Recall that a vision statement differs from a social baseline study in that it captures both the present and the future of a community. It expresses the
community’s values, hopes and ambitions for itself, and cannot be developed without full cooperation from the community. Paul Lachapelle advises that the
statement should briefly address the following questions:
• What is important in our community? Is it the geographic location, the culture, the
history, etc.?
• Who are we as a community and what makes our community unique?
• What do we want our community to be known for?
• What are the unique features of the area?
• Ask the fundamental question, “What is our story?”
• What is our desired future? What is our dream for the future if we had all the resources available to us?
He advises paying attention to the “what if” portion of the statement:…
