Editor:
I was disappointed to learn from Mr. Atwood (in a letter printed in the March 19 Tribune) that he thinks things will be fine in our area even without the new mine.
His answer to all our problems appears to be the expenditure of more government funds, the lack of which led our forest industry into disarray starting some 40 years ago. The only saviour mentioned by name was Carrier Lumber who made a huge investment out west when they took on the pine beetle single handed.
I am aware of the investment made by that company as I visited their logging operations and mill site in 1984/85.
Yes, they received the benefit of low stumpage rates for that lower quality wood but then so did the industry as a whole.
But, if we did not have the “free enterprisers” willing to make the substantial dollar investments in the mills and mines, where would we be today? If we are going to wait for government funding to improve our economy we now have to wait a little bit longer since the tax dollars that would have been derived from the Prosperity project are no longer available. Those of us who have tax paying jobs and work for tax paying businesses would have appreciated the inflow of funds that New Prosperity could have injected into our communities.
And, perhaps our school boards and other local government agencies might have been grateful for a little shot in the arm as well.
Peter Philpotts
Williams Lake