Dave Ogilvie
The Rainy River District Logging and Safety Committee held a two-day health and safety forum last Thursday and Friday at the Emo-La Vallee Community Centre, the Royal Canadian Legion, and Gavel’s in Emo.
The forum, which drew more than 150 participants, began with a welcome from president Steve Brown at 8 a.m. on Thursday.
Sessions on the first day dealt with topics such as workplace safety, defensive driving, workplace inspections, and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).
Friday’s sessions included incident investigation, occasional use chainsaw, transportation of dangerous goods, and audit requirements/documentation log.
Emergency first aid and CPR training also took place all day on both Thursday and Friday, upstairs at John Gavel’s.
The Logging and Safety Committee, as well as those in attendance, would like to thank the sponsors for making the forum possible.
Lunch on Thursday was provided by Abitibi-Bowater while the barbecue on Friday was courtesy of Ainsworth-Barwick. Coffee during the sessions was sponsored by Kaemingh Fuels, Borderland Esso, and Visser Auto.
Other sponsors included the Fort Frances Times, Gillons’, CIBC in Emo, Nortrax, Marmus Supplies, Gardewine, John Deere, Central Canada, John Gavel, and Dereck Legros.
• • •
Gloria Alcock, author of “Nurse at the Top of the World,” held a book-signing and reading at the Emo Library on Friday.
As a nurse in small Arctic communities such as Tuktoyaktuk, Alcock ministered to the “woes of the body as well as those of the spirit.”
Her recent book is a delightful, entertaining, and informative reflection of her time in the north from 1965-68.
From dog maulings to venereal disease, Alcock gained an insight into the lives of the people of the Arctic that shines through in the humorous tales of the characters she met and the experiences they shared.
Underlying the humour, however, is an urgency about the dramatic changes that are taking place in the lives of the Inuit and other native peoples of the Canadian Arctic. The nomadic aboriginal way of life of the elders was rapidly disappearing.
Alcock immersed herself in the richness of her northern experience to the point that it became a vital part of her life and she, in turn, became an accepted member of the Arctic community.
Copies of “Nurse at the Top of the World” can be purchased through the Emo Public Library, online from www.mcnallyrobinson.com, or by contacting Alcock directly in Kenora.
• • •
Don’t miss the opening of the Chapple Museum, which will take place Friday and Saturday (May 6-7).
Everyone is invited to stop by to see the new displays, which include a number of wooden carvings by former Chapple residents Carl Brandt and William Strammers.
In conjunction with their opening weekend, the Chapple heritage committee will be holding its annual fundraising yard sale beside the museum in Barwick on both Friday and Saturday.
Please join the museum committee at the Chapple Museum on May 6-7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
• • •
Volunteers are needed for the 2011 Emo Walleye Classic!
The jobs available include stage help, set-up and teardown, waterfront, boat check-in, bar servers, drivers, and traffic control.
The organizing committee needs your help to make this year’s tournament a success. Volunteers have been the driving force behind the success of the EWC for the last nine years.
Let’s make the 10th-annual Classic the best yet! Look for posters and sign-up sheets around town.
