Opinion

Every once in a while, something happens that stops me in my tracks and makes me realize just how lucky I am. One of those times came about recently as a result of a half-hour medical procedure. On Jan.

A long-awaited 4.8 kilometre improvement to Highway 101 between Field Road and the Construction Aggregates conveyor belt in Sechelt has been put on the back burner.

Wednesday night I had the honour of attending the Women of Excellence Awards held at the Seaside Centre. It was a fun and inspiring event. I have now been at events honouring women in three provinces, Prince Edward Island, Alberta and B.C.

Back in May 2007, having recently graduated from journalism school, my classmates and I scattered throughout Western Canada to take reporting jobs.

The folks at Howe Sound Pulp and Paper (HSPP), the Coast's largest employer, can't seem to catch a break. In recent months, the mill was hampered by the steelworkers' strike, which resulted in the layoff of 175 employees.

Jan. 20 to 26 is national non-smoking week. It's a week for the Canadian Cancer Society B.C.

On Monday Premier Gordon Campbell and Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon unveiled their $14-billion public transit plan to be completed by 2020. The plan calls for $14 billion in investments, including $11.

When it comes to finding money for health care, no one can beat the folks here on the Sunshine Coast. Last year this community rolled up its collective sleeves and pitched in to raise millions of dollars for a new CAT scanner at St. Mary's Hospital.

It's been a fishy week, but instead of reeking, it has the sweet smell of possibility and hope for the future.

As the calendar flips over to another year, many of us make New Year's resolutions. Some involve a commitment an individual makes to a certain project or a habit, often a lifestyle change, such as to lose weight or to stop smoking.