Once there were two brothers who were too much alike and too competitive for their own good. Despite being next door neighbours they each insisted they have their own lawn mowers because their lawns had to look just so, their own snowblowers because only theirs blew the snow in the right way and their own weed-whacker because well they did not like to share.
Over the years there were efforts to bridge the gap between the siblings, but the ill will between the brothers was so deeply rooted the attempts failed time and again.
The next door neighbours were bitter rivals and they choose to live their lives as separately as they possibly could. For the most part they lived in relative peace ignoring what was transpiring on the other side of the fence. Each one believing they were doing things better than their brother and they knew best.
However, unbeknownst to them their decision to severe ties impacted those who were close to them. There were essential parts of their lives suffering because the two brothers refused to knock down the fence and embrace the potential they could achieve.
In spite of the warnings from their other neighbours the brothers carried on in solitude missing out on opportunities to benefit their lives by taking advantage of their skills, resources and knowledge.
It was a sad story of what could have been, a disappointing tale of untapped potential. These two brothers could have achieved something special if they could only set aside their petty differences and work together.
Fortunately, time heals many wounds. Fortunately for Black Diamond and Turner Valley cooler heads have prevailed.
Last week the councils of Turner Valley and Black Diamond buried the proverbial hatchet wielded by their predecessors and signed the Friendship Agreement. The agreement is a groundbreaking document, which chops down the fence dividing the two communities who were just three km apart via the Friendship Trail, but light-years apart in the council chambers.
There have been attempts in the past to bring these two communities together, but their have failed miserably, be it through the amalgamation plebiscite in 2006 or the plebiscite to fund the new Sheep River Library.
These failures only deepened the rift between the neighbouring municipalities. As a result, they were unable to benefit from joint projects, shared resources and regional initiatives.
The current town councils deserve substantial credit for not giving up and not falling into the same traps as their previous counterparts. Despite the ill will resulting from the failed amalgamation and the controversy with the Sheep River Library, these councils realized what was best for their communities, entered into negotiations with open minds and reached an amicable agreement that will benefit both towns.
This decision may not be embraced by all the residents in both communities, as there is no love lost between some Black Diamonders and Turner Valleyites, but the councils should be lauded for making what may have been a difficult decision politically, but a sound decision realistically and financially.
As part of this agreement the Town of Black Diamond agreed to pay its share of the capital cost of the library ($250,000) and there are more partnerships on the horizon be it the Quad Water Partnership with Longview and the MD of Foothills or perhaps a new community center.
The two communities did not amalgamate and will maintain their individuality, but most importantly they have realized they can accomplish much more by bridging the Friendship Trail rather than remaining reluctant neighbours.
