Editor,
I feel I must take this opportunity to express my concern with a column in the Aug.19, 2005 edition of The Chief. I am not sure why Councilor Dawson thought I would sit back and allow him to malign previous Councils that I was Mayor of. I am proud of the undertakings of not just the previous Council but of those previous as well.
What is this neglect, misery and one missed opportunity after another all about? I call on Mr. Dawson to respond to this question. He should be specific in the response, supported by firm examples.
If previous Councils were so slack where was Mr. Dawson? He sure didn't deliver Western Diversification dollars to the District then. Strange that within a couple of months on Council, Western Diversification dollars started flowing into our Municipal coffers.
In his line of business Mr. Dawson knows that as the economy of the Province goes so do local economies. Unfortunately the economy of B.C. and so too the District of Squamish was in the tank leading up to the election of May 2002. Even so I an willing to wager that Squamish fared better than most communities of our size.
Over the nine years that I was Mayor three quarters of the Business Park was developed including the Mountain Retreat Hotel and Suites. Squamish Station came into being.the Westcoast Railway Heritage Park opened and expanded. Many residential projects were completed, including The Eagle Grove and Marina Estates developments.A new firehall was built at the south end of town. The Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co.opened its doors. Canadian Tire, The Husky Station and Burger came on line. At the other end of town the Shell Station, Kentucky Fried Chick and the Youth Hostel were built. The live work concept got underway with a number of projects on the south end of 2nd Ave.
Previous Councils enabled the development of the Youth Centre and Tantalus Seniors Centre. We initiated Communities that Care and the Senior Committee.We supported the designation of the Smoke Bluffs as Community Open Space, developed the Climbers' Parking Lot, established a ground water source and undertook a major expansion of our sewage treatment facility.I am proud of the role I played I attaining a grant in lieu of taxes from BC Rail Also during those years we were the recipients of more infrastructure funding than any other community in our riding.
One of my goals has always been to retain and create jobs. All projects listed above provide jobs and most of them long term. I feel very good with the work I did, supported by council, to reopen the Interfor Sawmill - saving the jobs that supported 150 local families.
Continued page 12
Continued from page 11
The Councils from 1993 - 2002 sought to diversify rather than work toward transition. Diversification would have seen us work to retain not only the 150 mill jobs lost last year but also those of 50 or so BC Rail employees. Instead we bartered them off for a piece of compromised land at the south end of town that may always be a liability to the taxpayer of this community. Again nothing was done to offset the loss of the roughly 100 direct and secondary jobs in the TFL. Losses of all these prementioned family supporting jobs mean further induced job loss in the community including the downtown- an area New Directions vowed to turn around. If losing in excess of 300 jobs is what Mr. Dawson means when he speaks of turning the economy around then I would have to agree.We have gone from a very positive , balanced economy of the late 90's early 200's to a negative, lopsided one today. In the past 21/2 years job creation has been limited for the most part to residential expansion and municipal projects like the RCMP, Adventure Centre, and the hiring of municipal staff to the tune of approximately 1 million dollars. I might add that these initiatives along with a few others have depleted our reserves.Just a thought for the fellow who asked how this Council was able to turn the town around so quickly. If he was referring to the Garibaldi Springs Golf Course, Garibaldi Village or the Sea to Sky University they were work of the previous Councils.
Or perhaps he was referring to NOT having a Wal-Mart as being positive.This Council gave approval to basically an identical project as the previous Council - semantics being the difference. Is candy or confections food? Therefore, in my opinion, if this Council had left alone the work of the previous Council, as they said they would, we would be shopping at Wal-Mart in Squamish today and supporting our local economy.
I will close with a question and a comment.
My question - aside from a strategic plan, a number of studies, the Nexen land acquisition accompanied by the creation of the Waterfront Development Corp., and expanded trail system and the Adventure Centre what has this Council accomplished?
he comment - I know that all who put their names forward to serve the community are well intentioned, good citizens, who for the most part respect their fellow Councilors. I thank them for their service.
Yours sincerely
Corinne Lonsdale
To view more letters - click on the download option on our front page
