Powell River mayor Dave Formosa will be writing newly reelected premier John Horgan, thanking him and outlining the challenges faced by resource-based communities.
At the November 17 city committee of the whole meeting, councillors reviewed a form letter to the premier designed to be signed by mayors of those communities. Formosa said he understands what the mayors are hoping to achieve. He said he had a bit of a problem with the suggested letter because he thinks it might be talking down to the premier.
“I think the premier has a good handle on all of this sort of stuff,” said Formosa. “I would like to send a letter of support for resource communities and be part of the resource mayors’ objectives to not be forgotten by the big cities of the province, and that fact that the smaller, resource communities might be left out.
“We are a resource community and we have logging, we still have our mill, we still have a small amount of mining on Texada Island, et cetera. It almost seems that the way they are writing they are talking down to the premier. I think he actually gets it and he gets it well. I would like to suggest we do send a letter but maybe not the letter that they have here. I’d like to send more of a letter of support for the great work he is doing, remind him we’re behind him and that we are a resource community.”
Councillor Maggie Hathaway said she concurs and thinks the divide is more rural/urban, and it’s probably the rural areas that need more attention than they have been getting, as opposed to the urban areas. She said rather than wording the letter as resource-based, to underscore the rural/urban divide.
Hathaway said having worked in the provincial government, she saw lots of areas where urban areas received much more attention than rural areas.
“I would like the letter more geared to rural areas, as opposed to resource-based,” said Hathaway.
Councillor CaroleAnn Leishman said she agrees with the mayor’s comments. She said Powell River sending its own letter, rather than a form letter, could be more specific and much more powerful. She said one of the problems she had with the recommended letter was that it outlined maintaining the status quo. The forest industry, said Leishman, is shipping raw logs unprocessed offshore. The letter outlines supporting exports and she said many people in this community are against raw log exports.
“We really need to focus on local and British Columbia economies,” said Leishman. “We need sawmills to open. Right now, there is a massive shortage of two-by-fours. Where is that wood getting processed? We should be keeping our raw logs in British Columbia and milling them here.
“I agree that the premier has a good handle on it and I would love for us to send our own letter congratulating him and being pretty specific on what our community needs are.”
Councillor Rob Southcott said the status quo cannot be supported anymore. He said there needs to be focus on adaptation, innovation and change. He said any successful future for resources rests there.
“We can’t be afraid to change,” said Southcott. “I think the incoming government is focused on the well-being of people and that’s the thing that I care about.”
Councillor George Doubt said he read the letter and his reading gave resource extraction a primary position over environmental concerns, and that’s why he was concerned about the letter.
“As it is, we are a resource community and we rely on resources to support our community,” said Doubt. “We also have a large number of people in this constituency who care deeply about the environment and they want to make sure that’s taken care of while we are dealing with the resource industry.
“There is a balance, and I think if the mayor’s letter reflects the balance between ecology and resource extraction, it will fit what the people of Powell River would like.”
The committee voted to have the mayor write the premier. Formosa said he would circulate the letter to councillors before it is sent.
“I like the points that were made about the sawmilling and the logs that are leaving the coast,” said Formosa. “I had a group of investors in my office a little while ago and they are trying to bring back sawmilling in local communities, which we are a candidate for.
“It’s a new day. The industrial revolution is over and it’s now the communications revolution. We can reach for the challenge and I think the premier is on base. I’ll take a stab at writing a letter that says thank you to the premier and that we know he understands our situation in these resource communities.”
