I bet you didn’t know there’s a housing shortage for the Norway rats of Beach Grove. The local rats are finding it hard to find shelter from the cold due to demolitions and new construction so they decided our crawl space was a good place to call home. These noisy Norwegian nocturnal rodents are a challenge so after several failed attempts to poison them it was time to find an expert.
Like any social media junkie, I turned to Facebook for help. A few months ago I joined an open group on Facebook called Tsawwassen Loop and it’s awesome.
I posted a request for recommendations for a pest control company and within minutes I had the name of Randy Bilesky of Go Green Pest Control. Two hours later he was showing me how the Norwegians were invading our peaceful home.
My post received 45 comments and I learned a lot about rats. Peanut butter is a very effective bait, ultrasound and rat zappers work wonders and I have instructions for a DYI five-gallon bucket mouse trap. I am thrilled.
Every day I discover all sorts of interesting tidbits about my community from the 1,800 members of Tsawwassen Loop. Lost or found a dog, a cat, or a goat, post it here. Need a painter, a guitar repaired, a place to live, a math tutor, or where Chad the barber has gone, you’ll get answers.
Criminal activity is a hot topic and also important. Group members ask if anyone knows why they suddenly hear sirens, what was that police action in front of the blue house last night and what happened at the local hotel the other morning? There are reports of break and enters, traffic accidents, road rage and suspicious behaviour.
The Facebook page Ladner’s Landing was created three years ago and it’s the most successful with 4,180 members with an average of 10 postings a day. Send them a request and let them know where you live and you’re in.
Facebook community pages are the perfect example of how social media is a positive. Our neighbours are keeping an eye out for each other and reporting it, they’re sharing good experiences and bad. It’s an online version of old radio shows like swap n shop and the party line all wrapped into one information highway.
I also follow other informative local Facebook pages such as Sunny Tsawwassen, Ladner/Tsw Buy Sell and the Ladner Business Association. Too rushed to read the Optimist, then follow our Facebook page for up to date news and alerts.
I think of social media as a safety issue. Imagine when that inevitable big earthquake strikes and you are desperate for information. Once the Internet is working Tsawwassen Loop and Ladner’s Landing are sure to give you what you need to stay safe.
If you’re not already signed up to these Facebook pages then please join us, because I want to know what you know.
Ingrid Abbott is freelance broadcaster and writer who can justify all that time spent on social media because it’s educational.
