Duane Hicks
The Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition is in the process of gathering safety-related statistics and information in anticipation of its strategic planning session coming up Tuesday, March 31 at La Place Rendez-Vous here.
“We’re in the process right now,” RRVSC administrative co-ordinator Grace Silander said Monday. “We’re gathering data on injury and illness statistics as far as safety risks go.”
She added the Northwestern Health Unit, Lakehead University, the Ministry of Transportation, and Safe Communities Canada are among the agencies currently working on data for the coalition.
Silander noted it’s been confirmed that Wendy French of Safe Communities Canada will be on hand, with the session by facilitated by Times’ publisher Jim Cumming.
The strategic planning session will run from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Coffee and lunch will be included.
Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by March 24, either by calling Silander at 274-3261 ext. 4500 or e-mailing her at g.silander@rhcf.on.ca
Invitations have been sent out, and while the response has been a little slow so far, Silander said she’s hopeful the session will draw as many attendees as possible.
“If we have inadvertently missed anybody, you are invited for goodness sakes,” she stressed. “When you get this big, long list of people, it’s so easy to forget.
“If you have received an invitation and you think of anybody else, share it—that’s what we want,” Silander added. “We want everybody we can get to be there to hear their voice.”
The invitation also is open to those who live outside the RRVSC’s catchment area (such as International Falls, Kenora, or Dryden) as they may are able to offer an outsider’s perspective.
The safety coalition is seeking the community’s help in setting goals and priorities for the future, and is holding the strategic planning session to get input.
Silander suggested those who plan to attend can start brainstorming now.
“If they can think of things, jot them down so they don’t forget them, so they can bring all their ideas to the table,” she noted. “One thing that this does do is give everybody a chance for input because there is a scoring method and everyone has input.”
