Some ideas to help bring community together

Everything starts with an idea and a willingness to change and improve.

Since there's no shortage of talented citizens in this fair land, there's no shortage of ideas.

We'd like to offer a few ideas that would benefit us all. Some may be simple, others a bit more challenging, but in our humble opinion, they're all worth examining. They're not meant to be critical - they're meant to be talking points, or a launching pad.

There's no problem with pitching out the ideas and trying to hit a home run. It's when the pitches stop that it becomes worrisome.

Many of our suggestions are aimed at our Town leaders - the politicians who work on our behalf. That's merely because they have the means and brain power to get things done.

It's no secret that public attendance at Caledon council meetings is poor at best. We understand the demands on people's time make spending a couple of hours during a work day at council quite a chore. Therefore, we'd like to suggest that Caledon council takes its show on the road, perhaps quarterly, to the far corners of this municipality. They could be evening or Saturday afternoon affairs in Bolton, Inglewood, Mono Mills or Alton. They could be regular council meets, or special town halls that bring the people together to air their views and grievances.

That's democracy in action. There's nothing like residents gathering in their communities to speak directly to the decision-makers in an informal setting.

Speaking of informal, how about a series of good, old-fashioned socials - community BBQs, parades, fishing derbies and dancing in the street kind of fun! Yes, a few areas do hold annual festivals and fairs, but they're few and far between, and don't really involve the entire town. What we'd like to see is a Caledon Day or a week set aside where everyone in this land comes to celebrate our past, present and future. There could be dunk tanks filled with councillors; friendly tug-of-wars between villages and a Caledon-wide bake-off.

Activities like this provide a good shot in the arm for community spirit, something that appears to be lacking lately.

Another way to spark a sense of community is the creation of a town square, or village focal point. Few of our towns and villages have elaborate central squares or major centres. Gatherings and events tend to be held at fairgrounds, churches, soccer fields or parks.

There's no reason each community can't celebrate its unique qualities through the building of a village square. Yes, undertakings of this magnitude would take a tremendous amount of time, effort and money. But that hasn't stopped us before. Caledon citizens are very generous and clever when called upon, so this challenge would not be insurmountable.

Palgrave Rotarians had the right idea when they erected a village clock near the fire hall. It's a small but mighty feature to the hamlet. The Stationlands park would be an ideal spot for a more extensive square, complete with cobblestone walkways, benches, a fountain and maybe a plaque or two honouring historic figures who played a role in making Palgrave what it is today.

One of the most important aspects of maintaining a financially healthy community is to shop locally.

There's no valid excuse not to patronize local establishments. And, judging by the homes in our subdivisions and vehicles on our roads, there doesn't appear to be a shortage of cash in the pockets of our residents. So why not make it a point to dine out once a month, and choose a different restaurant each time? If you're looking for a contractor or want to make substantial home improvements, check out the local firms first. This community boasts some great in-home businesses, too. Caledon can compete with anyone in the big city - we have top-notch photographers and artists; PR people; graphic designers; specialists; fashion designers and world-class jewellers.

What's the point of saving the planet if we don't care about our own neighbourhoods? Here's hoping to see you dancing in the streets at a village festival near you!

MP, Editor