Maybe you’re like me. You rent while putting money away, hoping that one day—not too far from now—you’ll have enough for a down payment and won’t have to look far to find a home you can afford. You’ll be able to stay right here in the District of North Vancouver.

I think about this often as I watch friends and family move to places they can afford, even when their first choice would be to stay here—to build their lives here, raise their families here, and eventually retire here.

When I hear stories about neighbourhoods where neighbours bake pies for one another, children play together at the park, and people know they can knock on the door next door, my heart bubbles with gratitude.

There is something beautiful about that kind of community. It’s simple, it’s welcoming, and it’s timeless.

Our family relies on public transit to get around, and we’re also members of our local Modo car co-op—which we love. For us, it works.

But I also understand that every family is different. Work schedules, young children, mobility needs, caregiving responsibilities and other realities can make it difficult to rely on transit or a car-share for every trip.

One of the biggest changes on the horizon is artificial intelligence.

AI is already changing how we work, how we learn, how businesses operate and how we interact with the world around us. As the technology continues to develop, it will increasingly touch many aspects of everyday life—including how we access information, services and opportunities in our community.

Our local government should be thoughtful and proactive, not reactive.