Cursed or not, Oliver is a community of compassion.
We saw this firsthand as many people came forward to help fire victims who were forced out of their homes.
Offers of accommodation, food, and emotional support came flooding in from countless people.
The “my home is your home” attitude is what makes this community what it is, and what makes it survive during times of crises, of which there have been many this year.
When a home burns down in Willowbrook, neighbours rush in to help with food, clothing and cash donations.
When someone dies, everyone’s heart breaks and work immediately begins to support the family.
When low-income parents can’t afford to send their children to school with a backpack or supplies, residents reach into their pockets to help.
When calamity strikes, people cannot sit idly by and count their blessings that the misfortune wasn’t theirs. They get off the couch and help.
Perhaps we should change our brand to “Compassion Capital of Canada” because that is truly what we are.
One Willowbrook ranch owner offered her acreage for Rock Creek fire victims who needed a place to store their horses and other livestock.
Even Big League Experience (baseball camp) offered beds for Oliver fire victims to sleep on.
If you live in this community and suffer any crisis, no matter how small, you can rest assured that support is close at hand. That’s just the way it is here.
Reluctant heroes
Last Thursday’s thank-you celebration in Oliver Community Park was an amazing display of gratitude for firefighters and emergency responders.
It was an emotional time as embarrassed firefighters were given a thunderous ovation for their recent efforts.
Despite what many firefighters may think, they are true heroes who sacrifice a lot to keep the community safe.
Many went without sleep so that residents could have peace of mind knowing that their homes and families were safe.
We only pray that Oliver gets a break from all of these terrible events of late. We need to find normalcy again, but even if that doesn’t last very long, we have comfort in our beliefs that our community will always rise after the fall.
By Lyonel Doherty, editor
