VIEWPOINTS
Terrace Standard Wednesday, March 12, 2014
www.terracestandard.com A7
The Mail Bag Let’s use less fuel
FILE PHOTO
home hardware co-owners Henry Stiksma, left, and Norm Mantel, right, hold a chain instead of a traditional ribbon for then-mayor Jack Talstra at the official March 1994 opening of their store. It was the second Home Hardware store in Terrace and was located where the Creative Zone is now. The store closed in 2001. Home Hardware is returning thanks to a conversion of the Rona outlet here.
Third time for Home Hardware Dear Sir: Just to bring you up to speed on your story in the March 5, 2014 issue of The Terrace Standard regarding the return of Home Hardware.
This is actually the third time Home Hardware has been in Terrace. The first one was beside Terrace Interiors, where there is now a restaurant.
Home Hardware moved in to that location after the liquor store relocated, and the Home Hardware was operated by the same family that owned the franchise in Prince Rupert. His
name was Jim, but I don’t recall his last name. I guess I’ve lived in Terrace too long if I recall this. Bill Delaronde, Terrace, B.C.
An open letter to: Gerry Martin About your letter of March 5, 2014 in which you criticize columnist Rob Brown for his Feb. 12 column on Enbridge’s TV commercials introducing us to their Northern Gateway project manager, Janet Holder. I wonder if that commercial was the inspiration for Rob’s column. The lighting is beautiful; it sure makes me want to trust her. After watching a commercial like that a hundred times, I’m almost convinced she alone will ensure nothing bad – like a spill into a fish-bearing stream – will happen in our area; I almost forget that Enbridge, along with other pipeline companies, have had a number of pipeline ruptures/leaks in recent years. Rob’s last paragraph warns us that Janet and Enbridge are selling snake oil. Rob’s passionate words might be too strong; having an inflammatory rather than agreeable quality for pipeline proponents. However, as educated people, we simply cannot deny that Enbridge is spinning the truth in their favour by airing commercials that are one-sided. The intent of Enbridge’s commercial is the same as for any commercial run by a company: to gain public favour for a project or to convince the public to buy a product. So Rob’s final paragraph is not really that unfair to Janet, rather, it makes us stop and think about the Enbridge propaganda that we are exposed on our televisions in our homes. Gerry, you are correct in your letter when you say that oil and gas companies need customers for their products. But where are the customers for the end products of the Northern Gateway project located? It’s not going to be Canadians fueling up at the end of the pipeline is it? Why do we need to rush to export Canada’s non-renewable oil and gas reserves?
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Here’s a story to tell your children By Rick Brouwer In recent months, northwesterners have been described as the belles of the resource development ball – especially small town girls being wooed by wellspoken corporate diegos. Let’s carry that idea forward in a modern day version of Cinderella. In this tale, everyone’s invited to the ball; in fact, we have no choice and must attend. At the ball, there’s more than one Prince Charming and they aren’t just looking for a one and only. Here one Charming can and will partner with more than one Cinderella, and one Cinderella can and will partner with more than one Charming. And when they do hook up, the Charmings move into the Cinderellas’ home, a shared accommodation i.e. northwest BC. This is where it gets interesting. Lots of Cinderellas and lots
of Charmings, some in relationships, some not, all living under one roof. Like any living situation, there’s bound to be disagreements, some minor and some major because we’re all different, and in some cases, polar opposites. Some of us are neat; others messy. Some are loud; others enjoy a quieter lifestyle. But because we’re family now, we can’t just walk away from our differences and problems. We have to confront them, together, in a civilized manner with long-term solutions in mind. But let’s go back to the beginning of the story and figure out if there’s something we could do before the ball, to make moving in together easier on all of us. As I see it, there are two possible scenarios. First, as each Cinderella heads off to the ball they only have their
g u e s t c o mm e n t
RICK BROUWER own desires in mind. Maybe they bring home one Prince. Maybe they bring home a few. Maybe they bring home none at all. Once everyone’s living in the same house, everyone does their best not to blow up at each other. In the second scenario, the
Cinderellas get together beforehand and agree on what they want the house to look like. They set ground rules for new roommates and guests, whether everyone will follow certain diets, bathroom schedules, if or when to update the wiring, paint the walls, buy new appliances, add new rooms, etc. They talk about pet peeves and preferences to avoid blow ups. And before they go to the ball, the Cinderellas agree on the type of Charmings they can all accept as part of the family. This scenario prevents conflicts between roommates before they move in together, and sets ground rules for any conflicts that will inevitably come up. As a bonus, when the Charmings move in, they’ll be more prepared. They’ll understand the type of people they’ll be living with and the expectations in the household.
As new family members, the Princes will be welcome. Their opinions will be valued and considered in household discussions and decisions. Now, I don’t know if a complete fairy tale ending is really possible, but at least in the second scenario Northwest BC’s Cinderellas could write the story together. And the Prince Charmings would have some idea what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour in these parts. Perhaps, just perhaps, Northwest BC could become the place where they all lived happily ever after. Isn’t that a Cinderella story you’d like to tell your kids? Rick Brouwer lives in Terrace, BC. He is the executive director of SNCIRE, a non-profit that identifies, develops and promotes opportunities to build a resilient and sustainable natural resource economy in the Skeena-Nass region.