Is it realistic to expect things not to change?
OK, so that's a bit of a rhetorical question, but the notion of change, or perhaps more accurately, the effort to resist it, has been a familiar, to say nothing of controversial, theme in these parts in recent years.
Although most people are willing to accept change in certain aspects of their lives as inevitable, when it comes to the places they live, some tend not to be quite so accommodating.
We can't do a whole to stand in the way of Father Time, but we can stand in front of a bulldozer, or a compliant politician, if either poses a threat to the status quo of what are admittedly enviable places to live. Such actions raise an interesting question: Are changes to a community inevitable, similar to the aging process we all face, or can we actually keep our little slice of paradise frozen in time?
There have been many instances where change has been proposed in Ladner and Tsawwassen only to be met by concerns or outright condemnation. The response is strikingly similar regardless of the proposed development: We moved here because we like it, so it stands to reason we wouldn't want it to be altered in any meaningful way.
It's a fair enough argument, and it's laudable that people are willing to stand up and be counted, but it suggests there's an ability to prevent the inexorable change that comes with being part of burgeoning and desirable region.
I don't think there are too many that want to see this area turn into Richmond or Surrey, both of which are looked upon with disdain for permitting such rampant development, but there's also something to be said for not being stuck in the 1970s.
Times change, demographics change and real estate values certainly change, so it only makes sense that communities change along with them. Condos and townhouses weren't really on the radar back in the day when South Delta was a sea of young families and homes could be had for a veritable song. Neither is the case any more, yet you'd have a hard time reconciling that with the current housing stock.
The definitive lines drawn by the Agricultural Land Reserve mean there's little chance our communities will grow outwardly to any great degree, but that doesn't exclude opportunities within existing boundaries. There's a natural renewal process that needs to take place for the overall health of the place we call home.
