WL Council working on local economic measures

In an unexpected press release from the City of Williams Lake, both Mayor Cook & Councillor Geoff Bourdon explain what Williams Lake Council is doing on the local economy, this is strange considering no one since Walt Cobb in October has accused Mayor and Council of not doing anything on the economy. 

Can anyone say - "Election!!!"

See below:

For now at least, the anticipated economic benefits of the proposed Prosperity Mine development have not materialized due to the recent decision by the Federal Cabinet.


“News like this is disappointing to be sure, but it drives home the point that our community cannot rely on any single industry or sector for its economic well-being,” says Mayor Kerry Cook. “The ways in which municipal governments can support economic development are varied and diverse, but there are a few common areas of focus. Competitive costs of doing business, the availability of developable land, the provision of local market information and a skilled workforce are important aspects of creating a positive environment for economic development.”


The City of Williams Lake is currently working on a number of initiatives with those objectives in mind. As an example, the Economic Development Department is working closely with local stakeholders to support their retail and industrial development initiatives, recognizing their ability to create new jobs, enhance the retail sector and expand the City’s tax base.


The City is also aggressively investigating opportunities for a District Heating system in the city core that will create jobs and reduce utility costs for a number of civic facilities and public institutions. According to Alan Madrigga, the City’s Economic Development Manager, “District heating will not only reduce the cost of operating our facilities for our taxpayers but the biomass aspect of the system will assist the City in becoming carbon neutral and meet its commitments under the BC Climate Action Charter.”


Land development at the airport is another important economic development opportunity that is being addressed. “With serviced land and convenient access to the airport and Highway 97, there may be some competitive advantages we can offer to light industry or commercial developers,” states Madrigga.


In addition to specific initiatives, the City will continue to work on identifying other viable business opportunities in the City. “The use of municipal tax exemption programs has accelerated new development activity for other cities in BC,” says Councillor Geoff Bourdon, who holds the City’s economic development portfolio. “The City will be investigating how an expansion of the existing Revitalization Tax Exemption program can encourage new business and industrial development in our City.”
Mayor Cook notes: “We are fortunate to have a wealth of natural resource based development potential surrounding the City. There are opportunities to diversify and build on our existing industries such as forestry, agriculture, mining, and tourism. Our investment of time and effort in the Cariboo Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (CCBAC) and the establishment of regional community partnerships over the past several years are paying dividends with financial support from the Province to implement diversification projects in our region.”


CCBAC developed strategies in several economic sectors and just recently, the B.C. Government committed $1 million per year for three years to support implementation of those and other strategies during the coming years.