The following is a letter to the editor of the NorthernView. Very interesting…and I have to agree to a certain extent. (I’ve withheld the name of the writter, but you can look at the Dec 13 issue of the NorthernView to find it.)
Editor:
Earth to Prince Rupert…Are you there?
As the title implies, to many new and non-Rupertites Prince Rupert, in some serious aspects, is out of step with those outside the ramparts of fortress Kaien Island. These mis-steps include property value, goods, services, employment, and most noticeably, Rupert’s sense of place in the modern world’s grand scheme.
Listening to the endless rhetoric spewed by Prince Rupert’s private and public sector describing the infinite opportunities coming, one seriously wonders: are Rupert’s spokespersons aware of what Prince Rupert is to an average outsider? Being from Richmond and new to this community, here’s a real-time snapshot born from my experience. Without ever-stepping foot within the city’s limits, most will say, “Where’s Prince Rupertâ€
A lot of that I agree with, but his overall attitude stinks of “big city”. Around here we value our city in a lot of ways, but certainly not by the kind of wood our floors are made of. If that makes us small town and gullible then so be it.
Okay, to be fair and to present the other side of this debate here is a story that also appeared in the same issue of the NorthernView:
Prince Rupert is following a province-wide trend when it comes to realty which is seeing fewer houses sold for more money, according to local realtor and Northern B.C. Realty Board President Ted Shepard.
The latest numbers from the B.C. Real Estate Board show that the number of houses sold this year is down 7.7 per cent and 10,000 units, but the value of the sales to date has jumped by 9.64 per cent and by approximately three billion dollars. And while the real estate market has improved this year across the Northern Realty Board area, which stretches from 100 Mile House to the Yukon border and from Valemount to Haida Gwaii, the numbers for Prince Rupert have returned to near-2004 levels in terms of the number of houses sold while the value of realty has increased by 30 to 40 per cent.
“Right now I think it is still a seller’s market, but that being said we are very low on inventory and don’t have a lot of listings,â€
Very good and accurate assessment…as for big city attitude no doesn’t sound that way. More of "we deserve better " attitude to me especially for the money that is being asked for. Goes back to the argument as to way so many drive to Terrace for better deals and better customer service
Here’s an interesting reply to the original letter to the editor:
[quote]Editor;
I cannot stop myself from responding to Mr. Pedrico Lao’s rant in your newspaper. I have not lived in Prince Rupert for some years, but it is still my hometown. The many contradictions in his letter must be exposed.
Right out of the starting gate, Mr. Lao states that when asked about Prince Rupert, he said outsiders respond with “Where is Prince Rupert?â€[/quote]