This Morning's Exchange

Dear Councillor Buck,

I'd like to share this report with you from the Ontario Government about the economic impact of the arts.  There were many reasons that the Town of Aurora should have been more encouraging of the August Jazz Plus Festival.  One of them was pure economics.  Restaurateurs, taxi's, musicians, music stores, bars, Go Transit etc.  all lost revenue from that weekend now that it is no longer here.

Saddest of all is the fact that a group of volunteers dreamed this up, passionately developed it and then had the rug pulled out from under them.  The reasons Council used to justify it held no merit.  It is unconscionable that Town Council acted so callously to citizens who were enriching our town life.  You all had an opportunity to stand beside them, embrace them and share in the glow of a successful resident sponsored event and instead you put up roadblocks.  In my opinion you've seriously drained your political collateral on this issue when you could have leveraged it for the positive event that it was.  Your loss and the Town's.

I'd like to think that as citizen groups come forward in future with ideas to enrich life in Aurora you'll now appreciate the valuable asset they are to the town.  They will bring ideas like new Tennis courts, sports fields, cultural centres, festivals, tournaments, runathons, trails etc. to Council and I'd like to see you welcome them and their enthusiasm for donating their time enriching civic life.  Unfortunately, the elected Town Council is often an unwelcoming place for citizens to look for support.

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Good Morning....

Thank you for your perspective on this issue. You will not be surprised  to realise it is not shared.

Aurora has been a welcoming place for arts and culture long before your pet project  presented itself.

The Optimist  and  Rotary Clubs are witness to their intentions .

We have a different understanding of "volunteers" .

For they  are the Aurora  group, who provide the community with the magic of the theatre  and compete successfully  with  theatre groups  throughout  Ontario and  created  a  gem of a theatre out of a shabby little factory building provided to them by the town.  

They are the Arts group  who created a  first class  adjudicated annual art show in very short order. It  has continued  to grow  in excellence for fifty years with support from the town for all of that time.

They aehe Pine Tree Pottery who got their start in  space for kilns provided for them by the town. 

They are the passionate users and  supporters of  excellence in  library services who encouraged  the town to  provide  first class facilities.  Many cultural opportunities are offered  at the library as part of their mandate.

They are  members of the Optimists and  Rotary and  other service clubs who commit to the betterment of the community and regard  giving instead of taking ,as the meaning of volunteering. 

Mr. ... I have committed many years of my life in service to the community and I am extremely glad to have had the opportunity.

I am well aware of what constitutes an attractive quality of life.

Over the years, the town  has consistently enjoyed an influx of people choosing Aurora  as the  place to raise their families because of how they perceived it . The ultimate would be to live and work in the same place and not have to spend hours and a good part of one's income going someplace else to work.  

The people you so admire are not seen in the same light by others including myself. 

While I do not detect hostility in your communication it is certainly not short of criticism.  

I am  not inclined to accept that. You are not as well-informed as you think you are.

When the Ontario government puts out a report on economic advantages of tourism,  literally dozens of centres, including Toronto. Ottawa . Niagara, Stratford . Elora, Elmira  and a host  natural  areas like  Georgian Bay come to mind.  All have  spectacular attributes  necessary  to lure tourism . 

To speak of Aurora in the same category is to indulge oneself in fantasy.

I am not so  inclined and I am not inclined to accept a lecture from yourself.

Have a great day. It will not come again.