By Emily Stonehouse

Sometimes things just don’t make sense.

That’s okay.

Not everything is black and white. In fact, I’d say the majority of the world resides in a murky grey area I like to refer to as “the unknown”.

It’s a middle ground between left and right, right and wrong.

A place where we exist while we gather information, sort our thoughts. Most people are fairly comfortable laying in this state of relative limbo. And while certain thoughts and practices push and pull us towards either end of the spectrum, for the most part, we live in the middle.

Because the middle is where the greater good benefits. Left and right, right and wrong. It’s where colours are blurred, and lines aren’t defined.

This week, I witnessed two examples of this in real time.

The first one was at a business stakeholder meeting. A number of short term rental (STR) representatives were fired up about the municipal accommodation tax (MAT); a recent implementation targeting registered STR providers that goes towards municipal and county-wide tourism initiatives.

I saw it again when the official spring fire ban was put into place by the chiefs across the county. No daytime burning, even amongst a foot of snow. And again, social media spiraled.

These are two examples of situations where the outcome likely could have been solved by more information up front. Why are STR providers the only tourism drivers dinged with a tax? Where does the money go once it’s collected? What are some tangible samples of areas where this project has succeeded? How do we, as a community, benefit?

For the fire ban: why isn’t the ban put off until the snow seeps into the soil? Is there no wiggle room for brush burns and maple syrup production? What is the reasoning behind the arbitrary dates set? And again, how do we, as a community, benefit?

This is where the representatives flying these flags of policy need to be able to show up. It can’t just be an us versus them mindset; a skewed teacher/student dynamic of this is how it is so don’t ask questions.

There needs to be information. Town halls. Opportunities for questions. Council conversations. Room for listening. Space for sharing.

But on the flip side, both of these initiatives float in the abyss of the unknown. And while the general public struggles to connect the dots of reason, they have both been proven to benefit the greater good.

In other municipalities, the MAT is used to directly promote, support, and showcase the events and experiences of a community; putting it on the map as a key tourist attraction, and elevating its presence in ways that wouldn’t be possible without additional revenue. In the big picture, it benefits the greater good.

The fire ban has already prevented grass fires from spreading. While the ground seems saturated, fire doesn’t always need a perfect condition to grow and lick away at the world. Prevention is key. In the big picture, it benefits the greater good.

I’m not saying either one of these initiatives was rolled out perfectly. It’s good to ask questions, to connect the dots, to try to navigate the murky waters of the unknown. Left and right, right and wrong.

But let’s not forget about the big picture; our place as a tiny speck in a big beautiful world, and how we all need to remember that we’re just one piece of the puzzle in that big picture.