind took a few steps backward on the proverbial progression path.

As usual, a great slug of celebrities died. It seemed like a lot but that is because there are more ‘celebrities’ than ever before thanks to the Internet and the simple fact that mankind is procreating its way towards 7.5 billion souls accessing Mother Earth. There were 3.2 billion people on Earth when I was born 53 years ago.

No matter how you slice it – 2016 was a rough and tumble year that will leave marks for years to come for a great many people.

That said, there is optimism heading into 2017. For starters, we live in Canada. No, it isn’t perfect. But it’s a sight better than most everywhere else in the world.

We live in relative freedom and, generally, are a well-behaved and respectful society. It is still a place where if you work hard you can get ahead. It’s a nation that will look after its sick and weak, usually. People fall through the cracks all the time; a result of human frailties and faults in systems.

If you live in Canada and you think your lot is lousy, consider most of the rest of the world. Try this exercise: close your eyes, spin a globe and stop it; wherever your finger lands, consider that nation as your place of birth. Read up on it (Google is your friend) and then compare it to Canada.

One can only guess as to what 2017 will bring, aside from a litany of crackpot Donald Trump tweets that will only serve to terrorize or infuriate the world and feed comedians with wonderful material to work with.

British Columbians head to the polls on May 9 and that means a whack of pre-election spending.

Like 2016, there will be crazy weather stories. There will be a raft of celebrity corporeal plane departures. There will be ugly and terrible news and there will be good news, too.

It’s going to be another wild ride around the sun. Enjoy!

For all our readers, advertisers, submitting writers and photographers, friends and family, we wish for you a 2017 that is as pain free as possible and as joyful as you desire. May prosperity and sweet delight come your way on a regular basis.

For our friends in the public safety services (police, fire, ambulance, SAR etc.), may you be safe as you perform your duties.

Cheers and yee-haw and Happy New Year! Play safely!

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