What Owen Sound Could Learn from Others About Community & Belonging
A bit of paint, public will, and planning: Reflections from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula highlight how vibrant public spaces and community care can thrive, offering lessons we could take to heart.
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION
In April, my partner and I spent some time in Mexico’s picturesque Yucatán Peninsula. We travelled to a few places varying in population size — from a small town of around 2,000 on Isla Holbox off the north coast, to Mérida, the largest city on the peninsula with a population of 2 million.
There were some fascinating consistencies throughout all the villages, towns, and cities we visited that I think we could learn from.
Firstly, in the whole week, I didn’t see a single person sleeping rough… and we weren’t just in curated tourist hotspots. Everywhere we went had a main pedestrianized square (zócalo) that seemed to be permanently bustling — vendors selling everything from churros and tacos to jewellery and candles, kids clambering over play equipment and chasing each other with an endearing case of the giggles, folks gathering and chatting for seemingly no other reason than to just be together in community.
The sense of belonging was palpable.
Don’t get me started on the colours either! Everything was painted in beautiful bursts of bright shades that gave every corner a real sense of pride and ownership. Even the seemingly poorest communities had put considerable thought into making their corner of the world that little bit more magical, with tasteful touches courtesy of a paintbrush.
Let’s take a step back for a second, though. This isn’t Denmark or New Zealand we’re talking about; this is Mexico. Mexico is ranked 140th (out of 180) in the Corruption Perceptions Index (Canada is 15th), level with Iraq and Nigeria. Mexico is 71st on the Legatum Prosperity Index, just a few places ahead of Ukraine and Russia (Canada is 13th).
So, how is a country with so much corruption and inequity seemingly building stronger communities than we are?
Well, I’d like to speculate that the two aren’t completely correlated. I often hear about how Owen Sound is economically depressed, so we don’t have a vibrant downtown, a booming tourism industry, or popular public spaces to gather. Sure, money can play a part in that, but what if a community just goes ahead and does it anyway, regardless of the current zeitgeist?
Many communities in Mexico have clearly decided that they are going to be vibrant despite the cartels, corruption at all levels of government, and the resulting lack of funding and safety.
I had some conversations about these differences with folks who lived in these places, as I was particularly curious about what I perceived to be a lack of homelessness. The general response I got was that people take care of each other; there’s a strong sense of community and responsibility for one another.
Interestingly, it was pointed out by those who had relatives in the U.S. and Canada that those relatives often complained about being isolated in their new communities; there is a sense of disconnection that goes beyond just being in a foreign country.
They consciously observed how structures and systems kept people apart through things like housing, technology, zoning, city planning, and employment.
So if this is the hand Owen Sound’s been dealt, how do we follow Mexico’s lead and do away with the game — and create our own cards?
What have you seen, close to home or on your travels, that you’d like to see happening in Owen Sound?
Thank you to sponsors of The Owen Sound Current Writers’ Fund, who make these community contributions possible. Contributions from the community do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs of The Owen Sound Current and its editor or publisher.
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