Great to see

Those who thought the current economic challenges facing Fort Frances would dissuade candidates from seeking election as mayor or councillor were way off base.
Four years ago, the current mayor and council all were acclaimed. Talk about a major about-face this time around.
There is a three-way race for mayor here for the first time since 1991, when Glenn Witherspoon defeated Nick Wihnan and the late Aage Rude. Meanwhile, 16 candidates are vying for the six seats on town council—the most in recent memory and perhaps even a record number.
Both local school boards also will see elections, with four candidates seeking the two town seats on the Rainy River District School Board and three vying for the two on the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
In fact, that’s the pattern right across the district, with most municipalities needing an election to determine their respective reeve/mayor and council.
It’s great to see such an interest among residents to seek public office. Not only is it a sign of a vibrant community, but campaigns that draw fresh faces and new ideas are vital to its future success.
There can be drawbacks. Here in Fort Frances, for instance, voters faced with a plethora of candidates simply may rely on name recognition when marking their ballots, making it more difficult for new candidates to stand out.
There’s a danger, too, that people won’t bother to vote at all because there’s too many candidates to have to sift through.
Hopefully, that’s not the case in town or elsewhere in the district. Having a wide range of candidates on the ballot is a good thing—and those who have stepped forward to serve deserve our thanks, respect, and certainly our full attention as we mull the best choices to lead our communities.
In Fort Frances, at least two new faces will be sitting at the council table come Dec. 1 and perhaps—albeit highly unlikely—all seven.
That’s now for voters to decide in the weeks leading up to Oct. 27.