To the editor:
It seems most of us in the Cariboo have now taken a position regarding the [New Prosperity] mine and its repercussions.
Whether you are a resident, an entrepreneur or a government official, it is very clear we desperately need jobs and economic activity in the Cariboo.
In the present situation, resource extraction is not going away, but we can, and must, do it sensibly, minimizing the damage and ensuring maximum benefits to ourselves and our surroundings as most of us live in the Cariboo because we can with a five-minute walk see swans heading farther south and where traffic jams are caused by elk hanging out with the local cows.
What if rather than trying to hit a home run with one mega project, we also encourage projects and industries that can be done locally using our own resources in a sustainable way? What if everyone came together to brainstorm ideas for projects we can do in the Cariboo?
I think there is considerable support for this. The ideas need to be kept small, so a number of them can be implemented without it being catastrophic if one or two fail; whereas, the closure of a mine or the destruction of a mill usually devastates the community that relies upon it.
By decentralizing our activities there is a better chance of avoiding this.
Some examples might be promoting local vegetable production, building and using solar panels for water and space heating and electric production, installing wood waste or geothermal district heating systems in the downtown cores – maybe operated by the local industry, or a recurring idea, to have local livestock production combined with local slaughter and butchering.
Many more ideas are available, but we need an organized conversation.
Such concepts are local “green” and workable, but by no means the best examples. We together with government and industry would produce better ideas to manage, finance and build projects in our own backyard.
What ideas do you have? Please write to the editor with your ideas.
Peter Jarvis
108 Mile Ranch
