Do you think governments — local, provincial, federal — really care about what YOU think? If you just laughed, you’re not alone. A 2024 Elections Canada survey found 67 per cent of Canadians agreed with the statement: “I do not think government cares much about what people like me think.”
It’s very easy for someone to say that their voice does not count. All it takes is uttering a few words. Making your voice count takes effort. It might mean getting yourself to the polls on voting day, speaking up at a council meeting, or taking time to write a thoughtful email to an elected representative.
The disconnect we all feel from the forces that shape our lives is real and growing. But the remedy is old and its impact remains powerful: people power.
This issue of The Gleaner is proof of that. Residents of Powerscourt noticed increased truck traffic along the Montée de Powerscourt last December. They talked to each other. They started asking officials questions. They mobilized. While not required, a new hydrogeological study was done; sadly, Hinchinbrooke town council has decided not to make it public. Nonetheless, public pressure forced a zoning change. And the fight is not over.
Meanwhile residents in Havelock are celebrating what they call a major victory in their five-year battle against the installation of an asphalt factory on Covey Hill. With testimonials from residents and the involvement of the local UPA, the MRC, Ambioterra and others, public pressure won out.
Now it’s residents in Hemmingford who came out in impressive numbers to a recent municipal council meeting to voice their opposition to a new development that proposes 647 housing units, a local commercial centre, and sports facilities. Councillors expected some concerned citizens, but the actual turnout clearly made an impression.
Note: The Gleaner was the only media present at the Hemmingford council meeting. We have been covering Havelock’s battle against the asphalt factory for five years now. And The Gleaner was also first to cover the water bottling battles in Hinchinbrooke.
This is the essence of democracy: an involved public kept informed by professional and committed journalists.
You can make a difference. As Sharon deGaspé Power, spokesperson for the Havelock ad-hoc committee, told The Gleaner, “It goes to show how community effort is so important – keep on top of things, to be vigilant, and then to fight it out to the very end.”
Jackie Rourke
Executive Editor