Great Ideas that come from our Community

Going door to door is a great opportunity to hear the issues, concerns and ideas of our community.

Last week I had a wonderful conversation with a resident who was now taking time to stay at home with her young child.

She echoed the concerns I have heard many times over during this campaign; that fact that it is difficult to have your voice heard on the municipal level.

We talked about the difficulty of getting on city committees and being invited to participate in discussion on ward issues - and she reminded me of the untapped resource in our community of seniors and parents at home. These vital members of our community have a unique perspective on our ward and if asked, may be willing to share their knowledge and experience.

For me, consulting with our community means creating opportunities for everyone to participate in a meaningful way and know they have made a difference. This may be in short focused meetings, ongoing issues-based committees, or community wide meetings. Different approaches for different issues, all designed to move the community forward in a proactive way that has our community grow and change. This is the way to become the community that we always imagined we could be.