If there’s one thing the recent Chatham-Kent budget process showed us, it is that until we can reconcile our past, we’re not going to move into the future.
We have a vocal minority in this community more interested in the past than in the future and we have a number of politicians who cater to them.
The most visible symbol of this is in the argument over bricks and mortar, but that mindset runs much deeper.
Council thinks nothing of spending hours deliberating the smallest of details because someone somewhere might be offended that things now aren’t as they once were.
The result is we pay lip service (if that) to building a community we can all be proud to call home.
If the rationale of this mindset is to keep things as they are, we’re fighting a losing battle. Nothing ever has or ever will remain the same. The only constant is change.
We, and our leaders, must decide if our legacy will be “we tried to hold on to the past and failed” or “we seized our opportunity and built something for future generations.”
Every building we occupy, every activity we engage in, was once something new that replaced something old.
If you could replace a couple of nearly vacant schools, an aging library, a meeting facility and a municipal building that is on the verge of being condemned with a single new state of the art building and have senior levels of government pay for most of it, would you?
For a surprising number of people, that answer would be no.
If you’re one of the citizens that tell councillors their main function is to protect the status quo, stop it.
The status quo isn’t working.
If you’re a politician, don’t be afraid of voters putting you on the hot seat. If you didn’t realize that was part of the job, you do now.
We can’t have government based on who yells the loudest.
Hear, Hear…………especially so in the towns that make up the rest of C-K. We have no vision, and I guess we won't get one before the next election (If then)
Chatham is long over due with building a new , modern arena. Memorial Arena is a joke. Still no seats and the washrooms smell like urine. Forget fixing old buildings. The money wasted on the Capital would have paid for it. A new arena would pay for itself over the years. a 4000 seat arena would also be great for concerts and other events that are now being held only in Windsor or London.
Look to Lakeshore Or Essex as examples of the new format multipurpose recreation facility at works Stand alone single or double pad areanas are not the future Developing regional hubs for maybe four or five centres for the smaller communities may also be worth reviewing
I agree wholeheartedly with this article…..however, I want the people who constantly bring up the Capitol to realize one fact. If you want a new arena……be prepared that it will cost twice as much and consistently lose even more money. Arenas don't make money. Neither do theatres. They are both offerings for culture in the community. They do not generate profits. They break even at best. If arenas and theatres in cities much larger than ours rely on public funding, fundraising, and donations…..then that should tell you something. I want these things too…..but I realize that they weill be on my tax bill every year.
*slow clap*
Bravo!
Change for the better is SOo very welcome
Concerning the past, we have sufficient evidence for all too see
Just start counting the White Elephants
Based on past performance we need to be concerned
We need to be assured that Commonsense will prevail
Remember “once bit twice shy” and if 3 times Shame on us
The last decade or so is a concern
Bring on the Change, lets have Better Days!
1000% agree!
A paradigm shift is in order. Rural Ontario is slowly depopulating. This is not restricted solely to CK but is occurring elsewhere in the province. However, being one of the largest single-tier municipalities in the province presents problems, hurdles and issues that many other communities in Ontario do not have to deal with. There exists a rural/urban divide that is one of the biggest elephants in the room. We have been dragging our heels since January 1, 1998. On that day, we were united in a shotgun wedding without divorce as an option. For too many, the status quo is comforting. We were given a timetable prior to 1998 to come up with restructuring solutions. We failed on that count and the late Mr. Meyboom came up with a solution for us. So, where do we go from here? We have almost 20 years of lost ground to cover. I want a future in this municipality for those under 30. We need young families in our communities. They purchase homes, build businesses, send their kids to school, use arenas and playgrounds,etc. a community
(Con't) a community without children will eventually die off and become irrelevant. Their is value to CK. We offer a quality of life that is affordable and desirable. Growth, innovation and leaps of faith arerequired, they should not be feared. Stay optimistic everyone. I'm 50 and I haven't lost hope.