Thoughts on Community
Prince Rupert is a great community. What makes it great are the people here.
Include Everyone
In a strong community, everyone relies on everyone else. That means that everyone is welcome and everyone is included. This should be universal, meaning that “everyone” means everyone. Government should focus on what connects people – not what divides us. We are connected by where we live and by the simple fact that we must rely on each other to meet our needs.
A strong community treats everyone fairly and provides everyone with equal opportunities. A community free from all forms of discrimination is stronger for everyone. This kind of community listens to different viewpoints, lets people say what they really believe, and respects differences.
To build this kind of community requires everyone to chip in and do their part. A lot of responsibility comes with community, especially given that we are relying on each other for our livelihoods, health, and quality of life. We depend on doctors and other health care providers, the hospital and its staff and specialists, and other medical professionals, including our dentists, eye doctors, pharmacists, and therapists.
We also rely on fishermen and fisherwomen, truck drivers, retailers, cooks, cleaners, veterinarians, auto mechanics, plumbers, builders and contracts, dock workers, plant managers, rail workers, teachers, childcare providers, recreation staffs and lifeguards, fast food workers, Walmart staff, trash collectors, volunteers, recyclers, road maintenance crew, and everyone else in the community. We should celebrate everyone’s important role in making Prince Rupert a great place to live and work.
Fixes
Fix Health Care
- We need to fix our city’s health care system – with a shortage of doctors and other health care professionals, the closing of the emergency room, and loss of specialists, fixing the city’s health system should be a priority for all levels of government
- Health care is not a city responsibility – as it’s a provincial function of government, with funding from the federal government – but given that the system is breaking down, Prince Rupert should work with other rural communities throughout BC to help find solutions to the health care staffing issues throughout the province
Keep Fixing Infrastructure
- The city is undergoing a huge infrastructure rebuild that will help provide clean water for decades to come – keeping this on track and ensuring that we maintain an effective public utility system will build a foundation for future growth, keep rates low, and maintain property values of homeowners and businesses
Fix Local Media
- Online “social media” companies don’t care about civic engagement in city’s like ours – but are contributing to the breakdown of local media to provide independent and reliable coverage of local government and community – we need to start thinking of more ways to get news of local government to people and ways to build new media outlets based in our community (supporting local government engagement, local business advertising, and community events and coverage)
- While the city should not be in the news media business, it can continue to reach out to residents and businesses with information about city government and it can help encourage the development of independent community-based news outlets – we can also ask the province to support measures that increase diversity and sustainability in the local news sector
- Local media support local business – and as local print media declines we need to think, as a community, how to help promote local businesses and how to help foster a healthy and competitive marketplace for residents and businesses alike
Fix Senior Housing
- At the heart of our community are seniors and elders – and we need to make sure that our city’s oldest residents can remain here if they want, which requires affordable housing for seniors, access to medical care, continued nursing home and assisted living care, and continued programs to support seniors and elders
Celebrations
- There’s lots to celebrate when it comes to our community – including our arts and performance venues, school musicals and other student arts, climbing wall, basketball courts, curling, golf, racket ball court, and other recreation centres – plus great hiking trails (more would be great, too), and many churches and civic clubs that are always giving back to the community
Enhancements
- More year-round beach access
- More hiking trails and bike paths
- More senior housing facilities
- More mixed income housing – and a range of housing for families, low income and middle income included
- Community block parties
- Forums and venues to get people talking and listening to each other – dreaming ways to build up and sustain our community together
Image Source: The Northern View