It began with an idea.
Thomas Villeneuve wanted to create a space where he and fellow residents of Otter Lake could build a shared vision for the future of their community.
Turns out he’s not alone.
In March, he invited everyone and anyone to join him for the first gathering of what he called the Community Assembly. On Saturday 80 people showed up and, as you saw on our front page, they brought their ideas.
This is no small feat.
We live in a time when we’re all too busy, whether with work, taking care of our families, or responding to any number of other demands on our time. There is a chronic shortage of volunteers, to the point that service groups are struggling and some are disbanding. And it takes a pocketbook issue like taxation to get even a few people to show up at a municipal council meeting.
In this context, scores of people turning up on a Saturday evening for a brainstorming session on community development is quite an accomplishment.
Maybe it was the lure of the potluck dinner, the prizes or the raffle. Or maybe it was because this is a moment when people are realizing that if we want a better world, it is going to have to start right here, and it is going to have to be us who will make it happen. Whatever the reason, Villeneuve seems to have tapped into something.
But drawing on the insights that can be found within the local population goes well beyond getting people into a room together for a couple of hours. Nurturing a sense that it is a friendly space in which all participants are free to speak their mind, providing they are courteous and respectful, is key.
In a world where civil discourse is in all too short supply, this is a great way to go. It leaves people feeling heard and feeling good about showing up and sharing their thoughts. And, regardless of whatever else comes of it, it can be a human bonding, community forging experience in and of itself, and that is priceless.
So, bravo to Thomas Villeneuve and the people who helped you bring your idea to life, not least the 80 people who came out to see what they could make of the opportunity.
