Editorial

February 12 2025

Local democracy at work

After months of robust discussion about how best to balance local development, economic opportunity and the needs of the community, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) council has rejected a proposed business centre for the shiretown.

Regardless of which side of the debate people stand on, this decision serves as a powerful reminder of the strength of our democratic process and our shared responsibility to work together for the collective good.

To be sure, this project was never going to please everyone. Supporters saw it as a way to attract new residents and businesses, consolidate essential services, and create a hub for both the public and private sectors. Opponents expressed concerns that it was premature and that it risked undermining existing businesses that are already struggling to survive.

Yet, as Alec Bruce’s reporting on the Feb. 5 council vote reveals, the democratic process worked as it should. Councillors engaged with their constituents, debated openly and chose according to what they believed was in the best interest of their constituents and the municipality. When all was said and done, they moved forward together with the next item on their agenda.

In a world where discourse has become polarized and hostile, trust in public institutions is eroding, and divisions between communities are deepening, the ability to disagree constructively, to deliberate thoughtfully and to carry on together is not only becoming increasingly rare, it may well be a silver bullet in this neck of the political woods.

MODG is increasingly positioning itself as a desirable place to live and work, and rejecting the business centre should not mean rejecting the position that what benefits one part of the municipality can benefit all others.

Investments in strategic infrastructure – like the new marina in Country Harbour – attract visitors and create opportunities that ripple outward, strengthening the entire region. Warden Paul Long captured this point well last week when he noted that, regardless of disagreements, we must avoid falling into the trap of “keeping score” between communities regarding new investments, better support for existing businesses or forging creative partnerships.

In a smart municipality, success is never a zero-sum game, and the MODG’s council has shown that it’s possible for people to engage in healthy debates while maintaining a sense of shared purpose.

If the rest of the community is able to view the business centre vote not as a “win” for some and a “loss” for others, but an opportunity to reimagine what growth looks like for all and a commitment to keep working on those solutions, then that’s an outcome worth supporting.