"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

-Margaret Mead

• "They don't have any of the tools they need to make airtight cases for sustainability. These are pretty sophisticated concepts that will require a lot of dollars, a lot of behavioral campaigns, technologies, etc. Towns and cities are more focused on the hot button issues of their ratepayers and these aren't generally the blue-sky issues of sustainability."
• - CCLN Member

Overview

Welcome to the CCLN website.

The Canadian Community Leaders Network (CCLN) is a national forum for Community Opinion Leaders. These are individuals who, by virtue of their long-standing community involvement, deep network and solid reputation, exercise an unusually high degree of influence on the agenda of their respective municipalities. They are a diverse group that includes business people, community activists, former and current politicians, bureaucrats, journalists, NGO professionals, philanthropists, academics and retirees. Subject-matter expertise is not the main qualifier. Rather, Community Opinion Leaders are influential because of their broad-based perspective, their valuable insight into their centre's dynamics, and their profound ability to inform other people's decisions.

Since Community Opinion Leaders have their fingers on the pulse of their community, an important measure of any energy, environmental or other community-based issues is directly tied to the perceptions of these individuals. As such, CCLN works with them to generate dialogue around issues of sustainability. Participants in the CCLN process, which include some of Canada's most active and recognized Community Leaders, are provided with the opportunity to share their perspectives on critical policy topics through participation in panel discussions and individual interviews.