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OPINION: Bill Walton, Parsnips

Roads run in two directions
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I was ruminating on the local employment problem after the blunt reminder of the Sears closing. We need more than jobs in the local service industry, I thought. What can we do that would give us a little unique niche in world trade? Is there some product or service we could offer our trading partners to the East and West that other places cannot duplicate?

That’s the problem now: so many jobs do not depend on a specific location. Goods can be manufactured anywhere there is access to ingredients and power. Software engineers can work in any nice building anywhere in the world. All they need is a good, reliable connection to the internet. And a good supply of coffee. Car parts manufacturers, appliance makers or clothing fabricators simply need access to a truck or airplane and they can ship their product anywhere. The workers might want a pleasant place to put up their feet after a day on the production line, and a good school for their children – maybe a place to play games or go to a concert – but those places can be found in many countries.

The thing is, we in the North Bay area have all those things that the above workers might need. We have good roads, a long runway at our modern airport and all sorts of internet access. We even have Twiggs coffee as well as the ubiquitous Tims’. We have schools, hospitals, and theatre. A couple of breweries and some decent eateries. We have lakes and forests for the outdoor types. We have everything except jobs to keep our young workforce here. What are we missing?

Parsnips. Parsnips are one of my favourite treats in the veggie department. Simple to prepare and garnish with a little parsley, I get a feed about every three months. My wife says she cannot find them in the store – good, firm and not too large or too small – any more frequently than that. Her lack of sourcing my veggie may have something to do with her dislike of the white root veggie – something I cannot understand. A little butter, salt and pepper or just a dash of maple syrup is all you need.

Anyway, I was wondering if we in this area could not become the Parsnip Capital of the world. We have all those beautiful fields out there in the Verner area that look just perfect for growing parsnips. We could ship them fresh; we could can them or fast-freeze them; fry or bake them into snack chips with flavours even more descriptive than Hostess uses on their potato chips. We could make tasty soups with just a soupçon of ginger or nutmeg and send them all around the world.

Think of all those lovely fields around Verner available to grow parsnips instead of brassica rapa (Roundup Ready Canola) or soya beans. I even took a bike ride to the farms to get photos for my idea. When I showed the photos to my wife she said, “Get a grip, Bill” Or words to that effect. She does not like parsnips.

Okay, so forget the parsnip idea. What do we have that we can build on? Many, some would say a surplus of, older people, as is the case all across the country. Some laughed at Elliot Lake and their idea of a retirement town but they may have been onto something. Why not make it an ‘industry’ here in North Bay? Build assisted-retirement complexes; create activities for seniors, encourage some single-level homes – maybe even a ‘gated’ community. Establish some nightclub activities for seniors (remember though that they must be home by 9).

What else do we have? Apparently a number of near-empty schools. Years ago, former mayor Stan Lawlor wanted to encourage more foreign students and although we did get some, that opportunity is still there. Education is an industry. All we have to do is to give the college teachers full-time jobs and ask the students to behave and we would have it made.

And how about a health hub. We are continually reading about the hospital closing beds and although I have no empty bed count, could we not become a hub for the health care of seniors? All we have to do is pay off those Private Public Partnerships and turn the hospital into a truly government-funded enterprise. Okay, maybe that last part isn’t going to fly. But hospitals in the private sector can make money and offer some well-paid jobs. And doctors and nurses can enjoy all the outdoor amenities we have. Even good coffee if they just want to kick back and relax at the waterfront.

The thing is with the parsnips and other like things, we have to ship them OUT of the city. What we need to do is bring people INTO the city whether it is for education, health care or retirement living. Just saying.





Bill Walton

About the Author: Bill Walton

Retired from City of North Bay in 2000. Writer, poet, columnist
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