With the dawning of a new year, it’s only natural that we see it as a chance to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, and start fresh; to put the past behind us and look to the future in the hope of better times ahead.
Reality doesn’t work that way, of course. The problems we faced on Dec. 31 don’t magically disappear on Jan. 1–no matter how much we may wish that to be so. That holds true for individuals as well as our respective communities right across the district.
Fortunately, we can (and usually do) choose to look ahead with optimism rather than pessimism. To see challenges as opportunities to succeed or follow a new direction rather than fail. No one can know what the future holds but facing it with confidence and renewed vigour certainly goes a long way towards laying the groundwork for a positive one.
That’s precisely how new Fort Frances Mayor June Caul is choosing to see 2019. In her first “look ahead” interview with the Times, the mayor covered a wide range of topics that all give reason to feel bullish about our town’s future–from the possible sale and re-start of the idled mill here to developing the Shevlin wood yard to finally resolving the long-running dispute that hangs over Point Park.
She also cited our community’s assets, such as excellent potable water and the cheapest power rates in the province, and all the other amenities like the new Rainy Lake square, the waterfront, and top-notch recreational, cultural, educational, and health-care facilities.
Equally important, though, is Mayor Caul’s wish to see a broad cross-section of the community get involved, particularly young adults, when it comes to formulating a strategic plan for the next four years.
“I’m very big on making sure that everybody in Fort Frances who has an idea of what can be done has a voice,” she told Times’ reporter Duane Hicks. “After all, we are representing them and we need to do what they see is proper to do and carry it out to the best of our ability.
“The community is who we represent and their word matters a lot,” the mayor stressed.
In a nutshell, the future is what we make it. And the best way to accomplish that, as a community, is getting everyone to pull together by fostering a sense that we all need to take an interest and play a role in it.
We do that and good things will follow.