City of Powell River Mayor Dave Formosa presented a list of projects, which he believes will turn the community’s economy around, to a task force formed to work on an economic revitalization plan.
The group, a council select committee, met for the first time on Wednesday, April 10. It has the following members: Jay Yule, Mark Anderson, Marty Cattermole, David Morris and Arlette Raaen, all from the Powell River Regional Economic Development Society (PRREDS); Don Allan, Cynthia Barnes, Stephen Buskie, Claudia Medina-Culos, Robert Tindle and Jason Zroback, all members of the public; Formosa and councillors Debbie Dee and Chris McNaughton.
Mac Fraser, the city’s chief administrative officer, Marie Claxton, city clerk, and Scott Randolph, PRREDS manager, provide staff support to the committee.
Formosa, who was acclaimed chair of the committee, explained there was a good representation from PRREDS in order to keep the group in sync. “We’re not here to do what they do, it’s actually to supplement what they do,” he explained. “PRREDS has done a lot of good things in this community and seems to have a lot of the community that doesn’t understand what its role and function is.” PRREDS has one and one-quarter staff and 12 members on its board of directors, volunteers, Formosa explained, who are all working for the community.
The committee’s mandate is to create a plan, Formosa said. He has already developed a list of projects, some of which are already underway. His idea is to develop one small project at a time, not to look for one large project. “It’s what we can create, what we can make happen, without having to rely on somebody else,” he said.
Formosa said he approached economic revitalization as an entrepreneur and developed the list of ideas. “I’ve asked for help,” he said. “I’m also seeking other people’s thoughts and inputs. Here’s how we may turn the community around, one small project at a time.”
The list of projects includes:
• Partnership with Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation.
• Transportation, including a new strategy for BC Ferries.
• Airport development, including a GPS system for the Powell River airport, which will allow more flights during adverse weather, such as fog, pursuing an aerospace industrial park at the airport and improving the infrastructure.
• Exploring the possibility of a bridge crossing Howe Sound, to reduce the number of ferries it takes to get to Powell River from the Lower Mainland.
• Focus on tourism, including a spotlight on Townsite and the area’s trails.
• Developing an aquaculture park, a land-based area for raising fish.
• Freda Creek project, producing power from a run-of-river facility in partnership with Tla’amin.
• Sister city relationship with Putian in China.
• Attracting target groups to move to Powell River; includes direct flights to oil sands.
• Boutique colleges, schools, trades training.
• Working with Catalyst Paper Corporation on its hiring plans over the next five years.
• Data farms.
• Water as a commodity, investigating the use of excess water from Powell Lake to use in a commercial operation, such as a water bottling plant.
• Staying engaged in new business attraction.
“Our mandate is to create a plan and the plan will be, how do we make this all happen,” said Formosa. “We’re not going to be working on these things, but how to work on these things and new things that maybe you folks come up with that we believe are worthy.”
A number of the projects are already underway, Formosa added. “At the end of the day, we go to council with a recommended plan on how we may turn the community around economically,” he said. “It’s very difficult to try and actually influence the economy, but I truly believe we can do it. I really do and it’s one small project at a time.”
