Councillors in Centre Wellington nixed a proposal on Monday to support a county wide economic development program. Little has changed, it seems, when considering the bigger picture issues.
Prior to reading the actual article in this week’s paper, we assumed the township’s economic development officer would be resisting change – as most bureaucrats are wont to do. But, to his credit, Dave Rushton, Centre Wellington’s EDO, spoke in favour of the concept, with compelling arguments that suggest he understands the problems.
In a split decision, the township’s advisor on economic development and the county warden who also sits as mayor, were essentially ignored. Apart from the stated concerns of duplication and rising costs, we note that the gentlemen against the proposal are very Fergus-centric, either having lived in Fergus, done business in Fergus, or currently involved with representing Fergus.
We well recall the days when Elora or Arthur, or elsewhere, would get some good News – maybe a new plant or an expansion. Often, Fergus politicians would be bent right out shape. Whether it was their competitive nature, plain envy, or the notion that Fergus was a wee touch better than its neighbours, positive activities on a regional level were rarely applauded.
The creation of a restructured Wellington County 10 years ago was heralded as a move to help eliminate the parochial attitudes that dominated county politics back then. It was expected that politicians would mature within the confines of a larger municipality and grasp the bigger picture. Rather than envy neighbouring communities for landing a factory or new source of jobs, it was hoped that small town pettiness would be set aside in favour of recognition that new opportunities come about when change occurs.
To lament that the county is finally showing an interest in economic development and somehow upsetting the apple cart for local EDOs dishonours the work of one of Fergus’s own, that accomplished politician and merchant, Jim Gibbons. Over a decade ago, Gibbons led a charge for a regional approach to economic development, which lost favour at that time to politicians stuck in the rut of my town vs your town, and other politicians who worried about the dollars involved. A decade later, the debate continues and we wonder how long it will be until a comprehensive strategy is identified and implemented.
The car parts plants in north Wellington offer employment to people in Centre Wellington. Employment opportunities do not recognize municipal boundaries, and neither do the shopping dollars that result from earned income. Similarly, the likes of GSW, the old Moores company, and countless others in Fergus have benefited workers and their families from across the county. Clearly, we all benefit from access to jobs.
As for this latest county initiative and hopes of attracting funding for regional type development, there is little choice but to go for it and go for it hard.
Wellington needs every advantage it can get to attract business, particularly when neighbouring regions and cities have put extensive effort into economic development on a grander scale.
