Time for SODC to go
Editor,
Principal 10 of the official community plan draft (OCP) engage citizens in the decision-making process and citizens will have access to meaningful engagement and input in the community decision-making process.
Qualex pulled out of Squamish because this process was not followed.
It is time that we dismantle Squamish Oceanfront Development Corporation and dismiss Mike Chin for their arrogant and independent approach to community development. We don't need them.
A fresh start is desirable with planner Larry Beasley working with the community to draft a land use plan for the oceanfront.
The process should begin by not rushing the OCP draft to completion, A template for the oceanfront land should be included in the OCP draft.
Finally, the community will have access to meaningful engagement and input in the community decision-making process.
Peter Harker
Squamish
Thank you for remembering
Editor,
Once again I am a proud to be a citizen of Squamish! The people of Squamish really know how to give thanks to those who gave their lives so that we may live in a free country! The ceremony at Brennan Park was very well received by an overflowing crowd of both young and old. Special thanks to the Valleycliffe school choir for sharing a beautiful song, Remembrance Child. We were most pleased to have the Sea to Sky Singers singing In Flanders Field. Our MLA, Joan McIntyre, gave a very heartfelt address as she shared her family's war story. We were pleased to have join us, Corporal Douglas Morgan, who had just returned home from a nine month tour in Afghanistan.
Thanks too, to the staff at The Chief for creating such a wonderful special feature, War and Remembrance. I encourage everyone to take note of Cathryn Atkinson's article on how to find a lost soldier of the past; we often get requests at the legion from people wanting to find our more information on a lost relative.
To the folks at channel 10, Dean and Bianca, thanks for coming to the legion and featuring three of our vets' stories on "My Squamish".
Finally, I would like to thank the people of Squamish for their generosity in supporting our Poppy Campaign and huge thanks also to our air cadets for helping legionnaires canvass on a very brutal weather weekend. We started with 38 Squamish businesses having a Poppy box and by mid week we had support from over 60 businesses. Thank you Ted, from Mountain FM for encouraging support.
After paying for our supplies, our poppy monies are used first and foremost to help Vets who live in Squamish. As well, with special permission from BC/Yukon Command earlier this year, we have also been able to purchase medical equipment for Hilltop, make a donation to upgrade emergency room equipment at Lions Gate Hospital and for the first time, create two Poppy bursaries for two HS Secondary students. At the elementary level, we are looking forward to judging the poster and writing contests and cash prizes are given from the Poppy Fund - student participation in Squamish is always very good and teachers do a great job of helping teach Squamish youth about the importance of Remembrance.
Thank you Squamish.
Sandi Paterson
Br. 277 Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Chair, 2006
Think before you shop
Editor,
Home Depot and Wal-Mart set to open. As a community we need to give some thought to what we want our quality of life to be, what we want our community to become. That means, giving thought to who we support when we go to shop. It's important that money stays in the community, because it builds our local economy. Shareholder profits and executive salaries are spent in places they live in, not in ours. So those big bucks don't end up contributing to our local economy, meanwhile the wages of the people running the local store are kept as low as possible in order to keep their profits high.
It's the business model. Shareholders expect a return on investment. Executives essentially report to the shareholders, and prove themselves by running the business with as high profit margin as possible. That means low operating costs. The number one cost to a business over the long term is staffing. The obvious strategy to keep costs down and service up is to employ the most clerks at the least cost.
Profits, mean increased share value, or dividents. Happy shareholders reward the executives with bonuses and these bonuses can be several times the yearly wage of an individual worker. Wal-Mart top executives make between US$648,000 to US$1.2 million a year, with bonuses from $US872,000 to 4.1 million per year. All forms of compensation included, in 2004 the top execs made $1.2 million, for an exec that was suspended to US$17 million. For the exec that's getting only say 5 million, it's over a US$416,000 per month or US$2,400 per hour to keep the workers underpaid, and help strip the economy of a small town. One hour of work for the executive is 300 hours of work (8 weeks' wage) for many of his staff.
The only hope Squamish has in seeing any of these profits is if one exec decides to take a holiday at Whistler, and they happen to stop for gas in Squamish.
It's been shown in studies that supporting big box stores undermines the welfare of the community causes incumbent businesses that would otherwise keep profits in the community to close.
Face it, people who come from out of town to ski, aren't going to stop here to shop. They want to go skiing, and drive as fast up the highway as possible to do so. On the way back, their unlikely to stop to shop in their wet ski clothes. Do you think people are going to stop here and carry things back on the airplane ? Why would they? These big box stores doen't offer anything here that they can't buy at home for the same price.
Wal-Mart is China's number one buyer and exporter, and they export to their store all over the US and Canada. These stores are here to sell to the Squamish and Whistler communities, but our money is taken, and spent elsewhere, and after paying rent and food, we are left with little extra money to spend on creating a healthy local economy of our own.
I want people to be conscious about how they spend their money. Is a few bucks worth the local economic impact? Once the competitor stores close, history shows us that the costs go up anyway, so any benefit is short lived and ultimately harm us.
If it's a matter of not being able to get a product from a local Squamish business owner, tell them, they want your business and will likely be able to get it for you. Shame on the government for it letting these stores in. Now it's up to the community to ensure our neighbours don't lose their businesses because of it.
C. Bakker
Garibaldi Highlands
Why, why, why?
Editor,
Over the past few years the bulk of talk in this town has been about the waterfront.... what are we going to do with it? how can we make everyone happy? Some people figure this is our chance to show what Squamish is really about. Well this letter is not about THAT waterfront, it is about the ones that are being destroyed right in front of our eyes. Have you ever walked down Judd Road to the river and walked along it? If you haven't you are missing out on a beauty that is truely magical. The white sands, the eagles, the seals , the salmon, the heronsthe list goes on.
Now you might be thinking you already know about the train derailments, the oil spills, and so on, but that is not what I am talking about. What I am talking about is the blatent disregard shown by those who choose to have fires down there. Now I like the rest of us who enjoy the outdoors, enjoy a fire from time to time, beer in hand, it is a beautiful thing. BUT when I have a fire they consist of wood, NOT old beds, tires, plastic bags, oh yes that beer bottle in my hand does not find its way into the fire when it is finished.
The fact that all of these things are visually and enviromentally damaging is one thing but consider the amount of children that play down there, the number of dogs that walk there, the number of birds that nest and feed there think about these groups if you obviously (those who are creating this dumping zone) don't care about the effects on yourself. We talk about creating a legacy for our children and for all things living yet we allow these people to destroy our land... it is disgraceful.
It basically comes down to common sense - something these people are obviously lacking. Please whoever you are stop disrespecting yourselves and this community.
Mike Wheaton
Squamish
