Leadership is About Guiding Change- Not Avoiding It

So much to consider after the City Council meeting on Oct 28th, which I observed online.

One topic I'd like to highlight is the bylaw concerning the sale of plastic bottled water at community facilities.

Council postponed a decision on whether to amend the bylaw to allow these sales, pending further study.

One argument in favour of change was the people's right to freedom of choice.

I would suggest that a public survey on this matter risks wasting both energy and resources--while misunderstanding that very freedom.

Surveys only reflect those who complete them, and opinions vary as widely as our residents' circumstances.

Niagara Falls has much to be proud of. We were environmental pioneers when we enacted this bylaw in 2009, thanks to advocacy from the Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee. Our drinking water ranks among the best in the world, with our treatment plant achieving a 99.18% rating at its 2024 inspection.

Our residents already have options, and climate change remains a defining concern for the next generation.

Adaptability is the highest form of intelligence. With new information, we make new decisions.

Government best serves its people--and the planet--through education, not the elimination of choice.

Every day, every dollar we spend is a vote.

Each one is its own honest, immediate and up-to-date survey.

Businesses ultimately respond to the choices we make--because their survival depends on it.

Let's make the best ones.