Coffee with the councillors 

By Brandie Majeau 
The councillors of Thorhild County have established an informal opportunity for
ratepayers to engage with their riding representatives.  On September 6, the Thorhild Legion
provided a space for welcoming conversation and a casual coffee meeting.  The five councillors
of Thorhild County invited members of the community to come in, sit down, and talk to them.
The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed, coaxing concerns that may be weighing on
minds.  Mingling themselves throughout the crowd, smaller groups formed and seemed to
induce people to open up without undue attention being placed on an individual.  Questions
and concerns could be directed one-on-one to a specific councillor or discussed around a table. 
This was the first meeting of Coffee with the Councillors.  The goal is for it to be an
ongoing occurrence, occurring every second month and rotating amongst different locations
between the five divisions.  Reeve Joyce Pierce likened the opportunity to a way for the
councillors to come to the community members, as opposed to ratepayers having to come to
them.  The councillors were also happy to have this quiet opportunity as a chance to explain
many topics that community members may misunderstand.  As conversations swirled around
the hall, people discussed beautification of the county, community involvement, community
programming, waste management concerns, infrastructure in the community, and the care and
maintenance of the hamlet.  While these topics do not encompass all conversations, they seem
to be a repeated focus of the collective group.  The councillors also acknowledged that many of
the concerns are topics that have already been on their minds, and they are looking for fresh
perspectives and a means to move forward with possibilities.  
As the first meeting of its kind, the agreement between the councillors was that it went
very well.  There were not as many people as they had hoped, but it was a great beginning. It
gained an understanding of how people responded to the setting and what was trying to be
accomplished.  There was also an understanding that this is a rural community just beginning its
harvest season.  The hope is that with each reccurring coffee date, the event will gain
momentum and people will utilize this opportunity to reach out.  They are looking to promote
the economic development of a small community and to draw people in and encourage them
to stay.