EDITORIAL – October 1998 (“Hooray, we have an employee”)

HOORAY, WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE. On behalf of What’s Goin On Publishing I am happy to announce that there is one more person gainfully employed in Cape Breton. On September 8, 1998, Jeff Winship started working full-time as Advertising/Sales Manager for What’s Goin On Publishing, thanks to assistance from HRDC through the Nova Scotia Cultural Network’s Cultural Internship Pilot Program. That’s one more “young person” who won’t have to move away to find work until at least the end of March (when the program’s funding runs out). Congratulations to Jeff who becomes the first official employee of this company that’s been struggling to make ends meet since the first issue of What’s Goin On Magazine was published in 1995.

So here we are, creating jobs on Cape Breton Island, in a “non-traditional” industry. It hasn’t been easy, but it proves that it can be done. It shows that there is hope for a future here. Now if we can only figure out how to start paying the dozens of others – the writers, the photographers, the managing editor – who have been working so hard on this mission.

It’s all about community economic development right? Working together for the betterment of the community. One more person working in this community is a good thing for the development of the economy. Our traditional industries of fish, coal and steel are in trouble. There are no more fish, coal isn’t in as much demand as it once was and neither is our steel. We must look to the future, to sustainable industry, environmentally friendly industry, to take the pressure off the old workhorses of the past century.

Tourism has been identified as a “new” industry for the island. Tourism and culture. The music industry is quickly establishing itself as a viable economic activity. Look at the Celtic Colours International Festival this month. It takes advantage of two non-traditional sectors of the economy – tourism and music (which together may equal culture but that’s a debate for another time).

Cape Bretoners have to take responsibility for Cape Breton’s economy or we’re all going to have to move the hell away. Shop locally, buy local things, support business that hires local people, and remember that the cheapest price isn’t always the better deal.