While council still has to pass the bylaw, the Town of Fort Frances’ clerk’s office should be performing civil marriages starting this fall.
At Monday night’s council meeting, council approved a report from clerk Glenn Treftlin informing them that he and deputy clerk Kathy Lawson have now been trained to solemnize civil marriages.
In his report, Treftlin noted that council last deferred the matter of civil marriages back in 2004, pending completion of training of a person who could solemnize marriages. But attempts over the past few years to hold the necessary training, as required by the Office of the Registrar General, in Northwestern Ontario were unsuccessful “because of insufficient participants to hold a training course.”
Treftlin added that it was only recently that he and Lawson were able to attend an in-house training session in the City of Dryden, where clerk Colleen Brosseau has been performing civil marriages since 2006.
“I believe the training we have received from her has prepared us sufficiently to allow us to proceed with offering civil marriage services in Fort Frances,” he noted.
Treftlin reported that over 60 municipalities in Ontario now perform civil marriages, with a recent survey show these communities range in population from two to 870,000. Fees range from zero to $375, and are usually performed after business hours utilizing municipal staff.
“In Fort Frances, we have not experienced a great demand for non-religious services, however, there is a tendency for more and more couples to opt for a civil service,” he noted. “There are local clergy that have indicated they will perform a civil-type service, but I have been advised that the fee for same can be as high as $500.
“I am confident that in Fort Frances, there will be an appreciation for access to the service provided by the municipality, although it is not our intent to compete in a market providing the service,” added Treftlin.
Treftlin said he anticipates the service can be provided starting in late September, but the actual start date will be contingent on the receipt of registration material from the Office of the Registrar General.
As far as cost, Treftlin recommended that the fee for the service be $250. (Thunder Bay charges $300, Schreiber charges $250, Marathon $215, and Dryden charges $200 currently but this amount is under review.)
The service will be available on Friday afternoons only by appointment. It will be provided only at the Civic Centre.
Council will vote on the bylaw at its Aug. 27 meeting.
Also at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•authorized administration to enter into an agreement with Engineering Northwest Ltd. for a three-year term starting August 2007;
•recevied a review of a safety concern in the back lane behind Rainy Lake Sports and the Harbourage Restaurant, and agreed to the recommendation not to post warning signs. However, the matter of the back lane and motorists who speed there will be referred to the OPP and Police Services Board;
•referred a request from International Falls for the town to participate in a bridge traffic survey to the Economic Development Advisory Committee and Chamber of Commerce for input, deferring any joint survey until next spring. However, council also agreed to let International Falls use the town’s name, at no cost to the town, on a survey the Falls will be going ahead and conducting Aug. 24 and 31;
•received minutes of settlement for properties at 1019 Third St. East and 1052 Fifth St. East;
•approved Mayor Roy Avis’ purchase card expenses in the amount of $563.31; and
•authorized the mayor and clerk to sign the 2007 child care service contracts and authorize the clerk to prepare the necessary bylaw.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
