CONNECTING
Though it wasn’t really news to anyone, this winter’s local
conversation has centred on the high number of area residents –
particularly younger adults – who’ve been leaving the region to find their
fortune. The numbers are sobering – high youth unemployment, high
student loan default rates, a dropping population – and the conversation is
necessary.
Opinions and ideas for solutions to the problem are mixed, and too
often, analysis descends into finger pointing; we’d like to blame an
educational system, or an industry sector, or a higher level of government.
The ideas, good and bad, are often drowned out by confusing and
conflicting agendas, both small- and large-scale.
I’m suggesting it start with a change in attitude. Too many
conversations are starting with an overview of “what’s wrong” with our
area, and that approach casts a negative pall over the discussion that
follows. While I agree that it’s important to identify the challenges in
Windsor-Essex, I believe it’s equally important to identify our strengths
and successes.
We’ve got amazing, talented, creative people in our population. We got
the lowest property costs in the province. We have post-secondary
programs that are dynamic and relevant. We’ve got breath-taking natural
spaces, historical architecture and citizens committed to their
communities. Much of what shaped our country happened here, whether it
was the battles of the War of 1812, the birth of universal health care or the
recognition of workers rights and safety. We’re making game-changing
inroads in the area of bikeable, walkable neighbourhoods, community
gardens and local agriculture.
In other words, Windsor-Essex, you rock!
In this issue, our neighbourhood profile of West Windsor offers
perhaps the perfect example of what needs to happen on a larger scale –
organizations, governments and people working together to build
something wonderful. We also bring you a love story – or several – with
Windsor-Essex as the backdrop. And our look at Gay-Straight Alliances
points out yet another way we’re working toward tolerance and inclusion.
So the next time you start a conversation about our area’s changes
and challenges, why not start out with what’s right, instead of what’s
wrong? It could make all the difference in what comes next.
I can say with confidence that on any given day I am bombarded with
hundreds of snippets of news and information. They arrive via newspaper,
Google, Yahoo, Facebook, television and Twitter. Interestingly, there's no
accounting for which bits are filed deep within my mental filing cabinet
and which perch at the edge, nagging me to pay them a visit several times
a day.
Of all the recent news relating to Windsor/Essex, it's the City of
Windsor's decision to trim its budget by reducing the amount of grass it
cuts surrounding the Expressway that has captured my attention the most.
I'm not too sure what to think about it. The idealist in me envisions swaths
of swaying grass lining the roadway, softening the harsh feel of all the
concrete and steel, providing a reminder of what the area must have
looked like before the need to get everywhere in a hurry became a
necessity. I'm picturing the corridor of Matchette Road between the exit
ramp of the Expressway and Sprucewood Avenue on a beautiful summer's
day. The realist in me envisions city-owned parkland in the midst of a
labour dispute.
On the surface, it seems like a win-win situation. The city saves
money on wages and equipment wear and tear, the environment and the
residents benefit by seeing less emissions released into the atmosphere.
However, naturalizing green spaces involves more than just leaving Mother
Nature to her own devices. A quick search on Google brings up many
websites devoted to this endeavour. It seems weeding needs to continue
and a pest control plan needs to be in place. What about the logistics of
maintaining a clear line of vision when entering and leaving the roadway?
Like all good ideas, they need to be considered with the devil's
advocate present. However the grand experiment turns out, I applaud city
council for even considering such an initiative. It proves that budget
considerations and the well-being of residents don't always have to be
mutually exclusive. I'm adding this one to the list of things I can look
forward to this spring.
.
Eva
Shelley
Managing Editors
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Eva Antonel
Shelley Divnich Haggert
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Alex