It’s not exactly the re-birth of the Campbell River Ratepayers Association but it might be something similar.
“This is something I have been thinking about for a few days,” said Campbell River resident Lorne Harron. “I don’t have an agenda yet, I just want this to be an open-minded discussion to get people thinking.”
Harron has rented a room in the Community Centre on his own dime and is inviting the public to drop by tonight at 7:30 p.m. to discuss “the plight we’re in” and “not just in Campbell River.”
“I think we need a formal organization to control our destiny,” Harron said. “I think that people talk the talk but it’s just time to walk the walk.”
Harron wouldn’t be pinned down on what issues he thinks need to be dealt with but as a frequent letter writer to the newspapers, he’s an admirer of the former Campbell River Ratepayers association, an organization headed up by longtime Campbell River resident Ken Antonelli that acted as a taxpayers’ watchdog on the actions of City Hall. In recent years, the Ratepayers’ Association has gone inactive.
Harron said he has been waiting for 35 years for “forward-thinking” people to step up and take charge of this community.
“I’m still waiting for forward-thinking people to step forward,” he said.
Harron hopes this will be the first of hundreds of meetings of like-minded individuals.
He wants city councillors and staff to come to the meeting as well but “as individuals.”
Harron felt that he should do something to make changes and that if nobody comes to the meeting then he can take pride in knowing he didn’t sit idly by.