Written by SCOTT STANFIELD
Citizen staff
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 |
Chevron Canada will soon shut down its Town Pantry operation in Fort St. James. (Submitted photo)
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MOUNT MILLIGANWEST FRASER
The impending closure does not sit well with some of the town's residents, who voiced their concerns Wednesday with Fort St. James council, who are also note too happy about losing a long-serving business. Council, in conjunction with the town's Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Association, will be expressing their displeasure by way of a letter to Chevron Canada's head office.
"They've had a presence in town for over 38 years with the bulk plant, card lock and the Town Pantry," said Fort St. James Mayor Rob MacDougall, a 27-year resident of the town, 150 kilometres west of Prince George. "People have been very faithful to support it. We feel the patronage that we've shown has been totally disregarded when it comes to making these corporate decisions."
Chevron spokesperson Deidre Reid said Tuesday the company, after considering its current and future options, does not "feel it's a business that we can stay in in the long term."
"Personally, I think that couldn't be farther from the truth," MacDougall said, noting Conifex's purchase of Pope and Talbot's sawmill and West Fraser's purchase of Stuart Lake Lumber. "We have a mine (Mount Milligan) that's in the environmental assessment process, and we expect some positive news from it in the next eight to 12 months. Those entities are going to not only retain people, but bring in new employees."
He feels Chevron is "not seeing the same thing that we're seeing" if the company is looking beyond two years.
"And they're certainly not talking to the local government."
Chevron, he added, will not be reaping its biggest profits at present, considering the state of the forest industry, and, to a lesser extent, government's promotion of cycling and walking, as opposed to driving.
But it's not all doom and gloom in Fort St. James, MacDougall added, noting the continued operation of Apollo Forest Products and Northern Interior Forest Products.
"We'll come out of this in good shape, and we'd sure like to have Chevron part of our community," said MacDougall, who notes a community tourism plan includes a circle route between Prince George, Vanderhoof, Fort St. James and Mackenzie. "(But) If you don't have the services for the traveling public, they're not going to come to your community. It (Chevron closure) kind of takes away from everything that we're trying to do here as a small community, and to diversify."
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 09 October 2008 )
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