Duane Hicks
Fort Frances residents who are supporters of either the public and separate school board will be voting in the Oct. 25 municipal election, and should expect to get their voter kits in the mail the week of Sept. 27.
As in the past few elections, the format will be vote by mail, meaning voters can return their ballots anytime up to 8 p.m. on Oct. 25, town clerk Glenn Treftlin said at last night’s council meeting.
Voters are encouraged to follow the instructions in the kit and submit their ballot in the security envelope provided, which, in turn, will be enclosed in a return envelope with their voter declaration.
Treftlin said if eligible voters do not receive their voter kits by the week of Oct. 4, they should contact the Civic Centre.
Voter kits will be prepared based on information on the voters’ list as of yesterday, noted Treftlin.
But while it is too late to change the voters’ list for purposes of the mail-out, that does not mean school supporters with outdated information will not be able to vote.
For example, if a voting kit is sent to an old address, it will be returned to the Civic Centre and the respective supporter be able to get it there.
As previously reported, there will be an election for both school boards in Fort Frances.
Incumbents Dan Belluz and Terry Higgins, along with newcomer Dave Kircher, are running for the two town seats on the Rainy River District School Board.
Meanwhile, incumbents Paul Cousineau, Anne-Marie Fitzgerald, and Harold Huntley are vying for the two Fort Frances seats on the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
(The Catholic board reduced the number of Fort Frances seats from three to two earlier this year, explaining why three incumbents are running for two seats).
There will be no election for mayor and council in Fort Frances as Mayor Roy Avis and Couns. John Albanese, Andrew Hallikas, Ken Perry, Paul Ryan, Sharon Tibbs, and Rick Wiedenhoeft all have been acclaimed.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•heard a verbal update on Operations and Facilities Division activities;
•heard a Rainy River Future Development Corp. activity report from April-June, as well as received an invoice for services rendered;
•agreed to a recommendation of the Administration and Finance executive committee to approve the adjustment of 2010 taxes for the mill complex (the mill sought an adjustment to its taxes after the demolition of the co-gen diesel pumphouse building and fuel oil storage building);
•approved a break-open ticket licence application for the Riverside Foundation for Health Care at La Verendrye General Hospital from Sept. 14, 2010-March 13, 2011;
•received, with appreciation for service, a letter of resignation from Mark Kowalchuk from the “Citizen of the Year” selection committee;
•referred a request from the Rainy River District School Board to review current and future on-street parking for Robert Moore School and Education Centre to the Planning and Development executive committee for its recommendation, with input from the Traffic Safety Committee;
•passed a bylaw to appoint a Joint Compliance Audit Committee for the Oct. 25 municipal election, consisting of Angela Sharbot (Atikokan), Brenda Cooke (Emo), and Patrick Giles (Dawson), with Peggy Johnson (Chapple) as an alternate;
•received notice of the annual general meeting of the Fort Frances Power Corp. on Oct. 8; and
•appointed Couns. Hallikas and Ryan to the Fort Frances Power Corp. board of directors’ selection review committee.
