During his inaugural address to the people of Fort Frances, newly appointed mayor Andrew Hallikas laid out the dedication he, his council, and town staff have towards working for the betterment of all those who live in Fort Frances.
Hallikas and his councillors were each officially sworn in during the town’s Inaugural Meeting at the Fort Frances Civic Centre on Monday, November 21, 2022. Each member of council was asked to recite their oath of office and sign the official paperwork confirming their appointment. While Mike Behan, Wendy Brunetta and John McTaggart were re-elected as councillors following their service during the last term, newcomers David Kircher, Steven Maki and Mandi Olson make up the remaining council seats.
Once the oaths and signatures were completed, Hallikas was invited to give his address to those assembled in the council chambers, as well as watching or listening in via teleconference.
Hallikas began his address by thanking outgoing mayor June Caul for her service during the last term of council, before addressing the audience and highlighting just what makes an inaugural meeting so special to him, now that he has attended a good number of them.
“This is the fourth time that I’ve had the privilege of being part of a municipal inauguration, although it’s my first as mayor,” Hallikas said.
“I’ve always found the inaugural meeting of council a moving and meaningful ceremony. And so it should be. Seven people care so deeply for their community that they decided that they would voluntarily take a risk, comit financial resources, time and effort to run an election campaign with no guarantee of success. And then, if successful, would further commit their time, talent and experience to a four-year term dedicated to improving the quality of life for the people of Fort Frances. This is real dedication to community, and our citizens are fortunate to have such a talented and committed group of councillors representing them.”
Hallikas noted his pride for serving in municipal politics stems from the fact that it is the level of government closest to the people it serves, where mayors and councillors are among the neighbours you see at the grocery store or at the high school hockey game, and its decisions make the most direct impact on people’s lives.
“They are the most accessible of all the elected officials and their decisions affect the people more directly than any other form of government,” Hallikas said.
“From the time that you get up in the morning, almost everything that you do during your day is related to municipal government. You use electricity provided by the municipality, you take a shower using water provided by the municipality, you flush your toilet and empty your sink into a sewer provided by the municipality. The municipality provides our roads, sidewalks, recreational and cultural facilities, parks, cemeteries, fire protection, by-laws and much more. Municipal government touches every aspect of our lives.”
Because of the reach and impact of municipal government, Hallikas stressed that the municipal government made up of mayor and council are therefore critical in providing guidance to town administration and staff to help ensure the town is able to prosper. Even in the face of a difficult four years, Hallikas noted the previous term of council accomplished, or at least initiated several projects that were aimed at improving life in Fort Frances.
“Among many other accomplishments, the outgoing council also completed the Erin Crescent subdivision,” the mayor said.
“They initiated the Shevlin Woodyard project and Gateway project, as well as commissioning a review of our official plan and Zoning By-law. They applied for and received numerous grants to maintain and upgrade our infrastructure. The name of Colonization Road was finally changed, and plastic bags and straws were banned from our community. A spray park is in the works. The Hallett and Owandem will be placed on the waterfront as tourist attractions. The Fort Frances Senior Centre will be expanded. The Memorial Sportsplex is being extensively refurbished, and an expansion to the pool is a real possibility. And the demolition of the mill is proceeding safely and smoothly, creating valuable land available for redevelopment. Fort Frances is in a time of transition, and so is our council.”
Turning to the future, Hallikas shared that he is looking forward to working with the new council, new and returning members both, as they begin the hard work of continuing to steer the municipality into an uncertain future by leaning on the strengths each of the council members bring with them to the table.
“We have an excellent mix and balance with three returning councillors and three new councillors,” he said.
“Together they bring a formidable array of experience, skills, background and talent to the council table. We are all fortunate to live in such a beautiful corner of this province, and in a community that has such great potential, and it is up to this council to realize that potential. It’s not going to happen overnight and it will not be easy. Success will depend on all of us working together towards a common goal. Progress will take time, effort, determination and perseverance. Times have changed, and Fort Frances must also change. So, regardless of campaign promises or favoured issues, every one of us serves the entire community. We are all here because we want to move Fort Frances forward and not dwell in the past.”
Mayor Hallikas ended his inaugural address by promising the public and members of council that their work on guiding the town towards the future had well and truly begun.
“We have all just finished swearing an oath to faithfully and impartially exercise this office to the best of our knowledge and ability,” Hallikas said.
“We must bear that oath in mind in everything that we do. The people have spoken. Mayor and councillors have been elected and have sworn their oaths. And now the work begins.”
