Editor:
Just because the Town of Gibsons described its Urban Forest Plan in 2017 as “an overall strategy on the quantity and quality of the community’s tree canopy” to be completed in 2018, is that any reason the Town shouldn’t announce in January 2024 that “community and stakeholder input will play a crucial role” in the plan’s development? I say no, particularly when such input will be welcomed for three entire weeks from Jan. 26 to Feb. 16.
But rather than using an online survey and online open house as is currently proposed, I suggest the Town feed everything staff has gathered and prepared in the intervening years into one of the artificial-intelligence smartphone applications that completes homework assignments and let it generate three or four differently-worded Urban Forest Plans. Local businesses could then each put forward three or four different hamburger or pizza toppings, burrito fillings, curry seasonings, ice cream flavours, sushi rolls or espresso drinks as representing the candidate plans and people could vote by ordering their favourites.
I’ve never complained about the concept of the long-budgeted plan, but if finally releasing a document requires some veneer of public participation, would an edible veneer not be more fun and just as meaningful?
David Stow, Elphinstone
