TIMMINS, ON November 22, 2011

The Canadian Cancer Society presents a charity hockey game that will showcase the Montreal Canadians Alumni taking on a home team of local hockey enthusiasts. Put Prostate Cancer on Ice will take place on Wednesday, March 7th, 2012 at the McIntyre arena. All of the money raised will go towards prostate cancer research and awareness.

“Canadian Cancer Society Timmins Unit is very proud to finally have an opportunity to present a fundraising event dedicated to men in support of prostate cancer awareness and research,” states Patricia Gaudreau, Fundraising Coordinator, Canadian Cancer Society. “What a thrill it is to be able to do so with the Montreal Canadians Alumni!”

“It’s Timmins! It’s the Habs! It’s a perfect match,” states Jason Laneville, committee member. “It’s a great opportunity to see some our favourite Montreal Canadians in action,” adds Laneville.

Potential Montreal Canadian Alumni players making the trip North include: Donald Audette, Steve Bégin, Donald Brashear, Patrice Brisebois, Marc Bureau, Guy Carbonneau, Enrico Ciccone, Alain Côté, Vincent Damphousse, Mathieu Dandenault, Gilbert Délorme, Éric Desjardins, Gilbert Dionne, Marcel Dionne, Normand Dupont, Karl Dykhuis, Steven Finn, Rick Green, Gaston Gingras, Yvon Lambert, George Laraque, Jocelyn Lemieux, Claude Lemieux, Daniel Marois, Stéphane Matteau, Sergio Momesso, Dave Morissette, Gilbert Perreault, Oleg Petrov, Yves Racine, Stéphane Richer, Mario Roberge, Richard Sévigny, Steve Shutt, Gaston Therrien, Gilles Thibaudeau and Mario Tremblay. There is a possibility that Guy Lafleur will be coaching the alumni team; however, this is subject to availability and will be confirmed in January.

Although Put Prostate Cancer on Ice is being announced officially today, committee members have been busy filling various sponsorship opportunities and spots for hockey fans to participate as home team players, Habs alumni player, coach and trainer. Spots still available include: home team player ($300), referee jersey sponsors ($500), Habs alumni trainer (valued at $750), event sponsors ($5,000). See details of these opportunities in the attached Sponsorship Package.

Tickets will go on sale at the McIntyre Arena on Thursday, December 1st at 12 noon. General Admission tickets are $20 and VIP tickets are $100. For each ticket purchased on December 1st ONLY, fans will have a chance to win a VIP Prize Pack – 2 VIP tickets, a limo ride to the game from 1st Class Limo and dinner at the McIntyre Coffee Shop before the game.

After December 1st, tickets will be available at the Canadian Cancer Society at 273 Third Avenue, Leisure Services located at the McIntyre Arena and the Canadian Cancer Society Gift Wrap Centre from December 19 to 24 at Timmins Square in Sport Chek corridor.

The Canadian Cancer Society fights back against prostate cancer by educating men about early detection of the disease, offering information and support services for prostate cancer patients and their families, funding world-class prostate cancer research and advocating for cancer-related issues.

STATISTICS
• Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian men.
• In Canada, an estimated 25,500 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 4,100 will die of the disease in 2011.
• In Ontario, an estimated 10,600 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and 1,550 will die of the disease in 2011.

KEY FACTS
• A man has a greater than 1 in 7 chance of developing prostate cancer in his lifetime.
• Prostate cancer death rates declined significantly between 1997 and 2006, likely because of improvements in treatment.
• Prostate cancer is diagnosed most frequently in men 60 to 69 years old, but more prostate cancer deaths occur in men 80 years and older.

SUPPORT
The Canadian Cancer Society cares about men living with prostate cancer and their families. Our information and support services have been proven to decrease anxiety and increase people’s ability to cope with cancer.

PREVENTION
We fight prostate cancer by doing everything we can to prevent cancer from ever happening in the first place. As part of our mission work, we inform men about early detection of the disease. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that men over the age of 50 talk to their healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of prostate cancer testing.

RESEARCH
This year, the Canadian Cancer Society is investing more than $2.4 million to support world-class prostate cancer research. Recently, one of our ground-breaking prostate cancer clinical trials made news headlines because it will change how prostate cancer is treated around the world.

This new fundraising event has the potential to reach over 2000 people including spectators, media, players, sponsors and special guests as well as raise over $50,000 toward prostate cancer research and awareness. Details on how you can participate as a sponsor, player or Habs alumni player, coach and trainer are available at the Canadian Cancer Society or from any committee member.

The Canadian Cancer Society is a national community-based organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and to enhance the quality of life of people living with cancer. When you want to know more about cancer, visit our website www.cancer.ca or call our toll-free, bilingual Cancer Information Service at 1 888 939-3333.

Smokers from across Ontario have the opportunity to enroll in the STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program and receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), free of charge to help them in their attempt to quit smoking.

For many smokers the cost of nicotine replacement products is a barrier to quitting. The evidence-based STOP Program provides five weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy, a practical support for alleviation of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, which will help them to stop smoking.

Those interested in participating in the STOP program may do so by attending a STOP workshop, to be held in Timmins, Cochrane, Moosonee and Hearst in January. To see if you are eligible to participate, and to register for the workshop(s) call your local Porcupine Health Unit office or 1-800-461-1818 ext. 417.

“There are more choices than ever for smokers who want to quit and we are prepared to help them,” says Tina Brunet, a Public Health Nurse at the Porcupine Health Unit (PHU). “We’re pleased to be hosting the STOP study again, so we can give the people of Timmins and surrounding area an opportunity to try to quit smoking with support.”

The Porcupine Health Unit provides smoking cessation services all year long through their Quit Smoking Clinic. The clinic offers one-on-one counseling and provides clients with NRT at a reduced cost. “The study is just another way the PHU is trying to help our residents quit smoking to stay healthy,” says Tina Brunet.

The STOP Program is conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and is funded by the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport as part of its Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy.

In addition to providing NRT, STOP will offer educational material to encourage the program participants to make broader changes that can improve their health even more, because often smoking does not occur in isolation, but rather accompanies other risk factors for disease, such as poor nutrition and lack of physical activity.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada’s leading addiction and mental health teaching hospital. Integrating clinical care, scientific research, education, policy development and health promotion, CAMH transforms the lives of people impacted by mental health and addiction issues.

By Tom Parisi

The Timmins and District Hospital is planning to cut 38 full time employees in a effort to balance their budget.

CEO and President of TDH Roger Walker the hospital is set to lose 3 (m) million dollars for the third straight year.

“We’ve had several discussion with the Northc East LHIN and have come up with about 60 cost saving measures.”

TDH plans to balance the budget by Sept. 30 2012.

“It’s a hard deadline and we intend to keep it,” said Walker, ” We’re looking at saving at least $5 million by then and hopefully that’ll keep us out of the red.”

With 38 full time staff set to lose their jobs, Walker offered some consolation.

“Chances are patients may not even notice the change, we have 800 employees at the hospital with about $70 million of our $90 million dedicated to salaries. With the cuts we should save an additional $2 million.”

With layoff notices going out this week, Walker added we may not know for weeks which employees will take their early retirement offers.

By Tom Parisi

The OPP Drug Unit laid charges in a drug sting in Holtyre.

Police seized 300 grams of marijuana, 58 grams of hashish, 140 cartons of unmarked cigarettes, 6 cases of beer, 7 firearms and $3600.00 in cash.

Police say 63 year-old Glorai Mabry and 65 year-old Robert Martineau, both of Holtyre are each charged with the the following crimes:

-1 count of Possession of Property Obtained by Crime
-2 counts of Careless Storage of a firearm
-1 count of Possession of Unmarked Cigarettes
-1 count of Possession of Unmarked Cigarettes for Sale
-1 count of Unlawfully Selling Liquor
-2 counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking

The estimated street value of the drugs is $8560.00, and the cigarette worth over $10,000.

Both are due in court on Jan 31st.

By: Christina Hajjar

There were no injuries reported in a three alarm blaze that destroyed two buildings at a local dairy farm Sunday.

The blaze was called in at about 4:30 p.m Sunday at Haasen Dairy Farms on Government Rd in Timmins and is believed to have started on the second story of one of the barns.

Timmins Fire Chief Mike Pintar told EZ Rock he was very happy to see neighbours jumping in to help. “The neighbors were amazing that helped out in the removal of some cattle. We also needed some heavy equipment there and a water source, they were amazing, everyone came by to help.” Pintar said.

Quick thinking saved the biggest barn from being destroyed. “We used an excavator to tear apart a walkway so the fire wouldn’t extend into the other building. Fortunately they did save the one barn.”

Crews got a handle on the fire by about 10:00 p.m. but remained on scene throughout the night to make sure hot spots didn’t flare up.

Owner of Haasen Dairy, Frank Haasen told EZ Rock they wont know how much livestock was killed in the blaze, but said they managed to get most of them out of the barns.

“We did lose a small number of livestock, we’re not sure of numbers until we do inventory. We have about 175 head here so it’s hard to be sure which ones are missing.” He said.

Haasen added an insurance agent has already been out to the farm. “Our intention is to rebuild” he said, “we’ve here since 1958 and hopefully we’ll be here in 2058.”

Some cattle was transported to Earlton, Ontario to be milked since the main milking building was destroyed in the blaze.

Timmins–James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson, NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic Sarah Campbell MPP and Charlie Angus MP joined First Nation leaders and local representatives at Queen’s Park Friday to highlight the need for urgent action from the provincial government to address the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Attawapiskat.

“The situation we are facing in Attawapiskat this winter is dire and we need an emergency response immediately. In this community of 2000 people we have families in tents, sheds and trailers designed for contractors,” said Bisson.

“There is an imminent health and safety risk for the children and adults living in these appalling conditions, and the provincial government needs to step in with the help and expertise required,” he added.

Also present at Friday’s news conference were Stan Loutis, Grand Chief Mushkegowuk and Theresa Spence, Chief Attawapiskat who spoke about the state of emergency that has been declared and the need for support from the provincial government to help those without running water, heating and basic sanitation.

Mr. Bisson was joined by Sarah Campbell MPP, the NDP’s Critic on Aboriginal Affairs and Timmins–James Bay MP Charlie Angus, who showed video footage of the conditions that are facing the people living in Attawapiskat.

NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic Sarah Campbell added, “A state of emergency has been declared in Attawapiskat and we are all here to ask for the full resources of the provincial government to deal with the crisis. There are young children and families facing a bleak winter without the basic essentials of life and with hazardous surroundings. Now is the time for the government to exercise the powers of the Emergency Measures Act to send in teams to help those who are suffering before the situation deteriorates further.”

By: Christina Hajjar
With ten little fingers and ten little toes, babies born in Timmins have a new, state of the art infant warmer.

Dining for a Cause has wrapped up and participating local businesses raised $14,805.80 to go towards the new infant warmer for the Timmins and District Hospital.

Sylvia Reid from Casey’s Restaurant told EZ Rock the event was a success. “It was a very good cause and people were asking about it and were very thrilled that we were doing it. It was good” Reid said.

Ryan Taylor, Chairperson of the dining for a cause committee , says the hospital came very close to reaching it’s monetary goal and says it’s really nice to see the community come together for a good cause. “Your contribution and commitment to the high standard of health care available here at T&DH is precisely what makes it all possible. Without financial contribution like yours, we would not have what we do here in Timmins” Taylor expressed to all those who came forward to take part in this event.

Participating businesses include:

A&W, McIntyre Coffee Shop, Pine Dairy Bar, Pizza Hut, The Gallery Dining Room, Casey’s Bar and Grill, Boston Pizza, Wendy’s, Le Taj Tandoori, East Side Mario’s, The Fishbowl, Esso Truck Stop, Mrs. Vanelli’s Pizza, Pizza Pizza, Christopher’s Coffee House and Siva’s Family Restaurant.

Timmins – Thuesday, the Club Richelieu “Les Perles du Nord” presented the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation with a cheque in the amount of $5,000 to purchase an infant warmer for the pediatrics department at T&DH. On hand to present the cheque from “Les Perles du Nord” were Denise Labelle and Francine Rivard, members of the Board of Directors. Accepting the cheque on behalf of the paediatrics department was Carmen Quesnel, RN and Maternal-Child Coordinator, and Brenda McLeish, a Foundation board member.

The funds donated by “Les Perles du Nord” were generated by a Christmas Gift Wrapping Campaign which they hold every year one week prior to Christmas at the Timmins Square Shopping Center and also through their bi-weekly bingos held at the Bingo Hall. The next bingo will be on Sunday, November 27th at 1:00 p.m.

By Tom Parisi

The brand new Timmins Centennial school is opening its door January 9th.

The brand new school was set to open in September but due to several delays with the electrical, cooling and heatings systems, the opening was pushed back.

Linda Knight Director of Education with the Ontario Distric School Board North East says despite the delays, teachers and students are very excieted.

“When it was announced last week at our board meeting we would be finally opening the school, we all jumped for joy.”

“The teachers will get to see the school during the christmas break allowing them time to get their classrooms ready.”

With about 470 students attending the new school, Knight said the mvoers will have be quick.

“All the furniture and equipment from the other schools will be brought over during the break and set up to the teacher’s and staff desires.”

The french immersion new school will incorporate students from the former Coronation Public School, Flora MacDonald, Queen Elizabeth and Lionel Gauthier schools. Knight said two of the school have already been purchased by organizationhs in the community.

“Flora MacDonald has been bought by the Timmins native Friendship Centre and Queen Elizabeth by the French Catholic School Board.”

An official robbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for early February.

For construction photos of inside and outside the school click here

The future starts today, with young people carving their way to success.

The Timmins Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the Young Professionals Awards.

Organized by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce’s Young Professionals Committee, the event serves to recognize and celebrate the contributions that professionals under the age of 40 make to the business community as well as the community at large.

“This event is the perfect opportunity to put the spotlight on some of the many young people that make up such a vibrant part of Timmins‟ business community, said Matt Weaver, chair of the event’s organizing committee. “Their contributions are worth recognizing, and that’s what these awards are about.”

The 2012 gala will see awards handed out in six categories, including: Male Young Professional of the Year, Female Young Professional of the Year, Francophone Young Professional of the Year, Aboriginal Young Professional of the Year, and Best Place to Work.

New to the slate of awards this year is Rising Star of the Year award, which will be presented to a male or female student between the ages of 19 and 25, and who is enrolled in a post-secondary institution or apprenticeship program. This individual will have demonstrated a strong work ethic, and a commitment to improving the community through involvement in local organizations that promote Timmins as a great place to live, work and play.

This particular award will ideally encourage both the recipient and their fellow nominees to stay, live and make a career in Timmins – one of the central tenets of the Young Professional Committee, according to chair Lynn Despatie.

“It’s important for young professionals to feel as though they have a space of their own within the business community,” said Despatie. “It’s something we strive to provide through events such as this one, as well as our numerous professional development and social opportunities.”

In a further bid to highlight young talent, musical entertainment for the evening will be provided by three students from École secondaire catholique Thériault: Céleste Levis, Angela Fera, and Gavin Clement.

Nomination packages are available HERE, and at the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, located at 76 McIntyre Road.

Submissions will be accepted until January 13, 2012 at 5 p.m., and can be made via email at events@timminschamber.on.ca, or in person at the Chamber.