Grade 10 Literacy Test Results

2009-06-12

12:27:59

Grade 10 students with the Rainy River District School Board have scored high in recent provincial testing for literacy.

84 per cent of students who wrote the reading and writing tests in April met the provincial standards.

The board's student success leader Casey Slack says the board is pleased with the results.

"We're comparing quite favourably with the surrounding boards," says Slack, "but at the provincial level we're matching those who were successful, particularity the first time eligible."

"We do have a comprehensive board literacy plan. Teachers have a direct role in creating that plan, and the board continues to support that in a variety of ways through resources or professional development."

The board's score was just a percentage off the provincial average, but hirer than most other boards in northwestern Ontario

 

Fort High Students Honoured

2009-06-10

11:30:23

Sixty students who reached the honour roll at least seven times where among those receiving awards at Fort Frances High School's recognition ceremony Tuesday

Fort Frances high school students who excelled in the areas of music, athletics and academia were recognized yesterday.

More than two hundred students received awards for reach the honour roll multiple times.

Principal Gord McCabe says it's a reflection of the students' commitment to education.

"You always want to see students doing even better," says McCabe, "but when I watched those numbers of students walk across the stage, because its not just being on the honour roll one time, its having been on the honour roll multiple times, it tells me they are really working hard because they're acheiving in a variety of different disciplines to do that."

Co-presidents of the school's student council Dianelle Gustafson and Alex Crichton were this year's recipients of the principal's award for student leadership.

Most Valuable Certificates were award to the following students

Athletic Association - Adam Esselink

Newspaper - Sarah Kellar

Yearbook - Sarah Pryce

First Responders - Micha Gerber

O.S.A.I.D - Dawn Derendorf

Chem-Free Grad - Eric Gustafson

Drama - Cody Caul

Musical - Sam Mueller

Musical Revue - Micha Gerber and Owen Harrison

Music - Christina Empy 

 

Cyclist Travels Throught Rainy River District

2009-06-10

11:19:31

A close friend diagnosed with Cancer has let an Ontario man on a coast-to-coast cycle ride to raise money for Cancer research.

Glen Baxby cycled through the Fort Frances area yesterday.

"We started off at the Pacific Ocean, Victoria, British Columbia, on May 15," says Baxby. "and we're going to dip the bike in the Atlantic on the 14th of July."

"This started at the end of November when I heard of a friend who had been recently diagnosis with cancer. It was a matter of coming to a decision (to do the ride) and getting the proper training and guidance in terms of fitness and nutrition, and putting a committee together to get the logistics of the ride put together."

So far, Baxby has raised just over $25,000. Those wanting to make a donation can go the his Coast to Coast to Cure website.

New Provincial Chief Selected

2009-06-10

11:16:24

Chiefs and representatives from 42 First Nations across Ontario have selected a new chief for the Union of Ontario Indians.

Patrick Madahbee from the Sudbury area is the new provincial chief.

He replaces John Beaucage, who is running for national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, the largest aboriginal group in Canada.

Fantino Appointment Extended

2009-06-10

11:15:00

OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino

Julian Fantino has been re-appointed as Ontario's top cop for one more year.

Premier Dalton McGuinty says Fantino will remain the head of the Ontario Provincial Police until the end of July 2010.

Fantino, whose tenure at the OPP has at times been marred by controversy, has been at the helm of the unit since 2006.

Visitor Restrictions Imposed at Kenora Hospital

2009-06-10

11:04:37

Lake of the Woods Hospital in Kenora has restricted visits to the facility due to an respiratory illness spreading through the northwestern Ontario city

Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora is prohibiting visitors following an outbreak of a
respiratory illness in the community.

The hospital's head of patient care Leslie Brown says the hospital felt it necessary to impose the restrictions to limit reduce the risk of patients coming down with the illness.

Birchwood Terrace Nursing Home, also in Kenora, also closed its doors to visitors for similar reasons.

Health Care Wait Times

2009-06-10

11:00:21

The Ontario Health Quality Council says the majority of Ontario cancer patients who need urgent surgery within two weeks are waiting twice that time for their operation.

Council chair Lyn McLeod says some health care wait times have been reduced over the past few years, but not all.

"Thanks to Ontario's Wait Time Strategy, waits have been greatly shortened for cataract surgeries, hip and knee replacements, and some cardiac procedures," says McLeod. "But when half of cancer patients  who need urgent surgery have to wait longer than is medically acceptable, when waits for MRI scans are three to four times longer than the target, and when waits for nursing home spaces have doubled in just two years, it's pretty clear that everyone involved in delivering healthcare has to take action."

McLeod adds it's very important that the controversy surrounding the management of eHealth Ontario doesn't push back the province's 2015 date for implementing electronic health records.

 

Condo Agreement Extended

2009-06-10

10:58:14

The developer of a proposed condominum project in Fort Frances has received more time to find potential buyers for the Nelson Street project.

Fort Frances town councillors agreed to extend the deadline of a purchase agreement with Robert Zanette to July 1st.

Zanette is hoping to have at least twenty of the twenty-three units available sold before beginning construction.

No News Yet on Infrastructure Funding

2009-06-10

08:44:40

While communities in the Rainy River district wait for news on their infrastructure funding, so does the area's MP.

John Rafferty says he's been trying to determine what programs will receive funding from the federal and provincial programs governments. Several communities elsewhere in northwestern Ontario have already received funding commitments.

Rafferty suspects the lack of an announcement for the Rainy River district is just another game of politics.

"I think they're always playing politics," says Rafferty. "I spoke to a high-ranking Conservative a couple of days ago and I mentioned at least as a courtesy, so were ready when the media calls, we should get a little advance notice when the spending announcements are coming. The reply was 'we don't have to tell you a thing'."

Neither Rafferty or fellow NDP member Bruce Hyer were invited to last Friday's announcements meant for Thunder Bay and area municipalities in their ridings.

Buy Ontario Policy Promoted in Fort Frances

2009-06-09

09:20:37

Regional and local labour representatives join with Ontario Federation of Labour President Wayne Samuelson (centre) and Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty to celebrate the Federation's Drive to Work Caravan in Fort Frances 

 

The Ontario Federation of Labour rolled its Drive to Work Caravan into Fort Frances last night with a call for a Buy Ontario policy.

The Caravan is crossing northwestern Ontario to draw attention to a need to protect jobs across the province.

Speaking to town council, president Wayne Samuelson says the policy is not about protectionism.

"In the United States and Europe, they've figured this out," says Samuelson, " especially when your talking about taxpayers money invested to help us through these tough times. Let's do everything we can do to make sure those jobs are in our community at least in our province or in our country."

Mayor Roy Avis says the OFL policy will be reviewed by the town's administration and finance committee before coming to council for a decision.

Fort Frances Budget Passes

2009-06-09

09:11:07

The town of Fort Frances has passed its 2009 budget.

It includes a 1.1 per cent tax increase for residential ratepayers which is about $20 extra on a house assessed at 100-thousand dollars.

Council Rick Wiedenhoeft says its a good budget in tough economic times.

"When we're facing an overall 3 per cent increase in inflation, a 3 per cent increase in salary and benefits across the corporation, and to maintain the services that we do and still come in with at a 1.1 per cent tax increase in my opinion in phenomenal," says Wiedenhoeft.

Mayor Roy Avis called the budget affordable.

No Money for Scott Street Yet

2009-06-09

09:07:02

The town of Fort Frances still waits for funding to start work on Scott Street.

The town was hoping to begin work on the road between Colonization Road East and Reid Avenue this summer.

But Mayor Roy Avis says requests for provincial money have yet been approved.

"We have made contacts with every level of provincial government," says Avis, "right from the office in Thunder Bay right to the top. We're so of in a holding pattern until we get our funding."

CAO Mark McCaig says it would be nice to know soon if they're getting that money so they can begin work.

"We got to stop work at the end of October," says McCaig. "Maybe in the GTA they can work until the end of December. We can't do that here. If we're part of a cluster group for approval with northwestern Ontario municipalities, we should be getting these approvals a little earlier than we have been."

The town issued a tentative contract for the work in March.

Road Work Continues

2009-06-09

09:01:01

Progress continues to be made at the only road project taking place in Fort Frances.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says crews were slightly ahead of schedule on work at Nelson Street and Victoria Avenue as of last week.

Meantime, no word yet as to when work on the Portage Avenue underpass will begin.

CAO Mark McCaig says CN Rail officials are still reviewing the results of soil anchor tests and plan to discuss them with the town in the near future.

Landmark Relocation Begins

2009-06-09

08:57:54

Work has started on the relocation of the tugboat Hallet and former fire tower to the Fort Frances waterfront.

The dismantling of the tower began yesterday with fencing placed around the areas where the Pither's Point Park landmarks will go.

The work by Tom Jones and Sons is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

 

 

Lock it or Lose it!

2009-06-09

08:42:14

Ontario Provincial Police say too many people in the Fort Frances area not locking their vehicles.

Recent patrols found more than 60 per cent of the naerly 200 vehicles checked with the doors unlocked.

Constable Anne McCoy says eight still had their keys inside.

"We need people to do their part in their locking things up," says McCoy. "We can do investigations to try and solve break and enters, but we need people to help us in trying to prevent the crimes."

McCoy says they'll be promoting the importance of keeping vehicle doors locked through their youth policing initiative this summer.

 

Charges Laid in Youth Centre Assault

2009-06-09

08:41:03

Two youth have been charged in connection with an assault that has left a new native youth in Fort Frances centre empty.

Provincial police say a 15-year-old male and an 18-year-old male were part of five youths who assaulted two workers at the Ge-Da-Gi-Binez Youth Centre last Wednesday night.

Neither worker was seriously hurt.

The altercation resulted in all six youth detained at the secure custody facility being transported to a facility in Thunder Bay.

A spokesperson with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services says the ministry and centre staff are currently reviewing the incident with the intent of bringing the youth back the Fort Frances facility sometime soon.

The centre opened at the end of March.

Native Youth Centre Empty

2009-06-08

12:39:22

Officials with the Ge-Da-Gi-Binez Youth Centre in Fort Frances and the Ministry of Children and Youth Services are reviewing an incident that led to five youths assaulting two staff members.

A Ministry spokesperson says it happened Wednesday evening in the recreation yard.

One of the staff members required medical attention.

OPP were called to have the youth involved placed in their rooms before a decision was made to transport them and another youth who was not part of the altercation to Thunder Bay leaving the centre empty.

Ministry spokesperson Anne Smith says centre staff and Ministry personnel are currently meeting to discuss a possible return of the youth back to the Fort Frances centre in the near future.

The centre opened at the end of March.

Employment Opportunities for Youth

2009-06-08

12:35:53

The Ontario Provincial Police in Fort Frances have put out a call for young people interested in working with them this summer.

The Fort Frances detachment plans to hire three students for its marine and bicycle patrols.

Constable Anne McCoy says it's an great opportunity for young people interested in policing.

"They get a lot of real great hands on experience going out onto the boat," says McCoy, "learning about different vessel enforcement. Out on the bike patrol, learning how to do community policing initiatives and curbing certain areas of crime. It's very interesting work and a great experience."

Students between the age of 15 and 24 can apply for the marine program while those 14 to 17 are eligible for the bike patrols.

Resumes must be at the detachment by Wednesday.

New Forest Fire in Fort France district

2009-06-08

12:35:08

An unattended campfire has been listed as the cause of the latest forest fire in the Fort Frances district.

The fire occurred Saturday evening, and blackened about 0.1 hectare of land before it was extinguished.

The fire hazard is low in most parts of northwestern Ontario except the Fort Frances and Dryden Districts which are reporting a moderate hazard.

No Infrastructure Money Yet

2009-06-08

12:33:41

Still no word if infrastructure projects in the Rainy River district have been approved.

On the weekend, both the federal and provincial governments announced more than $3.4 billion in joint funding for nearly 14-hundred projects. The Cities of Kenora and Dryden, along with the towns of Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout and Atikokan were among those to receive money.

However, government officials have yet to say if any money is flowing elsewhere in the Rainy River district.