This will be the second year that Canada Day will be quiet in Fort Frances. There will be no parade. There will be no children’s parade. There will be no gathering of the community at Point Park. There will be no baseball tournaments. There will be no fireworks.
Instead, we will quietly celebrate the 154th establishment of our country.
One year ago, the Town of Fort Frances distributed lawn signs to anyone who wished one, that said “Happy Canada Day Fort Frances.
It was a quiet and meaningful method of letting each other know how proud we are to be living in our country and in our community.
Much has happened over the past 12 months. Across the District we have witnessed people becoming sick with Covid. We have become comfortable wearing face masks when we leave our homes. We have been impatient waiting for vaccines to be available in our community. We have not enjoyed our isolation. We knew and accepted that we would all have to make sacrifices to make ourselves, our families, our friends, and neighbours safe.
We have now joined together and collectively across the Rainy River District now have over 75 per cent of residents having received their first dose of vaccine and almost 25 per cent having their second dose. We are a caring community and a caring country prepared to do everything to make each other safe. It is a reason to celebrate this Canada Day.
We can join neighbours and relatives again safely in our backyards to barbecue, hug and laugh with. Families can again travel across provincial boundaries to meet each other. We have much to celebrate this Canada Day.
I hope that residents have kept those lawn signs and if they have not, will fly the Canadian Flag in front of their homes letting everyone know that they are proud Canadians.
The struggle is not over. New strains of the virus are now moving through Canada. We must get to having every Canadian vaccinated with not one but two doses. Only then will we be safe again.
A year from now we can have a Canada Day Victory parade, celebrating that Covid has been brought fully under control. We can fill the skies at night with fireworks watching with each other along the shores of Rainy River as the heavens are lit with light and life.
But this year, take time to remember that Canada is a great country, and be thankful that you and your neighbours have sacrificed to make everyone safe.
Former Publisher
Fort Frances Times
