The Westend WeeklyBringing Communities Together

Box 66, 303 Fifth St., Rainy River, ON P0W 1L0 Ph. 807-852-3815, Email. westendweekly@tbaytel.net Vol. 26, No. 19 Wednesday, February 15, 2017Serving the Rainy River District for 25 years! Read us on line at www.westendweekly.ca. Check out the pictures on line. They are so good!

Legion Gala goes to the Grammy Awards

Royal Canadian Legion Ladies' Auxiliary Branch No. 29'sPresident Alfreda Easton opened up the night with a speechgiving the audience a glimpse of just all that the ladies ac-complish throughout the year.

Dee Ducharme was one of the Legion Ladies who served theguests their featured main course of Chicken Oscar. She'sbeen a member for 27 years.

What's a music show without Statler and Waldorf of theMuppets sharing their "critiques"?

No stranger to local award shows, Brittany Hayes Strachansang Lukas Graham's "7 Years", nominated for both "Songof the Year" and "Record of the Year."

Brittany's performance is so captivating, Shelby and LancePollock can't help but dance in the back of the room.

The duo that is "Entirely Mac" sang a smoothed out, laid back version of Pink and KennyChesney's "Setting the World on Fire," nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Perform-ance.

Fort Frances Youth Ensemble brightened up the room with their rendition of Justin Timber-lake's "Can't Stop This Feeling" nominated in the category of "Best Song Written for VisualMedia."

Guests had ample chances to win some great prizes withiconic Grammy's "swag bags", a penny table, silent auctiontable, and a grand prize draw. Also, a 50/50 raffle forGrammy nominations was won by Cindy Manty, who hadthe most correct guesses.

by Melissa FriesenBy now the Grammys have

come and gone for anotheryear. Beyoncé didn't winalbum of the year - again. Butthe occasion was still verymuch worth celebrating, espe-cially for the Royal CanadianLegion Ladies' Auxiliary.

Saturday night was their pre-Grammy Awards Gala, whereeveryone was a winner. Theevening's festivities weredreamed up as a way tofundraise for the many pro-grams and services that the Le-gion Ladies Auxiliary supportsand provides. It was their firstgala ever, but President Al-freda Easton thought it wasworth a try. "I said to the girls,'Let's do a gala! Let's go out-

side the box and see if itworks!'" The planning thatbegan a year ago finally cameto fruition, complete withGrammy worthy perform-ances, dinner service, and tonsof prizes.

I walked into the Legion hallSaturday night to get an in-sider peek at this prestigiousevent. Before her big speechof the night, Alfreda let me askher a few questions. Thenight's purpose was twofold:raise funds and raise aware-ness. "I don't think people re-alize all that we donate to,"Alfreda noted. "We wanted toget that out to the public."

And then, she was called upto the stage. With conviction

and gratitude, she addressedher audience. "We have tokeep our Legion building upand functioning properly," Al-freda shared. The funds will beused for the purchase of newchairs, since most of them aregetting worn after hundreds offunctions. Last year they pur-chased new tables, and lastmonth - a new coat of paint forthe walls. Their list of charita-ble contributions is long,showing a strong commitmentto the community. They fi-nance bursaries and scholar-ships on behalf of the Legion,as well as donate to RoyalCanadian Legion Veterans,Sports Foundation and PeaceGardens. Outside of their own

organization, they support theSalvation Army, RiversideHealthcare, Rainycrest, Kids &Company, Rainy River DistrictFestival of the Performing Arts,Border Figure Skating Club,Heart & Stroke Foundation,"and the list goes on," said Al-freda. Like a typical acceptancespeech, there were too manypeople to name.

"Did you know they did thatmuch?" MC Melanie Williamsasked the crowd. "Me neither,so don't be a jerk, and spendsome money tonight! Youknow it's going to a goodcause." Apart from their gener-ous donations, the LegionLadies Auxiliary are responsi-ble for hosting and catering

many functions. Funeral lunch-eons are among the top uses ofthe hall, but the women hostmonthly suppers, as well asbanquets. "You would not be-lieve how booked we are com-ing up," Alfreda confides.These women are busy.

This is Alfreda's second runas president, having first gracedthe position in the late 80's toearly 90's. She's been part ofthe Legion Ladies' Auxiliaryfor 51 years, joining when shewas 18 in the footsteps of hermother. "A lot hasn't changed,but I just don't think people re-alize what we do," she echoed.

However she believes thatchanges are happening in theeducation system to further

promote historical appreciationof veterans. "I think theyounger people are gettingmore educated about Remem-brance Day and that sort ofthing." She brought up the var-ious poster contests and schoolprograms which they sponsor.

Guests could buy tickets forcoveted "swag bags", 50/50draw (based on their picks foraward winners), and a chanceto win a grand prize trip toLessard's Sunny Beach Resorton Rainy Lake. If they felt likeposing for the paparazzi, TomFoley was ready to snap theirphoto on the red carpet. Forthose of us who will nevermake it to the real Grammy's,this just might be the next bestthing.

School Board hosts its first Archery Tournament by Melissa Friesen

The district's best studentarchers gathered at SturgeonCreek School on Saturday fora chance to show off their tar-get skills at a two tier compe-tition. The tournament is a firstfor the district. Archery itselfis a relatively new componentof physical fitness for elemen-tary schools in the area. Thearchery program was intro-duced into the Rainy RiverDistrict School Board twoyears ago. Since the recent im-plementation, the program hasmade a few leaps and bounds."Teachers across the districtwere trained through the On-tario Federation of Anglersand Hunters," said Robert

Kinsman, 7/8 teacher at Stur-geon Creek School. The train-ing was predominantly forphysical education teachers ofgrades 5-8. National Archeryin the Schools Program(NASP) on behalf of the On-tario Federation of Anglersand Hunters is responsible forthe training as well as equip-ping the schools with neces-sary equipment.

Gym class with bows re-quires the students to be calmand attentive. Precautionsmust be taken to ensure thateveryone learns in a safe envi-ronment. "The students arelearning proper form andproper technique, first andforemost," Robert tells me,

adding that they must firstlearn on a string bow beforemoving to a compound bow.The techniques includes an 11step process that begins withan archer's stance. As the stu-dents hone each step, theybuild a new skill set with prac-tical applications. "Focus, fun,and safety are our top priori-ties."

So when the students wereshowing such a great interestin the sport, Robert thought itmight be fun to give them thechance to compete. "This yearwe decided to take the chal-lenge to run an actual archerytournament, so the school'shave been training." Gradeseven and eight students from

five schools were invited to thetournament: Fort Frances HighSchool, Donald Young School,Crossroads School, RobertMoore and Sturgeon CreekSchool. It resulted in a total of29 archers.

But without a precedent,Robert wasn't sure exactly whatto expect of hosting an archerytournament. "I was nervous forsure, but I did have help fromJeremy Funk, the regionalNASP representative." So witha little guidance, the day wentoff without a hitch. Medalswere awarded, the event fin-ished up sooner than expected,and all in all, the local archeryprogram made another ad-

vancement. "The day was ex-cellent," beamed Robert.

The tournament's first targetwas shot at from 8 metres, andthe second was from 12 metres,with 3 rounds of each. Whilethere were no perfect shots, afew got pretty close. "We hadscores of 46, 47, and 48 out of50 points at a time," saidRobert. Clearly, the studentsare catching on. "The studentsare very interested, and alsothose kids who don't normallytake part in team sports to comeout and challenge themselves atan individual sport."

Since gaining a core group ofdedicated and excited students,the teachers hope to grow the

program in the next year."We're hoping to expand thistournament in terms of numberof students, to double it by nextyear, at least." The target focuswill remain on students ingrades 7/8.

The winners of the tourna-ment were: 1st place - JacobArgue, Donald Young School,2nd place - Brett Schram - Stur-geon Creek School, 3rd place -Sophie Carpenter - DonaldYoung School. The studentswith the most collective pointswere from Donald YoungSchool. They're the officialteam to beat next year, butRobert assured me the compe-tition was tight.

Page 2, The Westend Weekly, February 15, 2017

In MemoryElvina Christine

DrennanJuly 23, 1919 -

February 15, 2001

Lonely are our hearts todayFor the one we loved so dearlyHas been forever called away

We think of her in silenceNo eye can see us weepBut many silent tears are shedFor our Mother who rests atMcInnes Creek

Sadly missed and lovingly remembered by your family

L.O.W. Recreation Committee,Women’s Institute and

Township of Lake of the WoodsInvite you to join us to celebrate

Canada’s 150th Anniverserywith a Music Circle Celebration at

Bergland HallSaturday, February 25th

Potluck 5-7 (no dessert) Music & Entertainment 7-10All ages are welcome, no charge

Take part in the entertainment or be entertainedCall Nancy 488-5715, JoAnn 488-5727 or Adrian 488-5391

for more info

42 years withC.I.B.C.

Jo-Ann (Mykytyn) Berard of Sioux Lookout was honouredat a celebratory get together to honour her 42 years of serv-ice to C.I.B.C. Jo-Ann began her career in her hometown ofRainy River and continued on with C.I.B.C. in Emo, Win-nipeg and finally her current hometown of Sioux Lookout.He mom, Gisela Mykytyn said the first thing on her retire-ment agenda will be a well deserved rest.

We are Accepting Applications For the Following Positions:

• Maintenance (PFT, Rainy River)• Community Engagement Coordinator

(FT, Contract)• Administrative Assistant

(PFT, Fort Frances)

For more information visit our website at:www.rrdssab.on.ca

(Human Resources/Job Postings)

Well my cows caused mesome stress over the last 24hours. I noticed a cow wasacting like she was going tocalve around 4:00 pm on Sun-day so I went and put her inthe barn. I wasn’t worried itwas her 3rd calf. She was alsothe cow that wasn’t feelingwell last fall so I was justpleased that she made itthrough whatever she hadgoing on and was calving. Ileft her for an hour. I lookedon the camera and could see awater bag. All good. I de-cided to venture to the barnanyway because I am still hav-ing issues with no internet inthe barn. I know that soundsfunny but internet in the barnis such a valuable tool. Whenyou can tune in the cameras onyour Iphone or Ipad – you canzoom right in on the action! Iwould have seen that the after-birth was coming with the calf.I quickly called my friend J.He rushed on over and wepulled a healthy heifer calf.All good. So then I continuedon with my evening. With theweather being warmer I checkevery 3 hours. On my 1:45 amcheck I looked over my gateand my worst fear. A cow onher back! Ugh! I was surewas she was dead. I walkedover and she was still alive. Iran back opened the gate and

ran to the tractor. I was cross-ing my fingers it would startsince I don’t keep it plugged infull time (because I can’t af-ford the hydro.) It started so Irushed out to the cow. I wasnervous about pushing her upwith the John Deere tractor be-cause the prongs are difficult.But I gave her a gentle pushand she jumped right up and Ididn’t stab her with theprongs! So then who wants togo back to sleep after that orshould I say who can go backto sleep after that? Last weekI had a meeting at my housewith an individual from agroup that I am working with.Of course right about the timeshe was going to arrive I had acow calving. I asked her tocome to the barn because I waspretty sure I was going to haveto give her a hand. It was a bigcalf, and her first calf. I putthe chains on the big feet andstarted to pull. Ugh – itwasn’t pulling great. I knew itwas tight from inspection butthought it was do-able. Icalled for backup. The cowthen hunkered down andstarted to give some goodpushes and I joined in withsome pulling and we got him.Nice big bull calf. I took abreath and called and stoppedmy back up plan. I pulled the

calf around to the front of thecow and the cow completelylost it. She jumped up bellow-ing and pushed the calf aroundthe entire pen. Thankfully shewasn’t hurting him but it wasstrange and what an experi-ence for my friend! I ex-plained it is usually like thisbut it was her first time andshe had herself in quite a way.As soon as she stopped his ridearound in the straw she imme-diately started to lick him andin 20 minutes he was alreadyup sucking. So hopefullythese events are behind me asit looks like I have a busyweek ahead of me.

Just a quick reminder aboutthe Grain Marketing Work-shop that is being held nextTuesday February 21, 2017 at10:00 am at the Emo Inn.Please let me know if you areplanning to attend – everyoneis welcome, I just need to anumber for lunch!

Be sure to take the time toread the North West Link – itis loaded with important datesand information! If you arenot getting a copy – please getin touch with Gary Sliworksy!

Something very exciting ---we are planning an Ag Day forApril 1st – full on great speak-ers and a small trade show.Stay tuned for details!!!!

Moos by Kim Jo Bliss

Michael Gravelle, MPP issues statement regarding his illness

Over the past months I havebeen struggling with a feelingof uneasiness that I have notbeen able to shake. My doctordiagnosed me with depressionlast year. Since then, I havebeen grappling with this dis-ease privately while maintain-ing, to the best of my ability,the work that I love to do asMinister of Northern Develop-ment and Mines and Memberof Provincial Parliament forThunder Bay - Superior North.It has become clear to me thatit will take some time, effort,treatment and understandingto properly address this illness.

Upon advice from my doc-tors I have asked the Premierto have one of my colleaguestemporarily assume responsi-bility for the Ministry ofNorthern Development andMines while I look after myhealth. Premier Wynne hasbeen incredibly supportive ofme since the moment I dis-closed my challenges to herand she fully supports me inmaking this decision.

In my absence, my dedicatedstaff at the Ministry and Con-stituency Offices will continueto address challenges and op-portunities through their workat the Ministry of NorthernDevelopment and Mines andfor the constituents of ThunderBay - Superior North.

I certainly cannot begin toexpress my appreciation forthe understanding of my col-leagues, friends and familyduring this time. It will con-tinue to be difficult, but withyour love and support I knowthat I will be able to treat thisdisease and be back to myselfin the very near future, fight-ing for my constituents and allNorthern Ontarians.

While I appreciate the impor-tance of talking openly aboutmental health, in the very nearterm I hope it is understand-able that I would like to main-tain my privacy.

- Michael Gravelle, Ministerof Northern Development andMines, MPP for Thunder Bay- Superior North

Back from attending Zone 72meeting and picked up somenew ideas, learned some perti-nent facts. The zone has a newcommander, Ed Kennedy anda new deputy zone com-mander, Belle Ekstrom. Thenext zone meeting will be inRainy River in September. Itis interesting to see how eachbranch has integrated into thevery fabric of their communi-ties. Through their activitiesand their donations they havepromoted their towns and sur-

rounding areas.Support your Legion because

it will help and support you.See you at the Legion.We Will Remember Them....

Legion Chatby Walter Wagner, Major Hughes Br. 54 president

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Pass Me da Haxan excerpt from I Call Myself a Prospector by Bob Durnin

Chibougamau was Fred's ter-ritory. He had spent a year orthree there, and one of hisanomaly chasing crews wasled by Henry Levac, the sameHenry who had tossed Herb S.into the lake a few years ear-lier.

The summer had started offrather poorly for Henry. HisEM gear wouldn't work. Themotor ran fine and the genera-tor kicked in and went intotransmitting mode, but hecouldn't get a signal. He triedevery possible combination ofbatteries, pocket receiverpacks, earphones and receivercoils. Nothing worked. He ra-dioed Fred, who sent him outnew earphones, receiver coils,etc. No go, so Fred sent himout a complete newmotor/generator set and trans-mitter coil – still no signal!

“You are doing somethingwrong,” said Fred, andFecteau brought out the lastspare unit.

Henry told the pilot to waitand the crew set up the unitright there in camp. Same oldstory.

Henry turned to one of his

men and said, “Pass me dahax,” and he beat the crap outof every piece of that equip-ment. By the time he wasdone, the motor/gen was a pileof twisted aluminium, bentshaft and broken wires. Heturned his attention to thetransmitter coil and chopped itinto pieces as well. He threweverything into the aircraft,climbed in, and back to Chi-bougamau they went. Fred metthem at the base and Henrythrew the mangled mess on thedock. “I tol’ you, she don'work!”

Fred wasn't even upset. Thatwas Fred: he would drive younuts, but always saw yourpoint of view.

And Henry was right. Therewas a problem, and it had beenback in Frood at the lab. Aphone call to Frood elicited asheepish apology. It seems thatduring the spring break theyhad gone over Fred's equip-ment, tuning up the motors,changing the couplings,checking everything includingrecalibration of the generatoroutput. It turned out their owncalibration equipment was

faulty, and every one of Fred'sunits was off frequency. No1000 cycles per second – nosignal. The story should endhappily right there, you'd think– but no.

A few days later the new im-proved on-frequency gear ar-rived. Henry had stayed intown, and Fred said that theywould make sure the stuffworked before flying it intothe bush. There was a wideback lane behind the HotelMonaco and they set up thewhole deal just as you wouldon the job, fired up themotor/gen and Henry wentdown the lane a hundred feetor so with the receiver.

“OK,” he said, and trottedback to tear down and pack up.Just then a two-ton deliveryvan came around the cornerand ran over the whole works!Such is life.

The story never really ends.“Pass me da hax” has becomepart of our vocabulary. To thisday, when things just plain re-fuse to work right, I will say tomyself, “Pass me da Hax,” andI remember Henry Levac.

The Township of Lake of theWoods (Morson, McCrosson-Tovell) enjoys a good “oldfashioned” get together. In thepast, it has hosted some fabu-lous events. It celebrated withschool reunions dating back to1974 and the McCrosson-Tovell Centennial in 1993. Acollection of historical photosand memories can be enjoyedin a book published to markthe occasion entitled “WaterUnder the Bridge”, a history ofthe Little Grassy River, Mc-Crosson -Tovell.

Now it’s time to celebrateCanada150 – the 150th birth-day of Canada! A collabora-tive group of peoplerepresenting the townshipcounsel, Lake of the WoodsRecreation Committee, Mor-son and Lake of the WoodsWomen’s Institutes are work-ing to organize a number ofevents in 2017 to mark thismilestone.

A potluck/music eveningwill kick it off; Saturday Feb-ruary 25th at the Bergland Hallwith dinner from 5-7 p.m. andmusic to follow. You are in-vited to take a break from win-ter, bring the family to thisevening of food, friends andentertainment open to every-one. Special birthday cakeand ice cream provided.

Watch for info on these otherupcoming events.

July 8th – Beach/Picnic Dayat beautiful Oscar Bay Park.

Enjoy an afternoon of visiting,games, swimming, sun, foodand fun

Oscar Bay beach is the bestsummertime family day-outpark in the west end.

Labour Day Weekend –Potluck/ games. Join us forfriends, food and games in-cluding Canadian Trivia. Achance to learn some unusualand interesting things aboutCanada.

Join us in the celebration!!

Lake of the Woods township to kick off Canada 150 celebrations

Page 3, The Westend Weekly, February 15, 2017

John Gibbins Memorial 3rd AnnualFamily Day Fish Derby

Monday, February 20at the Morson Government Dock

Entry Fee: Early Bird (limited) $30 or Derby Day $35 Adults, Kids (12 & under) $5.00$10.00 for extra holesRegistration opens at 8 am, Prize Presentation at 5 pm

Adult Division: Walleye 1st $1,200 2nd $950 3rd $700 4th $300Northern 1st $750 2nd $500 3rd $250 4th $100

Children’s Division: 1st $200 2nd $150 3rd $75 4th $25

All Proceeds go to Pagamigaabo Elementary School

For your information: Washrooms on site, fish shacks allowed, Canteen, holes will be drilled,minnows available on site.

For more information please contact Tamara Gibbins (807) 271-1486, Jazz Comegan (807) 488-5614 or

Pegamigaabo School (807) 488-5916.

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ONTARIO RENOVATES PROGRAM

Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board (RRDSSAB) seeks all low income households in the Rainy River District needing repairs to their principal residence.

Interested homeowners should apply to take advantage of the 2017 Social Infrastructure Fund – Ontario Renovates Program (ORP). The ORP offers financial assistance to low to moderate income homeowners who need to make repairs to their homes. The program is primarily aimed at moderate income home owner(s) who live in substandard dwellings and cannot afford the repairs that are necessary to make their home safer and healthier to live in and/or to make improvements that increase seniors’ accessibility and address mobility issues. Target client group for ORP include but not limited to seniors, persons with disability, four provincial priorities for ending Homelessness, low income singles and families, or residents of remote communities. Qualifying homeowners will receive funding from RRDSSAB to undertake repairs of modest and affordable housing stock as a grant/loan forgiveness at a rate of 10% per year for 10 year period.

For more information contact: Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board

450 Scott Street Fort Frances, ON P9A 1H2

Phone # (807) 274-5349 or 1 (800) 265-5349

Paid for in part by the Government of Ontario

Band brings excitement to RRHS

by Charleen GustafsonMonday January 30, Rainy

River High School had its firstband practice in over 20 years.

The excitement was palpa-ble. As students came in earlyto get their instruments ready,their teacher KatherineWilliams took time to talk.

"Some students are taking in-struments home to practice...We are so fortunate. John Dut-ton came in to help get usgoing. We have brand new in-struments. We needed some-one to make sure all of themwere working properly. Theyneeded a little tweaking.

"But most importantly, withJohn Dutton here, the studentshad a chance to see a master atwork.

Kitty Gale also came in tohelp with the flutes. She is theprincipal flautist in the Com-munity Orchestra.

"Mike McInerney also washere doing a session with thesax players. The students havebeen very spoilt because theyhave had all these masterscome in to show them whatthese instruments sound like.They have been an inspiration.

"The students got to choosetheir instruments. We havenearly every instrument weneed except low low bass. Wehave flutes, trumpets, trom-bones. Probably the baritonesax is the lowest . We have the

double bass because initiallywe were thinking jazz bandbut then as more kids werefinding out about the chance tojoin, we had more kids requestmusic and we had kids specif-ically request flutes and clar-inets and things so weexpanded.

"We hope this will grow. Thepolicy with the School Boardhas changed. Now the Boarddoes not want students rentingor buying their own instru-ments. They don't want any-one to go without so theyprovide all instruments," shepaused, to check her plan.

Having the Board provide allinstruments means severalchanges. Parents do not haveto pay for rentals or the reallyexpensive option of buying.But when the store got all therental instruments back in thesummer the store was respon-sible for cleaning and repair-ing. Now that responsibility iswith the school, i.e. with MsWilliams. "That is just thelearning curve," she said.

"I am fortunate again be-cause of John Dutton beingaround. He was here for theweek and will come again oc-casionally.

"The first day we were allthree running around gettingthe instruments ready.

"I'm fine with the music sideand I am familiar with how the

instruments operate. Over thelast few years I have been for-tunate because I have had tolearn to play the trumpet andtrombone. Well I can playscales on them. [ Katherinebegan and leads the Commu-nity Orchestra.]

"I am not afraid to jump in tonew things. It all will comewith time. Because most of usare not really good at every-thing right away. What is thatsaying... master of none? Iknow a little bit of everything.Whereas John knows a lotabout a lot. He's done it all.Nothing surprises him."

Ms Williams came to RainyRiver High School last year.Now she teaches drama visualarts and music.

Last June the Board releasedmoney for the arts. RainyRiver decided to apply for thestart up of a band. Within aweek the Board approved theirplan. When all was in place, itwas September. Students werealready signed up for classes.As soon as it was announcedthat students could go to theguidance councillors to changecourses, 18 students changedcourses to be able to do music.

Katherine also teachesdrama. The drama club meetsduring lunch or after school.The RRHS OWL Theatre willbe doing The Brothers GrimmSpectaculation on Thursday,

February 23. "This is a mash upof all of their Fairy Tales, thetruly horrific ones, put into one45 minute play. It is verytwisted. And it is so funny!"Ms. Williams said. But then shecautioned that it is not foryoung children. It deals withrather mature themes. So, get ababysitter and make sure tocome. Performances are at10:30 and at 7:00.

There will also be a musicalin May, the date t be set later.This one will be called MusicalStories of the Heart. It will takethe love stories from Beauty

and The Beast, Hairspray andGrease and do all of those clas-sic love songs with singing,dancing and choreography.This will include students fromRiverview. What a great way tointroduce students to highschool.

The Band will be performingone song with the CommunityOrchestra in Spring. What awonderful opportunity forthese students! "They will get achance to see how the orchestraworks and what their instru-ments can do," said MsWilliams.

Students coming into banddon't need to know anythingabout reading music. All of thatis taught.There will be twoband classes next year, a begin-ner and a senior. There is also abeginning guitar class with MsTiffany Rittau who also willhave a senior guitar class.

"I hope to stay at RRHS, andI hope this is the start of somenew wonderful things happen-ing here at the school. I love it.I am so fortunate. This is theicing on the cake, getting to dothis band, " she concluded.

Robyn Johnson signed up right away for band classes. Shelikes jazz and thought band would be interesting.

Lucas Archie was one of the first students to arrive, and im-mediately was playing his sax. He chose the sax because healso is interested in jazz.

Marcus Hunter is self taught on the drums. He had a bandwith friends until some moved away. It was difficult forhim to stop playing long enough to talk.

The Canadian TaxpayersFederation (CTF) is warningthe Ontario governmentagainst politically motivatedmeddling in the electricity sec-tor. Reports from multiplegovernment sources indicatethat the Ontario government isconsidering changing how theglobal adjustment is calcu-lated, so that the cost is spreadout more gradually over thecoming years.

The same reports also indi-cate that the government isconsidering reforming pro-grams that subsidize low in-come hydro consumers, so thatthe subsidies are provided bythe tax base rather than byother hydro consumers.

“The government is runningscared on the hydro file, be-cause people in this provinceare livid over the high cost ofbasic necessities like turningon their lights, running theirwashing machine or evenkeeping their families warm inthe winter,” said CTF OntarioDirector, Christine Van Geyn.“But the solutions the govern-

ment are currently throwingaround deal with their own po-litical needs rather than theneeds of the province. Nothingbeing proposed does anythingto address the reasons hydrobills are so high, or will stemthe rise in those bills.”

The global adjustment is thedifference between the marketprice for electricity, and therate the government regulatedor contracted price for electric-ity. High contracted prices forwind and solar power havedriven the global adjustmentso high that last year the globaladjustment accounted for 85per cent of the cost of electric-ity, and consumers spent $12billion on it.

“People can’t control theirhome power bills, and that’sbecause of policies pursued bythis government. Action to re-duce bills is desperatelyneeded by the people of On-tario. But spreading the cost ofthe global adjustment overmore years, doesn’t solve theproblem. In fact, will costmore in interest in the long

term. It’s a politically moti-vated and short sighted solu-tion,” continued Van Geyn.

“What the government needsto do is quit pursuing policiesthat raise household bills.They could scrap the GreenEnergy Act, cancel rather thansuspend all new procurement,they could stop wastingmoney on conservation pro-grams that drive rates up, andthey could reverse the cap andtrade tax that the Auditor Gen-eral has warned will driveelectricity bills up by 23 percent over the next four years.These reports reveal that thegovernment is more interestedin optics than real solutions,”concluded Van Geyn.

The Canadian TaxpayersFederation has launched acampaign aimed at engagingthe public and empoweringcitizens to take action abouthigh hydro rates and the capand trade tax on home heatingfuels and gasoline. More infor-mation is available atwww.StopHighEnergyBills.ca.

Stop politically motivated meddling

Page 4, The Westend Weekly, February 15, 2017

Classified AdsClassified Advertising Rules: Personal classified ads are a free service. They run for 2 weeksand must be resubmitted if you wish them to run again. We charge for business classifiedsat $8.75 per inch per week. Please do not phone in free classifieds. We accept them only byfax, email, mail, or drop off. We have a mail box next to the office door if we’re closed. We ask thatyou try to make ads no longer than 25 words. We do not accept clothing unless it is an expensiveitem. Please don’t use this free service for lists of items. We will not accept items repeated everytwo weeks over long periods of time. Please print or type submissions. Real Estate ads are notfree. $10.00 included with the ad of 25 words or less pays for a 4 week run. Over 25words will be billed at our regular classified advertising rate of $8.75 per inch perweek. Billing address must be included with the ad or it will not run.General Newspaper submissions and letters to the editor: This is an independant publicationsolely owned and edited by Jacquie Dufresne. I will not accept any submissions which are slander-ous or intended to malign any person, business or organization. I won’t print any letters to the editorwhich are written to anyone other than the editor of this paper unless the editor is addressed. Sub-mission of articles originating in other publications will be accepted providing proof of authorizationis provided.

LIDKEAOptometry ServicesDr. Robert E. LidkeaDr. Bruce A. Lidkea

221 Scott Street Fort Frances, Ontario

(807) 274-6655

NORTHERN SPORTS & MACHINE

Randy Orton • 651 Cty Rd 1SW, Baudette

3/4 mile S. of Baudette Motel

(218)634-1089

ATVs & Snowmobiles• We service & repair all

makes & models• Complete Automotive &

Diesel Machine Shop• Complete line of Sled

Bed Trailers

Polaris ATVs may not be ridden by anyone under 16and all riders should take a safety course. For safetyand training information see your dealer or call Po-laris at 1-800-342-2764. ATVs can be hazardous to op-erate. For your safety always wear a helmet, eyeprotection, protective clothing and never carry passen-gers. ©1998 Polaris Industries Inc.

Your outdoor furnace dealer!

•Stoves•Parts•Accessories•Installation

Mallard Creek Mechanicalmallardcreek@tbaytel.net - Daryl Meck

691 Barwick Road, Phone 487-1395 or 1-807-271-2201

Your local H&L Motors rep

See us for your farmequipment needs!

McCormick, Landini,Hesston, Valtra, Kuhn,

MacDon and FarmKing

Check out the website:www.hlmotors.ca

The UPS Store®

Wide Format Printing• Banners & Posters• Blue Prints & Maps

• Photographstheupsstore.ca/369

274-5444

227 feller buncher 23"roto saw head.In goodshape.$16,000 Please callFri.- Sun. @(807)486-1080. 42

Tire chains for skidders,loaders, etc., ring andstudded, good quality andprices, call for prices andavailability 807-599-2835. 43

8 bunnies $20.00 each 7weeks old will becomebig call Claude 486-3357 43

Laying Hens, 14 monthsold, excellent producersof extra large-large browneggs. Fed all natural feed.$5.00 each. Call andleave a message at 852-1695. 44

Give away sofa and 2matching love seats, darkbrown, 6 years old, hassome surface damagewhich can be covered.Call 274-3180 for furtherinfo. 44

Feed wheat in bulk at$0.08/lb or in bulk bags$0,10/lb in bulk bags.Phone 482-2420. 44

Cert #1 Brandon wheat,$10/Bu and Cert #1 Car-berry wheat, $9/Bu. 10%discount for cash for byFeb. 28/17. Call PuritySeeds at 482-2420. 44

Com #1 Orchard Grass,$3.50/lb. Wholesale priceis $3.90/lb. Call PuritySeeds at 482-2420. 44

Meals On Wheels is cur-rently needing volun-teers! Can you spare ahalf an hour once in awhile? Please considersigning up to ensure thisvaluable service contin-ues. Call 274-2244 tosign up on a day or weekof your choosing. s

Eliminate high heatingcosts. Over 85% Effi-cient and EPA Qualified.Central Boiler E-Classic2300 OUTDOORWOOD FURNACE.Call Today. Emo FeedService Ltd., CanningLane, Emo, ON, 482-2017. 40

Jigs! Glow jigs & spin-ners, Disco jigs, othercoloured jigs, red/greenspinners, custom orders,ph. 852-3669. s

FARM ANDOTHER HEAVY

EQUIPMENT

LIVESTOCK/PETSFOR SALE

TO GIVE AWAY

SERVICES WANTEDOR AVAILABLE

WE NEEDVOLUNTEERS

MISC. FOR SALE

ATTN FARMERS

Outdoor wood stove, withradiators, pumps, electricfurnace, 5 cords of fire-wood, asking $2,000,phone 276-4293. 44

Super large foldingpocket knife, blade is 71/2” long and over 2”wide, handle almost 10”long and 2” wide, collec-tor knife, also has woodenstained display stand, callfor details, 274-7402. 43

Brand new Ariens snowblower, heated handles,cab, deluxe, negotiable,phone 488-5591. 43

5x5 round bales first cuthay @ $25, oat grain @$200/tonne. Pinewoodarea, 275-9609. 43

Wanted: Mortiser andDovetail jig. 807 8612020. 43

Wanted a dodge or gmc4x4 truck year 2000 to2004 just looking for afixer upper call 271-2758. 44

wanted to buy 2 ton en-gine hoist (crane) withwheels. call 274 8315.42

Wanted to buy 1967 to1972 Chevrolet or GMCtruck parts. Looking for adecent cab and otherparts. call 274-8315.42

Used mail box, call 274-6639. 42

Wanted, DVR player andrecorder. Phone 274-6816. 42

Firearms in any condition,need not be complete orworking. Also interestedin parts, scopes andsights, ammunition, re-loading components orany firearm related items.Fair prices paid. 274-0472. s

HOUSE FOR SALE INEMO 5 year old bi-level.24'x40' upper level 2 bed-room 2 bath. Lower level2 bedroom 1 Bath, recroom, laundry room.Close to the arena.$314,000.00. Call 807-482-3271 or 807-275-6656. 42

House for sale in FortFrances, close to water-front, 5 bedrooms, 2 fullbaths, high eff. gas fur-nace, central air, new hotwater tank, $159,900, toview call Tim 274-6405.44

For Rent in Rainy River,Newly renovated 2 bed-room 1 bath main floor.Overlooking the Rainy

REAL ESTATEFOR SALE OR

RENT & MOBILEHOMES

WANTED

River close to Hannampark. $750.00 plushydro and gas. CallRoger at 204-268-5249for viewing. 46

For Rent: Two bedroomapartment for rent inRainy River. Fridge stovelaundry hookups mainfloor large backyard.available March 1st nopets $795 a month. Callor text 807-276-4933.

4

Hunting cabin for sale 85acres, 20 cleared Cabinwired and insulated Greatquiet serene spot Ontario,old homestead with min-eral rights, asking$95,000, contact meCarol Wardman 514-755-1009 s

I Call Myself a Prospec-tor, a three-volume setcovering many years ofone man’s unusual life.Dealing with mineral ex-ploration back in the day,with many amusing sidestories, it was fun to writeand is an enjoyable, fast-paced read. Try it. Avail-able at Amazon in print or

NOTICES

Kindle.

Pair and Squares squaredance club in Fort Frances,starting beginners classesFeb. 21, we meet at KnoxUnited Church on ChurchSt., Tuesday evenings, les-sons from 6 to 7, dancefrom 7 to 9. We continuetill May 30 then back inSeptember.

There will be a "Men'sBreakfast" at the Emo Le-gion Saturday Feb. 18th @8:00. Mark Mast will betelling us about a missiontrip to Guatemala. Cost is$12:00 per person, menand boys of all ages arewelcome. 40

1996 Dodge 4x4 reg cab.loaded. Has cmd start,tow package and a chrometoolbox. Would make agreat plow truck. As is.Asking $800.00 Pleasecall 807-275-5223. 42

PLANES, BIKES& OTHERVEHICLES

RECREATIONALITEMS

Bissell Carpet Cleaner,slate tile backsplash, highback bucket seats for vanor motorhome, TV stand,hockey nets phone 274-6639. 42

4 winter tires & steelrims, Snow Tracker ra-dial ST/2 P205/55R16.Phone Grace 486-1398.42

ESP 15 amp surge pro-tector,like new,$ 50.-obo.; 1 used motomaster265-75/16 $ 10.- obo;M a s t e r c r a f tbradnailer,drives brad-nails & crown staples,never used,$25.- obo.phone evenings 852-4354. 44

Aluminum Nerf bars fora 1996 dodge ram 1500single cab truck $40 boxrails for a 8 foot box $508hp side shaft motorcame of a snowblowerruns good $90 16 tire ona steel rim came of a1999 dodge grand cara-van $50 call 271-2758.44

Vintage portable singersewing machine, mintgreen, it works, asking$50, call Fran 852-3192.4

Square bales of hay, Tim-othy and Sweet Clover,good for horses, $3 eachph. 486-3512. 44

Mixed Ash firewood, $80a load delivered, ph. 486-3512. 44

ford 11 hp hydrostaticlawn tractor,no deck350.00..heavy duty light-weight atv trailer 4ft wideby 5 ft long with tilt575.00..mastercraft 5 hpportable chipper shredderlike new 350.00..phone487-2226. 43

Ridgid portable threader1”-2”; Adjustable pipedie 1/8”-3/4”; Pipe die,cutter, reamer, very goodcondition ph. 274-2125.44

12 KW generator withIsuzu diesel engine.Complete with Murphyshut-down gauges.5,900.00. 20 KW PTOgenerator. Complete elec-trical wiring with two 20amp receptacles, one 50amp welder receptacle,and one 100 amp breakerfor direct connect appli-cations. 3,900.00. NoSunday calls. 807 2710442. Text for photos. 43

LOVESEAT, NaturalWicker Frame, 2 cushionw/2 matching throw pil-lows, 54"Wx33"Hx42"D,woven fabric, Print Ab-stract floral, 2 Greens, 2shades of pink Price $150pick up Fort Frances 276-3591. 44

Lots of 5x5 round balesof hay. Ph. 487-1623.43

Need used parts? Call or stop at

NORTH AUTOon the highway, west of Fort Frances 274-7243

NORTH AUTO for used parts!North Auto is your local recycler for used parts.

We can also find new after market parts at reasonable prices.

We are now scrapping for parts the following vehicles:2004 GMC Sierra 2500 2009 Vibe 2005 GMC Sierra 15002010 Fusion 2006 F150 2011 Ram15002007 Caliber 2013 Taurus 2009 Explorer2013 Journey 2009 Lancer 2016 Caravan

emphillHeatingVance Hemphill

Natural Gas & Propane Appliances

Sales, Services & InstallationProfessional Duct Cleaninghome, commercial & cottage

maintenance available

807-271-3516vhemphill@live.com

Lorelei Locker

OPTOMETRIST314 Scott Street, Fort Frances

274-0510

Alcoholics AnonymousRainy River AA

Please call for meeting time and locationPh. 1-807-276-1074

808 Scott St., Fort Franceswww.drcousineau.com

274-8551

DR. THOMAS COUSINEAU- O P T O M E T R I S T -

Rainy River DistrictWomen’s Shelter of Hope

If you are a woman who has experienced violence or abuse,

staff at the Atikokan Crisis Centreare available 24 hours a day to

listen and provide support to you.Call

1-800-465-3348

• Home Renovations

• New Construction• Lake Work

Windows ~ Doors ~ DecksDocks ~ Drywall ~ Kitchens

Baths and more!Call Randy 807-276-0263

If your water doesn’t drain...Ease the strain! Call

RomynPumping

Colin RomynWaste Water Service

483-5339

Office Space for rentFort Frances (Old CN Station)

• Multiple offices• Available immediately• Affordable pricing• Central location• Free parking• Hall access included

Call 274-9555for more information

Carr's Repair IS PLEASED TO

ANNOUNCE!That they do Antique

Tractor, Car, andPickup Restoration.

Bring that TreasuredPiece of History. And letCARR'S REPAIR make

it look like NEW.No Sunday calls please.

Phone 487 2548or see our website at:

www.carrsrepairvintageparts.com

Blue’sPaintingService

Quality Paintingwith Care

* Call for Free Estimate *Hugh “Blue” Barrett, Rainy River and surrounding area

807-861-0272 hughbarrett46@gmail.comFriendly Quality Service!

Bookingnow forSpring

ColorsHAIR & MAKEUP

Danielle IvallStylist/Owner

217 Sixth St., Rainy RiverCall today and bookyour appointment

NEW NUMBER807-276-1020

Dine Daily ~ 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.www.thunderbirdrainylake.com

10 miles east of Int'l Falls on Hwy. 11218-286-3151

ON BEAUTIFUL RAINY LAKE

Our SpecialThis Friday & Saturday is

Chicken Cordon BlèuBreaded Chicken Breast stuffedwith ham and Swiss cheese on a

bed of wild rice. Served with freshvegetables & choice of salad.

Make Your Reservation Today!

WestendFood BankOur Lady of Good

Counsel,Rainy River

OPENTuesday, Feb. 21

this month

The LaVerendrye HospitalAuxiliary met February 7 aftera two month winter break.President Irene Laing, re-ported that the Northwest Re-gion spring Conference thisyear will be held May 12 & 13in Red Lake. Members wish-ing to attend the conferenceare advised to contact Irene.

In shop news there is a needfor more knitters as the stockof baby sweater sets is runninglow. Wool is available formembers wishing to knit forthe shop. There is also a needfor adult slippers and babyblankets.

Social Director Janet Lam-bert advised that the Staff Ap-preciation coffee break will beheld on February 17. She willcontact members for donations

of dainties. The Spring Luncheon will

take place on Monday, March13 at Hallett Hall at Rainy-crest. Guest speaker will beDanette McIntyre, nurse prac-titioner. Tickets will be avail-able at the usual locations –the hospital gift shop, Phar-masave and Shoppers untilnoon on Friday, March 10.Members are asked to pur-chase tickets in advance asthey will not be available atthe door.

June Keddie, Foundationrepresentative advised that theChristmas Appeal had beenvery successful. The Founda-tion will be hosting theirluncheon on May 7 with atheme of “Mama’s Birthday”.She also advised that it is the

20th anniversary of the Foun-dation this year. On Monday,February 20 the Foundationwill be hosting a coffee andconversation event at the pub-lic library from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Auxiliary is looking forsuggestions for a new logo tobe used on letterhead and otherstationary. It was decided tohold a contest to find a newlogo with a deadline of March31 for submissions. Anyoneinterested in submitting a de-sign can leave it at the hospitalgift shop.

A Nominating Committeewas set up. Members inter-ested in serving on the execu-tive are invited to contact IreneLaing, Judy Webster or HelenPattison.

LaVerendrye Hospital Auxiliary Highlights

News from the RainyRiver Curling Club

The Rainy River CurlingClub, Junior Curling programwill be holding a progressiveraffle called “Catch the Ace”in order to raise needed funds.The lottery number for thisevent is M764179. Things arealready underway and the potis building up.

Join everyone at the CurlingClub every Tuesday night be-tween 6:30 and 10pm to signup. Tickets are $5 each and

may be purchased for everyround of play but you must be18 to enter. The purchaser willsign a ticket stub so you don’tneed to be there for the draw.

The draws will be videorecorded and placed on theCurling Club’s Facebook pageso stay tuned to see if you area winner.

In other club news, there willbe a Fun Spiel on Friday,March 3 and Saturday, March

4. The entry fee is $60 a teamand there will be cash prizes.To enter call Deb 852-3921 orMissy 276-2918.

On Saturday, March 4th from9pm to 1am, the Junior Curl-ing program is holding a$1,000 Dance at the RainyRiver Legion. Only 250 tick-ets will be sold and the lotterynumber for that is M764178.

New funding in FF forHandi-Van Transit

The governments of Canadaand Ontario are investing inpublic infrastructure that sup-ports efficient and affordabletransit services that help Cana-dians to safely get to and fromwork, school, and other activ-ities on time.

Don Rusnak, Member ofParliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, on behalf of theHonourable Amarjeet Sohi,Minister of Infrastructure andCommunities, today an-nounced that Fort Frances willreceive funding to replace oneHandi-Van transit bus.

This project is part of a list of79 projects across Ontario an-nounced on February 10th,2017, under the Public TransitInfrastructure Fund (PTIF).The federal government is pro-viding up to 50 per cent offunding for these projects andthe provincial government andmunicipalities will provide thebalance of funding.

This investment is part of anagreement between Canadaand Ontario for the PublicTransit Infrastructure Fund.

“The Government of Canadarecognizes how important ef-

ficient and sustainable transitinfrastructure is in terms ofgetting seniors and those need-ing extra assistance where theyneed to go. Accessibility is animportant issue in northwest-ern Ontario and I’m verypleased to see how this fund-ing program will benefit theFort Frances area through theproject we’re celebratingtoday.”

--Don Rusnak, MP Thunder

Bay—Rainy River “The federal investment will

help us to meet our ongoingcommitment to enhance transitservices, and allow us to meetthe accessibility and mobilityneeds of our community withthe replacement of one Handi-van bus.”

— The Honourable BillMauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan

Page 5, The Westend Weekly, February 15, 2017

NOTICE OF FILINGTRANSPORTATION ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY REPORT

Baudette/Rainy River International Bridge ReplacementHighway 11, Town of Rainy River

THE STUDY

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, has retained Stantec Consulting Ltd. to undertake the Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) Study for the replacement of the Baudette/Rainy River International Bridge on Highway 11 in the Town of Rainy River. A Recommended Plan has been proposed for this study and is documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) that is now available for public review. The Recommended Plan includes a new replacement bridge to be located directly south (upstream) of the existing Baudette/Rainy River Bridge that will tie into the existing U.S. and Canadian Port of Entry facilities.

THE PROCESS

This study is a Group ‘B’ project under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000). Opportunities for public input were provided throughout the study, including three Public Meetings.

PUBLIC REVIEW

The TESR is available for public review from February 21, 2017 - March 23, 2017 at the following locations:

Ministry of the Environment and Climate ChangeThunder Bay District Offi ce435 James Street South, Suite 331BThunder Bay, ON Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Rainy River Public Library334 4th Street, Rainy River, ONTuesday and Thursday: 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Town of Rainy RiverClerk’s Office201 Atwood Ave., Rainy River, ONMonday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The report is also available on the project website at www.dot.state.mn.us/d2/projects/baudette-bridge.

The Baudette/Rainy River International Bridge Replacement Project is a Designated Project under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency will determine whether a federal environmental assessment is required for the project. As part of the determination, a public comment period will be held. More information will be posted on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Registry Internet Site at http://www.ceaa.gc.ca/050/index-eng.cfm.

The TESR will be available for a 30-day review period ending Thursday, March 23, 2017. If after consulting with ministry staff and consultants, you have serious unresolved concerns, you have the right to request a Part II Order (bump-up) from the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change (77 Wellesley Street West, 11th Floor, Ferguson Block, Toronto ON M7A 2T5). A ‘bump-up’ may lead to the preparation of an Individual Environmental Assessment. A copy of your request should also be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation at the address below. If no requests are received by Thursday, March 23, 2017, the project will be considered to have met the requirements of the Class EA and will proceed to Detail Design.

COMMENTS

If you have any comments or concerns, or require additional information, please contact one of the individuals listed below by Thursday, March 23, 2017:

Tim Belliveau, P.Eng.Consultant Project ManagerStantec Consulting Ltd.200-835 Paramount Drive, Stoney Creek, ON L8J 0B4tel: 905-381-3224call collect: 905-385-3234fax: 905-385-3534e-mail: tim.belliveau@stantec.com

Kevin Saunders MTO Senior Project ManagerMinistry of Transportation - Northwestern Region615 James Street South, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 6P6tel: 807-473-2109toll free: 1-800-465-5034fax: 807-473-2168e-mail: kevin.saunders@ontario.ca

If you have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in the project, please contact one of the Project Team members listed above. Comments and information are being collected to assist MTO in meeting the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All comments will be maintained on fi le for use during the study and, with the exception of personal information, may be included in study documentation and become part of the public record.

At Causeway we believethat insurance is not acommodity but rather afinancial protection toolfor an individual, familyor business.As a Causeway customer,there are many protectivemeasures you can take toavoid incidents andaccidents. These include...

•Making sure your roof iscleared of heavy snow.

•Making sure all walkways anddriveways are cleared andsalted to prevent falls.

•Replacing the rubber hoselines on your washingmachines, sinks, toilets anddishwashers. Our experienceis rubber hoses often fail,causing water damage.

•While you enjoy a wintervacation have someone checkyour home every 24 hours.Consider shutting off yourwater if you are away forextended periods.

•Checking your smoke andCO2 detectors regularly.

Protecting your homeis more than

just locking the door.

Causeway Insurance, right there with you, offering advice, and providing insurance thatmatches your needs now and in the future.

www.causewayinsurance.com229 Scott St., Fort Frances 274-6688303 Fifth St., Rainy River 852-4237Serving the District Since 1996!

Home * Auto * Commercial * Trucking * Farm

That time I finished the Arrowhead Ultra Marathon* Part 2

by Melissa Friesen*As a spectator.Continued from last week.Ashley doesn't share my en-

thusiasm at Marcus's presence,knowing he will not allow herto quit so easily. He says asmuch, refusing to listen to herpleas of exhaustion andheartache. Even her mention oftears does nothing. He is a wall,blockading her from self-resig-nation. Whatever hope ofsoftly coaxing her into finishinghas been left out on the lake, orswallowed nervously by me.The two argue like the marriedcouple they are while I lingerseconds behind them on thetrail. The tension builds witheach step until he draws a linehe hopes she won't cross. "I'mnot driving you back if you quitnow!" "Fine! I'll take a cab,"she declares before unhookingher sled and climbing the stepsinto the cabin. Marcus and I areleft outside, both a little unsureof what to do. I'm out of mydepth here, very much in a for-eign place, feeling awkward atbest, but I follow Marcus up thesteps. Ashley is already in theloft trying to sleep. We headback to the lodge to grab break-fast and await her decision.Marcus can barely sit in achair, his muscles are so sorefrom the previous day. He washere as a racer just 18 hours be-fore - staying for a total of oneminute. Now, he's in a differentrole and as fast as he is, he'sforced to wait and mumblessomething about wanting aburger. It's 8 am. He hasn'ttaken a sip from his new cup ofcoffee before a volunteer rushesin, "Your wife is looking foryou." Those words are enoughto force his legs to move - fast- as he runs back to the cabin. Ipour his coffee in a takeout cupand follow, but I stay outside.Spectators aren't technicallysupposed to be inside so I holdhis coffee in my hand and walklaps in front of the building,watching the slow and steadywaves of racers come and go. Idare not mention - or even think- that I am cold when I see thefaces of forlorn and fatiguedhumans trudge up the stairs.With each racer who packs upand starts towing their sled be-hind them, my heart sinks forAshley. I start to fear she isfalling behind. I start to wonderhow long I will be out here withthis coffee cup.

I see John again. He is simul-taneously optimistic and drearyafter two and a half hours in thecabin. He laments the comingnight, although it's 10 hoursaway still, knowing the temper-atures are supposed to dropsignificantly. But then he sees asix-point snowflake on his scarfand asks me to hold it while hetakes a picture. Several picturesactually. He's elated, feelslucky. I wish for more six-pointsnowflakes on his trek beforehe disappears up the trail. I pinan LED light to someone andencourage racers to have agood day, a fun time, and fi-nally - "Boa sorte," the Por-tuguese greeting I didn't havethe chance to say the night be-fore.

After prodding volunteersabout Ashley's condition, I'minvited into the cabin. She is sit-ting upright, taping her blisters,and laughing. I sheepishly handMarcus his now cold coffee andfind a spot on the couch. Rac-ers are sprawled out (sleeping,eating, mostly contemplatingwith dead pan stares) in themain room of the cabin. I try tomake myself unseen as I'mafraid someone will find thefact that I've just driven here ina heated car offensive and beasked to leave. It's nice inside.Grilled cheese sandwiches andsoup are delivered on demandfor racers, the table is spreadwith snacks, extra gear stocksthe shelves, and the heat hasthis place feeling way too cozyto leave. But I watch Ashleypull on her snow pants and col-lect her supplies anyway."You're amazing," I tell her."I'm stupid," she retorts, andgives her husband the side eye.Marcus throws snack mix intohis mouth and appears aloof,but I know better. I do my bestto gather the corners of this mo-ment into my mind and fold itlike an heirloom blanket to bestored away. It's very special.She will continue on because ofhim, because he saw in hersomething she couldn't recog-nize after a sleepless night andweak legs and endless argu-ments with the Negative Nancyin her mind.

She can finish. But it won't beeasy.

"The next 40 miles are sotough, just awful," Marcuspoints to the hills she will haveto climb once we're in his vehi-cle and she is out of sight. Myeyes gape like saucers as I lookpast the windshield. What havewe done. I attempt to relievemyself of worries that this - thatMarcus - might be actuallysadistic. I remind myself this issomething she wants, eventhough she explicitly told usshe did not want to be out there.Moments ago my heart was fullof hope, their display of loveand trust performed a kind ofmiracle. Now I am sure wehave sent her into impendingdoom. I eat my breakfastglumly, nothing quite feelingright in my stomach, and nearlyfall asleep at the wheel on thedrive home. In the afternoon, Isneak in a fast nap before re-turning to my work. When thedot on the map stands still for along time, I text Marcus and tryto cope - aka eat everything insight with a sudden ravenousappetite - before he responds."Maybe she's sleeping." I surehope so.

I decide to go to bed ?at 8 pmthat night, setting my firstalarm for midnight and assum-ing she might arrive at SkiPulk, her third and final check-point, around 3, then 4, then 6in the morning. According toher pace she is barely making itover these hills and I walk thesteps with her in my mind untilI give up. I keep setting myalarm for later, knowing I haveto factor in driving time fromFort Frances. Twenty fourhours pass before she finishesthe 40 miles, but I arrive too

late to witness it. The GPS lo-cation point is wrong and I onlydescend to the trail when she isalready 2 miles past me. This isgood news and Marcus assuresme she was in good spirits. Hedid not send her into the wild todie, but to flourish after all. Thehour and a half drive backhome is long but no less satis-fying. She's going to finish, Itell myself over and over again,sometimes as a question, some-times as a statement. I'm sur-prised at her longevity, giventhe kind of night she must havehad, but I want to believe she'smade it over the hump, just asthe course finally begins tolevel itself out.

From then on I monitor herspeed religiously as anythingless than a quick walking pacewill stretch her past the cut offtime. I humour myself by lis-tening to girl power anthems onrepeat for hours. Strangelyenough, it seems to help. ?At3:30 pm?, I cross the border forthe 7th time in 4 days. I will notbe late this time. I want to seewith my own eyes what it lookslike to do the impossible. I ar-rive at Fortune Bay Casino andgaze across the parking lot. Isee no one. No sign. I have noidea where the finish line is. Ihurry inside and ask the staff inthe casino. They give me blankstares. I ask the receptionist atthe hotel. He looks confusedbut it finally registers in hismind. He points for me to walkoutside and around the build-ing. I turn to exit and see Johna final time - flopped on a lobby

chair with his mouth hangingopen in deep slumber. I want tocongratulate him, but know thatwaking him would be the worstway to do it.

Once I walk around the entirebuilding, up the hill, and almostdown the road (bad directions),I find the finish line beaconed bya fire. The racers must crest onefinal hill before their test is over.How ruthless, I think. Thescene is understated, not likeraces for the masses which endin confetti and colour blasts andloud music and dance parties.This after all, is not a race for themasses.A single 'FINISH' flagstands upright as the volunteersbegin to dismantle their heatedtent. Ashley is the last one we'rewaiting for. The snowmobilerstell us she is near and I look upat a Marcus and grin. He wantsto know how Facebook Liveworks, wants to capture the mo-ment for all his friends and fam-ily. After 58 and a half hours ofbattling the elements, the pain,and hardest of all - her ownmind - she appears in sight. Wegasp and she briefly stops totake it all in, the blinking of herLEDs marking the seconds. Weare a welcome sight for soreeyes which have seen nothingbut snow, trees, and the odd hal-lucination for the past fewhours. Then she runs. She runsthe final 100 metres towards thefinish line, toward the cheer ofsupporters, the love of her life,and a new definition of whatshe's capable of. It's at that veryline she collapses, having given

everything she could have.I want to cry but I cannot. I am

dumbfounded. I laugh. I feelundone and privileged and ex-tremely humbled. She gets upoff the ground and I follow herto the hospitality room whereshe receives the admiration offellow racers and eventually, thecoveted Arrowhead award.There is no media present andthe room is small, much smallerthan I expected. Everyone min-gles like family. I feel unworthyto be in the room with these peo-ple, but I stay anyway and takeit all in. I want to put these peo-ple in a box, on a pedestal sobadly. I want to call them ultrarunners, ultra humans, and bedone with it. But that wouldconfine them to one dimension,when their lives are so muchmore vivid and colourful andhard. Their legacies will bemuch more than this. They havenames and histories that theirbib numbers cannot communi-cate. They have faults and fearsthat this finish won't fix. Evenan Arrowhead trophy can't do allthat. But it will have proved thatthey can live, even briefly, be-yond the storehouses of theirsouls. It will be a testament thatthey have the capacity to befully awake and prepared whenthose fears inevitably comeback. They'd rather suffer fail-ure, muscle spasms, mind tricks,and Trench foot than suffer com-placency. "Running is just themedium," Ashley told me nearly

a year ago. I believe her now.She wants to be okay with whoshe is - me too.

As much as this journey isabout solitude, likely no one hasgotten to this place alone. I chatwith wives and mothers of com-petitors, and hear how theirhearts have ached like mine butmuch more so, and can now fi-nally rest. They tell me howthey've driven miles, co-trained,and left their own children be-hind. They tell me how theycome every single year. Then Ithink of the competitors whoband together and become team-mates, moving each other for-ward, if just for a few hours, afew hills. I think of ScottHoberg's wife who allows himto train, compete, and spendweekends away building a newkick sled while she takes care oftheir children. I think of all thevolunteers, at gear checks, andcheckpoints and on snowmo-biles, who wouldn't want to beanywhere else in the world. Ithink of Marcus, who didn't cryfor his own finish, but for hiswife's. I think of the tenacityand sacrifice it takes to cham-pion our friends to their personalsuccesses and it is no small feat.It is heart-wrenching and frus-trating and completely reward-ing. Feelings of powerlessnessgive way to unadulterated pride.If living life on the sidelinesmeans upholding the peopleyou love to do what they love,it's not a bad view.

Mel George's on Elephant is the halfway point and the placewhere racers come to rest, eat grilled cheese sandwiches, andsadly, do not finish. But the ones who can pull themselvesfrom the cozy confines (or avoid them completely), often goon to finish the race.

Ashley makes it to Ski Pulk before 8 am on Wednesday,finds a chair in the heated tent, and seizes the opportunity totake a little snooze.

After 58.5 hours in northern Minnesota wilderness, she sur-vives - and finishes! Thirty-six hours beforehand, she onlyknew it as an impossibility. In this moment, impossible getsredefined. Pictures of Ashley taken by her husband, MarcusBerggren.

Page 6, The Westend Weekly, February 15, 2017

Help Shape the Future of Healthcare

Join us as a volunteer member of our Board of Directors

Do you want to make a difference to health care in your community? Riverside Health Care (RHC) welcomes applications from community members from across the Rainy River District for the Board of Directors. RHC’s Board Members provide leadership and direction to the organization while overseeing key aspects of performance. We seek applications from people who have an interest in RHC and live in the Rainy River District. For more information and to complete an application form, please visit our website at www.riversidehealthcare.ca. You may request paper copies of the required forms by calling Brooke Booth at 807-274-4825 and submit the required forms by e-mail to riverside@rhcf.on.ca, by fax to 807-274-2898 or by regular mail to 110 Victoria Avenue, Fort Frances, ON P9A 2B7.

If you have any questions, please call us at 807-274-4825.

The deadline is Friday, May 15, 2017.

We thank all applicants for their interest in serving Riverside Health Care.

Wednesday, Feb. 226 to 8 pm

The Emo Inn, Emo

Wednesday, Mar. 29Rainy River

Please Join UsFor Community Updates about Riverside

Foundation for Health Care

As a Founation, our mission is raising funds for theimprovement of health care services throughout the RainyRiver District. Although many of you know of the Foundation,it's an opportunity for all of us to come together to learn moreabout our mandate, what we've done in the past, and whatwe're considering for future fundraising.

As District residents your volunteer and financial support hasmeant everything to us in the past, and your thoughts andideas will be instrumental in guiding us into the future. TheCommunity Update meetings will open the floor to yourobservations, what we've done well, and more importantlywhat we need to improve on.

Please Join us for coffee and conversation in Rainy River,Emo or Fort Frances.

Fort Frances:Monday Feb. 20, 2017

Fort Frances LibraryShaw Room

1 p.m. to 3 p.m.Light refreshment offered.

Emo:Wednesday Feb. 22, 2017

Royal Canadian Legion6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Light refreshment offered.

Rainy River:Thursday Feb. 23, 2017

Senior Centre6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Light refreshemt offered.

Fort Frances Chamber hosts 21st Annual Business Awards

by Melissa FriesenIt's not very often that you

can steal business ownersaway from their storefrontsand back offices. It's even lesslikely that you'll find a groupof them together, minglingnicely. But imagine this: someof Fort Frances' hardest work-ing entrepreneurs coming to-gether to honour each other.This is the tradition of the FortFrances Chamber of Com-merce Business Awards. Thenominees are recognized, the

award recipients are ap-plauded, but everyone who sitsat the table is appreciated.They are part of the collectivegroup of dreamers and doersthat make this community alittle more vibrant and excit-ing. Whatever competitionthey might feel in the realworld, within the confines ofCopper River Inn's conferenceroom last Thursday, all victo-ries were worth celebrating.

The nominees represented awide spectrum of industries,

from real estate to restaurants,retail to rental equipment. Butat the Awards, it's all an equalplaying field. "Last nighteveryone came together inpure friendship and cama-raderie. They were ecstatic tobe nominated, but they weregenuinely happy for whoeverwon," said Jennifer Soder-holm, Fort Frances Chamberof Commerce's Executive Di-rector. It's the kind of atmos-phere that the Chamber hopesfor when they host these kindsof events - one that breeds net-working and future businessendeavours and partnerships.

Although the conferenceroom can only hold so manypeople, the community as awhole participated in a bigway. Friends and family andclients of nominees wereasked to cast their vote (multi-ple times preferably!) duringthe weeks of voting. The on-line voting system tracked ap-proximately 3,000 votes for allnominees.

The night ended with a per-formance by Robin Chestnut,Canada's premier comedicjuggler. "He was so funny, hekept everyone in stitches theentire night," Jennifer tells mebefore describing some of hisstunts. "He was on a unicycleand almost hitting his head onthe cycle while juggling. Itwas incredible!" She laughs.There was also a silent auctionfeaturing "generous gifts froma lot of big name businesses,"Jennifer gushed. One of theitems was a round trip flightfrom Fort Frances to ThunderBay, courtesy of Bearskin Air-lines - not exactly cheap.

When it comes to the Cham-ber awards, they don't skimp.Another example of such fromthe night was the elaboratedinner fare. "The meal wasfantastic. The Copper Riverwent over and above our ex-pectations," says Jennifer. Aslow roasted peppercorn en-crusted Angus Reserve StripLoin with a brandy and merlotdemi glaze certainly satisfieda lot of appetites. "They were

Business of the Year: The Business of the Year Award wassponsored by 93.1 The Border and presented by radio emceeJonathan Price. The award was won by Carl's Eatery.

Small Business Trainer of the Year: Josephine Belluz of Bel-luz Concrete & Rentals accepts her award for Small Busi-ness Trainer of the Year with a standing ovation from herfellow entrepreneurs.

Business Woman of the Year: Jennifer Horton of CurvyChick, a woman's clothing and lingerie boutique, presentedon behalf of Professional Women's Network.

Home Based Business: The Home Based Business Award,sponsored by M.L. Caron Electric, was received by IngaFriesen of Merge2, a visual marketing design service.

Customer Service Award - Individual: The Customer Serv-ice Award for Individuals was sponsored by Good Impres-sions Printing and received by Neila Booth of NorthwoodsGallery & Gifts. The Customer Service Award for Business,sponsored by The Westend Weekly was awarded to Carl'sEatery - for the second year in a row!

Volunteer of the Year: The Tony Beyak Memorial Volunteerof the Year Award, sponsored by TD Canada Trust, wasgiven to John Homer.

Entrepreneur of the Year: For the first time ever, there was atie for 1st place in a category. The winners of Rainy RiverFuture Development's Entrepreneur of the Year Award wentto Doug Cuthbertson of Northwoods Gallery & Gifts (left),and Doug Cridland of Flint House.

Employee of the Year: The Employee of the Year wasawarded to Caitlyn Morrison of Carl's Eatery on behalf ofRBC Royal Bank.

almost hanging over the plate!They were huge!" Pair thatwith herb roasted baby pota-toes, cucumber salad, butternutsquash bisque, and a tuxedotruffle mousse and maybe itgets a little harder to tell thewinners from the losers.Whether attendees walkedhome with new hardware ornot, the Chamber worked hardto program and plan a night

that everyone would enjoy. In lieu of speeches from the

award winners, here are somewords from Jennifer on behalfof the Chamber of Commerce."We want to thank everyonewho had a hand in making thisevent such a success. From ourmany sponsors who were eagerto be partners with us for thatevening to the events and proj-ects committee who put inmany hours organizing andplanning to the Copper RiverInn who provided us with afabulous meal and venue -we

can't thank you enough. Toeveryone that was nominated,whether they won or not, wejust want to say 'Congratula-tions' and 'Well done.' Ourcommunity recognizes yourdedication and hard work. Wewant to thank everyone whotook the time to nominate andvote and who came out to helpus honour the achievements ofsuccessful, local business peo-ple and the contributions theymake to the growth and pros-perity of the Rainy River dis-trict."