A rather small minority of the Sundre and surrounding area population — less than one fifth — actually took the time to respond to a survey about the Main Avenue mini roundabouts.
So although some of the findings in the questionnaire indicate that 80 per cent of residents are opposed to the project, those figures in reality merely represent a majority among a vocal minority.
Whether the vast majority of people did not respond because the roundabouts do not bother them or perhaps they felt their input would be disregarded and that the final decision to keep the traffic calming measures was already a foregone conclusion anyway, is a moot point.
Although we can certainly conclude a majority of people among the vocal minority are opposed to the project, we cannot — based on the limited responses garnered by the survey — assume the majority of people are against them.
Nor, of course, by that same argument, can we really assume a majority is necessarily in favour.
However, like Alberta Transportation infrastructure manager Stuart Richardson told council during Jan. 7 meeting, the municipality and the provincial department responsible for managing as well as maintaining highways are not as likely to hear from people who are positive about the new design.
Ask anyone who has ever worked in retail. Satisfied customers are far less likely to sing the praises of good service than angry patrons who tend to make venting their frustration to just about everyone they meet their mission in life.
And meanwhile, altogether too many residents seem to think information should just fall in their laps without putting in a modicum of effort. They seemingly have all of the time in the world to grieve endlessly on social media, but apparently don’t have a few minutes to spare to occasionally check the town's website for updates.
A healthy, functional democracy depends on engaged citizens who are willing to go out of their way to find a few moments to be informed. Between the municipality’s website and social media presence, not to mention the Round Up, the public consultation sessions were announced and advertised to the public.
The information is out there and made available, but people still have to go out of their way to stay in the loop.
— Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
