Bass Tournament Gets Help

The Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is a go for 2011.

Tournament organizers confirmed plans for next year after finding a new chair and filling a number of vacancies on the board during a meeting last night.

Outgoing chair Tom Fry says it's a huge relief for him.

"More relieved that it looks like things will go ahead," says Fry, "than I am about not having the position as chair anymore. Certainly, I fell good about that. I just didn't feel with my new personal commitments of heading south and so on that I could handle the job the way I've done in the past."

Fry says he will continue to stay on the board to assist new chair Gord Watson.

Ambulance Funding Discussed

Ambulance services across the province may get more direction today as to how they can save for new ambulances.

They're meeting with Ministry of Health staff to discuss new rules that limit the amount of money agencies can set aside each year.

Smaller services, such as the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board, say it could take longer to replace aging vehicles as a result.

Flu shot Clinic Open

The Northwestern Health Unit is putting out a call for residents to get their flu shot this fall.

It began its flu shot clinics this week.

Director of Infectious Diseases Donna Stanley says H-1-N-1 is still cause for concern, but unlike last year, the health unit won't be administering a different shot to help combat that flu strain.

"Last year when we had H1N1, it represented a major change and a new strain," says Stanley. "That strain has now become the seasonal circulating strain. This year's vaccine, there's always three components to it and this year one of the components is H1N1.

Stanley says priorities groups this year includes those with a chronic disease, seniors and young children under five.

Pink Out Day

(Students at Crossroads School in Devlin at a previous Pink Day)

The Rainy River District Breast Health Network wants to paint the district Pink today.

Chair Teresa Hazel says they're proclaiming the day Pink Out day to raise awareness of Breast Cancer Health.

"we're encouraging individuals, organizations, employees, students, teachers, men, women and children to wear pink to show their support of breast cancer awareness," says Hazel.

Hazel says they'll also hoping to raise a few dollars for a new digital mammography unit and will be traveling around the area awarding prizes to those in pink.

Q-Gold Resumes Drilling

Q-Gold Resources has resumed drilling operations near Mine Centre.

The company is working in the McKenzie Gray area believed to be contain high quantities of gold and silver mineralization

Q-Gold began drilling the area last year.

Chamber Directors Needed

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce is looking for individuals to sit on its board of directors.

Chamber Manager Anthony Mason says as many as two spots will be open in the coming year.

Elections to the board will take place November 24.

Update on Rainy River Resources Project

(Rainy River Resources photo)

Rainy River Resources has released the latest results of its drilling program at its exploration project north of Barwick.

The company says it continues to be pleased with the findings.

President Ray Threlkeld says all of the information collected is vital in determining the project's future.

"We'll use that resource information to define within some level of accuracy what the capital costs might be," says Threlkeld, "what the configuration of a mining scenario might be, whether it be open pit or underground.

The company plans to continue drilling until the middle of November with underground exploration planned for early next year.

Old Gold Mine Explored

(Shotgun Exploration photo)

A former gold mine in the Rainy River district may be getting some new life.

Mineral Mountain Resources says its started preliminary exploration of the Straw Lake Beach Gold Mine, located about 50 kilometres north of Fort Frances.

The work comes as the Vancouver-based mining company received regulatory approval to earn 75-per cent of the property now owned by Shotgun Exploration, a private company from Atikokan.

The mine operated briefly during the 1930's before closing in 1941 due to a lack of adequate power and start of World War 2.

Bass Tournament Meeting Tonight

The fate of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship could be on the line tonight.

Tournament organizers are holding an information meeting at the Memorial Sports Centre to help fill vacancies on their board, including the position of chair.

Officials have said unless someone takes over that role, the tournament won't continue.

The meeting begins at the Sportplex Board room at 6:30 p.m.

AbitibiBowater Reorganization Plan in Court

AbitibiBowater's quest to restructure is winding down, with a U.S. Bankruptcy Court set to hear oral arguments on the newsprint giant's reorganization plan on November 5.

The hearing will take place about six weeks after opponents began to mount an effort in court to challenge the plan of reorganization.

Among the concerns is a six-million dollar bonus plan for company executives.

Chili Cook-Off Helps Food Banks

Area food banks were the big winners at the yesterday's Great Canadian Chili Cook-off put on by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.

Residents who taste tested the various chili recipes brought several pounds of food while Link-Line donated $5,000 to local food banks.

Chamber president Cathy Emes says those contributions are important.

"There's members of our community that are less fortunate than those of us that have time to do these kind of community projects," says Emes, "and we want to show the people of Fort Frances that the Chamber and many of our corporate sponsors have them in our heart."

CIBC was voted by the public as having the best chili while the Fort Frances Public Library was the judge's choice.

Hampton Running Again

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton is confirming his intentions to run again in the next provincial election.

That election is still a year away, but Hampton says he's already started his campaign.

Hampton has been the area's MPP since 1987.

Rainy River Cereal Introduced to Toronto area

Residents of southern Ontario will soon get a taste of Rainy River Cereal.

The unique wild rice cereal, being made by the company at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, will be on display at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto.

President Drew Atwell says it's an important fair to be at.

"We're going to meet distributors," says Atwell. "We're going to meet potential partners. We're going to meet industry experts. We're going to get a lot of good feedback on our product which has been excellent so far."

Atwell says success at the fair will help determine how quickly they can get product out to a wider market.

The company is also in the process of entering into a partnership with Shoal Lake Wild Rice out of Kenora that would give it a long-term supply of wild rice.

Ambassador for Safety Awards

A municipal councillor and an area organization have been recognized for their contributions to improving safety in the Rainy River district.

Freeda Carmody, a councillor from LaVallee township, was honoured with an Ambassador for Safety award by Safe Communities Canada for her work to maintain to district-wide municipal support for Safe Communities Rainy River.

"If we don't continue participating and everyone do their part, we won't be able to continue with the safety in our district," says Carmody. "That's very, very important that we have the funding."

The Rainy River District Substance Abuse Prevention team has also been rewarded for its work by Safe Communities Canada.

Coordinator Hugh Dennis says it recognizes a recent photo-voice project.

"We're using the videos produced by the teenagers to show the younger students in elementary school," says Dennis, "so that the younger kids that the older youth have made decisions that are wise and avoided the trap of substance abuse."

Fort Frances Man Honoured

A Fort Frances man has been honoured by the provincial government.

Anthony Kadikoff received an Ontario Senior Achievement Award during a ceremony last week at Queen's Park for his work to improve the lives of the area's cancer patients.

"It's in recognition of the work I've done in the complete district since the start and promotion of Tamarack House funding," says Kadikoff, "which I was one of the leading fundraisers for. A home away from home for people with cancer when they go to Thunder Bay, they stay for free."

Kadikoff also serves as a board member with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Centre Foundation.

No Expansion of Smoking Ban

The Ontario government is snuffing out a recommendation to let landlords ban smoking in rental apartments.

The Tobacco Strategy Advisory Group wants Ontario to outlaw smoking in multi-residential rental units, on all restaurant patios and in all parks and playgrounds.

But Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best says they have already banned smoking in many public areas and do not want to make the law even tougher.

Chili Cook-Off Today

About twelve teams will be putting their best chili recipes to the test at today's Great Canadian Chili Cook-off put on by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.

The public is invited to attend the event that begins at 11:30 a.m at the Legion in Fort Frances to vote your favourite.

The event will also be used to collect food items as part of a Shaw Communication and Cambell's Canada campaign.

Border Incident Reported

A Rochester, Minnesota man faces charges following a bizarre incident that occurred at both area border crossings and ended with the man running naked across the bridge to Baudette.

A spokesperson with the Canada Border Services Agency says it happened last Wednesday when the 20-year-old man was about to enter the United States, first at International Falls and then later at Baudette, only to turn around and drive through Canada customs at both Fort Frances and Rainy River.

Officials say the man was arrested only after he returned to Rainy River custom office to ask for directions.

While in custody, the man reportedly removed his clothes and escaped through a window, running across the bridge to Baudette before U.S. authorities arrested him again.

The man was charged with assault and indecent exposure by Baudette city police, but no charges have yet been laid by Canadian authorities.

211 Service Now Available

(Marie Klassen, executive director of 211 North, speaking a launch of service in the Rainy River District)

211 service is now available in the Rainy River district.

It's a phone helpline that residents can call to access information on a variety of services and programs.

Trudy McCormick of the Northwest Community Legal Clinic says callers connect to a live person.

"During office hours during the daytime you'll get someone in Thunder Bay at the information and referral centre there," says McCormick. "After hours the number still works but it's forwarded to a call centre in Toronto because there isn't the need in the north yet to justify the funding for a 24-hour service."

More than 56,000 thousand agencies' data bases are connected to 211 with about 260 of them from the Rainy River district

Native Education Promoted

Teachers across the Rainy River district gathered at Fort Frances High School yesterday to learn more about the importance of using aboriginal languages in the classroom.

Anton Treuer, a professor at Bemidji University, says the ability to learn in their own language reduces the drop-out rate among native students.

"It goes to show that when kids learn their language and their culture, when they learn about themselves, that translates into positive self-esteem and academic excellence across the curriculum," says Treuer.

Treuer says it can also help bridge the gap between communities and races.