As we get ready to say goodbye to 2016, many people are looking back and saying, “good riddance.”

The world seemed to be in turmoil.

Britons voted to pull out of the European Union.

Syria’s civil war reached new peaks of devastation as Russian President Vladimir Putin militarily propped up the brutal regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, spreading death through Aleppo.

The tide of refugees into Europe swelled, prompting a wave of xenophobia and a surge in support for extreme right wing political parties.

And terror attacks in Brussels, Nice and Berlin – to name just a few – fanned the flames of fear and led to stepped up security measures.

On this side of the Atlantic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s honeymoon only diminished a little.

For now, at least, Canada has bucked political trends seen elsewhere.

But the United States saw its most bitter presidential election in living memory, confounding pundits by electing Donald Trump, whose impulsive Tweets raise new fears about global stability.

Can a president who lashes out on Twitter at 3 a.m. and threatens an arms race be trusted with the nuclear buttons?

Of course 2016 will be remembered for the many entertainment celebrities we lost.

David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince and Mohammad Ali top the long list, which in recent days added George Michael and Carrie Fisher.

Here in Osoyoos, 2016 has been more mixed. There have been difficult times, but also many successes.

The school closure crisis dominated the news for the first half of the year. The school board was bent on closing Osoyoos Secondary School to fill the overbuilt Southern Okanagan Secondary School in Oliver.

But trustees and the provincial government underestimated the resolve of the Osoyoos community to keep its school as a vital fixture of this town.

In the end, the provincial government found the funds it previously said weren’t there, and trustees, some still kicking and screaming, voted 5-2 to keep OSS open.

Ironically, the district-wide declining enrolments originally used as a pretext to close the school in the first place didn’t materialize.

Enrolment actually rose slightly, thanks in part, to the new correctional centre near Oliver and the school board actually ended up with a surplus.

There were other positive developments.

The newly opened Okanagan Correctional Centre has had economic spinoffs not only for Oliver, but for the entire South Okanagan.

The construction of a $6-million new fire hall in Osoyoos is a big step forward for firefighting.

But it’s also allowing new moderately priced and affordable housing to move forward in the Southeast Meadowlark subdivision, which shares some of the same infrastructure.

And the year-round tourism potential of Osoyoos received a huge boost when new buyers took control of Baldy Mountain Resort early in the summer, reopening it to skiers and snowboarders in December.

A national park, which would also provide a huge boost to local tourism, remains over the horizon. But the provincial government’s consultation process showed huge support, and it now appears the province is seeking a compromise that could see a smaller-scale national park reserve.

And a proposed Wibit or inflatable waterpark could soon become a new summer draw.

Osoyoos also experienced losses in 2016.

In fallout partly from the school crisis, some excellent teachers moved to other areas and longtime trustee June Harrington decided to step down.

Good Shepherd Christian School shut down after a quarter century serving the community.

The historic Haynes House, now beyond repair, was torn down, taking a part of our history with it.

Overall though, 2016 was the year this community dodged a bullet with the school issue and we’ve seen other new developments that raise hopes of a promising future.

Happy 2017!