History Project in the Works

The history of stock car racing in Emo is being compiled in a new on-line project.

Past-president of the Borderland Racing Association, Anthony Leek says what started out as a book has resulted in the development of hundreds of pages of information that's about to be made public.

"It's basically like a giant newspaper," says Leek, "that has information about individual driver, individual events, organizations that have been involved, sponsors, stuff like that."

Leek says he still gathering information before making the historical project before making the site public.

To assist, you can contact Leek through the Borderland Racing Association's website.

LGA Cuts Concerning

A Minnesota Senator says he has sympathy for International Falls that could see another cut in local government state aid payments.

Governor Tim Pawlenty's decision to make further cuts to L-G-A has angered many municipalities, including the Falls, and Tom Saxhaugh says they have a right to be mad.

"It's a huge part of their (International Falls) budget," says Saxhaugh. "It's a very large amount of services they're going to have to cut unless we can do something about it."

Saxhaugh feels Pawlenty is being swayed to eliminate LGA by cities and who currently don't receive or need the funding.

Health Leaders Recognized

Several employees with the Rainy Lake Medical Centre in International Falls have been recognized by the Centre's Executive Team.

Sue DeBenedet, the director of Patient Financial Services was cited as Leader of the Year for her role in last year's integration of the hospital and clinic.

Six department director were presented with "All-Star" leader awards for their dedication to patient care as well as to their team.

They included: Ann Gross-Resch, Director of Health information Management; Kathy Hughes, Nursing Supervisor; Robyn Pelowski, Clinic Support Services Supervisor; Donita Ettestad, Director of Case Management; Margaret Hyatt, Director of Environmental Services; and Nissa Fougner, Director of the Therapy and Wellness Center.

Economic Good News

Finally, some good news about Ontario's economy which has taken a severe beating for years.

The Conference Board of Canada predicts the province will have the second strongest economy in the country this year and thousands of new jobs to go with it.

While lagging behind B-C, Ontario is expected to outpace the national average for the first time in a decade.

The board predicts Ontario will grow by 3.5 per cent this year.

The board says the credit for the turnaround will go to the auto sector which should have double-digit growth.

Ontario is projected to gain about 74-thousand new jobs this year.

Jail Time Sought

The Crown is going to ask today for a jail term for a man who admits he stood by while his severely depressed wife took her own life in a northern Ontario motel.

The prosecutor admits 47-year-old Peter Fonteece is no "Dr.Kevorkian,'' but says his failure to call for help after his wife Yanisa took 40 sleeping pills warrants jail.

Fonteece is to appear in a Thunder Bay court today for a sentencing hearing after pleading guilty to criminal negligence causing death.

The body of 38-year-old Yanisa Fonteece was discovered in a Super8 Motel room last February after her husband phoned 9-1-1.

Retirement Home Regulation

The McGuinty government is going to start regulating retirement homes, just as the province's aging population starts to head into them.

Seniors Minister Gerry Phillips says he will introduce legislation this spring that will ensure all retirement homes meet certain standards.

Phillips declined to divulge any specifics since the legislation is still being drafted but an agency to oversee them is a possibility.

The bill will include minimum safety and care standards and a resident's bill of rights.

There are about 750 retirement homes in Ontario housing about43-thousand residents.

Retirement homes aren't regulated in Ontario like nursing homes,which receive government funding to provide medical care to elderly patients.

They do have to meet provincial fire and building codes, abide by tenant protection laws and meet public health and food safety rules.

Push for Via Rail Again

The move is on again to bring back passenger rail service to the southern parts of northwestern Ontario.

Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer plans to introduce a private members motion on the issue when parliament resumes and feels the time is right to restore service.

"One is because of greenhouse gases," says Hyer. "Rail is far more energy efficient than cars or buses. Secondly bus service has been dwindling in the north and we badly need rail service as an alternative."

Via Rail currently runs on CN Rail's northern line.

Relay for Life Planned

The town of Rainy River is planning to host a Relay for Life event this summer to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Co-chair Andrew Hartnell says the 12-hour relay will be held June 11 at the Rainy River High School.

"Last year during our Railroad Days we had our Cuts for Cancer fundraiser," says Hartnell. "Margaret Saville in Dryden (of the Canadian Cancer Society) contact me and said that since we did such a good job on Cuts for Cancer she felt it would be a good idea for us to do a relay."

Hartnell says seven teams have already registered and organizers are hoping for at least ten.

Team can register on-line at http://convio.cancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=RFL_CAN_home_accueil&s_locale=en_CA or by calling Hartnell at the Rainy River Municipal office.

Native Health Discussed

Health issues impacting First Nations communities will be the focus of a meeting in Toronto today.

The Health Forum is expected to attract a diverse audience from First Nations Chiefs, community health workers, and policy and program officers from First Nations and government.

Key topics to be addressed include prescription drug abuse, health promotion, injury prevention and public health.

No Hospital Meetings in North

There will be no no meetings in northwestern Ontario, but the Ontario Health Coalition says it is willing to consider giving northerners a chance to voice their concerns over the future of rural and northern hospitals.

The Coalition is holding a series of meetings elsewhere, but Executive Director Natalie Mehra says they are open to more sessions.

"Because we're paying for these ourselves and we have to fundraise to do everything we do we couldn't do an endless number of hearings," says Mehra. "But if people request hearing in their area they just have to let us know."

The coalition plans to start hearings March 4.

Air Pollution Fight Abandoned?

Ontario's environmental commissioner says the province appears to be abandoning efforts to combat air pollution.

Gord Miller says that pollution is responsible for 27-hundred premature deaths and thousands of hospital visits every year.

Miller says the Ministry of the Environment has disbanded its transboundary air unit, stopped holding shared-air summits after 2007 and is no longer engaging the EPA in the United States.

Pension Support Demanded

Demands for pension assistance for Ontario's AbitibiBowater workers in the Legislature yesterday.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says support recently given to Nortel's pension plan should be offered to AbitibiBowater's underfunding pension plan.

"What the thousands of workers in Thunder Bay, Kenora, Fort Frances, Iroquois Falls and Thorold heard is that the government has $200 million for the underfunded Nortel pension plan," said Hampton. "Many of these workers have worked for AbitibiBowater for 30 or 40 years and have contributed to their pension plan. They were told that their pension plan is a sacred trust beyond financial or political manipulation."

"So their question is this: Will the McGuinty Liberals, who suddenly found $200 million for the Nortel pension plan, show the same concern for these workers at AbitibiBowater?"

Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky says the money given to Nortel was from a pension benefits guarantee fund that will provide each worker one-thousand dollars per month.

Sunny Cove to Open Longer

The town of Fort Frances has begun the process of the making Sunny Cove Camp more available to residents.

The town plans to open the camp in the spring and into the fall to permit events such as weddings.

Council Appointments

Town of Fort Frances is reducing the length of times individuals can serve on town appointed boards and committees.

Councillors approved last night two-year terms from four and no one serving more than eight years in a row.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says the changes don't restrict people's ability to serve.

"If you do sit out for one year then you have the right to reapply to that committee and get back on," says Wiedenhoeft. "We're not to eliminate people from serving on committees but the possibility of sitting out for one year may give other people to get on that committee as well."

Councillor Paul Ryan says a shorter term may also help attract more people to consider serving on a committee.

The changes take effect this December

appointments

Hunting Seasons Proposed

A deer-hunting season for youth is among a dozen new seasons being proposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The four-day youth only season would take place in the fall and adults would not be allowed to carry firearms or hunt with them.

The DNR will hold a host of public meetings to gather input on the proposed season, along with other changes to hunting regulations over the next month.

A session in International Falls is planned for March 17.

Construction Firm Fined

A Kenora construction company has been fined $50-thousand after pleading guilty to a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act for a workplace accident at a construction site in Marathon.

Sigfusson Northern Limited was conducted drilling and blasting operations in September 2008 when a worker broke his arm after it got tangled in the drill.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that none of the three emergency shut-off switches on the rock drill were functional.

Fleury Visit Details Finalized

Details for an upcoming visit to Fort Frances by former NHLer Theo Fleury have now been finalized.

Fleury, who's recently released his autobiography, will be in Fort Frances March 9 and 10 and Atikokan on March 11.

While in the Fort, he'll be speaking school students and at a free public event at the Townsend Theatre on the March 10.

Tickets for the public event can now obtained by calling the Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre or Brent Tookenay at the Rainy River District School Board.

New Gun Laws at Voyageur's National Park

A new law takes effect today that allows visitors to carry firearms in Voyageur's National Park.

The new federal law makes possession of firearms in national parks subject to the firearms laws of the state and communities where the parks are located.

Minnesota laws prohibit the possession of rifles, shotguns or BB guns in public places such as the Park, but park staff say they've been working with government officials to ensure that they clearly understand the provisions of the laws that will now apply to visitors.

Hunting in the park is still prohibited, and guns will not be allowed on the tour boats or in the visitor centres.

Port of Entry Opening

A new U.S. port of entry at Warroad will open tomorrow.

The new facility replaces the existing one on State highway 313 that's nearly 40 years old.

The new port has additional lanes to handle both passenger and commercial vehicles and is equipped with state of the art communications and security equipment.

Forgiveness Not an Option

The head of Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission says forgiveness is not an option for many residential school survivors.

Murray Sinclair says he's been travelling the country and says some survivors tell him there will never be any reconciliation or forgiveness for them.

The head of a national survivors group says that's not surprising.

Michael Cachagee says forgiveness was a concept taught to many by the very churches that ran the schools.