After a year of ups and downs, Lunenburg’s mayor is hoping for a prosperous new year.
Despite the complications of 2020, which saw the collapse of the expected tourism season and business shutdowns caused by COVID-19, Mayor Matt Risser said the town is headed toward a good position for 2021.
“When the pandemic finally settles, I think we will have done a lot of progressive things leading up to that which will hopefully allow us to capitalize on some opportunities,” he said.
One of those opportunities, which is personally exciting for Risser, is the official strategic adoption of Project Lunenburg by the town.
“We’ve passed that, and passed the 35 directions listed in the implementation chapter as our sort of five year strategic plan,” he said.
“Now we’re doing a lot of background to do work planning, budgeting and things like that. So you will start to see it manifest in those core operating documents we are producing.”
Those 35 directions include regulating short term rentals, upgrading the town’s wastewater treatment plant and discharge system, and improving connectivity between old town and new town among other actions.
Economically, Risser said the town felt the same hardships as other areas in the province and country, but hopes their work to increase density and population, and to improve on the town overall will help bring them closer to what was once considered ‘normal.’
“Obviously 2020 wasn’t the kind of tourist season anybody would have liked to see, and there were of course issues and concerns,” he said.
“I think a lot of the work we are hoping to do through Project Lunenburg… will help to mitigate those moments where certain sectors experience downturn by having the critical mass within the town to support more businesses in a stronger capacity.”
But as with any change, especially with the second wave still in full swing, Risser doesn’t expect 2021 to be flawless.
“I’m sure there will be some perils and pitfalls that come up a long the way that we will have to navigate, as there always are,” he said, “But having a core strategic direction plan in place that everyone on council is behind has us in a good position.”
