A small crowd of people gathered in the moonlit park by the water to spread the message of hope for their community on Tuesday evening.
Mayor Lynn Dollin spoke earnestly of her hope for the future in 2022, but not before remembering last year’s tree lighting ceremony at Innisfil Beach Park during the deepening COVID-19 pandemic.
“As I said last year, hope is moving forward and hope is looking ahead. Hope is the opposite of giving up,” Dollin told the dozen councillors and staff who stood under the large tree shining with a multitude of white pinpoint dots of light.
“Innisfil, we still have to fight against COVID-19, keep our guard up, especially through the winter season. My hope for last year – this proves this tree works – last year I stood here – and (InnisfilToday reporter) Miriam King asked me, ‘Lynn, what’s your hope’? And I said, ‘a vaccine’, and we got a vaccine.
“So the tree actually works.”
The town received more than 200 messages of hope during the holiday season in 2020 and the mayor thanked people for sharing their thoughts, feelings and hopes for the new year.
Dollin urged residents to not let their guard down against the virus and encouraged the community to support each other throughout the long winter months ahead.
Deputy Mayor Dan Davidson said he hopes that COVID comes to an end in 2022.
“I hope that the booster shot is the power shot that we all need. And let’s move forward so that next year we can be back to normal,” he said.
Ward 5 Coun. Ken Fowler said his hope was simple.
“I hope that everything settles to a point where my son can go be a child again and play with everybody else free without worry or concern,” he said.
One of the few children to attend the event, Gabriel, a Grade 5 Goodfellow Public School student, said he was initially nervous about working online last year, but soon got comfortable with e-learning.
“Now school’s a different change. But what I like it about is that we’re together but distant,” he said.