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Coming together through sport

Despite their competitive nature, sports have always had a way of bringing people together and creating harmony where there was once division.

Despite their competitive nature, sports have always had a way of bringing people together and creating harmony where there was once division.

Even though it came at the height of the bitter Greco-Persian war, Greek soldiers paused in 480 BC to put down their arms and participate in the Olympic Games. That legend helped inspire the modern Olympic movement, and though the Summer and Winter Games of the past century have not been entirely immune to the political differences of participating nations, they have still managed to unite people from across the world and remind us that we have far more in common than we are often led to believe.

And so it was encouraging to see the mayors of Castlegar, Nelson and Trail come together this week in support of the B.C. Seniors Games, which are set to take place in all three cities this summer. Though the municipalities have had their differences in the past — especially Castlegar and Trail as of late — it will be important for them to work together in the future to promote the interests of the West Kootenay region as a whole.

Nelson Mayor John Dooley put it well at a rally for games volunteers in Castlegar on Tuesday, when he noted that there are roughly 80,000 people spread out in the communities across this region and their voice carries much more weight when they speak in unison rather than squabbling amongst themselves.

“I see (the Seniors Games) as one more stepping stone in bringing our communities together,” Dooley said.

We certainly hope so. While some differences of opinion between neighbours are inevitable, we shouldn’t allow them to divide and weaken us. United, the West Kootenay is much stronger.