Duane Hicks
The town’s outdoor rinks are ready for local residents to use for hockey and skating.
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown said at last night’s council meeting that as of today, the north-end rink, east-end rink, and McIrvine rink are open to the public.
“They are all flooded. They’re ready to go,” he noted.
“It’s two weeks before Christmas but because of the cold weather, we have them open earlier,” Brown added.
The outdoor rinks will open at 7:30 a.m. each day, with the rink lights going off at 10 p.m. each night.
As in past years, community volunteers are encouraged to help out by flooding the ice after hours.
“We have the equipment. We’ll help them,” noted Brown. “We clear the snow with the bigger equipment.
“Kids are supposed to clear up the rinks themselves, too.”
Anyone interested in helping out can call the town (274-9893).
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•heard a presentation by the winner of the Local Government Week essay contest (Robert Moore Grade 5 student Daymond Morrisseau);
•received BDO Canada’s presentation of the auditor’s report for the year ending Dec. 31, 2009;
•agreed to proclaim January, 2011 as “Alzheimer Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•approved a break-open ticket licence application from the La Verendrye General Hospital Auxiliary at the Bonnie Blue from Jan. 15, 2011-July 14, 2011;
•referred a letter from John Steinke regarding handicapped parking spaces at the arena, to the Community Services executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a request from Larry Patrick, re: the monkey bars at F.H. Huffman School, to the Operations and Facilities executive committee for its recommendation;
•passed a bylaw to impose certain user fees;
•passed a bylaw to purchase the former library property known as 363 Church St. for municipal purposes;
•passed a bylaw to authorize a lease financing agreement for two treadmills at the Memorial Sports Centre;
•passed a bylaw to amend Bylaw No. 16/06 (the water management system bylaw);
•awarded janitorial contracts to Nicholson’s Janitorial Services for the Fort Frances Museum, Piotrowski Cleaning for the Fort Frances Children’s Complex, Steve Barnard for the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre, and Courtesy Cleaning for the Public Works office (these contracts are for one year, with an option to renew for one year); and
•agreed to support a resolution from NOMA to request the Ontario government to negotiate quickly, through the Ontario Medical Association, a more effective and proper funding agreement for attracting and retaining physicians in rural and northern communities.
