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Originally Posted by highwater
Hi Thistleclub. I hope you have a chance to watch the video of the meeting when it's posted. I think Annie O'Donaghue of the GCL did a good job of elucidating the difference between values and issues. As other posters mentioned, GCL moved from being a 'chicken little' organization focused on negatives such as stopping Walmart, to being focused positively around core values that they developed through surveys and dialogue with citizens in all parts of the city.
Like Hamilton, it was assumed that people living in Guelph's older, urban neighbourhoods had little in common with suburbanites, but when the discussion focused around values, such as citizen engagement, as opposed to specific issues like Walmart, they found that there were far more similarities than differences. I wouldn't be surprised if we find the same thing here. I think our challenges will be our much greater size, complicated by the fact that some of our suburbs (cough, Flamborough, cough cough) actively despise Hamilton, and are willing to work against the best interest of the city as a whole. However, I still think there is the potential for lots of common ground with other areas.... An organization like the GCL would bring increased legitimacy to these efforts by virtue of it's size and the broad base of its consensus. Much harder for the DiIannis of this world to demonize a city-wide coalition of citizens from all walks of life. The GCL has managed to stave off charges of partisanship by developing their core values through broad-based consultation, and staying true to them. This is the lesson I took away from last night. I think it's worthwhile emulating, and a good framework for finding our own 'made in Hamilton' solution.
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Looking fwd to video. And I agree with your points. As I've said, I think that even if a Civic League didn't change anything in the makeup of council in 2010, the community conversation could transform the political culture of the city.
Geography will naturally be a challenge. Guelph is lucky in that four of its six wards converge on downtown: City Hall's in Ward 1, but walk six blocks north, west or south and you're in another ward. That civic intimacy in itself fosters community. They have to cross the Speed. We have to erase the escarpment, and that's just for starters: Wards 1-4 & 6-8 (everything from Dundas to the Red Hill Valley, the Harbour to Rymal) represents 60% of the city's electors, but only seven of 15 council votes. Sea change will require support from the deep suburbs.
I do not think that this is impossible, incidentally. It will require hard work, patience and dedication, but I think that it is completely doable.
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