Downtown Delays

My goodness! It's impossible to drive downtown these days.

With all the delivery trucks, construction, and pedestrians breathing life in to our downtown, it brings to mind, whats the plan?

The City has a downtown revitalization plan, but to see it in action you see a collection of individual efforts to revitalize our central core. The City of Brantford website states "The Downtown Master Plan will identify the action items necessary to achieve this outcome of Councils approved Community Strategic Plan, to make Brantford's "downtown vibrant and successful- the hub for its citizens, students, businesses, visitors and government".
So far, so good right?

A visit to their site shows numerous reports - but I find no eventual goal other to make it vibrant and successful.

How do we want our downtown to be shaped? Do we want it to be a burgeoning university district with cafes, shops, etc to service students? Perhaps instead we want to encourage businesses and professionals to set up shop? Or do we want both?

We need a plan and course accessible to all citizens - I call on our leaders to communicate its plan with us.

Need for News - Originally Posted : 12 Nov 08

125 000 people.

That's what Statistics Canada states is the approximate population of the Brant. How many major sources of news and opinions are there?

Two.

The Brantford Expositor and CKPC are no doubt diligent and hardworking media entities. But, how many people outside of their place of business listen to CKPC? What do people read first, the Expositor or the Toronto Star, National Post, or Globe and Mail? Is it not a sad fact that these questions even need to be raised?

There is a saying, all politics is local. We only get two sources for political news, that's it. HI'm not questioning the integrity of the Brantford Expositor, but one source of news does not serve the democratic interests of our citizens. I'm sure Mr. St Amand in 2004 and 2006 can tell you how important the Expositor's endorsement was to his electoral success in those elections. I'm also sure that Mr. McColeman can tell you how important it was this year in his upset of Mr. St Amand.

My point, the Expositor is a trusted source of news and opinion due to its fact it is the only source of news in town. There is no discourse, no differing opinions. The Expositor can't cover all the news, how many critical stories about the issues and about the residents of our area have been left unheard because of the limited resources of the only paper in town.

A well-informed citizenry is essential to the ideals of democracy and community. We need to hold the fire to the feet of our elected representaives, and the only method we have is the media.
In this year 2008, we should begin the task of moving past the media of previous generations and embrace the so-called "new media". We can't expect this city to join the 21st century if we rely on the media of the 20th. Your city deserves better, your neighbour deserves better, you deserve better, and your children, our future, deserves better.