2009- The Year The Boom Died

The year 2009 is in our rear-view mirror, and most Albertans won’t be sorry to see its’ headlights disappear around History Bend. It was the Year The Boom Died II, and it was a mean, cranky, son-of-a -gun who left the lives and dreams of a lot of Albertans upside-down in life’s ditch.
Deepening its’ nasty impact is the quietly-smoldering realization that a lot of the damage was self-inflicted. We Albertans were victims of our addiction to boom-time culture.
What is boom-time culture? It’s a culture that believes that the laws of economic gravity are suspended in Alberta- that what goes up will never come down. Boom-time mean that we can change jobs more often than we change underpants. Boomtime means that if something appears to be to good to be true; just suspend disbelief and get richer.
Now, the party is over, and 2010 in Alberta promises to be the Year of the Hangover. Alberta’s small businesses- those that have survived- will struggle to find their footing. Alberta government spending is again in free-fall, creating a whiplash effect for those organizations and communities dependent on government funding.
I use the word “dependent” deliberately. Many Alberta communities- particularly in rural Alberta- have become addicted to provincial government funding. In these communities, very little happens if the provincial or federal government doesn’t fund it.
This lack of local self-financing takes two forms. The first is the reluctance of local governments to exercise their power to raise money for community investment through their power to tax. Their reluctance hobbles their communities, placing them at a disadvantage.
The second factor is the absence of local private-sector investment in these communities. Even though many have a personal wealth base dwarfing metropolitan communities on a per-capita basis, folks with bucks in smaller communities don’t often invest at home. Rather than invest in that which they understand and can observe on a daily basis, they choose to place their money in investments far away from home. They choose the bullwhiz patter of promoters promising them a 20% per annum return on something that they know sweet-diddly about.
Will Alberta communities consistently choosing not to self-invest survive the Year of the Hangover and the years of government spending cuts to follow? Will they find the political will and investment smarts to stand on their own feet, or will they expect provincial and federal taxpayers to bail them out? Should federal and provincial governments continue to prop up communities that choose not to be active, creative and engaged in determining their own destiny?
These are questions that will surface in the Year of the Hangover. How communities respond could- and should- determine their futures.
As 2009 departs, it might be fun to sing a song in its’ memory. How about a rousing rendition of, “Thank God and Greyhound You’re Gone”? Before we start, however, could someone please pass the Aspirin?

Our Christmas Gift

At our house, Christmas arrived at the end of August. That’s when we gave ourselves a wonderful gift that has changed our lives. Since it arrived, life has been exciting, frustrating, fun-filled, challenging, and satisfying. We have learned lessons that are enriching our personal and business lives.
What was this amazing gift that we gave ourselves? Did we zoom off to a luxurious tropical retreat in Regina? Have we acquired a new computer or video gizmo or some other form of techno- whizzery?
Our gift certainly doesn’t have a hard drive and it doesn’t assess its’ environment with computerized sensors. It’s powered by a big heart and four furry paws, and surveys its’ world with a powerful nose and two floppy ears. The gift is an English Cocker Spaniel pup, and his name is Zak.
Both Barb- the wonderful woman who shares my life- and I owned dogs earlier in life. Interestingly, both of us spent a lot of time as “semi-only” children, and our first dogs and constant companions were both English Cockers. We learned to appreciate the Spaniel’s loving nature.
Later in life, as I lived the ranching life, my neighbors said I spent more time with my dog than I did with my family, which may or may not have been true. However, the ranch dogs were Australian Heelers- one-man dogs for whom the burning question seemed to be, “Which cow should I bite next, Boss?”
Prior to our first meeting, Barb and I had each gone through major life transitions, and our new lives involved a great deal of traveling. As we began our life together, we agreed that the life of “road warriors” is not fair to a dog, and we made the hard decision to live dog-less lives.
Today, as our lives change once again, we have the time and energy to share with a dog. Barb’s diligent research paid off in Zak, a handsome, happy red lad with eyes that could melt the heart of a Revenue Canada tax auditor.
Zak is not perfect. As is the case with most of us, his greatest strengths are his greatest challenges. His unquenchable spirit kicks in when he gets tired, and he will churn himself into a frenzy before collapsing from exhaustion. That powerful nose leads him into exercises in coffee table and pantry-shelf “surfing” that get him in trouble.
Zak has very one special attribute, and that is his uber-sensitive “radar” for human emotion. Being with Zak is like looking into a mirror reflecting your own emotional state. Give Zak rowdy, and you get rowdy back. Give him cranky, and Zak the Cranky Spaniel is at your service. Be a calm and loving person and you see the very, very best of Zak.
I’ve learned Zak’s Lessons, and now apply them in my personal and professional life. Spending thirty seconds doing a self-assessment of my emotional state can save hours of relationship repair down the road.
Folks active in community evolution might also benefit from spending time with Zak. Community activity often brings us head to head with others possessing different values and interests. An increased level of self-awareness followed by enhanced self-management will pay off big-time when dealing with difficult people and issues.
That’s why I’ve thought of using Zak in my customer service / conflict management workshops. Besides adding “bite” and glamour to the program, including Zak opens the door to deducting his dog food as a business expense. And if that Revenue Canada auditor wants to disallow the expense, she can discuss it with the merry little Spaniel at the front of the room!
Speaking of merry- Merry Christmas to all of the special people living and working in Alberta’s Ace Communities. I admire your courage and commitment as you build a better Alberta. From our outfit to yours, Merry Christmas!

His Community's Voice

Common passion and common language are the roots anchoring the tree of “community”. A common passion is a powerful bond, for even without a common language, a Bulgarian cattleman and a rancher from Manyberries can share their appreciation for a top-notch bull. Common language opens the door to greater understanding. A Leduc teenager and an English-speaking senior from Thailand can readily build bridges of common interest.
The real magic happens when a common passion is expressed in a common language. Common language articulating the shared passion sharpens the sense of “community” and deepens the linkage. That makes the gifted souls who can articulate the passions, pains and perplexities of a community in a common ‘voice” incredibly important.
Why? They give voice and credibility to a community’s values. With their use of words- spoken, written and in song, they capture a community’s essence.
Alberta singer-songwriter Corb Lund is one of those gifted souls. His songs capture the fundamental nature of the joy and angst of his community- the ranchers, roughnecks, and mavericks of rural western Canada.
Part of Corb Lund’s genius comes in his use of the everyday language spoken by his community, as his lyrics are or become part of their speech patterns. Who in rural Alberta hasn’t heard the phrase “Mighty neighborly- mighhhhty neighborly” used in kitchen or bar table conversations? While the phrase has been around since John Deere wore steel shoes, Corb Lund’s song, “The Truck Got Stuck” song, fixed it for generations in the community vernacular of rural western Canada.
I’ve been a fan of Corb Lund’s for quite a while. He speaks of the life I’ve known- unspoiled landscapes and good horses, vet clinics and ranch wrecks and bullzipping at the crossroads with a neighbor. That’s why I eagerly bought his latest CD, “Losing Lately Gambler” and slipped it into the CD player to have a listen.
When the last song ended, I sat in awed silence. If I had been wearing a hat, I would have taken it off in respect. One song in particular, “This Is My Prairie”, brought tears to my eyes. Every Albertan who gives a damn about the prairie landscape should listen to this song.
I know that I’m a good writer. My informal writer’s “voice” comes from who I am and where I come from. Two national awards for writing for rural audiences proudly hang on my office wall. I know that for my community and for my money, Corb Lund is the best writer – prose or song- working in Western Canada today. He is our community voice, and its’ scribe. I salute him.

Strength Through Diversity

Nature teaches us simple yet powerful life lessons. These lessons are so potent that their implications apply to the broad spectrum of human existence.
Yesterday I received a chain e-mail that reminded me of one of nature’s lessons. This little gem was one of the thinly disguised anti-immigrant rants currently floating around cyberspace like bad breath.
Some Canadians fear that “the others” – immigrants to Canada- are overwhelming and changing Canadian society. It appears that those immigrants who are non-Caucasian and non-Christian are of special concern. The writers of these messages appear deeply troubled by the fear that Canada may become a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society.
Yet anyone who has lived close to Nature will tell you that she performs poorly in monocultures and thrives in diversity. In plant and animal communities, genetic diversity is the best possible insurance against catastrophe.
It is no different in human communities. Diversity gives societies and cultures a richness and strength that builds enduring civilizations.
In today’s world, that community diversity is inevitable. Spend some time in a shopping center and take note of the multiracial young couples you observe. Many of today’s young people do not see racial or religious differences as impediments to relationships. This cross-cultural intermingling is the bridge across which tomorrow’s Canadian identity will pass.
Yet there are good reasons for frustration with the outcomes of recent Canadian immigration policies, for those policies have not always worked in our best national interests. It is important to review what has historically worked and what has not worked in terms of immigrant absorption into Canadian society.
One of the best examples of successful immigration absorption was the immigrant settlement of western Canada at the dawn of the 20th century- the western Canadian pioneers. Many thousands of new Canadians from all over the world came together to fulfill old dreams and build new lives. Today, the success of that experiment is obvious across western Canada.
Contrast that success with the sprawling urban immigrant ghettos in our major cities that often trap new Canadians in social and economic isolation. The walls separating these immigrants from mainstream Canadian society are hard to scale. Sadly, many of their own leaders have strong interests in preserving the status quo.
There is a huge social and economic benefit to ending that status quo. We need immigrants, for Canada urgently requires labor for its depleting work force. The economic and social diversity we will gain from these new Canadians will add huge value to our social and economic bottom line.
All Canadians, no matter their age or faith or culture, have an interest in breaking down the walls of separation and harvesting that social diversity. Let’s hit the “Delete” button on those toxic emails and then “Send” the hand of friendship to new immigrants- wherever they may come from.

The Clock Is Ticking

It’s less than a year before the next municipal election, and the clock is ticking. A majority of Albertans will once again have their triannual opportunity to ignore their democratic right to vote for their community’s political leaders. A minority of Albertans will once again exercise that democratic right and cast their ballot. And there is a wee tiny slice of that minority who will actually considering running for their local Councils.
It’s a tough decision to make, for local politics is a very tough game. There is no other form of politics as close to the day-to-day lives of constituents. If one can survive and succeed as a Councilor, you can survive and succeed in most political arenas.
It’s even tougher here in Alberta, where we continue our passionate obsession with “Strong Leadership”. Peter Block, in his marvelous book, “Community: The Structure of Belonging”, talks about what happens when all that counts is what leaders do. The effect is to let citizens off the hook and breeds feelings of citizen dependency and entitlement. Why would any busy Albertan spend time or energy on voting when the folks who do get involved will elect a strong leader and we can snooze for the next three years? Wouldn’t we better spend our time shopping or papering our Facebook walls?
We don’t even think much about the definition of “strong leadership”. Is a “Strong Leader” a person who is “one of us”- the kind of guy or gal with whom we’d share a few beers? Could someone with extensive education or experience outside the community be trusted to lead a community of “common folks?
Speaking of definitions, does electing a “strong leader” make sense when that leader has to work together with other “strong leaders”? How many Municipal Councils are hamstrung because we elect “strong leaders” who don’t play well in groups?
So how do we find citizens with good credentials who can work together with others to find pragmatic, effective solutions to community problems? How about becoming politically engaged and looking around us for the people we know who fit that description? They may already be Council incumbents, for many Alberta Councillors have those skills. Ask these people to consider running for Council next fall and volunteer to help them with their campaigns.
I know this is radical stuff. Getting engaged in local politics is truly scary for most Albertans. Yet we also know that we get the leaders we deserve. That leads to one final question: If we citizens invest nothing in the political process, what should we expect?

The Clock Is Ticking

It’s less than a year before the next municipal election, and the clock is ticking. A majority of Albertans will once again have their triannual opportunity to ignore their democratic right to vote for their community’s political leaders. A minority of Albertans will once again exercise that democratic right and cast their ballot. And there is a wee tiny slice of that minority who will actually considering running for their local Councils.
It’s a tough decision to make, for local politics is a very tough game. There is no other form of politics as close to the day-to-day lives of constituents. If one can survive and succeed as a Councilor, you can survive and succeed in most political arenas.
It’s even tougher here in Alberta, where we continue our passionate obsession with “Strong Leadership”. Peter Block, in his marvelous book, “Community: The Structure of Belonging”, talks about what happens when all that counts is what leaders do. The effect is to let citizens off the hook and breeds feelings of citizen dependency and entitlement. Why would any busy Albertan spend time or energy on voting when the folks who do get involved will elect a strong leader and we can snooze for the next three years? Wouldn’t we better spend our time shopping or papering our Facebook walls?
We don’t even think much about the definition of “strong leadership”. Is a “Strong Leader” a person who is “one of us”- the kind of guy or gal with whom we’d share a few beers? Could someone with extensive education or experience outside the community be trusted to lead a community of “common folks?
Speaking of definitions, does electing a “strong leader” make sense when that leader has to work together with other “strong leaders”? How many Municipal Councils are hamstrung because we elect “strong leaders” who don’t play well in groups?
So how do we find citizens with good credentials who can work together with others to find pragmatic, effective solutions to community problems? How about becoming politically engaged and looking around us for the people we know who fit that description? They may already be Council incumbents, for many Alberta Councillors have those skills. Ask these people to consider running for Council next fall and volunteer to help them with their campaigns.
I know this is radical stuff. Getting engaged in local politics is truly scary for most Albertans. Yet we also know that we get the leaders we deserve. That leads to one final question: If we citizens invest nothing in the political process, what should we expect?

Playing To Win At Environmental Engagement

Saying that many Canadians consider themselves environmentally conscious is like saying Albertans cheer for a pro hockey team. While we cheer for a team, the colors we wear can be very different. Just like some folks cheer for the Oilers and others for the Flames, local governments in Canada choose very different approaches to engaging with environmental issues.
A proposal to develop a huge waste management facility in Thorhild County, northeast of Edmonton typifies one approach to engaging with environmental issues. The proposed “SuperDump” will receive waste from the City of Edmonton and other sources. On the surface, it’s not the Angelina Jolie of economic development proposals. However, the Company promises local jobs and corporate community involvement, along with a substantial boost to the municipal tax base.
That was enough to win the enthusiastic support of Thorhild County Council. When ratepayers twice challenged the project because of its potential environmental impact, Councilors pointed to the projected economic benefits for the community.
Deeply concerned about potential environmental risks, particularly to the water supply, opponents of the proposed facility corralled 1200 signatures on a petition opposing approval without a complete Environmental Impact Assessment. Since there are approximately 3000 residents in the County, that’s a significant number. Yet Thorhild Council continues to enthusiastically support the proposal.
Community environmental engagement can also see the cards stacked against needed economic activity. A proposed development on Saltspring Island, British Columbia is an excellent example.
Saltspring is a community with a small commercial base primarily dependent upon tourism. Housing is expensive, and good–paying jobs are in short supply. It’s a difficult place to live for lower–income residents.
Some Island-based businesses have prospered. One of those is Saltspring Coffee. It’s one of Canada’s largest and most respected micro-roasters of certified organic, fair-trade, shade-grown, and carbon-neutral coffees.
That ongoing success made business expansion necessary. The company started the application process for building a new plant on Saltspring, promising a strong boost to the Island economy.
However, Saltspringers pride themselves on their sense of environmental responsibility and the proposed expansion quickly ran into rough seas. Local disapproval centered on the environmental impact of the proposed coffee-roasting operation, particularly to air and water quality.
To address these concerns, the company’s proposal underwent several expensive environmental studies. Ultimately, the completed studies validated the company’s strategies to mitigate the environmental impact.
Was Saltspring Coffee’s proposed expansion approved? The member of the Island Trust casting the deciding vote on the proposal said she voted “No” because the proposal was “The thin edge of the development wedge”. That hollow rationale is impossible to quantify and is a huge red flag to anyone planning future investment on Saltspring.
What lessons can we learn from Thorhild County and Saltspring Island? In Thorhild County, it appears that the mantra of economic growth for the sake of economic growth drowns out many voices calling for environmental stewardship. On Saltspring, a reflexive “All economic development is evil” mindset creates a climate that driving away future economic development.
So how can communities avoid the rigidity and dogma that can pervade community engagement on the environment? Communities winning the environmental engagement game will be the ones using the Detroit Red Wings approach to hockey. The Red Wings team culture demands players holding themselves personally accountable and working within a balanced, system-driven approach.
That’s a great model for communities looking for a winning strategy for environmental engagement. Communities implementing planning and approval processes requiring collaborative information gathering, respectful conversation, and community accountability are on the way to successfully engaging environmental issues. They are the kind of community – or hockey team– that anyone can cheer for.

The Social Side of Community Engagement

Albertans have a curious attitude towards the social element of community life. We talk a lot about the “Alberta way”, irrigating talk-show radio’s arid pastures with verbal cloudbursts extolling the wisdom found in small-town Alberta where “Community comes first.”
Yet reality is often different. When Alberta communities make important public decisions, some see economic gain as the fruit on the tree. Environmental concerns are the potential risks to the tree’s fruit. The social element of a community is the bird that might be enticed to come to sing in the tree.
We are puzzled when boom–time Alberta workers from places like Newfoundland and Saskatchewan make their money and return home. How can they turn their back on Paradise?
Do we have something to learn from Saskatchewan and Newfoundland, where life in socially engaged communities is often quite different? In those communities, the economy is the trunk of the tree providing support and feeding nourishment to the branches. The environmental element is the leaves– the sunlight receptors ensuring vigorous, sustainable growth. Anchoring the tree are the roots –the social elements of community life. All three are essential and interdependent.
Socially–engaged communities endure because of their attributes. Diversity is one of those attributes. Social diversity adds zest and vigor to community life. Yet in much of rural Alberta, the amount of social diversity is somewhere between Slim and Zippo, and Slim just moved back to Regina.
Alberta didn't start out that way. The homesteaders who broke the land and built the foundation of this province were a motley crew from all over the globe. Many were economic and/or political refugees with differing faiths and values. A common desire for a new and better life united them, along with the stark reality of their mutual interdependence. In the community “code” that governed life in that era, one never – ever – left another person alone and stuck in the ditch, even if the stuck person was your worst enemy. To do so would irrevocably stain your reputation.
Diversity can lead to conflict, and that leads to the second attribute of socially engaged communities– the ability to use conflict as a tool in building a tolerant and enduring society. Properly managed conflict is to human progress as yeast is to wine. Discussions focusing on listening before speaking, and on mutual engagement rather than posturing, lead to deeper understanding and creative solutions.
All too often, the preferred community governance “Modus Operandi” for resolving issues is issue-avoidance or unilateral decision-making. Avoiding issues always resolves them in favor of the status quo, and unilateral decision-making disempowers the community. However, open and respectful conversations on important community issues leads to a deeper examination of the issue, and the possibility of alternative solutions.
Rocky Mountain House is a good example of a community with the courage to discuss and act together on a social concern. That community engaged in a thorough examination of the issues involved in Video Lottery Terminals. The community made its decision after thoroughly discussing the pros and cons.
Regardless of whether we agree with the outcome, we should applaud the community’s courage, for there are risks associated with this kind of open discussion. Would this community discussion tear open wounds that might take generations to heal?
It took courage and a strong belief in the validity of community social engagement to take such a chance. Rocky Mountain House had that courage. That’s the kind of guts that built this province, and I believe it’s the real “Alberta way”.
In the next post, I'll share my views on environmental engagement.

The Economic Side of Community Engagement

In today’s “Wired World”, we throw buzzwords around like confetti at a country wedding. All too often, the buzzwords have the all the substance and staying power of the confetti-– and some of the marriages.
Politicians rattle on about “accountable government”. Advocates of nuclear energy talk about “green energy”. And folks active in the community development biz talk about “engaged communities”.
What are “engaged communities”? Would we know one if it jumped up and bit us on the backside? How does a community go from “casual dating” to “engaged?”
I believe that an “engaged community” is a community that is involved in its’ own destiny– taking responsibility for its’ own economic, environmental, and social evolution. Primarily proactive rather reactive, it sees itself as its own change agent.
Bright-eyed and alert readers not conditioned to suck up buzz-words like kids suck up candy might well ask: “And what does that verbiage really mean, Les?” That’s a fair question.
Let's start with economic matters. An engaged community accepts the premise that everything communities do is interconnected and interdependent. The members of the community Economic Development Committee would not make decisions pertaining to important economic matters in isolation. Engaged communities conduct independent studies of the short, medium and long-term implications of economic development proposals for their congruence with community values. They assess the impact of economic proposals on environmental and social elements of community life, and build corrective strategies into the final plans.
Recent Alberta history shows what can happen when a combination of provincial policy and complaisant municipal councils push development not congruent with community values. A decade ago, it took passionate and determined action by the citizens of the Counties of Forty–Mile and Flagstaff to stonewall the late and unlamented Taiwan Sugar hog mega-project.
There’s another key element to local economic engagement– supporting Main Street. Many studies have shown the positive impact of communities shopping and eating locally. Most local businesses in Alberta do an admirable job of supporting their communities. From their perspective, it’s just good business. Unfortunately, too many residents of rural Alberta (the communities outside the major metropolitan areas) don’t reward that community support. The Lure of The Mall proves too strong and they leave their dollars (and the paychecks and profits their spending generates) in the big cities. It’s the kind of shortsighted behaviour that continues to turn off the lights on small–town Main Streets across western Canada.
That’s two elements that I see as key to the economic side of community engagement. In my next post in two two weeks I’ll examine the social side of community engagement.

Rewarding Volunteers

What powers ACE communities and other active, creative and engaged communities? A commitment to society drives them, and the depth of their volunteer ethic fuels them. Empty the tank of volunteer support and the commitment to community comes to a gradual halt.
This is not an earth-shaking pronouncement. Most of our political leaders proclaim the importance of community volunteers. Yet they often deliver the level of that support needed to protect the legitimate interests of community volunteers.
A recent tragedy in Golden, British Columbia involving search and rescue volunteers has sharply focused the attention of Alberta volunteer groups. In this case, a husband and wife who were skiing at a resort in Golden ignored clearly-posted out-of-bounds signs and went missing. The couple was lost for over a week, and the wife died of exposure. As a result of that tragedy, her husband is suing the Mounties, the ski resort and the Golden and District search and rescue team for failing to conduct a proper search.
Liability insurance is of vital importance to the volunteer community. Existing liability insurance policies protect the Mounties and the ski resort operators and staff. There was liability insurance protection for volunteers in the Golden, B.C. Search and Rescue team. However, Golden Search and Rescue would have lost liability coverage if they were on a search without being called in by authorities. Now, they are being sued because authorities didn’t call them out. It’s all a wee bit crazy-making.
In Alberta, Search and Rescue Alberta president Monica Ahlstrom says that of Alberta’s 40 search and rescue teams, as many as 15 have no liability insurance. Bill 49, introduced this spring in the Alberta Legislature, promises extended “good faith” liability coverage for firefighters and fire departments protecting them from lawsuits arising from their professional duties. Yet there is presently no plan to include Search and Rescue volunteers in the proposed legislation.
Another issue emerging from the Golden tragedy concerns individuals who choose to ignore clear warning signs, meet with disaster, and then launch lawsuits. This has implications for every community hall or sports facility in Alberta, and any volunteer organization delivering public service.
Should volunteers performing community work in good faith expect a basic liability protection consistent with fire crews? Should community volunteers expect legislation ensuring that those choosing to ignore clear and adequate warnings are liable for the consequences of those choices?
Perhaps it’s time that volunteers tested the depth of the reservoir of “good faith” coverage trumpeted by our politicians. How could they test that “good faith”? Alberta’s volunteer community could- and should– ask for a “Volunteer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” that clearly outlines the terms of volunteer service, including risk mitigation. That would go a long way towards “filling the tank” of the volunteer spirit.

Development Decisions

It’s not easy to be an elected municipal leader in Alberta, particularly when it comes to making land-use decisions. Our boom and bust economy and the reluctance of past provincial governments to take long-term planning seriously have created an environment where some municipalities choose short-term growth over long-term sustainability.
How does a municipality balance long-term environmental protection with the benefits of substantial gains in tax assessment that can come from increased development? What would you do if you were that municipal leader?
When you’re a County Councillor, things are rarely straightforward, and these applications are no different. Please join me in the Council Chambers at Buttercup County, Alberta, where you are one of five County Councilors.
Council has received development applications from a couple of prominent companies proposing very large residential developments at beautiful Reelbig Lake, located at the far end of your County. Reelbig Lake is a prime recreation site, with residential, summer residential and commercial development. The development will bring in a substantial increase in assessments that will help stabilize the mill rate for your predominantly rural, agriculture-based County. All ratepayers would benefit from potentially large gains in County assessment.
There are also risks. One of North America’s leading water quality experts is on record predicting that Reelbig Lake’s water quality will suffer if these developments proceed. The expert says that there will be disturbing cumulative impacts resulting from the proposed developments. He says that Reelbig Lake will become eutrophic. Swimming will be impossible and desirable species of fish will die, and science will be unable to reverse the condition. As a Councillor with some knowledge of human nature, you know that folks will not be too keen to rent paddleboats or go fishing if that prediction comes true. If the expert is right, future property values around the lake will take a serious hit. Given the public alert already given concerning the risks to Lake water quality, there could be future lawsuits from property owners angry about the erosion of their property values.
Is this even the right time to make this decision? The provincial government is in the final stages of implementing a Land Use Strategy, which will provide a comprehensive planning process including cumulative environmental impacts as part of the approval process. Some concerned Reelbig Lake residents insist that Council table these developments to the Land Use Strategy process. The developers are pushing hard for a speedy approval of their applications. They say that the economic activity generated by the approval, combined with the assessment gains, will make this a big winner for Buttercup County.
So there you are, members of Council. I’m your County Reeve, Harry Handshake, and the way I see it, we have three options: (1) Approve the development applications in spite of the concerns (2) Reject the applications because of the concerns (3) Slow down the process and refer it to the Land Use Strategy for assessment. I’m opening the floor for discussion. What should Buttercup County Council do? Who wants to go first?

It’s not easy to be an elected municipal leader in Alberta, particularly when it comes to making land-use decisions. Our boom and bust economy and the reluctance of past provincial governments to take long-term planning seriously have created an environment where some municipalities choose short-term growth over long-term sustainability.

How does a municipality balance long-term environmental protection with the benefits of substantial gains in tax assessment that can come from increased development? What would you do if you were that municipal leader?

When you’re a County Councillor, things are rarely straightforward, and these applications are no different. Please join me in the Council Chambers at Buttercup County, Alberta, where you are one of five County Councilors. Council has received development applications from a couple of prominent companies proposing very large residential developments at beautiful Reelbig Lake, located at the far end of your County. Reelbig Lake is a prime recreation site, with residential, summer residential and commercial development. The development will bring in a substantial increase in assessments that will help stabilize the mill rate for your predominantly rural, agriculture-based County. All ratepayers would benefit from potentially large gains in County assessment.

There are also risks. One of North America’s leading water quality experts is on record predicting that Reelbig Lake’s water quality will suffer if these developments proceed. The expert says that there will be disturbing cumulative impacts resulting from the proposed developments. He says that Reelbig Lake will become eutrophic. Swimming will be impossible and desirable species of fish will die, and science will be unable to reverse the condition.

As a Councillor with some knowledge of human nature, you know that folks will not be too keen to rent paddleboats or go fishing if that prediction comes true. If the expert is right, future property values around the lake will take a serious hit. Given the public alert already given concerning the risks to Lake water quality, there could be future lawsuits from property owners angry about the erosion of their property values.

Is this even the right time to make this decision? The provincial government is in the final stages of implementing a Land Use Strategy, which will provide a comprehensive planning process including cumulative environmental impacts as part of the approval process. Some concerned Reelbig Lake residents insist that Council table these developments to the Land Use Strategy process.

The developers are pushing hard for a speedy approval of their applications. They say that the economic activity generated by the approval, combined with the assessment gains, will make this a big winner for Buttercup County.

So there you are, members of Council. I’m your County Reeve, Harry Handshake, and the way I see it, we have three options: (1) Approve the development applications in spite of the concerns (2) Reject the applications because of the concerns (3) Slow down the process and refer it to the Land Use Strategy for assessment.

I’m opening the floor for discussion. What should Buttercup County Council do? Who wants to go first?

Venting About Voting

We receive daily reminders of the price some people choose to pay for democracy. Images coming out of Tehran showed thousands of Iranians risking their lives protesting an election stolen by a thuggish theocracy. In Afghanistan, Canadian men and women die fighting for democracy.

We Canadians say we support democracy. We cheer the courageous Iranian demonstrators and we mourn our own troop losses. But do we actively support democracy? The numbers say we don’t. In our last federal election, only 58.8% of eligible voters cast ballots. Forty-one percent of eligible Albertans voted in 2008’s provincial election. In Edmonton’s last municipal election, 27% of eligible voters turned out.

Why is the turnout to exercise our fundamental democratic right so low? Non-voters give various rationales; from voter cynicism to our busy lifestyles or because the dog ate our homework.

But all is not lost. The “Sherlock Holmes” types at Elections Canada have solved the Case of the Lousy Voter Turnouts. A series of surveys conducted by Elections Canada found that 58 % of respondents said that they would use the Internet to register, and 54% would use it to vote.

Yes, on-line voting is the answer. Heck, we already use the Internet to vote for Canadian Idol and Canada’s Top Model and all the other exercises in cultural democracy. Why not take all the fuss and bother out of voting for our political representatives?

That is precisely why on-line voting is a really, really bad idea. A healthy democracy demands full citizen engagement. When we choose not to vote, we turn our backs on democracy. We spurn the memories of the men and women killed or injured in two World Wars and other conflicts where those soldiers stood to protect democracy.

Our rights come with matching responsibilities. I have a right to drive a car, provided I meet the requirements and do not abuse the privilege. If I abuse my right to drive, it can be suspended or permanently revoked.

Why not take the same approach to voting? Fail to exercise your right to vote in three consecutive elections, and lose your right to vote for three years. Go six years without voting, and lose your vote permanently.

Does that sound harsh? I don’t think so, and neither would the family of Neda Soltan, the young woman shot in the streets of Tehran protesting for democratic freedom. Would it sound harsh to the families of Canadian soldiers who died bringing the democratic way of life to Afghanistan? I think not.

The specious rationales for Internet voting are no more than self-indulgent arguments for entitlement without effort. Internet voting is a shameful suggestion unworthy of proud citizens in a democratic society.

When it comes to our right– and obligation– to vote, we should use it or we should lose it. You snooze; you lose.

Talking About Taxes

There are few words that can trigger as violent a reaction in Alberta as the word “taxes”. Some Albertans see taxes as major impediments to employment and wealth creation. Others tend to see taxes in a slightly more benign light. However, most of us don’t feel particularly warm and fuzzy when it comes to paying income, property or consumption taxes.

Yet a community’s ability to raise money collectively through taxation to meet its social and infrastructure needs is a key element of community empowerment. Why then do we have such a negative perception of taxes? And what role do taxes play in the context of community life?

A symphony of messaging from right-wing politicians and think tanks, orchestrated by the powerful corporations owning almost all Canadian media, creates the context in which we view taxes. We absorb their refrain– “Taxes Are Evil” as it loops endlessly on the media conditioning machine.

Yet the reality of taxation is much different. Our taxes are the investment we make in our community’s social, economic and environmental well-being. Taxes build our schools, hospitals and clean and police our streets. They build the roads and infrastructure linking our communities and driving our economies. Taxes support community social programs, our parks and recreation facilities and pay for our municipal employees. Ultimately, they are the manifestation of a community’s commitment to itself and its future.

There is no quicker way to disempower a community than by politically punishing municipal governments who use their taxing powers to meet local needs. Yet local governments contemplating tax hikes know they will face a media-led storm of protest when they raise taxes to meet community needs– particularly if those perceived needs are social or environmental in nature.

Here in Alberta, we see the results of that fear. In too many Alberta communities, especially in rural Alberta, nothing of any consequence happens unless the provincial government is the primary funder. How can we create a provincial composed of diverse and creative communities if we continue to choke off the local responsibility to raise the money required to support that diversity and creativity?

Perhaps it’s time we looked at taxes in the same way we look at other investments. What is the rate of return from a local dollar invested in our own community? If we use that yardstick, we might see taxes in a whole new light- and begin the community renewal process we so desperately need.