Step to plate

Can you imagine a Canada Day without a parade, activities out at Pither’s Point Park, and a fireworks display to culminate the festivities?
Fortunately, a group of local residents cannot. They’ve come together in the hope that Canada Day celebrations don’t go the way of the dodo bird here in Fort Frances, meeting every second Tuesday to brainstorm ideas, organize events, and solicit funding to help pay for it all.
But while the committee is off to a solid start, it’s clear the community needs to step to the plate in order to pull it off.
The town has supported—as it should—Canada Day celebrations here in the past, and hopefully will continue to do so. At Monday night’s council meeting, committee chair Teresa Hazel made some reasonable requests for in-kind support, as well as $10,000 in bridge funding for fireworks (complete with a firm vow to repay the money in full over the next few years).
Taxpayers, however, shouldn’t be expected to foot the whole bill. Much like the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, the future of Canada Day celebrations here hinges on the community coming forward—as individuals, businesses, organizations, and service clubs—to make it a success, whether lending a hand to run things, opening our own wallets to help cover costs, and, just as important, attending the various events as a show of support.
After all, there’s nothing more frustrating to organizers than putting in countless hours to plan activities only to have no one show up.
We have the good fortune to be living in the best country in the world. Surely that’s cause for a celebration each July 1 worthy of a community of our size.
It won’t happen by itself, though. If we want a party, we all have to help stage it, plain and simple.