Feb 05, 2010 - 04:30 AM

If you really want to make a difference at the municipal or regional council level you can -- but it isn't easy.

Residents can have an impact at City Hall, but it takes determination, patience, hard work and a stick-tuitiveness that borders on obsession.

Consider Oshawa resident Larry Ladd. The retired CAW member is passionate about the Oshawa waterfront to the point where he hasn't missed more than three Oshawa council meetings in eight years. That's probably a better attendance record than any member of council can claim. He has voluminous files and records on the waterfront issue and is an absolute fountain of knowledge on all things relating to the Oshawa harbour and the Oshawa marina. He has spoken many times at Oshawa council and has lobbied the federal government on behalf of marina users. And he has made it clear he is not going away any time soon.

That's the real key to making a difference. Barry Bracken, of Port Perry, is another example. Like Mr. Ladd, he has taken up a cause, but in Mr. Bracken's case, it is the energy-from-waste facility being built in Courtice. Mr. Bracken has attended countless meetings over the last three years and, with daughter Wendy, has spoken intelligently about the pitfalls of incineration. He states, with conviction, his worries about the incineration process.

For Rosemary McConkey, of Columbus, concerns about the neglect of her hamlet by Oshawa drive her involvement. She wants recognition and feels ignored by City Hall so she makes it her business to get council's attention.

Mary Delaney, of Brougham in north Pickering, has had the longest stretch of making a difference. Her battle to keep Pickering airport-free has lasted for years, starting after her move to the community in the 80s. It will, presumably, continue for many more.

All four of the people who really make a difference in our communities work very hard at it. It is a way of life for them, much more than merely a hobby. They spend a lot of time pushing to get what they want, believe what they are doing is right for the community and will not stop until they see their vision through to the end.

To make a difference, you have to be willing to be in it for the long haul. Nothing really changes overnight. When it comes to the world of politics, the tortoise almost always wins the race over the hare.