Statisticians in Ottawa released a national head count last week, the first set of results in a series collected through the 2011 census.

On May 10, 2011 over 33.4 million people were counted which Statistics Canada says was twice as many people as in 1961 and 10 times as many as in the 1861 Census.

“Between 2006 and 2011, Canada’s population grew by 5.9 per cent, up slightly from the previous intercensal period (2001-2006), when it grew by 5.4 per cent,” said the department’s website upon the release of the data. “Canada’s population growth between 2006 and 2011 was the highest among G8 countries…Every province and most territories saw its population increase between 2006 and 2011.” The Northwest Territories was the only region in the country that saw a drop in population, as there was a two person difference in the 2011 and 2006 population counts.

Almost 13 million people live in the province of Ontario which is a 5.7 per cent population change over the previous five years, lowest change in population since the 1980s and even closer to home 57,607 residents were counted in the Kenora district representing a 10 per cent population decrease over the previous reporting period. With provinces like British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba experiencing strong population growths a trend evident in the 2006 census has continued which is many Canadians are choosing to move west.

In the Red Lake district despite continued economic prosperity the Municipality is 160 people smaller in 2011 than in 2006 when the population registered 4,526 charting a 3.5 per cent population change. In 2006 the district marked almost a seven per cent increase in population growth over 2001.

Mayor Phil Vinet summed up the number last week as the equivalent of two full plane loads and noted although the statistics indicate a decrease the news is not all bad. “I think we have done extremely well if I look at what is happening in the region and what is happening in the north Red Lake has fared quite well. The Kenora district went down over 10 per cent. We went down over three per cent so regionally speaking we sustained the least amount of loss.” Vinet says the data is indicative of a natural population shift from the north and in other data is reflective of all age groups and cautions those looking at the numbers in isolation as they may not tell the whole story. “Because the transients are here on a day to day basis we probably haven’t experienced a population drop but it is highly unlikely that the transient workforce would have been included in our Census because they would be included in their primary residence census.”

Central statistics on the number of transient workers in the district at any given time do not exist, however, last September Community Relations Liaison Mark Vermette reported the region’s largest employer, Goldcorp Red Lake Gold Mines, had 734 of their 933 full time staff categorized as local which is living permanently in the Red Lake District. Of the 200 which were considered non- permanent residents 161 were living in the Balmer Complex. In the same period of time the employer had 34 temporary workers and 50 summer students in 2011. At any given time 60 contracting or consulting companies can be working for the local operation on site specific projects such as the Cochenour Mine refabrication. Over 200 contract employees are living at the Balmer Complex.

The Ontario Provincial Police are cracking down on distracted drivers. Texting and chatting while driving (unless hands-free) is illegal and can run you a fine of $155 yet the provincial police force is still having a difficult time with enforcement. Estimations suggest that up to 40 per cent of drivers are continuing to use handheld devices while in control of a vehicle and despite the fact that a vast majority of accidents can be tied to this illegal and dangerous practice, it seems that people just aren’t putting two and two together.

It’s bad enough when you see people bumbling all over the sidewalk while trying to walk and text, bumping into pillars and garbage cans, embarrassingly tripping over curbs and sidewalks. Place these people at the helm of a vehicle and you’re literally arming them with a loaded weapon because here’s the thing: texting and talking when driving is a distraction that increases the likelihood of highway fatalities. A little over a month into 2012, eight people have already died in Ontario this year as a result of distraction-related collisions and that number will only move in one direction: up.

According to Manitoba Public Insurance, which polled 800 Manitobans during November and December of 2011 to determine their unsafe driving practices, younger adults are less likely to find the practice of texting and driving dangerous and the single most popular use for the devices while driving is touching base with family and friends. Ontario’s statistics are likely similar which, from my perspective anyway, begs a pretty significant question: what needs to be said that is so important it can’t wait until you reach your destination or doesn’t warrant pulling over?

It especially worries me that younger drivers approach the issue with such indifference. Not to paint all young adults with the same brush but if the 16-22 year olds are the ones most often texting or using their hand-held devices while driving, I have some major concerns. These are our least experienced drivers. That doesn’t mean we don’t have some awesome and fully alert young drivers out there—I’m not saying that at all—but rather that we have a large chunk of new-to-the-road warriors who are over confident in their ability to focus on the task at hand while also texting their buddy about party plans, chatting to their best friend in the passenger seat and passing sunglasses, music options and bubble gum to the four other passengers crammed into the back seat.

Being in control of a vehicle is serious business and the potential to cause damage is so great. Bad weather, questionable road conditions and active wildlife already complicate the task for us Northern Ontario drivers so why make things more difficult? Put down the phone and just drive.

It was a “hometown throwdown” last spring on the movie set of the recently premiered romantic comedy A Little Bit Zombie (ALBZ) as two former classmates from Red Lake District High School met up for the first time professionally.

Shot in Sudbury during summer 2011, the making of the new film marked the first time photographer and Assistant Art Director Harriet Carlson and actor Kristen Hager have worked on the same project, however Carlson says it was only a matter of time.

“The film world is pretty small, so I assumed we’d cross paths sooner or later,” Carlson noted when discussing the project last year. The designer has spent the last three years working in the art department of Cart Blanche Films out of Ottawa. Hager has been racking up film credits across North America for projects such as Leslie: My Name is Evil, Sorority Wars and Ties that Bind and is currently co-starring in an FX series Being Human.

“It was great to have a hometown throwdown,” said Carlson of the experience. “We talked about high school, families and friends…and how we were both looking forward to getting home. The producers figured Kristen would be ‘fine with all the mosquitos’ since she was from Red Lake. I wasn’t sure that’d be true. The bugs at Kukagami (outside Sudbury, where we shot) were way worse than what we are treated to here in Red Lake.”

ALBZ made its world premiere at the Victoria Film Festival in British Columbia on February 4th. While promoting the project Canadian Director Casey Walker said the film was partially funded through the website mymilliondollarmovie.com, which raised $85,000, and contributions from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund for shooting in Sudbury, Ontario.

“Casey was building the crew with as many northern Ontario people as possible. He hired the production designer, Peter Mihaichuk and Peter built his art team from there, hiring me,” said Carlson of how she became involved in the project. “As part of the art department Carlson says her role was to assist with all set and props including brainstorming, building, sourcing, searching, buying, and setting up and taking down sets.”

Talking to the Northern Sun News as the film went into post production Walker said the crew would be doing their best to bring a screening to the district in the future. When asked what his impressions were of the two local girls Walker exclaimed “Kristen and Harriet are AWESOME! I had so much fun collaborating with them and can’t wait to do it again!”

With the film completed and about to air in small, independent theatres across the country Carlson and Hager both continue to pursue their careers in the arts industry. Carlson’s project Red Lake: An Exhibition featuring a collection of photographs inspired by the district is set to open at the Art Gallery of Sudbury on March 8th and she is currently working on Season two of Les Bleus de Ramville for TFO and is scheduled to be assistant art director on a crime/drama film River of Lies next fall.

Members of the GLC Eco-Team celebrate National Sweater Day on February 13th. Students wore sweaters and hoodies to class to stay warm as the heat was turned down in classrooms in honour of keeping the planet cool. Used sweaters were also collected and donated to local agencies. During the lunch breaks students sold hot chocolate (captured) to raise over $80 for the Canadian Wildlife Federation with the help of Goldcorp Red Lake Gold Mines. Photo by Lisa Dumontier.

It was not a drill last week when staff at the Red Lake District High School (RLDHS) were told to activate a “hold and secure” report school administrators. Acting Principal Sandra Martone confirmed last Thursday that on February 8, 2012 the local high school administration activated the emergency response procedure due to a “potential threat of dangerous activity.”

“[On Wednesday] we had a report from a credible source that we had an issue with a threat to a student by another person in the community so there was concern for safety of whether or not that person would try to enter the building. We spoke to the police and reviewed with them what we wanted to do,” said Martone who also noted consultations were undertaken with the Board Superintendent and the Safe Schools Coordinator, who were in the community on other business. Teachers and administrative staff were notified through the email system that the protocol was being put into action around noon on that day.

Describing a “hold and secure” Martone says staff are tasked with ensuring that all doors are locked and secured and front door access to the building is monitored and recorded. “Staff were advised that they were to reduce student movement during class time and students weren’t to leave the building. When we got to break – this started at 12 noon – and afternoon classes, students were allowed to leave the building and if they were done for the day they were free to leave. If [students] wanted to go out for a smoke they were free to go but the instruction was they had to go in and out the front door only.” Within the building it was business as usual for students who attended classes, played court sports and participated in extracurricular activities. Additional staff were put on bus duty to ensure all students made it off school property.

Martone reports the protocol was lifted the next morning in consultation with police who noted at that time they had the individual in question in custody.

The Keewatin Patricia School Board’s emergency response protocols are consistent across the region and include instructions for a number of situations. According to Board documents, a Hold and Secure is used when “a potential threat of dangerous activity or individuals in area of school, or crime in progress” which is different than a lockdown which is for situations where immediate danger is present. Students are held in the nearest secure area and other procedural steps are taken such as locking doors, covering windows and turning out lights. In both situations attendance is taken and all electronic devices are to be turned off.

Martone says the procedures are practiced regularly and the last time a full lockdown was instituted was May 2006 and in the days immediately following the recent incident parents were notified that the protocol was used and that the threat was not in the school.

Local firefighters have been kept busy in recent weeks donning equipment and trucking water to combat three residential fires which destroyed two homes and resulted in one fatality. Hoping to prevent similar tragedies in the future, Municipal Fire Chief Walter Scarrow is reminding local residents to check smoke alarms, keep chimneys clean and to have an escape plan prepared and practiced to help ensure survival in a fire.

“We have had a number of calls in recent weeks that have required response from Municipal Fire Departments,” said Scarrow. “Precautions like keeping smoke detectors up to date with working batteries, making certain chimneys and woodstoves are properly up kept and ensuring that everyone in your household knows how to react during a fire will go a long way in keeping your family safe.”

There are more than 12,000 fires in Ontario on an annual basis. Although the number of fatalities generally falls below 100, people are dying as a result of fires and according to the provincial Fire Safety Council, steps need to be taken to bring this number down. “Anyone who has lived through a fire will tell you what a terrifying experience it is,” notes the Council. “Unfortunately, many people who experience fire never get a chance to tell their story—to warn others of the dangers of fire.”

Of utmost importance says the Fire Safety Council is making sure your home is equipped with smoke detectors and that they are in working condition. “Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep,” confirms the Council. “Often, victims never wake up. A working smoke alarm will detect smoke and sound an alarm to alert you, giving you precious time to escape.”

Another important step: establishing an emergency escape plan for your home and practicing the route with your family so that everyone knows what to do and where to go in case of fire. To create a fire escape plan, the Council recommends that families draw a floor plan of their home including all possible exists (doors and windows) and then mark two practical and useable escape routes from each room of the residence. Remembering that some people may need help to escape is also a good idea when thinking ahead as it will allow for the designation—in advance—of who will assist the very young, elderly or physically challenged members of the household flea if there is ever a real emergency.

“Make sure everyone is familiar with the home escape plan,” cautions the Fire Safety Council. “Go over the entire plan with everyone. Discuss primary and secondary escape routes from each bedroom. Ensure that all children know the plan. Walk through the escape routes for each room with the entire family and use this walk-through exercise to check your escape routes, making sure all exists are practical and easy to use.”

Echoing the Fire Safety Council’s call for families to develop emergency escape plans, Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal is also adding to the fire prevention conversation reminding the public that while it’s natural to want to stay warm on long winter nights and that space heaters are known to throw a lot of heat, the portable heating devices can be a hazard if improperly used and it’s important to remember to stay safe while staying warm. As relayed by the provincial agency, families who choose to subsidise their heat with space heaters should follow a number of space heater safety tips. These include:
• Only purchasing or using electric space heaters that have been certified by a recognised regulatory body such as the Canadian Standards Association (CSA);
• Never leaving an operating space heater unattended and always turning off space heaters before leaving the room;
• Supervising children and pets at all times when a portable space heater is in use;
• Using proper fuel in kerosene space heaters and making sure that any space heater that burns fuel is approved for indoor use;
• Keeping all flammable items such as blankets or clothing at least one metre from space heaters; and
• Never using an electrical space heater in a wet area or any area that may be exposed to water.

The Office of the Fire Marshall is also reminding the public that as specified in the Ontario Fire Code, homeowners are required to maintain their heating appliances in safe operating condition which includes inspecting chimneys at least once every year. Warning signs of a chimney problem include corrosion or rust on the outer shell of a metal chimney, bulges or corrosion of the liner, loose bricks, crumbling mortar, dark stains or white powder and should be attended to by a qualified contractor or mason.

Red Lake Madsen Public School students spent part of their day on February 3rd at Skookum Bay learning about trapping and getting rides around the lake. Participating in the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre’s annual Dog Sled event students took turns getting rides from Burt Penner and the dog sled team and enjoyed a learning lunch provided by Friendship Centre staff. The event was open to the public on the following morning.

Credit: Jennifer Thurbide

The local Green Committee says after a successful event in 2011, the Red Lake Earth Festival will return this spring. Scheduling this year’s festival on April 28, 2012 to coincide with the 2nd annual Leap in the Lake for Climate Action, organizers say interest in the event is continually growing.

“I anticipate a lot of the same booths coming back,” says Green Committee member Donna Christofferson. “I know a lot of people have expressed interest in that and of course with the rain barrel truckload sale, that will add new dimension to the festival.”

The featured sale notes Christofferson is another fundraiser for the Red Lake Local Food Initiative as well as to support local environmental education programs and according to the website www.rainbarrel.ca/redlake the company is taking orders for the water catchers which will be available for pick up during the Earth Festival. Rain barrels capture and store rain water collected from roofs through downspouts. They provide chlorine-free and fluoride-free water which is ideal for flowers, vegetables, lawns, shrubs and trees. Rain barrels divert clean water from sewer systems and can provide cost savings for homeowners who currently pay to have water trucked in or who have a water meter installed. Each barrel includes a leaf and mosquito filter basket, an overflow adaptor that permits multiple barrel hook-ups and hose variations.

“These environmentally friendly products were once used to import fruits and vegetables and have been refurbished and repurposed to offer years of reliable service as rain barrels,” says Christofferson who notes the spring show will be aimed at recycling, cultivating land and preparing for the summer growing season.

Also returning during the Earth Festival is the 2nd annual Leap in the Lake for Climate Action. In 2011, 20 residents and area visitors made a splash by jumping through a hole cut in the ice on Howey Bay in the name of climate action. The event raised over $1,000 and provided laughs for many onlookers. Christine Penner-Polle, last year’s organizer and one of the jumpers, says again this year she will be encouraging those interested to collect pledges to support the Local Food Initiative and hopes to see some local celebrity jumpers take part in 2012.

“We thought the event last year was so successful that we wanted to do a repeat of it and hopefully get a little head start because last year was planned with just four weeks so now we are rounding up people and this year we figure we would invite some local celebrities to get involved because last year we had the election,” said Polle last week.

The Red Lake Earth Festival will be held during the day at the Red Lake Legion on April 28, 2012. Those interested in being an exhibitor can contact the Red Lake Green Committee at 727-2993 for more information. For LEAP pledge forms contact Christine Penner-Polle at 727-3991.

The Northern Sun News came under fire this week for failing to include the accomplishments of local athletes on its pages. Criticized for only covering events for sports organizations with “close ties” to the newspaper, the writers were also ambushed for asking for submissions and for not following up on leads provided. I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion and while some may agree, I don’t and figured the criticism offered a great opportunity to let Northern Sun News readers in on the magical world of newspaper publication.

Firstly, we have deadlines. Lots of them. We have deadlines for general advertising, deadlines for classifieds, deadlines for submissions and deadlines for stories. And, because we don’t print our paper in a back room of our office here in Red Lake, these deadlines are reached long before our paper ever makes it to a shelf at a store near you. As many are likely unaware, we don’t put our paper together on Tuesday nights or print it on Wednesday mornings. Nope. Believe it or not, our pages are filled and ads and stories accounted for on Mondays when we spend a full eight hours editing and making corrections in the hopes of getting everything right.

That may not happen every week. We understand that spelling mistakes are sometimes missed, information misquoted or Letters to the Editor held over because of a lack of space. We’re certainly not perfect around here but week after week, we continue to do our best to provide as many local happenings as possible to those gracious enough to pick up a newspaper each week and we certainly appreciate your business!

There are four local people working in our office and between the four of us, we try to keep abreast of area happenings as best as possible and make every effort to be at every event held by organizations. Unfortunately this doesn’t always happen. Often we aren’t made aware of events until after the fact, sometimes we have scheduling conflicts and can’t be in two places at once, and other times we have time booked off or life gets in the way and plans are forced to change. In these cases, we will ask for submissions because we recognize that showcasing the accomplishments of community members is important regardless of how that information is obtained and we really do appreciate those who send in photos of events we weren’t available to attend. But to be clear, while appreciated, submissions are never an expectation.

As for not following up on leads; all I can do is assure you that those criticisms aren’t true. You wouldn’t believe how many phone calls I’ve made to various agencies checking up on something that seems ridiculous in an effort to be diligent. Sometimes those phone calls don’t take place three minutes after a “tip” has been received but they do happen and if there is a story to be had, it is developed and subsequently run in our newspaper.

If you’re calling in something on Monday morning or are submitting information that you insist must be run during the current week and not at a later date when more information can be collected and included, you should understand that you may not get the coverage you’re hoping for. A lead received on a Monday, while important, generally doesn’t pan out in time to make the paper because layout has already begun and despite our best efforts, people aren’t always available to comment right when we need them to be. Trust me; I am an expert at phone tag.

The point of all this: some events won’t make our pages and this isn’t because the people that are involved in these events aren’t important or aren’t interesting, it is because we just couldn’t get there. We can’t be everywhere at once and despite the fact that it makes some people feel that they are being asked to do our jobs for free, we will continue to encourage our readers to contribute to our pages by providing photos, event details or by giving us the heads up when something important is about to take place. We are a community newspaper and we are making every effort to serve this entire community.

Letters to the Editor can be submitted to news@thenorthernsun.com

When Executive Director (ED) Kim Harder joined the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre on January 6, 1982 it was an independent agency with three programs and a small building on Legion Road. This year the Centre has been in its current building for 12 years and now administers more than 20 programs for all age groups and community activities including this past weekend’s annual Dog Sled Event.

Last month marked the official anniversary for the now Executive Director who has spent the last 30 years working and guiding the Centre into a community pillar and she says there have been a significant number of changes with the Centre and the Aboriginal community over the last three decades notably the loss of a traditional way of life and in conjunction the change in diet.

“I was just telling a provincial person who works for our children’s program – we have always had a feast at the friendship centre…When I first started we would always have one Tupperware bowl of green salad and then we would have macaroni salad and potato salad at our feast and there would be sometimes that that green salad wouldn’t get eaten. This year at the Christmas feast we ran out of green salad – that is so different. The vegetables have changed, that is a real change in the population.” Also missing from communal meals has been the inclusion of wild meat as “We don’t have very many Aboriginal people that do the trapping and the hunting and the fishing – that has really gone down. That traditional lifestyle has really changed,” notes Harder.

Throughout her career the professional says she has had the opportunity to sit on a number of Boards both locally and provincially citing the Contact North Board of Directors and a Race Relations Panel as examples and continues to advocate for children’s programming. “Currently, I am working with KANEN on children’s programs – for example on that board there is a lady from Moosonee, from Timmins and another from Ottawa – Aboriginal women across the province that are trying to look at Aboriginal programs and those are experiences that are so beneficial.”

And when it comes to her own Board of Directors, including many members who have been a part of the organization for a number of terms, Harder says their leadership and their ability to adapt to needs present in the community has allowed the organization to flourish.

After 30 years, 20 of those years as Executive Director, Harder says she is getting closer to transitioning out of her current responsibilities in favour of spending more time with her grandchildren in Western Canada, however, that doesn’t mean retirement. “I love what I do. I am still energized, I’m still excited, and I still see potential. There is always something we can do better and there is always more that we can do. I still don’t feel like we have reached our pinnacle and I hope I feel like that no matter what I do until I am ready to retire at 75.”