Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA national feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
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Gettin' cranky
If people become a little crankier around the township in the next little while, don't be too surprised. There could be any number of reasons.
First of all, Spring is taking its own sweet time arriving. Here it is, almost the end of April, and there are still days when we have to put on winter coats to protect against the cold winds that have been buffeting us for too long. Only now are some spring flowers starting to emerge and, in my opinion, too few of them.
That's enough to make people cranky already. But when you start ignoring people, the crankiness level is likely to increase rapidly.
Look at the way the Region of Durham has been ignoring Uxbridge on the issue of the Brock Street West reconstruction.
There is still a lot of talking to be done about the revitalization of the downtown area and a good many ideas to be discussed. But the one part of that revitalization that is set in stone is the installation of new water mains on Brock Street West, followed by resurfacing the road and installing new sidewalks.
The Region was told clearly some time ago - as was our local council - that the angle parking on the south side of that stretch must remain. That message came loud and clear from the affected merchants, as well as other residents. The region didn't like angle parking and hemmed and hawed interminably before they got the message.
They also seemed reluctant to accept the fact Uxbridge didn't want bump-outs. That's where the sidewalk extends into the roadway like a bump at intersections.
With all their shilly-shallying, the region allowed valuable time to pass by, to the point where they still have not put out tenders for the construction work. As you have read in past issues of the Cosmos, this is likely to lead to a delay in the start of construction. Indeed, Councillor Bev Northeast told council on Monday that construction isn't likely to start before August, well past the original mid-June start. She asked Regional Councillor Howie Herrema when the point of no return is: in other words, what date will it be decided that it is too late to start the project this year? Mr. Herrema said he didn't know yet. But he told me later that there is a strong possibility the project won't start this year.
All because the region for so long chose to ignore what we were saying.
You shouldn't be surprised that more than one merchant in the affected stretch is exceedingly cranky on this subject. And motorists who drive that particular little stretch of road are becoming cranky about its seemingly accelerating rate of disrepair.
On a more local level, as reported elsewhere in this newspaper, Mayor Bob Shepherd refused to discuss an issue concerning the Foster Memorial with the lady who heads up the committee established to run the Memorial. He said, bluntly, that township committees don't tell Council what to do.
That might be true, but I believe Council - or any member of Council - is treading on dangerous ground if they ignore their committees.
These committees are made up of volunteers, usually with one or more councillors on board as liaison or as facilitators. I know a good many of these volunteers and the many hours they contribute attending meetings, doing research, organizing events and countless other tasks. Their work helps preserve our cherished heritage sites. For example, how many years after the township acquired it did the Leaskdale manse sit in a state of neglect before the LMM committee was established?
Riding roughshod over any of the volunteers, or dismissing their concerns or comments out of hand, can leave said volunteers feeling understandably cranky. Lose one or two of them and it is possible there could be a snowball effect and that could be devastating. Without volunteers, this or any other municipality would find itself in dire straits.
Ask any business person what would happen to them if they ignored their customers. They would only be able to give you one answer.
The same holds true for governments, especially municipal and regional governments.
Tell me, am I wrong?
