What a week it has been since my return from Ottawa. There was so much to tell you, and one can’t possibly put it all down into words, but I hope you will consider what and where your food is and where it comes from. At a local level we have the ability to have our voices heard individually – as in Opinion to the editor, public forums, etc. and should we desire we can join in with some pro-active work like attending meetings, becoming involved with the development of a local and maybe even regional Food Charter or some other policy document(s) that can help decision makers when they are considering things like the development of land. While in Ottawa I bought some DVD’s and books related to ‘food’ topics – like the DVD ‘the world according to Monsanto’ or the book ‘Corrupt to the Core’ — Memoirs of a Whistleblower written by Shiv Chopra that we all heard so much about on the news earlier this year — I think of Dennis Peacocks letter last week that talked about the DVD -Enron The Smartest Guy, and think that maybe we need to be exchanging information about who owns what and making a little trading library or inviting our neighbours over for an evening to watch, debate, become informed.. Have you heard that there is a movement afoot that will limit our access to the internet – only the people willing and able to pay will be able to access information that is currently available to all – true – some of it is not benefitting to all, but once again I say that we have the ability to not look if we find that we don’t want this information. “Freedom of Choice” is what they call that. I love reading your Opinion to the Editor, and knowing what is going on the in your world. It is wonderful to have local newspapers to share our thoughts in. My hat is off to local community newspapers that do print articles and Opinion allowing the people to communicate in this way. ‘I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it” a quote by Voltaire that ‘says it all’ …. Is the motto of the Opinion to the editor page. Good for you Black Press!

Cheryl Thomas

Clearwater, B.C.