Why I’m not boycotting Moosehead

This has been a busy week. Since starting the “Don’t Boycott Moosehead!!!” group, the numbers have grown to over two hundred! I’ve received many encouraging messages and thanks from local people. I’m proud of the support and encouragement I have received thus far. The great news is that because of our show of support, I’ve been asked to answer questions for a story that will be published in The Baron, UNB-SJ’s student newspaper. The story will be looking at the “Boycott Moosehead” issue.

As I had stated to the person from the newspaper, I am expecting a fair and balanced article that is not biased against our group. Furthermore, I am publishing my answers to the questions ahead of time to ensure that it is quite clear where I stand before any articles are released. For your reading pleasure, I present to you “Why I’m not boycotting Moosehead”:

1) How did you hear about the “Boycott Moosehead” campaign?

I first heard about this when a friend joined the “Boycott Moosehead” group on Facebook. Once I read what the group was about, I immediately started a “Don’t Boycott Moosehead” group. I had no idea that my group would grow so quickly. Within two days, we had well over two hundred supporters. Our group understands that there is a difference between the person and the company. It is acceptable to disagree with the person; however, boycotting the company is not the way to handle the issue. It only sidetracks us the root problem – one recommendation in the education report.

2) How do you feel about the Boycott? Its premise? It’s future?

I feel that this boycott is nothing more then a way for people, who are angry with the report, to lash out at anything remotely related to the report. I also feel that this issue is being blown out of proportion. The group’s members are professors and students at UNB-SJ. These people should know first hand the contributions Moosehead have made in the past and in recent years. Keep in mind that Moosehead was a major driving force, in this community, that pushed to create the campus in Saint John.

Over the years, Moosehead has consistently made large contributions to both the infrastructure and students at UNB-SJ. These contributions include: countless scholarships, supporting UNB-SJ Athletics: Adopt-a-Seawolf Program, $480,000 in direct donations to UNB, $150,000 UNB-SJ Residence Fund, $150,000 UNB-SJ Student Centre, $50,000 Project: Venture, and most recently - $100,000 to UNB Forging the Future campaign (all of which has been dedicated to the Wallace McCain Centre at UNB-SJ’s King Square location). This does not include any money which the Oland family has given out of their own pocket. This money started flowing when the campus opened and has continued to this day. Why would Moosehead, a company who fought so hard to create this campus and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, want to close or downgrade the campus?

3) What affect do you think the Boycott will have on Saint John if it becomes the popular position? On the Commission on Education report?

I am frightened that people in our community will think twice before working on task-groups and committees for fear of backlash to their employers. Is it fair to boycott a local company because an employee worked on a task group that submitted ideas to a commission that wrote a controversial report? To be perfectly clear, Andrew Oland is an employee of Moosehead. He is one of three presidents at the company. The final important note is that the task group he was a member of did not advocate turning UNB-SJ into a Polytechnic.

When working on groups, such as the task-group, you are representing yourself, not your company. As a community, we need to be encouraging people to get involved more often. This community desperately needs more local people driving the issues at the provincial level. Instead of criticizing the person after the fact, let’s encourage people to get involved early on to provide their ideas!

4) How do you feel about the Commission on Education, which this Boycott is one response to?

I do not want to see the University downgraded into a Polytechnic. I want to make that quite clear to any readers. I have also signed the petition going around on Facebook. I do believe; however, that the report needs to be looked at from an unbiased perspective from both sides. It will have been a waste of time and money if the entire report is ignored because of one recommendation. We need to take the good from the report and promote that just as much as protest the bad. It may not be as glamorous, but it’s necessary to show that we support improving the system where it can be improved. I also believe that we need to focus on critiquing the report and its recommendations, not the authors. It’s the recommendations that we should be arguing over, not who wrote it and who they work for. Let’s encourage healthy debate instead of silly boycotts!

Shawn Peterson