Walking through Ginter’s in the morning is a marvel. I love seeing my dog bounce between the last remaining (dirty) patches of snow and the soft brown grass as she searches for sticks left over from last fall.
With trepidation, she walks on the ice that forms overnight and every now and again she jumps with surprise when the ice cracks below her. Ginter’s isn’t beautiful right now, at least not in the way that it is when the sun gleams on fresh white snow or when the lush green grasses sway in the heat of the summer. But right now, Ginter’s has a deeper quality. It offers the promise of change, the hope that soon the land will be abundant, vibrant and full of life.
That is how I felt about the April 12 city council debate about the “Centralized Encampment Management Approach.” I had hope!
For the last two years I have been highly critical of the City of Prince George’s approach to the housing crisis. However last week’s council meeting suggested change is coming. Rather than debating with opinion and personal experience, the council used evidence, law and international frameworks as the basis of their arguments.
I was impressed by Cori Ramsey’s reflections of the Human Rights protocol, Tim Bennett’s analysis of the local security enterprise and Trudy Klassen’s honest consideration of the return on investment for “placebo effect” security measures.
Well done, mayor and council. I have hope that together we can see Prince George as abundant, vibrant and full of life.
Amelia Merrick
Prince George
