On Tuesday, Adriane Carr and I made a visit
to our wonderful candidate in Prince George-Cariboo, Heidi Redl. We had planned it for some time (and on
to Prince George the next day with our other fabulous Prince George candidate –
for Prince George-Peace River, Hilary Crowley). We had no way of knowing when we were planning the trip to
Williams Lake that the visit would occur shortly after the federal government
decision to reject the planned copper and gold mine, known as the Prosperity
Mine. The mine would have
destroyed Fish Lake. One bright
young mining engineer I met on my flight suggested you wouldn’t believe it in a
movie. Playing to clichés: Prosperity
mine. Fish Lake.
Given the feeling of shock many in the
community were experiencing, we decided to host a community round table. Heidi invited many of the community’s
key players -- community groups, environmental groups,
First Nations, the Chamber of Commerce.
Only the Chamber of Commerce decided not to attend. We set out to discuss opportunities for
Green economic development and job creation.
The area has been hard-hit by Canada’s most
costly (to date) climate change disaster.
The lodgepole pine of the interior forests have been virtually wiped out
by the pine beetle. In years gone
by, the pine beetle was never so voracious it could destroy whole forests. Its numbers were always knocked back by
winter cold snaps. No longer. Thanks to climate change, the pine
beetle kill has cost hundreds of jobs in many mill operations.
The discussion was lively. Many expressed a level of frustration
with the Prosperity Mine and its proponent company, Taseko Mines Ltd. For seventeen years, those who promoted
the mine have seen it as a panacea --
a promise of wealth and riches, and, well – “prosperity.” The obsession with the mine reminded me
of Charles Dickens’ novel Bleak House, in which the Jardyce family
consumed its fortune, fighting among themselves over a family will. Community members spoke of a tunnel
vision that saw the mine as the only path to new jobs. So great was boosterism for the
mine, that town landmarks were re-named “Prosperity”. Williams Lake, hometown of “Man in motion” Rick Hansen,
renamed “Rick Hansen Way” “Prosperity Way.” And the mall with the Wallmart was named “Prosperity Place”. As one participant quipped, “we are
lucky it is still called ‘Williams Lake.’”
Chief Joe Alphonse of the Tsilhqot’in spoke
of being treated with contempt and ridicule by the mining company and its
supporters. Meanwhile, he pointed
out the First Nation brings $150 million a year into the economy. His First Nation has purchased an old
sawmill and is developing a bio-energy plan. He has also worked with other community leaders and has
succeeded in a remarkable reduction in the crime rate. Chief Joe Alphonse believes the most
fundamental investment must be in education. His leadership is inspiring.
The economic development ideas worth
pursuing included expansion of local food, access to greater slaughter house
capacity for grass-fed organic beef, more food production (veggies and such),
tourism expansion (the area is a day’s drive from Vancouver with fish to be
caught in Fish Lake, grizzlies, wild horses and stunning scenery), potential
for locally made bricks, restoring passenger rail, value-added wood products
from the beetle-killed “blue-stained” wood. One initiative
has recently succeeded in developing a mountain biking opportunity.
Then we went to meet with the Mayor. Her Worship, Kerry Cook, was
impressive. The ideas from the
community were in keeping with her own thinking. “We never put all our eggs in one basket,” she said. She said the city has Integrated
Community Sustainability Planning to try to get away from a “boom and bust
development model.” And she
wonders where the money the federal government promised for communities reeling
from the pine beetle kill has gone.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised $1 billion for BC's communities impacted by the beetle. So far, only $200
million has been delivered. And
that’s to all the BC communities ravaged by the beetles' destruction.
It appears Taseko does not want to take
“no” for an answer. Maybe they
will begin to treat First Nations with respect. Maybe they will stop looking for approval for the cheapest
way to mine copper and gold, but find some way to protect Fish Lake and its
tributaries. In the
meantime, there are a lot of people in Williams Lake glad that the tunnel
vision of “Prosperity” is lifting and new ideas have space to be explored.