We have forgotten
but the remembering is the important part
Yesterday, Doug Ford finally relented and reversed course on his Greenbelt land grabs. He announced that all lands would be returned to the Greenbelt and that he would not break that promise again. Will he keep his word? Time will only tell. He has done much to break faith with Ontarian’s not only with the Greenbelt, but with healthcare, labour rights, education, Indigenous rights and social justice issues.
To me, this underlines what I’ve always said about our democracy - people power is democracy and it works! Mind you, the results of community power can take a long time and a lot of struggle to realize. People who have always benefitted from the privilege society bestows upon them are frustrated by the lack of immediate response. “But I went to a protest! Nothing changed!” “I wrote a letter - they didn’t listen!”
And this is what we’ve forgotten. Community organizing and democratic actions are long, collective pushes that are unpredictable, uncomfortable and without guaranteed results.
In the days of an insatiable need for instant gratification, unending desire for quick fixes and effortless dopamine hits, we have difficulty sustaining effort, pushing through the frustration and the inevitable disappointments that come with community movements. On top of that, we’re given cynical messages that there’s no point trying to make things different because the politicians, the corporations and the existing power brokers are really in control and they’re going to do what they want anyway. Of course, this messaging only benefits those same bad faith actors.
While it is evidently true that our democracy has shifted too much power into the hands of private interests, abdicating our role does nothing to change or improve that. It just allows the seedy parts to continue to grow deeper into our institutions and safety nets. So people need to show up, even if they’re not “political” because at the heart of it is community organizing.
Community organizing doesn’t always look like political pressure. Sometimes, it’s building community through picnics, events and mutual aid. Sometimes it’s building the skills of people to help them advocate for themselves. Sometimes it’s celebrations and meeting over coffee. Of course it can also involve the standard tactics of door knocking, rallies, protests and public stunts - but it can also be so much more.
Community organizing like what helped turn the Greenbelt decision around was really about building community power and people standing in solidarity. Indigenous nations, planners, municipalities, farmers, environmentalists, labour and regular citizens pulled together united and powerful. While efforts were aimed at the political level, the networks that were built and the relationships that were founded and strengthened were the magic sauce that made the Premier change his mind. They were what powered the movement.
My hope is that people start to remember. Every right we have, every shining piece of legislation we have, including the Greenbelt Plan, exist because citizens and members of civil society saw a problem or an opportunity. They saw that something needed to change or be fixed. You like having the weekends off or maternity leave? Thank labour unions. You like the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Niagara Escarpment? Thank local naturalist clubs and environmentalists who worked for years and years to get government to enshrine protections into legislation. Air quality standards, source water protection, regulation of chemicals? Again it was people and organizing. It always has been that way and we must not forget again. We must erase the idea that democracy can work without people and it can go on auto-pilot. It certainly cannot.
So what happens from here? In my ideal world, people feel empowered, continue building those networks and relationships in their community to tackle more problems - inequity, climate action, housing, human rights - the list is limitless! Maybe all of those issues at once! And that’s the beauty. We don’t have to accept whatever is on offer by the government and institutions of the day. We can demand better. And when we do - remember it’s going to take work, determination and a remembering that, in the end, community organizing based on shared power, caring and compassion always wins.
Weekly News Digest - “The Blowhole”
Here are some emerging stories and events that we think will have an impact on our region that we’re keeping our eye on.
Local media hollowed out and bad for our democracy. Metroland Media announced recently 600 layoffs that will have large impacts to media in Simcoe County and across the province. Longstanding papers such as the Barrie Advance and Collingwood Connection will no longer printing, but will move exclusively to online content and several local reporters will be out of a job as of December 31. Local reporters were key to highlighting local issues and keeping tabs on municipal governments. Community groups such as SCGC will need to be even more vigilant to keep governments accountable and local issues highlighted.
Regional review taking a new direction. The province announced months ago that it would undertake a review of the two-tiered government system via appointed provincial facilitators in Simcoe County along with others in Waterloo, Durham, Halton, Niagara and York. Recently the new Minister, Paul Calandra, announced that he is no longer appointing facilitators and instead will have a legislative committee do the review. Some have speculated that this could mean the province is backing down on removing regional governments that are instrumental in protecting natural heritage and agricultural systems. We’re keeping a close eye.
Mr. X’s Simcoe County connection. Mr. X has been a suspect character in the Greenbelt scandal for his unregistered lobbying with political staff. Identified as John Mutton who runs a developer consultation business that he describes as a “leading firm in turning out MZOs”, he is also a key lobbyist for a MZO application in Ramara Township. He is also a familiar at local MPP fundraising events. The Integrity Commissioner had grave concerns about his lobbying methodologies and the ethics of it all. SCGC is opposed to this MZO in Ramara and successfully fought a previous iteration that would have seen significant wetlands paved over. We think Ramara Council would be wise to distance itself from this project and these players until full police investigations are complete.
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Like what we talk about and want to engage with our coalition more? Check us out on social media or drop us a line if you’d like to volunteer: info@simcoecountygreenbelt.ca
