Do you participate in community engagement efforts from the government?
 

Do you participate in community engagement efforts from the government?

By community engagements, I mean engagements like sending your representatives emails, participating in surveys conducted by municipal government, sending feedback to a developer's application, etc for city decisions.

If you don't make your voice heard to the municipal government, would you care to explain why?

I occasionally do, mainly in the form of surveys and in the past contacting my councillor (back when I had a really good one, Jenny Gerbasi). But I haven't done that much in recent years so I voted no.

As to why, there simply hasn't been much going on lately that I feel invested enough in to comment on. I always vote in elections, though.

I am definitely in the same boat as you :cheers:.

Which is kind of why I decided to ask this question since it seems like users on these forums are very willing to participate in discussions regarding city developments and whatnot, but that the communication gets lost to the government officials.

Perhaps this is just a subjective observation of mine as the poll seems to say otherwise so far lol?

Sure do. I’m of the opinion that if you don’t like something, change it and being engaged is the best way to do that. I also think it’s important to let people know when you like what’s happening. I find in my job that people question why things are a certain way, but I can’t fix it if I don’t know there’s a problem and the people on the ground often have the best ideas and solutions. I look at civil engagement the same way.

I usually do, when I have time. I've done some community engagement events. Our state rep lives a few blocks from us and is easy to get along with, so that makes things easier too.

I do, but it wasn't my instinct for a long time. I found myself annoyed at friends who would complain mightily about whichever action whatever level of government was doing or not doing, but eventually realized that these friends weren't really doing anything about it - and nor was I. So the past few years, I've been trying to make an effort to be democratically engaged beyond just voting whenever some issue crosses my threshold of caring.

I've tried to be strategic about what I write about as I don't want to be written off by a politician's staffer as some green-ink writer. Is there anyone on the forum who can comment on what makes an effective letter to a councillor/MLA/MP?

Back when I was a student I worked for a couple of politicians and there were always one-off letters about some very specific individual concerns that they would do their best to respond to. But when there were many people writing in about something, even just a dozen or two letters, that would really get their attention. I guess that's why you have guys like Brian Mayes firmly in the NIMBY camp... he probably hears from them a lot so he feels compelled to take action on their behalf.

I participated in the Osborne Village Neighbourhood Plan

"The overall goal of the Osborne Village Neighbourhood Plan (OVNP) is to promote high quality urban development and redevelopment in Osborne Village in a manner that supports and enhances the neighbourhood and advances the urban village concept."

They FAILED. Ok maybe a few places get a C- but overall everything built since is an F. They aimed high with the best of intentions and fell flat face right into the rent-seeking trap.


I was in favour of HIGH density with tall slender buildings. Ground level retail or town houses to the property line and a slender tower set back. Even mid block as there already are some like 400 Stradbrook's 14 floors. The whole process there was only hate for these ideas.

Instead the majority insisted on Low/medium density 4 floor max. This is called rent-seeking and gentrification. Projects are so small that studio rents need to be $1500+. The very same people say they are against gentrification, but by limiting the size of development affordable places get renovated to higher rents and not a single affordable unit is built. Are there affordable place in the village anymore?

Rent-Seeking and Gentrification is Osborne Village official policy.

Stakeholder engagement sessions are always the most productive. I've been to a few of those. They're closed to the general public, and usually involve land owners, businesses and organizations in an area and that's where most of the decisions are made.

Public engagement sessions are useless because 99% of the attendees don't provide any useful input that hasn't already been presented by stakeholders. They're a waste of time and money to put on a facade of democracy. You will never satisfy everyone in the public and it's a waste of time and energy to even try. I've been to a lot of community engagement sessions and always walk away feeling like I've just wasted three hours of my time to collect, at best, two or three genuinely useful criticisms.

Same boat except I definitely need to give more positive feedback when it’s due.

my mla doesnt seem to care about up here from the weird comments ive herd of things he says.

i filled out the provinces budget survay with bunch of things and suggestions for northern mb

also filled out that weird hydro one about varible time based power rates... gave feed back on that makes sens maybe in the city but in rural areas thats dumb.. will lead to more wood stoves witch will lead to a higher carbon foot print and those of us in the north this is murder as we have only electric or wood and when its 40 below what am i supost to do... and if u got a wood stove good luck getting insurance

The last time I attended in a community engagement, it was for the Chief Peguis Trail extension when they revealed the plans for it a few years ago.

I try to participate if I do have the time. Although I wish that I wrote a letter to the local MP/MLA/City Councillor of my area.

I did years ago by writing a letter to Joy Smith when she was MP for Kildonan -- St. Paul. I forgot what issue it was, but it was part of a mass letter campaign, and apparently I was the only one in the riding to send this letter, because she personally wrote me back a couple weeks later.

So yes, interacting with a local government representative in some form does make them listen to your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms.