Bringing 2023 to a close - what do we want to achieve in 2024?

By Pepper Parr

December 30^th, 2023

BURLINGTON, ON

As we get ready to close out the year what can we point to as an achievement other than saying we got through the year?

COVID has become a member of the family, the young adults, the people who were expected to be the future leaders, are beginning to realize that unless their parents can help with the down payment on a house, their chances of owning a home are limited.

We have two wars taking place. Everyone is entitled to an opinion on what is taking place in Ukraine, but I know whose side I am on; everyone is aghast at the tragedy taking place in Gaza.

Think the public was looking for a little more than a Declaration

And we aren’t exactly winning on the Climate Change Challenge.  Former Liberal Cabinet Minister Catherine McKenna said: We are 6 years out from 2030 when we need to have reduced emissions by half and we are far off track. But hard things are hard. And we have the solutions.

So – what do we want to do is as we slip into 2024?

I want to be local and look at the challenge we face at the food banks.

Food4Life recently appointed a new Executive Director; she came to Burlington via Hamilton Share, a food distribution network that is partially funded by the City of Hamilton.

The Burlington Food Bank and Food4Life don’t get a nickel from the City of Burlington.  Those organizations are seen is as part of the social support system we have that is the responsibility of the Regional government.  Explain that to the people who have empty shelves in the cupboards.

I don’t recall every hearing Burlington City Council talk about financial support for the food banks nor have I ever heard then speak as a group about the need for support from the Regional government.

This food was the result of what one citizen decided to do. Daryl & Hannah Fowler standing behind the bins. He operates Flashe Gas – check him out

We seem to have chosen to be glum about the challenges we face rather than reaching down for the boot straps and pulling them up.

We tend to look to government for the answers, not fully realizing that we are the government.  The power to make changes is our – we give that power to those we elect and expect them to discern the will of the people and make the choices.

You can watch the first ever game of a professional womans’ hockey league game on Monday. Streamed on CBC GEM – free

Creating the rainbow sidewalks was a good decision but we didn’t have to put them all in place in a single year.  Flag raising is important – in Burlington we seem to do a different flag each week.  They have become photo ops for Council members.

If you want to really start 2024 on a positive note tune into the first-ever regular season Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) game will kick off on January  1 between Toronto and New York.  It is being streamed on the CBC Gem channel – free