Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Tire Recycling Program Announced

The Rainy River district won't be able to participate right way in a new recycling program being introduced in Ontario.

The "Used Tires Program", funded by the tire industry and managed by Ontario Tire Stewardship will also residents to drop off used tires, at no charge, at registered depots across the province for recycling.

Depots have been opened in Dryden and Kenora, but a spokesperson says they're still working at registering collectors in the Rainy River district.

The program also plans to eliminate some of the tires now stockpiled at dumpsites across Ontario over three years.

Bears a Problem

The Ministry of Natural Resources has some numbers to back up what people have been saying.
Black bears are real nuisance across much of the province.

Phone calls to the Bear Wise hotline, requiring a response by the MNR or police, are up by thousands of calls over last year.

In the Northwest region, the hotline has had 1,500 calls.

First Nations Residents Protest

A group of residents are staging a protest outside the band office of Naicatchewin First Nation north of Devlin.

They began their protest this morning.

A spokesperson for the group says their seeking more accountability from the chief and council and are seeking changes to the current administration whose term expires in November.

Chief Wayne Smith could not be immediately reached for comment.

Free Roses Offered

A Fort Frances florist is hoping to spread a little goodwill and friendship through the borderland.

Fort Floral will be giving away a dozen roses to every person that visits the store next Wednesday.

Owner Brad Hogan says part of FTD's Good Neighbour Day.

"It's something FTD, one of the wire services, first promoted about fifteen years ago," says Hogan, "and its just to promote friendliness in the community."

Hogan says patrons will be encouraged to spread the roses around as a mean of meeting new people or renewing old friendships.

Air Service Reduced

There's been a reduction of air service at the International Falls Airport

Delta Airlines, which services the airport through its Northwest Airlines affiliate, eliminated its early morning run to Minneapolis and a late evening return flight yesterday as part of a 10 per cent reduction in air service state wide.

It leaves the airport with two afternoon departures and two mid-day arrivals.

City officials are currently lobbying for a reinstatement of the lost routes.

Underpass Opens Today

Good news for motorists who travel to and from Fort Frances' north end today.

The Portage Avenue underpass is expected to open to traffic at 8:00 a.m.

The completion of paving yesterday and the contractor working on the weekend helped move Friday's anticipated opening to today.

Speeders Face Drug Charges

Two Quebec men face drug charges following a routine traffic stop in Fort Frances by the O-P-P yesterday.

Police say about 75 grams of marijuana, valued at about 12-hundred dollars were seized from a vehicle they had pulled over for speeding on the King's Highway.

Both men will now make a court appearance later this month.

Upgrades Planned at AbitibiBowater Mill

AbitibiBowater is planning a major upgrade of one of its paper machines at its Fort Frances mill.

The company is looking to spend more than $4.5 million dollars installing new framing of the press section at machine number five.

The original framing was installed more than 30 years ago.

Work is expected to take place sometime next spring.

Free Use of Atikokan School Offered

Not-for-profit groups using North Star Community School in Atikokan will do so for free this year.

It's part of the government's "Community Use of Schools" program to help school boards make school space more affordable for use after hours.

Funding from the province is expected to cover costs of groups using the school.

New Student Trustee Appointed

A Grade 12 student from Fort Frances High School is the newest face on the Rainy River District School Board.

Jillian Kellar was officially sworn-in as the student trustee at the board's meeting last night.

"I was just looking for different leadership opportunities through the school," says Kellar, "and this is one of the opportunities I had an opportunity to pursue and I did,"

Kellar's role is to provide student input into the board's decision-making.

New Portable at Fort Frances School

A second portable classroom is being set up at J-W Walker School in Fort Frances to handle an increase in students at that school.

Trustees with the Rainy River District School Board approved a contract with a southern Ontario firm to have the classroom in place by the middle of the month.

Education Director Jack McMaster says the extra space is seen as only temporary, but addresses the need to bring class sizes down to the required limit.

Public Board Enrollments Up Slightly

Schools only opened yesterday, but the Rainy River District School Board is seeing a slight increase to its projected enrollments.

The board anticipated a 3-per cent decline going into the new year.

Education Director Jack McMaster says early readings of the first day numbers show a slight increase.

"It's not that our enrollment is increasing," says McMaster. "We know that in every board there is declining enrolment, so we try to project. In the last three years, we're realizing enrollments above our projections, and that's good thing."

McMaster says there are several factors contributing to higher number the board will examine further in the coming days.

Election Call Questioned

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff says he has no confidence in Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his ``time is up.''

The Liberals plan to introduce a motion of non-confidence in the House of Commons in early October, a move that is expect to force a fall election.

But Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says it remains to be seen if Ignatieff move ahead with the threat.

"I guess seeing is believing," says Rafferty. "Seventy-nine times since 2006, there's been confidence votes where the Liberal backed down."

Rafferty says while he doesn't think an election is warranted, he is prepared to fight one.