FORT FRANCES—With the deadline coming up Jan. 22, it’s likely too late for any local group to get in an application for CBC’s “Hockeyville” competition this year.
But Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig said at Monday night’s council meeting that he would be interested in personally supporting any “grassroots” movement to put together a video entry for the 2008 competition.
McCaig clarified that while an article in last week’s Times may have given the impression the town would be spearheading an effort to get Fort Frances named the next “Hockeyville,” that wasn’t the case.
“I was a little surprised to see the coverage of it last Wednesday,” he remarked. “But that being said, I would gladly work with people if there was a willingness in the community to put forth such an application.
“I haven’t heard of any. I had a conversation with one individual saying they’d be willing to spearhead it for next year.
“But with the level of application you have to put forward for this contest, I don’t see it happening in the next couple weeks,” added McCaig.
“I could see my role as being a liaison between the town and any group wanting to do this. But in terms of me leading this at this juncture, it just can’t happen,” he reiterated later in the evening.
Coun. Tannis Drysdale said considering the amount of work involved in putting together a video entry, any interested groups would be better off aiming for next year—as they would able to put together over the summer any hockey footage they could get now.
“Looking at the application and the kind of video you need, I know there is a lot of footage from last year’s OFSAA festivities and probably footage of when they brought the Allan Cup to town,” noted McCaig.
“That being said, there’s all kinds of ways to go with this.”
McCaig remarked—just as he had said last year when Atikokan was being featured on CBC in the “Hockeyville” competition—that entering the contest would be a positive thing for Fort Frances “based on our rich hockey tradition.”
“I really strongly believe,” he stressed. “From my perspective and my role with the town, I’m more than willing to give my time to something that’s well thought out and well-presented.
“In his editorial, [Times’ editor] Mike Behan was quite right—we do need a grassroots group to come forward,” added McCaig.
“I think it would be a good thing for this council to get behind. But that would be for 2008, and starting now.”
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•approved a report authorizing the mayor and clerk sign a letter of understanding with the Lakehead University Thunderwolves hockey program to provide the town with a summer hockey program for a three-year term;
•directed the clerk to reschedule council meetings for Oct. 8, Nov. 12, and Dec. 24 to Oct. 9, Nov. 13, and Dec. 17 due to Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day, and Christmas Eve, respectively;
•agreed to a recommendation of the Administration and Finance executive committee to transfer any of the 2006 surplus amount exceeding $200,000 to the reserve funds to offset future capital expenditures; and
•agreed to a recommendation of the Administration and Finance executive committee to approve the change of financing from long-term debt to financing from the Administration and Finance surplus reserve fund for the 2006 purchases of a front-end loader and CAT backhoe (as was approved in the 2006 capital budget).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
