After what can only be described as a rough start to the new year economically on the global scene, it’s refreshing to hear some good news on the local front.
While the Canadian dollar continues to play peek-a-boo with the 70-cent U.S. mark, forcing many to give up on travel plans to Hawaii and Arizona, the stock market is faring no better.
A drop that started in early January, apparently due to discouraging numbers out of China, has only halted recently, and who knows what’s next in this roller-coaster ride we like to call a volatile market.
Meanwhile, although the steady decline in the price of oil is finally reaching the local, neighbourhood gas station, it’s also resulting in plenty of job losses in northern B.C. and throughout Alberta and the ripple effect is just beginning to be felt throughout the Canadian economy.
That’s why it was so nice to hear some good news for a change this week, including that the city of Vernon is the fifth fastest growing community in the province and, indeed, most communities in the Regional District of North Okanagan are on a growth pattern.
“It shows we’re a growing community, there’s opportunities and confidence in the workplace,” said Kevin Poole, Vernon’s economic development manager.
Exactly.
And, as Poole points out, although growth brings challenges as well, it’s always preferable to a “shrinking tax base.”
Certainly there’s uncertainty on the national and international scene economically in the short term, but the North Okanagan will always be a desirable place to live and the fact that the word is getting out bodes well for the future.
And that’s worth celebrating.
