Grace McGregor, Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (RDKB) regional director announced recently that Area C had withdrawn from the Boundary Economic Development Committee (BEDC).
She provided her reasons in the Oct. 31 issue of the Gazette.
McGregor’s decision has been cause for concern among other politicians in the Boundary but she is right to withdraw.
It is a wise move on her part for the valid reason that the unincorporated community of Christina Lake has little in common with most of the other communities (incorporated and unincorporated) within the Kettle River watershed.
Christina Lake, Big White and Mount Baldy have something in common within the region. They exist because of an influx of visitors. Christina Lake hosts several thousand of them during the summer because of the lake and its amenities. Big White attracts skiers and provides for their needs in the winter. Mount Baldy is in the process of developing as a winter resort.
Grand Forks, Greenwood, Midway, Rock Creek and Beaverdell attract fewer visitors during the summer months than Christina Lake because they offer visitors a different product. However, they benefit because the lake is a destination for many visitors.
As McGregor points out, the lake is the economic driver in Area C. The motels, bed and breakfast operations, summer rental accommodation, restaurants and other businesses thrive because of the demands of visitors for goods and services. The golf course is self-supporting and a significant feature in the community.
Taxpayers in Area C are responsible for maintaining a healthy lake. They pay for the divers who have spent the past several summers pulling and bagging Eurasian milfoil. In 2012 it cost them $300,000. They will also pay the cost of conducting a study involving milfoil weevils.
McGregor mentions the Welcome Centre, solar aquatic system (a wastewater treatment plant), community hall and golf course. The construction of the centre and the solar aquatic facility adjacent to it was made possible with a large government grant, however, its maintenance is the responsibility of the community. Community volunteers also maintain the community hall.
At a time when the economic climate in the region is changing, it is prudent to take stock of where tax dollars are being spent and the benefits that are derived for tax payers.
McGregor received criticism for her decision but critics would be wise to examine her reasons.
There are numerous opportunities for regional cooperation. The study that will lead to the development of a management plan for the preservation and protection of the Kettle River watershed is one, and it is well underway.
The impact of climate change on the region is another issue that has not been addressed. A third issue might well be the preservation of biodiversity throughout the watershed, the Gilpin Grasslands, being a prime example.
The impact of the decision points to the need to learn to co-operate in dealing with issues that affect everyone in the watershed. We can think and act locally on issues that are obviously local in nature and we must think and act regionally on those issues that are obviously regional.
When a procedure thought to be a good idea when it is created doesn’t accomplish that much, it should be disbanded. McGregor says the BEDC doesn’t serve her constituents well.
Perhaps her decision will now cause elected officials to examine the BEDC in terms of its benefits to their constituents. They would be wise to do so.
– Roy Ronaghan is a columnist for the Grand Forks Gazette