WILLIAMS LAKE – British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell took his first step into New Democratic Party-held territory Saturday while wearing a pair of cowboy boots supplied by former Alberta premier Ralph Klein.
Campbell, who usually sports city-slicker dress shoes, stepped off a campaign bus to supporters' chants of "Four more years."
But NDP supporters shouted "No more years," as Campbell headed into the 19th annual Williams Lake indoor rodeo.
Campbell said his brown cowboy boots were a gift from Alberta's former premier to mark that province's 100th birthday.
The mood at the rodeo was celebratory, but the underlying feeling in the Cariboo region is anything but that as residents struggle during tough economic times in the B.C. economy.
Forestry, mining and ranching are mainstays of the area, and many people are hurting. The area's forests have also been devastated by the mountain pine beetle.
The acting mayor of Williams Lake said the presence of NDP supporters at a Liberal campaign stop is a sign of healthy democracy in the region. Surinderpal Rathor said the ranching, mining and forestry town has been pummelled by the economic downturn and people are looking to government for help.
New Democrat Charlie Wyse won the Williams Lake seat in 2005 by a handful of votes. Rathor said his year's race between the NDP and Liberals is too close to call.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Rathor said.
While visiting a huge log-home building site, Campbell said he's aware of the struggles people are facing because of the troubled forest industry. But he said the province must take better advantage of huge potential markets in China and the United States to pull the province out of its problems.
"We actually have to be willing to take a look at how we take advantage of the markets that are in front of us," he said.
As Campbell was campaigning in the Cariboo, NDP Leader Carole James spent the day in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island before heading north to Prince George.
But she began her day in the premier's Vancouver riding, which overlooks the Fraser River via which raw logs are exported out of B.C.
"This government has abandoned the major industry that built this province and you can see the effects of it right in Gordon Campbell's riding," she told The Canadian Press.
James said the number of logs being exported has doubled since the Liberals took office in 2001 and that has led to 3,000 forestry workers losing their jobs. But the Liberal party disputed that, saying log exports from Crown lands have actually decreased by 25 per cent since the party came into power.
"The forest industry is always cyclical," James said. "You'll always have market issues, you'll have border issues, you'll have dollar issues. Governments can't control those outside factors. But their job is to help the industry whether there's tough times, and this government has abandoned the industry."
James said people in the Comox Valley have suffered huge job losses in the last two years alone, and that she met with one man who was laid off last October. "(He and his wife) talked about the impact on the number of families in their little cul-de-sac. Five of the six houses were owned by people who worked in the industry and those families have left town."
Dirk Meissner reports for The Canadian Press.
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RickW
3 years ago
Lemme see now -- where is that 25% "reduction"?
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/~ASSETS/DOCUMENT/BC_Office_Pubs/bc_2009/ccpa_bc_shortchanged_brief.pdf
This waste -- that either rots on the ground or is burned -- must be the 25% "reduction" that Campbell & Co. is referring to.
BC Log exports:
http://www.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/communities/campaigns/communities/readers/raw_logs/
Jeffrey J.
3 years ago
Libs Destroyed Logging Industry
To think that in 8 short years, Gordon Campbell has single handedly destroyed BC's largest industry, logging. Had someone suggested this would occur under his leadership 10 years ago, it would have been laughable. How did this singular event occur? Focus on deregulation, favour US big business, promote oil and gas, and essentially, fail to grasp what really runs the engine of BC.
Now, BC's logging industry is virtually extinct. The latest casualty, Forest & Marine Financial, has had its loan called (by CIT Finanical, a NY bank which just received $2.3 billion in US bailout money), and is scrambling to avoid creditor protection. Truly a dark time in BC's history.
DPL
3 years ago
Did Gordo bring along his
Did Gordo bring along his plaid shirt and guitar to impress the crowd?
MAC
3 years ago
Employed forestry workers or UI?
Gordon Campbell is not interested in supporting the forest industry. Instead he promises to extend UI benefits - a federal program not within his jurisdiction to do so. That's how much forestry means to Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals. What a campaign promise that is!
alive
3 years ago
Manipulated
"Did Gordo bring along his plaid shirt and guitar to impress the crowd?"
Well it worked for Harpo!
I can visualize several hundred thousand dollars worth of spindoctors and consultant arguing for hours about how to "work the crowd!"
Skywalker
3 years ago
What next a clown suit?
Maybe he'll sing another silly song for the cameras. Something about "Campbell the Gas Tax Man".. Or maybe he'd look good in a clown suit.
Fiat lux
3 years ago
Campbell abolished the law
Campbell abolished the law for the local processing of logs, which effectively gave a free hand to the corporate mafia to close mills and transport logs to super mills at long distances.
What gets me is how people can fall for the BS spewed forth by these people, but make no mistake, many, if not most of the laid off loggers and millworkers in the area will vote for Campbell, as "he'll create jobs, jobs, jobs".
There's now a huge Wal-Mart store being built in Williams Lake, on land owned by the operators of that particular log-home building company. It will wipe out downtown and replace jobs with minimum wage, part time agonies.
So much for "jobs, jobs, jobs". But people will fall for it.
As far the "Chinese markets" are concerned, he'll sell large areas of resources to them and call it GDP and "income". Why should the Chinese, or anybody, attack us militarily, when they can buy our country for worthless US dollars?
Ed Deak Big Lake.
morechatter
3 years ago
Liberals "Abandoned Government"
As clearly this Government set out to undermine the entire Democratic system so they could rape and pillage so to speak. As Civil Liberties and Human Rights violations become a BC norm. As how could high rents be a good thing for business and still remain competitive? Along with high energy costs and added carbon taxes. And I don't even want to get into what Liberals have done to the Forest Industry as its almost safer to make a list out about what have the Liberals done for you lately?
Okay what did you come up with? Short list, huh I know sad as all its been is Blah, blah, blah, blah while turning this beautiful province and its people inside out and upside down as land developing politicians have sites on millions for their land holdings.
And there will be a price to pay for that but unfortunately so far its the guy who can least afford to pay who is paying the biggest price but it has an rolling effect as it also takes down the middle class homeowner along with small business. And here I said they were discriminatory and apparently anyone will do especially those next in line.
Who has the most bogious commercial out there? Coastal health. Why because they talk of helping their clients off the streets but in truth its not what they are doing at all. True story: Patient with serious mental issues on disability who has Coastal working for Her as they give her a shot that could knock out a horse before releasing her to the streets.
They hand out her money weekly because they say she dosen't know what to do with it. And she is so cracked up know she is a flying kite. Good job there Coastal Health Blah, Blah, Blah along with Social Services Blah Blah Blah you bunch of Blah, Blah, Blahs. And the stories I could tell?
morechatter
3 years ago
And Mac
I do believe Mr. Campbell has considerable influence over are Federal Government as old time Liberal turned Conservative and now again Liberal MLA from King way has been helpful. And also former Albertan along with Harper. As it wasn't that long ago Campbell hired him as a Consultant and Harper's and Campbell's relationship has been tight since then.
So maybe Mr. Campbell isn't talking off his hat this time but rather just thinking out loud. Its politics you know only Mr Campbell is notorious for the underhanded kind.
morechatter
3 years ago
Correction MP
As course its easy to get them mixed up because when talking about both at the same time. And of course there is something here that one must remember when demanding James come up with plans for the future. They have to be vague as clearly she has no idea what the real picture is so how can you make projections about the economy when you have no actual facts and figures to count on?
Campbellwearsatutu
3 years ago
Point grey Gordon.......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D59ZeMm2E00
Campbellwearsatutu
3 years ago
Carbon Tax Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVS4gCeaA-w&NR=1
Dan the socialist
3 years ago
The sheeple will
The sheeple will unfortunately give this guy a third term..
Frank
3 years ago
Geez Dan
You said you're not voting NDP this time around.
Campbellwearsatutu
3 years ago
Frank......
Nice shot over the bow, budda bing,budda boom!
damnthatchainsaw
3 years ago
abandoned mill towns
Campbell has abandoned mill towns with all the rampant privatisation an the axing of the appurtenancy. Ive seen the effects of Campbell policies first hand. ive been in settings and logged them with good honest men and women who all they ask is a good days wages for a good days work. What the "Liberals" have done to my beloved industry is shameful, perhaps even, a crime. I've had to move lock stock and barrel to survive up north to the oil patch in the hopes of starting again.
Until the bush rises again....
Roadie
3 years ago
Skywalker
You said:
"Maybe he'll sing another silly song for the cameras. Something about "Campbell the Gas Tax Man".. Or maybe he'd look good in a clown suit."
What he'd really look good in is tar and feathers on a slow train out of BC so the people he's screwed could throw rotten tomatoes at him.
Timber, timber, tell me who you gonna fall
Timber, timber, there go the rights of us all
Timber, timber, tell me what you gonna do
When the BC people come looking for you?
What a rotten cabbage this neocon artist is.