To the editor,
Re: City assessing relationship with neighbourhood associations, Oct. 27.
Neighbourhoods are integral to any city. When neighbourhoods come together to form neighbourhood associations this provides a valuable source of information and the city needs to listen. Collective voices are a cornerstone of a democratic society. When neighbourhood associations speak based on the input from its citizens, be they five or 100, the city needs to listen. The neighbourhood associations I know about are all groups of engaged citizens who speak in support of their neighbourhoods. Imagine a city that puts citizens’ voices ahead of vanity projects by politicians. We the citizens say stop the non-stop bureaucratic run-around at city hall by city staff and departments.
People who live in a neighbourhood are the best source of input for our beautiful city. It would save time and money. We need to value the many volunteer hours that good-intentioned citizens contribute each year. Surveys don’t tell the whole story and are often biased. Neighbourhood associations are a vital voice to be heard if the city rhetoric of true partners in community is to be believed.
If your neighbourhood doesn’t have a functional neighbourhood association, take the initiative to create one and insist that the city listens.
Dhanook Singh, Nanaimo
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