What do you need when you live in a town under siege? You need hope.
I don't hear a lot of hope around town. I hear a lot of anger. I hear a lot of "why us". I hear a lot of pain and fear. But I miss the hope. At a public meeting last Tuesday there was a banner reading "Atikokan: Canoeing Capital of Canada -- Up the creek without a Paddle: Thanks McGuinty!". WHen it was brought in there were great cheers (some of that anger I hear) and then there were little foam tombstones leaned up against it. I understand this. To a degree I share it. But I don't think it is helpful in the long run.
If all we do over the next 2 years is complain about the closing of AGS and whine about the death of the town then Atikokan will surely die. We might as well turn off the lights and put up the "For Sale" signs. That is why we need hope. We need to find the hope that there is a future. We need to move beyond the anger, pain and fear to start really fighting for the town, not just fighting against the closure (and I am sure that there is a difference). I think it will come, but in the mean time I miss the hope.
You inspired me to blog. :)PatNS
ReplyDeletewww.ladywiththelamp.com
Hi, Gord!
ReplyDeleteI'm Jen, and I just came across your blog through looking backward...looking forward.
My hometown, a small community in northeastern Ontario that is facing similar challenges. Hope is a valuable commodity, and it can be hard for a community to keep it going in times of lay-offs, shut-downs, and closures.
I agree with you: there is a difference between fighting against the closures and fighting for the towns. And I agree that it will come.