Letter to the editor - Keep Cranbrook moving forward

Posted by on 3 November 2009 | 0 Comments

The Daily Townsman - November 3, 2009

I have been a Cranbrook business owner for over 20 years. I have also owned a business in Fernie for nearly 10 years. Both communities are wonderful places to live and work. However, a few years ago, a frightening and chilling change began taking place in Fernie. Blame it on Wildsight's increasing prominence in that community, but instead of being accepting of new business and growth, of welcoming new residents and appreciating all that mining does for its economy, the climate in Fernie seemed to become downright hostile against all business, industry and development. It's as if Fernie wanted to stop time, and hence all new growth, because everyone thought it was perfect just the way it was. But you can't stop time, and if you don't open yourself to progress, then you open yourself up to decay.

What's sad is that with this referendum I'm starting to see the same mentality begin to spread here in Cranbrook. I always thought that while other East Kootenay communities harboured the extremists and the anti-growth folks, Cranbrook would staunchly remain pro-business, if only to keep its status as the economic centre of the Kootenays. Yet thanks to the No group, we don't need Wildsight to try and shut our doors and close down our businesses. CLC is already trying to do that with the mistruths they've been spreading.

No one wants to see Cranbrook become Calgary or even Kelowna. But what makes a community exciting is the prosperity and opportunity that growth brings. The boundary extension is about having land for when Cranbrook needs it, well into the future. It's about having control on what gets developed on that land. It's about expanding our tax base to pay for our infrastructure. Yet somehow CLC has managed to hold our city hostage with fear and, above all, nonsense. What frightens me is that we're going to pass up the great chance for Cranbrook to properly plan for its future all because one small group managed to convince the populace that having land, and the opportunity to control the development that takes place on it, is a bad thing. Vote yes on November 14th.

David Kaiser
Cranbrook