Well written piece by Jeffrey Ougler at the Sault Star. Love the quote from Shirling Kao: ""Today also helped me feel more like part of the community," she said. "I'm a newcomer, but after today, I'm in it."

Scratch out voter apathy.

Plant a program to have more trees popping up throughout the city.

Strike a group to research how best to bolster Sault Ste. Marie's downtown.

These were just a few of the ideas pitched Saturday during ChangeCamp, an all-day session at Sault College geared to answer the question: "What's your idea to make Sault Ste. Marie a better place?"

The later concept appealed greatly to Sarah Stocker, one of about 50 to register for the event and among the 25 or so gathered in a circle inside the Native Education Centre to share closing thoughts.

"(Downtown) ties in to everything," the site co-ordinator with Contact North said in an interview following the event.

She pointed to the potential of having a major Algoma University residence located smack-dab in the city's downtown, with AU's transforming the former Windsor Park Retirement Home.

"The area is evolving naturally," said Stocker, originally from Fredericton. "There are other things we can do to make that grow. We have lots of community festivals that go on now on a regular basis. I think it's just a matter of helping that develop and overcoming the attitude that in the Sault , there's nothing happening. . . . And that's not true."

Such enthusiasm is music to Gerry Kirk's ears.

But in the end, the lead organizer of ChangeCamp in the Sault wants more than merely zeal. He wants results, and plans a "smaller-scale event" during which the most recent participants may return to the table with tales of progress.

"The key thing that came out of this is, in my view, is the connections and the sense of hope and the sense that we can bring about change," said Kirk, a Sault native who describes his story as "typical." He went away to university, travelled a bit, but returned to his hometown, where's he's self-employed as an "agile team coach," working, ironically, out of town a lot instructing businesses and organizations how to self-improve.

"A lot of the dysfunction you see in the community is also in organizations," said Kirk, describing himself as "always being a community organizer at heart."

The ChangeCamp concept was launched by Toronto-based technology, open government and social innovation consultant Mark Kuznicki, who set out a year and a half ago to "engage citizens, connect communities and foster creative ideas for the future."

Kirk, present at the first ChangeCamp in Toronto, is no novice to such locally-launched concepts. Ignite Sault and SooPod Camp, precursors to ChangeCamp, were also his babies.

"I didn't know if it would work out (in the Sault )," he said. "But I just loving bring people together."

That's good news for Shirling Kao, who savoured the opportunity Saturday to connect with fellow Saultites, whether they be born and bred or new arrivals, such as her.

"I'm impressed by how so many other people have similar thoughts or hopes for the city," said the native of Taiwan, who arrived here two years ago.

The owner of Jade Yoga Studio and Boutique said the event brought her a little closer to her new home.

"Today also helped me feel more like part of the community," she said. "I'm a newcomer, but after today, I'm in it."

Kirk said although the ChangeCamp concept aligns itself closely with the latest in communication technology, face-to-face idea exchanges remain paramount.

For example, he likes the idea of a town-hall meeting in the city's went-end, one that might attract older citizens not necessarily up on the latest gadgets.

"It's to reach out to everybody, not just the people on Facebook and Twitter."

Loading mentions Retweet