Londoners: Don’t just complain, participate
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The best and worst of London on display
London was a city of contrast this week, showcasing the best and worst it has to offer. To begin, the London Community Foundation released its Vital Signs report, revealing some sobering numbers on poverty, unemployment, mental health, and affordable housing. … Continue Reading
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London needs an integrity commissioner: Here’s why
City council recently voted down hiring an integrity commissioner. To understand the push for an integrity commissioner, we need to dispel some of the myths about what an integrity commissioner is and isn’t. Myth 1: The integrity commissioner is a … Continue Reading
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Save Lorne Ave: Old East rallies for school
I love the Old East neighbourhood and the unique charm of the Old East markets, stores, and homes. This revitalizing community has a problem, though: The school board is considering closing its public school, Lorne Ave, because of low enrollment. … Continue Reading
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Cases closed: Ombudsman to address council Monday
In the past six months, Ontario Ombudsman André Marin has conducted two investigations into London city council regarding closed meetings. One was last fall, surrounding the eviction of Occupy London from Victoria Park, and the other this spring over a … Continue Reading
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A well-knit community is a happy community
I’ve been knitting for more than five years, and it continues to be one of my favourite pastimes. I try to take my knitting with me wherever I go, and enjoy getting to know other knitters in London. There are … Continue Reading
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London Pride Festival shows we all belong
Why is Pride so important to me? And to London? This is the question I’ve been asking myself while researching this column on the Pride London Festival. What is it about the upcoming festival that has all kinds of people … Continue Reading
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Festivals more than just a good time
Since moving to London, I’ve enjoyed the wide selection of summer festivals. I started thinking about the city’s rich culture while visiting Sunfest last weekend and made some connections about what festivals mean for London. Wandering around the open-air market … Continue Reading
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Deadlock on zero per cent tax increase: Here’s what I believe
This March, city council voted for a second consecutive tax freeze of zero per cent after many hours of debate. Many cuts were made to achieve the goal, with most decisions succeeding or failing by a narrow margin. This week, … Continue Reading
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Vital for Londoners to help ReThink the city
The project started with 1,300 Londoners hearing an impassioned message by Peter Mansbridge on citizen engagement, kicking off a year-long project to shape a vision for our city for the next 20 years. Since then, Londoners have been writing, talking … Continue Reading
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The councillors who completed the citizen engagement survey: Good on you
Last week, four London civic activists released a media statement about a project they’ve been working on, a survey for all members of city council to gauge how they engage with citizens. The members of the group are Eamon O’Flynn … Continue Reading
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Ending apathy: City council has to lead
Many Londoners are disengaged from what’s going on at city hall, and it’s time for those at city hall to re-engage them. Even though municipalities are responsible for parks, roads, water, infrastructure, community facilities and libraries, interest in municipal affairs … Continue Reading
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Want to ride your bicycle in London? Be careful
So, I got a new bike. I was debating an e-bike versus a pedal version, but after a month or so watching the e-bike fad, I decided I needed the exercise. Many Twitter discussions and a few newspaper articles have … Continue Reading
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London Urban Voices
Young Leaders Connecting YOUth
I have recently had the opportunity to meet two incredible young leaders. Jessica McClure (@Jess_McClure) and Spencer Kenyon (@SpencerKenyon) are both entering second year and taking business/finance at Huron College. These two leaders came up with an idea and decided … Continue Reading
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Wanna do Lunch … I mean MUNCH?
MUNCH stands for MUNicipal CHat and was created through a Twitter conversation during a reThink London event. The conversation was about how to better engage local citizens. Michael McAlpine, a librarian at Siskinds’ law firm, proposed a daytime event for … Continue Reading
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A Dynamic summer job
Growing up, I had a job at a doughnut shop, often working at 5:30 in the morning. I liked it because I got paid and for a high school student, isn’t that all that really matters? Many mornings I recall … Continue Reading
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Reflections on a “brand”
Key to transforming London from a location to a destination will be branding our city beyond its borders. The theme lately has been a desire to attract and retain talent while boosting urban growth. But, how are we going to … Continue Reading
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The power of shared space
The recent trend in shared space is becoming the talk of the town. On June 9, several people stood before city council’s investment and economic prosperity committee, pitching their ideas of shared space in London to get funding for their … Continue Reading
