Moose FM CKLP 103.3 - Parry Sound

The Parry Sound district community is behind the Almaguin Highlands Secondary School Food Bank.  The food bank is an integral part of the school and wouldn't be possible without the support of staff and the greater Almaguin Highlands community.  Through the years, the community and the staff have supported the food bank through fundraisers and spirit days and most recently, a cheque for $5,000 was received from the District of Parry Sound Social Services Administration Board in addition to donations from the Chaos Womens' Hockey Team and local businesses.  The food bank is available for students in the school who need lunches and healthy snacks.  Students are also able to take food home to their families for meals.

The OPP is clarifying what constitutes an e-bike after a man was arrested for drinking and driving.  E-bikes with pedals are considered a bicycle by the Highway Traffic Act, but once the pedals are removed, they become a motor vehicle.  As a motor vehicle the driver must have a driver's license and the e-bike is also required to be registered and insured.  And because it's a motor vehicle, you can't operate them under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  This information comes after OPP arrested a man in North Bay for driving a pedal-less scooter with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. 

The water levels in Georgian Bay are down slightly from this time last year.  That is causing concern for people who own property on the bay who cannot use their docks and marinas, who some are already thinking they'll have to dredge to continue to operate.  Executive Director of the Georgian Bay Association Bob Duncanson says it is healthy for water levels to fluctuate but a trend is beginning.

Duncanson says that should trigger some alarms and public meetings are being held over the summer by the International Joint Commission who are reviewing the recent study by the Upper Great Lakes Study Board.  He says that report basically told governments to do nothing about the declining water levels of Georgian Bay.  For further information on the report and when the meeting will be held, go to www.georgianbay.ca.

Town of Parry Sound council will try to spend a little to save a lot.  Because of the rising cost of Provincial Police services, a group of Mayors and staff from various municipalities have set up a coalition for affordable sustainable accountable policing who will meet to discuss ways to lower the cost of policing to Municipalities.  Councillor Dan McCauley was at the recent Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities conference where he was speaking with councillors from a municipality just north of Parry Sound of similar size who emply community police services. 

Council has agreed to donate $1000 to the Mayor's Coalition in hopes of finding ways to lower municipal costs for policing.