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Finances vs. feelings

We know that Westlock County council didn't take the decision to close the Tawatinaw Ski Hill lightly. They've made that very clear.

We know that Westlock County council didn't take the decision to close the Tawatinaw Ski Hill lightly.

They've made that very clear. Even with the twice unanimous vote that spells the potential end for the facility, they've stuck to the line that it is simply a financial decision brought about by the results of the October plebiscite.

It was a non-binding plebiscite that saw 53.4 per cent of voters essentially decide the fate of the regional jewel. That's 1,024 of those who voted.

Last week we said that's democracy for you. And it really is. The minority of the people in our system get to make major decisions about our leadership and the directions they take. It's an unfortunate flaw in the system. Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper both achieved majority governments without the majority of the votes. That's just how it is.

However, unlike a federal election, this plebiscite was non-binding, so you don't have to abide by its findings, which seems like an excellent excuse to do whatever it takes to find a way to keep the facility open.

The Friends of Tawatinaw seem to have a whole bunch of good ideas, which we're sure they'll bring to council at its next meeting Aug. 14.

It's hard for us to believe that not one councillor was on the other side of the vote. Did anyone stand in defense of the ski hill? Now would be a really good time to come forward if you did.

We'll likely never know because of the in-camera nature of the discussions.

It's also hard for us to believe that not one councillor made their way to the informational meeting put on by Friends at the ski hill Aug. 9. If it was such a tough decision, then why are both parties not working together to find a solution yet?

Apparently, some poor decisions were made by previous councils, but that doesn't mean the current council has to follow their lead. It's a matter of priorities we suppose, finances vs. feelings. That's what it always seems to come down to and more often than not finances win the day.

We understand it couldn't have been an easy decision, but we ask, can't we find a way?

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