The Editor,
Re: Unprecedented civic lottery planned to shape the future of Burnaby (Jan. 9, 2024)
One has to ask why the City of Burnaby has to turn to SFU to run its public engagement processes instead of running them itself?
Why has the city not yet engaged with the public to design a fair and transparent “Public Engagement Framework” for Burnaby so that city council, staff and the public can all know what to expect in terms of public engagement?
While I am told that the Housing Task Force led by SFU was a good process, what about other SFU collaborations? How has Burnaby benefited from the “Civic Innovations Lab” and the “Urban Resilient Futures” initiative? What role do these collaborations play in shaping our local democracy?
The City of Burnaby definitely needs to pursue more extensive and improved public outreach and engagement regarding the creation of a new Official Community Plan but this should not be limited to hearing from 45 anonymous community members meeting behind closed doors!
I believe the City needs to put more energy into reaching out to all residents who wish to be heard – whether they are thoughtful contributors or “interested parties” who have passion, lived experience and/or expertise in certain areas.
(In a previous letter, I referred to some community engagement tools and techniques that have been used elsewhere and/or previously in Burnaby.)
More information is needed by the general public so that people can provide meaningful feedback.
For example, we need to know what decisions have already been made by this Council and previous Councils that cannot be changed. We need to know what things could be changed and what some of the options might be.
We need to know what Indigenous peoples, experts and “interested parties” are saying.
As tempting as it may be for the City to unload “public engagement” to a secret “Community Citizens Assembly” of 45 anonymous people, I believe it needs to continue its own efforts to include everyone in planning the future of our City.
- Christine Cunningham, Burnaby
