by Corey Matsumoto

The public meeting hosted by the PRSC Limited Partnership on Thursday, November 8, at the Powell River Recreation Complex came as a surprise to many people. The open house, presentation, and meeting was hosted to collect public feedback regarding potential usage of PRSC land holdings, some of which lie within Agricultural Lands Reserves (ALR). The relatively sparse attendance by the general public seemed to indicate that either many people didn’t know about the meeting, or the hundreds of citizens who were so passionate about Powell River’s Agricultural Land Reserves this past summer suddenly turned passive. (Maybe leaflets promoting the event–were there any?–were disregarded as 4-month-old announcements.)

Those who turned out were certainly subject to a strong feeling of deja vu given the familiar display of maps and charts indicating the pertinent information and suggested uses for the land parcels in question. Each map had an accompanying suggestion sheet inviting the public to write down ideas for development.

There was a familiar air of discontent amongst the attendees as they mingled amongst PRSC board members during the open house segment. It seemed that PRSC board members had either forgotten or ignored the suggested uses put forth by the public 4 months ago when the ALR controversy was at its height. The board had no new plan to put forth for discussion aside from vague “suggested uses”. The persistence of the word ‘airport’ as a suggested possible use of a familiar section of land fueled a sentiment that the PRSC Limited Partnership is still intent on pursuing its original plan, using poorly advertised public meetings to bolster a revised ALR exclusion application.

The board faced tough questions from the audience. Some questions, directed at the City’s involvement in PRSC, could not be answered since there were no city officials at the table.

There can be no doubt that the lands in PRSC’s possession have a great potential for much needed economic development in Powell River. Many alternative ideas for usage were scribbled on the suggestion sheets by the public. Some of the ALR designated lands may be best used for agricultural initiatives, and some may be better used for other purposes. The question remains: Who is coming forth with a viable action plan to pursue these ideas, the money to convert these ideas to reality, and the drive to see these ideas to fruition?