As a 22-year-old college student training for
a career in the trades, I am looking ahead to the future. Will
I call this city where I was born and have been raised, "My
Sudbury," or will I leave my family behind and hop on the
bandwagon of out-migration in search of greener pastures?
This is a question many young people are
facing, and a problem that needs to be addressed if this city
wants to prosper and grow. We need to invest money into our
aging infrastructure. Our city streets are bad enough to
convince someone to leave this city.For far too long the city
has had this "quick fix" attitude, where they just throw some
asphalt in the hole and patch it up. We've seen where this
neglect has led us, and it will only continue until the
attitudes of people in charge change.
We must nurture local businesses and continue
to help develop them, along with the downtown core. This "big
box" attitude does not make us unique as a city, it just makes
us the same.
These ventures do not create the kind of jobs
that are going to keep people in this city or attract people to
it. Local entrepreneurs who have poured there heart and soul
into this city can no longer compete and are forced to close
the doors.
Young people are looking for a place that can
provide them with training and job opportunities, and a city
that is a pleasant place to enjoy in their leisure time.
I hope someday I can live in "My Sudbury,"
and I hope to get the same level of service whether I live in
the city or the outlying areas.