ERIC FAGERDAHL (2014 election)

I was born in Fort Frances. As my father was a railroad man, we lived in various communities and returned here when I was a teenager.
I have been married to my wife, Caren, for 38 years. We have two children and four grandchildren.
I have been involved in this community in a number of different ways over the years. We were the owners of Rainy Lake Boatworks, through which we promoted our love of the historical waterways of Rainy Lake.
We hosted annual kayak symposiums to teach kayaking, and bring awareness of our lake and district to guests from across the continent. Many of our symposium participants come back regularly to paddle in our area.
Caren and I also ran Cedar Ridge Bed and Breakfast until retirement. We welcomed people from around the globe and were happy to share the rich history of our town and district.
I have worked in Fort Frances in the retail trade for more than 30 years, and enjoyed the work and the people of the area. I also have been an active member of the Métis community and serve on Métis council.
As well, I have served on various boards with my church.
I have chosen to put my name forward in the election for town council because I am passionate about helping to get Fort Frances back on its feet. We are in a time of transition and need new and different ideas.
My wife and I have travelled to the east coast and stayed in many small towns that have wonderful presence but similar problems. Across our country, there are many examples of one-industry towns that have lost their major employer and had to start again to build their economy.
The successful among these could be a great resource to us.
I think it would be important to have meetings with the people of Fort Frances to find out what they’re thinking and to get their ideas. We need to be good listeners but we also need to know when to act.
I bring an open mind as a councillor and would like the chance to participate, with council as a whole, in changing some of the things that do not seem to be working.
The new council will face greater challenges now that we have lost our major industry. It is important that we all work together as a community to protect the investment we have in this town in the way of our real estate, our homes, and our businesses.
We need to work to keep our business community alive ,as well as to welcome guests to visit and stay with us. The new council will need to seek out and invite new businesses and industries.
We have so much to offer! We are situated at the centre of the continent and are connected by road, rail, and air to major centres. Let’s promote this!
I think we must be thankful to the councillors and mayors who have gone before us to change Fort Frances in a positive way.
We must move forward with a constructive vision of what we would like Fort Frances to portray to the people of Fort Frances and to the visitors who come to and through our town. We need to work together as a community and have a strong council, with an optimistic view of the future.
I have decided to forgo purchasing lawn signs in favour of donating to The Community Chest. Please look for me on FaceBook (EricFagerdahl) and feel free to message me.
In closing, I would like to say I’m very thankful for the candidates that have come forward. It shows how much the people of Fort Frances care about their community and are willing to dig in when the need arises.
I ask for your vote on election day.