As Christmas approaches it’s nice to take a break from the relentless passing of time. The old year is all over except for the shouting and the New Year is waiting in the wings. For now there is just the next couple of weeks to think about. There are presents to buy, Continue reading ›
Tagged Island LifeIt’s hard to know where to start. The election was a total shock to some and a foregone conclusion to others. We have gone from a council that was so myopic that it was painful to one that has the potential to reverse the direction that the last four municipal councils championed. I’m torn between eulogizing the recently deceased municipal council and just moving on to our new council; a “The King is dead, long live the King” approach. But the demise of outgoing council is a worthwhile cautionary tale. Continue reading ›
Tagged Municipal Hall, Municipal Politics, National Park
On November 19, we will decide whether or not we want to continue exploring the idea of a National Park on Bowen. As your mayor I want to share my thoughts on this important decision.
Let’s first look back. From the beginning this Council has supported the National Park process. We unanimously Continue reading ›
Tagged Island Life, Municipal Hall, Municipal Politics, National ParkMany years ago my wife and I were part of a group of friends who loved to play board games. We got a new game called Diplomacy and scheduled a game for the following Saturday night at Hilary and Doug’s place. Hilary wanted to photocopy the rules and distribute them before the game so I gave her the whole box. That Friday night, unbeknownst to us the rest of the group ended up at Hilary’s and decided to try out the game. Before long they were so angry at each other that they swore never to play the game again. We were informed of this on Saturday. To this day I regret that I have never had the chance to play Diplomacy. Now I’m afraid I’m going to relive that feeling after this election.
For years on Bowen we’ve had different groups wanting various things and a general populous that wasn’t all that interested. Now we have finally reached a pretty fair consensus Continue reading ›
Tagged Municipal Politics, Surplus LandsI went to the All Candidates meeting at the school last weekend. Most of it was as dull as dishwater but Nerys Poole was a star. I kid you not. When it came to the mayors debate Nerys squared off one on one against Jack. While Jack demonstrated an astounding lack of knowledge of local issues one position that did get across is that he is in favour of development, which he feels we need to increase our tax base. Nerys on the other hand Continue reading ›
Tagged Municipal Politics, OCP, Surplus LandsAt the 2006 symposium on affordable housing I spoke about Bowen’s problem of rising living costs due to a lack of affordable housing options. At that time, the mayor spoke glowingly about 1) focusing on solutions, 2) the power of people who offer them and 3) his bias to leading by doing and not trying to figure the whole thing out before acting; to move forward and learn through these opportunities. Personally, I have seen quite the opposite. I have seen a fear based fixation on bylaw creation rather than a mentality of allowing and assisting those ideas which would nurture a healthier community. The political constipation has Continue reading ›
Tagged Affordable Housing, Island Life, Municipal PoliticsThe Municipal election rhetoric is starting to heat up with the pro-development crew taking out full-page ads in the Undercurrent and treating our mailboxes to their propaganda. I read some of it and decided that they were saying almost the exact opposite of what I would say if I were running for council. Continue reading ›
Tagged Cape Roger Curtis, Ferry, Island Life, Municipal Politics, National Park, Snug CoveAs we approach our municipal elections, I’m girding myself for the candidates who either promise to build and beautify or go on about preserving and protecting. I’d give anything to hear a candidate promise to deal with all of the little things that never get done because of fear that the other side will start screaming.
A good example is Snug Cove parking. Continue reading ›
Tagged Abbeyfield, Island Life, Municipal Politics, Snug Cove, Surplus Lands, waterThe National Park debate is warming up again. On the one hand I like the fact that it is a sincere debate between people with honestly held beliefs and a passion for the outcome. On the other hand I hate this debate, for exactly the same reasons. While I believe that the outcome is a forgone conclusion, the park will be rejected, I’m not all that confident that we’ll be making the right decision. Continue reading ›
Tagged Island Life, National ParkEvery now and again you stumble upon an idea that gives you a whole new perspective on an old and perplexing problem. I recently listened to a TED talk entitled “Trial, Error and the God Complex” and it struck me how well it explained our Municipal Council’s propensity for commissioning expensive studies that we never follow up on. Continue reading ›
Tagged Municipal Politics