EDITORIAL: A quick look ahead

The year 2014 is winding down in a hurry.

For some, it’s 365 days they’d like to forget. It’s been a taxing year for police, who have had to deal with 10 murders and counting.
For others, like hockey stars Haley Irwin and Patrick Sharp, it was a year they’ll never forget, each winning Olympic gold in Sochi.
Looking ahead to 2015, it’s clear Thunde?Bay has plenty of issues on an already full plate.

By March city officials and taxpayers alike should learn the immediate fate of the proposed $114-million event centre.

Hopefully there will be an answer to the ongoing saga of the James Street Swing Bridge, which has been closed since Oct. 29, 2013 because of a fire.

City officials have to figure out a clear path to bring jobs back to Thunder?Bay – meaningful ones that pay more than a living wage.

The city cannot continue to rely on government handouts to survive. The provincial and federal governments are not an endless pit of cash and the well has to start drying up.

On the national stage, it’s shaping up to be an interesting federal election, with Trudeaumania threatening Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s nine-year rein. Locally, it will be interesting to see how well Bruce Hyer does under the Green Party banner. All in all, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2015.