Monday, July 6, 2009

Odd Job Week

It's Odd Job Week across Canada

The week promotes Service Canada's Youth Employment Centre and encourages local businesses and residents to consider hiring a youth even for just a few hours.

Local Youth Services Officer Dayna Debendet says no job can be too small.

"They can be some like housework, yard work, landscaping or babysitting," says Debenedet. "You file your job with us and we'll send it out to students and see who's interested."

Debenedet says they be promoting the importance of odd jobs for students through booths at Canadian Tire today and Walmart on Wednesday with leaflets being distributed around the community.

There will also be a BBQ Friday with NCDS.

H1N1 Flu Numbers Rise

Northwestern Ontario continues to be one of the busiest in terms of active cases of the H1N1 flu virus.

The Ministry of Health says there were 15 new confirmed cases of the virus this past week in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment area, which includes cases in the area's remote first nation communities.

There are currently 49 active cases of H1N1 in this region. There are just five in the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

International Falls Groups Receive Funding

Two groups in International Falls have benefited from funding from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

Citizens for Backus A.B. received $50,000 for the installation of a new kitchen at its facility.

The group will receive another $30,000 if it can match that amount.

The Falls Hunger Coalition food shelf received $15,000 to continue its services .

New Transformer Station Proposed

Hydro One is eyeing the township of Chapple as the potential location of a new transformer station for the Rainy River district.

The transformer is to replace an aging one located near Fort Frances.

Spokesperson Danielle Gauvin says it would also be more central to the area Hydro One serves.

"It would improve the power supply and provide more capacity to the area," says Gauvin. "If the actual lines don't have to carry electricity quite as part, that's better in terms of power supply."

Hydro One has currently initiated a Class Environmental Assessment on the project and will hold a public information meetings later this year.

Incentive Programs Now Available

The town of Fort Frances and the Rainy River Future Development Corporation is promoting a series of financial incentive programs to bolstering the local economy.

Regional Economic Development Officer Geoff Gillon says a new diversification development program is among them.

"This is a program for new businesses in sectors like manufacturing, machining or environmental technologies," says Gillon. "It's not designed for retail or service businesses so they're not eligible. We want businesses that are non-competitive. We want new businesses that will come to town and bring new money and new jobs."

Eligible businesses can receive receive rebates on a portion of municipal charges associated with building or demolition and partial tax relief on the new value.

Another program is aimed at redeveloping commercial lands in Fort Frances that currently don't meet environmental standards.

Gillon says the Brownsfield Development program will provide tax relief to help clean those areas up.

"This tax relief under this program could be a long a five year and up to a maximum of 50 per cent of the cost of remediation," says Gillon. "It's in partnership with the province and its for old sites such as old gas stations or industrial properties."

Gillon says there are a number of vacant properties in the town where that financial assistance program could apply.

Portage Avenue Underpass Work Soon

Work on the Portage Avenue underpass is expected to resume very shortly.

Fort Frances' Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says CN has approved soil anchor tests, allowing the contractor, Emo's JTJ Contracting, to continue its work.

Brown says its now getting in touch with its subcontractors and a work schedule to be known soon.

Brown estimates about two months of work yet to do.

New School Construction Meeting

It could be another two weeks before construction begins on the new Robert Moore School.

Trustees with the Rainy River District School Board are meeting this morning to discuss a number of items related to the project's site management plan.

They're approval is needed to acquire a building permit.

Education Director Jack McMaster says the board has been working with the town, along with the Ministries of Education, Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Environment on that plan.

The board must also wait Ministry approval on a change to the town's official plan permitting the new school to be built on land behind the existing one.

That approval could come July 17, allowing construction to begin shortly afterwards.