Council asked to support Riverside campaign

Riverside Foundation for Health Care has asked the Town of Fort Frances for a three-year pledge of $15,000 in support of the “Together We Can” campaign for a digital mammography unit.
Foundation chair Deane Cunningham told council Monday evening that the aim of the district-wide campaign is to raise $650,000 to purchase the unit, which will be situated at La Verendrye Hospital but service residents from across Rainy River District.

Foundation director Nicke Baird noted the current mammography equipment is about 12 years old, and needs to be replaced.
Currently, film images taken with the mammography equipment has to be developed here and then sent to Thunder Bay to be read.
Since the new equipment is digital, all that won’t be necessary and there will be quicker turnaround times. There even will be an option to do a biopsy right at the moment a lump is detected.
Baird noted the town contributed to the “Just Imagine” campaign for the CT scanner five years ago, and that equipment has performed over 10,000 scans locally since then. That means 10,000 people haven’t had to go out of town for a five-minute scan.
Baird noted the town has

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been very generous in the past, and hopes the town can provide a pledge of $15,000 over three years.
Council referred the Foundation’s request to the Administration and Finance executive committee for recommendation.
Also at Monday evening’s meeting, council:
•referred a request from the Fort Frances Public Library Board re: amended memorandum of understanding and roles and responsibilities to the Administration and Finance executive committee for recommendation;
•referred an advertising request from the Fort Frances Times re: Vacation Map 2012 to the Administration and Finance executive committee for recommendation;
•supported a resolution passed May 12, 2012 from the Town of Tillsonburg re: MTO Connecting Link Funding;
•proclaimed July 7-15, 2012 as “Ontario Family Fishing Events” in the Town of Fort Frances. During these nine days, residents can fish without a licence;
•passed a bylaw to approve an agreement with Makkinga Equipment Rentals re: Portage Avenue underpass pump station modifications;
•passed a bylaw to approve a comprehensive services agreement with Honeywell Limited;
•approved a financial request from the Boundary Waters Dragon Boat Festival Committee for up to $1,000. These funds will be called on only if the costs of operating the festival can not be covered by fundraising or participant fees;
•received the Town of Fort Frances Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2011 and management letter from BDO Canada LLP; and
•authorized a public wine and cheese event to take place Aug. 1 at the Fort Frances Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canada Customs and the International Bridge.