The second Community Connections event, described by several attendees as even better than the first, brought the community together to discuss not only what is missing in Golden, but what we can do to get it here.
“What is the next step?” asked one of the event facilitators, Lynn Romano.
The crowd separated in to several groups to talk about specific issues and needs in the community such as affordable housing, chiidcare, seniors needs, tourism, recreational facilities and more.
Unlike the first event back in June, where participants broadly discussed what Golden was, had, and should be, this evening allowed participants to delve deep into each issue.
One group talked about the possibility of building a multi-purpose recreational facility that would include an indoor pool. Facilities such as these can be quite expensive for the municipality, so much of their conversation revolved around how to offset the tax burden.
Another group tried to find ways to attract more people to this community, especially since there are several other small mountain towns in the Kootenays.
“What’s our edge?” asked Lori Baxendale “What sets us apart from other communities?”
Now that the initiative has gotten its legs, the original organizers of Community Connections are hoping that participants will start taking the lead, and bring in new ideas and event to continue pushing these discussions forward, and start putting them into action.
“Take ownership, and help us move forward as a community,” said Karen Cathcart.
