My View from North of 55

December 1 2015

It is a beautiful sunny day at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The collective mood is subdued by uncertainty of our economic future. This is The Land of Opportunity on the frontier far removed from the seats of power. Our community is the center of commerce and most other activities in a very large geographical area.

Since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 our town has grown from about 32000 souls to about 65000 as the most recent cycle of the Resource Economy has played out.  The experience of boom and bust economics is known as time spent in this community. I'm a lifer of about 60 years. It has been one hell of a ride. We appear to have reached the crest of the wave and are probably headed for the biggest bust in our history. Old Folks should know what to expect. Because the average age in the community is 29 years old, I would suggest most folks have no idea what approaches their way of life.

Past experience tells me many of these folks will be going home. This  community is about to get smaller. That is a good thing. The ebb and flow of the builders and takers continues on.