Duane Hicks
Tourism, jobs, partnerships, and better communication within the community are just a few of the goals of Couchiching Chief Sara Mainville in 2015.
“Right now, we’re scheduling a youth forum for our community in early 2015 and I’m looking forward to that,” she said in an interview yesterday.
“We have a draft economic development strategy and we’re doing some land use planning,” Chief Mainville noted.
“We’re really focusing on tourism development, and hopefully look at some economic development and possibly building some new residences and other buildings,” she added.
Community input and partnerships will be key.
“Consultation is really important,” Chief Mainville stressed. “I think one of the things that was very frustrating for my community was they had not enough input into the things that we’ve done in the past.
“I definitely want to open the doors and hear any concerns, or maybe even better ideas about things we’re trying to accomplish here in Couchiching,” she remarked.
“Jobs are really important right now—I think we’re all focused on that—and the district is trying to find ways to work together to bring jobs to this area.”
Chief Mainville said there’s been some “good conversations” between the four bands—Couchiching, Naicatchewenin, Nicickousemenecaning, and Stanjikoming FN—and the Town of Fort Frances regarding the Point Park.
She noted this must continue in the year ahead if there’s to be any resolution to the land claim matters.
“There’s an open dialogue going on now,” Chief Mainville noted.
“We’ve been talking within our community, too, about resolving this and to stop sending all our money to lawyers in Toronto and focus on possibly creating a better park there that we can all enjoy.”
One of the projects Chief Mainville would like to see happen this year is a walking trail, noting Couchiching has some funding from both the provincial and federal government to do so.
“Having a public walking trail alongside Highway 11 would be good for the entire area,” she said.
Chief Mainville said the community also may try to resurrect the radio station, which formerly operated as CKWO-92.3 (The Wolf) after going on-air in 2004.
“We’re looking at potentially seeing if there’s any opportunity to utilize that equipment that we still have, and do better at communicating within the community and maybe bringing some more music choices to the area,” she explained.
As well, a mobile movie theatre could be coming to Couchiching sometime this year if an initiative proposed by Canadian actor Adam Beach comes to fruition.
“We’re still in line for one of those,” said Chief Mainville. “It would be interesting if that does work out.”
Beach spoke about this idea during the Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Services Inc. Behavioural Health Services’ conference here back in September.
There also will be a byelection Jan. 15 so the band can elect a sixth councillor to fill a vacancy left by Ed Yerxa.
Whoever is elected will join councillors Ron Archie, Bill Perrault, Dave Bruyere, Lucille “Bugsy” Morrisseau, and Christine Jourdain.
Chief Mainville, who was elected in March of last year, said 2014 was very busy for her.
“It seems like everything that could have been thrown at me got thrown at me,” she chuckled.
“It’s definitely been a learning experience.
“I cherish learning new things, and definitely have had the opportunity to learn a whole bunch about my community, about the district,” Chief Mainville added.
“And I think I’ve met a lot of new people, not just in Couchiching but within the district, and I have really enjoyed a lot of that relationship-building,” she said.
Chief Mainville also has done a fair amount of travelling outside the district to make sure Couchiching is heard.
“I definitely want to contribute, as a chief in this area, to give a bigger voice for Couchiching in some of the matters that are being dealt with at different tables,” she remarked.
“And certainly raising the profile within the province of Ontario about Couchiching because I think we have a lot to showcase as far as being a progressive community,” she noted.
