Report to Ratepayers and Residents - December 2020

Good morning, all

As this year draws to a close (mercifully), I wanted to reach out to everyone to offer some thoughts on where we’ve been, and where we are going.

Off the bat, this has been an exceedingly rough time for so many. There are those who have been directly impacted by COVID – either themselves or loved ones getting sick. We are grateful that our area has been fortunate not to suffer a fatality, but that has not been the case elsewhere. Those losses leave a large hole in families and communities that will never fully fill – only becoming less pronounced with the passage of time.

Of more immediate effect are the consequences of the fight – the collateral damage. Despite the best efforts of federal and provincial governments, many people have lost livelihoods, while some children have fallen behind in school. In both cases, there will be a long-term struggle to catch up. All of us, however, have lost a measure of freedom and innocence. This pandemic has robbed everyone to some extent.

As we approach another lockdown, we are asked to sacrifice again. While many argue as to the necessity of these measures, I accept them as a means to an end. They are the uncomfortable price we pay now in order to return to a world where we were much more free. For my part, my concerns are focused on what happens after the pandemic, when we are safe again. The measures we enact in an emergency should not last a moment longer than the emergency itself.

There are multiple vaccines and, over time, there will be enough given so that we can set aside our masks, take down the plexiglass, and gather together in joy and celebration. Dame Vera Lynn, who died this year at age 103, rallied spirits in Britain during the darkest days of the Second World War by singing how “we’ll meet again some sunny day.” It may not feel like much, but it’s something.

When we do emerge, though, we will have changed – as individuals and as a community. It is that fact that I try to consider.

Central Frontenac, during this pandemic, has grown. Seasonal residents, logically, have increased their time here. This may have meant more business in local stores, but it also means more use of roads, waste sites and other services. As more jobs move to being done remotely, and people are less eager to live in large cities, I expect this trend to continue. This says nothing of the potential of “game changer” events, such as a potential VIA Rail station in Sharbot Lake, the creation of a new provincial park to our immediate north in conjunction with Algonquin Land Claims negotiations, or even the potential availability of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service that could provide people in our area exceedingly fast internet.

I believe we will grow significantly over the next few years, as seasonal residents increasingly become full time, and more single-family dwellings are built. How that changes the finances of the township, as well as the character of this community, will be the issues that define the next two decades in Central Frontenac.

Change is never easy, but if you accept that change is inevitable, then the question becomes what kind of change do you want?

The latest draft of the Township’s new Official Plan will be available for people to view. These plans become the blueprint for growth and development for the next 25 years. It is as close as you will get to a crystal ball, to take a glimpse of life here in the years to come. I am including a link to it because I think it’s important for you to get a glimpse and offer your own views. COVID has created a world where so much of our lives are beyond our control. This is one area where you do have the ability to help determine your future, and I strongly encourage you to do just that.

Christmas will be different this year, but I am reminded of the view that the value of faith shows most clearly in times of adversity. It is easy to have faith when everything is going your way. Faith matters when things are difficult, and it is in these times that you get the truest measure of faith, family and friendship.

And so, from my family to all of yours, I wish you a blessed Christmas and a happier and more prosperous 2021 – one that is worthy of all of you.

https://www.centralfrontenac.com/.../official-plan-review...