After more than a decade representing the Rainy River District at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA), Fort Frances Town Councillor Wendy Brunetta has been recognized and thanked for her service and dedication to the community.
Brunetta, who will be leaving the board and will not be running for re-election to council, has been a “passionate advocate for Northwestern Ontario,” the NOMA board said in a post on LinkedIn, “bringing a strong municipal perspective, thoughtful leadership and a steadfast commitment to the communities she serves.”
“On behalf of the NOMA Board, member municipalities, and municipal leaders across the region, thank you, Wendy, for your dedication, service, and leadership. Your impact on NOMA and Northwestern Ontario will be felt for years to come.”
Born and raised in Fort Frances, Brunetta focused primarily on improving healthcare during her 11 years as a board member at NOMA, a regional advocacy body that represents municipalities across Northwestern Ontario, working to advance their shared interests with provincial and federal governments.
“It’s just an honour to be part of that group,” Brunetta told The Times. “They’re all very dedicated to promoting the needs of the region. That’s the entire Thunder Bay, Rainy River and Kenora area, and even east of Thunder Bay. It’s a large area, but we take on issues that are relevant to the region.”
Brunetta is a longtime volunteer who has worked with the Fort Frances Little Theatre, Tour de Fort, St. Francis School Council, the Muskie Touchdown Club, St. Mary’s Church Choir and many other community groups.
Fort Frances Mayor Andrew Hallikas praised Brunetta’s focus and high standards during her time working with the community.
“Wendy has been on the NOMA board for a long, long time, and she has served it well,” Hallikas said. “One thing you can say about Wendy is that she always does her homework. If you give Wendy a task to do, she does it, and she does it well. She has high standards for herself and for everybody else. Fort Frances and the Rainy River District have been well represented by having Wendy Brunetta on the NOMA board, and any awards and accolades she gets have been earned and are well deserved.”
Brunetta said that NOMA is currently focused on enhancing safety on Highways 11 and 17 and aims to raise awareness at the provincial and federal levels of government about the many fatalities that have occurred on each stretch of road. The association is making good headway on its current goals, and Brunetta said she is looking forward to seeing NOMA continue to work on the project after she leaves the board.
