Hydro Rebate

Fort Frances Power Corporation customers will be receiving a big rebate on their bills next month.

CEO Jorge Ruppenstein says it's the result of lobbying to have a provincial global adjustment dropped.

"This piece of legislation was revised and we were able to influence the revised version that was announced in 2010 to properly address the historic power agreement," says Ruppenstein. "Under the spirit of the agreement, it is exempt from this charge."

Ruppenstein says the rebate of $288.00 will be credited to customers bills over the next two months.

Forest Fire Declared Out

A forest fire that was burning 45-kilometres north of Fort Frances has now been declared as being held.

The fire scorched about four hectares and needed aggressive ground and air attack.

Cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Parks Open

Parks across Ontario opened for the first time on the weekend.

Manager of Operations for Ontario Parks Bruce Van Staalduinen is anticipating a good year.

"Reservations to date have been very strong," says Van Staalduinen. "We've processed 135-thousand reservations since January. That's about a 9-thousand increase from last year. The gas prices and the cool wet weather this spring haven't had an impact as this point in time."

There are still several vacancies available at parks across the region.

Check Your Cottages

With many residents heading to their cottages, the Ontario Provincial Police has come out with annual suggestions on cottage safety.

Police say you should make-up a check-list if you haven't already to ensure buildings are safe.

OPP say thieves usually target electronics and alcohol, so you shouldn't leave them around when you're not there.

Big Bike Successful

The totals aren't available, but the Heart and Stroke Foundation says its Big Bike riding in Fort Frances was a success.

Jack Junkin, a beneficiary of Foundation research, drove the bike for the groups and says their fundraising efforts are working.

"It's very important," says Junkin. "Everyone who's on the planet has a heart. Sometimes they're not in the best of conditions and we need the research and money to keep things going."

The Foundation says it would like to bring the bike back to Fort Frances more frequently.

Regional College Campuses Important

The in-coming president of Confederation College sees it's regional campuses playing an important role in the College's success.

Jim Madder replaces the retiring Patricia Lang in July.

He says wants to build on the regional relationships the College now enjoys.

"I'm looking forward to working more with the local communities to establish exactly what is needed and to figure the best way to deliver it," says Madder, "not just from Confederation College but to also facilitating other institutions in those communities as well."

Madder says he saw first hand the success of distance education while with Sir Sandford Fleming College in the delivery of an aquaculture program to the Rainy River region several years ago.

Border to get Busy

Officials in both Canada and the U.S. are warning of longer than usual lines at the Fort Frances-International Falls border this May long weekend.

They expect the amount of traffic crossing the border to start increasing as early as today.

They say wait times to cross could reach up to 45 minutes long during peak times.

Enforcement Numbers Released

Canada Border Services Agency has released the results of an enforcement blitz conducted during the Easter long weekend at the Fort Frances border.

98 per cent of the 900 vehicles and 18-hundred travellers checked were found complying with border regulations.

Officers did have to seize some undeclared and prohibited goods while refusing entry to four individuals.

Riverside Phone Troubles

Some telephone difficulties for Riverside Health Care Facilities.

Officials say its phone message system is not working properly.

This impacts hospitals in Fort Frances, Rainy River and Emo, Rainycrest Long Term Care Facility and the clinics in Rainy River and Emo.

Officials says if your calling a direct line, after four rings hang up and try again later.

If you are trying to reach the Rainy River or Emo clinics, the LaVerendrye switchboard will direct you to the clinic's main phone line.

More Fires in District

Fire crews from the Rainy River district were called out to two new forest fires yesterday.

One located about 45 kilometres north of Fort Frances required aggressive ground and air attack.

The fire is about four hectares in size and listed as not under control.

The other blaze was spotted five kilometres north of Pinewood, burning in a ditch but was quickly extinguished.

Wasaya Enters Helicopter Business

Five communities with Rainy Lake Tribal Development Corporation are part of a new ownership group involving Wayasa Air and Kelner Helicopters.

Wasaya chair Hez Sakakeep says it's a move which will give Kelner a whole new market to build on.

Sakakeep says in turn Wasaya gets to take advantage of the demand for helicopter services in the Ring of Fire mining development.

Big Bike in Fort Frances

The Heart and Stroke Foundation brings its Big Bike to Fort Frances today.

Area coordinator Cindy Engstrom says the 29-seat bicycle will be at Shopper's for groups, organizations or individuals to participate.

"It's a great fun team building event," says Engstrom. "It's a great opportunity for businesses and employees to increase moral and show their support and visibility in the community."

The Foundation uses the bike to raise awareness and money for heart disease and stroke research.

AbitibiBowater Focuses on Canadian Operations

AbitibiBowater is taking a close look at its Canadian operations to find additional savings.

Chief executive officer Richard Garneau says the company is benchmarking its Canadian mills against one another and looking at staffing levels at some facilities.

Garneau says the company will identify the machines that have the best potential and make tough decisions about the rest.

Library Bids

The town of Fort Frances has received two expressions of interest for the former library building.

Evangelical Fellowship Church in Fort Frances and the Fort Frances Community Clinic submitted separate bids for the now vacant facility.

CAO Mark McCaig says the Salvation Army had also indicated interest, but never submitted a formal bid.

A computer glitch, though, did prevent the town from received bids yesterday by e-mail.

McCaig says bids sent that way would be accepted if it was determined they were sent before yesterday's deadline.

A final decision is not expected for at least another month.

Prescribed Burns Planned

(file photo)


Voyageurs National Park will conduct two prescribed burns today.

The park's fire management officer Scott Bressler says the burns will happen on Sheep and Ram Islands in Lake Kabetogama as part of an effort to maintain fire as a part of the ecosystem.

"It's mainly over growth with brush," says Bressler. "So we'd like to try to reduce the amount of brush and create a seed bed for what pine is left on those islands."

The park is advising boaters to avoid the islands when the fire starts this afternoon.

Border Protection

Canada will contribute to American efforts to better patrol the northern U.S. border.

It will provide information from 22 Canadian radar feeds starting in November.

The information will be passed onto a California organization that examines air traffic along the border.

Relay for Life in Atikokan

Planning for the Relay for Life in Atikokan continues.

Spokesperson Kerri Hensrud says they still have plenty of room for more teams and cancer survivors to take part in the Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser.

"We have thirteen teams so far," says Hensrud. "We also promoting to get our survivors out there. We're celebrating that evening with a dinner in their honour and they will help kick the ceremony off."

The event takes place May 27th at North Star Community School.

Fire Aid to Alberta

The Ministry of Natural Resources is sending help to fight forest fires in Alberta.

Spokesperson Debbie MacLean says personnel and equipment will leave Ontario today.

"There will be four twenty-person fire crews and four strike team leaders working with those fire crews as well as one agency representative," says MacLean.

MacLean says crews will be assigned their specific roles when the arrive in Alberta.

More Forest Fires in NWO

Six new forest fires broke out yesterday in northwestern Ontario including one in the Rainy River district.

Crews responded to a lightning caused fire located about ten kilometres northwest of Atikokan.

The fire is now listed as under control at about one hectare in size.

Custom Changes to Benefit Fort Frances

Canada Border Services says more aircraft could be landing in Fort Frances after airports in Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake opted not to continue customs services.

Spokesperson Chris Kealey says Fort Frances is now one of two area airports that will provide year-round services.

"We expect that some of those flights that had otherwise gone to those three locations who may now choose Fort Frances as their stop to report to the CBSA, that could increase the numbers certainly in Fort Frances," says Kealey

Kealey says the closeness of the airport to its Fort Frances office makes it easy to service.