Community Intelligence

Do labels define us or limit who we are? I think both but it shouldn’t necessarily be that way. As a society, a community and as individuals we are constantly evolving.

Consider our province. Alberta is known as a Conservative redneck and oil rich province to Canadians across the country. But if you examine Alberta’s history, it has changed over the last 100 years. Immigrants came to farm and homestead and it was only the discovery of oil in 1947 in Leduc that our province’s focus shifted.

Political parties, William Aberhart’s Social Credit Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, win over voters for decades but may not really define who the populace is. Immigrants and emigrants have been changing the look and feel to our province and I believe that will be soon reflected in future elections.

Now let’s take a look at our communities or neighbourhoods. Many are labelled poor, middle-class or upscale. Again, it’s people who can change the definition of a neighbourhood. Take 118 Avenue in Edmonton as an example.

This avenue was known as high crime, poverty-stricken and many felt there was no hope. Since being targeted for revitalization, 118 Avenue has seen a turn around. There is a thriving arts community, new families are moving into the area and crime is steadily going down.

Any neighbourhood or community can see a shift – positive or negative. It depends on people if they are willing to see past the labels and push for change or the opposite – they give up and don’t care anymore and embrace the label.

As individuals, how we act or how we are defined may not necessarily reflect what we believe or who we really are. Sure, I was born in a middle-class Jewish household in Montreal in a Liberal riding. But does that mean I’m still that same person today?

As humans, we evolve – our personalities, our experiences, who we connect with, who we vote for and much more. Labels can define us but they also limit our possibilities. If we start to believe the label that is given to us, then the descent into devolution begins.

So dig past the label, discover who you really are and who you truly can be. Don’t let anyone else stop you.