As I said in my previous blog - the town council of Invermere is very "experienced" in life (all 60+ years old) They have a tough time changing. They like to stick to what they believe in, and have a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. The only way that I could get my idea into the council and maybe plant a seed in there heads, if I could just find someone that loves sports. The values of my community is sports, cooperation and 'closeness' (locals stick together) The business owners all get along and help out each other when in need. I know there are lots of people there that would love to see a rec centre built. There was big change in the council that could go in my favour.
I recently found out that the President of the junior hockey team there, now sits on the town council. I was ecstatic to hear that! I will be returning back home for reading break and hopefully I can sit down with him and give him my thoughts and ideas.
Even though Invermere is very small and everyone knows everyone, there is still a time of year where Invermere grows to triple its population.
Invermere is a vacation town, over 50% of the houses there are owned by people that are not locals. They come from mainly Alberta or the US. Most of them are fairly wealthy and live out there for the months of July and August. There are multiple famous people that have houses out there, such as Brett Wilson from Dragons Den, Mike Vernon, Mike Green and John Davidson. Getting any one of those guys to jump on board behind this project would help with persuading the council and maybe they would help out financially. The businesses there are always helping out the community so I would ask them if they would be interested in donating money in the efforts of eventually building a rec centre.
If i want to get this idea out there, I think quantity is better than quality. In the summertime, I am going to get a petition or survey going, with hopes of getting names of people that would like to see a rec centre. Eventually, I would get a "Citizens Board" together and propose a business plan on how/why/where we could build this rec centre.
Cross your fingers.
Its nice that you are actually going to try implement your plan. I think it will definitely be challenging to get the support in a community that is so accustomed to routine. Also it will be difficult to be an "agent of change" when the town council is so senior and not looking to really change any time soon. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteCool blog! I've been to Invermere before and I never knew that there wasn't a recreation centre. I think that having one would benefit a lot of people! It will be tough trying to convince the council that change in the community can be good, but i like the idea of bringing in the famous home owners to help with fundraising!
ReplyDeleteBest of Luck!
I really liked your blog Reid. The part that stands out for me is the struggles to illicit change in a community, as we identified in class, people are uncomfortable with the idea and act of change. What I especially like, was that you acknowledged that change is possible, and that it centers on relating to others in your community and identifying similarities. This not only eases the process of change, but also identifies to the community that there are people outside of the appointed leadership that capable and willing to contribute to improving the community for all to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteIt is good to hear that you are going to take a stand and make a change. Getting celebrities and professional athletes on board is a smart way to get people's attention and of course the attention of the town council. One must realize that we are the future in the communities that we have all mentioned and by being proactive, addressing the needs of our communities, and taking a stand, all starts now. Good luck with your petition! Great post man.
ReplyDeletegreat post man ! Totally agree with your thoughts. you definitely need a healthy mix of youth and experience when it comes to leading a town, or leading anything for that matter. it is crucial to have different points of view as all generations have valuble information to share with the community. Good luck with it in the future!
ReplyDelete