Editor,
Smithers may have been on the list as the 11th happiest place, but you would not have known it on December 1st as the vendors filed into Smithers Secondary School for one of the biggest Christmas sales of the year.
We already knew that only a select few groups are being allowed to use the gym but the reality of our table setups was discouraging. Nobody was allowed to move their tables away from the wall so vendors were not distinguishable from the purchasers. The Personalized Oranaments table, for instance, has no place to sit and write on the ornaments, or storage space to put supplies to restock as items were sold. She had just driven over four hours to attend a sale she has been coming to for over 10 years. Most of the vendors found themselves in the same position — extra stock is usually stored under the tables and this could not be done as people were walking in front of the tables.
Fiona and Val worked hard to try and make this whole mess into a workable situation.
So, my question is, why is this happening?
I totally understand that there is a new $60,000 hardwood floor and also that there are mats to cover and protect the floor. The event is a huge fundraiser for three programs at SSS so why weren’t the mats put out and the full number of tables rented out? I have talked to staff and maintenance people at other schools in the area with both old and new gym floors and their reaction was the same: put the mats down to protect the floor and use the facilities.
This is a small town and virtually closing the gym for many activities does not make for a happy community.
Fay van Horn
Smithers