Taxes have been frozen for the coming year, for the residents of Burns Lake as they work through the fresh wounds - mental, physical and economical - of the Babine Forest Products blast.
Mayor Luke Strimbold and councillors Susan Schienbein, Quinten Beach, John Illes and Frank Varga voted this week to hold the town's budget fast as residents try to recover.
"It is a zero per cent tax increase across the board," Strimbold told The Citizen.
It was not a move made in the isolation of noble intentions. The cost of running a municipality would inevitably rise with inflation, and investments made in past budgets would still have to be honoured. All involved were well aware that this would cause municipal pain at other levels, but it would hopefully shield residents from additional grassroots pain.
"We have had to make some cuts," Strimbold said. "We were looking at a two per cent increase, so we suddenly had to make tough decisions on what were the needs and what were the wants. We need to think of the future but also acknowledge what is going on in reality right now."
The reality for most Burns Lake residents, he explained, is almost everyone in the town and the region has been somehow hit by the sudden halt in the town's largest single employer.
Babine Forest Products exploded on Jan. 20, killing two employees and injuring about 20 others, plus the mental affects and the various other negative spinoffs.
There are positive reactions as well, though, and Strimbold said it has been inspiring to see the different ways the townsfolk have rallied in support of one another, plus the outside forces that have come to the community's aid.
"We've [the municipality] organized some recreation activities, like Wednesday afternoon hockey for all Babine employees who want to come out and play," he said. "I went to the first one and some of the injured employees were there as well. It was quite emotional. We've organized cross-country skiing for families. Ski Smithers participated in offering lower rates for Burns Lake residents at their ski hill. The Braves and Luckies [senior men's hockey teams from Burns Lake and neighbouring Houston] played a spirit-booster game. These are just a few little examples."
