Last weekend I went and spent the weekend in Missoula Montana.
While there I was sitting in the Mall on a bench killing time while the wife was shopping, I started chatting with a fella sitting at the next table to me. In the course of the conversation I found out that he was from Sparwood, moved there from Calgary last year for a job at the mine running equipment, with his wife and two young kids.
Being the curious person that I am I asked him why did he pick Sparwood, why not the Pass.
To which he replied that he originally looked at Fernie, Sparwood, Elkford and the Pass, ruled out Fernie because he felt it was too expense, ruled out Elkford because his family felt it was out of the way, lacked choices in shopping etc.
So he got down to a choice between a house in the Pass and one in Sparwood, finally picked Sparwood because he felt the area was more attractive. I was a little surprised with this comment, so I asked how can you say that we have all of the attractions of the outdoors that Sparwood does.
To which he replied "I am not talking about the out doors I am talking within your community" he went on further to challenge me to take a ride around Sparwood and point out the number of homes where you have driveways full of decrepit vehicles, where you have buildings that look like they have been falling a part for the last sixty years.
Why do I raise this story now? well for one its relevant based on what the majority of this council believes in as far as cleaning up our community.
The main reason and its truly sad we need to bring families like this to the Pass, we need the income levels that the mines pay, we need those people to spend their dollars in the community supporting our local businesses and we need those kids in our school system.
A family lost because some of us do not want to clean up, and that is sad.
4 comments:
the ripple effect of all this is felt throughout our community.
less students in schools, less funding, less options for our children, Horce Allen School is losing a music teacher, art programs are rumoured to be cut.
prospective families possibly moving here would look at our education system and just keep driving.
just two words to describe the future, ghost town.
last one out, turn off the lights.
Dean, certainly Sparwood is a nicer community on the exterior (when you cannot see the mine) than our community. However, I do believe that our community does have more to offer than Sparwood. Although a vast majority of locals are somewhat frustrated with local Government, certain individuals in the community and maybe even the school board we do still love living here and enjoying the benefits of a simpler life. BUT, the issue of losing families to the Elk Valley cannot be entirely blamed on the above as well as rough looking yards. The Municipality must take blame for their lack lustre marketing efforts to attract these new employees to reside in our community rather than Sparwood. I am not saying you should bash Sparwood but rather make the Crowsnest Pass their first choice. How? Get to these people before hand. I have not see any marketing efforts in Fort Mac or even on the highway and the Municipality's website certainly does not help either. Do you have literature available to potential newcomers that can be easily obtained through the mines? Probably not because there is really no one that has had the directive to do this. You need someone on the payroll to take charge of marketing. Community Futures and such may be doing a great job but if they fail they cannot be fired. We need someone that can be held accountable, someone who is young, fresh and full of these ideas and gets paid as much as a Recreation Director or CFO. Afterall without people coming and staying here for good both those jobs, as anonymous #1 referred to, will be ghost jobs.
Totally disagree with 9:07 p.m., get some decent people running the area on a fedeeral level and everything will change immediatly. Fed cash and incentive with good local direction changes the course of the CNP and stop relying on Alta taxpayers making up for the CNP's shortfalls by supplying grant money to initiate or kick start programs. The CNP is also to blame for being a lazy bunch of complainers instead of go-getters. shame shame.
The Crowsnest Pass is just like a book, Awesome cover but a horrible story.
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