Letter to the Editor

I’m writing this letter today to voice my frustrations and concerns for the future of Marysville. The people here are wrongfully sabotaging themselves by believing that their community is special, or different than other small Canadian towns, and they’re blocking future success for generations to come by prohibiting new development in this area.

I’m starting to believe that this was voted the best place to live in B.C. as a joke, because it seems like people here can be very close-minded, rude, and selfish. It is a ridiculous notion to believe that preventing development is more beneficial than allowing it.

Why do people here in Marysville think they’re above having franchises where they live? Yes, I do literally mean that. It seems like they think they’re too good for big business, as if they don’t shop at Costco, Superstore, Save on Foods, and Walmart regularly. Talk about hypocritical.

So, it’s okay for big cities to have these stores that you guys rely on, but you don’t want them in your neighbourhood. Do you see where I’m coming from? That is so hypocritical. People rely on these businesses here in this area, but they’re acting like they don’t rely on big business.

It’s almost like the people here seem to think that big companies are evil, but then you’ll see people whinging about wanting a Costco in Cranbrook on Facebook. It’s so annoying. Let me guess, you’re okay with developing Cranbrook, because it’s already a big place, but not where you live, because of course, you don’t want Marysville to “be like Cranbrook?”

It leaves a very snobby impression behind. I don’t think about hardworking business owners when I see development being blocked in our town, I think about selfish people who are afraid of change and losing money to competition.

I don’t know why, but a lot of people in Marysville seem to think that slowing or preventing the development of this area is a good thing.

This community needs to be careful, because if they keep rejecting big projects, nobody is going to even bother attempting to build anything new here, and this community will die, or become dilapidated, because the people that live here are turning away opportunity, and scaring away businesses.

I was very irritated by what a columnist wrote in your paper today about the project in Marysville being rejected. It’s almost like your newspaper is celebrating the fact that the project was declined, because I don’t see any mention of disappointment.

Everybody in Marysville who went against that development project should be ashamed of themselves, because it’s almost like you guys like being stuck in the Dark Ages.

This community is going to die along with the old people in it, and it will literally become a ghost town if we don’t innovate, and try new things.

Right now, people give Marysville and Kimberley too much credit for being tourist focused. People do come here occasionally, but it’s not this booming tourist town that people make it seem like in the media, and it’s because there’s almost nothing to do here if you don’t like being outside. Also, tourism should not be our focus.

My point is, who cares about how many people are visiting for tourist reasons, if the locals don’t have their basic needs met, and have to travel elsewhere like Cranbrook just to do all of their shopping? It’s embarrassing.

If people in Cranbrook had the same attitudes as the people in Kimberley or Marysville, there would be no Cranbrook. You have to let go of this nonsense and acknowledge that Canadian small towns are going to be erased by population growth.

Hannah Reeves,

Kimberley

Article Share