Canada residents concerned about fire department funding, recreation

By Lynn Hotaling

During Jackson County's 11th (of 14 planned) Smart Growth meetings, Canada residents were vocal on what they perceived as inequities caused by the remoteness of their community.

Recreational opportunities don't exist in Canada as they do in Sylva and Cullowhee, and response times by emergency vehicles and law enforcement are much slower, community residents said.

Additional funding for the local fire department was the top vote getter when people marked their preferences for things that needed to be changed; however, community residents seem pleased with the quality of their firefighters - the fire department also placed third on the list of things that should be preserved.

Participants at these meetings vote for items most important to them by placing blue, red and green stickers by their first, second and third choices.

Those present April 24 also were definite in their feeling that their community needs more recreational opportunities. Now that the old Canada School has been deeded to the county, several said, the building needs to be removed to provide space for a recreational facility.

Residents said they would like to see an EMS base that's located closer to their community. One of the Canada Fire Department's first responders said he recently waited 58 minutes for an ambulance to arrive from Sylva.

The community concern that received the most discussion was law enforcement, though it ranked fourth when the stickers were counted. Several present voiced complaints with regard to the speed and scope of law enforcement in Canada.

One resident suggested that perhaps the Sheriff's Department could set up regular patrols in the community. Another said he didn't care about scheduled patrols, he just wished the Sheriff's Office would respond when they were called. Improved law enforcement around the lakes - especially Wolf Lake - to eliminate rowdy, disruptive behavior was another concern cited.

The final question raised with regard to law enforcement had to do with Sheriff Jim Cruzan's residence. A Canada resident questioned whether Cruzan actually lives in Jackson County.

When contacted by the newspaper, Sheriff Cruzan said he lives in the county's Cashiers area.

The sheriff, who was not at the Smart Growth meeting, also addressed other complaints voiced by Canada residents. His deputies respond to calls from Canada just as they do to calls from other areas of the county, he said.

"There's never been a call not answered in Canada," said Cruzan. "There's never been a case not investigated."

The sheriff went on to say that he has never been personally contacted by anyone from Canada with a complaint, and that he would be glad to meet with community residents to address their concerns.

Rounding out the top five on the list of residents' concerns were protection of Canada's ridgetops through controls on cell tower construction. Other concerns included better maintenance, more pavement and guard rails for the community's roads; a larger community building; better staffed recycling centers and incentives to encourage recycling; solid waste plan; a tutoring program for Canada's school children; improved air quality; better litter enforcement; and better relations between Western Carolina University students and local residents.

During the listing of things they'd like to see preserved, Canada residents were less vocal, naming 31 - a dozen fewer than the 43 they'd like to see changed.

When stickers were placed, the top vote getter in Canada, as it has been at several of the sessions, was to preserve the area's natural beauty. Coming in second was low population density, followed by the Canada Fire Department, clean water, unrestricted land and friendly people.

Other items listed that Canada residents listed to be preserved included friendliness of the people; low crime; educational opportunities including the public schools, WCU and Southwestern Community College; forest service land; good fishing; and good public transportation for elderly (Jackson County Transit).

Robert Hawk and Jeff Seiler of the Cooperative Extension Service served as moderators for the April 24 session in Canada.

A joint effort of Jackson County's Board of Commissioners, Economic Development Commission and county municipalities, Smart Growth is an initiative proposed last year by former Gov. Jim Hunt to encourage counties across the state to take a critical look at themselves with an eye toward future development.

The next scheduled Smart Growth meeting is for residents of Dillsboro and is set for Tuesday, May 8, at 7 p.m. at the Justice Center.

News Editor Lisa Majors-Duff contributed to this report.

Back to Archive: 05/03/01.