Wednesday, April 21, 2010

London's Destiny -by Ballot

The National Post featured a proposal floated by Bill Murdock, MPP for Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, that Toronto become a province and that the capital of "The Rest of Ontario" be London.
 To set the stage, London needs a new Vision Statement, and needs a mayor and council capable of looking at the big picture. The vision statement should include the words: A competitive City with safe streets, strong neighbourhoods, solid fiscal management, a significant regional presence and a thriving economy.
 London has to discard its moat mentality and its neglect of transportation infrastructure. Attracting new industry and jobs are top priorities; since both depend on trade, the focus needs to be on improving regional connections rather than ring separations -and expressway stubs.
 Two decades ago, the council of the day had a clean slate to secure an in-city expressway corridor across the north. On the west it had the opportunity to use (the then rural) Westdel Bourne arterial road as main component of a west expressway, and collaborate with Middlesex in connecting it with the Denfield Road. Subsequent councils obstructed such projects by allowing subdivisions to proceed before securing essential transportation corridors.
 Over the last decade, this blog has recommended Provincial involvement in resolving the highway standoff between London and Middlesex. See here and here. The post titled "The Highway 4 Diversion" presented the city and the northern counties with one low-cost solution.

London's pro-business/pro-development lobby, ActionLondon2010, has just launched a website facilitating input and debate in an attempt to draw out more voters. In addition to London Free Press election reportage, concerned citizens can also visit websites of two local pundits: Chapman's Voice of London, and the McLeod Report.
As the election approaches, the messages to that heretofore majority of non-voters is:
Get informed, get focused, and get involved.

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