The Bankers Corner town clock is returning.
The welcomed Main Street amenity, which has generated loud social media protest from a few, was settled last week at town council when the clock got the green light to proceed. It was long overdue.
Kudos to town staff and council on this one. Staff worked hard to make it happen and council made the right call by quickly passing it without any fuss.
Mayor Jim Romane, noting the naysayers, is correct when he says folks will warm up to it once it's up and running at Bankers Corner. Naysayers are still blasting the clock on social media as a waste of money while council doesn't focus on cutting taxes.
"Don’t spend a nickel in these hard times! Lower property taxes with the 'extra money,'" opined one reader on the Province's Facebook page.
The naysayers also like to point out that the new town clock will not do anything to attract new business for Main Street. I am betting they are wrong.
The smart heads at the town, and there are many, know perfectly well that to get Innisfail moving forward there has to be some bold moves made, and sometimes that costs money even during hard times. Yes, the skatepark is a million-dollar deal but the town's investment for the Bankers Corner clock is just $17,000.
With the new skatepark just a couple of blocks away from Main Street and ready for operation in the fall, coupled with the installation of the new town clock at about the same time, and with the new supersized digital sign at Main Street and Highway 2A expected to rise before the end of the year, people, and not just locals, will take notice of Innisfail's very own bold beau risque. Visitors and investors will see with their very own eyes this is a town of forward-thinking citizens worth investing on.
It's all money well spent. Let the new clock at Bankers Corner tick-tock away. It's the right time.
Johnnie Bachusky is the editor of the Innisfail Province.
