Thursday, July 23, 2009

Boil-Water Advisory Lifted

After two years under a boil-water advisory, residents of Ignace can finally drink from the tap.

The township has been supplied with water from its new water treatment plant since early June, problems with the plant forced the need for a boil-water advisory to be extended.

Town officials say those problems are have been corrected.

Besides the lengthy boil-water advisory, the town's 665 households have had to endure sinks, tubs, dishwashers and laundry suffering from hard water and iron stains.

Drug Drop Thwarted

Wunnumin Lake First Nation residents are being credited with helping in a major drug bust.

The residents called police after watching a Cessna float plane drop a suspicious package into the remote northern community last Sunday.

The package contained 32-thousand dollars worth of marijuana and Percocet pills.

Police are now search for the plane identified as being white and yellow in colour.

Doc Website Criticized

Opposition members are panning the province's website aimed at helping residents find a doctor.

NDP Health critic France Gelinas says the Health Care Connect website isn't going to help small and northern communities already facing doctor shortages.

"At the end of the day if you don't increase the capacity of the system to take on more clients, then you can have all of the websites you want," says Gelinas. "If there is nobody on the ground to offer the services, then its all for nothing."

The province says 800-thousand people are currently without a physician.


Gelinas pinpoints the number to be more like a million.

Good Life for Young People Walk

Several members of first nations in Treaty #3 are on a walking tour of the region.

The small group set out Monday from Rainy River First Nation.

Al Hunter says the walk is to raise funds and awareness of the Good Life for Young People Foundation.

"The Walk for Good Life is just one initiative of the Good Life for Young People for Foundation which has been in development for the past several years," says Hunter. "It sponsors a late summer concert every year. Our fourth annual concert is coming up. We're also trying to raise funds so that we can fund youth projects and initiatives."

The group will complete its walk back in Rainy River First Nation on Monday.

Regional Help to British Columbia

The Ministry of Natural Resources is once again sending personnel from Ontario to help fight forest fires in British Columbia.

A total of 122 fire fighters and support staff are being deployed this morning to Kamloops.

The contingent includes 15 FireRanger Crews from MNR fire bases northwestern Ontario.

More Than Just the Bass!

There is a host of activities taking place at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships site over the next three days.

Chair Tom Fry says the night-time entertainment should be a good draw.

"We feel we have a really, really good entertainment package put together for the weekend," says Fry. "We're hoping people will take advantage of the $40 all-access pass to the site."

Juno-Award winning Kim Mitchell rocks the tent tonight with opening act Money Honey from Thunder Bay.

Winnipeg's A Whole Lotta Angus performs Friday night with Bon-Journey taking to the stage on the final night.

There is also a host of activities occurring at the daytime land including a donut eating contest and a scavenger hunt.

Bass Championship Begins

125 angler teams from across north America hit the water this morning for the first day of fishing at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Defending champions Joe Thrun of Annandale, Minnesota, and Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minnesota, were the first team to leave at 7:00 a.m. from the government dock at Pither's Point Park.

Anglers will begin making their return to the Sorting Gap Marina at 3:30 p.m. for this afternoon's weigh-ins which begin at 4:00 p.m.

Be sure to keep it tuned to B-93 as we broadcast live from the site from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.