Turn to the local

After a hurting week for those who care deeply about municipalities and local government, here are some links on why local community is so important:

• Naheed Nenshi, mayor of Calgary, critiqued the news about Toronto’s councillors and the regional elections.
• Erika Hall celebrates the beauty of “human-scale transactions” in the midst of so much noise and so much isolation.
• Sameer Vasta on the merits of “small”.
• Some months ago, some Toronto residents decided to make their neighbourhood safer in the absence of city action. (Let’s also appreciate that Sabrina Nanji’s byline includes “Democracy Reporter”.)
• And, finally, I’d like to celebrate one of my favourite community-driven organizations, The Working Centre. The organization runs a network of important services throughout Kitchener-Waterloo, and also publishes a wealth of resources about living locally.

That’s all for me this week! When things feel all too big and abstract, try turning to what’s small and concrete: the community around you. All the best for the week ahead.

Lucas