On Oct. 3, along side of 40 other community members, I attended a workshop and conversation on ‘deep community’ hosted by SPUR (Sustainability Partners Uniting Resources).
We explored the different types of communities, took the time to learn about each other and discussed the challenges and opportunities that Cochrane is facing. It was a valuable afternoon.
The discussion around communities was especially interesting to me. We talked about three types of community: shallow community, fear-based community, and deep community.
In shallow communities, residents turn away from one another. They seek personal autonomy, take care of only themselves and have no emotional bond to others in the community.
In fear-based communities, an “us verses them” environment is created. People will join others against others. They will see their group as right and the others as wrong. It creates a win-lose or lose-lose environment that can fracture towns.
In deep communities, people get to know each other and care about each other. Mutual acts of caring occur in the community. People spend time getting to know each other on a personal level. These types of deep connections help the community move through challenging times by setting the foundation to have open, honest, valuable and respectful discussions.
I know my choice. I’m not saying it will be easy. Some people might believe that with growth we will lose that sense of deep community. I believe that deep community does not diminish with growth or at a certain population.
We will have many opportunities to rally together over important issues as we grow. My hope is that we can all remember that in the end, deep community is what really matters. It is what makes a town, a home.
If you are interested in learning more about SPUR or deepening communities please visit cochranesustainability.ca.
