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In last week's Pass Herald there was the following story...
Mayor hopeful for new industry in Pass
Now for where this story originated read this...
Municipality Working on Economic Development Opportunity
I find the contrast between the first story above, which paints a Potemkin village picture of the Pass and its overly optimistic chances of success in getting this manufacturing plant, and the stark realities of its real competitive chances as published by our bureaucrats at municipal hall by way of their public announcement.
In random order, the following are my observations:
- Mayor says this plant will employ 100 people, while our CAO says 50?
- Workers would no longer have to travel to the mines in B.C. or go up north to work, they could stay here and work at this manufacturing plant. (paraphrased by me)
If this manufacturing plant lands up being anything like what R&R and Arctic Spa were, paying slightly more than minimum wage, I can't see those workers leaving their $30+/hr. jobs for jobs paying half or less than half of what they are making now, can you? - Is the mayor suggesting we are more stable while big city centers are not? How does he justify this? Where does this even come from? Are all city dwellers transients whereas we aren't? I don't get it?
- The mayor seems to gloss over the fact that they will also be visiting and considering 3-4 other locations, as well. I don't like our chances, especially when you consider the following...
- "With transportation costs on the increase, and space in the municipality being vast, the Pass quickly became a strong candidate for the factory’s location."
This one I have real troubles with for two reasons:
Transportation Costs: Years back, I remember talking with Cliff Reilng our former EDO who told me the reason the Pass would never be considered by manufacturing companies as an ideal place to relocate or set up is because of transportation. We are too far from major city centres and transportation networks and therefore would have to transport everything by truck as is what R&R and Arctic Spa were forced to do, resulting in part with why they had to eventually close their doors... and with fuel costs ever rising... you get the picture? I would think a manufacturing company dealing in heavy construction would find it especially difficult and costly!
Space in the municipality being vast: Yes, we are vast with 18 miles from Leitch Colliers to the AB border, at the lakes, and approximately 1-2 miles wide, and with all this space there is very little big acreages available, especially industrial land, suitable for a manufacturing plant. Therefore the only logical place for this manufacturing plant is the former Arctic Spa site in Sentinel. This facility could be the carrot that draws them here? Lets hope so! Little else, I'm afraid, would, because the facts are we just don't have the land for them, if they plan on building a facility of any half decent size.
No, my friends, knowing as I do that the Pass Herald has recently entered into a unique and exclusive arrangement to give the mayor 1 publication out of 4 each month to speak to the people on whatever issues he feels like (in order to promote himself and his council as proactive on the economic front, in this case, I'm guessing?), I'm afraid what we have here is wishful thinking and self-serving promotion using a company that came to us (rather than the other way around) who after doing their homework will decide for reasons given above that we just won't do. I hope I'm wrong as we need jobs here desperately, even minimum wage plus jobs, but the facts and the lay of the land speak for themselves, no matter how much we wish them to do otherwise.
As I've stated before, hoping and praying that by chance "Manna falls from Heaven" from time to time is no way to run a municipality and won't solve our economic and social problems here in the long term. We need to be more practical and realistic, having a vision and a plan of knowing what we want to be, where we want to go, and how we plan on getting there. Having a stable workforce means having a stable economy. Obviously R&R and Arctic Spa being manufacturing companies couldn't provide that. Nor at the end of the day, could the Devon Gas Plant, being a resource based industry dependent on market whims... like manufacturing.
The future for the Pass does not lie in the past, with its undue focus on Heritage, nor in the present with its loss of direction, but in 'grasping' the future itself.
Future technologies and green industries, essential to foster sustainable economic growth, along with adventure tourism and recreation is where our future lies. The sooner we come to grips with this new reality (that even our provincial and federal leaders refuse to acknowledge) the sooner we will be on the road to a bigger, brighter and more stable and sustainable future for all.
Future technologies and green industries, essential to foster sustainable economic growth, along with adventure tourism and recreation is where our future lies. The sooner we come to grips with this new reality (that even our provincial and federal leaders refuse to acknowledge) the sooner we will be on the road to a bigger, brighter and more stable and sustainable future for all.
People hate the truth. Luckily, the truth doesn’t care.
10 comments:
I know these aren't the best paying jobs, and a lot of them have been out-sourced internationally, but what about a small call centre. Isn't there at least one building for sale on the south side of 20th down by Border Building?
I agree with most of your post.
2 things that I am not so sure about.
Transportation - These costs depend greatly on what product you are making and where you are selling.Where do you get your supply to make your product.If your supply is not coming from a major city then there is no advantage being close to that or any city.If you are selling your product throughout western Canada and say the NW states or even globally then there is no advantage to being close to a city.We are on a major highway and we do have the rail line running through here also.
Size - I thought we had lots of space available at Sentinel Industrial Park.And if not there then what about the Atlas lumber land.
AGREED TOTALLY
but i think you may agree that you have already come to "gripes" although i think you were thinking of grips.
always a pleasure to hear your thoughts
i feel like your being a little negative about the whole situation
1:53
Motivating people to talk about issues important to our community is being 'negative'. Give your head a shake. :-(
About 1:53
I agree with you on that but you do nothing? Why don't you and your friends gang up on John and start some economic development and prove him wrong? That would be very constructive.
My feeling is John is just trying to motivate people like you, and I respect that.
Fred Poirier
Anon @9:44
Good idea. One that could easily be followed up on by a proactive mayor and council, and/or eventually by our new EDO.
Anon @12:50
Good, valid points, although the rail line apparently would not be available. Dedicated line or something along that line? Can't remember? Good point on the Atlas property. I forgot about that?
Anon @1:30
:-) Thanks for the heads-up. Correction made.
Anon @1:53
I think your comment has been answered quite well already by Fred and Anon @5:50 but let me just add: It is not my job to play cheerleader to mayor and council but rather to give them 'food for thought' that so far to-date has been completely and totally ignored (at least I have never heard back from any of them?) which speaks volumes to their one-man show and total disregard of opinions coming from anyone other than from their highly paid 'outside' consultants. I suggest, public opinion from locals would have served them far better and been a whole lot cheaper in the long run. But that is what you get from having 'neophytes' lacking in experience and having bad judgement. For has it not been said "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."
JP
John, to be a good manager, one must have:
1. Education; 2. Knowledge; 3. Experience; and 4. Judgement.
Based on the present ongoings in the Crowsnest Pass, It is not difficult to determine that for the position of Mayor, the present Mayor lacks two and possibly three of the four requirements.
While the Mayor may indeed be a good person who that he is doing all of the right things to get the Pass back on the right track, events prove otherwise. Perhaps his greatest fault was not checking his ego in at the Town Hall doors.
With the sudden departure of the previous CAO and replacement of him by an Interim CAO consultant, the Pass was sent down a road on which the best interests of the citizens were replaced by self-serving interests.
This management vacuum in combination with a new Mayor and Council also gave the opportunity for the present Administrative staff to jockey for more power. Don't think for a moment that the old timers weren't jealous of the new comers coming in to help run the show. There sure are a lot of high level Administrators to run a show with 50 employees and 5,500 "subjects.
Jose
Jose, good to hear from you. Once again your wisdom and insight shines through, due in large part to having the managerial qualities you speak of, I'm thinking.
With respect to the mayor's ego, I guess that’s why he got branded with the "Pompous Bruce" label?
I really thing the mayor got into this whole business thinking he was going to have the former mayor as mentor, someone who would hold his hand and tell him what to do. Failing that he did what he had always done before, i.e. rely on bureaucrats and consultants, rather than going to those most directly affected by his decisions: students and parents... or in our case, local residents. Big mistake that has resulted in only making our problems worse.
Force feeding people your solutions rather than getting them to buy into them is the practice of totalitarian regimes, of which, sadly, governments and their various departments are notorious for being, and from which our present mayor spent his whole adult working life. Ultimately learning and knowing little to nothing about the real business world dealing in profit and loss and building customer loyalty. But instead, simply imposing arbitrary and ever increasing (without limit it seems) residential tax fees on our annual property tax bills, without discussion or debate with those who must pay these bills. This is the culture our mayor comes from i.e. that the taxpayer/resident has a bottomless-well to dip into, and there is no need to consult with them on what effects them directly, when there are highly paid consultants in their world for that purpose.
From what I understand certain Administrative staff this mayor and council inherited now pretty much runs the show and in doing so are making matters worse with their personal biases, agendas and intrigues all the while being wolves in sheep’s clothing steering mayor and council away from those of us who can help, and instead letting them drown in their own bureaucrat morass.
If and when this mayor and council can untangle themselves and go directly to the people who put them where they are then we will see real change that people can believe in and in which they will buy into because it is the change they asked for and want.
If mayor and council really wants a chance to turn things around here while they still have time then they need to get off their high horse and remember: The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office.
JP
Talk of the Town: Crowsnest Pass a Possible Manufacturing Hub
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