The following editorial appeared in the Aug. 13 edition of the Guelph Mercury:
It’s been nine months since the new city council came to power in the Royal City. Enough time to sell a house and buy a new one. Design and grow a garden. Have a baby. What developments have unfolded since the council’s inception?
Vicki Beard was an obvious candidate to interview. As a member of the Guelph and Wellington County Master Gardeners, she knows what it’s like to plant seeds, nurture them and wait patiently for their growth.
An artist and associate of the Guelph Studio Art Tour, Beard has experience creating something from the ground up. She may select a gourd and have a plan for its design as a piece of art, however, “it’s (usually) going to tell (her) what it will be. (She) has to listen to the gourd.”
And listening is something she’s good at. She spends much of her day fielding calls from community members. “Because I have a business and am part of the art and the gardening communities, I have learned to listen,” she told me.
So while her cats Becca and Bracken snoozed on a nearby rocking chair, we sat in her sunny kitchen at a paper-strewn table. This time, it was her turn to talk.
I wondered what drew councillor Beard to the local political ring. Why bother putting yourself into the middle of city ballyhoo every day?
She spoke about the farming community where she grew up. “If a door slammed, it meant something,” she mused.
Her older brother, Ian Beard, was in local politics in their hometown of Jarratt, near Orillia, for 23 years. His life and death “had a profound effect on me. We had wonderful arguments about all sorts of community issues,” she confided. “We had the same way of thinking but we expressed it differently.” It was then that she decided she wanted a
personal connection with her community.
When asked about changes that had occurred since the birth of the new council, Beard suggested that communication was a significant difference.
“The council can debate at great length without anyone putting his or her personal agenda up against the best interests of the council,” she reflected.
“Communication is a process. Both councillors and citizens need to do their research, then get down to business. We need to be able to listen to and support other opinions in ways that are respectful. Let’s really listen and translate what is wanted into what can be done.”
Suddenly the phone rang. “Hello, Mr. (Citizen). How are you?” Ms. Beard asked. Pause. “You’re a little ticked off are you?” Then she listened. And listened. And listened.
I took this opportunity to stroll through her winding backyard garden walking past tall grasses, wooden benches and sculptured vine fences. Finches lingered by a stone-lined pond and butterflies flitted from plant to plant. The breeze blowing through the sumac trees made me imagine I was in a forest rather than 50 metres from busy traffic on
Speedvale Avenue.
Time to get back to the interview.
Beard commented on my query about the preservation of the downtown area of Guelph.
“Many families have memories there. The downtown area (unites) people. (Many) of these businesses are Mom and Pop driven, each one having individual stories. (Downtown) there is a variety of ethnic food, wonderfully unique restaurants and stores that you can’t find anywhere else.”
I wanted to know some practical ways we could make Guelph’s downtown a more inviting place.
“If more people lived downtown,” she offered, ” there would be more staples (there) like additional grocery stores. (Imagine) what the back of Baker Street could look like with not only parking but with unique stores, and patios with hanging plants prevailing. We could turn the area around and it would be stunning. (But) this will take some time.”
We turned to Guelph’s Master Plan for water supply. She suggested that “we get a jump on this before we need to. Why do we purify the water we use to wash cars and water lawns?” she asked. ” We are paying for a system to purify and need to decide how to make the best use of this system. We need to look at our own personal habits in order to conserve water.”
The water issue provided a natural segue into the topic of waste management. I was curious how the new city council was dealing with this issue.
“The Ministry of the Environment has approved our recycling facility and has designated it as a waste site.” The Waste Resource Innovation Centre, a.k.a. the Wet/Dry facility, seems to be doing a good job and even offers suggestions on the city website about the best ways to manage our waste. As far as the Eastview landfill site is concerned? Well, there may be great plans in the offing. But it looks like we’ll just have to wait for the news of any transformation.
The councillor’s phone would be ringing again soon, so I asked my penultimate question.
“If you could use your magic wand to do anything you wanted on this council, what would you do?”
Beard didn’t hesitate. “I would get more money from the provincial and the federal governments to keep Guelph up-to-date on roads, streets and all city matters.”
I invited Vicki Beard to look into my crystal ball and tell us what she saw for her own future.
“I’d like to stay in municipal government,” she told me. “I like the connection to people. And — a gravel road. Yes, I wouldn’t mind living by a gravel road. Speedvale is a bit noisy.”
Quick summary? We have a council that respectfully discusses city matters. Our water and waste management is – being managed. Our downtown is important. Now all we need to do is do our research, ask questions, offer suggestions and be patient. I’m really good at the first three, but being patient?
I’ll need to consult my crystal ball for help.
Donna Leigh White is a member of the Mercury’s Community Editorial Board.