Heart Of The Continent Seeks Tourism Areas To Promote

The group promoting an international marketing initiative involving National Geographic is looking for areas to spotlight.

Selected sites and attractions around northwestern Ontario and northeastern Minnesota will be part of a web map in the Heart of the Continent's Geotourism project.

Committee member Eric Johnson says the public is being invited to nominee their favourites by going to traveltheheart.org by June 15.

Johnson says they hope to have the map in place later this fall.

Easter Scavenger Hunt A Success

Organizers of the first ever Easter Egg Scavenger Hunt in Fort Frances hail Saturday's event a success.

The Fort Frances Kiwanis and the Downtown Business Improvement Association combined efforts to attract about 350 kids.

Kiwanis member Scott Turvey was pleased with the turnout, despite the cold weather.

He credits the support of area businesses for making the event a success.

Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Council Passes Budget

Residents in Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls shouldn't have to dig much deeper to pay their property tax bill this year.

The township council has approved a budget with a one per cent increase in the tax rate.

Mayor Bill Thompson says with decreases in education taxes, most homeowners will actually see an overall decrease.

Thompson says the budget also includes more money into reserves for future projects.

Alcohol Link To Cancer

A new study suggests a link between alcohol and cancer.

 

Cancer Care Ontario says as many as 3-thousand new cancer cases each year in the province can be attributed to alcohol consumption.

 

Vice-president of Prevention and Cancer Control Dr. Linda Prabeneck says their finding demonstrates that a number of cancers diagnosed could be prevented by reducing the amount of alcohol won drinks.

 

Some world authorities recommend limiting your drinking to no more than two per day for men and one for women.

Burn Restrictions To Be Imposed

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is extending burn restrictions to eleven northern counties, including Koochiching County, beginning April 28.

It means the State won't be issuing permits for burning brush or yard waste.

Similar restrictions are already in place for many central Minnesota counties.

The DNR says as the snow disappears, the exposed dead grass and brush can light easily and spread fires quickly.

Child Benefit Promise

It seems the Liberals are making another budget promise.

This one ties future increases to the Ontario Child Benefit to inflation starting July 2015, if this year's provincial budget gets approved at Queen's Park.

The annual maximum payment per child under the age of 18, which is available to families making $20,000 or less a year, will rise to $1,310 this July.

IceBox Theatre Plans Tour

A radio theatre group out of International Falls is preparing to embark on a tour this year.

Members of Icebox Radio will be perform at a number of public libraries throughout northeastern Minnesota in early June.

They're doing the play "On the Air," which illustrates the history of radio drama and inviting young audience members to try their hand at radio theatre.

NOMA President Lukewarm To Latest Downloading Suggestion

The president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association doesn't think many municipalities will jump at the chance of taking over winter road maintenance of the province's highways.

It's an idea being floated by Transportation Minister Glenn Murray.

Dave Canfield says municipalities know all too well the impact of provincial downloading.

Canfield says money given by the province often diminishes, forcing local taxpayers to pick up the tab to maintain the service.

Property Assessment Concerns To Get Discussion

Winter road maintenance, not the only hot topic at this week's Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference in Fort Frances.

Thunder Bay mayor Keith Hobbs wants to know why the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation has been giving big companies taxes break, and sticking residential taxpayer with the bill.

Hobbs says MPAC's practices continue to be a big concern to communities in northern Ontario and are beginning to be felt in some southern Ontario communities.

Area mayors and reeve will get a presentation from MPAC Thursday.

Liberal Cabinet Ministers To Visit

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Ontario's Premier and four members of her cabinet are now confirmed to attend the Northwestern Ontario Municipal conference in Fort Frances.

Transportation Minister Glenn Murray, Municipal Affairs Minister Bill Mauro, Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle and Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Zimmer will answer questions from the region's municipal leaders during Friday's so-called Bearpit session.

As CFOB-News first reported last week, Premier Kathleen Wynne will speak to delegates during a Thursday evening dinner.

Goldcorp Gives Up On Osisko

Goldcorp is giving up on its bid for Osisko Mining.

The mining company says it will not raise its offer of $3.6 billion that expires tonight.

It's decision come on the heel's of last week's announcement that Yamana Gold and Angico Eagle Mines are joining forces to acquire Osisko for $3.9 billion, creating a new company called New Osisko.

Work Resumes On Causeway

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Work on the Noden Causeway is resuming.

The highway over the bridge is being reduced to one lane with reduced speed limits, signal lights and flaggers in place during the construction period.

The rehabilitation of the bridge is scheduled to end this fall.

Boat Tours To Launch

Supplied Photo

Voyageurs National Park is now taking reservations for its tour boats.

Boat tours aboard either its 49-passenger vessel, the Voyageur, or its 22-passenger, the Borealis, will begin June 15, departing from the Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake visitor centres.

Tickets are available through  www.recreation.gov or by calling the National Call Center at (877) 444-6777.

New Awareness Campaign Launched

A new campaign kicks off this week in Minnesota to educate people on the symptoms of a heart attack and the need for quick action.

Retired Bemidji physician Brian Livermore says it's critical to seek immediate help upon the onset of symptoms, as he did last August when he suffered an acute blockage, often referred to as teh widow maker.

Livermore says the best call to make when your life is on the line is to 911 when encountering symptons such as chest pain, discomfort in the arms or jaw or a shortness of breath.

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day.

It's intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment.

It was established following a massive oil spill in waters near Santa Barbara, California in 1969

Question Of The Day

Do you think municipalities should take over the responsibility of plowing provincial highways?

Let us know on our website 931theborder.ca.

MNR Defends Tag Cut

The province is defending its decision to reduce moose tags in Ontario.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says it's based on surveys that found the number of moose on the decline in at least eight of fourteen wildlife management units reviewed, including two areas in the Rainy River district.

Hunters who normally go to Units 11A and 9B will have fewer tags available to them this fall.

Dryden Woman Wins Northern Raffle

A Dryden woman is the grand prize winner of the Canadian Red Cross' Northern Raffle.

Jean Allan chose the $25-thousand  rather than a new car because she's going to use the cash to renovate her kitchen.

Proceeds from the raffle support programs such as disaster relief efforts, seniors’ transportation and housing support.

OFAH Seeks Moose Study From MNR

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is expressing its disappointment over the reduction of moose hunting tags for this coming season.

The province says its because of declines in the moose population.

OFAH's senior wildlife biologist Mark Ryckman says it doesn't fully address the all of issues impacting moose which the MNR needs to study further.

Overall the reduction in tags is about 11 per cent, but some wildlife management areas will see greater decreases such as 11A and 9B, two popular hunting spots in the Rainy River district.

International Falls Received Federal Aid

The city of International Falls is receiving some federal dollars to assist with its economic recovery.

Mayor Bob Anderson says the $200-thousand will be used to develop an economic development strategy in hopes of attracting new business to offset the job lost from last year's layoffs at the Packaging Corporation of America mill, formerly owned by Boise.

The funding is matched by funding from both the city and Koochiching County.

Minnesota DOT Seeking Vounteers

Minnesota is looking for more volunteers to help clean up its highways.

It's part of the State's Adopt a Highway program.

More than 49-thousand volunteers representing businesses, non-profits, families and individuals now participate.

The Department of Transportation says they've helped the State save $6-million annually.

College Happy With Report

Confederation College is tooting its own horn.

It's celebrating mostly good marks in the Ontario Key Performance Indicators Report.

President Jim Madder says they are especially pleased with their ranking in grad employment rates which has them number one in the province.

Student completion rates were down, but Madder says that's because students are getting hired in their field before graduating.

Local Performers Wanted

Local performers are wanted for this summer's Harmony of Nations Music Festival in Fort Frances.

Organizer Shannon Darby says selected musicians will perform between sets of the headliner during this July's event.

Interested musicians are asked to submit two You Tube performances, one being an original or innovative submission, to staff@golocalfortfrances.com by May 14.

Border Entry Point Extends To Summer Hours

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is preparing to re-open its Inspection Station at Ely for the summer season.

The station serves as an entry point in and out of the Boundary Water Canoe Area.

The station, along with others at the Ely Municipal Airport and Shagawa Seaplane Base open May 24 until September 6.

Program Helping Youth Employment

The Ontario government says its been able to find more than 10-thousand jobs for young people through its Youth Employment Fund.

The program, launched last September, provides money to employers who offer four- to six-month job placements for young people looking for work, and assistance to young employees to cover certain expenses

The province is hoping it will help 25-thousand within the first two years of the programs' existence.

Spring Bear Hunt Goes To Court

Two animal activists are seeking legal action to stop the Ontario spring bear hunt.

Animal Alliance of Canada and Zoocheck Canada have served the Minister of Natural Resources and Attorney General with an application for a judicial review.

Three judges are scheduled to hear the application April 29 in Toronto.

Festival Wraps Up

The Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts has wrapped up its competitions.

The last of the awards in English drama were presented last Wednesday with Robert Moore School classes taking a total of three first place finishes while St. Michael's School earned two.

The best of the best will perform for the highlights concert May 4 at the Townshend Theatre.

Premier To Visit

Fort Frances plays host to Ontario's Premier this week.

Kathleen Wynne is in town to attend the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference.

NOMA vice-president and town councillor Andrew Hallikas says it's hoped her attendance will lead to a few cabinet ministers showing up.

Hallikas says Wynne is confirmed to attend NOMA's banquet Thursday night, but it's not certain if she'll participate in the question and answer session of the meeting.

FFHS To Host Mini-We Day

On the heels of a successful mini-We Day in Baudette, Fort Frances High is preparing for an event of its own next month.

This one will be focused on grade 8 students entering high school next fall.

Student Chelsea Skirton says they're making use of current students to speak.

Molly Burke with the organization Me-to-We will be the key note speaker.

Rainy River High School and Baudette's Lake of the Woods High School staged an event earlier this month.

Busy Winter For Town Crews

It's been a tough winter on the infrastructure in the town of Fort Frances.

Operations Manager Doug Brown says the number of frozen water lines and cracked water and sewer pipes his crews have had to deal with is the worst he's seen.

Crews have helped thaw more than 250 water lines while digging up another 30 areas to repair cracked pipes.

Brown says he doesn't see an end to the work until there's a significant shift toward warmer weather.

Fewer Moose Hunting Tags This Year

It might be tough to obtain a moose hunting tag in Ontario this year.

The province is reducing the number of adult tags available for this year's draw by 18 per cent.

It says recent aerial surveys show the moose population is on the decline.

The largest tag reductions will occur in the areas with the largest population declines.

New Time Of Use Rates Approved

New time-of-use electricity rates in Ontario kick in May 1.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a 0.3 cent increase to both the off-peak and mid-peak rates and a 0.6 cent increase in the on-peak rate.

The Energy Board says it will result in a monthly increase of about $2.83 to the average household user.

Onegaming Part Of Energy Conservation Program

Seventeen First Nation Communities have been selected to participate in the Ontario Power Authority's saveONenergy conservation program.

 

The program is aimed at helping reduce electricity consumption and promote conservation.

 

Onegaming First Nation is among communities taking part.

Concerns With Plant Conversion Lingering

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is asking the Premier to reveal her government's plan to meet northwestern Ontario's energy needs.

Horwath says concern still lingers about the planned conversion to biomass of the Thunder Bay generating station, even after it burned its last lump of coal.

Critics don't believe the biomass supply for the plant will be large enough to generate the amount of electricity needed in northwestern Ontario.

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli says a recent meeting determined the planned conversion is doable.

Koochiching County Preparing to Submit Concerns With New Clean Water Act

Koochiching County remains critical of plans to re-write the U.S. Clean Water Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency is redefining where the act applies.

Commissioner Wayne Skoe feels its an end-run around the Legislature.

The County's intends to file its concerns when a public comment period begins.

Osisko Agrees To Friendly Acquisition

Osisko Mining has another ally as it tries to fend off a hostile takeover from Goldcorp.

Agnico Eagle Mines is joining with previously announced Yamana Gold to acquire Osisko, creating a new company called New Osisko.

The deal is valued at about $575-million dollars, well below what's being offered by Goldcorp.

Part of the agreement includes the new company continuing exploration of the Hammond Reef Gold project near Atikokan.

Minnesota Power Seeks Power Line Permits

Minnesota Power is applying for the necessary State and Federal permits for its 500-kilovolt transmission line to bring power from Manitoba to the Iron Range.

The new line is expected to be in place by 2020.

Minnesota Power is still examining potential routes, including cutting through a portion of Koochiching County.

Cost of the project is estimated at between $500 and $650 million.

New Court Information System

A new online service is up and running that helps people find out where and when they need to go to court in Ontario.

It allows users to search for basic information such as court appearances, the names of the parties involved and the time, location and reason for that appearance.

However, court information pertaining to courts in the Rainy River district is not readily available.

New NOACC President

There's a new person at the helm of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce.

Thunder Bay's Nathan Lawrence is its new president and want to ensure all chambers are working together on future projects.

Lawrence believes all the chambers should be allowed to voice their concerns and opinions on issues critical to them.

Large Construction Boom Predicted

A new study is predicting big things for the construction industry in northwestern Ontario.

Madge Richardson with the North Superior Workforce Planning Board says a large number of construction projects will result in the need for a lot of workers.

At least $7-billion dollars worth of work is expected over the next five years.

Richardson says an estimated 12-hundred new jobs will be created as a result of projects in the mining, forestry and road building sectors

Invites In The Mail

The invites are being sent out to key representatives in the health field to attend a meeting in Fort Frances this summer.

Fort Frances councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says a joint meeting involving International Falls is being organized in hopes it will lead to a sharing of medical services.

The invites are being sent to a variety of individuals at the provincial, state and federal levels.

Taxing District Proposed

Koochiching County will hold a meeting next month to consider a taxing district to cover a million dollar upgrade to Littlefork Medical Centre.

The proposal calls for the County to loan money to city of Littlefork, who owns the facility, with it repaying the County interest free over a 10 year period.

The Centre's Chief Administrator Mike Anderson says replacing the IT system is one of the critical needs.

Roof replacements and a new boiler are also needed.

Littlefork Mayor Mike Fort says creating the taxing district is really the best option available.

Fort says they are pursuing other revenue sources for other improvements at the Centre, totaling over $3-million.

Medical School Working On Strategic Plan

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is continuing to work towards creating a 5-year strategic plan.

It has created a 28 person group to oversee the planning process.

They'll start to form their plan this year and implement it next year.

Budget Day Confirmed

The provincial Liberals are now confirming the Ontario budget will be released May 1.

 

The Progressive Conservatives revealed that date last month based on documents they had obtained.

 

The Liberals have been making a flurry of announcements as a prelude to the budget.

 

If both the NDP and Tories oppose the fiscal plan, it will trigger an election, likely in June.

More Time To Complete Your Taxes

Canadians have a few extra days to complete their taxes.

The Canada Revenue Agency has pushed the deadline to file from April 30th to May 5th.

That's because of last week's shutdown of on-line services due to a a security threat.

Relay For Life Information Session

Relay for Life is fast approaching in Fort Frances.

It goes June 20th at Fort Frances High School.

Committee member Christine Denby says the theme focuses on the purpose of the event.

An information session will take place tonight at the Fort Frances Library for teams and volunteers interested.

It takes place from 6 PM to 8 PM.

You can also register a team on-line through the Relay for Life website.

Coal Free

Ontario is now coal free.

The last remaining load of coal has burned at the Thunder Bay Generating Station, Ontario's last remaining coal-fired plant.

The plant is being converted to burn biomass.

Meantime, the conversation of Ontario Power Generation's Atikokan plant continues and is expected to be complete by August.

New Brand In Place

A new marketing brand for Fort Frances is now in place.

"Fort Frances, Boundless" was created following several months of work by Calgary-based Twist Marketing.

Consultant Chris Field says it identifies the endless opportunities before the community and sets Fort Frances apart from other communities.

The brand comes with a new logo showing a bird who's wings represent the "F's" in Fort Frances.

No Shows On Casino Question

No comment from the public on Fort Frances council's intent to include a question in the fall ballot regarding casinos.

No one showed for a meeting Monday night that offered the public an opportunity to comment on the question asking if residents support the town pursuing a casino further with Ontario Lottery and Gaming.

The question's wording will come back to council for final approval later this month.

Vote-By-Mail Accepted

Fort Frances will again go with the vote-by-mail system for this fall's municipal elections.

The method has been used in every municipal election in town since 2000.

The town will also lease tabulating equipment at $9,800  to help count the votes.