Chatham-Kent's mayor is looking forward to a year of opportunities and a return to normalcy in the new year.
Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff noted this past year has been marred by many lows associated with the global health crisis, but on the flip side, Chatham-Kent residents have also rallied together more than once in order to lift spirits and support those who are most vulnerable.
As Canniff reflected on 2020, he said the May 16th Miracle and The Gift were two major moments he will remember for the rest of his life.
He said the importance to support local businesses was also heavily instilled in the community over the past few months, something he hopes will continue -- especially during the current province-wide lockdown.
"We have really grasped a hold of the concept of shop local," he said. "We just have to stick together as a community."
Another positive outcome seen in 2020 was growth, something that is expected to continue next year.
"During the pandemic, we were still setting records for building permits... people want to move here. We are no longer the well-hidden secret in Ontario," said Canniff. "The building boom that we're experiencing in 2020, [and] the number of people wanting to come here is what we need in the community to support businesses."
Canniff said some of the aspects that may be attracting people to Chatham-Kent are the cost of living compared to other regions, a relatively low crime rate, climate, and friendly residents.
"The people of Chatham-Kent are friendly, they're welcoming," he said. "There's a lot of people who want to move here, there's a lot of businesses that want to come here, we just have to make it really easy for them to do that."
With growth and an emphasis on shopping local, Canniff said there's hope that major retailers will want to move to the area. The mayor said one of the biggest complaints he hears from residents is that out of town trips need to be made in order to shop at major retailers.
"I would like to see in 2021 and beyond, that those retailers will take note of Chatham-Kent and start locating here," he said.
Canniff said there are some projects "on the books" but details cannot be disclosed at this time.
"There are a number of indications... 2021 will certainly be a growth year. I suspect it's going to be even better than 2020," said Canniff. "I'm very optimistic about 2021, assuming that we can get the vaccine in place and get back to normal."
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout is the number one thing Canniff said he's looking forward to next year, as well as community events.
"That's an intricate part of our community. We need to start getting back out there and socializing with one another again -- we need to do it safely obviously but that's the one big thing I'm looking forward to," he said.
Although no post-pandemic parties are being planned at this time, Canniff said he is open to the idea of a major community event being held eventually.
"I would love to have a celebration -- multiple celebrations!" he said. "It's not in the works per se right now but it's in the back of my mind -- I'm sure it's in the back of many people's minds, how we're going to celebrate. As we start getting closer to the end [of the pandemic] we're going to make sure we celebrate and I want to see people getting back out to those events and to support the community."
