City shaping up nicely, but more can be done
Citizen leaders must drive vision, Larry E. Clausen says.
You can take the person out of Calgary but you can't take the city from the person. As a native Calgarian who recently semi-retired and relocated to the West Coast, I have discovered that many former Calgarians hold a strong affinity for the city. Many keep track of local news and developments. A surprising number continue to support initiatives and groups.
In conversations, former Calgarians have said they are worried about their city for not progressively evolving fast enough to remain a place of interest and distinction. It will take more leadership by community members to motivate and guide future opportunities for the city.
It is time to activate people to lead a charge seeking ways to improve the city and place it on a pathway for modern and distinctive development. This does not suggest that nothing has recently been done.
Attending the opening of the spectacular BMO Convention Centre was amazing to see. I recalled this was a vision but now the grandeur of this facility speaks volumes about great accomplishments for Calgary. Many other successes are helping to build a great city.
A world-class downtown library rose in the East Village. A music centre engages young people down a musical pathway. Creative minds are at work in the new Platform development. A refreshed Glenbow museum will soon be unveiled. The Olympic Plaza and the Performing Arts Centre are about to undertake a remarkable transition.
There is much more to be done. A new event centre, enhanced C-train service, rail service to the airport, and rapid rail between Edmonton and Calgary to name just a few. Re-envisioning the use of highrise buildings in the core is essential. Our sporting facilities are aging as are our performing arts venues. Post-secondary facilities are sadly worn or out of date.
It is time to activate people to lead a charge seeking ways to improve the city.
Many outstanding health-care facilities exist in Calgary. My recent engagement with health services on the coast showcased firsthand how much better Calgary is compared to other cities. You don't know what you have until you don't. What I did not have was what Calgarians benefit from — major centres such as the Southern Alberta Eye Centre, Forzani & Macphail Colon Cancer Screening Centre, Mccaig Institute for Bone & Joint Health, Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Hotchkiss Brain Institute and the newly built Cancer Centre, to name just a few. Interestingly, these were developed because of community leadership.
If city leaders can pull together and create an inspirational vision for what Calgary can be and how to achieve success, then the city can take the next leap forward. Competing interests must compromise. Wildly creative thinking is required. But most importantly, amazing leadership by influential people will be essential.
It is easy to criticize governments for non-action, but this is a cop-out. Yes, government can be slow and often conventional. But, if citizen leadership dramatically stepped forward, things would be more quickly achieved. The cautionary nature of government could be pushed to the side, and it could support the adventurous lead of its citizens.
If one examines what other cities have done to achieve greatness, it's evident that people must drive the vision and potential. Government can then get the work done.
It is challenging to engage citizen leadership. People are busy and we have grown used to not being as concerned about civic matters as we are about business and personal issues. This is natural but not a formula for advancing a wonderful city.
As I learned from former Calgarians, they want to cheer the city along. They want Calgary to become a great city. They would even be happy to provide a lending hand. But they would look to strong champions in the community to drive a progressive development of Calgary.