Signs to tout town as ‘safe community’

Motorists entering Fort Frances will be sure to know the town is a “safe community” in the future after representatives from the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition presented new signs declaring such to council Monday night.
RRVSC chair Grace Silander said the seeds of the “safe community” designation were sown back in the 1990s, when several district individuals and groups partnered under the banner of the RRVSC to promote safety programs and healthy lifestyles.
Some of the programs they oversaw included the seniors’ safety checklist, bike helmet promotion, D.A.R.E., “Risk Watch,” child car seat clinics, and the Substance Abuse Prevention team.
By 1999, the RRVSC had brought the district to a point where it was designated a Canadian “safe community.”
“But we wanted to go one more step and tout to the world what a great community we have,” noted Silander.
Seeking accreditation by international standards, the RRVSC continued to promote its message and programs, and in 2002 the district was designated a “safe community” by the World Health Organization during its conference held in Fort Frances.
“The designation is a truly an example of municipalities pulling together for a the betterment of the entire district,” said Silander.
“It was volunteerism at its greatest,” she added. “It showed a caring attitude to the citizens and a huge move towards to their healthy lifestyles.
“Safe movements that we’re working on today continue to modify the behaviours within the communities and with the young,” Silander continued. “It isn’t going to be long before safety is going to be a way of life.”
Last year, the RRVSC asked district municipalities to put up tab signs, stating they were “safe communities,” and so far seven have agreed to do so.
But it was only recently the RRVSC received a letter from the Ministry of Transportation approving the erection of the signs.
It was with this approval the RRVSC is now presenting the signs to the participating district municipalities.
“The new concept for [the] ‘safe community’ foundation is now sharing your successes,” Silander noted. “So we’re now ready to share our success with everyone who travels through the district.”
RRVSC co-ordinator Hugh Dennis encouraged the town to use the signs as part of a marketing strategy to attract individuals and businesses to settle here, adding the “safe community” designation is valuable in this regard.
He noted last spring he was told a story of how a private school elsewhere in Ontario was shaken by a sexual assault and sought to relocate somewhere safer.
School officials decided to move to a new community with a “safe community” status.
“Believe me, I know from my past experience we stand next to nobody as being the safest district in the province,” remarked Dennis, the former OPP detachment commander here.
Mayor Roy Avis noted the new signs will be posted at the east and west entrances to town.
Also at Monday night night’s meeting, council:
•received a strategic plan from Joyce Cunningham, chairwoman of the Fort Frances Public Library board;
•agreed to a request from the Alzheimer Society of Kenora/Rainy River Districts to proclaim January as “National Alzheimer Awareness Month” in the Town of Fort Frances;
•referred an invitation from the Alzheimer Society to attend its second-annual Chefs’ Charitable Dinner and Auction here Jan. 21 to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a report from the municipal planner to merge the planning advisory committee and committee of adjustment to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation;
•referred a request for sponsorship of the second-annual Women’s Health Symposium (slated for May 12) to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation; and
•referred a request from Todd Hamilton for support of a Team Canada Legends game here Jan. 19 to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation (this event would be a fundraiser for the CT scanner at La Verendrye Hospital).