Good Choice

The public—out of the loop because most of the discussion was done behind closed doors—will never know if Mark McCaig was town council’s first choice to be the new CAO for Fort Frances, or if he was offered the job because others had turned it down.
Regardless, Mr. McCaig looks to be the right person for the job—at least from the viewpoint of those of us not privy to the inner workings at the Civic Centre. He certainly hit the ground running when he took over as interim CAO back on Sept. 30 following Bill Naturkach’s abrupt retirement, especially having to also juggle his duties as president and CEO of the Fort Frances Power Corp.
Complicating matters further, of course, was taking over in the midst of a changing of the guard at the Civic Centre due to November’s municipal election as well as the growing realization of the scope of the financial mess the town faced.
Yet, Mr. McCaig seems to have handled his baptism under fire admirably to date, which bodes well down the road as the town continues to struggle with its budget woes. In fact, he presents a confident, optimistic, and level-headed tone at a time when residents may be feeling gloomy about the town’s future, saying that while the town does face challenges, “they’re not insurmountable.”
Exactly the words people want—and need—to hear.
True, Mr. McCaig’s expertise is on the electricity side of things, rather than broader municipal issues and procedures, but his role in winning the hydro rebate for FFPC customers from the province last year indicates a person who gets the job done—and with success.
It’s great council ultimately chose a local resident to be the CAO, especially someone who starting working for the town almost 30 years ago cutting grass as a summer student.
Equally gratifying, though, is seeing a local resident have confidence in his town, and want to take on the responsibility of helping fix what’s broken rather than bail out.
Congratulations on your appointment, Mr. McCaig, and best of luck in your new job.