It is official. Fort Frances will be having an election for mayor and council. There will be at least three new council members and potentially a new mayor who had not served on council in the three previous years. Since 2014 when the mill closure was announced councils have struggled to find replacement jobs for the almost 300 workers who worked at the paper and kraft mill.
In the district, more than those 300 jobs have been created at the New Gold mine. It has given councils time to look for new opportunities. Across the district farming and tourism have continued to offer buoyancy to the economy. Populations in the district communities have declined.
Council are responsible for taxes, roads, sewers, policing, fire protection, water, garbage collection, libraries, museums, large facilities and parks. Most soft social services are the responsibility of provincial governed bodies which councils have very little financial control over but are billed for the services offered.
Traditional issues continue to face councils in Fort Frances, Emo, Rainy River, and Atikokan. Many of the sewer and water systems in those communities are beyond their life expectancy. Councils are facing difficult decisions to determine which street’s sewer and water pipes are in the worst condition and need to be replaced first. Councils continue to need provincial financial support for those projects.
The alternative is for councils to make a decision that homeowners along those streets should bear a good portion of the costs for sewer and water replacement just as new subdivision owners bear the cost of the services in those subdivisions. Many of the sidewalks in Fort Frances are in dire need for replacement as they have become walking hazards. A portion of those costs should also be born by the homeowners adjoining the properties. Both policy changes would not be popular.
Potential new members and current council members should be putting forth specific ideas to attract new industries and businesses to grow the tax base reducing taxes for homeowners. Hopefully they will also propose ideas to attract real estate developers to build new homes on speculation in subdivisions to attract new residents to Fort Frances who are looking to locate in a community with lower housing costs.
Working remotely has taken on new meaning. It has the potential to attract young professional families away from the larger centers of Canada. But we must ask the young professionals who have already chosen to raise families in the district what prompted their decision to return. We also need to ask what are the limiting factors that discourage young families from locating into the district.
They are basic questions and we should be looking for clear direction from all the candidates prior to voting day.
