William (Bill) Morrison Sr.
Dear editor,
I started this out as a jeer. However maybe it should be a Letter to the editor!
Jeers for the town council for the about face on the cemetery’s perpetual flowers, due to the hardship of “greenhouse(s)” losing income, yet the town will lose $17,000 by paying for the sunk costs to one greenhouse. Also, historically worried about taking business from in town tax payers while operating the Sunny Cove at $40,000 loss a year. It should be returned to the Kiwanis to replenish their own financial reserves or seek a new non-profit organization. I sincerely hope they can sell or find some deep pockets!
Meanwhile, the town has enough money to pay an employee who in turn engages HTFC Planning and Design to consult on the Shevlin woodyard use and other matters. Designing hotels, condos, convention centres, high rise apartments and a brew pub of all things to attract tourists to sample our $10 a mug beer!
It seems to be the same argument that Sunny Cove had taken away from our downtown facilities. This new proposal, which models look like Treasure Island in the middle of town, will have competition for our existing hotel/restaurants! Very fancy, but lacking the Wisconsin Dell rides! Apparently, based on the HTFC presentation, we have money to burn! They did a smaller job in Kenora; however Kenora’s situation is different than ours. The population is $15,000 – almost twice as much as ours and sue in part to the closeness to Winnipeg and surrounding areas, the population swells to double that in the summer! Tourist time! I hope a feasibility study has been done about this as it seems like we’ve been down this rabbit hole before. That I’d like to see!
Back to the prepaid flowers and protecting greenhouses, but only one named. Good for them, I guess. But how about the other businesses in the town of Fort Frances? What about them? Also, six students for roughly five weeks, off and on would cost in the neighbourhood of $7,000 and could get the job done! Giving them some money for back to school and helping six families through this COVID-19, thereby not wasting the $17,000 bedding plants which must be destroyed, I assume.
Sadly, I rest my case.
Sincerely,
William (Bill) Morrison Sr.
