Dear residents of the Comox Valley,
We owe you a debt of gratitude, for you (stood) with the residents of Maple Pool for the last five years, one month and four days. The prolonged situation of uncertainty has now ended. The residents of Maple Pool finally have had lifted from their shoulders the burden of worrying that they would lose the place they call “home.” Thanks to the community for their support, numerous letters that have been written and shared with the readers of The Record, the Echo and The Island Word.
The endless efforts from the group of “Friends of Maple Pool,” the business groups in the Valley, and our tireless team of legal counsel. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, what we want to say is beyond words.
We know that many of you are curious about the details of this settlement; sometimes “to bury it” is the best answer. The mediator who helped solve the problems is a very wise person; she said that “both sides have to bury whatever insistences you have if really seeking a solution; new ideas may be created when talking.”
The message that we’ve received from this intelligent mediator is: let go, move on and bury the past if possible.
One of our friends sent an email after she read the statement in the newspaper, saying “it is still unfair.” Nothing is absolutely “right or wrong,” “fair or unfair”; somehow, fairness depends on specific situational-factors. The city first ordered the eviction of Maple Pool residents on Oct 19, 2010, it has been long enough journey for us, for the residents of Maple Pool, and for the people who tried to help find a solution. How many five-year periods do we have in our lifetime? We welcomed the mayor, councillors, city staffs and city’s legal counsel to join us in opening our minds, all together, and in finding a suitable solution. Every life counts.
With the settlement, all residents of Maple Pool know they no longer have to worry about losing their home and having nowhere to go, we all have been finally relieved of a heavy burden. All the legal costs to both sides will be buried, but no more expenses in legal fees will be incurred, which will benefit all the taxpayers of City of Courtenay. We all have learned a lesson, haven’t we? It is time to move on, let go, and be free.
A quote to share: “Set your heart on doing right, do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy”. ~ Zen saying ~
Jin & Dali Lin of Maple Pool