LOCAL RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THAMES CENTRE’S FIRST GREEN TOWN HALL MEETING
THAMES CENTRE – The Municipality of Thames Centre held its first Green Town Hall meeting last night at the FlightExec Centre, which gave local residents the opportunity to share their ideas directly with elected officials and staff members.
Green Town Halls were established by Thames Centre’s Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC). These meetings aim to foster an open dialogue between community members, municipal staff, and elected officials on local environmental issues, including discussions about tree planting initiatives, waste management policies, and stewardship of local parks and recreational facilities.
"Through new policies like our tree planting initiatives and energy efficiency programs, we’re doing what we can at the local level to be more environmentally responsible,” said EAC Chair Danielle Lockie. “It was great to see how eager people were to share ideas about how we can build on that progress.”
“I pledged to establish Green Town Halls to make our local government more connected with our citizens and to provide civic involvement opportunities outside of elections,” noted Councillor Tom Heeman, who also serves on the EAC. “The environment we foster in Thames Centre affects us all, and we all have a piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving our surroundings. Grassroots initiatives like this drive new ideas in the municipality and give decision makers a fuller picture to set policy direction.”
Records of the community feedback gathered during Green Town Hall meetings will be used to inform policy discussions going forward.
“Green Town Hall meetings promote open and inclusive conversations within the community,” said CAO David Barrick. “This collaborative structure lets residents receive more detailed information from municipal staff about specific issues, and staff learns more about the issues that impact local residents, farms and businesses.”
The municipality will host the next Green Town Hall meeting in Thorndale on Monday, October 28, at the Lions Community Centre (265 Upper Queen Street).
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Contact:
Michael Ramnanan, Communications Manager
Municipality of Thames Centre
mramnanan@thamescentre.on.ca