EDITOR,
What a Remembrance Day we were so fortunate to celebrate last Friday in Squamish - a testament to the democratic rights and freedoms that underpin the peace, order and good government at Canada's core.
In total, volunteers, staff members, and I laid wreaths at 12 cenotaphs in our riding at the Eleventh Hour. I personally attended four different Remembrance Day services, and was inspired by the participation of people, especially young people, wherever I went. While I laid a wreath at the Whistler cenotaph, my executive assistant made remarks on my behalf at the Brennan Park Civic Centre; and I was honoured to attend Squamish's Royal Canadian Legion meeting (Branch 277) in the afternoon, honouring two of Squamish's men in the forces, Capt. Michael Timms and Warrant Officer Russell Robertson.
Of course, representing the largest riding in the province by population increases our duty to serve, and to meet this duty we've assembled one of the best MP teams in the country. We maintain four offices (larger than any other B.C. MP, as far as I know) and, in addition, host scheduled office hours in Squamish. But, considering the huge volume of constituent inquiries, we may still miss some sometimes.
In a Nov. 11 letter to the editor, Squamish resident Daryl Robb ("Disappointed constituent") surprised us by saying we'd ignored his phone calls and emails. It's always troubling when a constituent feels that his representatives haven't responded to his needs. And we endeavour always to improve. In this case, my staff and I checked and were unable to find Mr. Robb's email or a record of a phone message. However, after tracking down Mr. Robb's phone number in "411" and six phone calls later, I was able to connect with him. My team and I will, of course, continue to serve Mr. Robb, the people of Squamish, and all the constituents of our community.
We're not perfect but remain committed to our mission: "to serve the people of West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country passionately and effectively, without fear or favour"
John Weston, Member of Parliament
West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country
