The year has barely stepped out on the stage and we're already pondering our hopes for what it will deliver.
Citizen engagement: We hope to see more ways for citizens to connect with their local government and get involved in 2015. Only 23 per cent of New Westminster voters went to the polls last November - given that there isn't another election for four years, it's imperative that citizens stay in touch and politicos keep citizens informed (and newspapers keep close tabs, we might add) about our changing city.
Business in New West: Small businesses are launched by brave men and women in this city. They deserve local support and encouragement. We'd like to see as much energy put into helping local small businesses as the energy spent on luring larger businesses to move here.
Policing: New West is fortunate to have a local police department that tries very hard to reflect the diversity in the city. It's a model for other departments in many ways. In 2015 we'd like to see more cops on foot and visible in some of the parks and streets in the city.
City second-looks: Everybody wants everybody to use less transit and bicycle and walk more in the city. But the city evolved over time with a mish-mash of strange street layouts and poor pedestrian crossings - if any. Some of these are impossible to fix, but others can be changed and improved. For 2015 we'd like to see a special effort made to improve pedestrian access and walkways.
Arts galore: In 2014, we were once again impressed with how much this small city can offer in the way of live entertainment and events. In 2015, we'd like to see more folks tuning in to the city's live arts and culture scene and turning off their TVs. And, if you're wondering how you can find out about the arts scene in the city - well, just check out our arts coverage in these pages.
Good news: Folks email and call us with heartwarming stories, but we know there are a lot more of them to share. In 2015, we'd like to hear from more readers with good news to share. There can never be too much of those in a year.
