Sharon wrote: >Amazing isn't it? Last week we had around the clock coverage of the blackout >in Eastern Canada and the States. Here in British Columbia we have the worst >forest fires going on in over 75 years..but we barely rate a footnote in the >news. We have over 870 fires raging right now. Forty thousand people have >been evacuated from their homes, and one complete subdivision in the city of >Kelowna has been destroyed, five others are now in danger too. Is it any >wonder that the people living in the Western part of the country feel >alienated when this sort of thing is only noted in passing... and we're still >hearing about the blackout ad nauseum? Sharon on Vancouver Island...watching >for fires with the rest of the Valley
I can understand the sentiment, but I suppose the largest blackout in the history of North America (was it 50,000,000 people affected?) and something that resulted in the Premier of Ontario declaring a state of emergency was something that was of such magnitude that it was deemed of interest to more of the national viewing public. Right in the middle of where it was happening, we needed up to date information all the time and those reports were essential. Many of the television networks are based in the Toronto area and for nearly 24 hours a lot of them were running on generators. The state of emergency was just lifted Friday evening and they had been required to reduce their electrical consumption by 50%. So even after some of the power was back on, they couldn't use it. I suppose things that are co-ordinated across the country are handled by the central computers so that even the reporting for BC was affected. Even so, here in Ontario we have been receiving regular reports on the situation in Kelowna, and even in the midst of what was happening here, the province sent men and equipment across country to help out. The fires are so enormous that they are visible from space, so we know there is widespread devastation. Several communities have been totally wiped out. The most effective help though is to pray for rain. Men and equipment are helpful, but a huge rainfall and winds to drive the fire back on itself would do more. Sharon Briggs To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]