"What can be said about the year we’ve just been through? I’ve been contemplating this editorial for several weeks now trying to come up with some positive pearls from the past 12 months, but I’m hard pressed to find any except for the fact that it’s over.

"There is nothing positive to say about a year that began with the ongoing war in Ukraine and will end with the continuing military action in Gaza that has so far resulted in the deaths of over 12,000 people including more than 6,000 children.

"2023 began with Canada and much of the western world sliding into a recession. By February we were already in one.

"The pandemic years were already tough enough on small businesses, but at least there were government programs available to keep most of them afloat. 2022 was supposed to be a bounce-back year, but lingering supply chain issues caused by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine resulted in runaway inflation which brought any expectations of rebound year crashing to the ground. Still, most small businesses were just happy to be open again even if sales weren’t what they had hoped.”

Those were the opening four paragraphs of my year-ending editorial in 2023. Sadly, they can just as easily be used as my opening four paragraphs to describe the last 12 months, except the death toll in Gaza is now over 44,000, including more than 18,000 children according to the UN Human Rights Office.

Oh, yes. And the year that was also included the re-election of a two-tine impeached, misogynistic, racist, narcissistic, convicted felon as the next president of the United States and supposed leader of the free world. Could things possibly have been any worse?

Justin Trudeau is still our Prime Minister. Doug Ford is still the premier of Ontario. And we somehow keep marching on. Unfortunately, a number of businesses declared bankruptcy in 2024, including the Upper Room furniture store and a handful of restaurants and with them, a number of people lost their jobs and the ability to provide for their families in a way they had been accustomed to.

Of course, there were some positives in 2024 – the performance of our athletes at the Summer Olympics and paralympics in Paris, the Edmonton Oilers almost winning the Stanley Cup and Paramount+ finally released the fifth season of “Yellowstone” after a nearly two-year wait.

I enter every new year with the hope that things will get better than the previous year. What can I say, I’m an eternal optimist. In fact, I still make New Year’s resolutions I know I will never be able to keep.

What lies ahead in 2025 is anybody’s guess. The hope is that the recession will end soon, people will start spending their money and all will be right with the world. You and I can help turn that hope into a reality by supporting local businesses here in Orléans. Not just during the holiday season but over the coming months as well. Make it your New Year’s resolution and let’s both keep it this time.