Democracy Wins, Long live democracy and …

Comments from a resident.

Greetings from The NORM Group. How are you today after the
decisive vote at the meeting last night about “Wilson Farmhouse?”

May I request your permission to express my feeling that
all of you appeared to be tired of the matter and,
voted not to “kick the can” down the road anymore? Am I correct?

Democracy wins again, long live Democracy, vive le Democracie.

Thank you very much for the opportunity you gave me, and
The NORM Group, to participate in the democratic process.
I am ever so indebted to you for giving me the opportunity
to participate in the process, and for allowing me to answer
your questions at the meeting last night.

The “long term pain” of the immediate neighbourhood in the vicinity of

Wilson Farmhouse will be alleviated, and the City staff will be spared
the exercise of their gray matter on this topic in the near term.
Isn’t it? God bless all of them.

This is our “short term gain” resulting from the vote last night,
“our” meaning the people of the City of Guelph,
including the people of the immediate vicinity of Wilson Farmhouse.

May I have your permission to express the concerns identified
by The NORM Group about the “long term pain” resulting from the
vote? We refer to the fact that “short term gain leads to long term pain
and, short term pain leads to long term gain” as the saying goes.
“Thirteen years” is a “long time,” is what I heard last night at the meeting,
but I did not have the empathy to know compared to what?

The immediate neighbour to Wilson Farmhouse will be saved from
being hit by “flying shingles” from the “rotten” roof immediately after
demolition. That is true. They don’t incur any direct costs for this benefit,
while the City is on the hook immediatley for the demolition costs,
to start with. “Is that all there is to the costs?” is the concern The NORM
Group has, while pondering over the vote last night.

What are we going to do about the grieving for “the ruins” of
the demolished house to be saved, for the “commemmoration” of the
“heritage” value of the property for our progeny, not to mention
our grieving for a “properly” landscaped park land at the spot,
to increase “property values?” I am concerned that the City staff
did not include this cost for the remediation of the site,
after the demolition. God bless them for following the directives and
guidelines they were given to prepare their report, and for the expert

recommendation they made two times already, considering the
“shelf-life” of the Wilson Farmhouse.

The long term pain the citizens of The Royal City of Guelph have to
endure, because of the vote by the well meaning and helpful Council last night,
for the short term gain of the immediate neighbours,
who endured thirteen years of “indecision” and “kicking the can”
down the road, by well meaning and very helpful people over the years,
is the future cost of maintenance of the parkland, together with prettied up
“historic ruins” and protecting them on an ongoing basis from
vandalism, by our fun loving youthful posterity. Isn’t it? The staff may have
considered this cost, but may not have been given the directive
to include “all costs” while exercising their gray matter in this context.

May I have your permission to inquire if these long term costs are
included in the recommendation to demolish, and is considered
in the vote last night?

And then, there is the cost of a future community centre in that area
that may not have been taken into account, that many in the neighbourhood
are grieving for. Isn’t it? Am I correct?

Those are the kind of costs that were considered while The NORM Group
made the offer that I presented last night to the august body at The City Hall,
who are the decision makers at the local government level in our
democracy. The vote last night denied the opportunity presented
to the people of the City of Guelph. What happened? Isn’t it
“tiredness” about this matter?

May I have your permission to share the lesson I learned from this
opportunity to participate in the democratic planning process,
that is the responsibility of our local government in our democracy?

After living for more than thirty three years in this Royal City,

known for its innovation and higher centres of learning,
together with the many Centres of excellence, the City slogan
“Making a difference” takes on a new meaning for me after
the vote last night, by well meaning responsible people at the
local government level.

Thank you ever so much for lesson 101 for me, in democratic
planning process. God bless you all.

God bless all of us with the strength to endure the long term pain
from last night’s vote by the well meaning and otherwise very helpful
Councillors at The City.

God bless all of us with health, wealth and long life,
together with peace, prosperity and progress.

I am copying this e-mail to Innovation Guelph, and other concerned
people who helped me and The NORM Group to understand the
needs and wants in the community around Wilson Farmhouse,
and the democratic process

Long live democracy, vive le democracie.

“Spearheading innovative approaches to prosperity and community wellbeing”
with help from your neighbourhood Innovation Centre.

Cheers and best regards

PJ

A loyal citizen of The Ciity of Guelph

and a member of the NORM Group