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Speak Up

Many Miramichiers will be sitting down this weekend with family to enjoy the traditional turkey dinner. Or maybe some will take advantage of the long weekend to get the last of the pre-winter chores complete before the snow begins to fall.

Enlarge Photo

But as we enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday weekend, some may question just what we have to be thankful about in Miramichi.

Yes, we have lost our mills. Yes, we have seen job cuts and a number of people leave the region for work in other parts of the province and country. Many of us have loved ones living far away from us. And they are not their by choice. They are there because of necessity.

Our forest industry in this province has been reviewed and discussed to see how it can be saved.

On top of that, it appears our country is in an economic crisis. It's not as bad as what our neighbours to the south seem to be facing, but it is cause for concern.

Then there is the federal election — our third in the last four years. Many are debating, even struggling, in their own minds, who they will vote for. We have been inundated for the past six weeks with campaign ads and campaign platforms and enough political rhetoric to last us a lifetime. On Tuesday we will have our opportunity to vote for one of the four candidates running in our riding.

We can mark an X beside Liberal incumbent Charles Hubbard, Conservative candidate Tilly O'Neill-Gordon, NDP candidate Donald Doucet or Green Party candidate Todd Smith.

This is one thing we have to be thankful — the opportunity to vote.

And Miramichi does have other things to be thankful for. Our business community is growing — not declining as was predicted when the mills closed. Businesses are looking to move into this area, new commercial buildings are going up, or others are being renovated. Store parking lots are full for weekend shopping.

Our provincial government appears to be committed to bringing something to the UPM site. Everyone is on tender hooks waiting to see what it will be and when it will be. We were told early September, then mid-September and now it looks like it will be later this month if all goes well.

We have a new city council, elected in May, that came to the table with fresh ideas and vision for the city. Yes there have been growing pains along the way but that was to be expected. We will be satisfied as long as they do not forget just who they are representing, the citizens of this city.

Many other municipalities have new councils also working for the people they represent.

Then we are thankful for people like Blackville's Joyce Fortune, who at the age of 83, has more energy than a woman half her age and shows no sign of stopping. She is a great example of people making their communities and the lives of those living in them better.

Students, staff and parents at St. Andrew's School are another credit to our region. They raised close to $2,000 to help the family of a classmate who lost their home to fire. What a great example of an act of kindness to help someone in crisis.

So while there may be things in Miramichi we may be unthankful for, there is far more to be appreciative of.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.