The LocalMotive Project has moved to http://www.localmotiveproject.com .

The purpose of The LocalMotive Project is to form a model of economic re-localization, guided by the principles of community, resilience, and participation that can be used to move us, the citizens of Grey/Bruce to a position of leadership in Canadian and global society.

Consider this place in which we live called Grey/Bruce or Saugeen. Think for a moment about the geography, geology, social mix, skills and knowledge base, regional political structure, agricultural base, natural heritage, climate, and resources, among other things. One does not need much imagination to realize that we as a community have the potential to be much more self-sufficient in respect to everything from food, to manufacturing, to education, and even governance.

In order to accomplish the re-localization of our economy, we need to develop a regional model that can be implemented step by step over time and which is flexible enough to change with new realities as they arise. This type of proactive planning is rare in any level of government, which is why we as citizens should inform our governments, not follow them. If they are truly in office to be servants of the public good then they should welcome citizen direction, not be threatened by it.

What does re-localization in Saugeen look like? This is where you come in. We need the participation of people from all walks of life and areas of expertise to build the model.

The following are some of the things we should consider as part of the model:

• Local energy production.
• Local food security which includes returning our agricultural sectors to profitability and more sustainable production.
• A co-operative relationship with our First Nations communities.
• Local manufacturing for local consumption.
• A zero waste initiative.
• Sustainable transportation infrastructure.
• Municipal/regional political restructuring to create mutually beneficial governance.
• Wiser (value added) resource use.
• Higher quality employment based local business, services, and ownership.
• Improved social structure that better cares for our elderly, impaired, or economically disadvantaged citizens.
• Localized holistic health care, responsive to the unique demographic of the community.
• And much, much more…

There are two components to the LocalMotive Project. The first is this wiki. This is a web based tool that is open for all to contribute, so I welcome and encourage your input. We will also develop input mechanisms for the less web-savy to include everyone who wishes to take part.
The second is the project component. This means identifying a handful of locally relevant issues that need creative citizen input and working toward local/regional solutions in cooperation with local leaders.

This is your space to contribute to the development of local projects and ideas to create a more resilient, participatory, and prosperous community in the Saugeen (Grey/Bruce) region.

Please use the "discussion" tab at the top of the page to begin a conversation about the topic of your choice. Participation is open to all residents of Bruce & Grey Counties. If you live elsewhere, please take ideas from our project and use them in your community or region.

Your contributions can be as simple as a sentence expressing an idea, or as complex as a complete policy statement to govern any chosen area. No matter how you contribute, just do it. Never think your input is not worth adding. There is a lot of collective wisdom out there. Let's share it.

Over time, we will develop and implement projects and ideas leading to the improved prosperity of Bruce/Grey.