Dear Editor:
The Dec. 1 edition of the News is required reading for anyone interested in North Van history and politics. The two stories on the front page about the new museum [MONOVA] and the decision to keep Harry Jerome open reveal a lot about how important decisions get made or not made, and how vital community assets get built or not built.
The new museum delivered by the city government is a big victory for all North Vancouver. It’s going to be a wonderful asset. It will contribute to our self-awareness as a community in ways that will improve the quality of life for people living in North Vancouver for years to come. That the city government is delivering the museum 14 years after the district government delivered the archives is a minor quibble.
We are very lucky that the responsibility for preserving and displaying history in North Vancouver could be split into two separate projects, a museum and an archives.
If they were not, the two governments would have to co-operate. Co-operating is something the Harry Jerome project — and many other things — demonstrates that governments with overlapping mandates and organizational self-interest do not do willingly.
It applies to police and fire services, emergency preparedness, social services and planning just as much as it applies to building museums and recreation centres.
Democracy and government bureaucracy have a challenged relationship at the best of times. In North Vancouver, where we are blessed with great people and wonderful place, we should do better.
The North Shore News recently did another poll on whether there should be a serious look at restructuring North Vancouver’s local governments. The result was, as usual, overwhelmingly in favour.
As usual, nothing will be done because it’s a political issue that should be decided democratically in an election.
However, local democracy has a very checkered past in North Vancouver. We’ve had a lot less of it than one might think. It will be fascinating to see if the new museum sheds any light on the topic and how that could affect the way we think about democracy in our future.
Guy Heywood
North Vancouver
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