In Case You Haven't Noticed...'there is a 'new world' climate out there' & Your Mittens Won't Help You Either, Nor Will Your Pa.

'Notes in the margin' by Johan Sandstrom, BComm. Editor of the White Rock Reporter

20 June 2008

To My Friends,

Welcome to the community of contradictions and a read serving as nutrition for the mind. You decide.

"White Rock - an island" a far fetched slogan to the tune of $70,000.00...and read on what the Newport Beach, California consultants in 'branding' are proposing as one of many 'alternative fabulous ingenious pirouettes' created for White Rock to ponder over.

Can council digest all of this at this time.

There seems to be no end to the 'surprises created' and for which the responsible team in Council should be taken to task and shoulder the brunt for.

Who in council acted as the 'procurement officer' ordering this simple task the 'intellectuals' call 'branding and which undertaking the 'pros' [self proclaimed gurus as they are] take credit for doing and charging an arm and a leg for doing in the most expedient manner as possible.

Tough luck guys in Newport Beach. You came up with something you have been working on too long and it's not acceptable. You most certainly have not shown us you have the qualities and competence and nerve to implement and brand what I call in a lump sum simply 'a whole community'; last I looked it up the task must fall under the category of 'communication/institutional branding and profiling' to enhance consumer preferences.

My oh My. White Rock is not a product of electronic, passenger transport, travel bureau, food, ketchup, condiments, medicne, or produce. Please, reconsider what you see as the 'obvious even if it is hard to detect and define....for  a lay-man [not gender specific].

White Rock is a community populated by individuals with blood pulsing through their arteries and souls soaring and hearts beating; a community as diversified [diverse] as the European Union and a resort with enticing salt water by most called the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific North West and this with its true base resting with its forefathers stemming from Indian tribes, natives of the areas and populated by adventurous peoples looking for their place of choice. Don't rock my boat. I like to live and remain in tranquility thinking I find my very 'personal destination' for what it is.'Thou hath not to taketh'.

Not anymore just 'newly weds and nearly dead'! Baby boomers and younger are much represented and to be found in groups of sophisticated professionals and trade focused specialists and their young and vibrant families.

Salmon fishing, whale watching and nature in all its forms. Animals and species unique to our area, including the beaver, bald eagles and we are in the midst of a global migratory bird and fowl area..from Sandpipers to mocking birds or seagulls. White Rock is on the peninsula; we should be considered a marine entity by heritage. We stand tall for trees [those still left], eel grass and mussels and crabs to fetch by our heritage pier. We have a Rotary [pier] clock telling us time and reminding us all of how short time really is and what a short time each of our existence and physical presence on this planet is, after all.

The discrepancies shown so far in your 'reports' presented must just leave a 'whisper' of awe behind its sortie. No grade and ranking and no stars and victory to write home about. Unfortunately I can only see one way out.

The assignment did not meet with approval and no funds to compensate for your exercise will be honoured.

White Rock is far from being isolated or an island. White Rock is the portal for visitors and businesses to arrive at our use as a thoroughfare. White Rock is a communication hub and strong hold and tourism and resort and conference hub for small and large. We are unique with one neighbourhood pub and one hotel, one promenade and on book store and one museum and many art galleries and small guest shops and soon a modern community centre.

On this latitude how the heck can anyone come up with the absurd idea to rationalize 'we are an island'. The only island I can think of is Annacis Island and Vancouver island and a few smaller islands in our British Columbia south western archipelago..from White Rock [our Canadian Riviera] to the sun coast stretching north west.

'California dreaming' I think is a song and if it's not, make it the title and keep composing and release the track somewhere else.

The result the Whisper Corporation has come up with can not be expected to be better and will not be better than what can be expected from the briefing and background notes and task orientation for the subject given by Council, i.e. White Rock, the resort, destination and its pregnant forth comings and attributes, features as given the consultant.

FOOT NOTE:

Source: Vancouver Sun Date in print 19 June 2008

Click the link below and become better informed about 'subject 'report' submitted by Whisper in Newport Beach, Ca. USA.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/pdf/whiterock_recs.pdf

We should not expect the impossible, demand the impossible, improbable, and more from the consultant [Whisper] who was asked by council to 'bone the fish' and 'come up' with something.

One need just take a look at the seal of our city...look at a city business card and you'll see two uni-sex mermaids, a sun, an emblem filled with words ; 'commitment', 'community' , 'culture'.; a pile of sand and on blue background a 'bell' that may toll?. The rock is depicted and the waves of the Pacific and water from little Campbell River by the Semiahmoo First Nation Indian tribe's reserve.

Who in the wild world came up with the idea to stretch out all the way south to California to have this so called 'branding' done?

Am I to understand, after twenty years of residence in White Rock, South Surrey, that we in BC or elsewhere in Canada would not have the competence of creativity and communication wizards who could do this as well, if not better.

Look what Surrey got for half the money.

And why was this 'branding exercise' initiated in the first place? It would seem that the Council doesn't have its priorities right; or its ducks in order.

Was it for the tourism and the propaganda machine to enhance and lure a flow of north bound visitors to White Rock?

If so simply place a large bill board [sign] by each border crossing directing the visitors to the 'heaven of sand, water and Pinacolada, culture and friendly merchants willing and able to 'accommodate' visitors from everywhere. 'You haven't experienced BC and our Canadian Riviera, food and entertainment, if you haven't done an all-nighter in White Rock.

Parking lots close at 2 AM? Wash rooms at 9PM [maybe those hours have changed as this goes to the 'electronic bridge of cyberspace to find its way to adequately be posted for public viewing.

Writing this we need to realize the facts of 'conditions of tourism' per this season. Whomever dare say our BC or White Rock tourism is up to paar, good and to snuff , must be daydreaming or an employee of an optimistic Chamber of Commerce.

The status and presence of tourism can best be judged by merchants direct on-site and restaurant owners over the period. Any other information coming from other sources is basically hogwash with the exception of and if you hear something from the BIA.

There are obvious reasons why visitors from south of our border is not showing up this year. Fuel prices, and the weather and maybe to a small degree our strong Canadian dollar.

Ask anyone in business on Marine Drive and some places uptown in White Rock, BC and they'll tell you it has so far been a crappy season with little of motion in the cash registers.

Right now there are very few if any marketing technologies that is powerful enough to turn the table and trends as we see it today.

Conclusion;

Council need to upgrade/revise [and not rush to conclusions] the OCP soon to become a document of 'regret' and 'revision' in spite of its passing in Council. Next: do not spend overly and exorbitant amounts of money on tourism this year. Keep it prudent and just on a 'maintenance' level as for as promotional efforts goes.

Remember the adage; 'There is No sense in beating on a dead horse'. Americans at large are all busy with their natural disasters, elections, mortgage crisis, sub-prime defaulting exec's sitting in Courts, foreclosures and rising food and fuel prices.

Let's get used to have to negotiate the challenges of the artificial events and forces guiding our energy resources and what makes us so vulnerable today in comparison to yesterday's 'comfort and splurge'.

Welcome to the WWIII ; 'it's about economics; it's being faught in battles of economies and ideologies; generations and establishments are pitted against each other and leaving the rest of us in the mud trying to maintain food prices and fuel consumption of realistic proportions. The have's and have-nots' are on a collision course.

Yours truly!

ps/ My most sincere condolences to all owners of the 'Hummer-dummers'; I admirer your field vehicle and pity the fuel consumption./ps