Mayor Colin Ratushniak is confident a CAO will be hired in 2021. (Colin Ratushniak/Facebook)

By Derek Cornet

plans for 2021

Ratushniak wants residents to continue to ‘band together’ heading into 2021

Dec 23, 2020 | 12:00 PM

The COVID-19 pandemic makes 2020 a year many may prefer to forget but there is hope for the future. We’ve decided to make that the focus of our series of end-of-year stories.

La Ronge Mayor Colin Ratushniak wants residents to pay attention to their actions during the holidays to ensure everyone can enjoy 2021 the best they can.

“I think what we have to do is play it day-by-day rather than looking too far ahead because, as hopeful as we possibly can be for big changes and all of these fresh ideas to come into play, we’re sort of at the mercy of COVID still,” he said. “If we want all these big ideas to come into fruition in 2021, I think we need to sort of look at the present and really lockdown.”

In 2021, Ratushniak explained council has already begun work to have a feasibility study completed for the replacement of the Mel Hegland Uniplex. He believes, however, if forming a partnership with Air Ronge and the Lac La Ronge Indian Band is a possibility, perhaps La Ronge doesn’t need an ice surface as well. While his idea is only preliminary, he noted it could be a good plan to have two ice surfaces at the Jonas Roberts Memorial Community Centre and a swimming pool/gymnasium complex in town.

Throughout next year, Ratushniak would also like to see local residents continue the high amount of volunteerism that’s been shown in 2020. He said residents have come together to help one another with simple tasks such as picking up groceries, prescriptions or just being there for each other.

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“We just really need to continue to band together and help our neighbours,” Ratushniak said. “If there’s one thing this pandemic has shown is the ability humans have to work together is absolutely possible and necessary in a time like this.”

Ratushniak also mentioned council is close finding a new permanent chief administrative officer (CAO) as the position has been vacant since September 2018. He noted council did interviews with candidates earlier this month and were in the process of putting offers together to hire someone.

HMC Management Inc. has been overseeing municipal administrative duties for a little more than one year and Ratushniak said the company has done a good job so far.

“There were a lot of issues that needed to be sorted out both financially and structurally and I think what he has been able to do is really great,” Ratushnaik said. “I think the town is finally in a position to attract the most qualified CAO to our community.”

On behalf of town council, Ratushniak would like to extend a season’s greeting and he wishes everyone the best in 2021. He added the new council will continue to work in a transparent manner and address the concerns of residents.

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derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno