BC Day ~ the flag in tatters and a province too

This BC Day, a provincial holiday to celebrate all that is beautiful in British Columbia, found us looking at the province's flag at the dock on a wonderful lake in the interior. To be sure, there is no excuse for finding a flag in such poor repair; this is not acceptable by any means. However, there is something symbolic about seeing our flag in tatters.


While we were staying on a pristine lake full of trout, with deer and moose nearby and the call of the loon signalling the end of each day, another river system further north was being damaged by the pollution of a mine spill quite likely avoidable if only our government had acted in the interests of the environment. At the same time, beaches in Metro Vancouver are being closed due to high E. coli levels; people are told to avoid swimming or even wading in the water.

Meanwhile BC appears on track to continue to top the nation in poverty rates among children. Fully twenty percent of children and families in this province live below the government's own poverty line.






Services for seniors and families continue to be under attack from a government that seeks to reward its friends at the expense of its citizens. In its continuing war on education the Christy Clark's government has taken to offering bribes to the parents of children during the teachers' strike instead of negotiating meaningfully for the benefit of all British Columbians, including our children and our teachers.

Our beloved leader has even taken to publicly supporting Israel in its war in Gaza, which is not really in the bailiwick of any provincial premier. Christy Clark can choose to speak personally and that would be admired, perhaps, but to speak for all of BC in a matter clearly of external affairs does not show good judgement.

The flag at our beautiful lake needs attention. So too does our province.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2014.