Duane Hicks
St. Francis student McKenna Begin and J.W. Walker student Danielle Hammond, both winners of an essay contest held in conjunction with Local Government Week (Oct. 19-25), got the chance Monday night to tell council what they would do if they were mayor of Fort Frances.
Begin said “she would listen to the people to find good ideas to improve the town.”
She suggested improving the town’s recycling program by trying to recycle more and putting less in the landfill. She also would start a conservation club and teach children how to clean up lakes, rivers, streams, and their neighbourhoods.
“I would love to see the world for the better,” remarked Begin.
She also would like to fix more roads in town, which badly need it, particularly on Fifth Street in the north end.
As well, Begin would like to fix up the waterfront “because it is so beautiful in the summer and spring, and lots of people use it,” adding an outdoor pool for summer usage is another good idea.
She also felt a bike trail in the woods would be useful “because I love to bike and I know lots of other people who like to bike, too.”
“As a town, we should encourage people to ride their bikes to work or walk,” Begin stressed. “This would help keep pollution down. Hopefully gas prices would go down, too.”
In addition to lowering taxes by finding ways for the town to save money, Begin said the town should advertise itself on television “to show people what a nice town we are, and maybe they might want to live here.”
“We could show people all the great things to see and do here, like fishing, hunting, boating, golfing, and biking,” Begin remarked, adding the town also has to try and attract more doctors to work at the hospital, which she pointed out has a new CT scanner.
“I think the job of mayor if very hard, but I think I could do it,” she concluded. “Hopefully you’ll like my ideas and vote for me for mayor.”
Hammond, meanwhile, said she would build an animal care centre, an indoor water park, and plant more trees.
“I would make an animal care centre because there are a lot of animals in Fort Frances that are abused, and animals that get hurt,” she noted. “Either way, they need a home.
“They could have a home if there was an animal care centre and they could be healed faster,” she reasoned.
Hammond also said an indoor water park would draw tourists and local children would love it.
She noted she would like to plant more trees because “people cut down trees for no reason.”
“How would you like it if someone ruined your home?” she asked. “Just think about all the birds and the squirrels that live in trees, and I know you would not like your home to get ruined.
“So if I were mayor, these are a couple examples that I would do to make Fort Frances an even better place to live,” Hammond concluded.
Mayor Roy Avis thanked the students and told them council would take their ideas under advisement. He also presented both Begin and Hammond with certificates of participation in Local Government Week as well as Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce gift certificates.
The winners, both Grade 5 students, were determined by their peers at their respective schools.
The essay contest was co-ordinated by town staff member Dawn Lundy.
In related news, Fort Frances Clerk Glenn Treftlin said he felt Local Government Week here was a success, but admitted some of the plans were last-minute. He promised next year, and thereafter, it would be even better and draw more participation from local schools.
Activities included appearances by the mayor and council and town staff on B93fm and Shaw Cable programming, as well as presentations by Mayor Avis, deputy mayor Sharon Tibbs, and CAO Mark McCaig at Robert Moore, St. Francis, and J.W. Walker Schools, respectively.
A series of articles on the town’s administrative structure also ran in the Daily Bulletin and Fort Frances Times that week.
As well, several elementary school classes toured town facilities throughout the week, and some students also got to accompany town staff in the performance of their duties during the week.
The Fort Frances Museum also had a display on local government while the Memorial Sports Centre had a display of activities available through the rec department.
