April 23, 1996
(Municipal and Provincial Affairs)

Local Government Awareness Week

This week is being observed as Local Government Awareness Week throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to heighten awareness, understanding and interest in municipal government.

It is a joint project sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Municipal Administrators, and the Department of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

It is hoped that Local Government Week will become an annual event focusing on one key theme each year. The theme selected for the 1996 campaign is Local Government - At Your Service.

April 22-28 is also Volunteer Week sponsored by the Volunteer Centre, Community Services Council and the two weeks are being combined this year. This year's theme for Volunteer Week is Volunteers - the Heart of the Community.

"Whether volunteers are working directly in municipal programs or in service clubs, schools, youth groups or churches, they enrich communities tremendously," said Sandra Murphy, Supervisor, Volunteer Centre. "Indeed the joining together of the two weeks is a very natural one."

Information packages containing numerous suggestions as to how communities can actively participate in Local Government Awareness Week activities have been forwarded to communities throughout the province.

As well, a proclamation was issued by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on Saturday, April 20 to officially declare April 22-28 as Local Government Awareness Week in our province. Additionally, every municipality is being encouraged to pass its own resolution to declare Local Government Awareness Week in their respective communities.

Communities are being encouraged to stage open houses, to sponsor essay and poster contests in schools and to establish Municipal Merit Awards as a means of giving recognition to individuals who have made significant contributions to the growth, development and enhancement of their communities.

Every council is being asked to implement many of the suggested ideas contained in the information package, all of which can be undertaken without incurring any significant expenditures.

"The suggested activities, if implemented on a province-wide basis, will enable citizens to learn about the important role of local government and participate more fully in local government affairs," said Municipal and Provincial Affairs Minister, Art Reid.

In addition to raising the level of awareness, understanding and interest in local government, the campaign is being undertaken to acquaint the general public with the cost and value of services provided through their municipal councils.

One of the specific initiatives being planned during this Local Government Awareness Week to ensure that the week has high impact throughout the province is a Conference on Women in Local Government. This event will be sponsored by the Federation of Municipalities and held in Gander during Local Government Awareness Week.

The official Local Government Week Proclamation was signed on Saturday, April 20 at the official opening of the annual convention of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Municipal Administrators. Participating in the event were Mr. Reid, President Gerard Lewis of the administrator's association and Sam Synard, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities.

The plan is to make Local Government Awareness Week an annual event. Municipal elections will be held in 1997 and next year's campaign will encourage people to get out and vote and also to offer themselves for election to municipal office.

Contact: Gary Callahan, (709) 729-3142.