Opinion

EDITOR, Last year at this exact time, district staff was approached by the Squamish Valley Equestrian Association (SVEA) requesting permission to build a covered arena at our riding club.

In the past couple of weeks, groups generally regarded as trustworthy in their limited areas of expertise released government "report cards" on two areas related to Canada's economic and social well-being.

Last weekend, amidst the Super Bowl wagers and cheese dip, we learned that Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman had died at the age of 46 of an apparent drug overdose.

I should warn you that I'm about to reveal groundbreaking new conclusions from a recently released, high-profile scientific study. Are you ready? Make sure you're sitting down, 'cause this is big. OK, here it is: Cats kill birds. No, no.

EDITOR, Once again, Grades 4 and 7 students in Sea to Sky School District and across the province wrote Foundation Skills Assessment tests (FSAs) last month.

Seniors in Safety is the name of the presentation St. John Ambulance will hold on Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Seniors Centre.

EDITOR, In my eight years in Squamish, this must be the first winter when riding my bike from one neighbourhood to another in our community is not a total nightmare.

EDITOR, I am a card-carrying member of the Squamish Senior Centre and proud of it. If this seems a strange opening statement, please bear with me.

The cleanup of derelict vessels in the Mamquam Blind Channel by the Squamish Streamkeepers Society, a volunteer environmental group, once again put the spotlight on a festering issue that has plagued West Coast communities for decades.

EDITOR, So much is written about the evils of "strip malls" and "bedroom communities." Actually, I find the continued objection to both rather tiresome.