Clyde residents worrying about what will become of their village should it be dissolved into Westlock County can look north to the Hamlet of Flatbush to see that not being autonomous is not a death knell.
Flatbush, population 30 as of the 2011 census, has done quite well for itself in recent years.
Its current claim to fame is as the home of the Flatbush Community Centre, which has hosted a number of large concerts over the past three years. The biggest highlight was the Trooper concert there in 2011.
And this upcoming Saturday, tribute artists memorializing ’80s bands Aerosmith and Bon Jovi are putting on shows there.
It’s clear from these big shows in such a tiny community that it’s not the size of the community, nor its official standing, that dictates how vibrant that community can be.
Instead, it’s all about the people there.
After all, it is the people who make the place, and not the place that makes the people.
Big cities may be vibrant, but that’s because the people there want to make their homes vibrant places where they enjoy living. They want to have things going on that attract others to join in the fun. Without people who want something to happen, a municipality is only a collection of buildings, roads and people all in one general area.
Yes, a name does mean a lot.
There is nothing like being able to lay claim to a certain part of the world and to be proud to be from that locale.
But does the type of name really matter?
Would Edmonton be any less than it is if it were the Hamlet of Edmonton? Would Dapp be a better place if it were officially the City of Dapp?
Likely not.
Both Edmonton and Dapp are what they are because of the people who live there.
Should the Village of Clyde cease to be a standalone village, will it be any less a place to live?
Again, likely not.
As long as the people who live there want it to be a vibrant community, it will remain one.
If the people who live there don’t fight for their home’s vibrancy, than it will only be a place to rest your head.
What’s in a name? Only what you put into it.
