Nelson's Progressive Apathy

...
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

...

Nelson's Culture of Convenience - Minor Changes

...

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

...

Bev Outta (Here) - Finally!

....

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!

...

July 1: Day of Humiliation

...

The result of a Canadian Press/Harris Decima survey suggests: the country knows little about its own history. Apparently, while Canadians profess pride in their country - that pride doesn't necessarily translate into knowing much about it. Findings are lengthy and spiked with astounding samples of the public's percecption of what, who, when and how.

Thus the question whether many really care abot the current 1812-exhibit in Ottawa - other than that it's held at our very own - corporate - national museum glorifying war and costs over 1 million bucks - may generally generate lukewarm interest in the rest of the country.
Somewhat more interesting the rest may find that - according to the Ottawa Business Journal, June 18, 2012 - Part of the money for the exhibit will come from the federal government, which has budgeted $28 million across the country for war commemorations and related advertising.
Our very own war! How cute is that! To the tune of!

In connection with all that blood-letting, I found out that there actually was a Laura Secord and involved too - while I had hitherto known her only as the name of a really good chocolate shop at Yonge/College in Toronto - years ago. No - not as far back as 1812!
Whatever - all this 1812ing raises the point that Canada still hasn't got its identity straight: relationship-issues! On one hand: not ready to let go of mum's ever so long apron-strings - although she is far too busy for us elsewhere with hats and horses. And on the other: turned-on by Uncle Sam's sexy uniform and a pistol in his pocket - just over the backyard-fence.
Decisions! Or not!

So here comes Canada Day - a day of abundant consumption, what with tons of unhealthy food and floods of cold brewskie in the great outdoors. Good for business! But personal reflection? Not so much!

Did you know - for instance - that on Canada Day, July 1, 1923 - or Dominion Day, as it was called then - the Exclusion Act came into effect: putting a legal stop to Chinese immigration or even just entering the country - with the odd exception. This generally connected with money, no matter what the rules said. The ban even applied to Chinese with British citizenship, and technically all those from Hongkong - a British protectorate/colony - fit that category.
The date of this was cruelly telling: Chinese did not qualify for being Canadian - although there was no immigration/citizenship law in place at the time, and their head-tax certificate made those here already just as Canadian as everybody else.
This day of British-colonial preening and prancing became known to Chinese anywhere as Day of Humiliation, and for the next 24 years - until 1947 - they were reminded every July 1 that they were not worthy of being Canadian.

This Day of Humiliation presented the most devastating loss of face yet - on top of the many restrictions heaped upon Chinese in BC - including Nelson - and the rest of the country already. They could not vote in local and provincial elections, and because they were not on voters' lists there again until 1949, they could not vote nationally. This also meant: they could not become attorneys, pharmacists, accountants; they could not be jurors. They were excluded from crown-land leases until 1951; they could not be hired for government work of any kind nor receive government contracts.
All this after those who entered Canada after 1903 had to pay a head-tax of $500 - an extraordinary amount at the time. But that could have been worse, if those in charge had listened to Nelson's former mayor John "Truth" Houston - racist extraordinaire - who had been loudly pushing for raising the tax to $1000!

The Act had far-reaching ramifications fo those Chinese in Canada already. With family being of utmost importance to them, even their immediate families in China could not join them here, and those not married were looking at possibly never being able to marry, because intermarrying with whites simply wasn't acceptable to most of them - as it wasn't to white women.
By law - for a time - white women were not allowed to work in restaurants run by Chinese. Inscrutable sex in the kitchen and all that!

Those men here then had a choice of either returning to China for good - the preferred official scenario - or they could go back home for a time, get married, wait for the wife to become pregnant and then return to Canada alone to prepare a home for wife and child - for when (if!) the Exclusion Act was lifted.
They were allowed to leave Canada and reenter with their head-tax certificate as a kind of passport.
So many went home to make their families there comfortable for the stretch and get married. These men ended-up having to support 2 households - one here/one there - without any guarantee!
But this lay-away-plan family was still better than no family at all, as many worried about possibly being too old to start a family after the law - they could only hope! - was dropped eventually.

When this happened after 24 years - wives with unmarried children were allowed to join husbands/fathers, and many men met their offspring for the first time as young adults. Many wives did not want to come at all, feeling too old or too set in their ways in China to start a new life in a country where - they knew - they really were not welcome. Or the husband here or wife/child there had died in the meantime. Shattered dreams, futures.
An open immigration law for Chinese specifically did not come into effect until 1967.

A small, bitter-sweet consolation for those whose lives have been directly/indirectly shaped by the Exclusion Act: Canadian flags waved on Canada Day now were probably made in China. And the day's highlight all are oohing and aahing over - fireworks - are a Chinese invention!

Canada Day



Uh-oh, Canada!






..

Nelson's Socio-Economics - COW, Mon. June 25

..

A meeting of the Committee of the Whole (COW) is a monthly Council-meeting specifically for input from the public. The date of the next COW-meeting - in fact all Council/COW/Commission-meetings - can be found on the City of Nelson website in the Meeting Calendar.

Input: Anything civic - aside from, for instance, feeling wronged with a parking-ticket - can be given in two ways:
1.
A group organizes around a particular civic concern, connects with Frances Long, Office of the Mayor, and asks to be put on the agenda of the next COW. If accepted - the group will make a formal presentation to Council, and Council will respond directly.
2.
An informal presentation may be made by concerned individuals at the beginning of a COW-meeting. Time allowed is 5 minutes. The topic is not on the agenda, but Council may ask questions.

Council/COW/Commission-meetings are generally open to the public, and it is advisable for those with civic concerns to attend and voice them. As in civic responsibility and participatory democracy - as NOT in Fish-Heads and Flowers.

Following is a topic to be presented to the COW, Mon. June 25.
No pictures!



Nelson's Socio-Economics

The setting for the rock commemorating the Chinese community's contribution to putting Nelson on the map has now been completed. Appropriately so between the end of Asian Heritage Month and Day of Humiliation.
The site now comprises the entire slope from the corner of Vernon & Hall to Mountain FM on Hall and all contained therein. This thanks to Karen MacDonald of Parks & Works, whose unprompted enthusiasm throughout has been truly wonderful to be with!
The whole looks and feels permanent - permanent as a rock can be permanent - simply representing part of Nelson's cultural heritage: this connection of culture and heritage concepts neither part of the current Community Heritage Commission's (CHC) syllabus, nor the current Cultural Development Commission's (CDC) confused bylaw-explanation of the City's cultural sector.  What with this bylaw admitting to being confused about itself! Surely a first anywhere!

The former's idea of heritage being elitist and superficial - the latter's explanation thus far not having defined reasonably the terms heritage, arts, culture and their umbilical inter-connectedness.

This now undeniably fixed physical presence of a reminder of Nelson's generally ignored cultural heritage may serve as one example for the City's need to change its selective landscape to an all-inclusive mindscape. Elsewhere called multi-culturalism.
I am looking forward to Council focusing on a reasonable explanation of culture, as a prerequisite for creating a comprehensive and detailed bylaw to clearly guide the new, improved model of a CDC-With-A-Goal.

Culture is the heart-mind of a society as a whole - expressing itself pragmatically and creatively in word and action. Often subconsciously. Often manifesting physically. The development of a culture is an ongoing process: yesterday's experience becomes today's point of reference, in terms of past failures and successes.

Heritage is everything we consciously bring into today from yesterday in various manifestations - non-physical/physical - as in education, technology, arts, sciences.
But not so in Nelson - never really having left yesterday and attempting to exploit its own brand of heritage, without splicing it into today.

Most recent example:
Sandwich Board Policy 4520.00.00
Design Guidelines
Sign Typeface and Graphics
Building style, colours and nature of the establishment should be considered in the selection of appropriate sign typeface.
Surely the building style does not determine the nature of the establishment - the establishment is not advertising the building but its own nature! Appropriate typeface would be that which the owner deems best to do this. That's advertising and ONLY the owner's business!
It is not clear which colours are referred to here - obviously colours would be considered.
And - not to forget - the building's owner is lucky to have a tenant! Period!
This guideline is pointless in its entirety!
Discouraged
Ultra-modern graphics and/or lettering
If the nature of the business is ultra-modern, it probably would want to advertise itself as such. And who will determine what is ultra-modern - if not the owner? Possibly it's anything non-Nelson-heritage? Is the City replacing one group of fundamentalist heritage-thumpers with another? No business on Baker is selling heritage!
Home-made, amateurish signs
What does home-made mean? Like homemade marmalade? One could make a totally so-called professional-looking sandwich board at home! What does amateurish mean? Here also - who will decide what is amateurish?

Nelson bylaws, rules and policies - an example above - frequently are developed and/or expressed insufficiently. While limiting the number of sandwich boards is reasonable - predigesting their message is censorship!

Anywhere else the year is 2012 - but not in Nelson, although it attempts to sell itself as progressive, far out, for real, the most this and that! Actually - instead of being far out - it consistently places itself neither here nor there!

By refusing to  bring the heritage-concept into today, Nelson's socio-economic development has been limited and socio-cultural development has been largely based on empty boasts. Nelson trying to fill its here-now identity-void.

To culturally develop, we must nudge today's heart-mind consciously with foresight and various means. Local tree-and-lake art and Baker-heritage are just not doing it! Cultural awareness gained means awareness of possibilities - this leading to economic growth. But without conscious broad-based cultural development, vigorous economic growth is not possible.

What then follows is that without economic developmemt a society falters: its culture as a whole develops incrementally only. That's where we currently are in Nelson: flatlining - as in little development of economic consequence, because we endlessly play with niche-projects and vague plan-snippets for the future, the latter often generically suggested by high-priced consultants from outside - instead of devising clear based-on-need strategies for today from within!
Talking about sustainability principles is soothing - talking about economy would be unsettling! So we aren't!
We do love procedure though!

Of primary importance to the new CDC must be finding creative ways to chaperone the City - even if kicking and screaming - into its own here-now reality, to then have it reinvent itself. Out-of-the-box input sought locally and accepted as the new norm! Becoming a conduit, instead of wanting to be the decision-maker!

Thus culture as a whole may develop strongly and deposit money in the bank!

..

Nelson - Cherbo It!

..

Heritage values being sacrificed
Councillor Column - Robin Cherbo, Nelson Star/30 May

History > Heritage > Culture

Any kind of movement within a society - positive/negative - constantly shapes/reshapes and adapts its culture - the society's mind. If adaptation is refused - a culture will stagnate. What we bring from yesterday into today is heritage: thoughts, actions and their physical manifestations. Rooted in history.

Nelson focuses on their physical manifestations only - thus this focus has no foundation, as in what made them possible. In this case usually: brutally hard work/working-conditions, very poor pay and inhumane treatment of many - directly/indirectly - doled out by a few. And these few financed what became Nelson's heritage buildings.

Heritage can't be separated from history, but what with Nelson's history not taught in its schools - the City and its Community Heritage Commission (CHC) have indeed found it relatively easy to affect a separation.

Making their concept of heritage nothing less than hypocritical.

Therein lies one reason for the CHC having to go and then the local concept of heritage having to finally be made all-inclusive - historically correct and socio-culturally contemplated.

I feel uncomfortable with this column's headline alone, and I wonder whether it originates with Councillor Cherbo or the Nelson Star.

Column

The first and last sentence pretty much say it all - whatever in between just substantiates that Councillor Cherbo is by-and-large ill-informed, often non-factual and consistently over-the-top.

                                 LoJo, Victoria BC                                      

First Sentence

Nelson is known in BC, across Canada and internationally for the beautiful heritage buildings on Baker Street and in the downtown core.

Across Canada? Internationally? There's an abundance of truly imposing part-of-daily-life heritage buildings all over Europe and Asia; I don't think the rest of the world is giving Nelson's architectural gems much thought. Or Nelson - period - for that matter.

Mr. Cherbo's Brigadoon-view comes from the same fog as one of the ten most beautiful villages in the world, the prettiest small town in Canada and the best small art town in Canada.

Victoria BC - beginning to acknowledge its white-bread heritage long before Nelson - got over this don't-touch-me-there complex and is bringing heritage buildings into the present (and life!) by joyfully (and respectfully!) painting them! Started in San Francisco in the 60s - the Painted Ladies - and from there spreading all over the Western world.

But not to Nelson!

For an exploration - see the post below:

Nelson In Living Colour

1 December 2011

In Between

As one letter to the editor stated, other communities in BC are working to establish heritage commissions modeled after Nelson and unfortunately we have chosen the course over and done with.

Unfortunately, Councillor Cherbo chooses his over-and-done-with view based on one (a single!) letter to the editor - without examples yet!

This reminds me of the 2 or 3 tourists-bringing-dogs letters to the editor - presumably e-mailed by disgruntled out-of-town dog-owners, who will never ever return to Nelson - and Council promptly fell for this! Hello?! Anyone can e-mail anything to the editor from here (while claiming to be there!) - or have someone e-mail it from there - and who's to know!

Neither Councillor Cherbo's insubstantial/unsubstantiated factoid, nor Council's reaction is confidence-inspiring.

Changes to the facade on the old Nelson Daily News building and other changes to store-fronts on Baker Street raise concerns...

...as do Mr. Cherbo's vague assertions. I see no changes to the NDN facade, except for new windows on the groundfloor - wood, attractively simple. And green! Which heritage-correct clearly is not!

Mind you, I am looking foward to seeing the Nelson Daily News sign put back, but that's a personal preference, and with the transformation not complete yet - who knows!

                                                                 LoJo, Victoria BC 

...and penalties to those who change building structures from the original design.

Bring on the building-structure police! Building structures?

It is said that some people do not put a value on the heritage buildings which have drawn tourists from all over the world to Nelson.

Maybe it's a parallel-universe thing.

The Civic Theatre is another example that could be restored, similar to the Capitol Theatre.

To keep this straight: Council - with Mr. Cherbo as member - gave the Civic away to a bunch of financially dicey guys from Vancouver. No restoration-talk then. They bailed unceremoniously, and Council has been at very loose ends over what to do with the place for quite some time. Then - suddenly - it allowed a very short period of time for public proposals. So how/when exactly could/would Mr. Cherbo's restoration-proposal enter? Does he actually have one? 

As for the Capitol connection: its interior is fine - the exterior is one of the

most insipid in Nelson.

Last Sentence

With heritage being the theme and core of tourism in Nelson, hopefully (sic) citizens will demand protection of the heritage buildings in our community into the future for the benefit of all.

If heritage is the core and theme of tourism in Nelson - why isn't that what the marketing-people currently run to sell the place? And where's the mythical cultural tourist? Certainly not on Baker Street, oohing-and-aahing at the beautiful heritage buildings there. Has anyone ever actually witnessed him doing this?

Remember the Cultural Tourism Marketing Survey Results saying Our definition of a cultural tourist ... is someone who travels to experience the authentic culture of the Kootenay Lake region's people, places and activities. No heritageing specifically there!

Heritage buildings - on paper - are an attractive backdrop against which the tourist may shop - no more! - but in reality they have been protected to death - literally: they look shabby, their awnings are rotting, because generally they haven't been kept-up since the initial redo in the 80s!

That - at least in part - because of the CHC's imperious dictates. Queen City and all.

Does Mr. Cherbo really expect citizens to demand protection of these buildings ad infinitum to the tune of ever escalating taxation, seeing that his heritage core/theme is not providing the goods?

Mr. Cherbo's position - particularly as coming from a City representative - is problematic in its myopia.