Nelson's Progressive Apathy

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The Committee of the Whole (COW), July 23, 2012, was totally about applications to the City for tax-exemptions - 29 in total. Applicants ranged from most arguably being questionable to far less than half being truly deserving. The former from golf/curling/rod-and-gun clubs to 14 religious organizations - all Christian - like a school, prayer-groups but mostly churches. The latter - two of them religious - addressing direct need in the community.
Interesting!
A great deal of money - for this town anyway - and with donations to many/most of them probably tax-deductible as well - the segment of the public not linked to these possibly tax-exempted groups may be losing-out multi-level big-time in somebody else's process.
More interesting!

Group 1 - The Public
Hmmm.... makes you think! Correction: makes me think! You weren't there! The Oso-crowd: local so-called progressives, because of wherever your soy-latte with sprinkles of usually out-of-town flavor-of-the-month causes may direct your attention. You are not into matters civic here. Not cool!
Neither are you, the stolid mainstream: the time of City Hall meetings is just not nice - 7pm! With you cool is not the issue - couch is!

Group 2 - The News-Media
There also was no media-representation at this tax exempt COW - even though major questions could have been raised, particularly with agendas always available (for research prior) well before meetings.
Local media could nudge all of you to become informed, with accurate reports from/of Regular Council Meetings (RCM)  and meetings of the COW - but only some do: and those only from sporadically to often. Not consistently. Personal preference seemingly runs their PCs, as does frequently inaccurate or spotty recollection.
The ideal source of how-stuff-actually-is-at-City-Hall would seem to be the one local news-medium most closely associated with progressive/cool thinking - I will use "progressive(s)" throughout as a label rather than identificaton of an ideology - and that is Kootenay Co-op Radio (KCR). Yet they're never there! In Council Chambers. While running a 90-minutes morning-show with local news and interviews.
The co-op nature of the station presents an opportunity for all kinds of thought-poking - as in progressive - programming, but the progressives don't sign-up! Yet KCR's few imported as-it-is news-shows are highly respected - by local progressives! Makes me - not you! - wonder!
One common bond among progresssives is a disdain for the Nelson Star, although the Star not only broadly presents but - more important - represents Nelsonness! As with HUGS 'N' SLUGS, which makes me want to do damage in a serious manner! But it too is Nelson - I read it!
The mainstream reads the Star for entertainment, shopping-specials and obituaries; their radio-station is CBC Kelowna.
There are few - and by the nature of this approach dead-end - Council-concerned letters to the Star editor.

Group 3 - Council
Speaking of entertainment: obviously, a big part of the reason why only very few unfettered members of the public show direct interest in City-matters - by attending RCMs and COWs - is that the way these are dealt with in Council is not particularly entertaining. With few exceptions, items are run not as a whole, a vision - but as individual procedural steps.
Dullish!

So there you have it/them - you!
With a largely apathetic public at one end, a Council just trying to get through surely mind-numbing minutiae at the other and news-hounds somewhere in between or not at all: the City doesn't function all that well as a unit, which it should be able to for a town of its size. Of course - big one in all and everything - Nelson also suffers from: politics being personal, business being personal, and the personal being cliquish.
Avoid being direct - just in case!
Pouting is big!

I will present an example of the tenuous interconnectedness - if not the disconnect - of the three players: public, news-media and Council.

Picture this!
In Council must focus on local (...what? A very clumsy heading!), Nelson Star, July 18, 2012, a reader complains that A discussion of the Enbridge Pipeline by Nelson city council is not a local issue. And The Enbridge Pipeline discussion does not belong at the Council table. He then writes about how council's time might be better spent on various local issues he lists.

He makes a valid point with the pipeline-topic, particularly in view of the fact that in COW-rules a delegation from the public only deals with a matter within the jurisdiction of the City of Nelson.

It is understandable - even if inappropriate - that Council took on the very emotional Enbridge issue - precisely because it is so emotional. It touched a proverbial nerve in Council members - their humanness - usually not an issue within their dealings: what with 1-2-3 procedure in a dead-zone environment being the norm. Something for them to relate to.
The Stop-The-Violence presentation erupting into very emotional personal positions is another example. Most members acted/reacted as individuals who actually bleed - this rarely seen in Council. And quite possibly often repressed to make it all happen. Which it clearly doesn't well enough: in their work, Council members obviously are starved for a bit of emotional color, an outlet for imagination, some creativity. Or plain-and-simple kicking ass!
All this noise made news-media and public wake-up real quick: for once we had the triple-slug-fest we should have as a matter of course!

But the usual is a Council on automatic > news-media sort-of there if > another latte for progressives > the mainstream waiting for lunch - separately!

Group 1a
Taking responsibility to make all work together - for the whole - has to start with the public - mainstream, progressives, whomever - as they are what a town is all about.
The progressives acknowledging that civic matters indeed are as cool as can get: the right to create, run/maintain their environment. And the mainstream relating to people as a reality instead of a reality-show.
You've got kids: do it for them!

  
If you're not interested in the Nelson Star - you're not interested in Nelson as such - your home! Let it know directly why you're not interested! Concerns about anything else should go straight to whomever prompting them! Effective communication!
Let's face it!

Attend RCMs and COWs. In RCMs you can get info on what Council is working on and how it goes about it; you can actively, directly participate in COWs - either as an individual or as part of a group of like-minded. So, any problems with a local situation - or Council as a group handling a local situation - as perceived in an RCM: you can present to Council directly in a COW, in front of peers in the "audience". The more speak-up - the better, as Council can't afford to ignore numbers! You voted for them and just may again but! So tell them face-to-face what you need!

Council - at least indirectly - will thrive on your input: you supply first-hand feed-back, you make them relate to people instead of just rules and clauses - interaction. They will have to be on their toes: an energizing activity, feeding into their regular-folksness.

How to go about actively participating in COWs is clearly spelled-out in the Council Procedure Bylaw 3184, 2011, on the City's website. In fact, just about any info you may want from the City can be found there, including dates and agendas of upcoming RCMs and COWs. And contact info of Mayor Dooley and Council members, plus who is doing what on which board, committee, commission.
Writing to them as a group is addressed to Barb Dionne at bdionne@nelson.ca. Writing to individual members is best done following that pattern also: first-name initial preceding surname@nelson.ca. The mayor is reached at mayor@nelson.ca. Using these proper e-mail addresses seems more efficient than the website-provided door: you have more space/oversight while writing and a record of the message sent.
Always keep a record!

Group 2a
In terms of City Hall: news-media - through actually attending reporters, all and consistently! - ought to focus on the public's need more comprehensively, more accurately - instead of recollecting what they can and how they remember it. Or didn't write-down. They also need to encourage the public to attend these meetings and express opinions. Dialogues of varying opinions. Provide info on Council procedures: particularly what RCMs and COWs are (many out there don't have a clue!) and when.
The more the general public becomes involved - the more the media's (and Council's) energy will be affected, and their jobs will become more focused, more interesting in the doing - thus output.

I'm beginning to sound like an evangelist! Geez!

Group 3a
Council ostensibly wants input - the COW's actual purpose - but in reality doesn't encourage it. This too is understandable (though not excusable!): they're busy with processing papers, and having to deal with the real thing would take away time and energy of which they seemingly don't have enough.
Like: the fixed period of time allotted to on-the-spot concerns by COW attendees - those not on the agenda with a formalized presentation - is quite short. And although many individuals should have the opportunity to express themselves to give Council a hit of out-there reality: the more want to speak - the less time there is for them individually. Sort-of the faster I go - the behinder I get. This needs to be addressed! Now!
The what, how and when of RCMs and COWs must be listed and explained in bold print in every monthly City-of-Nelson news-letter: Nelson Star back-page and City Hall website.
Council's job is to deal with public concerns: the more direct contact with the public - the more personally meaningful their work may become. And enjoyable! 
The aforementioned dead-zone environment: The whole 2nd floor of City Hall - including the Council Chamber - is a punishing experience. No wonder nobody ever laughs there; hushed, earnest only staff blends into the wall-to-wall. What with all this art-walking in Nelson - how about walking it through City Hall?
Where's the color: bright, sunny, uplifting, life-affirming color?

All together now!
There's a natural - actually symbiotic - relationship between public, news-media and Council. Once accepted by them - with all channels opened - we'll be on our way!

                                        

                                               In triplicate!

Next Regular Council Meeting: Mon. Aug. 13, 7pm

No Aug. Committee of the Whole

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Nelson's Culture of Convenience - Minor Changes

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This is about the Cultural Development Commission (CDC), to be given new authority over how Nelson is run and looks at itself but not really with a new bylaw maybe and a new second-hand Comprehensive Cultural Policy. 
And the Community Heritage Commission (CHC) absorbed but not really by the CDC as part of the process maybe.
And the current Advisory Planning Commission (APC) being disbanded but not really to become a new version of itself maybe.
This transfiguration - to be operational by September - somewhat dealt with in the Regular Council Meeting, July 9. What with most everybody gone for at least part of the summer.....do the math!
City Hall's culture of procedure over content

All this supposedly as requested by the Committee of the Whole. As per The Corporation Of The City Of Nelson, Request For Decision - City Committee Restructure, page 1. Actually not quite! As I understand it: The Committee of the Whole is called this because it is to be all-inclusive - allowing for direct, on-the-spot participation of the whole of Nelson. This whole was not consulted; it has not participated in this process in any way!
In fact, Councilor Macdonald makes clear to CDC members in that group's last  meeting, July 4, that their input is not sought, because - to paraphrase her - this is the job of officials they elected: like it or not. Definitely or not, particularly as she is here as a CDC member! Or what!
That attitude is uncomfortably close to the Harper telling nay-sayers that he is only doing what the majority elected him to do! So there!

Of course, as requested by could be a misspeak, yet this not having been caught by the collective Council is telling. Which - in this meeting - is unenthusiastic, unprepared and largely baby-sat by the City Manager. Clearly without a vision that this shift in commissioning - if done thoughtfully - could be the game-changer Nelson needs to become resuscitated. There will be further readings!
A culture of just wanting to go home

You may not care about any of this, but you should care about the wonderful, whacky world of City Hall - procedure in action - and if you don't like it for whatever reason: get your butt to council meetings and express your opinion in said monthly Committees of the Whole!

The following is a peek at City Hall: in this case talking the talk but so far not really walking it anywhere.

CDC

So you don't know what the current CDC is all about. Understandably so: neither does the CDC. It has never clearly explained itself to itself and the general public - using many words to not do that in the initial Comprehensive Cultural Policy of 4 years ago. Which will become the new Comprehensive Cultural Policy - after Minor Changes - maybe, but still not explaining what culture means.

What follows then is: how exactly will Council have this Culturally Developing Commission morph into the Cultural Development Committee!

CHC

But you do know about the CHC - the group responsible for choking-off any kind of meaningful development downtown for years, while letting so-called heritage buildings there fade into a Brigadoon-fog of dinginess and decay. So-called: because Nelson's brand of heritage does not conform to the accepted definition of the term farther outside its fog-belt.

APC

The APC - the CHC's strange bed-fellow - has been pointless for years: largely because no planning is needed when there is no development.

To illustrate my point: the APC meeting, June 20, is attended by two basic members, one rep each from City Planning and Council. A third member shows-up 30 minutes late: he'd forgotten! At that point I leave because this isn't going anywhere - seemingly the reason why the rest of the members hadn't shown-up.

According to the City Manager: these same APCers will have a direct shot at participating in the new APC-configuration.

A culture of expediency

Anyway, it would seem reasonable - at this juncture - for Council to finally and definitively explain what culture and heritage mean to City Hall - this as a basis for letting Nelson get on with it for real, focused on economic needs and guided by a CDC bylaw/policy with teeth. While mindful of Nelson's past - not held captive by a selectively superficial memory of it.
Thus far - the City's interpretation (if any!) of both has been all over the map and through repetitiousness accepted by a dumbed-down public.
Ultimately it does not matter how City Hall interprets anything - as long as it communicates whatever clearly to the public for acceptance/rejection.
A culture of self-determination through participatory democratic processes.
A healthy culture!

Culture - according to City Hall
As lead-in to this proposed almost-as-good-as-new Comprehensive Cultural Policy we once again still have Nelson as "the best small art town in Canada", even though - one more time: the author never visited Nelson, and the other three Canadian candidates were Stratfod Ont, Niagara-on-the-Lake and a Gulf island. With Nelson's entry a stand-out as the longest: an over-the-top sales-pitch of wishful thinking, phoned-in as fact! Embarrassing!
A culture of insecurity

Then the Policy says that Many different definitions of arts, culture and heritage are used interchangeably. How fun! It already said that four years ago and here still mentions culture/cultural/cultural sector 99 times - give-or-take a few!

The Policy's cultural sector, among others, comprises cultural events, cultural organizations, First Nations history and culture - in these three at least: culture probably having different meanings.

Not to itemize here all the different cultures - none as telesexy as First Nations - brought to Nelson over time and contributing to the City becoming what it is today. If those Councilors from different cultures - or with a partner from a different culture - want to dump theirs in favor of the British-colonial mono-cultural look: go for it!

But for Council to disregard non-white-Anglo culture-groups here is disrespectful - and reprehensible, as Council members were voted into office in part by these very same they disrespect!

Nonetheless - we do have our identity as a vibrant, authentic cultural community in which cultural attributes permeate everyday life. What twaddle this and much of the Cultural Policy!

A culture of ignorance

Heritage - according to City Hall
In the CDC's reincarnation: heritage will continue to be about British-colonial buildings and their owners/architects only. Decidedly not about those many from other cultures, who made the money for those few and under what conditions. Who made Nelson!
So these non-people from non-cultures also didn't have and don't have a heritage! How could they - they didn't and don't exist!
Unless they vote and consume!
A culture o bigotry

How heritage a la Nelson will fit into the new, improved CDC remains to be seen, as the heritage-contingent is a bunch of fundamentalists with an agenda - totally not ready to vacate the throne!

A clear and expansive, commonly acceptable and accepted definition of heritage and culture are the needed fulcrum for heaving Nelson out of its smug and narrow-minded cedar-chips: into an era of cooperation, based on a focused goal for the good of the whole - now! A Cultural Development Committee could be conduit, guide, flashpoint in this - once defined in a clear, simple language kept brief!

Councilor Cherbo, most vocal heritage-above-all advocate on Council - in full Freudian slippage - in his opinions refers to the Cultural Heritage Commission.
Bless him!

If only!

                                    The next Committee of the Whole,

       Mon. July 23, 19:00,

                                                 Council Chambers - City Hall

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Bev Outta (Here) - Finally!

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In 2006 the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was founded when/because of the pleasures of racism expressed with gusto by "real" Canadians had reached giddy heights in the Vancouver area during the late 1890s/early 1900s.




Nelson - ready to embrace whatever Vancouver-thing since day one - then had its own share of fires set to Chinese property; the Nelson Weekly Miner proposed to kill off - if any legal way can be divined to accomplish the act - every mother's son of the almond-eyed pigtail wearers, living at present in any country inhabited by white men; Nelson officially created the Chinatown ghetto in the Lower Hill mudflats; former mayor John "Truth" Houston advocated raising the head-tax - imposed on all Chinese - to $1000.

The Chinese totally being on their own - although then by law as Canadian as everybody else - looked after each other: a tradition rooted in Chinese history as the Hong Men, later becoming the Chinese Freemasons over here, including Nelson. Vancouver - at the time - had an enormous number of unemployed Chinese: no money, no jobs, no housing. No prospects. And - the basis of all this - shunned and persecuted by "real" Canadians. Thus the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver was born: its goal to be found in its name.

And in 2006 many congratulatory letters were sent by politicos - what with the "Chinese" in Canada having turned into a sizeable voting-bloc over the years. This same recognition, prior to the upcoming election, sending Mr. Harper - morphing into a folksy Little-Boy-Blue(-Sweater) hybrid for the occasion - from Ottawa to Richmond BC for one afternoon, just to have his picture taken: holding a "Chinese" baby - in a "Chinese" backyard - in "Chinese" Richmond.

These congratulatory letters ranged from detached-generic to bizarre. Two of the bizarre stand out particularly: one from our then Governess General Michaelle Jean and one from Bev Oda, then doubling as Minister of Heritage and Minister of Status of Women. Go figure!

Ill-advised Michaelle Jean wrote about the Society's work as true to the Canadian spirit of generosity and compassion. Obviously oblivious to the fact that it was precisely this prevailing Canadian spirit - devoid of generosity and compassion - which led to the Society being founded.

And then there was Bev Oda - for the first time coming to my attention in this context and here needing an introduction to set the stage for her letter: She is a sansei - her grandparents were Japan-born - and her mother was interned during "those" years. A poster-girl kinda thing, like - coincidentally - Michaelle Jean. She promptly became closely involved with introducing Bill C-333 - The Chinese-Canadian Recognition and Redress Act: aiming ro recognize the Chinese contribution to establishing British Columbia and - at the same time - acknowledging the ill-treatment these same Chinese were subjected to while making said contribution. Pure-gold PR!
She held this position for about one and a half years - without leaving a status-of-women mark - and then was moved into being Minister of International Cooperation. Obviously leaving no positive mark there either, what with Mr. Harper's inability - due to "scheduling conflicts" - to attend the opening-ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Cooperating - not so much. Thus returning Canada to the dark ages internationally.

As to her congratulatory letter to the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver on its 100th anniversary: totally generic in content, it also is very brief. Bilingual too: two side-by-side versions.

The version on the left in English; the version on the right in - French!

Ms. Oda resigned, July 3, from her work as MP and Minister of International Cooperation - after a string of alleged improprieties and amidst rumors of her pending removal from the ministerial post.

                           Outta here!

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