Weird farmer label aside, it also really grinds my gears when it's implied "rural" folks (although I question a metro area of 80,000+ that serves as a major shopping and health center exactly qualifies as rural) won't have nuanced or non-ignorant takes on progressive policies or movements. It really downplays groups like the POUNDS project, UNDU, and community/health research groups at CNC and UNBC that do a tonne of advocacy and work around these topics. I totally admit that my circles in Prince George run more left leaning, and I was raised by two union loving socialists, so maybe I'm not as keyed into the average view of Northern BC. However, I've also lived in major metropolitan areas and can comfortably say that living in a city doesn't automatically make you progressive by any stretch. I'll never forget a Van landlord asking us if it was really racist up in Northern BC and how they'd have a hard time living up there, and then five minutes later telling us we were so lucky we were going to have "a white landlord" if we got that apartment.
Your comment about your landlord reminds me of when I was visiting Penticton, where I grew up and where my parents are buried. Our B&B host (pre Airbnb) over breakfadt was talking about the population growth in the Okanagan was due to the "white flight" from Vancouver... In reference to the growing Asian population on the coast. I was stunned by the comment, also having come from a left leaning working class family and having lived in both Vancouver and Montreal for university (and many small communities for my forestry career). It takes all kinds to make up communities and there is no hard line between rural and urban folks.
I've been saying for so many years: if you want more people to take the bus, you have to increase the service. Efficiencies and cost-saving won't help the transit system thrive in PG. More riders will. And riders will only ride the bus a) if they have no other choice, and b) if you make it easy for them. Why would I wait half an hour for a bus in the Hart so I could go to Spruceland, only to have to take another half hour bus somewhere close to where I want to go? Run the buses every 15 minutes and give me route options. Why this shocks people is beyond me. Also, yes, housing along bus corridors. (But again, that means we also have to put the buses along housing corridors.)
Weird farmer label aside, it also really grinds my gears when it's implied "rural" folks (although I question a metro area of 80,000+ that serves as a major shopping and health center exactly qualifies as rural) won't have nuanced or non-ignorant takes on progressive policies or movements. It really downplays groups like the POUNDS project, UNDU, and community/health research groups at CNC and UNBC that do a tonne of advocacy and work around these topics. I totally admit that my circles in Prince George run more left leaning, and I was raised by two union loving socialists, so maybe I'm not as keyed into the average view of Northern BC. However, I've also lived in major metropolitan areas and can comfortably say that living in a city doesn't automatically make you progressive by any stretch. I'll never forget a Van landlord asking us if it was really racist up in Northern BC and how they'd have a hard time living up there, and then five minutes later telling us we were so lucky we were going to have "a white landlord" if we got that apartment.
Your comment about your landlord reminds me of when I was visiting Penticton, where I grew up and where my parents are buried. Our B&B host (pre Airbnb) over breakfadt was talking about the population growth in the Okanagan was due to the "white flight" from Vancouver... In reference to the growing Asian population on the coast. I was stunned by the comment, also having come from a left leaning working class family and having lived in both Vancouver and Montreal for university (and many small communities for my forestry career). It takes all kinds to make up communities and there is no hard line between rural and urban folks.
I hope you're feeling better!
I've been saying for so many years: if you want more people to take the bus, you have to increase the service. Efficiencies and cost-saving won't help the transit system thrive in PG. More riders will. And riders will only ride the bus a) if they have no other choice, and b) if you make it easy for them. Why would I wait half an hour for a bus in the Hart so I could go to Spruceland, only to have to take another half hour bus somewhere close to where I want to go? Run the buses every 15 minutes and give me route options. Why this shocks people is beyond me. Also, yes, housing along bus corridors. (But again, that means we also have to put the buses along housing corridors.)