Thursday, February 11, 2010

Apartment Fire

No injuries are being reported at an apartment fire last night in the one-thousand block of Scott Street.

Members of the Fort France Fire and Rescue Service were called to scene at around 9 last night and were able to contain the blaze to a rear apartment.

There was no damage to the buildings other apartments.

Cause is under investigation.

Watercraft Interns Sought

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is preparing for this summer's boating season.

It's looking to hire a number of interns who will be stationed at public accesses on lakes and rivers to educate the public about aquatic invasive species.

Applications for positions on Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods area must be delivered to local DNR offices before March 12.

10-dollar Water for a Cause

A church group in International Falls has found a unique way of raising funds for the Haitian earthquake relief effort.

For the past three weeks, the church's youth group has been selling water for ten dollars a bottle.

Pastor Eric Marx says sales have actually gone well once parishioners understand the reasons behind the high price.

"They're kind of surprised," says Marx, "but then we tell them that this represents one of the vital needs the people have over there and that is to get clean water over to them."

The fundraiser which comes to an end this weekend has resulted in more than two-thousand dollars collected.

The money is being forwards to Covenant World Relief for the purchase of food, blankets and clean water for Haiti.

McGuinty Plans Trip to Israel



Premier Dalton McGuinty is heading to Israel in late May.
The premier's office has announced McGuinty will lead a trade delegation of Ontario business people to Israel and the West Bank for about one week.

The government says the trip is aimed at boosting trade and investment and to build opportunity for Ontario businesses.

McGuinty will provide more details about his planned trip to the Middle East at a news conference today in Markham, Ont.

Ontario Economic Development and Trade Minister Sandra Pupatello toured Israel last year in advance of the premier's trade mission.

Conservative Mike Harris was the last Ontario premier to visit Israel, in October 1998.

Sulphate Effects to be Studied

The effects of sulphate on Canada's lakes will be the subject of an upcoming study at northwestern Ontario's Experimental Lakes near Kenora.

Researchers from York University are teaming up with others including Environment Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Officials say the results of their controlled experiments could provide information about how the increased use of road salt is affecting lakes in the province’s central and northern areas.

HST Rules Explained

Business in the Rainy River district can expect to face a host of new rules and regulations when the HST comes into effect this summer.

Last night, about 80 people attended a seminar in Fort Frances to learn more about how the harmonized sales tax would impact their business.

While HST doesn't officially kick in until July 1st, businesses could start collecting HST on some sales as early as May 1st.

FFCBC Head to Alabama

Fort Frances and the Rainy Lake will be showcased in Birmingham, Alabama next week.
Members of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce will be at the Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo to promote the area as a tourist destination.
Doug Cain says its follows a similar trip to Shreveport, Louisiana last year, but part of the focus this year will be to also promote the district as a good place to do business.
"The trade show attracts the best of the best in the fishing industry," says Cain. "So we're going to have a separate draw for industry and we're looking at promoting Rainy Lake as not just a fishing destination, but also as a good place to do business in Canada from."
Cain says they'll also be raffling off a fishing trip to Campfire Fire Camp to those who visit their booth with each person receiving a gift provided by a number of local, regional and national sponsors.

Deal Narrowly Accepted, But...

The vote on whether Ontario's colleges instructors goon strike is too close to call -- so the stress in schools will continue for awhile still.

But if the early numbers hold the students may no longer be facing a strike.

Results announced late last night indicate the instructors voted by about 51 per cent in favour of the contract offer.

52 per cent of instructors at Confederation College also supported the deal.

Ted Montgomery, head negotiator for the union, says the margins its at about 200 votes -- and about 300 mail-in ballots remain to be counted.

So the Ontario Labour Relations Board will review the ballots and the results may not be known for up to 10 days or more.

The instructors had set a strike date of next Wednesday, but if the offer is ultimately rejected, a new strike date will be determined.

Lead college negotiator Rachael Donovan says she is pleased so many faculty saw the offer as "fair and reasonable,'' but added she too will wait for the official province-wide results before declaring victory.

The college's offer includes a 5.9 per cent salary increase to a maximum of 102-thousand dollars a year by September, 2011.