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.

Infrastructure Proposal Put Forward

Premier Kathleen Wynne has unveiled what she's calling the Moving Ontario Forward plan.

 

It proposes to make nearly $29 billion available over the next 10 years for improvements to public transit, roads, bridges and highways.

 

A portion of that money will be dedicated to communities outside the Greater Toronto area.

 

Wynne says funding will come from new revenue measures, re-purposed revenues and a responsible level of debt financing.

Social Advocates Want Bills Passed At Queen's Park

Social advocacy groups want residents to write their MPPs to support of several bills.

Poverty Free-Thunder Bay's Terri Carter says there are six bills at Queen's Park that if passed, could help the province's most vulnerable workers.

They also want to see the minimum wage in Ontario boasted to $14.00 an hour with subsequent increased indexed to inflation.

Minimum Wage Hike in Minnesota

Minnesota's lowest wage earners will see an pay increase for the first time since 2005.

Governor Mark Dayton has signed off on a bill that will bump the minimum wage up to $9.50 an hour by 2016.

It will go to $8.00 this August.

Dayton, who supports the increase, says Minnesotans who work full time should be able to earn enough money to lift their families out of poverty, and through hard work and training, be able to achieve the  American Dream.

The bill past through the House and Senate last week despite opposition from Republicans.

The current wage of $6.15 is one of the lowest minimum wages in the U.S.

Fiddler Returns To Help Church

A familiar face is returning to Fort Frances to help Knox United Church.

Canadian fiddling champion Scott Woods will perform May 15.

Spokesperson Bill Gushulak says money raised will go toward the Church's renewal project.

Woods will be performing a tribute to Don Messer.

Tickets are now available at Brockies Jewellers, Fort Frances General Supply or by calling Gushulak at 274-3891

New Judge For Kenora Court

A new judge has been assigned to serve the Ontario Court of Justice but will work out of the Kenora court.

Dryden lawyer Sarah Trach has been appointed by the provincial government.

The legal community in the Rainy River district, along with area municipalities, have been lobbying for a resident judge in this area since the province let it be know a couple of years ago that a vacant position would be reassigned to Kenora.

Money For Cycling Made Available

The Liberal government wants to build more bicycle routes in the province.

It's making a commitment to spent $10-million over the next three years to help municipalities improve their cycling infrastructure. 

An extra $15-million over three years would be spent to improve the cycling infrastructure on highways, such as paved shoulders.

Bear Licence Applications Accepted

Applications for bear hunters in Minnesota are now available.

A little more than 37-hundred licenses are being made available in eleven permit areas with some issued through a draw.

The deadline to apply is May 2.

The season opens September 1.

Water Testing To Begin

US Fish & Wildlife photo

Hundreds of volunteers will take to the water this summer to measure the health of Minnesota’s rivers and lakes.

It's part of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Citizen Stream and Lake Monitoring Programs.

Volunteers collect information that helps to protect lakes and streams throughout the state.

MPAC says it's now accepting application for that job.

Festival Results Day 9

Christian Wiedenhoeft with three first place finishes and Callahan Wiedenhoeft and Alexis Latter with two each among the winners in the English Drama competition of the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts yesterday.

The competition continues at the Townshend Theatre beginning at 9 AM.

Here is a list of all winners from Monday.

Serious Monologue, Grade 11 and 12
FIRST: Taylor Shouldice
SECOND: Christian Windego

Choral Reading, Grades 11 and 12
Honorable Mention: FFHS Special Education Class

Dramatic presentation, open
FIRST: Noah Paleczny and Callahan Wiedenhoeft

Serious Solo Poetry, Kindergarten
FIRST: Alexis Latter

Humorous Solo Poetry, Kindergarten
FIRST: Alexis Latter

Humorous Solo Poetry, Grade 1
FIRST: Jaxon Strachan
SECOND: Aubrey Eldridge

Humorous Prose Reading, Grades 3 and 4
FIRST: (Tie) Christian Wiedenhoeft, Olivia Eldridge

Serious Solo Poetry, Grade 4
FIRST: Christian Wiedenhoeft
SECOND: Emma Toriseva

Humorous Solo Poetry, Grade 5
FIRST: Jenaya DeBenetti

Humorous Solo Poetry, Grade 4
FIRST: Christian Wiedenhoeft

Serious Solo Poetry, Grade 6
FIRST: Tori Anne Toriseva

Humorous Prose Reading, Grade 5
FIRST: Jenaya DeBenetti

Serious Prose Reading, Grade 7
FIRST: Callahan Wiedenhoeft