Tuesday I went for a trip to Williams Lake with a friend to pick up a Shepherd pup. Five hundred seventy miles later I will tell you what I witnessed.

We took a first time route for me, Kelowna to Kamloops. North on route five to Little Fort then over the mountain to Seventy Mile on Hwy 97 to Williams Lake.

First in the Okanagan we are not alone. Most businesses were closed. Food was take out diners. We stopped in a small village with a general store. Social distancing and hand sanitizer at the door. We stopped at Canadian Tire in Williams Lake, even contractors who came to buy stuff put on their masks before going in to shop. The other thing I noticed was how few consumers in general there were.

In two areas along the route there were people spraying down the rest area washrooms. For the beginning of tourist season it was surprisingly quiet. For our part we took important stuff with us. Hand washing water, wipes, paper towels small garbage bags and so on, we left nothing to chance. We used everything we took. If you are traveling make a list of items.

It occurred to me, the reason BC has flattened the curve is, the government made decisive decisions, they relied on health specialists and never buckled or bowed to a small group of those who think they are ten feet tall and bullet proof. One of the most progressive things that happened in BC is when the Opposition Health Critic, Norm Letnick opted in. He co-hosted a number of virtual town halls with Health Minister Adrian Dix.

It is ironic how we question and doubt what is or is not working. Then we go outside our region and outside our comfort zone and realize how well it’s working.

For any mistakes made we must acknowledge we are better off than most.

Fred Steele