How we respond to the mill closure will determine the health and vibrancy of Powell River as we go forward [“Indefinite curtailment announced for Catalyst Paper Tis’kwat mill,” December 1].
No doubt, this is shocking and frightening. It is the end of an era. It is important to grieve the loss of what was but then regroup and consider new possibilities and see the situation with fresh eyes.
The concern is that if we panic and frantically search for just any investor, we run the risk of knee-jerking ourselves into another unsustainable enterprise. Now is the time to gather as a community and build a plan that puts community sustainability, economic, environmental and cultural, on the table.
It is critically important to slow down and think this through.
The world is at a bend in thinking, no doubt exacerbated by extreme weather and pandemic resistance. If ever there was a natural transition point from resource-dependent industry to sustainable local enterprise, it is now.
At times like this, community collaboration is gold. Think of all the knowledge, skill and experience we have in our people.
What if we pull the thread of this asset base together to spark creativity and fuel innovation? This is not a pipe dream. It is happening to resource-dependent communities like Powell River worldwide; communities find ways to work together for a more life-satisfying future.
“In the midst of chaos, there is opportunity.” ~ Sun Tzu
Maureen Mason
Cranberry Street
