Big Bang

Reports of a loud explosion yesterday sent OPP in Fort Frances scrambling to seek out its source.

OPP began receiving calls from residents and business owners between the Nickle Lake area and Stanjikoming First Nation just before 2 p.m. who either heard the explosion or felt their homes shake.

Police were eventually led to a quarry along Highway 502 where a mining company had conducted a blast around that time.

Local Sports for Wednesday December 16

Fort Frances Lakers lost 3-2 to the Dryden Ice Dogs at the Ice for Kids Arena last night in a game went to a shootout.

Lakers led 2-1 going into the third on goals by Tyler Stevenson and Colton Kennedy before the Ice Dogs tied it and sent it to overtime and the shootout.

Dryden's Kevin Burton was the only skater to score in the shootout.


In high school hockey, Fort Frances Muskies boys' team defeated the Beaver Brae Broncos 12-1.

International Falls Broncos boys' hockey team ran its unbeaten streak to four games with a 4-0 win over the Lake of the Woods Bears.

Willie Corrin , Jordan Christianson, Jon McDonald and Ryan Tomevi did the scoring.

Mike Hart stopped 19 shots for the shutout.


The Broncos girls' hockey team defeated Hibbing in overtime 2-1.

Sidney Raboin got the the game winner.

Ashley Barr had the Broncos other goal


And the Fort Frances Canadians Midget AA team lost to Grand Rapids in overtime by a 4-3 count.


The Fort Frances Muskies junior boys' basketball team defeated Kenora's Beaver Brae Broncos 30-18.

The junior girls' volleyball team lost to Beaver Brae in four-sets.

The International Falls Broncos boys' basketball team lost for the first time in three games, dropping a 52-44 decision to Chisholm.

Mill Purchased

The idled plywood and waferboard mills at Longlac Wood Industries have been acquired by a group including the Municipality of Greenstone, Ginoogaming First Nation and private investors.

The new company is to be called Kenogami Industries.

There is no word yet on when the operation, which made furniture products under Kruger, might go back into production.

About 130 workers were laid off in January when it stopped operating.

Emission Rules Approved

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency board has approved new regulations to curb haze over northern Minnesota.

The state rules are aimed at cutting 30-thousand tons of emissions annually to reduce haze over areas such as Voyageurs National Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area that receive special protections under the federal Clean Air Act.

They must still be approved by the U-S Environmental Protection Agency, which has ordered that air over national parks and wild lands should be haze-free by 2064.

Flowers Purchased

There will be fewer flowers planted at town parks and cemeteries next year.

The town of Fort Frances will purchase 4,500 dozen flowers from Lowey's Greenhouse for next season at a cost of about $13-thousand.

This year the town purchased 5,100 dozen flowers which cost about $13,500.

Shevling Purchased

The town of Fort Frances will pay more than $107-thousand for shelving at the new library and technology centre.

Carr McLean Limited was awarded a contract for the shelving at Monday night's council meeting.

Vote by Mail Accepted

Residents of Fort Frances will be able to vote by mail in the 2010 municipal elections.

Council approved the method in a by-law Monday.

Mail-in ballots were first introduced to Fort Frances in the 2000 municipal election.

Donations Flood In

There's been an overwhelming response to Family and Children Services Rainy River call for donations for the Pikangikum First Nation.

Jacquee Loerzell estimates nearly seven thousand pounds worth of children's clothing and food items have been received.

"It went amazing," says Loerzell. "We're absolutely shocked at how much stuff we ended up collected for the community and how absolutely the (local) community has been to us over the past few weeks."

Loerzell says they're now looking to either fly and truck the items to the reserve by mid-January.

Teacher Talks Break Off

Negotiations with the province's nine-thousand community college teachers has broken off and no new talks are expected.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union says that leaves it no choice but to plan for a January 13 strike vote.

OPSEU president Warren "Smokey" Thomas says for the second time in two weeks their bargaining team came forward with significant changes to their position.

The union represents faculty at 24 community colleges, including those at Confederation College and its Fort Frances campus.

Crown Corporations Up for Sale?

Ontario's best known Crown corporations may be going on the block.

The Globe and Mail says the McGuinty government has hired two financial companies to look into selling some of the Crown agencies to help cut down the 25-billion dollar deficit.

The paper says Hydro One, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, the LCBO and Ontario Power Generation could be sold off.

Local Sports for Tuesday December 15

Fort Frances Muskies boys' basketball and girls' volleyball teams opened their NORWOSSA yesterday with home games against Dryden.

The senior boys' basketball team beat the Eagles 64-28 while the junior boys were 68-24 winners.

Both the senior and junior girls' volleyball teams lost to Dryden in 3-sets.

All four teams are in Kenora today.

In the Falls, the Broncos girls' basketball team beat Chisholm 52-41.

The boys team will play Chisholm tonight - 7:30 at the high School.


In bantam girls hockey last night, BDO Dunwoody Stars defeated Energy Wild 4-2.

Katie Sinclair and Shelby Tymkin each scored a pair for the Stars.

Shelby Rea and Sarah Milling replied for the Wild.


Fort Frances Canadians Midget AA hockey team will travel to Grand Rapids tonight.

On the weekend, the Canadians placed seventh at the Spirit of Duluth Hockey Tournament, winning once, losing twice and tying another.


High School hockey tonight sees the Fort Frances Muskies boys' hockey team travelling to Kenora for a NORWOSSA game against the Beaver Brae Broncos.

In the Falls, the Broncos boys' hockey team hosts Lake of the Woods - 7:30 at Bronco Arena.

The girls' hockey team is in Hibbing.


The Fort Frances Lakers will host the Dryden Ice Dogs - 7:30 at the Ice for Kids Arena.


Former Fort Frances Sabres Ryan Faragher has been named goaltender of the month for November in the North American Hockey League.

Faragher is now a member of the Bismarck Bobcats and went 3-0-2 during the month.

Skills Development Funding Issued

Several first nations communities in the Rainy River District will share in funding being provided by the provincial government for aboriginal economic development and skills development training.

Almost $700-thousand dollars will go to Nigigoonsiminikaaning, Big Grassy River, Naicatchewenin, Rainy River, Onigaming and Stanjikoming First Nations.

Seven Generations Education Institute also received $75-thousand.

Payday Loan Concerns

Consumer activists say a move by the Ontario government to cap rates on payday loan companies will hurt the people who use the services.

Starting today, payday loan firms can charge a maximum of 21 dollars for every 100 dollars borrowed.

John Lawford of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre says that works out to 700 per cent annually.

Essay Winner Makes Presentation

Another winner of the town of Fort Frances' local government week essay contest made her say at last night's council meeting.

Grade 10 student Carly Pruys commented on the town's friendly atmosphere among its business community as a plus for the town.

"Whenever you walk into the majority of the stores here you will almost always be greeted with a 'How are you today? Can I help you with something?', and a smile," said Pruys. "It seems that the many people will go out of their way to help you if you're in need."

Pruys added that even though young people do move away, many return in later years.

HMCS Fort Frances Presentation

A photograph of HMCS Fort Frances will now be on display at the Fort Frances Civic Centre.

Town council was presented the photo in a presentation last night.

Lieutenant Terry Newman explained the ships history.

"Commissioned at Port Arthur on October 28, 1944, she arrived at Halifax on November 26, and sailed for Bermuda in January, 1945 to work up," said Newman. "Returning to Halifax, Fort Frances served briefly with escort groups W-8 and W-9 of Western Escort Force before being paid off into maintenance reserve on August 3, 1945. She was again in commission from October 23, 1945 to April 5, 1946, and in 1948 was handed over to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys as a hydrographic survey ship. In 1958 she reverted to naval service as a civilian-manned oceanographic research vessel. She was sold for breaking-up in 1974."

The presentation was part of the Canadian Navy 100 anniversary celebrations taking place in 2010.

Student Loans Defaulted

New data from the Minnesota Department of Education says almost 29 per cent students who borrow loans to attend Rainy River Community College defaulted on their loans.

The school is listed as having the second-highest default rate in the state.

Overall, six percent of students in Minnesota who took out government education loans are in default, compared with the national average of 12 per cent.

Committee Members Named

Three area residents have been appointed to two town of Fort Frances committees.

John McTaggart will serve on the town's Economic Development Advisory Committee.

Robin Dennis and Catherine Cuthbertson were appointed to the new Sunny Cove Camp Advisory Committee.

Terms for all three individuals will end next November.

Council Agrees to New Light

Fort Frances town council has agreed to install a new street light in front of the Bethel Baptist Church on Morrison Crescent.

Council agreed to the light after the church and area residents raised one-thousand dollars towards the capital costs.

In agreeing to the light, council is hoping the church to will make a sincere effort to raise the remaining 800 dollars for the project.

Lakers Requests to be Discussed

A request for lower rental fees and financial assistance for the Fort Frances Lakers junior A hockey club will get a review today by members of Fort Frances administration and finance committee.

The Lakers put forward their requests back in September.

Administration is recommending council agree to a package that was similarly offered to former owners of the Fort Frances Sabres which included ice rentals at the youth rate, a 25 per cent cut in pool and fitness centre memberships and that the town consider a sponsorship package in its 2010 budget.

Skate Sharpening Proposal Denied

Fort Frances council rejected last night a proposal from a area man to establish a skate-sharpening operation at the Memorial Sports Centre.

Councillor Andrew Hallikas says Paul Cousineau's proposal wasn't fully complete.

"The proposal didn't match what was original given to us," says Hallikas. "It wasn't clear to us what items, for instance, were to be sold. It wasn't a complete proposal."

Some councillors also felt the town would be unfairly subsidizing a business to operate in the Sports Centre if they accepted the proposal.