death of a town

“Population and economy in BC are on the rise!” – declares our (Vancouver-based) papers (here and here). They use the word BC, but what they mean is The Lower Mainland.  Errm, excuse me… what about us ? The population in rural areas is declining, and with it comes fewer students which equals fewer teachers, fewer course options, fewer jobs, fewer people buying things, fewer programs, fewer… everything.

It was always a factor for us when considering buying a home in a small, remote part of BC. Will this town die? Some say the closing of the Rec. centre about 4 years ago was the last straw, and yet – people hold on. The Haida aren’t going anywhere, but what does a dwindling population mean?

Recently, Hudson’s Bay Company announced it was closing ALL of its Field’s stores. I am sure this decision was made from a comfy executive office, and on paper – a seemingly wise and economic business move. I don’t blame them for the most part – business is business I guess.  But let me tell you what a Field’s in Masset means.

HBC also own Zellers (a mid range chain) as well as Field’s (a low budget variety store offering everything from socks to cans of tuna, from light-bulbs to birthday cards). There is no where else in town to buy basics like underwear and pajamas for kids. The next nearest place is Charlotte City – over 100km away. After that, it’s Prince Rupert. For you reading this from Vancouver, it would equate to driving to Whistler to buy $3 socks for your family.

The average income in Masset is $14,000. Think about that – there are people like our family who have a higher income bracket who knock the average up, and yet the middle is $14,000 a year. On that kind of budget, you shop at the cheapest place for cereal, or detergent, or the only place for jeans. Not only will Masset be losing jobs, but I think this closure will devastate our town of 1200.

Despite the fact our Field’s does exceptionally well within the chain, the axe has been given across the board. While most other communities likely have other similar stores around, ours is not the case. And people are talking. People are worried. I heard my neighbour on CBC Daybreak news the other morning sharing his concerns about how this will effect our small community.

Gas in Masset is about $1.50/liter, so driving anywhere is limited. Add to that the fact that few people have computers and if they do, or have access to one – their IT skills are limited, so buying online isn’t going to happen. Plus most people don’t have credit cards which shuts the door completely for online purchases. You don’t hear about these kinds of situations in the news because they happen in isolated places – even if these places are located within the “ever-growing” BC.

So while the lower half of this province is bragging about population increase and stronger economies – this small BC town feels like it’s dying a slow death. So shame on you provincial newspapers and your city-centric coverage – who’s going to tell our story?

colour my world

As a young pup, say 11 or 12 years old, I was obsessed with fashion magazines. I’d get them in stockings and Easter baskets, while on family road trips or home sick in bed. I loved things avent-garde or daring and I’d look for interesting pieces of clothes from thrift shops and vintage stores.

This carried on into my twenties until I went through a “critical look at feminism phase” where I decided that looking at skinny models in expensive clothes perhaps wasn’t the best thing for my self-esteem and so took a hiatus from my hobby.

Fast forward again and I have found myself back on the design wagon, but this time it’s homes. And now that we have one to call our own, I’m obsessed. I treat myself to the latest edition of Dwell on a rainy Sunday – sipping coffee and getting lost in every glossy page of modern design. Some stuff is repetitive and at times obnoxious (box-shaped houses, Eames chairs, all white kitchens), but at the same time -  expansive – as I realize the magnitude of options out there. The sky is sincerely the limit.

However, sky it not the limit when it comes to our finances, so I balance the bold with the creative and resourceful and peruse blogs and websites dedicated to a more DIY approach. I now find myself wondering things like… can I paint a bathroom black? If I were wallpaper, what would I look like? How about multi-coloured shelves? Or what am I going to do with old milk crates?

Sky’s the limit…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.