Close to $100,000 in funding will be allocated to multiple not-for-profit groups throughout Fort Frances on June 24.
At town’s council meeting on Monday, Coun. Mike Behan said the $93,000 that’s been allocated for local organizations this year is about a 50 percent increase in allotment over last year.
“I am pleased to report that the Winnipeg Foundation approved all of the projects recommended by our local Moffat Fund Committee,” he remarked.
“The cheques will be presented to the various clubs and groups that applied for their share of the funding at our next council meeting.
“I know I speak for all of council, administration, and local residents in saying thank you to the Moffat Family Fund for continuing to invest so generously in our community each year for the benefit of youth and the less privileged,” Coun. Behan added.
“It truly is a tremendous financial boost for so many wonderful groups and organizations. Particularly at a time of provincial funding cuts.”
He also attended the RRDMA meeting and Eric Vinet, vice-president of technical services at New Gold Inc., spoke about the mine’s operations at the Rainy River site, north of Barwick.
Vinet said there are just under 700 employees working there, 75 percent of which he determined as local residents from the district.
“Among other things, he noted New Gold will restart exploratory drilling this year in hopes of finding additional gold deposits, to extend the mines current lifespan beyond 2026-27,” Coun. Behan recalled.
“The company is also looking at different options when it comes to developing an underground operation to go along with the current open pit site.”
As well, at the RRDMA meeting on May 15, delegates attending the meeting, including those from Fort Frances, agreed to donate $10,000 to the cardiovascular surgery program currently being developed in Thunder Bay.
The program is in conjunction with the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre at the University Health Network.
“I’m sure everyone knows of someone, whether a loved one, friend, or neighbour who has had to go to Hamilton or London, Ont. or elsewhere for life-saving heart surgery,” Behan noted.
“Bringing this program here to Northwestern Ontario will greatly benefit district residents by having quality care close to home.”
Meanwhile, Coun. Wendy Brunetta attended a doctor recruitment meeting on June 4 and said the committee is continuing to look at recruiting doctors as well as finding possible avenues to enhance funding.
“We’re still waiting to hear if any of the changes to the ministry of health and long-term care around the health teams is going to effect funding at the doctor recruitment level and we just hope that our efforts continue and so far we are doing well,” she remarked.
Coun. Brunetta noted that they are still searching for three physicians and a general practitioner.
She also said the Senior Fair, that took place on June 6, was a great event and would like to thank those who helped organize it.
“We had David Schwartz, a pharmacist from Canada Safeway, he spoke on various pharmaceutical issues,” Coun. Brunetta recalled.
“Our afternoon speaker was Trudy McCormick from the Northwest Community Legal Clinic and she spoke on elder fraud, wills, and financial co-signers.
“I thought the presentations were very interesting, had great information, and many of the people who I talked to after agreed,” she added.
At the meeting, Coun. Andrew Hallikas lauded Borderland Pride’s week of festivities.
“It’s activities such as these that make our community a safe, friendly, and better place for everyone to live in,” he remarked. “That entire week made me proud to live here.”
Coun. Wiedenhoeft echoed Coun. Hallikas’ statement and said it was cool to see a Pride display in the windows of the Canadian Border Services Agency facility at the local crossing.
