Friday, September 4, 2009

Alzheimer's Ride a Success

The totals are in from last week's Alzheimer's Ride for Memories.

A total of 137 motorcycles participated, raising nearly $35-thousand dollars.

Event organizers say it's the most money raised in the Ride's seven-year history.

OPP Step Up Labour Day Enforcement

The OPP will be stepping up enforcement on both land and water this Labour Day long weekend.

Provincial police are launching Operation Maximum Effort starting today.

Constable Dave Cain says they will be looking out for aggressive drivers in vehicles and vessels.

"There's always a continued vigilance," says Cain. "but there be more emphasis put on traffic. You find more cruisers on the highway and like we always do we're addressing the big issues - impaired driving, erratic driving, seatbelts."

OPP say their goal is to reduce fatalities across the province this long weekend.

Talks Resume with Instructors

DriveTest and the union representing staff at the driver's licence offices are going back to the bargaining table next Wednesday.

DriveTest estimates that four thousand people a day have not been able to get their driver's licence since the staff went on strike two weeks ago.

While there have been no pickets at the Fort Frances office, the Mowatt Avenue location has been closed since the start of the labour dispute.

The province has made several arrangements to reduce the public impact, including extending the expiry date of any licences that require a test for renewal.

Airprot Usage Drops

More declines in usage at the Fort Frances Airport.

Statistics Canada says 592 aircraft used the airport in June.

That's an increase of five from the previous month, but a 13 per cent drop in the number of take offs and landings in June 2008.

Of the aircraft using the airport this June, 127 were privately owned.

Name Change for Robert Moore?

The new Robert Moore School could be getting a name change.

The Rainy River District School Board is forming a committee to examine the potential of renaming new school in Fort Frances.

The committee, made up of Student council members, staff, students and board administration will be tasked with the naming of the facility that will bring together students now attending classes at the current Robert Moore and Huffman schools.

A decision on the new school's name is not expected for some time.

Hampton Reax to Greyhound Cancellations

There is more reaction today over Greyhound Canada's decision to cancel service in northwestern and Manitoba.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says the inter-city bus company's move is a bargaining chip.

Hampton says Greyhound is only hurting the dozens of small northwestern Ontario communities that have no train or airplane service.

"Yes, the government got to get the table," says Hampton, "and government's got to put in place so that there's an effective bus service otherwise communities are left high and dry."

Greyhound says it is giving 30 days' notice to cancel service in Manitoba and 90 days' notice to halt service in northwestern Ontario, which will end as of December 2nd.

Poverty Discussed in Fort Frances

The issue of poverty is the focus for Liberal MP Ken Dryden who is in town as part of a tour through northwestern Ontario.
Dryden is meeting with various groups this morning as part of his efforts to gather information
toward a Liberal strategy.

Dryden says its something he's been doing since January to find how governments can do better in dealing with those less fortunate.

"We say we want to do better. We think we're a generous people so why don't we do better?" says Dryden. "What kind of plan can we set in motion that would help a bigger impact than the kind of impact before?"

Last night, Dryden spoke to about 50 party faithful at a Liberal fundraiser at Little Beaver Snow Park.