Conference Planned

How We Will Sustain Ourselves.

That's the name of a Treaty 3 conference to be held in Kenora later this month.

Coordinator Mike Greaves says many different groups will be presenting.

Greaves says the meeting will also discuss best practices, opportunities, and challenges.

Conservatives Getting Ready

A new session of Parliament will begin in another month.

Federal Science and Technology Minister Greg Rickford says the Conservative caucus is working on the new agenda for the fall session.

MP's will be back in Ottawa October 16th.

Slow Going Over Causeway

It will slow going over the Noden Causeway, east of Fort Frances, later this week.

Toronto Zenith Construction will be doing some concrete work on the bridge that will require traffic to be controlled by both flaggers and a pilot vehicle.

Motorists will be slowed to about 10 kilometres an hour through the construction  zone.

The company says the work will likely begin tomorrow (Wednesday) and finish up by the end of the week.

Fundraiser Surpasses Goal

Huge success for Riverside Foundation for Health Care and its "Cowboys and Lace" fundraiser Saturday in Emo.

About $39-thousand was raised - $9-thousand more than hoped.

More than 280 people attended.

The money will go towards purchasing a new mechanical lift at the Emo Health Centre and an IV Pump at Rainy River Health Centre.

Fires Still Burning In Park

MNR file photo

Two forest fires burning within Quetico Provincial Park are among the few still active across northwestern Ontario.

The small lightning-caused blazes at the south end of the park have been burning since the end of August, but are posing no threats.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says it will continue to monitor them until they've burned themselves out.

New Campground Fees At Voyageurs

New campground fees and a reservation system will be implemented at Voyageurs National Park.

The fees will be phased in over a period of time, with certain interior and main lake campsites, houseboats sites, and rentals of boats on interior lakes, taking effect in 2014.

Spokesperson Tawnya Schoewe says a desire for a reservation system led to their consideration of fees.

Schoewe says the rates will range from 16 to 24 dollars per night, which are lower than the fees at many State campgrounds.

Falls Water Comes Close Second

International Falls has fallen short in a repeat bid to having the best drinking water in Minnesota.

The city's lost out to Duluth in this year's "best in glass" contest held by the Minnesota chapter of the American Water Works Association.

The Falls water, which won last year, did earn a people's choice award in a taste tasting event held during this year's Minnesota State Fair.

Drive-Thr Breakfast Approaching

The annual drive-through breakfast in support of the Voyageurs Lions Club is approaching.

It will take place at Tim Hortons in Fort Frances this Thursday.

Member Gaby Hanzuk says it's one of their major fundraising events.

This is the event's 10th year.

Credit Union Target Of Threat

The Northern Lights Credit Union has become a the target of threats.

The Fort Frances financial institution was closed last Thursday after a bag and a note asking staff to fill it with money was found at its back door.

OPP Constable Anne McCoy says it also made threats to other locations if the demand was not met.

As a result, all schools in Fort Frances were placed in a "hold and secure" position, requiring them to lock all doors and closely monitor those entering.

OPP confirm they're reviewing video tape from security cameras as part of their investigation.

Anyone with information can call the OPP or Crimestoppers.

Credit Union Staff Lauded

The president of Northern Lights Credit Union says staff at all of its branches are well prepared to deal with such an emergency.

Ernie Remillard says staff in Fort Frances executed emergency procedures as required.

Remillard says the situation was a traumatic for staff, but credits them for staying calm and that everyone was safe.

Human Rights Commission To Hold Training

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is holding two human rights training sessions in Thunder Bay.

The two day session is set for September 23 and 24.

Training will cover a variety of themes including anti-racism and anti-discrimenation for cities, housing and gender based harrassment.

One Snowmobile Permit Concept Promoted

An old idea to improve winter tourism opportunities in the northwest is being revived.

Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association president Dave Canfield says he's talked with officials in Manitoba, Ontario and Minnesota about having snowmobile permits recognized in each others jurisdiction instead of forcing sledders to purchase additional ones.

Canfield says any agreement will need to be signed off by the provincial and State governments.

Fort Frances Wants Help With Roads

The town of Fort Frances would like some help from the province in covering the costs of upgrading its major roads through town.

Mayor Roy Avis outlined the importance of those roads to the province during a recent meeting with Parliamentary Assistant to Transportation.

The town must now carry the full financial burden of upgrades after the province discontinued its connecting link funding program.

Falls Seeks Input On Propertu Use

The city of International Falls has started thinking about what can be done with 122 acres located along the Rainy River beside the Falls Country Club.

The city acquired the land in a deal with the Donahue family trust four years ago.

Director of Economic & Community Development Shawn Mason says they've now turned to the public for advise on possible uses.

The city's holding four public meeting to gather input before council reviews possible recommendations at the end of the year.

The next meeting takes place Spetember 25 at the AmericInn.

County Sets Levies

Little change in the amount of tax dollars Koochiching County expects to collect in 2014.

The County has set its proposed tax levy at just under $4-million, the same as it is this year.

The county has also approved tax levies for the taxing districts covering land ambulance services and fire protection

Increases are identified in the Littlefork Ambulance Service District and the Fire districts covering Loman and Littlefork.

Woman Dies In Accident

The Vermillion Bay woman whose vehicle collided with two horses on Highway 17 near Dryden has died.

The 38 year old was sent on last weekend to Thunder Bay hospital for treatment but OPP say she succumbed to her injuries on last Tuesday night.

Minister Says Province Protecting MNR

Ontario's Natural Resources Minister says the NDP has it all wrong.

David Orazietti is disputing claims by the opposition that an internal reorganization of the MNR will hurt northern Ontario.

Orazietti says all area offices are remaining open and the changes have led to 36 new positions being creating in northwestern Ontario.

Doctor Support Tanning Bed Bill

Ontario's doctors are applauding the Liberal government plans to move ahead with a bill to ban teens from using tanning beds.

President of the Ontario Medical Association Dr. Scott Wooder says Ontario's doctors have been sounding the alarm about the harmful effects of tanning beds, especially in children, for several years.

The Liberals intend to fast track the bill into law.

E-Mazing Racers Passing Through Fort Frances

Competitors in the E-mazing race are filtering through Fort Frances.

About forty electric vehicles are crossing the country in the race between Seattle and Prince Edward Island.

Joe Squire of Sun Country Highway says it's promoting both the vehicles reliability and the infrastructure now in place.

Competitors earn points for each charging station they stop at like the one at the La Place Rendez-Vous.

Payday Loans Act To Get Review

The Ontario government says it's going to be taking a close look at it's Payday Loans Act.

The five year old bill was adopted in 2008 to better protect customers.

The province says the review is in response to technological changes in the payday loan industry.

Tuition Rates Continue To Rise

More evidence of the how tuition rates have soared across Canada.

Statistics Canada says full-time students in undergraduate programs are paying 3.3 per cent more in fees this year, on top of a 4.2 per cent increase last year.

Ontario students are paying the highest with the average coming at about $7,200.

Ride Comes To An End

The weather was less than ideal, but the trip was a success.

Three firefighters from Atikokan and one from Dryden have completed a bike trip from the Manitoba-Ontario border to Thunder Bay.

Dryden's Reagan Breeze says it was all for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

The four began their ride Monday.

CCS To Charge Fee For Transportation Services

Some cancer patients in northwestern Ontario will see a new charge if they need a ride to the Cancer Centre while in Thunder Bay.

The Canadian Cancer Society says any patient signing up to access its transportation service after October 1 will be billed a one-time 100-dollar registration fee.

Regional director Barbara Spencer cites rising costs and increased demand.

The fee does not apply to patients using public transportation or those who qualify for coverage under the Northern Health Travel Grant.

Fight Against Merge Continues

The town of Fort Frances continues to lobby against its municipally owned power corporation being forced into a merger arrangement.

The Liberals have said it won't legislate any mergers, but there's industry concern government could implement measures forcing small utilities to join with larger ones.

Mayor Roy Avis, who attending a recent workshop in Ottawa, says Fort Frances power users are already enjoying the lowest electricity rates in the province and a merger with a utility such as Hydro One could lead to those rates going up.

Avis members of the Power Corp. have meetings planned with the Deputy Minister of Energy to discuss the issue.

Province Takes Action To Protect Consumers

The Ontario government is taking action against the tactics used by certain companies to sell their products.

New legislation introduced is aim specifically at companies who offer deals on water heaters door-to-door and debt settlement services.

It's also proposing more protection for home buyers and sellers in real estate bidding and gives them more power to negotiate fees when working with a real estate firm.

Deficit Drops

Ontario's deficit is coming in lower than expected.

The figure for the 2012-13 fiscal year of $9.2 billion dollars is $5.6 billion less than projected by the Liberal government in its 2012 budget.

One-time labour savings and spending cuts are cited as contributing factors.

Five Facing Drug Charges

Four men and a woman are facing drug charges following a series of separate investigations by the OPP in the Rainy River district in the past couple of weeks.

Three of the people were found with a total of over 80 oxycodone tablets.

Another was charged after police seized 20 marijuana plants and 32 grams of marijuana from the LaVallee township area.

And last Friday, acting on a tip, police intercepted a Thunder Bay man travelling to Fort Frances to find 126 grams of marihuana, drug paraphernalia and a butterfly knife in his possession.

Federal Grant Requested

Federal funding is being sought to implement some of the measures identified that could offset the impact of job loss at the Boise mill in International Falls.

Koochiching County Commissioner Wade Paveleck says its key to accomplishing the goals of a job recovery team with the city.

The exact dollar figure requested is still to be determined.

Pavleck says they hope to have better idea of the how much by the time they complete an application in time for Friday's deadline.

City Goes To Public For Input

The city of International Falls is hoping for some input on a parcel of landing to the west of the city.

It obtained the 122 acres adjacent to the Rainy River and Falls Country Club in a deal with the Donahue family trust in 2009.

Director of Economic and Community Development Shawn Mason says some ideas have been floated already, including a suggestion the city do nothing and sell it off.

The city's holding a series of public meeting to gather input, the first of which was held Wednesday night.

The next takes place at the AmericInn September 25.

Plane Crash Near Kenora

Another crash of an airplane in the Kenora area.

Provincial Police say it happened Tuesday afternoon on Black Sturgeon Lake while the float plane was conducting touch and go take offs and landings.

OPP say the pilot lost control and made contact with the water.

The pilot suffered minor injuries.

Riverside Bring Bottled Water For Emo Hospital

Riverside Health Care Facilities says it's implemented a number of precautions at its Emo Health Centre as the township goes through a boil water advisory.

Work on the water treatment facility led to the advisory going into place Tuesday until further notice.

Riverside says it's supplying bottle water for all patients and residents at the Health Centre and has implemented measures within its food service and infection prevention and control.

MPP Wants Liberals To Resist HST Increase

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell wants a guarantee the Liberals won't hike the HST or gas taxes to offset the cost of expanding transit services in southern Ontario.

It's a suggestion offered by Metrolinx to help fund services in the Great Toronto and Hamilton areas.

Campbell says her constituents are concerned about how the province will fund strategy, noting northerners are tapped out.

Tuition Rates Not Fair

A Canadian student group says a lack of national standards for post-secondary education is leading to a discrepancy in tuition rates across the country.

A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds Ontario with the highest tuition fees while the most affordable is in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Chair of the Canadian Federation of Students Jessica McCormick says standards for post-secondary education should be set and enforced by the feds in the same matter as health care.

Fort Frances Appealing MPAC Ruling

The town of Fort Frances intends to appeal yet another decision by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation could impact on the the tax rolls.

The MPAC ruling reduces the assessed valued placed on Union Gas's underground pipe.

Councillor Ken Perry says a similar ruling for Rainy River has Union Gas paying more in that community.


Perry says the ruling is also far greater than one for Atikokan where Union Gas was granted a 2.5 per cent decrease.

Hazardous Waste Day Successful

A large quantity of hazardous materials has been diverted away from the Fort Frances landfill site.

Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown says a collection day Saturday, hosted by the town, resulted in 28 tonnes of material, such as paints and batteries, being dropped off by area residents.

Brown says that's more than double what previous collection days have netted.

The material will now be taken away for safe disposal.

Boil Water Advisory In Place At Emo

A boil water advisory is in place for the township of Emo.

A release says it's because of emergency repairs that are needed at the township's water treatment plant.

The advisory remains in place until further notice.

Mammography Unit Receives Accreditation

An important designation for Riverside Health Care Facilities.

It's digital mammography unit at the La Verendrye General Hospital has received a three-year accreditation from the Canadian Association of Radiologists.

Riverside has always had accreditation status with its old system, and officials say the new designation is a continence of the gold standard of care being provided.

The digital mammography unit went in place last October following an aggressive fundraising campaign by Riverside Foundation For Health Care.

Terry Fox Run This Weekend

The annual Terry Fox run is set to go this Sunday.

In Fort Frances, the event will take place at the Sorting Gap Marina.

Co-organizer Jane Trivers says its open to people of all ages.

Registration will go Sunday at 1 p-m with the run taking place at 2 followed by a dinner and awards presentation at the Church of the Holy Spirit .

MPP Wants Changes To Door-to-Door Tactics

Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is declaring war on door to door energy retailers.

Campbell wants the province to take action against companies that sign residents up for higher electricity rates.

Consumer Services Minister Tracy MacCharles says she's been in discussions on how they can better inform the public about what they are purchasing when they sign those contract.

New Parliamentary Assistants Announced

A new role for a member of provincial parliament with implications to northwestern Ontario.

John Fraser has been appointed Parliamentary Assistance to both the Ministers of Natural Resources and Northern Development and Mines.

Fraser is the MPP for Ottawa south.

Meantime, Premier Kathleen Wynee has also appointed Joe Dickson as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.

Mitzie Hunter becomes Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Community and Social Services.

Public Meeting On Town Budget Planned

Public will get the say first as Fort Frances town council prepares to craft a budget for 2014.

A meeting to provide input goes September 23.

The input, along with the various department budgets, will be review before council sits down and looks at preliminary documents early in the new years.

Power Going Out

Another lengthy power outage is planned in the region.

This one will impact residents living in Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls area as well as the Onigaming and Sabaskong Bay First Nations

It's scheduled to go Sunday September 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hydro One says its necessary for crews to continue ongoing upgrades to equipment.

Groups Continue Work On Heritage River Designation

Efforts to designate a historical water route through northwestern Ontario continues.

Several groups want a Canadian Heritage River designation in place between Pigeon River to La Lac Croix extended to Lake of the Woods.

President of the Rainy Lake Conservancy Stephen Challais says their proposal is a little unique to others given that its border waters.

Challais says the proposal is in the nomination phase where a brief is to be submitted to Parks Canada for review before moving on.

Driver Dies While Racing At Emo

Borderland Racing photo

Provincial Police are calling it a sudden death.

67-year-old Bill Reimer, the driver of the number 18 modified car,  died while racing at Emo Speedway Saturday.

According to OPP, Reimer's race car left the track and was found inside unresponsive.

Paramedics with Rainy River District Emergency Medical Services on site performed resuscitation efforts but were unable to revive him.

It's the first death involving a driver at the track in twenty years.

Spending Watchdog Planned

The Ontario government is moving quickly to establish a new new spending watchdog.

The Financial Accountability Officer, once approved, will provide independent analysis to all MPPs about the state of the province's finances.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa says they would also be tasked with providing financial cost or benefit to the province of any public bill.

Liberals says its too early to say when the officer will be in place, noting legislation must first past with the potential candidate elected by a committee of all three parties.

Auction Helps Locum House

A charity auction has netted some big dollars for Rainy River's locum rental house.

Over one hundred bidders sought thousands of items put up for auction Saturday in River Rainy.

About 47-hundred dollars was raised to help offset the home's construction.

The house, which opened earlier this year, was built for travelling medical professionals to rent while providing care at both the Rainy River Medical Centre and clinic.

Firefighters Cycling Across Northwestern Ontario

Some northwestern Ontario firefighters are cycling there way through northwestern Ontario.

Three from Atikokan and one from Dryden are taking part in a fundraising ride in support of Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

They left the Manitoba-Ontario border Monday and hoped to reach Thunder Bay by the time a firefighters conference gets underway today.

Bears Trap Hunter

A long ordeal for a hunter at a camp in the Dryden area.

Provincial Police were called out Saturday after a camp owner, checking on one of their guests, found the hunter stuck up a tree, surrounding by seven bears, four of which were cubs.

Officers managed to get the hunter down without incident or any shots being fired at the animals.

No Research At ELA Just Yet

Research at the Experimental Lakes Area won't be starting right away.

Despite a funding announcement by the provincial government last week, the International Institute for Sustainable Development says it won't be ready to take over until next spring.

Project manager Matt McCandless says there's still lots of work to do, including finding the rest of the money it expects will be needed to offset operating costs.

McCandless says the $2-million from Ontario will only cover about half of their estimated costs.

Committee Volunteers Wanted

More volunteers are wanted for a couple of advisory committees to a new board examining the region's border waters.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown is co-chair of the International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Board and says they'd like a few more reps to a public advisory committee and another for industry.

Both committees will report directly to the watershed board and have representatives from both Ontario and Minnesota.