Duane Hicks
There likely will be more weddings and other events hosted at Sunny Cove Camp in the future.
During its regular meeting Tuesday night, town council authorized the Community Services division to start booking Sunny Cove Camp as fully as possible with any functions requested, including weddings, during the shoulder seasons in order to maximize revenue generation.
“Shoulder seasons” refers to the times when youth camps are not booked there.
In a report from Community Services manager Jason Kabel, he noted that back in January, 2011, council passed a resolution authorizing only four weddings per year during the shoulder seasons.
Since then, there consistently has been four weddings held annually at Sunny Cove without a negative impact to other users of the camp, such as the youth camps the town contractually is obligated to make the primary focus.
There’s been four groups of youth programs that operate at Sunny Cove every summer, occupying five weeks of the booking calendar (from July to mid-August).
There also are various other functions there, such as family reunions, meetings, fish frys, barbecues, specialty dinners, women’s groups, high school functions, and others that periodically book the facility as openings are available.
But for the past couple of years, the Community Services division has received requests to have more weddings during the shoulder seasons and has been unable to facilitate the request due to the previously-approved specific quantity of four.
Council’s decision Tuesday means more than four weddings, and other events, can be booked at Sunny Cove during the shoulder seasons.
Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, council:
•received a financial update from Joerg Ruppenstein, president and CEO of the Fort Frances Power Corp.;
•heard a capital projects update from Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown;
•referred several requests from the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship Inc., re: the FFCBC (July 20-23), to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the Operations and Facilities, Community Services, and Planning and Development executive committees;
•referred a Vet Assistance Trust Fund contribution request for $650, from the Rainy River Vet Services Committee, to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a financial request from the Township of Killaloe-Hagarty-Richards, re: a challenge to all municipalities in Ontario to donate to Fort McMurray recovery efforts, to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to amend certain user fees in 2016 (the following line item was added: transfer of wastewater from holding tanks at a rate of $18.33 per cubic metre);
•passed a bylaw to authorize the execution of a contract with Makkinga Contracting & Equipment Rentals for road reconstruction and watermain/sewer replacement awarded through the public tender process;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the signing of a service agreement with KC Contracting for caretaker services at Sunny Cove Camp;
•passed a bylaw to provide for traffic controls and parking restrictions along a temporary detour route during the reconstruction of Colonization Road East, between just south of Scott Street and just east of Fifth Street East;
•approved a request from J. Gladu to install a memorial bench on the riverfront between Crowe Avenue and Mosher Avenue, with the bench and plaque to be paid for by him and the town supplying the labour for the installation;
•agreed to commence discussions with the Ministry of Infrastructure to secure a reduced lease rate for operation of the tourist information centre here, and to remove the clause in the current agreement respecting the sublet or carry on of other commercial activity within the current facilities to allow for new vendors;
•authorized executing the 2016 service provider contract for the Fort Frances Children’s Complex with the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board;
•approved the honorarium of $1,000 per month by the Sister Kennedy Centre Board, specifically for the existing volunteer manager, Cindy Noble; and
•approved per diem and travel expense claims for Coun. June Caul ($437.35) and Coun. Doug Kitowski ($516.21) for attendance at the NOMA conference held April 27-29 in Thunder Bay.
