Why Ecotrust Canada? Canada has had a long history of boom and bust towns, fueled and extinguished by the fickle nature of resource-based economies. Mining, forestry, fisheries – all have pushed communities through a dust-to-dust cycle. Prince Rupert can take some solace, then, in knowing they are not the only ones to travel this path. Last week, Canfisco, owned by the inimitable – inevitable? – Mr. Jim Pattison, announced they would be moving their operation and more than 500 jobs offshore in the pursuit of higher profits. Some would say Prince Rupert’s situation was to be expected. Fisheries giveth and fisheries taketh away; the risk of losing an industry is just a part of doing business. But is this how things should be? The government manages Canada’s natural resources on behalf of all Canadians. Who benefits most from the Canfisco closure? With the cannery open, local people earned money from local fish, sustaining the local economy. Now, another of Canada’s natural resources will be bundled up and shipped away for some other country to reap the rewards. In this global economy, does local benefit no longer matter? At Ecotrust Canada, we believe it does. We believe adjacency – the idea that communities can benefit socially, culturally, and economically from the resources on their doorsteps – is one of our most important tools in caring for our planet. Community empowerment is an unusual approach to environmental stewardship, but on this Giving Tuesday we’re here to celebrate that uniqueness. Ecotrust Canada is bringing real change to BC and beyond, and we’d like you to join us.
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