NOTL’s Wellness Committee has a large feat ahead of it and the members are facing it head-on with their attempt to gather authentic input from the community. But to make a difference that input must be converted into real solutions.

The committee was created to address key factors to help foster a healthy community here in NOTL. With dedicated residents, like chair Cindy Grant taking the lead, the committee pored over census data and research about what makes a “well community” and came back with what it identified as the domains of wellness.

Each committee member and resident present during the two public forums had an overreaching goal in mind: making NOTL a great place to live.

Battling the desire to simply complain about issues in town, those present during the forum took strides to not only identify the problem issues, such as affordable housing, they tried to offer viable solutions.

Paired with the wellness survey the committee circulated online the last few weeks, the committee is well on its way to preparing a report for council. But there’s still a lot of work to do.

And above simply addressing those concerns – solutions need to be forthcoming.

How will the town ensure the development of affordable housing? What steps will be taken to create a viable transit system? What measures will be put in place to take care of residents with health care demands, locally?

No one expects an immediate solution but after a report is sent to council, hopefully these topics will be discussed with fervour – and a timely and managable plan will be put in place. The adoption of viable solutions will likely coincide with the town’s strategic plan, which spans the next 10 years.

Let’s hope that’s the case and that after all the committee’s hard work and citizen input, these aren’t just empty feel-good promises to placate concerned residents..

editor@niagaranow.com