Friday, July 30, 2010

Warning! Fake Inspectors


The Northwestern Health unit is warning restaurant owners to be on the watch for fake public health inspectors.

The fake inspectors contact restaurant owners by phone asking for detailed business and personal information and threatening them with fines if they don't comply.

Medical Officer of Health Doctor James Arthurs says two restaurants were recently targets in the Kenora and Rainy River districts.

He says Health Unit inspectors usually arrive unannounced and carry photo ID's.

Drownings to be Reviewed

The province's acting Chief Coroner says there will be a review of all drowning deaths in Ontario that have occurred this summer.

Doctor Bert Lauwers says the purpose is to identify common factors that may have played a role in the deaths.

Once complete, Lauwers says the results of this review will be released to the public later in the year.

There have been three drowning-related deaths in the Rainy River district.

Inquests Planned

The deaths of two men in northwestern Ontario last year will be subjects of coroner's inquests later this fall.

A September inquest in Fort Frances will examine the death of 21-year-old Dylan Wreggitt of Atikokan.

He died while in custody at the Rainy River District Jail last August.

Another inquest into the death of 30-year-old Levi Schaeffer will be held in Thunder Bay in October.

Schaeffer died in an altercation with Provincial Police in the Osnaburgh Lake area last June.

E.R Cash Defended


Health Minister Deb Matthews is defending the decision to spend 100-million dollars this year to help cut wait times in E-R's.

Conservative Lisa MacLeod says the money would be better spent creating long-term care beds to free up space in congested hospitals.

Matthews says she understands the program isn't perfect, but she says it's a good start.

One-point-nine million dollars earmarked for the Northwestern Health Integration Network is all going to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Atikokan Bass Classic Nears

(CKDR Photo)

Atikokan will be the next stop on this summer's tournament tour for area anglers.

The Atikokan Bass Classic gets under in two weeks time with a full field of 110 angler teams competing.

Chair Jim Johnson says the push right now is for volunteers to help set up a week from today.

"The big tent is going up and everybody knows that's a big job, " says Johnson. "The more hands that are there, the easy it will be to put it up. Then Saturday and Sunday we'll be filling it up with tables and chairs which is a labourious job. Again, the more people that we have out to help will make the job that much smaller."

Person interested in helping out can register at Bass Classic's office, by calling 597-2757 or on its website http://www.atikokanbassclassic.com/.

Boys Scouts 100th Celebrated in International Falls


Boys Scouts in the International Falls area will gather tomorrow to help celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of scouting in the United States.

Troop 145 committee member Tammy Riley says they're invited current and former scouts to watch a Centennial Celebration Show originating from the National Scout Jamboree in Fort A-P Hill in Virginia.

"We're going to gather at Faith United Church for the webcast," says Riley. "We also want to consider it an opportunity for past and present scout to gather so we're going to consider it as a reunion also."

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Interested community members on both sides of the border are invited.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Abzac Sold


A local manufacturing company has been sold.

Abzac's Fort Frances operation will be taken over by South Carolina-based Sonoco by the end of October.

The plant makes cardboard cores for paper mills and employees 13 people.

Kenora Shooting Report Issued


A Kenora OPP officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the June shooting of a woman in that city, but the Special Investigation's Unit is questioning why it took Provincial Police almost two hours to report the incident.

39-year-old Helen Proulx was shot twice in the torso after brandishing a knife at a female officer.

S.I.U. director Ian Scott found no reasonable grounds to believe the officer acted inappropriately.

Witnesses told the S.I.U. Proulx was intoxicated and in a despondent emotional state at the time and failed to comply with the officer's repeated requests to drop the knife

But in his report, Scott expressed concernd with the delay in reporting the shooting to the S.I.U., a contravention under the Police Services Act, and that some officers at the scene were told by an association lawyer not to make notes.

He's asked the OPP Commissioner to investigate.

Teenager Charged with Murder

A 16-year-old boy from Fort Hope First Nation, north of Sioux Lookout, is facing a murder charge.

Ontario Provincial Police say it follows the stabbing death of a 17-year-old boy in that community last week.

The accused will be appear in a Thunder Bay court August 3.

Police to Crackdown on Careless Drivers


A rise in the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents across the province has prompted Provincial Police to be on a close watch for motorists who break the law this August long weekend.

Sergeant Shelly Garr says there have been twelve fatalities in northwestern Ontario this year, compared with eighteen in all of 2009.

"We're always concerned with the number of motor vehicle collisions on our highways," says Garr. "We're always looking for the big three risk factors and will continue to do so this long weekend. We'll be looking for aggressive driving, failing to wear seatbelts and impaired driving."

None of the fatalities have been in Rainy River district, but twenty-six people have been injured in accidents in the district this year.

Staff Changes Before Police Probe


The Ontario Realty Corporation reportedly fired some staff and restructured a department just before a police raid as part of a corruption probe.

The restructuring took place in May and June that saw some staff, including a vice-president , let go.
The Corporation won't say what, if any, link its purge has to the police probe of procurement in three ministries which went public July 15 with search warrants executed at government buildings in Toronto.

Class Action Suit Proceeds

A lawyer says tens of thousands of people across Canada could be part of a sweeping class-action lawsuit from developmentally disabled people alleging decades of abuse at an Ontario institution.

An Ontario Superior Court judge gave the green light for the one-billion-dollar class action suit involving former residents of Huronia Regional Centre and their family members.

The institution opened in 1876 as the Orillia Asylum for Idiots, and closed in March 2009.

Computer Glitch Hits WFN Contest

The World Fishing Network has repaired a computer clitch that impacted Fort Frances' bid to become the Ultimate Fishing Town in Canada.

Wednesday morning, Fort Frances appeared with two separate bids to WFN contest, but residents could not post supporting submissions to the original bid.

The problem has since been corrected.

Low Forest Fire Hazard Prevails


Recent wet weather has dropped the fire hazard to low across much of northwestern Ontario.

Ten fires are burning in the district, including nine in the far north, but are being allowed to burn out.

There are no active fires in the Rainy River district

Meanwhile, twenty firefighters, three aircraft and three Ministry of Natural Resources officers are in Leaf Rapids, Manitoba to help in the fire fight there.

Suspected Drug Kingpin Arrested

A southern Ontario man, police believe is behind a large prescription pill trafficking ring in northern Ontario is now in custody.

37-year-old Jabir Khan was arrested in North York and sent to Thunder Bay to face trafficking charges.

Police believe he's helped in the illegal distribution of Oxycodone to First Nation communities around the region.

During a two-year investigation, police seized more than 360-thousand dollars in Oxycodone tablets and another 60-thousand in cash.

Two other men from Toronto and Thunder Bay and a woman from Toronto have also been charged.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Swimmer Warnings to be Posted


The Northwestern Health Unit is planning to post permanent signs at area beaches to warn swimmers of the potential of bacteria in the waters.

It now issues warnings only after water tests confirms its presence.

But Medical Officer of Health Doctor James Arthurs says the situation often changes by the time it get those results back from a lab in Thunder Bay.

"The potential exposure of the public to high bacterial counts may occur actually before we get the tests back," says Dr. Arthurs, "and because of the run off of our rivers, the water may have actually cleared by the time we get an adverse report and have closed the beach."

Arthurs sees the signage more as a preventative measure than a suggestion to swimmers they enter at their own risk.

Sunny Cove Funding


The town of Fort Frances has been awarded funding for upgrades to Sunny Cove Camp.

The $100-thousand is from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The money is to cover the cost of plumbing, electrical and structural renovations done to the camp.

The town had pegged costs coming in at about $134-thousand.

Trillium Money to Atikokan


Two Atikokan organizations will benefit from funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Beaten Path Nordic Ski Club is getting almost $15-thousand to purchase an all-terrain vehicle to maintain cross-country ski trails in the Atikokan-Quetico area.

The town of Atikokan will use another $15-thousand to install insulation, siding and new windows in the Mount Fairweather ski chalet.

Board Office on the Move


A move of the Rainy River District School Board administration office is to begin at the end of this week.

Education Director Heather Campbell says the offices will be temporarily located in the main floor of the existing Robert Moore School.

"We are moving the board office (to the existing school) to prepare for the renovations to our offices," says Campbell.

The offices will be closed Friday, reopening in the new location Monday August 9.

Bike Rodeo in Atikokan


The second of two bicycle rodeos in the Rainy River district this week happens in Atikokan today.

The event at North Star Community School begins at 1:30 p.m. and is open to kids aged 4 to 12.

There are also now plans to hold a bike rodeo in Fort Frances at Boston Pizza on August 5 and later this month as part of childrens' camps at the Memorial Sports Centre.

Ministries Identified in Probe


Premier Dalton McGuinty has identified three ministries that were the target of police raids this month, as part of an anti-corruption probe.

McGuinty says they are Transportation, Economic Development and Trade, and Community and Social Services.

McGuinty says he has no details of allegations that sparked the probe, which has not resulted in any charges.

Restructuring Plan Approved

An Ontario Superior Court judge has approved a financial restructuring plan for Terrace Bay Pulp.

Tuesday's decision means the pulp and paper mill will be able to exit bankruptcy protection by August 17 and immediately ramp up ongoing operations to get the plant back into production before fall.

The pulp and paper mill is a division of Thunder Bay-based Buchanan Group and had stopped production in February 2009.

Garden to Open Next Year


Gardeners hoping to be a part of a community garden in Fort Frances will have to wait until next year to plant their vegetables.

A group was hoping to have the garden ready for planting this summer, but Becky Holden of the planning committee says permission needed to use municipal property in the town's north end took longer than expected.

"We will not be moving ahead with gardening this year," says Holden, "but we will be working on the property after we've been given approval form the town of Fort Frances to use to site. The committee will also still be meeting regularly."

Town council held a public meeting Monday night on a potential zoning amendment to permit the Garden at Lillie Avenue and Elizabeth Street West.

A decision is expected next month.

Beach Volleyball Courts Sought

The development of more beach volleyball courts at Pither's Point Park will get another look by the town of Fort Frances during its 2011 budget discussions.

Councillors Monday night discussed the idea put forward by an organizer of a beach volleyball league.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says with ownership of the park in dispute, it's best the town hold off on the request for now.

"That would be an ideal spot," says Wiedenhoeft, "but given the Point Park is in dispute probably not a wise move at this point in time. Next year, maybe, the disposition of the park may be resolved."

It was suggested the courts could be built at St. Francis Sports Field or Sunny Cove Camp.

Loans Nearly Paid in Full


AbitibiBowater says it's repaid $166-million of its debtor-in-possession loan following an improvement in market conditions and operational performance.

In regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says it now has $40 million outstanding under the loan.

Companies rely on DIP financing to fund operations while in bankruptcy.


Terry Fox Stories Wanted


Terry Fox's Memory of Hope is going onto its thirtieth year.

Terry's brother, Fred Fox wants to hear from northwestern Ontario residents.

"People that saw Terry or touched Terry or even had the change to talk to Terry," says Fox. "We don't hear those stories enough or people haven't had the opportunity to share those stories. One day we're going to lose those stories."

Anyone who wishes to share their story can e-mail ontario2@terryfoxrun.org.

More Support Needed


More public support is needed if Fort Frances is going to have any hope of being considered the Ultimate Fishing Town in Canada.

As of this Tuesday, Fort Frances has seven supporting submissions in its bid to the World Fishing Network Contest.

That pales in compared to Thunder Bay which as 23.

Kenora has 20 with Dryden sitting at 14.

Residents are being asked to submit stories, photos and video to support reasons why their town should be considered the Ultimate Fishing Town before next Monday.

A link to the Fort Frances nomination can be found on our website http://www.b93.c-a/.

Area Man Killed in Timmins Crash

A northwestern Ontario man has been identified as one of the victims of a helicopter crash south of Timmins.

19-year-old Ethan Boucha of Rat Portage was among two people aboard a Bell 206 helicopter that struck a tower last Friday afternoon.

The helicopter belonged to a North Bay company which offers flight training in conjunction with Canadore College.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Crash Victims Identified


OPP have identified the names of the victims in a crash on Highway 17-A just east of Kenora earlier this month.

46-year-old Chae Nyeo Hyeon and her 19-year-old son Jayson Kim were both killed when the van they were in struck a rock cut on July 22.

47-year-old Soo Hyun Kim and 17-year-old Jewan Kim were transported to Thunder Bay hospital and are still listed in critical condition.

Monday, July 26, 2010

New Champions in Bass Championship

For the first time in nine years, a Fort Frances name is appearing on the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship trophy.

Dorian Lindholm with long-time fishing partner Bill Wilcox of Texas captured the 2010 tournament with a three day catch of 56.45 pounds.

"We had no problem in the pre-fish," says Lindholm. "We had very little problem fishing. It worked out really good for us."

Wilcox says the duo stayed true to their game plan.

"we had a good game plan and changed up water each day," says Wilcox. "That was the key because we used our fish up each day and just changed locations."

Mark Raveling of Minnesota and Mike Luhman of Wisconsin finished second.

Jeff Gustafson of Kenora and John Peterson of Bemidji, who carried the biggest weight on the final day before the final three angling teams weighed-in, were third.

Three-time defending champs Joe Thrun and Jim Moynaugh fell to 19th after weighing in with just 8-pounds on the final day.

Bass Tournament Staying Inside


It's looking like the Memorial Sports Centre will be a permanent home for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships.

The event was held indoors for the first time and chair Tom Fry says it worked out every well for organizers.

"I think we're here to stay," says Fry. "It was just an awesome show. Everything was professionally done. The arena looked great. That boat parade worked out just super going in a circle around the arena. I don't think we could have done it any better."

Fry says the big challenge for next year will filling a number of positions on the board of directors including his role as chair.

"There are a few other directors who have indicated they would like to step down so we're going to be looking for directors no later than September 1st."

The organizing committee faced a similar problem which threatened the 2010 tournament before being able to fill several vacancies late last fall.

Bag Bag Considered

Sioux Lookout is close to becoming the first town in Ontario to ban plastic bags in stores.

Councillors approved the second reading of a by-law last week.

Town clerk Mary MacKenzie says they'll seek out more public comment before bringing the by-law back for a final reading in September.

Summer Students Give OPP as Helping Hand


Ontario Provincial Police in Fort Frances are getting some assistance this summer from a couple of summer students.

Samantha Meuller and Brett McMahon are bicycling throughout the town, carrying out a variety of policing programs.

"We've been involved in certain problems including the Lock It or Lose It," says Meuller. "We've conducted traffic surveys for statistics on traffic behaviour. We are also positive role models for the Positive Tickets Program within the bike rodeos that we hold for the children of the Rainy River district."

McMahon says the experience he's gaining may be used toward a possible career in policing.

"I've always been interested in law enforcement," says McMahon, "so I thought this would be a great opportunity to get to know what they do and get a feel for it."

The local detachment also has a student assigned to its Marine unit.

PUSH Seeks Input


Persons United for Self-Help is looking for Northwestern Ontario residents who want to share their story.

Spokesperson Justin Miller says they want to hear from people living with disabilities.

"Share their stories of various issues they have faced in regards to barriers they have encountered with their disabilities," says Miller. "We have representatives go out to the other smaller communities in the region to ask give people a better understand of PUSH Northwest."

Miller says many people in the region still have trouble finding adequate housing and transportation.

Pickle Story Today at Library


A story about pickles and diversity will be told at Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre today.

Pickle Bumps for Baby Dill is the first picture book for children by author Bob Fulton of St. Cloud Minnesota.

Fulton credits his youngest grandson for the idea.

"He says tell us a story about pickles," says Fulton. "He just loves pickles. I thought, well, how do you tell a story about a pickle. The first thing that came to mind was the saying 'like bump on a pickle.' I thought well maybe we can have a story about a pickle that doesn't have any bumps and where does that go."

Fulton will hold readings at the library this 2 p.m. this afternoon and tomorrow at 11 a.m..

A book signing is planned for Wednesday at Betty's in Fort Frances.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Winnipeg Team Leads FFCBC

(Mark Raveling of Longville, MN and Mike Luhman of Deer Park, WI are third after Day 1 of fishing with their catch of 19.11 lbs of bass)


Winnipeg team has grabbed the early lead in the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Alex and Darrell Keszler were the only team crack the 20 pound mark, weighing in five bass at 20.1 lbs.

Darrell Keszler says it was a great start.

"We had an awesome day," says Darrell. "The old man was hot. We made great decisions, but in all honesty we didn't catch that many fish. Fishing has been tough but we got the right bites today."

Dorian Lindholm of Fort Frances and fishing partner Bill Wilcox of Texas sit half a pound back in second.

Three time defending champions Joe Thrun and Jim Moyaugh are thirteenth.

Strike Vote Taken at Ainsworth


Unionized workers at Ainsworth OSB mill in Barwick has voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to back contract demands.

The strike vote came after the 130 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union voted 97 per cent against the company's latest offer.

C.E.P. national rep Steven Boon says the union will continue to work towards a deal before the mid-August strike deadline.

Boon says many of the outstanding issues centre around non-monetary items such as contract language, contracting out, seniority and scheduling changes.

Record Road Work Planned


The Ontario government has released the list of highway projects in northern Ontario its funding during this construction season.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says almost $775-million will be spent on on road improvements, expansions and bridge updates.

"That's a 20 per cent increase over last year's record amount of $648-million," says Gravelle. "We are seeing a tremendous amount of construction work. All of it important to the people of the communities it effects.

Six projects are in the Rainy River district, including continued upgrades to the Noden Causeway and the rehabilitation of the LaVallee River bridge on Highway 11.

Applications Now Accepted

(Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley (left) with Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro)

The McGuinty Government has unveiled a new training program for northern Ontario residents.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says they want to train aboriginals, Metis and other northerners who want a new job but don't have the necessary skills.

"It ables the business organization with the training provider and the First Nations communities to come together with a proposal to say "we want to train these people for these jobs."
The 45-million dollar fund will cover part of the training costs with the rest coming from the businesses looking to hire.

Bear Frees from Jar


An elusive black bear near Thunder Bay is finally free of the jar that was stuck to its head for about two weeks.


Wildlife officers say the bear somehow managed to get rid of the jar on its own.


A canoeist found a similar empty jar yesterday containing black fur and scratches with claw marks.

Teddy Bear Picnic


Teddy Bears off all types and their owners are being invited to the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic today.

Head of the Children's department Andrea Avis says lots will be going on at the Fort Frances Library Technology Centre, rain or shine.

"We have some carnival games for the kids to participate in with some pretty cool little prizes," says Avis. "Face painting and a special guest performer, Aaron Brunette and his wife, coming from Winnipeg. They'll be performing in the main part of the library."

It begins at 11:30 a.m.

Man Charge in 1990's Sex Offences


Provincial Police in Fort Frances have charged an area man in connection with a series of sex offences, some dating back almost twenty years ago.


43-year-old Garry Donald Mathewson was to appear in a Fort Frances courtroom Thursday on eleven counts of sexual exploitation and a charge of sexual interference.


Police say the charges relate to incidents that took place within the Rainy River and Thunder Bay districts between 1992 and 1999 involving three men who were in their early teens at the time.


Mathewson was arrested last week in Vancouver and returned to Fort Frances where he's currently in custody.

New Deal for Town Workers

Unionized employees with the town of Fort Frances have a new contract.

The 80 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees ratified the deal Tuesday.

Workers will get a 3.5 per cent increase in pay over the course of the two-year agreement.

There are also improvements affecting part-time employees including a sick leave benefit plan and changes in vacation time for employees who worked as seasonal or part-time employees prior to gaining full-time employment with the Town.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Chair for Northwoods Broadcasting Dies


The man who chaired the parent company responsible for Acadia and Northwoods Broadcasting has died following a brief illness.

Jack Irving was 78.

Irving was the youngest son of industrialist the late K.C. Irving and was responsible for a number of companies within the varied Irving enterprises, including its radio stations in Ontario and the Maritimes.


Recyling to Help Local Groups

An Emo businesses is looking at recycling as a means of providing some financial support to the area's not-for-profit groups and organizations.

Cloverleaf Grocery is proposing to set up a collection depot for residents to drop off their recyclables.

Co-owner Mark Loney says, in turn, organizations would come help sort the items to earn a share of the profits when sold off.

"We always have people asking for some money," says Loney. "This is a good way where we can say 'we'll give you some money but you're going to have to sort some plastics."

Loney says it will still be at least another month before the program will be ready to roll.

Day 1 Fishing Underway

Weather could a factor for anglers on the first day fishing at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Bill Laidlaw of Signal Weather Services says a system moving in the area could bring plenty of rain.

The first flight of boats left the government dock at Pither's Point Park at 7 a.m. with weigh-ins at the Memorial Sports Centre underway at 3:30 p.m.

Be sure to stay with B-93 as we'll be providing live-up during those weigh-ins.

Schedule Change


There's a correction to the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship's schedule for tonight.

Doors for Quest for the Best will open at 6 p.m..

Not 7 p.m. as advertised in the Championship's website.

The annual singing competition starts at 7 p.m.

Enforcement Blitz Nets Charges


Almost 100 charges and another 300 warnings were issued by Ministry of Natural Resources Conservation officers during a recent enforcement blitz across northwestern Ontario.

Almost 23-hundred anglers were checked on area rivers and lakes during the seven-day blitz held from June 17 to June 24.

Most of the charges were issued for fishing without a license, having too much fish or importing live bait.


Fire Season Remains Quiet


The forest fire situation across the Rainy River district remains quiet.

One small lightning fire, along Highway 622 north of Atikokan, was reported Tuesday and is now out.

A total of 13 fires still burn in northwestern Ontario, most in the far north and are being monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Jar Stuck on Bear's Head


Conservationists are crying foul over recycling habits as a frightened bear with a plastic jar stuck on his head slowly starves.

Joanne St. Godard, of non-profit group the Recycling Council of Ontario, says the bear is in this predicament because someone didn't properly recycle the jar in the first place.

Wildlife officials in northwestern Ontario have spent the last two days searching for the bear, who has not been able to eat or drink because of the jar.

Ministry of Natural Resources official Ross Johnston says the bear is weak and has lost weight -- and may be only surviving off the condensation from his breath inside the jar.

Officials and the OPP have tried to catch and tranquilize the bear, but he runs when people approach.

First Street to Close


Work on another section of Portage Avenue in Fort Frances is expected to begin this afternoon.

The start of work at the intersection of First Street and Portage at noon will mean a closure of First between Victoria and Mowat Avenues for approximately fifteen days.

Meantime, work at the intersection of Sixth Street and Portage is expected to be complete by this Friday.

Bike Rodeos Planned


Ontario Provincial Police will host a couple of bicycle rodeo's next week.

Summer student Samantha Mueller says events are planned for next Tuesday morning in Emo and Wednesday afternoon in Atikokan.


"We set up different courses and challenges for the kids to come out," says Mueller. "We teach them about the safety of their helmets and put their bike skills to the test by letting them run through these courses."

Mueller says young cyclists aged four to twelve also get lessons on proper riding safety.

The Emo event takes place Tuesday morning at 9:30 a.m. at the tennis courts.

The Atikokan rodeo is scheduled for next Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. at North Star Community School.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Mine Centre Tender Accepted


Construction of a new elementary school in Mine Centre could begin as early as next month.

Trustees with the Rainy River District School Board yesterday awarded a contract worth $5.9 million to Thunder Bay-based Finnway General Contractor.

Education Director Heather Campbell says additional funding from the Ministry of Education is also covering all project costs pegged at $6.5 million.

"We received two letter from the Ministry of Education providing the funding," says Campbell, "and we've come under budget in our tendering and working with the contract to reduce costs. So we are full speed ahead."

The new school will house about 90 students from the Mine Centre area as well as Seine River and Nicickousemenecaning First Nations.

Ontario's Education Minister Deb Matthews must still sign off on the project, but the board isn't anticipating any difficulty with that step from occurring.

St. Francis School Project Funded


The Northwestern Catholic District School Board has received provincial funding for a renewable energy project for St. Francis School in Fort Frances.

Superintendent of Education Chris Howarth says the $159-thousand is for the installation of a SolarDuct Photovoltaic project.

"It consists of solar panels that will use the sun's energy," says Howarth. "Using a converter, we'll convert it into electricity and that will be fed back into Ontario's power grid and the school board will see revenue from that."

Howarth says the project could generate $27-thousand annually for the board through the sale of power back to the grid when in place next fall.

Parade of Boats Returns


The Parade of Boats makes its return today at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

It begins at 5 p.m. beginning on Central Avenue with boats making their way down Scott Street to the Memorial Sports Centre.

Chair Tom Fry is looking for a good show from the anglers after the parade was dropped last year.

"They were part of the desire to bring it back," says Fry. "We had a lot of comments from people in the town as well as anglers who said they missed it last year. So we're kind of hoping everyone will come out and support it."

Boston Pizza also jumped on board as the major sponsor and is putting up a prize to the best dress boat as selected by the public.

Labour Leaders Pan Deficit Reduction Plans

Ontario public sector unions are critical of Finance Minister Dwight Duncan's plan to freeze their wages.

Labour leaders met with Duncan yesterday to discuss deficit reduction plans that includes freeze on public sector salaries for two years.

The C.A.W. calls the plan an attack on the collective bargaining rights of public sector workers.

President Ken Lewenza says the union recognizes the difficulty the province is facing, but the cost cannot be borne almost wholly by workers.

The president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says Finance Minister Dwight Duncan's wage freeze plan is unfair.

Smokey Thomas also says the plan doesn't protect the public services Ontarians need or strengthens the economy.

OPSEU Calls Government to "Come Clean"


The Ontario Public Service Employees Union is calling on the Liberal government to "come clean'' about a police raid on provincial offices in Toronto last week.

President Smokey Thomas says the union has been told that its members were not the target of the OPP raid, but thousands of workers remain under a cloud of suspicion because the government won't state which ministries were targeted.

Eco Fees Lifted, But...


Ontario residents may not be paying the controversial eco fee at the cash register, but they're still on the hook for the program.

Environment Minister John Gerretsen lifted the fees yesterday, but says the government will fork over up to five-million dollars to keep the program going for the next three months.

He says the government will take that time to come up with a better plan to offset the cost of recycling potentially hazardous items.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Mine Centre School Tender Discussed

The start of construction of a new school in Mine Centre could get the green light today.

Trustees with the Rainy River District School Board have called a special meeting for this morning to discuss a proposed tender.

The Ministry of Education previously announced it would provide 4.8 million dollars towards construction, but the board said back in February that final costs could come almost two million higher.

Water Restrictions Lifted


Water restrictions put in place at the end of June for Fort Frances and Couchiching First Nation have been lifted.

The removal of the ban on such things as filling swimming pools and washing vehicles at home comes following an inspection of a paint job inside the water tower.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the inspection showed no major problems.
Homeowners are still limited to watering the lawns on an odd-even basis until September 15.

Boyle Ends Career with City

(Retiring City Attorney Joe Boyle with International Falls Mayor Shawn Mason)


International Falls City council gave thanks last night to its retiring city attorney.

Joe Boyle attended his last council meeting in his official capacity, ending a more career with the that began in 1973.

"The city has allowed me to practice law as the part-time city attorney," says Boyle, "appearing in hundreds of cases, both civil and criminal and to go to seminars. I retire with great gratitude."

Mayor Shawn Mason and other councillors issued their thanks for the job performed over the many years.

Mason credited Boyle for helping the city begin to realize its dream of a developed waterfront.

While Boyle retires as the city's attorney August 1, he'll continue practicing law privately.

Busy Weekend for Fire Department

It was a busy weekend for the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service who responded to no fewer than five calls.

Saturday morning about 10 a.m., the department was called to a home on Kaitlyn Drive to deal with a kitchen fire.

The owners of the home had the blaze extinguished by the time firefighters arrived, but not before it caused some fire and smoke damage to the kitchen.

Early Sunday morning at about 5 a.m., the department responded to a call of smoke filling an apartment on 6th Street East.

The problem was pinpointed to a burned out furnace fan.

An hour later, crews rushed to a home in the 400 block of Church Street where an elderly woman was taken to hospital for treatment after fire started in a sofa and filled the home with smoke.

Within fifteen minutes of arriving, firefighters were dispatched to a smoke alarm in the 1100 block of Scott Street which turned out to a false alarm.

And last night at round 8:30 p.m., Fort Frances Fire was sent to Gillon's Insurance on Church Street where a burned out roof fan sent smoke into the building.

Damage was considered miminal.

Vikings Asked to Participate


The city of International Falls is hoping to enlist the help of the Minnesota Vikings in next year's tug of war between it and the town of Fort Frances.

City Administrator Rod Otterness says the invite to members of the football club is part of an effort to make the friendly competition between the two sister communities bigger and better.

International Falls won this year's event following two straight wins by Fort Frances.

Anglers Prep for Tournament


If prefishing is any indication, this year's Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship could be a struggle for many anglers.

The field of more than one hundred teams begin its hunt for this year's title Thursday.

Two-time champion James Lindner says part of the key to winning is figuring out what works and what doesn't.

"A lot of times you can fish right through a lot of fish and not catch them, "says Lindner. "and then change baits, get the right bait on, and it's like magic. That's part of the whole deal with these guys here just trying to find the art of angling. It's the weirdest thing in the world. It changes every year."

Devlin's Bill Godin, who's fished the tournament since its inception and enjoyed four top ten finishes along the way, says it could be a struggle to find the big ones this year.

"We've been doing a lot of prefishing and it's been tough for us," says Godin. "We can catch a lot of fish, but we can't figure out where the big ones are."

Anglers gather tonight for the official rules meeting.

Changes to Moose Tag Transfers Considered


Ontario residents have until Thursday to comment on a proposed change that could impact the transfer of moose tags among hunters.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is looking to prohibit hunters from passing their tags onto another in consecutive years.

Wildlife Management Coordinator Tosh Gierek says its based on input received at public meetings last year.

"The way it works right now is that they can transfer a tag as often as they wish," says Gierek. "What we heard from hunters was they had some concerns with that."

If approved, the new regulation could be in place for the 2011 hunting season.

Wage Freeze Talks Today


The Ontario government today begins the difficult task of preparing its public sector unions and employers for a wage freeze.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will meet union leaders and employers who run institutions such as hospitals, schools and universities to talk about capping salaries.

About 350,000 non-unionized public-sector workers had their wages frozen in the March budget.