Lake of the Woods Reeve Pizey discovers $600,000 accounting error in our favour

Ruth Brett

The Lake of the Woods Township met on Feb. 3rd at the Bergland Council Chambers. Present were Councillors Bill Lundgren, Alfred Gate, Ernie McCormack, and Colleen Fadden, Mayor Valerie Pizey, Clerk-Treasurer Pat Giles, Road Supt. Ed Pearson, visitors Mike Stanger, Sherri and Colin Harris and Shane White.
Council first sat as a Committee of Adjustment and granted provisional approval to D. Jones application # 46B0401.
Bills for the month of January in the amount of $73,578.17 were approved for payment.
Roads: Supt. Pearson reported that the frozen waterlines at the Morson Hall have been repaired. He was asked by Councillor Fadden to check the amount of snow on the roof of that Hall as in the past it had been removed. Samples of road report forms for the Road Supt.’s use have been obtained and will be studied. It was decided not to make any changes with the fuel suppliers and to stay with both Esso and Shell. Council will apply to MTO for double application of surface treatment to Carl’s Road and Pioneer Road for a total distance of 2.3km. Upgrading is needed before the surface treatment can begin.
Cemetery: Councillor Gate reported that the cedar trees at the Bergland Cemetery have been trimmed up quite high by deer and it is feared that they may be destroyed. No action can be taken at this time.
Fire Dept: Lake of the Woods, Dawson and Emo Townships continue to examine the possibility of using a regional Fire Chief. Rainy River Clinic will do free medicals for volunteer firefighters.
Landfill sites: Effective June 1st, 2004, Morson dump will be closed to all non-rate payers.
Council will apply for a drain maintenance/ drain superintendent grant of $15,000.00.
Clerk Pat Giles informed council that at the Rainy River District Municipal Association Annual Meeting, Mayor Valerie Pizey had received an award of appreciation from RRDSSAB for her efforts in discovering an error in the calculations for the funding for ambulance services. The error saw the provincial calculations at $18,000 per year for the unincorporated townships share of land ambulance services. With the error corrected the funding from the province to DSSAB will actually be $600,000 per year for the unincorporated areas.
Council went in camera at 10pm.
There will be a Public Meeting on Feb. 17th at 7pm in the Bergland Council Chambers pursuant to Section 64 of the Municipal Act to establish a highway. The Highway to be established is an extension to Erickson Road east in Lots 3 and 4 between Conc. 3 and 4 McCrosson and south between said Lots 3 and 4.