Firefighters to get extra training

Volunteer fire chief Cory Jewell provided Alberton council with an update last Wednesday night regarding training for township firefighters.
“It’s just extra training we’re going to start doing, or try to do, once a month,” he explained Monday, adding the training session will be held Nov. 18 at the fire hall (next to the municipal office).
“We’re going to have Charlie Turgeon’s confined space trailer there so they’re going to doing some confined space and search and rescue,” Chief Jewell noted.
“It’s just as an update and for some of the new guys that have started, it will be something for them to see what they might be dealing with.”
He indicated the new members haven’t had training yet, so it’s a good time to get something regular started.
“We want to start doing some training. It won’t be this same training, but set up something once a month,” Chief Jewell stressed, adding most municipalities already hold routine training sessions with their firefighters.
Spaces for the upcoming session also have been offered to the Fort Frances and La Vallee fire departments if there’s room.
In other business last Wednesday, Coun. Barb Cournoyer gave a report regarding the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).
She shared the legal opinion it obtained with municipalities concerning whether DSSAB employees who run for municipal council seats had to take a leave of absence (they don’t).
It also was questioned whether DSSAB’s status is a board or not, but she explained there was no answer on that one at this time.
Coun. Cournoyer also reported the renovations for DSSAB’s new location in Fort Frances (formerly Family and Children’s Services) were coming along and stressed to council there are no cost over-runs.
She added there will be no increase in board members’ honorariums although it was requested by one member.
Also at last week’s meeting, Alberton council:
•approved three more people for the Alberton Non-Resident Library Fee Reimbursement program;
•heard a report from the roads committee stating the roads are in good shape for the most part;
•approved a one-year lease of the grader garage to M.L. Judson Trucking Ltd. in the township’s interest to have the grader within the municipality;
•authorized getting a fuel card for the volunteer fire department so they can fuel up at Mohawk in Fort Frances;
•offered formal approval to the extension of the contract with the OPP for 9-1-1 service since there is no alternative;
•confirmed approval for Gary Esselink to do fencing at the Millennium Skating Rink to keep snowmachines from cutting across neighbouring property;
•authorized to send Coun. Doug Mitchell to the Minimum Distance Separation information session held last week in Barwick;
•passed a resolution supporting CUPW regarding post office closures and rural mail delivery issues;
•passed a resolution supporting Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman in his request to the province to provide relief to municipalities by balancing municipal service delivery with ability to pay by expediting the Provincial-Municipal Fiscal and Service review; and
•authorized all members of newly-elected council and clerk Dawn Hayes to attend the councillor training session being put on by Confederation College in Fort Frances at the end of November.
Alberton council’s next meeting—the inaugural one of the new council—will be held Dec. 6 at 7 p.m., with the December regular meeting to follow at 7:30 p.m.