We hear it from many communities.  “They take so long to process applications for building permits”, “The Regional District doesn’t understand the needs of the municipalities”, “Where is Economic Development coming from, that is our main source of income and jobs”!  Sound familiar?  In many communities, the lack of communication between the various stakeholders creates needless barriers to a good working relationship.

Recently I was invited to a breakfast meeting where a community was unveiling the results of a project to improve communication between the various sectors of the region.  A couple of years prior, they had approached the various sectors of the region; tourism, economic development, education, construction, municipal governments, and regional government, to ask the questions, “What isn’t working?”, and, “What would fix it?”  Needless to say, the process probably wasn’t an easy one.

What I saw that morning was a community that had set aside their egos and differences and honestly sat down to resolve the issues that had gotten in the way of working together in a harmonious relationship.  There were sectors praising others for the way things were working and, in general, it was a very positive and enlightening experience for me to witness.

Was it perfect? No, it is an ongoing process but the door has to always be open so that issues don’t fester and once again become barriers.  It was just nice to see that the dance can be a waltz instead of a war dance.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could dance?

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