Duane Hicks
No smoking is allowed in the new Rainy Lake Square.
Town council last night amended the bylaw for the regulation of smoking in public places and workplaces within the Town of Fort Frances to include the new downtown square.
Bylaw enforcement officer Patrick Briere said that when the square was built, the town had a discussion with stakeholders and consultant Tannis Drysdale, and the consensus was that smoking should be prohibited there.
“The square is for family functions and for everybody in the community to enjoy,” Briere remarked.
“So keeping consistent with what our bylaw states, how you’re not supposed to be smoking within so many metres of playgrounds and entranceways to our facilities, we thought that it was appropriate to ban smoking in the square due to the fact there will be kids and other young people and elderly people that will be potentially using the square,” he noted.
The bylaw states that no person shall smoke or permit the smoking of tobacco products or similar substances at any time on the property known as the Rainy Lake Square.
Nor shall anyone smoke or permit the smoking of tobacco products or similar substances within nine metres (30 feet) of any entrance or exit to the Rainy Lake Square.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•awarded a tender to Bay City Contractors Inc., at an estimated cost of $2,183,666.80 (incl. HST and a $180,000 contingency allowance), to reconstruct Third Street East from Williams Avenue to Colonization Road East this year (this job will include the replacement of the watermain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, landscaping, and a new road surface);
•referred a sponsorship request from the Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society, re: the “Rainy River Valley Gold Rush Gala” on April 14 at the Emo-La Vallee Arena, to the Administration and Finance Executive Committee for its recommendation;
•rescinded a bylaw for an agreement with the Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Authority for fire protection services from the town (this is because the Couchiching FN Fire Department provides fire protection services to them);
•approved a donation in the amount of $250 to the District 1A Senior Games to be held here June 5-6;
•approved several requests for in-kind services for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship this summer, including designating it as a significant community festival and event;
•allocated the 2017 surplus as follows: Corporate Vehicle/Equipment Reserve Fund ($50,000), Corporate Projects Reserve Fund ($450,000), Museum Projects Reserve Fund ($9,125), and Waterworks and Sanitary Sewer Reserve Fund ($560,958.66);
•accepted the OPP Office Lease Agreement audited financials for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017 and authorized payment invoice in the amount of $1,629.01 to BDO Canada LLP for services rendered;
•accepted information re: invoice consideration for property on Olde Shambles Road and directed that no further action be taken;
•passed a bylaw to establish 2018 tax ratios for prescribed classes;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the sale of certain lands in the industrial park to Ryan Mason Contracting Ltd.; and
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with Sunset Country Ford and Jim MacDonald Motors Ltd. for supply and delivery of vehicles.
