Editor:
I read with interest a letter in Coast Reporter about the SCRD passing a motion to study a “fixed link” to the Coast. The letter stated that we have had a drastic decline in the 25- to 44-year-olds in our workforce since 1990. These are young families departing our region, mostly forever. This is truly an alarming fact, and now add the mill layoffs.
How might we correct this? I firmly believe that the answer is with our Golden Goose, the George developer – a company that wants to lay a $50-million Golden Egg development and revitalize an area that really is our “dead end” of the waterfront.
Attracting investors to any region is normally a very competitive situation. I believe that Gibsons is blessed to have a developer who has continued on a path when most others would simply say, “This is too hard, I will go lay my Golden Egg elsewhere.” I honestly believe that his desire is to leave a long-lasting legacy to Gibsons and the Coast; this is what saviours do!
As we enter the hibernation period for our beautiful bears, they are joined by the many local snowbirds who also choose to go missing for our long drawn out wet and cold winter months, which impacts many local businesses that either close or struggle for survival through the winter. Also missing are the dollars of tourists who do visit our piece of paradise during our three months of wonderful sunshine.
We have a chance to change that, to truly make Gibsons a destination that is vibrant all year round, bringing economic benefit to many local businesses and creating much needed jobs to keep our community on the Coast. The naysayers need to look beyond the size, shape and form of The George – this Golden Egg is truly our saviour.
Greg Giles, Roberts Creek
