Since arriving in Orillia, we've now witnessed two cases of local people-led democracy triumphing. First, the hospital's board was forced to resign in the face of popular opposition to their autocratic governance. Now, the decision of city council to refuse to sell land to the school board for a new centrally located elementary school has been overturned. Very impressive for a pretty conservative little town. I brought the twins to the rally - probably a couple of hundred people, at least half of whom were kids. Here's the story in the local paper. And here's a link to a photo.
Kate's family might not be too impressed with the twins' first political rally - no riot police, no tear gas, and no agents provocateurs (although their was a suspicious looking 8 year old, armed with a sippy cup). And it may seem like a classic case of IMBY (in my backyard), to have a brand new school built two blocks from our house. But it's not just about self-interest. The issue is really about whether the downtown core will continue to be hollowed out, with shopping, housing and other investments going to the Big Box suburb (yes, our little town has big boxes and suburbs!), or whether a new school can help to revitalize the core and rehabilitate a pretty derelict piece of land.
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