There were some grim news stories and trends over the past year.

Inflation, rising mortgage rates, significant weather anomalies, a limited labour pool, an ongoing housing crisis, deaths from toxic drugs and other items dominated the news in 2022.

These issues will not suddenly go away on Jan. 1. They are complex, long-term problems, affecting communities around the province and across the country. Unless they are addressed now, the challenges facing us now will become larger and more difficult in the future.

Put simply, problems do not go away by themselves. Action is needed.

Because of the nature and scale of these ongoing challenges, there will not be quick and easy answers. There are no simple solutions that can bring lasting positive changes. Careful planning and thoughtful actions are needed.

The quest for workable solutions will take effort from the public as well as from all levels of government. It will also involve people from a variety of backgrounds, affiliations and ideologies, working together and listening to each other91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s opinions and suggestions. No one person will have all the necessary answers.

Good solutions should not be partisan in nature, but instead the result of teamwork and cooperation. A variety of views and opinions can bring about better solutions than would occur if only a single voice is heard. Diversity can be our strength.

What happens in the future will depend on the steps taken now.

If the big challenges are addressed in the coming weeks and months, the grim issues we faced in 2022 could eventually become a memory rather than an ongoing reality.

If the problems are ignored, or if discussion turns into partisan platitudes, the same news trends of this past year will continue to play out in the years to come.

The choice is ours.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ Black Press

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