Who am I? Why am I here? What is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?
While the answer to the latter question is known (“42” according to the late author Douglas Adams), the jury is out on the other two questions. It’s possibly impossible a satisfactory answer can ever be known. That said, if an answer is available, it’s highly probable it won’t be found in a vacuum. In other words, to know oneself best, a second pair of eyes, or more, may be needed.
The same applies to knowing oneself as a community. For example, while many Sicamousians may think themselves residents of an idyllic lakeside community where the air is clean, the people are friendly and the scenery is nothing less than beautiful, others from outside the community may only know, or vaguely recall (depending on their mental state as the time) Sicamous as only a temporary stop-over – a place to board houseboats, watch fireworks, grab an ice cream cone or perhaps just use the “facilities” (or urinate in public) while enroute to another destination. Though these things do, in fact, happen, they don’t necessarily define the community.
There are undoubtedly differing views even within the community as to what Sicamous is and what it should or could be.
So it’s high time we got to know ourselves. Thankfully, the District of Sicamous has arranged for an opportunity to do just that, with the work that’s about to begin to develop a marketable brand identity and communication strategy for the district and community as a whole. Input received from local residents, businesses and community groups will become the foundation for this exercise and, since everything rests on a foundation, it’s important we participate and highlight our strengths – the positive things about the community that make locals proud to call Sicamous home.
Together, we may learn and define only who we are, but how we wish to be perceived.