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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011

Printed in Canada Volume 118 Number 8

Teen pregnancy rate tops in province

By Zoey Duncan Summer reporter

INSIDE

Although it has been declining for the past decade, the teen pregnancy rate here is double that of the province. Its a problem, said Lee-Ann Nalezyty, an epidemiologist with the local Northwestern Health Unit office. We would like to see the number go down, absolutely. More so from the perspective of wanting to encourage the young girls to complete their education and move forward in their lives, and delay pregnancy until theyre older or finished high school, she

explained. In 2009, the most recent year that numbers were made available, some 57 out of every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in the Kenora and Rainy River districts became pregnant. By contrast, the average teen pregnancy rate provincially was 29 pregnancies per 1,000 females in 2007. Further separating the north of the province from the south, the abortion rate here is just one-third that of the rest of Ontario. Nalezyty said privacy legislation meant she could not release teen pregnancy information specific to Fort Frances. But those who serve on the frontlines say theyre not surprised to hear they work in a

hotbed of teen pregnancy. The pregnancy rates are staggering, said Kerry Zub, Aboriginal prenatal nutrition co-ordinator at the United Native Friendship Centre (UNFC) here. Her program includes prenatal health, teen prenatal classes, and breastfeeding support, as well as recreational, educational, and cultural support for parents. I find [the statistics] a little shocking, maybe its just because I didnt realize it before until I started my job, but I found it a little appalling. Here in town, possible factors behind the higher pregnancy rate are murky at best.

We used to say when we were kids that theres nothing to do around here, Zub admitted. But thats the excuse for everything: for drinking, for drugs. It doesnt seem to be lack of knowledge thats the problem, noted Traci Lockman, co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Healthy Babies program for the UNFC. Lockman visits high-risk parents in their homes to provide support and education. They include teen mothers, those on welfare or in subsidized housing, and those who have quit high school. A huge problem that we have here, whether theyre a teen mom or an older mom, is that I have

very few clients on birth control, Lockman noted. Every visit I go on, I have a birth control briefcase. Its a little dated, but it shows all of the different forms and its just become a joke. If I could figure that one out, wed have solved that problem and theyd all be on birth control, she stressed. Both the UNFC and the health unit facilitate access to various forms of birth control. The health unit operates a clinic at Fort Frances High School on Monday mornings, where students can find a method that works for them. Please see Teen, A5

Town working on strategic plan

Following an all-day session at Sunny Cove Camp last Thursday, a strategic plan outlining Fort Frances councils priorities for the next three-and-a-half years should be ready to be released to the public in the next month or so.

See story on A3

Med school grads eager to start careers

By Heather Latter Staff writer Former Fort Frances residents Ashley Dyson and Marlon Hagerty officially are doctors after graduating from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) in Thunder Bay last month. The pair, now off to complete a five-year residency program in their respective fields, are members of the third graduating class from the school, which first welcomed students in September, 2005. Im very happy, enthused Dyson, who will be training in obstetrics and gynecology at the Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg. Ive been interested in medicine, either human medicine or veterinary science, since I was really young, she noted. So Ive always been thinking about heading in this trajectory. Dyson completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Guelph, thinking shed become at veterinarian, but then decided to switch to human medicine. Hagerty, meanwhile, was pursing a masters degree at the University of Manitoba when he decided to move from science towards medicine. I had a joint class with oncology residents where I was doing cancer research, recalled Hagerty, who is about to begin his residency training in radiation oncology in Halifax. It was part-science and partmedicine, and I realized how interesting medicine was so I changed gears, he reasoned. Both entered the NOSM in 2007 for its four-year undergraduate medical degree. They spent the first two years doing mostly book learning, with a little bit of clinical exposure, and then in their third year spent 30 weeks at a hospital in Northwestern Ontario. Dyson was in Sioux Lookout while Hagerty went to Dryden. I found the third year especially to be a tough year, Hagerty admitted. It was the point we went from theory to practice. Please see Med, A5

NDC branches into food services

The Naicatchewenin Development Corp. (NDC) continues to diversify its business ventures, recently branching out into food services for the mining industry. It is being headed up by director of food services Ryan Parisien, who has 20 years experience in the industry.

Grad congrats
Donna Perrault, post-secondary co-ordinator-instructor with Seven Generations Education Institute, presented Nina Gibson with a feather during the portion of last Thursdays graduation ceremony which recognized all who completed their Ontario Secondary School Diploma through the school this year. Hundreds of family and friends filled the Memorial Sports Centre for the ceremony to celebrate the graduates who earned awards, secondary school diplomas, and postsecondary certificates, diplomas, and degrees. Peggy Revell photo

See story on B1

Three schools to Value of regional undergo review summit questioned

Staff The Rainy River District School Board has given the go-ahead for formal pupil accommodation reviews at Donald Young School in Emo, Sturgeon Creek in Barwick, and Crossroads School in Devlin. The first of the reviews will happen at Donald Young, with the other two schools following one at a time, Director of Education Heather Campbell said after last nights special board meeting that saw trustees approve the reviews as well as the 2011-12 budget. The whole process could take more than three years to completeone year per school. Its just [looking at] the school facility and enrolment needs, [and] impact on the school, students, community, economy, noted Campbell. Its a step in the process to evaluate what next steps to do with respect to the schools, she added. The next step will be to establish a review committee. In 2005, the Donald Young School was designated as prohibitive to repair, trustee David Kircher noted as part of a report to the board from the finance committee on why pupil accommodation reviews were needed. The board submitted a request for funding for over $6 million to rebuild the school at the same site. The Ministry of Education is Please see Three, A5 By Duane Hicks Staff writer Community and business leaders from across the north, together with economic development experts from around the world, gathered in Thunder Bay on June 13-14 for the regional economic development summit, Think North II, hosted by the Ontario government. But some people who attended the event, which drew 300-400 delegates from around the region, questioned how relevant it was to Rainy River District, and what the province will do to implement some of the ideas presented there. The event, touted as the next stage in implementing the Northern Growth Plan and an opportunity to explore how other provinc-

Boston Pizza still unbeaten

Featuring a well-seasoned core and the addition of some key newcomers, its easy to see why Boston Pizza is the team to beat so far in the womens division of the Borderland Soccer Association.

See story on C1
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es and countries are using regional economic development planning, featured seven workshops as well as presenters from around the world. Fort Frances Couns. Andrew Hallikas, Ken Perry, and Paul Ryan attended the summit, along with Geoff Gillon, client services manager for the Rainy River Future Development Corp., and local consultant Tannis Drysdale. Coun. Hallikas said he didnt find many of the ideas practical. One of the things I brought home was the calibre of speakers, he noted. We had speakers from New Zealand, Scotland, Ireland, Alaska, U.S., Alberta, Ottawa. They brought a variety of different economic philosophies to us because they had such a huge Please see Value, A5

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FORT FRANCES TIMES A5

Med school grads eager to start careers

More from A1 I really enjoyed it, but it was tough. I had a lot of positive experiences [in my third year], noted Dyson. I was doing assisted C-sections, so I got to hold instruments, retract, and help with sutures. I got to play a part in surgery, but wasnt the person actually doing the cutting. As well, with her interest in obstetrics and gynecology, Dyson said she was able to do several vaginal deliveries with her preceptor looking on. In their fourth year, back in Thunder Bay, the pair rotated through the different units of the hospital there. I found that fantastic, enthused Hagerty. I got to do some radiation oncology work there, and that was the whole reason why I had decided to go into medicine. In fact, upon completing his residency program, Hagerty has been offered a job doing radiation oncology in Thunder Bay. Im planning on coming back and Im very happy about that, he remarked, noting he took a risk choosing radiation oncology as his specialty since there are not many jobs in that field. But things have opened up for me to return, which is great because I wanted to stay in Northwestern Ontario, he remarked. While he wouldnt be able to do this type of work closer to Fort Frances since the technology isnt available, Hagerty is thrilled that he still would be able to help people of the Rainy River District who may be referred to Thunder Bay. I like the idea of treating and curing cancer, and I get to have one foot in cancer treatment and one foot in cancer research, he stressed. I also love the patients. I find they are just amazing and I really like spending my day with them. Dyson also is planning to return to Northwestern Ontario once she finishes her residency, perhaps to Thunder Bay or Kenora. Especially as a new graduate, you need more support and more resources, she explained, adding she loves Fort Frances and the family and friends she has in the area. [Coming back to Fort Frances] is something Id consider later in my practice just because when Im first done my residency, I want to be in a centre where theres more support, she continued. You arent the only one and theres more infrastructure. You dont have to be on call 24-hours a day. Dyson said she hopes one day to start a family and possibly once her children have grown, she would consider returning to practise here. In the meantime, shes happy to be beginning her residency in Winnipeg. I think all the programs in Canada will give you a good education, but Winnipeg has the reputation for having a strong surgical program, she noted. The obstetrical portion of the training is prenatal care, so you follow people all the way from fertility through their pregnancies, and deal with any complications throughout their pregnancy. Then actually do the delivery, she added, saying shell learn to perform C-sections. As for the surgical and gynecology aspect, Dyson said shell be able to do procedures such as abnormal uterine bleeding, hysterectomies, and bladder repair. Every area of medicine has its own challenges and rewards, and I think this could be a very rewarding thing for me, she enthused.

Kerry Zub, aboriginal prenatal nutrition co-ordinator for the United Native Friendship Centre here, said once teen parents begin using the support and education programs there, staff are able to build strong bonds with the clients. So far, though, there has been some trouble encouraging young parents to use the help available to them.
Zoey Duncan photo

Teen pregnancy rate tops here

More from A1 The UNFC, meanwhile, provides condoms, pregnancy tests and lots of documentation on the dangers of unprotected sex. The safer-sex message may not be hitting home, though. Unprotected sex is a concern across the health units catchment area, as it is home to 774 reported cases of chlamydia per 100,000 residents (as of 2010). Thats a 34 percent increase over 2009 and the highest rate in a province where the average is 236 cases per 100,000 (as of 2009). While refusal to use it, or inability to access contraceptives, may result in pregnancy, Lockman said the reasons for a teen pregnancy may be more complex than that. She felt some women consider a baby a way to get out of a bad home situation, thinking they will be better off living on Ontario Works funds. Theyre surprised at the amount. I mean, they dont get much money, Lockman noted. Gillian Lunny, manager of the sexual health program at the health unit office here, agreed that some women who get pregnant at a young age may need additional support. In the sexual health clinics, we do a lot of counseling with young girls and women of all ages that are in unhealthy relationships, she explained. Sometimes it can be a sign of an abusive relationship when girls get pregnant early, either because they dont feel they have a choice to get on birth control, or its something their partner wants. For other young women, a teen pregnancy may be a reaction to the impending future, rather than anything happening in the present. I think, personally, part of the issue for girls is its pretty scary to go away, said Rev. Barb Miller of Knox United Church here.

There isnt a lot of education available [nearby]. So in some cases, the safer thing to do is to have a baby, and I think that does play into our numbers because you live a very sheltered life in this district. Rev. Barb Miller
There isnt a lot of education available [nearby], she noted. So in some cases, the safer thing to do is to have a baby, and I think that does play into our numbers because you live a very sheltered life in this district. Rev. Miller added that for women without post-secondary education, employment opportunities are very limited. Its pretty scary, she warned. So if youre not ready to make that jump, but you dont want to just seem like youre going to stay at home and baby-sit the neighbours kids, then I think sometimes they neglect to make choices to prevent them from getting pregnant. After-pregnancy support Even young women who make an effort to prevent pregnancy can end up pregnant. Rev. Miller is well aware of thather 18-year-old daughter, Tegan, gave birth March 9. She had been meticulously using oral contraceptives for more than a year when she became pregnant. So I was like, Oh my God, what am I going to do? Tegan recalled. I am that fabulous one percent that it doesnt work on. Although Tegan had graduated high school and was in a stable relationship, the pregnancy meant her college plans had to be shelved indefinitely, and that she and her boyfriend suddenly were facing a mountainous financial burden. Tegan said she felt well cared for by the health unit nurses, but that they didnt have any literature for her that was specific to being a teen. They just thought, regular 25-year-old or whatever pregnant, she noted. Her mother echoed that sentiment. There was no extra support because shes a teen, Rev. Miller said. I think because she was a teen, her nurse-practitioners were very intentional in their care of her. But as far as additional resources available, or say a support group or a chance to explore what other young girls are experiencing with a peer, it certainly wasnt there. When you think about how much more prevalent teenage pregnancy is here, it is surprising that there arent more structured resources available, Rev. Miller added. At the UNFC, Lockman continues to wonder why teen mothers fail to use her resources. The Aboriginal Healthy Babies program can help struggling parents with transportation costs, meal planning preparation, and learning how to care for their child. The UNFC also has weekly parents time-out events, during which children participate in activities while the parents can take care of errands and other responsibilities. All the programs are open to aboriginal and nonaboriginal clients.

Lockman suggested some teens avoid the centre because they want to protect their reputation amongst their friends. When they come here, theyre not in a group of their peers, she explained. We see it as they are, because its other moms, but Ive heard them make remarks about, Oh, theyre just old ladies over there. I thought we had what it would take them to get them in here. Lockman said her own experience revealed how necessary it is for young parents to have family support. Her daughter gave birth at 15 following a family decision to keep the baby. Before she worked there, Lockman and her daughter used the prenatal program at UNFC. After graduating from college, her daughter continues to raise her child. But without the support from our family, I truly dont think it would have been a success story, Lockman admitted. As one of very few local programs that caters to teen moms, Lockman said she wishes more of them would see the value the UNFC can provide. Only one teen is currently using their programs, and she comes with her mother. And Lockman said her own daughter would not have accessed assistance without her encouragement. Probably 80 to 90 percent of the moms that we have coming here, their first baby was born when they were in their teens. A lot of teen moms, they dont look for these kinds of supports, she remarked, noting her clients didnt come to the UNFC until their second baby was born. It seems for some teen moms, being a teenager trumps motherhood. They just basically want to hang out with their friends, Lockman said.

Three schools to undergo review

More from A1 now looking for solutions that are projects which can be built in the next year, projects which are consolidations of schools, or what can be accomplished with less money, Kircher added. In discussing plans for DYS, Kircher said that with Sturgeon Creek and Crossroads being in close proximity, all three schools could be included in an accommodation review. The timing of and format of the reviews were discussed, he noted. It was agreed in committee that the establishment of three accommodation review committees would be staggered, and that the format would be a formal pupil accommodation review be utilized as opposed to an internal board review of schools. Kircher also said the finance committee requested that the process be open and accessible to all stakeholders and board constituents. Throughout each individual pupil accommodation review, a minimum of four public meeting must be held. The complete process and guidelines for pupil accommodation reviews can be found under board policy 6.5 on its website (www. rrdsb.com).

Board passes budget

Staff The Rainy River District School Board last night passed a balanced budget of $48,388,008 for the 2011-12 school year. This is a budget that is based on enrolmentit drives everything we do as far as services that we provide and funding that comes in, Superintendent of Business Laura Mills said in a presentation at the special board meeting. Next years projected enrolment is that of just over 2,700 students, Mills noteda decrease of an estimated 99 students, or 3.5 percent. This decrease in enrolment means a reduced grant revenue, she explained, as well as a decrease in funding when it comes to areas such as special education, transportation, and supported schools (schools defined as rural elementary schools that are 20 km or more from other elementary schools in the board). The budget also has been affected by constraints on the amount of funding provided for technology, as well as changes to the formula when it comes to funding native studies and languages. While balanced, the budget also sees the board withdrawing $1,090,000 from reserves to cover the costs of various initiatives. These include a student achievement coach, aboriginal immersion, assistive technology, internal audit and cashless school project, curriculum coaches, an aboriginal achievement leader, later literacy education assistants, professional collaboration sites, a Student Success math coach, and the amortization of the renovated Education Centre. Were pleased with the budget, said board chair Michael Lewis, noting the difficulties which come with declining enrolment. Lewis also stressed that drawing on reserves to ensure certain programs continued was important. [The director of education] and her staff worked very hard at convincing us that it was the correct thing to do in terms of keeping those programs going, helping the student achievement and the well-being of the students, he remarked.

Value of regional summit questioned

More from A1 background. It was really interesting to hear these people to talk about what the had done in these corners of the world to try and get some kind of regional economy going, Coun. Hallikas added. That part of it I found very interesting. Its captivating, but I didnt find it practical, he admitted. We did a lot of work in groups about things that could be done regionally, but a lot of the stuff the presenters had to bring didnt really apply to us. For example, Stuart Trundle, chief executive of Venture Taranaki Trust (New Zealand), spoke about regional economic success through resource revenue-sharing, but this success was made possible because they were oil-rich, Coun. Hallikas noted. If we were oil-rich here, we could all be doing wonderful things. I hate to say it, because I tend to be an optimistic person, but I just dont see anything viable coming out of [the summit] for our region, he stressed. To be quite blunt, the money for it is coming from the present Ontario governmentthey funded one here and one in Sudbury and there was a lot of government impetus behind it, Coun. Hallikas said. We all know there [is] an election coming in the fall, so I think I might have found it more interesting if it had been held after the election. Coun. Hallikas said Northern Development, Mines and Forestry minister Michael Gravelle spoke twice during the conference, and it was clear he used it as a forum to make a number of announcements. It came across to me, I can only speak for myself, as a bit of a government platform, he remarked. I was glad that I went, but what am I bringing home to Fort Frances or the region? Not really a lot. Its not like we havent heard the story before, but it might be a little more serious because its election time, echoed Coun. Perry. They want to see things happen here, and I guess thats a good idea, he reasoned. But theres an election coming, so everything we learned and talked about and passed on to them, how far is it going to go if the Liberals dont win the next election. If were talking to the minister of natural resources, and come Oct. 6, the minister of natural resources is from a different party, theyre going to have different ideas, Coun. Perry stressed. Its going to be a tough sell. Coun. Perry conceded regional economic development and partnerships are a good idea, but it only will work if the regional communities niche industries fit together. Maybe Atikokan and Rainy River are going to make pellets and wood chips and Fort Frances is going to grind biomass, and were going to sell it all to the power generating station in Atikokan, he noted. Thats a good deal, but is it going to work? Weve talked about this kind of stuff before, and . . . if another party gets in, well be going over it again maybe next year, he warned. For his part, Gillon said some of the ideas presented were interesting, but now its up to the province to help make them happen. Were looking forward to seeing the provincial government implement many of the strategies that their experts shared, he remarked. Gillon said two examples were resource revenue-sharing of oil revenues in New Zealand and decentralization of institutionalized spending in Scotland. It was very brave of the minister to put forward such aggressive possibilities that showed real meaningful investments in rural economies, he noted. Unfortunately, Northern Ontario hasnt had these types of real support, and were waiting to hear what the province has learned and waiting to see when theyll be taking their own best advice, Gillon added.

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