It has been a year since the new council for the Village of Radium Hot Springs was elected, and I am pleased to report that we have been busy working on your behalf.

There has been a learning curve for our newest councillor Tyler McCauley, as well as for myself in my new role. We are grateful for the support of the rest of council — Ron Verboom, Todd Logan and Karen Larsen and all of the Village Staff.

Some of the work which is happening includes:

• A new strategic plan to guide our work and keep us focused.

• The plans for the new Community Hall are taking shape — we hope to have some concept drawings for you to review in the spring.

• Public works completed the Whiskey Jack sewer pump station.

• Staff have almost completed the transition to a new accounting program — very time-consuming for everyone in the office who is involved in some aspect of finance.

• Council members have attended a number of training workshops around the region as well as Karen, Tyler and I attending the UBCM in Vancouver in September.

• The community hosted a number of successful internal and external events due to the hard work of our events co-ordinator, Patrick, and the amazing team at the Visitor Centre.

As you wander around the village there are seasonal lights up in Rotary Park at the four-way stop, the Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley’s Tree of Lights is up in front of the coffee shop, many businesses are lit up, and the solar lights on the trees along the highway have magically been rehung after the sheep and pruners undid last year’s work. All we need is some snow and it will look a lot like Christmas!

Enjoy the Peace in Radium as well as the rest of the Columbia Valley this holiday season, and I hope to see you all in 2016.

Clara Reinhardt is the mayor of the Village of Radium Hot Springs and a Regional District of East Kootenay director for the Columbia Valley.