Sometimes, even in the midst of a storm, a ray of sunshine appears.
On June 1, representatives from the Cheslatta Carrier Nation toured Cheslatta Lake by helicopter in an effort to better gauge the devastation wrought by this year鈥檚 flooding.
After a sobering trip that afforded several views of flooded graveyards, the local officials received a text message urging them to fly over Francois Lake Elementary School. They did 鈥� and what they saw, according to Chief Corrina Leween, helped make a bad day a bit better.
The children of Francois Lake Elementary had used their bodies to spell 鈥淗I鈥� on the school playing field, and even formed a human 鈥榟eart鈥� for good measure.
鈥淪uddenly, we were all laughing, pointing and waving, and we forgot all about everything bad,鈥� Chief Leween said in a subsequent letter to the school鈥檚 students. 鈥淵ou gave us great joy and inspiration, and the mood in the helicopter was happy and cheerful all the way to the 亚洲天堂 Lake Airport.
鈥淚 am still smiling this morning, as I鈥檓 sure are all the other passengers that were on board,鈥� she added. 鈥淭hank you again for making us feel so delightful. You鈥檝e reminded me and made it clear that our duty as leaders and politicians is to make the world a better place for our youth.鈥�
Mike Robertson, senior policy advisory for the Cheslatta Carrier Nation, later sent the students photos taken during the trip, along with an explanation of why the flight was necessary. Much to his pleasure, they responded by sending 22 handwritten letters of encouragement and support.
鈥淲e wish you the best for this horrible situation in the lake,鈥� wrote a student named Alexander. 鈥淚 know that your grave sight (sic) is flooded, and I hope the water clears up soon. I鈥檓 very sorry for you, and I hope everybody else does too.鈥�
鈥淚 hope you are feeling a little better now about the sidguation (sic) that happened,鈥� printed another. 鈥淚 think after a few years you will feel a little bit better. I feel a little bit better after a few years when something sad happens to me.
Robertson, Chief Leween, and councillors Ted Jack and Hazel Burt toured the flood area with Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen and Nechako-Lakes MLA John Rustad.
