Michael's Musings

Ten Big Ideas for the Future of Cranbrook

By Michael J Morris

The dog days of Summer have attacked me recently resulting in a severe case of lethargy broken only by my morning walk and evening swim at the pool aka Cranbrook Aquatic Centre.

But, the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll aroused me singing "I'm late / I'm late / For a very important date. / No time to say "Hello, Goodbye". / I'm late, I'm late, I'm late."

In my case the important date is marking the occasion of my arrival in Cranbrook in August 1989, 25 years ago, and I had such plans to share some highlights from my life here.

But, after thinking more about Mayor Wayne Stetski's appeal for citizen priorities as he plans his bid for re-election on November 15, and following a recent series in the Toronto Star, I decided to offer a suggestion on big ideas for the future of Cranbrook.

The Toronto Star started by asking its readers to provide 35 big ideas that would help the city became a better place for all citizens to live, work and play, and now it has been whittled down to the top 25. The next stage is to select the Top Ten, and hopefully the next city council will act on them.

I know. I know. To think that Toronto City Council would act on anything these days given the circus led by Rob Ford, pretty well the mayor in name only now is beyond belief. But hope springs eternal.

Wow. I must have been here a long time. I would never have even hinted at a criticism of Toronto 25 years ago. However, I was very careful even then about mentioning in the faculty lounge at College of the Rockies, then East Kootenay Community College, that I was from Ontario, never mind that I had attended school and worked in Toronto. And yes, I have written articles for the Toronto Star in the interests of full disclosure.

Anyway, I digress as usual. How about coming up with your personal 10 BIG IDEAS to make Cranbrook a better place to live, work and play. I have not come up with a plan to sort them all out, but that can be decided later if necessary. 

I am really just blue skying an idea. Even if you just make the list and use it to question the candidates in the municipal election, it will have served a useful purpose.

If you use it in chats with friends you may find common ground on issues that bring the community together rather than divide it. 

Let me return to Alice in Wonderland and the Walrus: "The time has come, my little friends, to talk of other things / Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings / And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings / Calloo, Callay, come run away / With the cabbages and kings."

You figure out the metaphor(s). Thanks so much for 25 years in Cranbrook.  My email is mj.morris@live.cas

Full disclosure: I am not now and never have been a member of the Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook Society; however, I did conduct a workshop for its members for which I was paid.