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By Doug Collins

ONE MAN'S OPINION

COLLINS: The true sign that summer is here

Jul 3, 2025 | 6:00 AM

HOW DO WE KNOW that summer is here?

There are all sorts of markers that people use. But I can tell you that there is only one true indicator.

It’s not the increase in heat outside leading to an increase in my power bill to run my air conditioning. It’s not the increase in the number of wildfires or the campfire bans. It’s not the fun of watching kids splash in the water park or the lake. Nor is it boating in the Shuswap, water skiing or tubing with friends. No, it is also not vacations to see family, or the increased use of my barbecue, a cold soda, beer or glass of wine.

And as much as I love the excitement of attending them, it’s not the fun of Canada Day celebrations, the pride in seeing our flag flying high, or the pride in joining our Indigenous brothers and sisters at the Kamloopa Pow Wow days.

It’s not the great celebration of talent at Music in the Park every night during July and August. I could go on, but only two words tell me that summer is officially here – zipper merge.

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Yes, it’s the time of year that construction companies and public works crews relish, as they plot out the best ways to keep traffic flow to a minimum.

It’s unfortunate that road construction is synonymous with summer, but truth be told, it’s a necessary evil. When things are warm and dry, it’s go time for crews trying to get as much done as they can within a narrow window of time.

Aside from work already underway, a number of new projects are ramping up. And soon you will not be able to go anywhere without having to zipper merge.

A few years back, when we had major construction on the Overlanders Bridge, we used these words a lot. Telling motorists to use common courtesy when merging didn’t have much impact on people who wanted to get nowhere fast. So we started to learn about zipper merges, which are exactly the same as courtesy, but with rules that we can follow as the lemmings we are.

So as we celebrate all the great events I’ve mentioned above, let’s add zipper merging to our list. Summer can now officially begin.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.