By Camille Aubin
[email protected] 

Since Saturday, April 24, we have been at war: the Columbia Valley Sign Wars.

The first sight of it appeared in our community when Hopkins Harvest inscribed on its banner, “Hey ULLR since COVID, it’s easier to pick up fruit than someone at your bar!”

In no time, ULLR stepped up, gloriously answered, and then the fight escalated.

Businesses and entrepreneurs in the Columbia Valley have banded together to participate in the Sign Wars by substituting their usual advertising with humoristic messages to call attention to one another.

Since then, more than seventy businesses have joined the battle, much to the delight of local residents watching them send low blow after low blow at each other.

“Super fun to see all of the businesses that have jumped on board with it!” expressed Toni Coward, administration and visitor information centre manager at Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce, by email to the Pioneer.

In case you haven’t seen this funny skit that is going around the valley yet, look up #CVSignWars on Facebook. A fantastic hour of laughter awaits you as you explore the evidence and photos from this memorable war.

This battle is a marvellous symbol of businesses supporting each other during this demanding time.

“Great to see our local businesses’ sense of humor is alive & well!” wrote the Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce in a Facebook post. That says something!

It’s gone viral. The Facebook post has been shared more than 415 times.

It’s incredible to witness an initiative, such as the Sign Wars, that created many laughs in our community.

Laugh… We had almost forgotten its benefits.

Suddenly, we felt lighter, as if a certain weight had been lifted off our shoulders. The stress has disappeared, leaving behind space for a well-deserved moment of relaxation away from the chaos that surrounds us, far from any conflict or divergence. For a moment, we felt the strong sense of community that reigns in this valley. That’s what a genuine laugh does. What an enchanting solution!

We needed that sense of community, a good giggle, and a reason to connect us back collectively again.

It felt fabulous.