I was pleased to read a Facebook posting saying my last column contained “infantile drivel.” In the post, Stephen Forster of Granthams Landing wrote that a depression at the corner of Fisher Road and Central Avenue, which I had called a “sinkhole,” was actually erosion from heavy rains. He asked me to “lighten up” and suggested there are bigger issues in the small community of West Howe Sound.
Forster was right. Area F faces much larger problems than the sinkhole (or erosion hole). One of them was trumped up last week from across the U.S. border.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested he would kill the North American Free Trade Agreement and impose tariffs of up to 24 per cent on Canadian lumber. Then, after a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump said he liked Canada and would re-negotiate rather than cancel NAFTA. Then, marking his 100th day in office on April 29, Trump told a crowd in Pennsylvania that the U.S. will back out of NAFTA if it fails to get a “fair deal.”
The rhetoric was confusing and may have frightened West Howe Sounders who work in the lumber industry.
West Howe Sound, from Twin Creeks to Port Mellon, hosts the largest concentration of lumber processing companies on the Sunshine Coast. Statistics Canada’s most recent (2014) report on regional jobs shows about eight per cent of work on the Coast is in the lumber industry. The sector is likely to account for a much greater percentage of jobs for residents of Area F. That’s because most people prefer a short commute. If the U.S. leaves NAFTA, a lot of those jobs would presumably be gone.
Area F director Ian Winn mentioned Trump’s pronouncements in his director’s report at a Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) meeting April 27. He told me the issue is bound to come up in a focused discussion at the SCRD, as impacts to the local economy become clear.
For now, there is a more jarring problem in Area F. During an SCRD meeting April 20, directors discussed the road condition on the Port Mellon Highway, which has been deteriorating into potholes as its micro-surfaced topcoat wears away. Winn said this week that he wants to warn drivers – especially cyclists – that the bumps could throw them off balance. I recently drove on the highway from YMCA Road to the Langdale Heights RV Park, and it felt as if my car were crossing a series of railroad tracks.
Chamberlin Road, approaching Shirley Macey Park, seems much smoother, particularly for a drive to the West Howe Sound Community Association’s (WHSCA) general meeting. The event takes place at 7 p.m. on May 10 at Eric Cardinall Hall.
The focus will be solid waste, with SCRD chief administrative officer Janette Loveys answering questions about the topic. In addition, Winn will report on SCRD activities, and the meeting will hear the results of the WHSCA’s topic survey.
I hope to see you there. In the meantime, if anyone would like to send a comment or tell me about news in West Howe Sound, please email [email protected]. It’s good to know people are reading this column, even if they complain about holes in my writing.
