At the end of an address to the Squamish Chamber of Commerce's monthly luncheon this week, local MLA Joan McIntyre issued a challenge to local business leaders by asking three questions: What are the best opportunities in the Sea to Sky Corridor to create jobs? What are the barriers preventing the region from taking full advantage of those opportunities? What's the best way for senior governments to facilitate their fulfillment?
The second-term legislator's talk on Wednesday (Sept. 21) -focusing on the B.C. economy, and in particular jobs - was obviously carefully delivered and timed to coincide with Premier Christy Clark's "whistle-stop" tour of the province to announce her government's job-creation plans. And with widespread economic uncertainty emanating outward from both the U.S. and Europe, jobs and the economy are obviously on the minds of many right now. Clearly, B.C. in general and the Sea to Sky Corridor stand a fighting chance of weathering the gathering storm better than most provinces and regions - if only we can find the opportunities at our doorstep and seize the day.
It's more than mere coincidence that economic development is also one of the key themes being echoed by candidates in the upcoming municipal election. We've heard it said multiple times that Squamish is at a crossroads between its days as a hub for forestry and forest-products processing and what? Bedroom (read: low-tax-base) community and recreational tourism? Regional shopping hub? Mini-Silicon Valley North? We would argue that it's likely all of the above - that we need to carefully nurture and facilitate growth among businesses that are already here while working to leverage our location and recreational assets (trails, rocks, waterways) to attract new ones.
New council candidate Brad Hodge this week said he thinks we need to attract an "anchor" business to provide a base of good-paying jobs to the community. That would indeed be terrific - and it merits further discussion. But we think it's even more important to make better use of the assets we already have.
One of those is Squamish Terminals. At the aforementioned McIntyre talk at Furry Creek Golf Club, Ron Anderson, the Terminals' president and CEO, told McIntyre and the others in attendance that Squamish could take better advantage of its deep-water port as a transfer point for western Canadian products bound for the still-booming markets in Asia. Leaders in Prince Rupert, he said, have fully embraced the notion that it takes state-of-the-art infrastructure for rail, road and water transport. While the provincial government can help facilitate job creation through a sound overall strategy, he said, "it's really the municipal government that needs to get on board and help make it happen."
Presumably that means some of Squamish's roads between Highway 99 and the Terminals need to be upgraded to facilitate greater truck traffic headed to the port. And indeed, that should be part of the multi-modal transportation plan that's in the works at municipal hall. Those elements of the plan need to be adopted and executed in short order if our community is to take full advantage of one of its biggest assets.
- David Burke
