RRDMA passes six resolutions, defeats one

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Members of the Rainy River District Municipal Association (RRDMA) passed six and defeated one resolution at their annual meeting in Rainy River last Saturday.
Resolutions that passed:
•Resolution submitted by the Township of Atikokan urgently requesting the Province of Ontario immediately establish a “State of Emergency” fund to finance interim municipal infrastructure projects to address economic volatility caused by high unemployment levels and stabilize local economies.
•Resolution submitted by the Township of Atikokan urging the Federal Government to immediately set up an emergency infrastructure fund.
•Resolution submitted by Atikokan petitioning the Federal Government to immediately do everything in its power to bring the price of Canadian gas in border towns in line with that charged on the U.S. side.
•Resolution submitted by Atikokan asking the Provincial Government to also do everything in its power to bring Canadian gas prices in line with the U.S. in border towns.
•Resolution from Atikokan urging the Federal Government to immediately allow foreign visitors with Driving Under the Influence (Impaired Driving) convictions to cross the Canadian border without penalty or unwarranted delay, provided that penalty imposed on conviction has been satisfied and any probation period related has expired.
•Resolution from Lake of the Woods Township that the Ontario Government continue to provide 100% funding of the Best Start program.
Resolution defeated
•Peter VanHeyst of Chapple brought forth a resolution asking the Rainy River District Social Services Board (RRDSAB) to revisit its current apportionment formula noting that some communities pay as little as $134 and as high as $824 per person for social services. Lake of the Woods Reeve Val Pizey said, “The $800+ (per person) is us (Lake of the Woods Twp.) and we have no social housing, no child care, but have a huge assessment. Yes we need to revisit this.
VanHeyst echoed Pizey saying, “There is a huge unfairness in these large discrepancies.”
However, when the vote was called the resolution was defeated.