Thank heavens city council re-instated the Economic Development Commission.
By the look of things the commissioners will have their work cut out for them. Both Gibraltar and Mount Polley Mines have announced employee layoffs, and there is fear more will come. Both mines have been closed in the past and the world didn’t end, but there was always ranching, forestry, and government jobs to keep things humming along.
However, forestry isn’t what it once was.
And both provincial and federal governments have cut many services along with the people who provided them.
School closings have had an impact on employment and even the city is cutting jobs.
The city does have an ever-growing number of old folks, but speaking as one of that bunch, the rung we occupy on the economic ladder depends on our circumstances, like our wealth and health. While there may be plenty of jobs for anyone who wants to work, many of those jobs are part-time minimum wage, or short term.
Decent paying long-term jobs are the engines that keep the economy going and they are getting harder to come by.
The Cariboo hasn’t seen much in the way of diversification or innovation when it comes to using our resources, hopefully the EDC will be looking “out of the box” for answers. City councillors have been busy finding ways to keep taxes down, and there is nothing wrong with that, but there needs to be ways to keep the city’s current taxpayers thriving as well as attracting new ones.
Re-instating the EDC is a good start.
***
In December, I asked Santa to bring snow for Christmas, but to make it the instant kind. Like we’d had earlier that month, that would disappear by Dec. 27.
He obviously listened. We’ve had two more bouts of snow followed by balmy weather that melts it. Any guesses how many of these pseudo springs we will have before the real thing comes along?
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.
