Tri-City residents who care about their community have plenty of ways to show it. These days, it's not enough to simply pay your taxes, you have to get involved if you want your community to remain liveable.
On the provincial level, people should take the time to inform themselves about the HST and whether it's a benefit or a deterrent to prosperity and growth.
Locally, many issues are simmering and now is the time to stay current. From pesticides to garbage management and being Bear Aware, Tri-City residents can have a real impact on their immediate environment if they take the time to inform themselves and take action. Are pesticides really necessary for a green lawn and weed-free garden? Can we stop the slaughter of bears by keeping our garbage locked and removing other bear attractants in our yard? Sure we can, but everyone needs to play their part.
What about communities in transition? Burke Mountain is growing and the next phase under the microscope is Partington Creek, which will host the village core and accommodate 15,000 residents. Only 100 people turned out to find out more about the plans last week and while it's possible that Coquitlam residents remain largely unaware of the latest developments, ignorance is no defence because Burke Mountain's transition from rural to urban has been on the books for decades.
But it is indeed entirely possible that the media landscape has become so unwieldy and difficult to navigate that many people simply missed the news or it didn't penetrate their communication filters.
As we learned during the recent Austin Heights planning process, in which many people said they didn't know that towers were planned for the area, that communication sometimes misses its mark and people have difficulty understanding its importance or how it should be prioritized with all the other demands on their daily lives.
And while it's easy to mistake silence for apathy or acceptance, there is no question that those seeking public input need to be more creative in how they present their message.
It appears Beedie, the developer seeking input on tower heights for a building at Austin and Blue Mountain, has made additional efforts to get the word out through signs, mail-outs and newspaper advertising.
Now it's up to residents in the area to do their part.
