Real legacy

There probably aren’t too many people around here who will shed a tear when we say good-bye to 2014 tonight.
To say this was a challenging year is a colossal understatement—from Resolute Forest Products’ decision to permanently close its mill here to battling the rising waters of Rainy Lake and the Rainy River for much of June.
If you’re able to look past the obvious doom and gloom, however, 2014 actually was a very uplifting year. It was seen in the residents of all ages who answered the call to help with sandbagging to protect our communities from the flood threat.
And it most certainly was reflected in the unprecedented co-operation and solidarity of the district in lobbying the provincial government to revamp the wood supply system in order to help resurrect the local mill.
Equally impressive, given the dire economic circumstances facing so many, was the generosity of district residents in support of local food banks and charities in the weeks leading up to Christmas, allowing the Salvation Army, for one, to give out some 200 hampers to families in need—an increase of about 50 over last year.
The real legacy of 2014 isn’t what went wrong over the past 12 months but how we rose to the occasion. And that, when all is said and done, is what’s most important.
Our problems won’t magically disappear at the stroke of midnight, and 2015 is sure to bring its share of setbacks and curve balls. But we’ve proven, by working together, we can tackle anything that may come our way.