Allan Bedard
Dear editor,
I am happy to report than I received more than 271 responses to my Letter to the editor. All but two supported my position, calling for a public meeting of council to have an open and transparent meeting, to hear the public views regarding Council’s wishes to sell Sunny Cove, for reasons not yet fully or properly explained to the public and without public input.
I was happy to read both Nolan Faragher’s and Paul Noonan’s Letters. Their views show clearly that public input is needed, whatever it may be, and it should be heard in a Council held, well-advertised public meeting.
I call on Fort Frances Town Council to hold a public meeting so that the public has an opportunity to express their views on this very important piece of lakeshore property, that has road access, power, a beach, play area, fishing base, rental opportunities and an unlimited tourism potential.
I also have the utmost respect for Ms. Diane Maxey and the wonderful contributions she so generously makes. However, I do not agree with Ms. Maxey’s comments stated in her Letter to the editor, that Council has an unfettered right to render these types of decisions without community input. I agree the Council was elected to make decisions, but not as dictators. They were elected to be servants of the people, and in a democracy, public input matters on issues like this. Especially where property and financial matters of this magnitude are involved. Refusing the public and taxpayer interest or input on the property sale is in my view totally wrong.
The second issue I disagree with is the comment made than the Moffat Fund would not cover this. The opportunities here fit in well with the criteria of the Moffat Fund, as long as Council drafts the application based on family usage and the long term benefits available on this property. If they have an issue with this, I would gladly volunteer my time to help them fill out the application and draft the reasons why the Moffat Fund would be more than willing to support the Town’s application, that I am sure will be accepted by the Moffat Fund.
The last point made by Ms. Maxey was a statement respecting the negativity displayed by me regarding the removal of the Seniors from the Sister Kennedy Centre and pushing them into the Daycare Centre on Eighth Street. I was asked by the seniors who did not want to be forced out of the SKC to help protect them from a forced move by the Board and Council to the Daycare building. So I say to you and others who feel that I and others who stood up for the Seniors at the SKC that we were negative and you then followed that up by saying “shame on you.” Well if that is the case I will gladly take it for standing up for the Senior’s at the SKC.
Ms. Maxey, you are an amazing lady and I am not trying to take your views away from you. I am trying to express to you and others that everyone has a right to their point of view on these types of matters as well as you.
In closing it is not my goal in life to be loved by everybody. My goal is to simply be a concerned advocate to help my fellow man. If that is problematic for anyone so be it.
Yours truly,
Allan Bedard
