Making a difference in Cranbrook, grassroots democracy group most significant local news story of 21st Century

The Citizens for a Livable Cranbrook Society (CLCS), a grassroots democracy group which took on Scott Manjak, a first term mayor, and a majority of councillors, over their attempt to expand the city's boundaries, and defeated the council, not once but twice has to be the most significant news story here in the past decade.

The success of the CLCS made a huge difference in the way local politics has been practised in this city of about 18000 in the southeastern corner of  British Columbia, and the local mayor and council should take heed in the final two years of its term, but that remains to be seen. The council of the day did not get its way.

Led by Sharon Cross, the president, the group gave Manjak and the council majority its first defeat when  council tried an alternative approval process which if approved would have doubled the geographic size of the city. The group needed 1475 voters (10 per cent) to sign a form objecting to the plan--- more than 3000 signed on. After this defeat I wrote here that Manjak and council majority had received a lesson in grassroots democracy.

http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2009/08/cranbrook-mayor-scott-manjak-and-his.html

Council met and passed a motion to proceed with a referendum on November 14, the next step in the process permitted to a council  by provincial legislation.

Although facing a huge advertising campaign by a Yes to boundary expansion group estimated at more than $100,000, advertising by the city and the very vocal support of Manjak and councillors Denise Pallesen, Angus Davis, Liz Schatschneider, Jim Wavrecan and Diana Scott, the open support of three former mayors and several councillors and the local chamber of commerce, the referendum was lost.  The CLCS spent less than $5000 on advertising.

Councillor Bob Whetham opposed the alternative approval process and the referendum.

I have been a political junkie for about 50 years now and never have I seen a muncipal council - the mayor and majority of the councillors who have so actively supported a project - go down to defeat because the people rose up from the grassroots and rejected the plan -- not once but twice, all in the first year of  a three-year term on the same issue.

The success of the CLCS sent a clear warning to the mayor and council that it is not necessarily local politics as usual in this city. To paraphrase Robert Frost, the CLCS chose to take a road less travelled by in opposing the council majority, and that has made all the difference. It was the biggest local political happening of the 21st century.

And it sends a signal to citizens everywhere that it is possible to bring about change when our elected politicians introduce projects with which we the people do not agree. Grassroots democracy is alive and well in Cranbrook!

Here is link to article I did after the referendum and the real challenge now facing Manjak and council.
http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.com/2009/11/real-challenge-begins-now-for-cranbrook.html


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