Bulletin March 2013

WILLIAMS LAKE COMMUNITY FUTURES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Community Futures Cariboo Chilcotin is a non-profit organization that is governed by a board of directors who live and work in the region.  Our region includes all communities between 70 Mile to Bella Coola, north to McLeese lake, Likely and Horsefly.  We contribute to the economic well-being of the Cariboo Chilcotin by providing small/medium business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs’ access to services tailored to individual needs. 

From financing to training programs, Community Futures is a full support center for new and existing businesses.  Over the past 3 years alone Community Futures has provided services to entrepreneurs that resulted in 91 new businesses being created, 395 jobs created or maintained, over $2,000,000 in lending activities. Community Futures has also provided services and lending to 107 businesses in the region over the same 3 year period. 

We also work in partnership with other business lenders, educational institutions, not-for-profits and community governments to grow and diversify our local economy. We are completely focused on the needs of our clients, our local businesses, and our area’s economy.

Community Futures offers workshops and training on topics relevant to Cariboo Chilcotin small business owners and entrepreneurs. These include marketing and advertising, social media, financial management, succession planning and legal issues, among others.

Additional training and support is available to those eligible for Self-Employment services. These services are designed to assist aspiring entrepreneurs with the information, skill development, resources, and coaching support they need to develop a business concept, prepare a business plan and launch the first year of business.

Check out our events and workshop calendar for upcoming offerings.           Karen Eden

Our Forest Industry – an Update from Tom Hoffman:

2012 housing starts in the U.S. totaled 780,000, an improvement of 28% from 2011. December starts were at their highest rate since June 2008. Analysts are forecasting a 23% increase in 2013.  The second half of 2013 is expected to see increasing starts and this assumes that the debt and deficit battles in Washington are not too painful for consumers.  Asian markets, Japan and China, will continue to improve. 

China will continue to develop and demand Canadian SPF lumber products. Construction starts have steadily risen, with economists predicting ongoing momentum into 2013. 

Japan’s government economic stimulus package from November should curb deflation, ease strength in the yen, expand earthquake reconstruction work and relax regulations on business to initiate economic stability.

In May 2012, a Special Committee on Timber Supply was appointed by the BC Legislature to make recommendations to address the reduction of mid-term timber supply due to mountain pine beetle (MPB) in the central interior of BC. Following its review of technical information and public, stakeholder and First Nations’ input, the committee issued a report entitled Growing Fibre, Growing Value (August 2012). As described in Beyond the Beetle: A Mid-term Timber Supply Action Plan (October 2012), the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (FLNR) has responded to the committee’s recommendations. Key ministry responses related to the provincial timber supply review program include Timber supply reviews in 100 MH and the Williams Lake TSAs in 2013. 

100 Mile House TSA:

Prior to the rapid expansion of the mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic (2006), the allowable annual cut (AAC) for the 100 Mile House TSA was 1.344 million cubic metres. In 2006, following an urgent timber supply review the AAC was increased by 666 000 cubic metres (50 percent) to the current level of 2.0 million cubic metres.  It is expected that the current AAC of 2.0 million cubic metres can be maintained for seven more years.

Williams Lake TSA: 

The last review was done in 2007 the AAC was uplifted to 5.77 Million m3/year.  The AAC could be reduced. 

The Quesnel TSR by way of example was completed in 2011.  The allowable amount was reduced by about 1.2 million m3/year going from 5.2 to 4 million m3/year.

The Forest sector is still the main economic driver in the region. As leading employer in the area, the mills employ approximately 4,000 people directly. It is estimated that this sector accounts for an estimated 30% of the jobs in the region; this includes direct and indirect. 

According to BC Stats the outlook to 2017 is that it is expected that employment in forestry & logging will grow slightly faster than the average for all industries.  However, GDP growth in forestry & logging is expected to lag behind the average increase for all industries in the province.

Even though current conditions are challenging, the mills in this region are some of the most efficient in the world. Therefore, with improving market conditions, they should be able to recover and again be a strong economic factor for the area. 

There was one mill in Williams Lake (Creekside) that was permanently shut in 2012.  This mill had not run for about 3 years previously. 

The City of Williams Lake and the Williams Lake Band are in the process of obtaining a joint Community Forest Agreement from the Provincial Government; it received the go ahead from the Provincial Government in 2009.

Tom Hoffman is Woodlands Manager for Tolko. 

Apparently he claims to have planted 85 million trees…(by himself)?

Can you name 10 troubles that have occurred at the Ides of March?

Lets see what happens when a gauntlet is thrown down.  The first 4 members to use Clubrunner & e-mail to all active members 10 troubles that have occurred on the Ides of March will be the proud winners of a something or other!

NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES

To date, $111 million in funding has been committed to 1,043 projects in communities throughout central and northern British Columbia. 5,154 jobs have been created.  Funding has been partnered with 1,831 organizations, attracting over $1 billion in new investment to the region.  73% of investments are in small communities with populations less than 5,000.  $199 million has been invested in new capital and employee training by supported companies.  Over 3,000 grant writers have been trained to date, 274 hired by communities including, 124 by First Nations, since 2007. 

OUR MEMBERS:

Angela Ammann        Lawyer

Mike Austin               Investments

Wade Beaulieu           Insurance

Willy Berger               Real Estate

Jack Burgar                Retired

Jay Cheek                   Accountant

Walt Cobb                  Renovations

Dan Derksen              Eye Care

Dave Dickson            Community

Doug Dodge              Surveyor

Lorne Doerksen         Auto Sales

Keith Dufresne           Forestry

Karen Eden                CFDC

Nancy Giesbrecht       TRU

Brian Goodrich      Computing

Don Goodrich           Surveyor

John Hack                 Computing

David Hall                 Investments

Martin Hamm            Retired

Tom Hoffman           Forestry

Glen Holling             Real Estate

Denise Ivens             Banking

Cameron Johnston    Ministry

Randy Kadonaga       Ministry

Bevan Koch              Auto Sales

Chris McGuire        Equipment

Bob McIntosh           Retired

Ed Mead                    Retired

Ed Novakowski         Retired

Darrell Orosz          Forestry

Bob Piderman         Investments

Dave Polak              Auto Sales

Ray Sanders            TRU Director

Linda Symynuk       Tea House

Keith Tjosvold        HVAC

Scott Tucker            Hardware

Betty Turatus           TRU

Don Urquhart          Printing

Rod Voth               Construction

Guenter Weckerle    Lumber

Irene Willsie            Womens Care

Uli Wittal                  Foods

Glenn Woods          Retired

Corry Wowk           Office Eqpt

SO, VALENTINES DAY WAS A NICE CELEBRATION….

BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

In ancient Rome, a festival for Anna Perenna was held on the Ides of March. Ovid, a poet and contemporary of Rome's first emperor, Augustus, wrote a collection of Greek myths in Latin called the Metamorphoses. In this monumental piece of Latin literature, Ovid explains that Anna Perenna was the sister of the tragic, love-sick, suicidal Carthaginian queen Dido, familiar to Romans from the Aeneid, which was written by another Augustan Age poet, Vergil (Virgil).

"On the Ides of March” the plebs celebrated the Annae festum geniale Perennae (corresponding to the chief day of the Hindu Holi) near the banks of the Tiber. Rome was, therefore, empty of the lower classes. Perhaps that is why the nobles chose the day for the assassination of Julius Caesar?"

In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated, at the foot of a statue of Pompey where the Senate was meeting.  Before Caesar went to the theater of Pompey to attend the Senate meeting, he had been given advice not to go, but he didn't listen.  Because of the assassination and the soothsayer's exchange with Julius Caesar about the dangers he faced in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar tragedy, the Ides of March now signifies a fateful day.

Before the historical assassination of Julius Caesar, the Ides of March was a division of the calendar based on the phases of the moon.  BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!