Friday, October 16, 2009

Parade of Lights on it Way

It's time to start thinking about Christmas - and the annual Christmas Parade in Fort Frances.

This year's event is being organized by employees at Causeway Insurance.

Spokeperson Pam Buttner say they stepped forward when the Fort Frances downtown Business Improvement Association sought out someone to run the event earlier this year.

"We didn't want it to see it go down the road and disappear," says Buttner. We wanted to have the Christmas parade to still be in town for everyone to enjoy."

B-93 will be helping Causeway by accepting applications for organizations interested in taking part in the November 28th event.

Register by calling Causeway Insurance at 274-6688 or B-93 at 274-5341.

MADD Film Shown to Students

A powerful message about the dangers and consequences of impaired driving was delivered to some students in the Rainy River District.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving presented its film Wasted to students in Rainy River, Atikokan and Fort Frances this week.

Spokesperson Rahul D'Cunha says although its a fictional account of an accident that leads to a fatal conclusion, it hit did home to some students.

"From being at Fort Frances high school, a lot of students were emotional," says D'Cunha. "Some had to walk out because the film was very intense for them. Some of them, I think it's really sticking in. It might take a couple of days for them to think about the effects of drinking and driving."

D'Cunha says MADD Canada combines the film with a curriculum he hopes will spur further discussion in the classroom.

H1N1 Death in Timmins

A 15-year-old boy in Timmins has died after contracting the H1N1 virus, the first such death reported in the northern Ontario city.

The area's medical officer of health says it's uncertain if he had any pre-existing medical conditions.

More than 70 people in northwestern Ontario have diagnosed with H1N1 to date, none resulting in a death.

Little Help for Children's Aid Societies

Premier Dalton McGuinty isn't holding out much hope of additional funding for Ontario's cash-strapped Children's Aid Societies.

McGuinty said the province doesn't have the cash to cover a 67-(m) million-dollar shortfall.

McGuinty says funding to the C-A-S's have increased over the past several years and both sides have to find a way to manage.

He had a similar message for Ontario hospitals, saying with an 18-billion-dollar deficit, the province can't bail them as it has in the past.

Watering Practices Changed

There will be new procedures taken by the town of Fort Frances how the watering of flowers hung annually by the local downtown Business Improvement Association and Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is done.

The town says it will continue to water the plants, but only when it has summer students on staff.

When it doesn't have students available, it's leaving the job up to up to the BIA and Chamber.

The town plans to discuss the changes with both groups.

Town Appoints Position on Forest Tenure

The town of Fort Frances has come out with a position regarding the province's plans to change how Ontario's forests are allocated.

It's supporting an industry call for community-based input into sustainable forest licenses to ensure economic benefits are realized and that any auction of harvested wood be done in areas only where surplus fibre exists.

Mayor Roy Avis says the position came out of a recent meeting with local industry officials.

"There's some real issues coming forward there," says Avis, "one of them being the future licensing. They want to auction off these wood lots. It really puts a strain on a lot of smaller operators."

Avis was also disappointed public hearings into the proposed changes weren't held in Fort Frances.

Conservative Mailer Upset Local MP

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is disappointed in what he calls an attempt to confuse constituents in his riding by the Conservative government over his stance on the long-gun registry.

A recent mailout from Conservative M-P Dona Cadman suggests the New Democrat supports the registry, something Rafferty says is not the truth.

"It's clearly a lie," says Rafferty, "and now I have to spent time, when I should be spending time on forestry and workers pensions and small farmer and they issues they have, discounting this mischievous mailing into my riding."

Rafferty has not talked with Cadman, but says he's spoken with the Conservative MP who has a private member's bill ending the registry to reiterate his support.