Board Reaction To Strike Announcement

The Rainy River District School Board has been quick to response to the planned action.

It's sending out letters to parents today through their children stating its elementary schools will not be open on Monday.

Buses for its elementary students won't be running either.

Buses that pick up catholic students won't be impacted.

It will also be classes as usual at high schools in Fort Frances, Atikokan and Rainy River.

Teachers Strike Planned For Monday

Classrooms at public elementary schools across the Rainy River district will be empty Monday.

Teachers, occasional teachers, and education support staff will participate in a one-day strike in protest over Bill 115.

Trevor Bowles, a local president with the Elementary Teachers Federation says no pickets are planned in front of schools.

They'll instead gather at the Memorial Sports Centre as a central location with picketing happening at the Rainy River District Board office in Fort Frances.

Teachers in Atikokan will be protesting in front of MPP Bill Mauro's office in Atikokan.

Seniors Group Wants Meetings Over Resolute

A group of former mill workers that's been fighting for the protection workers pensions is now calling on Fort Frances town council to hold a community meeting regarding Resolute Forest Products.

Chair of the Seniors-Retirees Against Pension and Elder Abuse Allan Bedard says they would also like company president Richard Garneau being involved.

Bedard says it should include representatives of those impacted by the company's decision to idle its kraft mill and a paper machine in Fort Frances.

Bedard says recent comments by Garneau promising to protect pensions was encouraging news they'd like to explore further.

Ontario Electricty Distribution Companies Suggested They Merge

A panel of three former cabinet ministers is recommending about 80 local distribution companies merge into much larger regional electricity distributors, with just two in northern Ontario.

Chair Murray Elston says they did not take a position on allowing more private players in the electricity system, but is confident there would be $1.2 billion dollars in savings over 10 years in either case.

The New Democrats say the panel's report clears the way for more privatization and higher rates.

The Progressive Conservatives like the idea of voluntary mergers of electricity distribution companies, but want to make sure local voices still have a say in the operation of the new utilities.

Visitor Restrictions At Rainycrest

Visitor restrictions have been imposed at Rainycrest Long Term Care.

It's because of a number of confirmed cases of gastroenteritis at the Fort Frances seniors facility.

Only family members are being allowed to visit for now, but they're asked not to visit if they suffer from a cough, fever, nausea or diarrhea.

All group programming by Activision has also been halted until further notice.

Christmas Dinner Planning Going Well

It has the food, it just needs a few extra bodies.

Karen Mitchell of the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau says planning for this year's Community Christmas Dinner is going well with all of the food needed gathered during last weekend's Stuff-a-Cruiser campaign.

Mitchell says they'll still looking for people to assist, especially with Meal's on Wheels that will deliver dinners to people who can't get to Knox United Church.

Call Gabi Hanzuk (274-3764) or June Caul (274-2209) for more information.

Those wanting a meal delivered must call before next Friday.

NOTO Executive Director Steps Down

Some changes for a regional tourism group.

Executive Director of Nature and Outdoor Tourism In Ontario, Doug Reynolds is stepping down at the end of next month as part of restructuring of the more than 80-year-old group.

Reynold says the group likely would not have survived without making some significant changes.

Reynolds is hoping to continue working on projects within the organization after his departure.

Gift Cards May Be Useless

The LCBO says you may not be able to redeem LCBO and Vintages gift cards that a website is offering at a significant discount.

The LCBO says the offer is not authorized by the them and it has no knowledge of the source of the gift cards being offered through this site.

Auditor General Focuses On OPP

The auditor general has found the Ontario Provincial Police were doing a poor job of keeping track of what's in their evidence lockers and parking lots.

Auditor General Jim McCarter says the OPP were unable to locate 200 vehicles in their fleet but eventually were able to track them down.

However, McCarter says visits to eight OPP detachments found police records did not match the contents of their evidence lockers, where cash, drugs and guns are often stored for use in court.

He says there were examples where a gun was missing from a locker or there was too much cash in the evidence room compared with the written records.

The auditor's annual report also criticizes the OPP for increasing spending and hiring at a time when crime and highway accidents rates have been declining and for allowing overtime costs to soar by 60 per cent since 2004-05.

Work To Acquire Tourism Centre Underway

The ball is rolling in efforts to acquire the provincial tourism centre in Fort Frances.

Town council recently directed the Rainy River Future Development Corporation to proceed with exploring a possible purchase of the now-shuttered centre.

Consultant Tannis Drysdale says the first step is determining potential uses.

Drysdale says they also have to wait for the province to decide on the value for the building.

Federal Government Justifies Need For Name Tags

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews says there is a good reason for having border crossing guards wear name tags.

He says they are meant to provide transparency to the public.

The customs officers are concerned wearing name tags could jeopardize their safety.

Their protests led to delays at two crossings in southern Ontario yesterday.

MP Seeks Funding Help For Legions

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A northwestern Ontario MP wants to give Royal Canadian Legions easier access to funds for repairs to their buildings.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty is proposing the federal government set up an infrastructure  renewal fund that would match whatever dollars Legions can raise locally for upgrades.

Rafferty make his request in a motion put forward in the House of Commons earlier this week.

Four New Chamber Directors Named

There are four new faces on the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Rick Smith of Canadian Tire, Paul Noonan of La Place Rendez-Vous, Marie Allen of BDO and Company and Steve MacNeil with Rainy Lake Tribal Contracting will fill four vacancies on the board.

Mark Caron of Caron Electric returns as president while 93.1 The Border's manager Leo Melanson continues as First vice-president.

Some High School Activities Continuing

Not all extra-curricular activities at high schools in the Rainy River district have been effected by teachers' decisions to stop their involvement in those activities.

Semi-formal dances planned for schools in Fort Frances, Atikokan and Rainy River are proceeding as planned.

A board spokesperson says the amount of planning that went into the events was a factor in letting them go.

School administration and parents are also stepping in to provide supervision

Former CFOB Employee Dies

A former employee with CFOB and a long-time community volunteer has died.

Michael Freeman was 51.

Freeman worked as news director for CFOB in the last decade.

He started his career as a sports writer for the Fort Frances Times in the early 1990's.

More recently, Freeman served as the public address announcer during Fort Frances Lakers games.

An announcement of funeral arrangements is pending.

Morphine Seized

A Winnipeg woman is in custody after police seized 10 thousand dollars worth of morphine pills in the Dryden area.

The 22-year-old is currently awaiting a bail hearing on a trafficking charge.

Monday, OPP arrested a 50-year-old Kenora man on a trafficking charge in that city after he was found with a small quantity of morphine pills and cash.

Downtown Business To Close

A long-time business in downtown Fort Frances is closing.

Mario's Jewellers will continue to operate through Christmas before shutting the doors for good sometime early in the new year.

Owner Marilyn Venerus feels its time to retire.

Mario's Scott Street location has been the site of a jeweller store operating by different owners for more than one hundred years.

Town Still Pressing For Condo Project

The Town of Fort Frances isn't giving up on the yet to be developed condominium project.

Council has given approval to getting a meeting with developer Robert Zanette.

The project was first proposed two years ago, at which time Zanette stated he wanted to sell most of the units before starting construction on Front Street location.

Premier Still Hopeful Of Teachers Deal

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Premier McGuinty is still hoping for a deal with public teachers before the end of the year, despite ongoing job actions across the province.

McGuinty says his government managed to get an agreement with Ontario's doctors after a "bumpy and very rocky road."

If teachers don't reach deals with their school boards by the end of this month, the province will impose a contract that will freeze the wages of most instructors and cut their benefits.

Meantime, one-strike strikes by public elementary teachers move to Thunder Bay schools today.

Over five-hundred teachers plan to rally at five schools and at the offices of MPPs Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle in their protests over Bill 115.

Jaguar Now Testing In International Falls

The makers of Jaguar and Land Rover have started cold-weather testing of its vehicles in International Falls.

Company officials joined with City and Koochiching County officials yesterday to officially open an expansion of the Falls Cold Weather Testing Facility.

Global manager of testing John Florida calls its one of the best around.

A willingness by the City and County to expand the facility helped attract the automarker to the area.

Jaguar-Land Rover will use the facility for the next five years with a possibility of that deal being extended.