Letters

Where the B.C. economy stands

January 9, 2010

Elmer G. Wiens
204-5555 Balsam Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6M 4B5

Editor
The Vancouver Sun

Published: Vancouver Sun, Saturday, January 9, 2009

Dear Editor

Re: Lack of economic growth in B.C. seems to have given Campbell his own 'lost decade,' Jan. 6, 2010.

In response to Craig McInnes's column, I'd like to point out that there are better ways to measure a government's performance than the annual rate of growth of the economy.

Examining Statistics Canada's tables on gross domestic product for Canada and the provinces for the years 2004 to 2008, one finds that B.C.'s economy grew by 25.5 per cent.

Its economic growth was greater than Canada's, at 24 per cent, and it ranked fifth among the provinces -- behind Newfoundland and Labrador (61.2 per cent), Saskatchewan (55.7 per cent), Alberta (53.5 per cent)and Manitoba(27.9 per cent), but ahead of Prince Edward Island (16.1 per cent), New Brunswick (15.6 per cent), Quebec (15 per cent), Nova Scotia (14.5 per cent) and Ontario (12.2 per cent).

Bashing the B.C. Liberals in 2010 won't necessarily improve B.C.'s economic growth.

Sincerely

Elmer Wiens
Vancouver