We hope we've heard the last of: or, as we like to call it, the "Enough, Already Award" must go to the City of Burnaby for the much-hyped "Best Run City" nod they got from Maclean's in 2009. Don't get us wrong - it was a coup for the city, and we certainly gave lots of kudos in the initial months, highlighting the news of the award in print and op/ed coverage. But over time, as the phrase got trotted out again - and again and again and again - at city council meetings, state of the city addresses, community events and everywhere in between, it started to sound a bit old.
If there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that magazines and think-tanks and public policy organizations love to publish lists of the "best" (think: best schools, best universities, best places to live, most healthy city, and so on) and often the evaluations are based on a specific set of criteria which, if applied in a different way, could lead to a different conclusion.
By all means, enjoy the accolades but then let it go - even the most acclaimed organizations sound a bit pretentious if they continue on about their own fabulousness (and what's that old saying about pride and the fall?) The city has a wealth of feathers in their cap - one of the best places to play in North America, all sorts of international "green" awards, to name just a few - and their record will stand on its own if the "best run" title is allowed to slide into the historical record a little.
On the other hand, as far as we can tell, Maclean's hasn't yet repeated this exercise, so for now Burnaby's position as #1 remains in place.
