Well, if you have ever popped by to visit my little blog, you will know that I grew up in what would be called "Hick town, B.C.". A very small town that was pretty much isolated from the rest of the world for most of my growing years..very small town, no way out, was our postal code. Yes..there were ways out, by plane or by boat, but no road, so we were as isolated as they come..just like remote Alaska.
My town was resource based. That means, it boomed or busted depending on the price of metals, or wood. And, during my growing years, it did indeed boom and bust. When I first entered this town, it was a whopping maybe 400 people, but in a 5 year old eyes, population numbers did not matter. When I became a teenager that number rose dramatically when the mine brought in barge load after barge load of homes and cleared a ginormous (well in my eyes)town site which they set up for their employees and their families. This increase created schools, an ice arena and an olympic size swimming pool. That folks, is a "Boom". A Boom means the whole town's economy goes way up. Grocery stores enjoy an increase in profit, restaurants thrive, and town taxes enjoy a terrific boost, allowing more services for the community.
Now, keep in mind, this "boom" created massive changes in our little town. A whole town site..can you imagine this going on now? Oh, all holy hell would break lose, folks would whine about their special hiking places been destroyed, or their enjoyment of peace and quiet being lost. They would moan about noise and pollution, and traffic, because a boom changes everything. But, in a town that survived solely on mining and logging, we welcomed this change, because it allowed our community to continue on, and grow.
O.K. those days have been gone a very long time. Resource based economies are no longer tolerated in many places. I for one can remember when our NDP government assured us that tourism was going to save the day.
Tourism may indeed assist big cities, with large ports and airports, and massive populations. But, truth is, tourism in many parts of this province is a short season. Not a whole lot of folks survive on tourist dollars when they are sitting in 5-6 feet of snow, and continual grey skies. and truth be told, even in the summer season, tourists do not bring many towns enough money to provide employment for more than a few folks. Not everyplace is Whistler , nor are they Victoria. Most simply offer .5 of a days interest for tourists, and then they move along. That does not allow much more than a few bucks spent in the local grocery store and restaurant, certainly not enough to pay Joe Blows rent. So, excuse me if I offend, but tourism is not and never will be the saving grace of many small towns.
Mining and logging, though never something that one will see in the middle of vacation heaven, can still allow Hick town B.C. to survive. They are NOT pretty, but strangely enough, the places these industries usually occur, are often incredibly beautiful, because they are often in the middle of no where. The people who live in the middle of no where do so without so many of the benefits those living in large places take for granted. Schools often have few teachers, hospitals (well since NDP, medical clinics) are generally just stop gap places with few services, and health is something that doesn't get near the same service as large communities. Discount stores, and malls are things that folks do without. They do not have the ability to "shop around" and look for the cheapest grapes, or a special on case lot bread. Their utilities are often far more expensive than large places, because seasons hit much harder.
That said, when a resource based economy is strong, workers can provide a pretty decent life for their families. They can ensure their family gets out of Hick town once in awhile to enjoy the bright city lights, because they are making a good living.
Growing up, along with the massive town site, days began very early in the summer, with the sounds of bush planes flying at the crack of dawn. Log trucks would go through main street on a steady basis, dumping their loads off the side of the road on the way to Alaska, right near the boat dock. Mine buses would roar through the town site bright and early, and in the middle of the night, hauling workers back and forth up the road. Arrow trucks would haul day and night to the barge landing from Cassiar Asbestos. As a small note, back in those days, many of the town streets were gravel, and in the summer all that traffic would indeed cause dust. But, dust was a sign of a booming economy, and we thought it was good.Traffic and movement were blessings after years of bust, far more smiles when folks had a regular pay cheque coming in and could live life, instead of existing.
Those times have totally disappeared. Suddenly we now live in a world where the majority have no clue what physical labour is all about. Blue collar workers are frowned upon, because they have become "dirty" ,"noisy", and unacceptable, especially when the picture one wants to share with the economic boon tourists bring for the split second, does not include workers! No, we want to show the world a pristine community, with lovely painted buildings (trust me, I grew up when all of those buildings were actual retail places, and no one was worried if the outside paint was peeling).
I took a drive around what was once the booming community I grew up in. I remember when all the town site homes were brand new. I remember when the schools were filled with students. I remember when the amazing Olympic sized swimming pool was brought into our tiny town by the dirty old mine. My recent drive, as maybe a "tourist" shocked the sh*t out of me!! Sure Main street was lovely....big boardwalk out into the Tide flats we used to wander about losing a rubber boot or two..lovely signs, and flowers. But, dead!! I say dead, because all it is is facade. It is not a bustling community. It is a pretty tourist picture, in a small section of town, the reality is shown when one leaves that tourist mecca.
Whole building that used to house large numbers of workers, falling to ruin. Townhouses, row upon row, that once were filled with families, now hidden behind years of brush. Homes boarded up, many in disrepair, yards overgrown, memories of trips up to the old Premier mine site long ago abandoned,came back, when I viewed what I remembered as a whole new town, filled with workers and wives, and children. It was, in truth, a painful experience. To see what happens so quickly when a town loses it's major employer, and nothing comes in quickly enough to keep it going. I find it difficult to believe those living there now do not remember these times, instead they appear to believe they are doing fine.
Now, my husband and son are working back in this town. They are indeed Blue collar...because...I was raised by one who got dirty when he provided for our home, my husband was raised by one who drove truck for a living, and..my son sat next to his Dad in a log truck, before he even walked. So, now they have returned to the place it all began, to try and make a living.
Yesterday, my son was confronted by the local RCMP in that very town. He was told that he could no longer park his log truck outside of the hotel they were staying at. Log trucks were NOT allowed to park on any street in town, including side streets! If they were parked on property, it had to be 15 meters from the center of any road. They were not allowed to be in town with their trailers down. There is a parking lot close to the hotel, however there is also a sign stating no long term parking, no large trucks until after 10 PM, etc etc. The hotel has a parking lot, but clearly with two log trucks in it, there would not be room for other guests. The RCMP stated this was geared to any commercial vehicle over a specific GVW, and that he was giving warning for 2 days and then he would be handing out tickets. WTF??? So, my son and husband are working in this community, they are paying hotel rates and eating at local restaurants, all putting into the community economy, but now they will have to find some place acceptable to the District Bylaws, they can park and make their way to the hotel on foot.
You have a whole section of a town that is falling to pieces, and since they are not the only log trucks from out of town, or, for that matter in town, you have a number of folks putting into the economy, but..they are not welcome. We will bend over backwards to kiss the a$$ of a tourist pulling into town for .5 of a day, someone who will hopefully at least buy fuel, and maybe a meal, but more likely they just want to get over the border for a quick visit and maybe glimpse a bear or two, and then head back the way they came in. You have a school now that covers all the grades, the elementary school sits boarded up, and 1/2 the classes are done by correspondence. In fact I believe this year you had one student graduate...Some restaurants close up for the winter. But, you spent time and money making sure that nasty dirty trucks did not offend your streets. Your water sucks..when it used to be the world's absolute best water...Your community moral sucks, no matter how hard one tries to make a silk purse out of a sows ear, it just won't work. Your goal is to make this town something it will never be, you cannot survive on a seasonal economy like tourism in a Hick town.When you take time and effort to put up road blocks to resource in a town that will only survive with resource (you have got to see that is fact by now) you will be the first to destroy what little you still have.
I admit..I am old!! I am shocked at who I have become.I am that old B*tch that goes on and on about the "old days". But in today's world, I live confused. I am confused that the whining of a few, can affect the majority. I am confused when laws are set in place to make work difficult. I am confused when some accept so little, and assume that is good enough. I am confused when some can pay property taxes for a lifetime in a community, and suddenly someone new shows up, and calls the shots.
It is no secret I have social issues, mostly because I can't stand things that don't make sense. I admit I am not always right, but I was taught that common sense would allow me to survive..now I wonder if this was the proper lesson, because it is blatantly clear common sense does NOT prevail.
I have once again had my world turned upside down by things way beyond my control, even though I try very hard to stay in my own little bubble. This time, I am going to try and get as far away from people as possible..because when a community of hard working resource based folks turns into a Bylaw spewing, slowly but surely dying town, nothing makes sense to me, common or uncommon! BTW..No matter what I ranted on about..there are still some in that small town, those who were there back in the "old days" who remember what brings that town to life, I was just visiting..I respect those "oldtimers", who stayed, and wonder if they shake their heads at what has become of their town.
Friday 24 August 2018
Wednesday 15 August 2018
B.C. Is Burning
Sometimes when I sit down and begin, I know immediately what I am going to put down is going to raise hackles. But, see, I can't keep quiet when something rubs me wrong, so just going to have to go with the flow, and likely pi$$ some folks off.
Yes, my title, B.C. is burning. It is!! Forest fires all over the province, causing folks to lose their possessions, their homes, their way of life. Pushing stress and anxiety to the limits. I speak from some experience, as a few years back I , also had to pack up what was important to me, and flee my home.
My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered through this. Unlike myself, many of these folks have indeed learned their homes have been destroyed. Without doubt, livestock has been lost, worlds turned totally upside down.
I understand, forest fires are a fact of nature. As one who loves a good thunder storm, I know each time I sit and enjoy the flash of lightening, there is a chance it will spark a blaze that will cause damage. Such is the force of Mother Nature, and..sometimes the result of human carelessness. This happens without our control, this is a fact of life in the forest. Natural fires cause damage, and then Nature rebuilds, beginning with the cycle that has continued through time.
However!!! As one who has grown up in this province, through many decades, and seen and heard about many fires, I find myself with more than a few questions on the Forestry practices in modern day fire fighting.
Months ago, I was driving back from Prince George, and as I went through Fraser Lake, I could see smoke on the horizon. I stopped at a pull out along the way, and could see quite clearly where this fire was. It wasn't huge, but clearly it had potential for disaster. Now this is when the Forest Practices come into question. This is when one checks out the fire on-line (yes everything is on-line now) and reads "this fire is being monitored". O.K. no structures at risk, we will fly over it daily and use our beady little university trained eyes to decide if we are going to attempt to put it out. Hey, that is my personal take on things. Our fault for living in an area of the province that is sparsely populated. Not a whole whack of fancy vacation homes scattered about the back roads, here. Just farms, and the odd family who clearly enjoys space. Just because the eyes in the sky don't see any structures being compromised, does not mean the fire should not be put out! So, all this monitoring, clearly was a mistake. Now suddenly we have more than one community at risk, because Mother Nature pulled a few surprises, and it took off..like...Wildfire! Resources are stretched to the max, because there are so many other fires burning.
I am sorry....But I believe this monitoring business is sh*t!Winds in mountain valleys have minds of their own. They can change in an instant, and that is what happens between the time those eyes in the sky land, and spend their off time, before checking stuff out again. Mother nature does not do a 9-5 job, she is on the job 24-7. So unless these book trained monitors can hang around day and night flying back and forth, they are useless!! One too many times we have seen this happen in our province, and one too many times with disastrous results. Forest fires must be watched all the time, because they change so quickly. Did the books not teach this? With all the new doo dads and internet, and weather reports, and yes, university training..our Forest Fire suppression is worse than it was 20 years ago. Too many people who do not respect Mother Nature, and assume everything goes by the book!
Have you ever seen Foresty fire crews at work? I did when I went through this blasted evacuation crap! I saw a lovely group brought in from New Zealand or Australia. I know... on the news we think yippee..help from abroad. This help is not free, by any means. This help costs far more than our own. This help would sit in the local restaurant because the road to where their equipment was left (oh, and at one time, burned up) was too muddy to travel. Oh, and also their camp was set up in a totally different community, 45 minutes from our town. This meant every morning at starting time..they would all pile in the vehicles and drive out to the fire area, and every afternoon, they would pile in and drive back to the other community. I do not have access to the time sheets, but I imagine the travel time is either extra, or...taken off the actual time worked.I also expect there was a monitor left out in the area. But..while these folks were going back to the camp, local loggers were busy building fire guards, and....they were not stopping when the bell rang.
Forest fire fighting has like so many other things, become big business. Our government has no issue dishing out big contracts, for those in business. Rules and regulations, well, yes, I cannot dispute the serious dangers involved in this work. But, I remember a time when locals could volunteer to try and save their community. Now, well, like everything else, you need a ticket for this, a ticket for that, and few are qualified. I remember when folks would simply be driving through an area with a fire, and they would be stopped and conscripted to fight it. I remember when someone with a pair of binoculars would spot a fire and almost instantly someone was fighting it. I remember as a kid a fire breaking out on the mountain above town, and within hours along came a plane, flew over a few times dousing the flames, and it was out. No one monitored it! Back in those days, we had locals who knew the area, who knew the winds, and would use their expert knowledge to do what was needed. Now we have "experts" who have read all sorts of books, but live in the lower mainland, or maybe the Okanagen, or even Ontario! These folks show up with their minds wrapped around some concept that worked in the last fire in Timbuktu, and figure we can just repeat the game plan here.
This time B.C. is burning quickly. We have found ourselves with monitored fires suddenly becoming aggressive overnight. Hellooooo!! That is what bloody well happens! We have locals asking if fire guards should be built, and the experts stating they are studying this to see where would be best...Talk to the locals!! Talk to the loggers, talk to the guides, talk to those who know their land, and their winds. Leave the bloody books and computers at home. Each and every forest fire in British Columbia is a dangerous one. It does not matter if they are miles from structures, they move quickly when they want, and then it is too late.
Statistics will prove that monitored fires often go rogue, and wind is usually the catalyst. Our fire fighting resource is often pushed to the max in the Okanagen. This area takes up a huge part each and every year, because of population. Structures abound in these parts, and fires occur continually. In MPO our provincial Fire protection is based solely in this area..the rest of the province must deal with whatever is left. Government weighs the population numbers, and look, Telegraph Creek, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, hummm..low numbers, low media coverage, we will give them what we can, but we must concentrate on the important areas. Go ahead..call me on this...
Maybe it is time for our less populated, heavily forested areas to have their own Fire Protection services, provincially funded, of course. Let the Okanagen have theirs, but let us have a resource in place that can stand up when needed, and concentrate on our area. Don't leave our area to sit and accept monitoring, instead of attack. You only monitor when you assume something is going to stop, you don't monitor until something has grown too large to handle. Let those who know their land, save their land. Instead we have to accept someone who does not have a stake in anything, telling us what the proper procedures are, and then, when they f*ck up (because they have!) they simply walk away after the fact, with nothing lost.
When humans are confronted with the possibility of losing all they have acquired, they will fight to save what they can. I am well aware that personal property is not worth lives..however there is a line, and our government has removed the ability to fight to that line. They clearly believe they know better. I think we now see they don't.
As a blurb, near the end..let me say, never do I dispute the fact fighting forest fires is a dangerous profession. I admire those who spend their lives keeping fit, and working in extreme conditions. Thank you, so much for what you do!! That said...it is past time to change the policies of Forestry when it comes to fighting fires..because this just is not working!!
MPO
Yes, my title, B.C. is burning. It is!! Forest fires all over the province, causing folks to lose their possessions, their homes, their way of life. Pushing stress and anxiety to the limits. I speak from some experience, as a few years back I , also had to pack up what was important to me, and flee my home.
My heart goes out to all of those who have suffered through this. Unlike myself, many of these folks have indeed learned their homes have been destroyed. Without doubt, livestock has been lost, worlds turned totally upside down.
I understand, forest fires are a fact of nature. As one who loves a good thunder storm, I know each time I sit and enjoy the flash of lightening, there is a chance it will spark a blaze that will cause damage. Such is the force of Mother Nature, and..sometimes the result of human carelessness. This happens without our control, this is a fact of life in the forest. Natural fires cause damage, and then Nature rebuilds, beginning with the cycle that has continued through time.
However!!! As one who has grown up in this province, through many decades, and seen and heard about many fires, I find myself with more than a few questions on the Forestry practices in modern day fire fighting.
Months ago, I was driving back from Prince George, and as I went through Fraser Lake, I could see smoke on the horizon. I stopped at a pull out along the way, and could see quite clearly where this fire was. It wasn't huge, but clearly it had potential for disaster. Now this is when the Forest Practices come into question. This is when one checks out the fire on-line (yes everything is on-line now) and reads "this fire is being monitored". O.K. no structures at risk, we will fly over it daily and use our beady little university trained eyes to decide if we are going to attempt to put it out. Hey, that is my personal take on things. Our fault for living in an area of the province that is sparsely populated. Not a whole whack of fancy vacation homes scattered about the back roads, here. Just farms, and the odd family who clearly enjoys space. Just because the eyes in the sky don't see any structures being compromised, does not mean the fire should not be put out! So, all this monitoring, clearly was a mistake. Now suddenly we have more than one community at risk, because Mother Nature pulled a few surprises, and it took off..like...Wildfire! Resources are stretched to the max, because there are so many other fires burning.
I am sorry....But I believe this monitoring business is sh*t!Winds in mountain valleys have minds of their own. They can change in an instant, and that is what happens between the time those eyes in the sky land, and spend their off time, before checking stuff out again. Mother nature does not do a 9-5 job, she is on the job 24-7. So unless these book trained monitors can hang around day and night flying back and forth, they are useless!! One too many times we have seen this happen in our province, and one too many times with disastrous results. Forest fires must be watched all the time, because they change so quickly. Did the books not teach this? With all the new doo dads and internet, and weather reports, and yes, university training..our Forest Fire suppression is worse than it was 20 years ago. Too many people who do not respect Mother Nature, and assume everything goes by the book!
Have you ever seen Foresty fire crews at work? I did when I went through this blasted evacuation crap! I saw a lovely group brought in from New Zealand or Australia. I know... on the news we think yippee..help from abroad. This help is not free, by any means. This help costs far more than our own. This help would sit in the local restaurant because the road to where their equipment was left (oh, and at one time, burned up) was too muddy to travel. Oh, and also their camp was set up in a totally different community, 45 minutes from our town. This meant every morning at starting time..they would all pile in the vehicles and drive out to the fire area, and every afternoon, they would pile in and drive back to the other community. I do not have access to the time sheets, but I imagine the travel time is either extra, or...taken off the actual time worked.I also expect there was a monitor left out in the area. But..while these folks were going back to the camp, local loggers were busy building fire guards, and....they were not stopping when the bell rang.
Forest fire fighting has like so many other things, become big business. Our government has no issue dishing out big contracts, for those in business. Rules and regulations, well, yes, I cannot dispute the serious dangers involved in this work. But, I remember a time when locals could volunteer to try and save their community. Now, well, like everything else, you need a ticket for this, a ticket for that, and few are qualified. I remember when folks would simply be driving through an area with a fire, and they would be stopped and conscripted to fight it. I remember when someone with a pair of binoculars would spot a fire and almost instantly someone was fighting it. I remember as a kid a fire breaking out on the mountain above town, and within hours along came a plane, flew over a few times dousing the flames, and it was out. No one monitored it! Back in those days, we had locals who knew the area, who knew the winds, and would use their expert knowledge to do what was needed. Now we have "experts" who have read all sorts of books, but live in the lower mainland, or maybe the Okanagen, or even Ontario! These folks show up with their minds wrapped around some concept that worked in the last fire in Timbuktu, and figure we can just repeat the game plan here.
This time B.C. is burning quickly. We have found ourselves with monitored fires suddenly becoming aggressive overnight. Hellooooo!! That is what bloody well happens! We have locals asking if fire guards should be built, and the experts stating they are studying this to see where would be best...Talk to the locals!! Talk to the loggers, talk to the guides, talk to those who know their land, and their winds. Leave the bloody books and computers at home. Each and every forest fire in British Columbia is a dangerous one. It does not matter if they are miles from structures, they move quickly when they want, and then it is too late.
Statistics will prove that monitored fires often go rogue, and wind is usually the catalyst. Our fire fighting resource is often pushed to the max in the Okanagen. This area takes up a huge part each and every year, because of population. Structures abound in these parts, and fires occur continually. In MPO our provincial Fire protection is based solely in this area..the rest of the province must deal with whatever is left. Government weighs the population numbers, and look, Telegraph Creek, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake, hummm..low numbers, low media coverage, we will give them what we can, but we must concentrate on the important areas. Go ahead..call me on this...
Maybe it is time for our less populated, heavily forested areas to have their own Fire Protection services, provincially funded, of course. Let the Okanagen have theirs, but let us have a resource in place that can stand up when needed, and concentrate on our area. Don't leave our area to sit and accept monitoring, instead of attack. You only monitor when you assume something is going to stop, you don't monitor until something has grown too large to handle. Let those who know their land, save their land. Instead we have to accept someone who does not have a stake in anything, telling us what the proper procedures are, and then, when they f*ck up (because they have!) they simply walk away after the fact, with nothing lost.
When humans are confronted with the possibility of losing all they have acquired, they will fight to save what they can. I am well aware that personal property is not worth lives..however there is a line, and our government has removed the ability to fight to that line. They clearly believe they know better. I think we now see they don't.
As a blurb, near the end..let me say, never do I dispute the fact fighting forest fires is a dangerous profession. I admire those who spend their lives keeping fit, and working in extreme conditions. Thank you, so much for what you do!! That said...it is past time to change the policies of Forestry when it comes to fighting fires..because this just is not working!!
MPO
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