The year has barely stepped out on the stage and we're already pondering our hopes for what it will deliver.
Citizen engagement: We hope the "all BCA, all the time" civic rule in Burnaby encourages residents to get more involved, not less involved with their local government. We also hope that local leaders who pledged to extend the tent to include more and varying views will keep their pledges - no matter how difficult it may be.
Policing: Burnaby has a sharp team of Mounties on their beats in Burnaby. They were tested with the Burnaby Mountain protests and came out looking pretty good - despite a couple of close calls and shoving matches. For 2015 we'd like to see such restraint continue - although we are sure it will be tested again.
City second-looks: OK, we are pretty sure we get Derek Corrigan's point about how the provincial and federal governments are responsible for the scourge of homelessness and all that it entails. And we get that he doesn't want to set up a permanent shelter in the city that could help homeless folks because that would not address the larger issues. But that's just not good enough for 2015. Check out New Westminster, which pretty much agrees with Corrigan's premise but still manages to exercise compassion by supporting alternative housing and shelters. If that little left-leaning city can compromise, so can Burnaby.
Pipe dreams: For 2015 we hope saner minds prevail and an expanded pipeline is not rammed through Burnaby Mountain. We understand we're all dependent on oil, but Burrard Inlet is simply not the place to increase oil tanker traffic.
Good news: Folks email and call us with heartwarming stories, but we know that there are a lot more of them happening in this city. In 2015 we'd like to hear from more readers who have been touched by the goodness of others. There can never be too many of those in a year.
