Marusha Taylor, Alberni Valley Times, June 10, 2011

At the public meeting held here, the president and CEO of Compliance Coal seemed uncertain of the number of jobs which would be generated by his project. Asked several times about this, his estimates ranged from "two full-time equivalents" to several hundreds in spinoff jobs. The preliminary report, which many of us saw, put the estimate at about 20, a paltry number for a project which will last 16 years.

Among the majority of people opposed to the Raven Coal proposal, we've heard from a handful who support the scheme on the grounds that it will provide jobs for our young people.

I think that it is time for them to stop presuming that they speak for the younger generation of workers.

If the graduating class of Alberni District Secondary School were polled, I wonder how many of them would express a desire to work in the coal mining industry? What are their actual career aspirations? Why don't we ask them?

If this community hopes to retain its younger citizens, we need to stop telling them what they need, and encourage them to put forward their own vision for their future.

Marusha Taylor
Port Alberni

© Alberni Valley Times 2011

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