Saying good-bye to 2015

By Jamie Rieger
In a few short days, another year will be coming to a close and we will be entering into a new year filled with hope for better things ahead.
2015 was a tumultuous year for a lot of people on many fronts. Weather events, politics, and falling oil prices all had widespread effects on many, if not all, of us. The drought of the summer was particularly hard on our cattle ranchers, and many grain producers did not fair much better as farmers looked to the sky hoping the clouds would drop some rain on the parched fields.
There were upsets in both the provincial and federal elections as voters were looking for change in leadership. Change, by the way, does not necessarily mean you are going to end up with something better, by the way. Just sayin’.
And of course, OPECs decision to keep saturating the market by keeping the floodgates open on oil production when demand was down has had an overwhelming effect on the oil and gas industry, and spin-off industries here at home. Companies have laid off workers, some have closed their doors completely, and will be quite some time for our province to recover, if it ever does.
Albertans have weathered many storms in the past and have always come out a little bit stronger for it and we will this time too. We learn to diversify our products, shift our focus, and dig in our heels for the long haul. That is just the way we are made.
Yes, this year has been a rough one for many, but we will persevere and come out of it with  more gumption than we had before. I have no doubt whatsoever about that.
So, as we look ahead to 2016, we can still look ahead with hope and promise and think, how can we make it better than the last 12 months?
The Forty Mile County Commentator and Cypress Courier wishes you all a very Happy New Year and looking forward to many great things ahead.

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