Allan T Bedard
Dear Editor,
At a regular Council meeting of the Town of Fort Frances in March 2020, Council announced that the Town of Fort Frances would be stepping away from owning Sunny Cove Camp.
Council argued that the Town’s current financial condition led the Town’s decision to divest itself of this asset and that it was committed to finding a new non-profit owner who would be willing to operate Sunny Cove like it has been run over the past few decades.
Council argued that Sunny Cove cost the Town approximately $40,000 per year to operate, and selling this asset would free up this $40,000 for other parts of the Town budget. Yup. Sell it and save $40,000 of tax dollars.
Well I find Council’s position to sell off this amazing asset to be absolutely nonsense and nothing but a bunch of brown sugar baffle garb and in my mind is absolutely foolish.
Council’s argument of recouping its $40,000 tax dollars and having the new owners of Sunny Cove Camp run it like it has been run for decades is now easily solved. Yup, 100 per cent solved, right now, and the Town can have its $40,000 tax expenditure and apply it anywhere in their budget that they wish to place it without selling this asset off. How? Very simple – from the Moffat Fund.
The Moffat Fund has been supplying grants to the Town of Fort Frances for years. The amount of this year’s grant is $93,7500. And guess what, folks? The primary goal of this Fund is to support and advance the economic, social, physical and intellectual well-being of children and families, consistent with the vision of the Moffat Fund. Wow. And to think, Fort Frances Town Council is the party that accepts the applications and identifies where these funds go, and this money has not been assigned nor handed out yet. Wow again. What a win-win situation.
I believe Council should keep Sunny Cove Camp and allocate $40,000 from the Moffat Fund to Run Sunny Cove Camp and solve its wish to utilize the Town taxpayer dollars elsewhere in their budget. Do this and there is absolutely no cost to the Town and Sunny Cove does not have to be sold.
I also request that Town Council develop a new By-law that calls for a mandatory public meeting, that is well advertised, allowing a public meeting to take place before any land or property is changed from its present purpose, occupancy, sold or rented out. This is needed so an elected party of seven cannot, without public input, dispose of major public assets without full transparency, accountability and taxpayer input.
Yours truly,
Allan T Bedard
