Now that 2017 has passed, take a look back at what City Council has done to improve the Elliot Lake and what is on tap for this coming year.
Embracing new technology, City Council has added a feature for residents who cannot make it out to council meetings: they've added a live stream of the meetings which are archived for future viewing. Also live streamed are the Committee of the Whole meetings. Those are also archived once finished.
A new Code of Conduct has been implemented with city councillors. Council also added an Integrity Commissioner who is available to help resolve conflicts and deal with internal complaints.
Even though Elliot Lake is still considered a retirement community, Mayor Dan Marchisella said that in order to keep young families in the area, upgrading some parks is a necessity to keep children healthy and entertained. This is why council approved a splash pad, which was completed in October.
"We added a skate park at Kiwanis Park and now we added a splash pad," he said, during the Mayor's Levee on Jan. 1. "It's for everyone. You can wheel a wheelchair in it. It's not just for kids. It's for everyone."
The city is also looking at adding a sensory park for children with disabilities.
The Collins Hall also reopened this past year, hosting a number of events like the Chamber of Commerce Awards. The Hall also hosts a walking program that is very popular.
A new activity for residents is Digital Creator North, which helps students build and improve their creative talents through cartoons and animations.
"You can see them taking photos outside to make cartoons out of them," said Marchisella. This is a great new addition to our community."
A 10-year plan on infrastructure was implemented to help improve some of the roads in the area. The first ones to be looked at are Hemlock and Valley, followed by some engineering work on Poplar and Pine Streets. Plans to help improve Hillside South are also underway.
The grand openings for area stores were celebrated, including those for Dollarama, the Public Library, Kathy's Brew-Ha-Ha, Bees and Sons, and Your Dollar Store With More.
"Having these stores is opening up business opportunities for the city," Marchisella said. "It's nice to see these businesses opening their locations here as well as having the grand opening of the library in the Pearson Plaza."
Canadian Tire is still in talks about expanding their location to serve more customers and offer more products.
The city is hoping that during the next year, the new Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Gagnon, will help keep the city on track with plans and functions. Gagnon came back to the city to work as the new CAO.
City transit reviews will be in talks to help improve services to residents, including the possibility of adding extra times, new routes and new stops.
The basement at the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre has undergone renovations and repairs. This meant the annual Halloween Haunted House was not at the Civic Centre due to the repairs and renovations.
The museum has also received repairs and renovations.
The housing market in Elliot Lake has been excellent, according to Marchisella. In 2014, there were 264 homes for sale in the area. Currently, there are 66 houses for sale in the area, meaning more people are relocating to the city.
"Elliot Lake is starting to boom and it's great," said Marchisella. "More and more people are wanting to come live in the area and help it grow."
Another thing on the list for 2018 is helping doctors relocate to the region. Patient restrictions placed on each doctor and that each city is only allowed to have a certain number of doctors may explain why the city does not have a walk-in clinic.
"If we had a walk-in clinic and patients go there instead of their family doctor, the doctors lose that roster and they won't want to stay," he said. "We need to keep our doctors here. We have some that are going to retire. We need to bring more."
According to Marchisella, plans are currently in place to improve the trails system in the area.
"We have tourists coming here and we need to maintain our trails," he explained. "There are 30 and they are beautiful."
Seeing as 2018 is an election year, Marchisella had some words of advice for those who are considering running for council.
"Running for council makes you in an open fish bowl," he said. "Always be honest with people. Don't make promises you can't keep. Don't promise anything. You'll always be under scrutiny."
The first city council meeting of 2018 will be held on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.