My neice Meredith is a joyful child who is succinct in expressing herself.

One day, 2-year-old Meredith and I were trying to draw farm animals in our kitchen but were having trouble drawing a horse.

We asked my partner Tony to help and lo and behold he took the pencil and sketched a fine horse.

As I was admiring this conjured-up horse, Meredith looked at Tony and said; ``You didn`t be careful of the pig. ``

I took a second look and saw that, as fine as the horse was, it had obliterated much of the pig that we had drawn but moments before.

I sometimes think of Meredith`s words when I think of the CBRM Council at work.

• The planned berms to control flooding are the horse and the Baille Ard trail in its urban forest is the pig.

• The new fire station is the horse and the accessible parking at The Hat is the pig.

• The new Santa Claus parade rules are the horse and the long-lived local Santa Claus Parades are the pig.

• The planned giant RV park of Chris Skidmore is the horse and the environment and Big Pond Centre? The pig.

Some CBRM Councillors know how to avoid the metaphorical drawn pig of a two-year-old and her aunt – like Councillor Amanda MacDougall and Councillor Kendra Coombs. They have shown themselves to be into looking around carefully before sketching a metaphorical horse.

But many of the councillors and the mayor have not exhibited this skill.

CBRM is changing, which is wonderful. But let us heed 2-year-old Meredith’s wisdom which could be summarized as: “ Be careful of the pig.”