Prescott-Russell, ON

The future of the Farm Tax Rebate program is still up in the air but Francois St-Amour doesn't plan to back down from the province on this "very important issue."

As warden of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell and mayor of The Nation, St-Amour said he was "very disappointed" to see this year's Ontario budget contained no information about the fate of the program.

The Ontario Provincial Police is urging Canadians to lend their support to Bill C-30, also known as the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act.

OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis says Canadians should "separate the rhetoric from the facts" when it comes to the controversial legislation and stop allowing the media to dictate opinion on the bill.

"The bill has been receiving unfair criticism across the nation," said Lewis.

As policing costs continue to soar and local councils feel they have no control over the rising numbers, the Town of Hawkesbury is asking the United Counties of Prescott-Russell to examine the merits of negotiating a regional policing contract with the Ontario Provincial Police.

At the regular meeting of UCPR council on Tuesday, February 21, regional mayors passed a resolution that states "a costing analysis to evaluate costs/benefits of regrouping or coordinating police services will help council to assess if maintaining reasonable costs can be achieved."

The public is being asked to contribute to the development of a Prescott-Russell county-wide cultural mapping plan.

A work team has been established between the united counties, its eight municipalities and the Novita consulting firm to plan and develop a cultural plan for the region.

The plan is expected to focus on the development of a global cultural vision for Prescott-Russell while highlighting the cultural strengths in each of the eight municipalities.

Though the long-gun registry - or the debate surrounding its value to Canadians - met its demise in Parliament earlier this week, federal politicians in the local region continued to exchange blows on the issue right until the very last momemt.

A lengthy debate was held in the House of Commons last Tuesday, February 7, which ended with the Conservatives winning a motion late that evening to limit further discussion to one day at the report stage and two days at the bill's third and final reading.

While most municipalities in the United Counties of Prescott-Russell agree that clear cutting lands should be controlled, regional mayors are not willing to "go to war" with farmers over the controversial practice.

Earlier this summer, the Township of Alfred-Plantagenet put forward a resolution asking the counties to consider introducing new policies for the use and management of forest lands in the counties.

Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MP Pierre Lemieux defended the Conservative government's decision to scrap the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) during a recent debate in the House of Commons.

Lemieux, also the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, said farmers already make marketing decisions for a large majority of their crops and want the same marketing freedom for wheat and barley.

Carole Faubert knows how hard it can be to feed her growing family of five.

When money is scarce, Faubert takes great comfort in knowing she and her husband have managed to stockpile their freezer full of moose, deer and goose meat so that when times are tough, the family doesn't have to worry about not having good food to eat.

"We have a limited income and we've both had hours scaled back at work," she told The Review during an interview last week. "My husband is a hunter and he always has been."

A private group of Catholic parents is worried Ontario's proposed anti-bullying legislation, Bill 13, will force the religious schools their children attend to change fundamental church teachings on homosexual behaviour.

"Our concern is that this anti-bullying legislation is meant to bring a change in the Catholic curriculum," said Teresa Pierre, director of Ontario Catholic Parent Advocates, which wants to see Bill 13 dropped. "We are concerned about the potential erosion of Catholic principles.