TREVOR’S TAKE
TREVOR HUTCHINSON, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
We’ve got this
February can be one of the dreariest months as winter drags on. Even those of us who enjoy winter can get a little down in the mouth, tired of the cold, slush and ice. But it’s also a month when we can start to get a glimmer of hope, thinking about the season to come. And I’m not talking about spring. We really only have two seasons: winter and construction. And this year’s construction season is going to be a doozy in the City of Kawartha Lakes. I, for one, couldn’t be more excited. In Lindsay alone there will be several major projects. Preliminary work has already begun on phase two of the downtown reconstruction (parts of Lindsay and Kent streets). And that project has to be coordinated with the 1.1 km of gas pipelines that are being upgraded in the same area. For several months this year parts of Kent, Lindsay and Colborne Street West will be closed to vehicular traffic. Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls are also slated for some major projects in the coming years. We are a geographically big area with a relatively small (but growing) tax base to pay for all this. After years of neglect, the city has been addressing the need to improve our infrastructure. Under the leadership of Mayor Andy Letham, and with the work of the past and current councils and city staff, we actually have a plan. I think they all should be commended for their commitment to improve our community with a well-thought out 10-year financial plan. But like the robins that return in the spring, construction season will see the return of the species Complainus Kawarthas — known locally as the common CKL Complainer. You know the type — the people who will vent on social media about how horrible the traffic is. The very same people who complain loudest when a road is in need of repair. People, in the words of an old mentor of mine, who would “complain if you hung them with a new rope.” No doubt all this construction will cause some to bring out that old chestnut: The City of Kawartha Mistakes. (By the way, 2001 called. They want their lame joke back). But I say let’s ignore the complainers and strive to get behind this exciting time in the city. Traffic will suck at times — that is just a fact. So let’s all try to be a little patient and think of the safety of the workers and our neighbours. It’s true that these projects can be hard on businesses in the area. Why don’t we all make that little extra effort and brave a little inconvenience and perhaps a short walk to continue to support them? It’s going to be inconvenient and occasionally loud and dusty at times. But we are building for the future of our city. And we’ve got this!
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Puppies and Balloons™ A Story for Seona
An adult storycolouring book. Words by Trevor Hutchinson. Illustrations by Courtney Robertson.
Retail price: $25. Available at
Contains mature themes and language
www.lindsayadvocate.ca
