Duane Hicks
Offering a chance for parents and children to have something to do together on Family Day, town council has agreed to sponsor a free community skate and swim at the Memorial Sports Centre on Monday, Feb. 15.
Mayor Roy Avis made the request at yesterday’s council meeting.
“I would like to request council consider . . . maybe giving two hours of free ice time and a couple hours for swimming for Family Day so that it would support the actual theme of that day,” he noted, adding the expense would come out of council’s public relations fund.
Council agreed.
“I think it’s a fine idea and that council should support that,” said Coun. Andrew Hallikas.
Community Services manager George Bell noted the town was going to hold a “toonie” swim and “toonie” skate that day anyway, so making a free public event instead shouldn’t be a problem.
Details, such as the exact time of the public swim and skate, will be advertised in the near future.
The town most recently held a free community skate on Dec. 30.
Also at yesterday’s meeting, council:
•referred a request from the Ontario Task Group on Affordable Access to Recreation re: endorsement for the policy framework of affordable to recreation for Ontarians to the Community Services executive committee for recommendation;
•received correspondence from the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services re: annual compliance with the Fire Protection and Prevention Act 1997 and referred it to the Community Services executive committee for completion by the fire chief and recommendation to council;
•heard a police services activity report from OPP detachment commander Insp. John Kendrick;
•passed a bylaw to approve an amendment to a licence agreement with Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. for access to web services;
•passed a bylaw to authorize the entering into of certain contracts with respect to janitorial services;
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with Hynde Paul Planners, a division of Quartek Group Inc., for services with respect to the updating of the Fort Frances Official Plan and Zoning Bylaw;
•agreed to a tug-of-war challenge from International Falls to take place on June 4 to coincide with a grand-opening ceremony for Phase II of the Heritage Tourism Project (i.e., the new Hallett and lookout tower sites); and
•referred a request from the Fort Frances Lakers re: the use of previously-allocated grant monies to the Administration and Finance executive committee for its recommendation (the request is to use part of a subsidy meant to pay for non-time resident ice rental rates instead be used towards gym fees).
