Doing whatever you want

Our Council has engaged in a major revision of the official community plan for Bowen Island. The problems is that with the exception of the Economic Development Committee they never asked anyone about it.

And this wouldn't be such a big deal except that prior to the last election there was legal action taken against the sitting Council for not following good process despite the fact that the previous OCP process had more than a year if consultation and co-creation.

In small communities and large sometimes people just do what they want for all kinds of reasons sometimes good and sometimes nefarious. But the thing that I get upset about is the hubris of demanding one set of rules for myself and another set for everyone else. It is not the mark of a good neighbour. And, where power is used to creat that uneven playing field, it is fundamentally undemocratic.

The island has been consumed this past year with fallout around a ferry consultation process that was a sham. We have been demanding better of the province.

So why, when it comes to our own OCP, do we not live up to the standards that we expect from others?

The substance of the changes is just as important as the process in a democracy. Good or bad, you have to do things right.