Chins up

Ahh, the new year. A chance to wipe the slate clean and start fresh.
Alas, the bitter reality is that the challenges and issues facing us didn’t miraculously disappear with the stroke of midnight on Monday. It may now be 2013 but the future of our paper mill, and the impact of a potential reassessment of its property taxes, remain of utmost concern right across the district.
As well, there’s no end in sight for the current dispute between the province and its public school teachers, with more disruptions and a continuing cancellation of extra-curricular activities still very real possibilities.
Meanwhile, the “Idle No More” movement among First Nations’ people, in conjunction with the ongoing hunger strike by Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence, already has sparked marches, flash mobs, and blockades of one type or another—with the spectre of many more down the road.
Yes, efforts are being undertaken to improve relations between aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities here in Rainy River District. But with ill feelings stemming from Couchiching’s “toll booth” still fresh in local residents’ minds, one can’t help but wonder what the future holds if things spiral out of control.
And on top of everything else, how best to welcome tourists—following the abrupt closure of the Ontario Travel Information Centre here by the province early last year—still needs to be resolved.
It would be nice to be able to close the book on these and so many other issues simply by turning the page on 2012. We cannot, of course. What we can do, however, is keep our chins up.
Maintaining a positive and open frame of mind may not solve every challenge and obstacle that comes our way, but it certainly increases the chances of success.