ASB receives funding from province

They did not have got as much funding as they asked for, but the Rainy River District Area Services Board working group will keep moving forward in the long process to establish one here after recently receiving word from the province.
“I’m confident it will be enough to get things going,” said Coun. Dave Bourgeault, chair of the ASB working group, told council at Monday night’s meeting.
While the group submitted a budget of about $93,000 to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines last month, it instead will receive $60,000, said Coun. Bourgeault.
Mayor Glenn Witherspoon agreed to sign the proper documentation at Monday’s meeting, verifying the town will be the “flow-through” for the funding.
This will be immediately returned to the MNDM.
“Given my experience with them, it’s a standard agreement with the ministry. It means the onus is on the town, but I’m not particularly worried about it,” noted Coun. Bourgeault.
He added the town is best choice for this “flow-through” because of its infrastructure.
Coun. Bourgeault explained the funding will be used for everything from consultant, secretary, and legal fees to mileage for ASB reps.
The purpose of an ASB is to take over services—including land ambulance, Ontario Works, day care, and social housing services—from the local District Social Services Administrative Board (DSSAB), as well as manage public health and homes for the aged.
The next steps for the board include determining who will represent the unincorporated areas as well as organizing the transition of services.
It also has to wait for provincial tax reforms, which could be a lengthy process.
“I hate to hazard a guess, but we could see things come together sometime in 2003,” Coun. Bourgeault said.
The ASB working group consists of 13 municipal reps, a secretary-treasurer, and two MNDM reps. Its next meeting is slated April 16 at 6:30 p.m. at the Civic Centre.
In other business at Monday night’s meeting, council:
•received a presentation by Geoff Gillon, economic development officer, about a recent trip to Winchester and Pairs, Tenn. in regards to a “twinning project” (delegates from Winchester will visit here for four days in July);
•agreed to establish the position of Sorting Gap Marina operator to oversee student staff over the summer;
•authorized a renewal of tender for the supply and delivery of granular materials with George Armstrong Co.;
•authorized an advertisement for a free landfill day (April 27) to be run in local media (his is considered a council public relations expense);
•approved an unbudgeted capital purchase, in an amount not to exceed $1,500, for a new fax machine at the Civic Centre;
•declined a request for $400 from the Municipality of Grey Highlands in a legal dispute over land use;
•agreed to hire Brian Avis as the contractor for renovations at the Memorial Sports Centre;
•authorized acquisition of computer hardware for the Fort Frances OPP station at the cost of $2,600;
•agreed to name several representatives to meet with The Winnipeg Foundation to discuss how the amount of $33,000 may be spent in Fort Frances to aid charities (the Winnipeg Foundation is responsible for the Moffat Family Fund, whereby the Randy Moffat family donated $100 million to the Foundation last year to help families in 12 communities where the former Moffat Communications did business);
•referred a petition from certain residents living on McIrvine and Frog Creek Roads re receiving their electric power from the Town of Fort Frances to the Fort Frances Power Corp. for a recommendation;
•agreed to proclaim May as “Salvation Army Red Shield Month”; and
•agreed to proclaim May 6-12 as “Emergency Preparedness Week,” and referred a request from the Ministry of the Solicitor General to organize some activities related to the week’s theme to Fort Frances Fire Chief Steve Richardson.