Following the recent editorial in this paper regarding upcoming vacancies on the Qualicum Council, I asked myself, “what should we be looking for in prospective council members?”
Here are my suggestions:
• A commitment to a totally open decision-making process that builds trust among members of the community, since trust is the primary social capital and the essential component of community well-being.
• Commitment to development that respect nature, demonstrates sustainable planning and building practices, and builds a town with a living center surrounded by compact and accessible neighborhoods.
• A vision of the new economy, one that stresses local goods and services, energy efficiency, meaningful employment for young people, and, above all, an emphasis on quality of life, not on expanding our material consumption.
• Last but not least, a commitment to the beautiful: high quality building design, street-scapes with character and human scale, the absence of visual pollution, and, everywhere, a recognition of the splendid natural setting.
Liberal, Conservative, New Democrat — it doesn’t matter to me.
What matters is the commitment to make decisions based on community values inherent in the points above.
Lets make sure we listen carefully and make our voices heard.
Andrew Brown
Qualicum Beach