Editor:
It’s ours — the awesome, majestic fjord called Howe Sound — surrounded by distinctive and eclectic small communities, interspersed with islands large and small and set against the backdrop of stunning, snow capped mountains — truly a masterpiece now and potentially a world class tourism and adventure recreation destination in itself and important economic generator, right in our front yards. That’s my vision for Howe Sound.
That doesn’t appear to be the vision of the B.C. government who are promoting a return of major heavy resource based industry: LNG, gravel pit, waste burning and more logging — not wise given a long recovery from past environmental damage.
Haven’t we learned anything from the past?
The potential of Howe Sound under the overarching theme of tourism/adventure recreation, properly planned and cleverly delivered, is a huge opportunity for new product development, new businesses to create them and new communities and residents drawn for the lifestyle and setting. It doesn’t exclude new or expanding industries and does include new product development and additional activity programming.
It can deliver long-term economic returns (jobs, new business, visitors and residents) as good as or better than a return to heavy industry and with a minimal ecological footprint. It’s clever, clean, sustainable and in the best long-term interests of B.C.
We now have a great example of a local attraction that proves the point: the newly opened Sea to Sky Gondola, nestled between Shannon Falls and the Chief. This attraction, five years in the making, locally and privately funded, delivered over 200 construction jobs and now, in operation, has over 100 employees, almost all local — a major new player in the area and by all accounts a huge hit with tourists and locals less than a month after opening.
