A call for immediate repairs to keep the arena in operation
The recent suggestion by Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane that the town seek amalgamation with smaller, nearby communities will likely find itself on an uphill climb to success—given the tendency towards parochialism and xenophobia that is all-too-common (but by no means universal) in small rural communities, but it is one that deserves careful consideration.
The challenge for a small urban community like Gore Bay, surrounded by unorganized and even smaller rural communities, is that it supplies numerous services to those smaller communities without the revenue to support those services.
Not to say that residents in those smaller communities are getting the proverbial free ride (heavens to Trump, no!), but it is fair to say that Gore Bay is carrying more than its fair share of burden when it comes to providing the infrastructure and services enjoyed by those living a mere few minutes away.
The big bugaboo is always going to be taxes. It is reasonable to assume that amalgamation would result in higher taxes, but most likely not to the level feared by those who would oppose the concept.
The Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands is an example of how a municipality could be structured in such a way as to limit the impact on one region on another.
In the case of the Northeast Town, there are several wards, each with its own representation at the council table and sharing in the support of essential and/or recreational services, but not bearing the weight of those services the residents do not use.
In NEMI’s case, residents of Ward 2 (aka Little Current) enjoy garbage and recycling pickup, while Wards 1, 3 (Howland) and 4 do not. Ward 2 pays the cost of the garbage and recycling pickup, the other wards do not.
The cost of operating the landfill, however, a service arguably enjoyed by one and all, is jointly supported by all of the wards. The cost of operating the arena is also borne by one and all—albeit some in Ward 1 (aka the Islands) would likely suggest they do not really enjoy the use of the arena, being for the most part a summer community, but the arena remains ready to use should residents of the islands wish to do so.
The Expositor is not supporting the amalgamation of West End communities, per se, or opposing it for that matter, but we would suggest that the idea, in all fairness, should not be dismissed out of hand.
Economies of scale could well benefit the smaller, more rural communities, while at the same time, the question of who pays the piper if everyone dances to the tune he/she plays should be looked at through the lens of fairness. Tiny towns, whether rural or urban in nature, have big expenses. There are many roads to plow, grade and otherwise maintain in rural areas and the sharing of equipment and crews could prove beneficial to the quality of life in both solitudes.
Even if a formal amalgamation of the West End communities is not to be in the cards, there are plenty of examples of how working together can benefit all. There are already examples of just such collaborations to be found on the Island. Joint chief building officials, shared economic development officers and the Manitoulin Planning Board spring easily to mind.
So, when Mayor Lane and his designates reach out to members of the surrounding communities, it behooves everyone involved to not simply fall into a kneejerk rejection of the concept (the easiest path of most resistance might we say), but to carefully weigh the pros and cons, and dare we say fairness, of that option. It could well prove that there are benefits to be had by everyone—a win-win if you will.
Change can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Some changes can be very good, even when accepting those changes are counter intuitive. All we are saying, is give collaboration a chance.
