An invitation to vote

Letter to the Editor
Doug Anakin, Invermere
The Valley Echo & Columbia Valley Pioneer
August 26 & 28, 2009

A concerned citizens' group has conducted a campaign to find out how local people think regarding the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) voting to hand local decision-making over to the provincial government.

This campaign, in the form of a petition, where many people have signed a request for the RDEK to review, reconsider and rescind that motion passed at their last meeting, hs resulted in several hundred registering their support. Many citizens of the valley, however, have not had the chance to sign the petition.

As of August 26, valley residents will be able to sign a paper at home, with name and address, signed, stating your wish, yes or no, for local decision making to be reinstated regarding land use in this local area.

Your signed statement can be left in a ballot box at the Spring Health Food store, Lambert-Kipp Pharmacy and The Bistro in Invermere or at the Lucky Strike gas station in Windermere. Hopefully, when your wishes are presented with signed petitions at the next RDEK meeting on September 4, our elected regional directors will take direction from people living in the valley.