Create the community you want to live in
What direction do you want to see your community going in? Photo: Derrick Daniels
Create the community you want to live in: engage in civic life
Unhappy with stormwater management in your neighbourhood? Want your muni to repair that bridge on your favourite trail? Can’t get a community garden plot? Have an idea about how to mitigate the impacts of climate change? Can’t find parking? There are as many reasons to participate in civic life as there are people here on the Shore. We all have things we’d like to see improved.
Community means working together, supporting each other, and building a shared sense of belonging. Local government elected officials and staff should be the most responsive level of government to our concerns. Look at the Official Community Plan for your municipality to determine your community’s priorities. Do they match up with what’s happening on the ground?
Here’s how to make your ideas and thoughts known
There’s a difference between spotting a pothole to get it fixed and participating in a conversation about increasing social housing in your neighbourhood. The choice between writing to municipal staff or council depends on what kind of idea you have to share:
Municipal staff
Staff are the best point of contact if your issue is operational, like garbage collection, road maintenance, permits, or administrative services. They handle day-to-day municipal functions and can provide direct assistance or clarification. In the City of North Vancouver, for things like patching up a pothole, reporting a broken streetlight, illegally parked cars, etc., you can download the City Fix app, take a photo, and submit a few details. For the District of North Vancouver, use the Report a Problem feature on their website.
Mayor and council
Elected officials represent us. Don’t be shy about engaging with them and telling them what you think. Your Mayor and council members set policies and bylaws, approve budgets, and make high-level decisions that affect the municipality. There are a bunch of ways you can connect with them.
The personal approach
You can always meet with or call a councillor (see links to contact info below) to inform them about your concern or idea. Finding a champion on council is a great way to get something on the public agenda.
At a council meeting
All public council meetings allow people to attend and speak on an issue. You may talk to an item on the meeting agenda or about anything you believe should be heard. By speaking at council, you’ll be recorded in the public record and on video. All North Shore municipal council meetings now offer the opportunity to communicate remotely via Zoom. So you don’t even have to go to City Hall.
Contact your elected officials by email
Send individual councillors or the Mayor an email, or email all of them at once. Each municipality has a listing of how to contact each person and how to send to all of them using one email address.
Online citizen engagement sites
All three of our municipalities ask for participation on key issues through their online citizen engagement sites. If you live in the City of North Vancouver, sign up on their Let's Talk website to receive notifications about engagement opportunities on various issues. This is also a good place to go for history on past projects.
West Vancouver has a similar feature called Westvancouverite. Sign up, then select the projects you are interested in hearing about. Right now, the district has listed the Gleneagles pickleball courts and pump track, the Ambleside local area plan and housing policy on tap.
The District of North Vancouver offers a new way to get updates on almost anything happening there. It’s a custom portal for you called MyDNV. MyDNV potentially opens the door for more participation. For example, if you sign up to get emails for ‘new significant development permits,’ you’ll get an email alerting you, so you can have a look to see how it may impact your neighbourhood.
Shape your community
Participating in civic life is essential for creating the community you want to live in. Engaging with municipal staff for day-to-day issues or reaching out to council members for broader policy discussions fosters a collaborative environment for community improvement. Use the available resources, attend council meetings, and don’t hesitate to share your ideas. Together, we can make our municipalities better for all.
Ambleside in spring. Photo: Heather Drugge
We're building a group of like-minded people who want to see the vision outlined on these pages. Please sign up for our mailing list if this article resonates with you and your values. Join our Mailing List
