Dear Citizens,
Thank you to all of the residents of Nakina who showed tremendous interest in their community, and to all of the residents who came out to vote in the October 25th Municipal Elections. I'm very appreciative of everyone who supported me in my re-election. I'm eager, refreshed, and am looking forward to working as a member of the newly-formed Council, and to continue advancing Greenstone's collective interests. The turnout at the inaugural meeting two weeks ago was very well attended with an air of optimism and revitalized interest.
There have been some important events over the past 3 months. The official signing ceremony forming a partnership between the Municipality and Aroland First Nations is of ongoing importantance in our joint economic interests related to the Ring of Fire. Quite simply, we want the same things, which are jobs and economic development opportunities that are linked to future mining and processing facilities. In early November, I attended the three day Canadian Aboriginal Mining Conference in Winnipeg. The largest Canadian conference in this format, “Seeking Consent, Seeking Resources” was very rewarding as I gained a deeper understanding of the necessary steps to get permissions for mining activities and exploration to take place on Treaty Lands. Our Greenstone booth was extremely well visited which displayed the Ring of Fire region to the north of Greenstone. The interest in the Ring of Fire is enormous and was discussed in several conference sessions.
In mid November, a group of business people, GEDC staff and three members of Council travelled to the Red Lake area as guests of Red Lake’s Municipal and Economic Development staff. The site visit was organized and was funded through Greenstone Economic Development Corporation. The team was provided with a better understanding into the issues, challenges, and impact on a municipality like Red Lake, which it is being affected by new mining developments. Red Lake has seen a tremendous restart of it’s world class gold mines. Issues related to it’s airport expansion, housing, pressures placed upon municipal infrastructure, acquiring and zoning lands for development, opportunities and challenges, were all introduced to the 19 members of this delegation. A final report is being prepared by GEDC and will be released to the public. Lessons learned can be applied to Greenstone.
The Thunder Bay Municipal League Meeting on November 19 & 20th was valuable and informative and provided the first regional forum to meet some new faces in the Mayor’s Chairs, and to acknowledge the contributions made by outgoing municipal councillors and mayors. The first business meeting of the new Council occurred on December 13th with our second meeting held on December 20th. I am planning to work with camp / home owners in the New Year to support them by seeking improvements to the Twin Lakes Road. If you’re interested in helping, please let me know.
The internet blog, “Greenstone Matters” can be viewed at http://jay--daiter.blogspot.com/ The ward newsletter and other personal posts will also reside at this site. You can easily comment on the posts and your participation and comments / input is encouraged.
Holly & I both enjoyed recently attending the Senior’s & French Club Christmas get-togethers. Great community spirit.
Wishing each of you a Festive Season filled with joy as you share with friends and family. Have a wonderful holiday.
Regards,
Jay Daiter, Councillor,
Nakina Ward, Municipality of Greenstone
