Duane Hicks
Mayor Roy Avis will announce the “Citizen of the Year 2009” at tonight’s council meeting.
The “Citizen of the Year” selection committee, consisting of Mayor Avis, Coun. Sharon Tibbs, Bill Gushulak (“Citizen of the Year 2000”), and Mark Kowalchuk (“Citizen of the Year 1994”), met last Wednesday to choose from among the 18 nominations that came in before the Oct. 31 deadline.
The choice will be up for council approval this evening.
The identities of the nominees will not be revealed. Only the selection committee’s choice will be publicly announced.
The town’s 21st “Citizen of the Year” formally will be honoured Friday, Nov. 21 at the town’s annual appreciation, recognition, retiree, and long-service dinner at La Place Rendez-Vous.
Dr. Robert Lidkea won the award last year.
Tonight’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m. It will be preceded by the committee of the whole, which will meet at 5:30 p.m. but is expected to be in-camera until 6:30.
Business on tonight’s committee of the whole agenda includes:
•a report on smoking at entrances to the Memorial Sports Centre;
•a fire services proposal to the Township of La Vallee;
•a report on semi-annual testing of lead in the water distribution system;
•awarding a tender for provision of consulting services for the development and implementation of an airport safety management system;
•a report regarding airport hangar leases, noting one termination and one new lease agreement;
•a report regarding a letter from A.M. McDiarmid re water meters;
•a report on POA collection/write-off policy;
•a report on Finanicial Incentive Programs (FIP);
•a report on Heritage Tourism Project Phase II (location of the Hallett);
•a report on the removal of sidewalks from the 1200 block of Scott Street (item for reconsideration);
•a resolution regarding the Building Canada Fund;
•an update on current construction activities; and
•a report on Local Government Week Oct. 19-25).
Business on tonight’s council agenda includes:
•a presentation by St. Francis student McKenna Begin, who won the town’s Local Government Week essay contest;
•a presentation by Fort Frances Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong regarding the upcoming “Trillium Response 2008” emergency management exercise;
•a financial request from the Fort Frances High School yearbook committee for advertising in the 2008-09 edition;
•a financial request from the Dominion 2009 Northern Ontario’s Men’s Curling Championship committee for a cash donation to offset hospitality costs (i.e., sponsor a luncheon) at the bonspiel, which will be hosted by the Fort Frances Curling Club on Feb. 9-14;
•a request from the Alzheimer Society of Kenora/Rainy River District to proclaim January, 2009 as “Alzheimer Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•a request from the Fort Frances Police Services Board to amend Bylaw 66/90-A (to allow police to use ATVs/four-wheelers to enforce municipal bylaws);
•a financial request from the Fort Frances Police Services Board for a donation towards the Ontario Association of Police Service Boards Zone 1 meeting being hosted here Jan. 21-23, 2009;
•a bylaw to amend Bylaw 10/03 (Traffic Control Bylaw) to designate a church loading zone on Victoria Avenue;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with Shred-it for document shredding services; and
•a request from the Rainy River Future Development Corp. to declare certain properties surplus for the purposes of potential development.
