06-03-2015, 01:52 PM
As someone who goes to downtown Kitchener at least weekly, I can say that most of the time, I'm not bothered by anyone. Part of it is a conscious choice. There was an interesting statistic from recent years, showing that Canadians spent a consistent amount on dining out, but the year saw a net loss of independent restaurants, and a net gain of chains, with the ratio being something egregious like 20-50 independents closed for every chain opening. We keep thinking that we can be the ones to not vaccinate our children but still have others do so and protect us, keep thinking we can be the lone one who leaves downtown to shop at big box stores and others will keep downtown vibrant and safe by keeping jobs and businesses there. But eventually the things we think of as minor inconveniences we spared ourselves, they pile into lost jobs, worse communities, and not at all worth the "gain." I would hope we all live here because we are willing to work and fight to make this the best place it can be, not one where we shuffle off from any hardship, or turn away from all that isn't in our perfect interest, something I'm glad to see so many of the folks at council meetings and other interactions with the city still coming back after less-than-ideals or defeats. Jim Prentice changed the face of Alberta largely with one sentence. And it was true. If we want to know why things aren't as great as we'd like, we need to look in the mirror, and decide whether that spurs us to come up with a list of actions, or excuses.