How to shift the Okanagan Shuswap from a dependent underdeveloped economy to an autonomous developed economy.

I have been talking of rebuilding a local economy in the Okanagan Shuswap for many months now, and am finding that many are curious to know more about the kind of jobs this would give, and the kind of economy it would create.

You might have heard the Conservatives candidate, Colin Mayes, talk of an inland port last year. This of course would serve the global economy by encouraging more global imports of finished goods and more exports of our raw resources, clearly not to our advantage in the long-term. Instead I am proposing a vision of our economy that will protect our raw natural resources for future generations, give us more varied jobs, and keep our money within our own jurisdiction. It will give us autonomy over our economy while building safer, better communities.

Super Mini Ports - Every Community a Production Centre.

The local economic platform I am speaking of serves the local economy by making every community a production centre with its own Mini-port.

Let us look at what every community needs: food, furniture, housing, clothing, books, transportation, computers and more. Each community could not produce all of this but each community could produce some of these goods, and all communities together could produce a lot of these goods. But the key is regulations and transportation. In order to make this happen I would immediately work at:

1) Reversing the Meat Inspection Regulations and the federal Canadian Food Safety Agency regulations that are designed for multinationals and have now proven to not even work for that. Instead, we would pass food safety regulations that address small family farms and help local farms to sell safe food within their communities first, and within their region next.
2) Getting the trains back on track: overhaul our rail system for both passenger and freight. It will mean shifting cargo containers off highways and onto freight trains, driving the development of freight distribution nodes (off-loading containers onto local trucks) along new “green corridors.”
Make trucks greener by adding generators to avoid the need to idle to maintain air conditioning and refrigeration, while ensuring the right fit of trucking in a more efficient, rail-based intermodal system.

3) Implementing Accelerated Capital Cost Allowances and other incentives for trucking companies so they can purchase hybrid trucks. Make all trucks sold in Canada subject to scale-based rebates for the purchase of efficient vehicles and fees for the purchase of non-efficient vehicles.
4) Fast tracking community forests in all communities able to sustain them and provide model for secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy so that innovative and profitable businesses take root. Businesses such as: hardwood flooring, turn-key condos, furniture, and more. Community forests are recognized for protecting water in their communities by ensuring sustainable forestry practices.
5) Providing educational and green touristic ventures. Healthy forests, family farms, and excellent transportation make green touristic adventures possible and interesting, bringing profit to rural communities. Art and culture workers also benefit.

How much will all this cost? A lot less than continuing to subsidize the global economy. This is within our grasp.

Huguette Allen, Green Party Candidate, Okanagan-Shuswap.

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Don Quixote Note: This is an idea from a local Federal candidate that is worthy of examination and it is posted on this blog for the readers to debate. Any of the local candidates that post a comment will naturally get their comment posted immediately and prominently. If any of those other candidates wish to e-mail me with an idea that they feel is worthy of debate and examination I will naturally post those ideas also. Email at pancho.sanchez@shaw.ca