Mayor's Newsletter spurs economic spin off

Good news now that we have an economic development officer in place, things are looking up already a new cottage industry has popped up a thriving T-shirt industry.

Apparently there are t-shirts now available based on the now famous "caver" expression. The t-shirts have Crowsnest Pass Caver on the front, on the back they have the following.

Cares for his or her community
Appreciates Nature
Volunteers where and when needed
Enjoys friends and family
Remembers and appreciates the past

They are selling for $20 with all proceeds going to the food bank.

Very creative and well done, thanks to the Mayor for creating the catalyst for this new industry

First order of T-shirts sold out, to place your order phone the Rose Peddler at 403-562-7373 and give them the size and quanity

 Note: Cost of administration $4325 per day

Silly season officially begins.......

In another distinguished example of making friends 101, after a couple of absences the latest Mayor's Corner is out. We the residents of the Crowsnest Pass have now been blessed with an addition to our vocabulary of the word "CAVE'rs". We owe his worship a ton of gratitude for en-lighting us.   Mayor's Corner

This has been a different Spring. Let us hope summer is a little more predictable. We are however, entering another season which is very unpredictable. It usually starts about this time and ends immediately after the October election. Government bureaucrats often refer to it as “the silly season” that is, when politicians begin to appear everywhere making all kinds of promises (usually outlandish) and begin to pay close attention to people, groups and organizations they had previously ignored. Like other species on this planet they often resort to “eating their own” that is, their political colleagues. Most will resort to self-aggrandizement speaking at great length at any opportunity to confirm their concern and prowess regarding community affairs as well as their grasp of municipal governance. Human nature is indeed fascinating. I gave our Council a “heads up” about the silly season a few months ago advising them that people in the Pass could sniff out such antics in short order. I leave it to the reader to assess if any of your local politicians or “wannabees” fall victim to “the silly season”. I don’t think this Council has to come up with a show of new promises – it’s all there in the Strategic Plan, a plan that can be adjusted on an ongoing basis depending on context and timing. No doubt we will be treated in the upcoming months to the overtures and exhortations of has-beens, want to be’s, regressives (back to the good old days) and progressives of various sorts. I am sure we will have a slate of candidates fuelled by our local CAVE’rs as well. There are those who would suggest we are in a “political mess”. Not so. We are in a period of “change” which was what you demanded and what your Council is delivering. Decades of a no-change, beg the government for funding, drive business away through the lack of a policy-driven municipal government, is all falling by the wayside and to some this is uncomfortable.  Such “change” will ultimately benefit the majority of people in our community: the seniors, the young, the business people, the newcomers, and the “little guy” on the street. Unfortunately our traditional “old boys clubs”, and others simply don’t understand it and continue to maintain their sense of entitlement and backroom control of our future. Enough of politics and on to other topics. Last week I kept my promise and announced on the radio, as soon as I knew, that our new hotel will be a Best Western. Final approval should be given between the 13th to 18th of this month. If it is not approved by the Best Western Board of Governors we will move to the Holiday Inn group. Regardless things are on time and we should see demolition activity late this summer. The Riversdale group is still flying in groups of investors and the company should be “going public” in the next few months. We are awaiting the arrival of its first administrator from Seattle once his work visa etc. is processed. As recommended in the Mayor’s Task Force on the Economy, and then in our Strategic Plan, an Economic Development officer has been hired. I wanted to see this person hired early last year however many issues transpired and we were unable to get it done. Regardless she will begin her duties towards the end of the month. A press release will provide accurate details. However she is originally from Southern Alberta, a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, has extensive experience and was looking for an opportunity to “come home”.  My thanks to our Economic Development Committee for their patience over the past several months. Your patience will be rewarded. This is the last person to be hired in our restructured administrative team, a team of well trained professionals who work for our betterment. I previously indicated we needed to change “the way we do business” and this team, now complete, will continue to do just that. Good things will come of this. There is a hustle and bustle in the Pass we have not seen for some time: new people, new construction, new businesses opened and soon to be opened, inquiries regarding a second hotel, inquiries over a truck stop, interest in a large development in Coleman. It’s taken many months but it’s starting to happen. “You can’t create a future by clinging to the past.” *CAVE’rs – “citizens against virtually everything” entitlement – the state of being entitled, the right to guaranteed benefits under a government program. NOTE: Check out the story in this week's Promoter by Joni MacFarlane CAO briefing meetings defended http://www.crowsnestpasspromoter.com/2013/05/15/cao-briefing-meetings-defended