I'm finding it quite depressing lately flipping on the 6 p.m. news. That's a bold statement coming from a news hound and a newspaper editor, but between gangland shootings in the Lower Mainland, the 2010 Olympic Games way over budget and economic uncertainties, it's mostly all doom and gloom. But there is a silver lining in that cloud of unrest.
Take this community for example. Last Friday, I attended the Sechelt Chamber of Commerce luncheon where Mayor Darren Inkster was the guest speaker. Inkster certainly didn't sugar-coat things by telling everyone that the economy is great and not to worry, but he did bring a message of optimism and hope for the future. He spoke about plans for waterfront development, bringing more visitors to downtown Sechelt, which in turn means more shopping and more tourism dollars. He mentioned the Sechelt Airport and expansion plans for upgrades that will enhance the airport and again bring more visitors to the Coast and more tourism dollars. He pledged to work together as a community and as a business community to get out of this economic uncertainty and look towards the future.
I was encouraged by these words and look forward to seeing the District get these projects off the ground.
And that's not all. Last week Gibsons council announced plans to start work on the harbour expansion. This is a vital project for the long-term viability of Gibsons, and the community needs to work together to ensure that the project meets the needs of everyone. That includes residents, business owners, the harbour authority and council. We'll know more about the direction of the harbour and the public planning process in March following the Town's planning committee, so stay tuned.
Tonight, Coast Reporter is proud to be a part of the second annual Business Awards of Distinction. The 10 awards that will be handed out at the Sechelt Golf and Country Club will go to a variety of well-deserving local businesses and entrepreneurs for business excellence. This is a huge event for the business community. Now more than ever, residents on the Coast need to turn to their local businesses and shop locally. Dollars spent here benefit us all, and what better way to show your support for business than by shopping at these award-winning establishments and at the award-winning finalists? We'll have a full list of the winners for you next week.
Coast Reporter is also busy working on our second annual Horizons supplement, which will be published at the end of March. In that special section we will present an outlook for business on the Coast and speak with business leaders and businesses. There are a lot of great things going on in this community. We're proud to be part of them and proud to share them with this community.
So it's not all doom and gloom out there. There are some very positive things going on. You just have to know where to look for them.
