Estevan is potentially facing a big change, with the future of conventional coal-fired electrical production in doubt. Community Future Sunrise, based in Weyburn, brought in Doug Griffiths to talk about dealing with change. CF Sunrise has received some funding to assist with the coal transition strategy.
Griffiths is a former Alberta MLA and cabinet minister for over 13 years. He’s worked with over 500 communities across North America since retiring from politics in 2015. His book, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community, is the focus of one of his regular presentations and was presented to about 200 people in Moosomin on Feb. 11 and about 50 in Weyburn on Feb. 13. His presentation, Everything is About to Change, was given in Estevan on Feb. 12 at the Days Inn.
Before politics, he used to teach junior high and ranch in east-central Alberta. He noticed the three communities he taught, lived and ranched in were dying. “People were moving out, the housing prices were in decline, our main streets were dying, young people were leaving, and I thought, we need to do something about this because I want to stay here.”
He spoke out for the need of a rural community development strategy for Alberta, which led to his entry into politics. He spent two years travelling Alberta and came up with a wide-ranging report called, Land of Opportunity.
But it didn’t gain traction because right after acknowledging the issues raised, many immediately reverted to talking about what was wrong and what was impossible. While he emphasized the importance of federal, provincial and municipal co-operation, Griffiths noted, “If a community was going to be stronger, ultimately it was up to the people in the community to decide they wanted to be successful. That was it. You can’t force anyone to be successful. They have to want it.”
Negativity abounded. “People would say it won’t work for us, it’s impossible. Great. Then I guess failure is what you’re choosing on purpose.”
In regards to “it’s too risky,” he said, “They miss the point that if you do nothing, that’s the greatest risk of all. You have to try something because consequences are going to happen whether you like it or not.”
“It’s only when you have hard times that you actually change what you’re doing,” he added.
He worked with Hanna and Wabamun, Alberta, both of which lost significant employment in coal and power generation. “That’s what you should be working on, reinventing yourselves,” Griffiths said. “I know, working in those other communities, people were angry. They were sad. They were depressed. They were frustrated. There’s nothing wrong with that. But if that’s the place you stay, the community is going to suffer. You have to work through it and find out what’s next.”
He said, “The world is changing so fast, we’re going to experience more change in the next 15 years than the last 50, or 100.
“Getting ready for today is not enough. You have to get ready for tomorrow.”
He pointed out the rate of change in society has been accelerating, from smartphones to computers to autonomous vehicles. He pointed out from 1900 to 1913, New York went from horse and buggy to almost complete conversion to automobiles.
He figures it will take only 15 years from now for autonomous electric vehicles to reach 85 per cent adoption. In the oilsands, haul truck drivers have been replaced by an autonomous operation.
Computer capacity, fibre optic data transmission, digital imaging, and quantum computers are all doubling between every nine to 24 months, exponential rates of growth.
Uber is the world’s largest taxi company and it doesn’t own its own cars. Airbnb doesn’t own its own accommodations. Facebook doesn’t make its own content.
He tells businesses not to compete against Amazon. Instead, compete on things like quality, quantity, experience, atmosphere.
Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods was because they realized the next generation is not prompted by price, but by quality, connection to their community, atmosphere and service.
Millennials and the generation behind them are not as motivated by money so much as purpose, autonomy and mastery, Griffiths asserted. “They can’t be bought or sold in any way, shape or form. Money isn’t driving them as much as it used to drive previous generations, and it’s causing massive changes.”
A community in Minnesota that lost its powerplant had great housing and lots of jobs, but they couldn’t get people to come there. They had a great school system but lacked sufficient daycare. Building a massive daycare spawned a renewal of the town and caused it to boom.
“Economics is no longer just about business and taxes, having the lowest taxes. It is about all sorts of stuff to grow your economy because the next generation is choosing where they want to live and businesses are following them, not the other way around,” he said.
They don’t value titles or working for a company for 40 years. They live in a gig economy online.
No one wants to work in a cubicle anymore. They want to move around. They value locally-owned coffee shops and local brew pubs. They want yoga studios, not curling rinks.
“Young people want to work online, in social environments, have walkability in their communities,” he said. "They want a local connection, collaboration, diversity, and less stuff.
“They won’t sacrifice their entire lives for one company or one place for 50 years. It’s the gig world they’re working in. They want to enjoy their passion takes them. And they want to enjoy life. Businesses and industries are following where they go to live. It used to be industry set up, and we’d move for the jobs. Now they’re locating where people want to live.”
The Millennials want smaller housing as neighbourhoods downtown with social spaces, not subdivisions with three-car garages. It’s the age of immediacy, where pretty much everything is available immediately, online.
Diversity on company’s boards of directors ends up with better decisions, he emphasized.
The pending retirement of the baby boomers is going to mean a huge loss of institutional knowledge. But seniors want to be involved and are a huge driver of the economy.
Griffiths said communities all try to be like everybody else. Instead, they should try to do one thing really well. An example was a community in Pennsylvania that focused on semi-retired seniors. It had lost its coal industry but had lots of seniors. They enacted senior-friendly policies like allowing the usage of golf carts in town, trails for them, gardens, pickleball, grocery delivery, activity focus and taxation issues.
All this led to a growing community.
The family farm is not coming back. But China has over a billion people who are terrified of their own food supply, so do one type of food they want, but do it well.
“Anti-change cultures die. Anti-change communities die. If you try to go back to what you were, to resist the change, to ignore the opportunities; and yes, they are challenges, but they’re also opportunities, you’ll die too,” he said.
None of it is fair, but you have to embrace the change, which is coming, he concluded.
