As 2019 comes to a close and we look ahead to 2020, we can definitely say it is time to move forward.
After all, 2020 marks the beginning of a new decade as well as a new year. With an emphasis on continued growth, the Town of Innisfail is looking to the future with optimism.
We are not standing still. In fact, quite the opposite is true. We’ve managed to finish a busy and productive year and it looks like next year will bring more of the same. We have set ambitious goals, tackling projects that will serve the town for many years to come.
The Innisfail Skatepark was completed in 2019 and the final landscaping of the park will take place in the spring of 2020. Council has acknowledged the need to enhance youth engagement in the community, and we will emphasize development of the youth engagement strategic priority as identified in the 2018-2021 Strategic Plan.
Many other projects have been planned in 2020, including repairs and upgrades to both the Innisfail Aquatic Centre and the Innisfail Arena. These repairs and improvements will ensure our citizens have facilities at their disposal well into the next decade. The town will also undertake improvements to 61st Avenue, repairs to 53rd Avenue Close and 38th Street, and a trail replacement at 52nd Avenue, just to name a few.
We’ve made some solid fiscal choices in recent years, and as a result Innisfail is well positioned to achieve the prosperity outlined in the Strategic Plan. As the plan is now at its midpoint, council took the opportunity in 2019 to review its strategic priorities to ensure all our objectives remain current and relevant.
We also remain connected to the community. This year, the town continued its effort to harness our economic vitality by initiating a new working group, now known loosely as Destination Innisfail.
This group will continue to work towards ensuring Innisfail is viewed as progressive and attractive to those outside our community.
This year also saw the formation of the Policing and Community Safety Committee. This dedicated group will work to ensure Innisfail remains a safe and inviting place for our residents to live.
Our community has chosen to move forward with the spirit of continued improvement. We look to the immediate future that lies ahead in 2020, but we’re also working to accomplish our long-term goals of continued growth and prosperity as they manifest in the future.
Happy New Year, and all the best to you and yours in the upcoming year -- and decade.
Jim Romane is the mayor of Innisfail.
