Movie Gallery to Close

The last remaining movie rental store in Fort Frances is closing.

Movie Gallery Canada says its Scott Street location is among 131 stores across Canada that will be shutdown by the end of July.

Company officials say the move is prompted by strong competition in the video rental market from cable providers, Internet and subscription-based mail delivery services.

The local store has stopped renting movies and is in the process of liquidating its remaining inventory.

Rainy River Relay for Life a Success

Organizers of the first ever Relay for Life in Rainy River are hailing the event huge success.

More than $53-thousand was raised through the Canadian Cancer Society fundraiser.

Most was raised by the twenty teams who walked the track at Riverview School for twelve hours, ending early Saturday morning.

Another $14-hundred was collected by people who had their heads saved in a Cuts for Cancer event.

Far North Act Request

The Ontario Government's hearings on the far north act begin today.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy want the hearings rescheduled so they can have time to translate the legislation.

"All we are saying is that if you can consider coming in July or August that would be wonderful," says Beardy. "We're panicking because we're just not prepared to have quality input into the process."

The far north act recently passed second reading with a third scheduled for this fall.

FASD Private Members' Bill Introduced

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is looking for labels on alcohol warning about the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

He's put forward a private member's bill for M-P to consider.

"What it simply does is require alcohol packaging have a warning label for pregnant women," says Rafferty. "I've recommended in the bill something to the effect that no amount of alcohol is safe for a pregnant woman to drink."

Rafferty says the bill was prompted by groups and residents seeking more awareness of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

Highway Upgrades near Atikokan

More highway upgrades for the Atikokan area.

The province has awarded a $7.5 million contract to Miller Paving for upgrades to Highway 11 and 622.

Work along a 30 kilometre stretch of the two highways includes resurfacing, culvert and guide rail replacements.

Wild Child'z Holds First Show

(A trophy designed by Students of the Fort Frances High School Wild Child'z Car Club)
There a car show at Fort Frances High School Friday.

It was put on by a new school club Wild Child'z Car Club.

Teacher Gord Witherspoon says its aimed at getting more young people interested in cars.

"Spark some interest," says Witherspoon. "We're trying to get kids who haven't been involved in any other clubs in the school before and get them involved in something else."

Witherspoon says students were fully involved in the show from its organization to the construction of trophies for the winners.

Show and Shine

The International Early Iron Car Club kicked off its summer season with its annual Show and shine in downtown Fort Frances Saturday.

President Sandy Haney about 60 cars were on hand.

"This is the first show of the year here," says Haney, "then they travel all around. There has been lots of people looking and polishing their cars and getting ready for the summer.

Awards went to Bob Guertin for Best Mopar product; Gord Martin for Best GM (Buick); and Larry Kivimaki for Best Ford (Mustang). The People's Choice award went to Ron Deschamps. Ten participant choice awards went to Barry Novelan, Dale Hughes, Wes McPherson for his '66 Chev and '70 Chev, Carl Fisher, Robert Sletmoen, Ron Hughes (two awards), Steve Riggs and Pat Harris.

Electric Ride

A southern Ontario man is passing through northwestern Ontario as part of a cross-country trip on an electric bike.

Art Burns left Dundas at the end of May, and hopes to be in Langley, B.C. by June 22.

Burns says the purpose is to promote green transportation.

Burns, who is to reached Dryden last night, is driving a bike equipped with a small generator to charge its lithium batteries.

New Registration System

There's a new registration system in place for Voyageur's National Park's naturalist-guided boat tours.

As of yesterday, reservations can now be made online at Recreation.gov or by calling the National Call Center.

Visitor can book tours up to three months in advance and receive tour confirmation notices.

Victim Identified

Grand Council Treaty 3 is identifying the victim in Monday's shooting incident in Kenora.

Treaty 3 says 39-year-old Helen Proulx of Grassy Narrows was shot twice by an officer.

OPP have said the officer was responding to a domestic dispute and was confronted by a woman wielding a knife.

Aboriginal leaders question the use of what they call excessive force, and say there have been poor relations between First Nations people and police in Kenora.

Grand Chief Diane Kelly says they want the Special Investigation Unit to conduct a transparent and procedurally fair investigation of the incident.

Meantime, a candlelight vigil is planned for tonight in Kenora.

Relays for Life Tonight and Tomorrow

There will be plenty of fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society tonight.

Relays for Life are being staged in both ends of the Rainy River District.

Twenty teams are taking part in the first ever event in Rainy River.

Organizer Andrew Hartnell says they have number of people are taking part in the fundraiser at Riverview School.

"We have twenty survivors for our survivor walk," says Hartnell. "We are also doing a Cuts for Cancer and we have eight participants for that."

It begins at 7 p.m. and Hartnell says there will be several events held during the 12-hour walk.

There are ten teams entered in a Relay for Life in Atikokan.

It's happening at North Star Community School.

Committee member Randy Ricci says they'll be remembering both victims and survivors of cancer in a special way.

"We're going to light up candles on the back benches that will spell out 'Hope'," says Ricci. "Later on in the evening they move some of the luminaries around to spell out 'Life.'

Ricci says they'll be accepting teams and participants for the survivors lap right up until the event starts at 7 p.m.

There is also a Relay for Life event scheduled for tomorrow in International Falls.

But due to the weather, it's being moved indoors to Rainy River Community College, beginning at 2 p.m. until 12 midnight.

Terry Fox Run Needs Help

The Terry Fox Foundation is putting out a call for someone to organize this year's Terry Fox run in Fort Frances.

The Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau has done the work in the past.

The Foundation's Community Events Coordinator Kim Smith says the Bureau's still interested in providing support, but can't do it alone.

"We have materials that can be shipped to the volunteers all throughout the summer months so that posters can be up, t-shirts can be sold and people can advertise the Terry Fox run," says Smith. "The Volunteer Bureau is willing to help but they need help as well."

Smith says Fort Frances area residents have raised almost $150-thousand through the runs since 1993.

Unfair Tax Tour Hits Thunder Bay

The NDP is continuing its opposition to the harmonized sales tax.

Making a visit to Thunder Bay yesterday, leader Andrea Horwath says rebate cheques mailed out this week are not going to offset the costs associated with the new tax.

"Once that third cheque is cashed that's the end of it," says Horwarth, "but you'll be paying the HST forever. Forever on your hydro, forever on your heating, forever on your gas."

Horwath is encouraging taxpayers to sign the party's unfair tax petition.

HST Tolls Planned

A number of First Nations communities are preparing to impose toll fees on traffic passing through their territories over the HST.

Anishinabek Nation Chiefs, meeting at Fort William First Nation, endorsed a resolution directing their bands to begin advertising their intentions for this summer.

Native leaders want a point-of-sale tax exemption now given to aboriginal people extended when HST kicks in July 1.

Keith to Be Honoured

There are plans to honour Duncan Keith in both Fort Frances and Winnipeg this summer.

Dave Egan says a local group is in the early stages of planning some type of community event in Fort Frances that recognizes Keith's success in both the Stanley Cup playoffs and Vancouver Olympics.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz says his office is also working on a public event to honour Keith, along with Chicago Blackhawks teammates Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp, who all have ties to that city.

Telemedicine Service for Stroke Survivors Pushed

There is help for Northwestern Ontario's stroke patients.

Dr. Esme French of Thunder Bay has completed a 5-month pilot project involving telemedicine consultations with stroke survivors.

She's now hoping to provide the service to remote communities that don't have stroke rehabilitation programs.

"We're currently exploring potential ways to continue this project," says Dr. French. "People living with stroke in a community that doesn't have rehab we ask that if they can talk a health professional who would be able to contact the stroke network to look at seeing if we are able to provide that service."

French says stroke survivors and their families have a lot of questions after being discharged from hospital and telemedicine can help answer them.

Health and Safety Fair Today

Services Canada's Centre for Youth in Fort Frances wants to help keep young people safe this summer.

Youth Services officer Dayna DeBenedet says several safety messages will be taken directly to students today at a health and safety information fair at Fort Frances High School.

"We're having booths from all sorts of local organizations," says DeBenedet, "set up to let youth know about all sorts of health and safety information ranging from workplace health safety to even things like bear safety, boating safety and sun safety."

The fair runs begins at 8:30 a.m. and goes until 4 p.m.

Don't Touch that E-Mail!

A Fort Frances woman is advising the public not to open or respond to e-mails they may receive from her.

E-mails from Nancy Daley-Fulton's account began arriving on some computers yesterday, claiming she's in England and needs financial help to get home.

Speaking safely from her Fort Frances home, Daley-Fulton says both her e-mail and her Facebook accounts were compromised.

"Please do not open any e-mail from me," says Daley-Fulton, "that says be discreet. I'm trying to get it fix. I've been in contact with the authorities and the banks that I deal with so they can do the necessary precautions in case there was any information in those files."

Daley-Fulton was alerted to the e-mail after it started showing up on her friends and associates computers early yesterday morning.

Forest Fires Hazard Low

Rain continues to be a friend to Ministry of Natural Resources fire fighters.

Just one new forest fire was reported yesterday in the West Fire Region - a small grass fire north of the community of Perrault Falls.

Recent wet weather has pushed the forest fire hazard across the region down to low.

Meantime three lightning caused fires continue to burn in Quetico Provincial Park and are being monitored by the MNR.

Be Aware of Animals on Road

OPP are encouraging motorists to be on the watch for animals on the highways - especially if your travelling to Thunder Bay.

Constable Diane Cole says since May 1 there have been almost 40 collisions in the Thunder Bay involving moose, bears and deer.

Cole adds the deer are very unpredictable so be vigilant and keep an eye out for them in nearby ditches.