Social media rose to popularity through its socializing potential, but it's rapidly gaining recognition for its power in community building for real communities.

Huntsville, Ontario, and its transformation from Muskoka "cottage country" town to G8 Summit host, provides one example of the people-power that can be created and harnessed through social media.

Social media are cheap, accessible, widely-available alternatives to mass media like newspapers, television, film and other traditional outlets. These communication tools allow anyone to publish words, photographs, graphics, music or video, and to access information in a range of formats, often at no charge other than the cost of computer or mobile equipment and internet access. Social media enables one-on-one communication and facilitates mass collaboration across an office or around the globe, without elaborate training or a lengthy learning curve. Instantaneous responses combine with limitless "space," ease of editing, and "permanent" online search-ability to create powerful messages and message delivery.

Social media have unleashed a wildfire of communication between individuals and groups who otherwise could not quickly, easily, cheaply and spontaneously share ideas, information and content. Social media includes online forums, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and photo/video sharing, which use technologies such as email, instant messaging, file-sharing, music-sharing, wall-postings and voice over internet. The list of social media sites continues to grow beyond Wikipedia, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

John Finley, Economic Development and Grants Officer for the Town of Huntsville, explained the Huntsville process was not originally directed toward hosting an international political summit. In 2003, the first step was a strategic plan that dealt with the impact of "big box" stores on local small business. A strategic plan projects economic and related possibilities into the next three to five years. Ironically, the current mayor was the developer of a "big box" store that triggered this plan development.

"We decided not to fight, but realized that this was part of life and nature, and we could spend a lot of money fighting ["big box" stores] and become bitter enemies," said Finley. "Or, we could put money into plans that would benefit both of us."

Finley sees revision of a community's Strategic Plan as crucial to harmonizing the efforts of a newly-elected mayor and council. He explained that contemporary tools like blogs were enlisted to create a new community vision for Huntsville "because we wanted to be as accessible as possible" Many Huntsville residents are snowbirds and others own recreational properties and are not full time residents. This absentee pattern limits the effectiveness of traditional face-to-face meetings.

"Blogs and filming meetings and posting segments of meetings really worked," said Finley. "I'd say for the previous 2003 plan we got little input electronically. It was good old city hall meetings—sit down and talk...but not everyone was confident enough to speak their mind at a meeting—a lot aren't."

Comments and postings on the Town of Huntsville Blog were answered directly by Mayor Claude Doughty.

"We got a lot of input," said Finley. "We thought we might get naughty comments or not nice input, but we did not. We just posted rules, and we got great input—great group input and emails from all over the world."

Only input from registered voters could be included in the Plan, but ineligible contributions revealed how their area was valued. Town hall meetings were videotaped and edited down for posting on the town website. (Full length originals were preserved, but never requested.) The availability of this content enhanced overall quality and quantity of contributions.

"Initially, people were intimidated by the very word 'blog,' especially those in their late 40s to early retirement," said Finley. "They weren't by email, so the Mayor and I talked a great deal about this on the radio and about how [a blog] is just an email others can read....We'll do another one in 2010 since this term of municipal government will be up."

Creating the Plan catalysed the community into considering more for Huntsville and from themselves.

"A lot of things we identified with our town hall-ers and blog, and that we recorded in the Community Master Plan, were a fit with the good old G8," said Finley, who also emphasized the importance of citizen contributions on many levels.

Finley credits support from the local Minister of Parliament Tony Clement, who is also Minister of Industry and Minister for FedNor as useful. The previous G8 experience of Deerhurst Resort General Manager Joseph Klein was also significant. This Resort will host the 2010 G8 Summit from June 25th to 27th.

The G8 is an informal group of eight of the world's leading economic powers: France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. During an annual summit, leaders of the G8 countries meet face-to-face to "develop common approaches to urgent challenges facing the world."

Not all communities may parlay their social media experience into a G8 Summit, but every community that engages its citizens and businesses will discover a fresh momentum for problem solving and "blue sky" creativity. Gone are the days when residents, full-time and seasonal, are empty vessels waiting for politicians to fill them with knowledge and strategic opportunity. Particularly in areas with mature populations, the combined knowledge and expertise of voters is an untapped resource that is never full realized during elections—or afterward for that matter.

Source: For details on the Huntsville process, sample public submissions, contact information and more about area improvements:

• Huntsville.ca

• The Huntsville Legacy Project

• Huntsville Community Master Plan 2008

Published: June 2, 2009

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