Big potential

With the future of Canada Day activities here very much in doubt of late, kudos to those behind this year’s festivities for their time and effort in giving local residents an opportunity to celebrate our country’s 146th birthday.
And while there’s still a long way to go in resurrecting the community spirit that once revolved around “Fun in the Sun” of yesteryear, the prospect of developing a multi-day, festival-like atmosphere centered on Canada Day and the U.S. Fourth of July holiday seems to be on solid ground.
Monday’s dragon boat races drew twice as many teams compared to last July’s inaugural event, which certainly is promising for future growth down the road—hopefully with out-of-town entries joining in the fun to add to the excitement while providing a much-needed economic boost to our community.
Then yesterday’s annual “Pulling for Peace” international tug-of-war across the upper Rainy River between Fort Frances and International Falls featured three hard-fought battles, which the American side swept. But while the “tug” offers a great way to tap into—and stoke—our friendly rivalry, the real challenge is to take this unique event and transform it into one that really puts Borderland on the map.
The Falls’ side has beaten us to the punch in that respect so far, particularly in terms of drawing “celebrities” such as Minnesota Vikings’ alumni and creating a bigger buzz. Money is the main factor, as Coun. Rick Wiedenhoeft pointed out last week, so the question becomes how does our side come up with the dollars needed to take the tug-of-war to the next level?
The town certainly has a role to play, but clearly local businesses, service clubs, and others will need to step to the plate in terms of funding and helping hands.
Everyone knows the huge commitment required to stage the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship every year. A similar effort will be needed if “Pulling for Peace” is envisioned to become the anchor for an four-day festival bridging our two national holidays.
Staging a first-class festival isn’t cheap but the economic potential is too promising to be ignored.