Next
week is Small Business Week in Sudbury. It provides an opportunity for
the community to pay tribute to those entrepreneurs who are the backbone
of our society - small business owners who are responsible for creating
the majority of jobs in the region. During the past several years the
political leaders of the City of Greater Sudbury have been patting
themselves on the back over the arrival of several major retail outlets
in the region - retail outlets which have now made us the shopping
centre of the north. We also listen to the applause about the
construction of the new Sudbury Regional Hospital and Science North’s
Dynamic Earth. At the same time, we are made aware of the thousands of
new jobs which have been created in the area, making us one of the major
"Call Centres" in the province as well.
Before I get to the point I am trying to make, I want you to read the
following story.
"One day a successful executive was travelling down a
neighbourhood street going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was
watching for kids darting out from between parked cars as he drove
along, when all of a sudden, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door!
He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot where the
brick had been thrown. He jumped out of the car, grabbed some kid and
pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all
about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?"
Building up a head of steam, he went on, "That’s a new car and
that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do
it?"
"Please, mister, please. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else
to do," pleaded the youngster. "I threw the brick because no
one else would stop..." Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin
as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother," he
said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I
can’t lift him up."
Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me
get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for
me."
Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling
lump in his throat. He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and
took out his handkerchief to clean the scrapes and told the boys
everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you," the grateful child said to him. The man
watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward his
home. He never did repair the side door. He kept the dent to remind him
not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you
to get your attention.
Getting back to my point, many "informed" (to use the term
loosely) people in the community continue to go forward in their big
fancy cars, completely fooled by what they see as good indicators for
the local economy. They point out that Inco is hiring up to 600 skilled
people next year; opportunities for employment are appearing in the
health and education sectors; and the education system in Sudbury will
enable young people to become trained in skills needed locally so that
they can begin their careers in the area where they grew up. While it is
true that there are signs that some of the larger employers will be
needing skilled workers, we seem to forget that most of the jobs in our
community are found in the small business sector.
NOW FOR THAT BRICK! Regardless of what anyone says, the fact remains
that Sudbury has the highest unemployment rate in Ontario; the highest
net out-migration of youth in the province; the lowest growth rate in
average income; and is the only urban area in Canada with a declining
population. None of this is cause for celebration! In fact, the number
of people employed in Sudbury has gone down by almost 6000 since last
December. Each of those 6000 jobs would have resulted in a minimum of
$1000 per month in living expenditures. We have lost $6 million in
direct economic activity as a result of the job losses. When you add in
the multiplier effect, we have lost about $20 million per month in
spin-off economic activity. Inco and Falconbridge may well be hiring,
but the hiring will not come close to replacing the jobs lost to date.
Many of our young people want to remain in the north. However, they
are witnessing a dismantling of the structure of the city as our small
business owners continue to be hammered and are forced to either shut
down or lay off staff. The loss of 6000 jobs is a hard pill to swallow
for the small business owner who depends on the support of the community
consumers. If local politicians continue to promote the expansion of the
larger retail and factory outlets which are in direct competition with
the small business owners who have worked hard to make a living here for
many years, it may be good for the people who remain employed in the
region, but what good is it doing if we lose jobs and people have to
move out of the city to find work? Now that we have been hit by the
brick, will we stop and help or will we just keep on driving until we
run out of gas?
Have a good week!
