The past few years have not been easy for Hay River. The community has been devastated by floods and wildfires in addition to the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the future looks increasingly bright, according to its longtime Mayor Kandis Jameson, who is entering her third term as mayor.
"We had basically two summers we were put on hold when you have to evacuate a community, so there's work to be done," she said. "I'm very optimistic.
"There's lots on the horizon and obviously lots of work to be done, but yeah, cautiously optimistic, I guess I should say."
When asked why she has had no opposition in the last two elections, she laughed, and admitted she was torn: it's either a vote of confidence, or there's few people willing to lead a community that has been through so many trials and tribulations in recent years.
"We've had two really brutal years," she said. "I'm not sure who would want the job, but of course I'm hoping come three years [from now] that somebody does.
"But yeah, I think that, that people are happy with how things have been going. We're moving forward. There's still lots to get done, but the community, I think, is in a better place than we were, and things are looking up."
Jameson has a long to-do list for her third term as leader of the municipality. Some of the highest priority items are the construction of a new water treatment plant and the reestablishment of the long-abandoned Pine Point lead and zinc mine, which she contends will be "huge for the region, not just this community." She also aims to get the recently closed CN rail line "back into the community," and continue to do "a lot of work on underground infrastructure."
Hay River's long-term mayor is also concerned about the drug problem that is festering in her community of close to 3,100 people, but she contends that it is a complex territorial problem whose solution spans from "intervention" to "treatment and aftercare" and more housing.
"There's just so many pieces [to the drug problem]," she said. "Housing's a huge piece. I mean, nobody chooses addiction, and [people need to] realize that if you're worrying about being warm or what you're going to eat, how are you going to heal? You're just not going to.
"The housing [crisis] adds to the mental health issues adds to addiction issues."
While there are certainly challenges ahead for Jameson and Hay River, the mayor is encouraged by the kindness and resilience she witnessed during the worst years of the community's recent history. Those things, she believes, will continue to push Hay River toward the bright future she's forecasting.
"[It was] strangers helping strangers," she said. "During Covid, I think everybody saw SA国际影视传媒� in most communities SA国际影视传媒� that it tended to split the community. But when you get absolute strangers helping strangers, that stuff goes out the window.
"When you're in the thick of things, that's the little stuff. The big stuff is making sure that everybody's OK and helping your neighbour or helping whoever needs help."
