EDITORIAL:Big red easy button

       People, oh so many people. Am I the only one who still has the number “6 billion” pop into my head immediately whenever someone asks for the latest figures on the world population? I remember being totally shocked when the figure surpassed 7 billion. Now, it has surpassed 8 billion. A higher population means more people sharing the same resources, and that includes food and housing. It’s clear that there are many factors (often politically tied) contributing to the current food and housing crisis in Canada, but we can’t be blind to one of the simpler reasons that also plays its part: supply and demand. 
       I recently came across a website called keepitrural.ca that is run by a group who oppose a new subdivision in North Grenville. This familiar song and dance from people in that municipality regarding new residential developments is getting old. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a subdivision being added to an existing settlement. When an existing village gets a few new streets with some new lots and houses, this is a positive, not a negative. It’s all part of healthy growth and development. People need places to live – new housing keeps up with demand, and helps to ensure that we won’t be paying $1.5 million for a garden shed by the year 2050. 
       I used to be the editor of The North Grenville Times concurrent with my role with The North Dundas Times, before I purchased the latter. I mostly kept my North Dundas roots a secret from the NG Times crowd, not wanting to lose credibility amongst the overly proud locals on that side of the border. One thing I learned quickly was that North Grenville folks don’t like change. Not even sustainable, sensible change. In my time as editor there, it felt like every new development proposal would result in an angry public meeting with often as many as 20 residents stating formal concerns before council. There would even be arguments during the meetings, in addition to unproductive angry comments shouted at council members. 
       I suppose the situation in the North Grenville neck of the woods is somewhat understandable. I can remember visiting Kemptville as a very young kid. We passed through often to go shopping in Merrickville, or to visit the chocolate factory in Smiths Falls. Both of my brothers also went to college in Kemptville. It was a very different place back then, similar in character to Winchester. Now, of course, it might be nicknamed “Kempthaven”, resembling more of an urban settlement than a rural one, especially along the County Road 43 strip. It’s therefore no surprise that lifelong residents are bitter – development in Kemptville happened hard and fast. However, living in the past does more harm than good. 
       I am proud that attitudes here in North Dundas seem far different. We recognize the need for development. With rising inflation and maintenance costs, we need a larger tax base to help take the burden off the rest of us. We also need to recognize that many people in North Dundas have sizable families, with kids who are going to move out one day and want a place of their own. If we want to keep our own kids local, we can’t expect them to live in a shoebox. 
       At the most recent council meeting on July 2, not a single person showed up to the public meeting portion regarding the new development in Hallville. North Dundas residents don’t see the need to oppose sustainable growth in existing settlements, and that is a beautiful thing. Similarly, as a South Mountain resident, I am excited to see that we now have a fully functional ABM in the post office, and I hope there are no comments in opposition to the zoning bylaw amendment application that could see a veterinary clinic be built in the former House of Lazarus food bank. It seems like the smallest settlements in rural municipalities often do nothing but shrink, and so I’m proud to see the sustainable growth and the addition of services for those of us in South Mountain. 
       At the risk of becoming political, there are certainly many people on whom we could lay the blame for high cost of living. One important reality, however, is that we won’t solve the problem by pushing a big red easy button. No matter who or what caused the mess of insane prices on just about everything from food to housing to everyday necessities, there is no such thing as a politician simply reversing the problem overnight. We all have to be willing to support sensible solutions, and more available housing is one obvious solution to ridiculous housing prices. 
       I love where I live, as do many of my friends, colleagues and neighbours. However, we all know that North Dundas has experienced some issues with money and resources in the past decade. It has been a good feeling these past several weeks to be proud of something that we’re doing right. Unlike North Grenville, we clearly see the value of new development, and we don’t feel the need to cause unnecessary drama at public meetings just for the sake of hearing ourselves talk. Sustainable growth is important in any community, and we should support it as such. 
       Life doesn’t come with an easy button, but when it comes to growth and development, residents of North Dundas have the next best thing: common sense.  