Dear editor, There have been about 30 speakers at each of the Reeve’s Task Force meetings held so far. Each speaker began by stating his or her name and how long they have lived in Rocky View. My wife and I have lived in the County for 25 years. Most of our five kids were born here and they all went to school here. I state this only to illustrate its absolute irrelevance.
With the greatest of respect to the farming community, it must be said that everyone who lives here, whether that be five generations, five years or five months, is entitled to an equal say. We do not have second-class citizens.
The very strange and secretive dealings of our Council over the last three years have pitted, or at least have attempted to pit, farmers and acreage owners against each other. We cannot fall for this. Acreage owners and farmers are on the same side. We all have so much in common, including a common adversary - our current Council.
A few months ago, Council decided to change Rocky View from MD #44 to a County. As is almost always the case, this was done without discussion and without any public input. Council made it clear that this name change was done to attract investors, developers and businesses, whether we common folk wanted it or not. To add insult to injury, at the time Council even stated that virtually no one in any of those three categories lives in Rocky View - or even in Canada.
In Quebec, those who go against the interests of their own people are known as “Vendu” (sold out). Obviously “Vendu” is not exclusive to Quebec.
But there is a good side to everything. What this did do is that it made all of Rocky View’s farmers and acreage owners very equal - now we are all second-class citizens.
However, so far it still remains that Rocky View is ours - all of ours.
If we elect a new Council it may even stay that way.
Jerry Arshinoff, Springbank
