Acting Mayor responds to Residents open letter
Acting Mayor Wannan promises a response to some questions about our lost hotel opportunities, at tomorrow's council meeting: Monday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 PM at City Hall. The gallery is open to the public. Please consider attending in person to show the new council you care about the future of Elliot Lake for the “little-guy citizens” too.
The recent backstory
The new council has lost two opportunities for a second hotel in Elliot Lake. The problem is not just lost room space. It’s lost local job opportunities, lost commercial taxation to pay for our infrastructure, and lost additional tourism to build our local small businesses. The Elliot Lake Standard reported on it here: Potential buyers withdraw interest in former civic centre property
Why all the secrecy, council?
Council continues to meet behind closed doors about 255 Hwy 108 and has provided very little information to the public. Residents are frustrated. One local resident, Denise McRae, reached out to other residents on social media asking for their concerns. Last week, McRae compiled them into a letter to the council and asked for the letter to be considered Official Correspondence. That would put it onto the council agenda in the (almost always empty) agenda item: Correspondence. The request was denied. This blog subsequently published the open letter online. McRae's letter is here: Hotel: What happened?
Two days later, Acting Mayor Wannan replied to McRae. McRae asked for permission to share the response publicly and was told she could do as she chose. The acting mayor's response is in comments on social media.
A second hotel for Elliot Lake - a long-growing local grassroots movement
For many years before I first visited our beautiful Jewel in the Wilderness, longtime Elliot Lakers have wanted a second hotel in town. As a newcomer, I heard it often, and it always seemed to be a two-part sentence that ended with, “… but Retirement Living will never allow that.” I was skeptical. How could (and why would) a non-profit organization - founded for the good of the city, with two-council members sitting on its board, work against the best interest of the majority of the residents?
Now, I am not so naïve as to insist there could never be a time when preventing competition might not be in the best interest of the broader community. For example, if there is not enough business for two hotels, what would be better for Elliot Lake - one operating hotel or two failed ones? So, I accept it could be quite pragmatic to regard the lone hotel as a strategic asset to protect at all costs. But when does that end? At what point does that strategy work against the best interests of the majority of residents? Answer: When we are at capacity. That’s the residential capacity of the city. Not the hotel.
Elliot Lake, we know we are at capacity. The little guy citizens have “paid their dues” to the mother-ship. It’s time for the new growth that benefits ALL the residents.
Citizen participation makes the difference
Hopefully, the council will come forward tomorrow with fulsome answers about the lost hotel opportunity and then carry right along - on a very short timeline - to bring transparency and accountability to this troublesome triad: Council-ELRL-1425164 Ontario. Ltd. (“Operating as Nordev.”) We may find “all is well” but at this point, for sure one thing is not: Transparency and accountability.
Residents of Elliot Lake, if you’re tired of old politics and care about the future of your city, your presence at tomorrow’s meeting will show you care.
Provincial law requires the meeting to be open to the public.
Council Meeting, Monday, February 27, 7:00 pm
City Hall
45 Hillside Dr. North
Elliot Lake, ON
The recent backstory
The new council has lost two opportunities for a second hotel in Elliot Lake. The problem is not just lost room space. It’s lost local job opportunities, lost commercial taxation to pay for our infrastructure, and lost additional tourism to build our local small businesses. The Elliot Lake Standard reported on it here: Potential buyers withdraw interest in former civic centre property
Why all the secrecy, council?
Council continues to meet behind closed doors about 255 Hwy 108 and has provided very little information to the public. Residents are frustrated. One local resident, Denise McRae, reached out to other residents on social media asking for their concerns. Last week, McRae compiled them into a letter to the council and asked for the letter to be considered Official Correspondence. That would put it onto the council agenda in the (almost always empty) agenda item: Correspondence. The request was denied. This blog subsequently published the open letter online. McRae's letter is here: Hotel: What happened?
Two days later, Acting Mayor Wannan replied to McRae. McRae asked for permission to share the response publicly and was told she could do as she chose. The acting mayor's response is in comments on social media.
A second hotel for Elliot Lake - a long-growing local grassroots movement
For many years before I first visited our beautiful Jewel in the Wilderness, longtime Elliot Lakers have wanted a second hotel in town. As a newcomer, I heard it often, and it always seemed to be a two-part sentence that ended with, “… but Retirement Living will never allow that.” I was skeptical. How could (and why would) a non-profit organization - founded for the good of the city, with two-council members sitting on its board, work against the best interest of the majority of the residents?
Now, I am not so naïve as to insist there could never be a time when preventing competition might not be in the best interest of the broader community. For example, if there is not enough business for two hotels, what would be better for Elliot Lake - one operating hotel or two failed ones? So, I accept it could be quite pragmatic to regard the lone hotel as a strategic asset to protect at all costs. But when does that end? At what point does that strategy work against the best interests of the majority of residents? Answer: When we are at capacity. That’s the residential capacity of the city. Not the hotel.
Elliot Lake, we know we are at capacity. The little guy citizens have “paid their dues” to the mother-ship. It’s time for the new growth that benefits ALL the residents.
Citizen participation makes the difference
Hopefully, the council will come forward tomorrow with fulsome answers about the lost hotel opportunity and then carry right along - on a very short timeline - to bring transparency and accountability to this troublesome triad: Council-ELRL-1425164 Ontario. Ltd. (“Operating as Nordev.”) We may find “all is well” but at this point, for sure one thing is not: Transparency and accountability.
Residents of Elliot Lake, if you’re tired of old politics and care about the future of your city, your presence at tomorrow’s meeting will show you care.
Provincial law requires the meeting to be open to the public.
Council Meeting, Monday, February 27, 7:00 pm
City Hall
45 Hillside Dr. North
Elliot Lake, ON
by Stephen Calverley, February 26, 2023