Upcoming Town and Municipal elections...

 

Titan can be heard snarling and barking like a ferocious wild animal while he sleeps. He is dreaming. About what, I don't think anyone really knows. By day, he is a lovable Labrador quietly nudging for attention.

Everybody has dreams. Some dreams we have while we sleep while others dreams while awake. It is these wakeful dreams of what could be, that can drive things forward or possibly into stagnation if they are to wild or ungoverned. 

The Town Shelburne has an upcoming election for Town Council. The candidates are projecting what they believe they can accomplish and the towns people are looking for a way forward. Of concern for all are the Budgetary issues. Other common issues look to be available activities for youth, the cost of food, the Rail Trail and the issue of growth.

Growth will occur within the area over time regardless of it being managed or not. No one has a crystal ball that sees into the future. Looking into the past to project a future vision can be difficult. Management or stewardship of growth process is the responsibility of council. The Shelburne area ( Town and Municipality), need to look at respective responsibilities and plan for growth. Manageable growth that is supportive of the area is important. The upcoming "Meet the Candidates", we'll all get an opportunity to get a feel for who's dreaming about what. We'll get a handle on how attainable Candidates dreams are if pursued.  

The prospective Candidates can go into this campaign process snarling and barking like poor Titan in his dreams or they could take a more sober approach where the dreams they share are workable for the local community; as well as,  their political careers. Some issues expressed by the people are fully within context of responsibility for the Councillors once elected to tackle. Other issues are best handled by private industry but governed by the zoning and bylaws of the Town of Shelburne. While listening to these Candidates, lets keep this in mind.

One of the vexing issues leading up to this round of elections is the use of the Rail Trail to be used by ATV's. Current Council has been proactive in making this an issue for the people to vote on. As a small All Season, Weekly Rental Vacation House, we see this issue as having some benefits to the tourism industry within the Town and Municipality of Shelburne. Do we see this as a "Good" or "Bad" thing? We see it as an opportunity for the Town of Shelburne to grow if managed correctly. If this opportunity is not embraced then the status quo possibly persists.

We suspect that an ATV / multi use path will stretch along South Shore regardless of the Town of Shelburne's acceptance. At some point "Growth" will occur, the town and it's people will be part of it or not. The prospect of having travellers being able to responsibly pass through the heart of the town local to our establishment is exciting. The town already provides a large array of infrastructure that would over time evolve if the Rail Trail is actively used. 

An alternative would be for the Municipality to provide an alternate route, circumventing Town of Shelburne infrastructure and establishments. 

Tourism in the area has been one of the industries that has helped to drive the economy. It is highly dependent upon the ambience projected by our community. Location, location.... location! Ambience is found through location. Something so simple as a distinctly painted building could be that thing to form the lasting memory. The opportunity for a traveller to stop in a small town can form a lasting memory and the basis of a story they'll tell over and over again as the years pass. A Rail Trail that circles around the sleepy Town of Shelburne would remove the opportunity for such memories to be formed of the town and possibly of the area in general.

As the operators of a simple All Season, Weekly Rental Vacation House in South Shore Nova Scotia, minutes away from the sleepy Town of Shelburne, we would like to encourage the towns people to please take the time and participate in the current election of Councillors. The decisions made by the residents of the town will have a ripple effect upon the surrounding area. Growth is inevitable; however, responsible growth can take place with the right people in place. Growth can be managed and be a very positive thing. Let's manage our dreams in a conscious, moderate and responsible way. Lets not move forward like poor Titan while he sleeps, barking and snarling at who knows what.