Crowds gathered at Dreamland Park, on the pedestrian bridge and on numerous boats to marvel at the fireworks. 10:00 pm to 10:12 pm, a light show to celebrate Canada Day in style.
It was like Christmas for our kids, who we put to bed only to wake up 30 minutes before the fireworks. All dressed in red with the national anthem playing on a loop in the car, the excitement was palpable.
Watching the fireworks on the lake, my eldest son mentions “Dad, that’s not good for the planet!”. His wonder turned to questions about the beauty of the show and its impact on the lake and its ecosystem. I should mention that he has just turned six.
The question arises especially on a magnificent lake located in a natural environment like North Hatley. A place where so much is being done to protect the lake in addition to adopting a vision of sustainable development.
Sustainable development is a concept that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Obviously, each generation has its own way of doing things and its own paradigms. Over time, our new generations reformulate and eliminate these paradigms.
For example, recycling and recovery first appeared in the home as pilot projects in the 70s. It became widespread in 1990 and institutionalized in the 2000s. Before that, we didn’t even know what recycling was.
Take a second example: drinking and driving. Remember that in Quebec, it was only in 1982 that a new Highway Safety Code came into force to provide for tougher penalties against impaired driving.
Today, generations Y and up were born with the “normality” that drinking and driving is a criminal offence. Some older generations have had to adapt to this new paradigm!
On that note, good thinking on sustainable development and paradigm shifts.
Definition of paradigm in sociology or philosophy
A paradigm can refer to a worldview or ideological framework through which reality is interpreted. Example: the individualist vs. the collectivist paradigm in the analysis of societies.
– Chatgpt (another big paradigm shift!)
