Who cares

On Thursday, July 14, if we don’t walk our opinions and questions into Shire Hall, we’ll be up Black Creek without a paddle. What opinions and question, you ask? Well, exactly. The “new” municipal council has asked the residents of the County to, once again, shout out from the stands (in writing or in person) what we have to say about the draft Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan from 2007 is back in the game. Ya, that Strategic Plan. The plan behind the Strategic Plan of 2007 was to keep it visible, alive, in-the-game and to keep all of us involved in the game.Yup, you and me. So, why aren’t we giving our input?

The “new” council has asked—in all of the local news publications—for our ideas and has given July 14 as the last possible date to “have our say” about things like stable, year-round employment opportunities; creation of healthy environment through improved land, water and air quality; the management of economic growth and the preservation of our cultural identity; the improvement of our quality of life; the development of sustainable transportation for the public; and the provision of a great municipal government. Guess what? We don’t seem to have any interest in this particular game.

According to local watchdog Gary Mooney of CCPEC, as at July 6, only three comments/ opinions/issues have been lodged. Those comments were from individuals— folks like you and me—but, not from me. Nothing, so far, has been heard from any of the dozens of business and volunteer organizations in the community. Gary may have a point when he asks on Countylive.ca “doesn’t anybody care?” Personally, I don’t know why people and organizations haven’t responded. I can only answer for myself. I care, but I’m just a little bit tired of surveys, seminars, information and opinion-gathering sessions and working groups.

But I care about deeply about this community continuing to offer stable, yearround employment opportunities.This is far different from the bullet point in the Strategic Plan draft outline, which suggests opportunities to work in stable, year-round employment in the County don’t really exist or are, at best, minimal. Indeed, when we first arrived in the County (the unamalgamated County) in 1972, the opportunities for employment, especially for young graduates, were slim. Most kids knew they’d have to look across the bridges for work unless they were going to stay on the family farm or work in the family retail business or hope to get that job at the cement plant if a retirement happened. Many County kids went off to college and university to get ahead and to “get out.” That’s just the way it was.The young people who are living and loving in the County, these days, know it’s all about being creative, making a connection to our County’s various “cultures” by creating their own opportunities and often having a “day job” or two. If I had to say something to our “new” council about jobs, I’d say get your collective heads out of your collective duffs and fill the vacant Economic Development Officer’s position. Let’s get this dynamic, creative economy back in the game before it fizzles out.

And, for the record, I do care about this community’s natural environment. I care that we’ve allowed, or entertained the notion of, development in areas that should have been protected—environmentally or historically—and that we are slow to protect our precious resources.We have a tendency to close the gate after the cows get out and in a place like the County, we should know better. Seriously, who among us hasn’t attended at least one meeting or information seminar or shouting session about watersheds, wildlife, wind turbines, solar panels, stewardship, sheet mulching, organic farming, designated wine regions, water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, watering restrictions, protection of our built heritage, cycling or recycling? I just want council to get read over those reams of notes collected since 2007 and get cracking on four years of input as regards all of the above and then some. The best way to get a constituent’s continued input is to show us you’ve heard, and care, and have acted.

When it comes to our cultural identity, I can’t now and never have held back when it comes to the importance of protecting, preserving and interpreting County history and heritage. It is the point upon which everything productive hinges. A demonstrated understanding, appreciation and respect for our County’s culture and heritage should be the most important bullet on the draft of the Strategic Plan. A Cultural Plan was created by a hardworking group of people who, by the way, continue to inch through the work of implementing the Cultural Plan.

I do understand Mr. Mooney’s sentiment “doesn’t anybody care.” People do care. But, personally, I’m tired of saying as much. Now I want to know someone was listening.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca