Relay Fort Frances Nets Over $82,000

A huge success for Relay for Life in Fort Frances.

Seventeen teams involved in the 12 hour event combined to raise $82,900 with more money yet to come in  support of the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Society's Maria Cabral says some of that money will stay with Riverside Health Care in a partnership with CCS.

Jon Glueheisen of Snow White and the Survivors, the top fundraising team, says it's the cause that drives them.



A Relay for Life event also took place in Rainy River, but so far no fundraising total has yet been passed to CFOB-News.

Teachers Accept New Deal

Members of Ontario's largest public school teachers union have ratified a new deal with the province following months of labour strife.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario says 91 per cent of its members who voted accepted the deal.

The agreement freezes wages, but guarantees a two per cent raise starting next year.

Former Education Minister Steps Down

Former Ontario education minister Laurel Broten, who was at the centre of the bitter battle with teachers over a wage-freeze legislation, is leaving provincial politics.

Broten says she`s told Premier Kathleen Wynne she`ll be stepping July 2nd.

She currently holds the intergovernmental affairs portfolio.

Moffat Funding Presented Tonight

File photo

Several groups in Fort Frances are benefiting from funding from the Moffat Foundation.

A total of $37,500 will be handed out at tonight's meeting of council.

A large chunk, $9,800, will be given to the Sunny Cove Camp Advisory Committee to upgrade appliances and playground equipment at the town owned park.

New Strategic Plan In Place

The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board has a new strategic plan in place.

It's a first for the board.

Chief Administrative Officer Dan McCormick says it will help the board of directors with its decision making.

The plan covers a five-year period that will be reviewed on an annual basis.

More Republican Candidates In Race For Governor

Former House Speaker Kurt Zellers is joining the race for governor in Minnesota.

Zellers kicked off his campaign yesterday, saying he would bring a middle-class family man's sensibility to the job.

Businessman Scott Honour and Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson are also running with  State Senator Dave Thompson planning to file as a candidate today.

Sunset To Be Celebrated

An event to celebrate the sunset in the Borderland is being set up in Rainer.

Rainer-Rainy Lake Sunset will take place every weekend with the aim of drawing in vendors, entertainers and people to enjoy the sunset.

Organizer Mary Ann Kasich says she got the idea from similar gatherings in Key West, Florida.

The first event will take place this Friday and Saturday at Spruce Street Dock

OPP Ask Boaters To Wear Life Jackets

A pair of recent drownings in the Rainy River district have prompted OPP to issue an advisory about the importance of wearing a life jacket.

Constable Jim Davis says while the law only requires life jackets to be readily accessible to each person on aboard a vessel, they should take the step to wear it.

Davis says in the recent drownings, victims were either not wearing a life jacket or wearing it incorrectly.


The fine for not having a life jacket or a personal flotation device is $200.

Fort Business To Stop Selling Gas

There will be one less location to get gasoline in Fort Frances  in the near future.

Rainy Lake Sports intends to remove its pumps in early July.

Owner Mark Fontana says new costly rules pertaining mostly to underground gasoline tanks are to blame.

Fontana says he will look at installing above-ground tanks and resume selling gas once their contract with their existing supplier ends in January.

Hospital Negotiations Continue In International Falls

Rainy Lake Medical Center has given Essentia Health East a year's notice of its intent to terminate existing professional and management services agreements between the organizations.

Duluth-based Essentia is interested in taking over full control of the International Falls hospital.

Hospital officials says the notice is intended so negotiations can progress and does not impact operations or hospital care.

Essentia presented its proposal in April.

Rainy Lake has since presented a counter proposal.

Relays Set To Go

Relays for Life are set to go in Rainy River and Fort Frances tonight.

Twenty teams in Fort Frances will walk the track at Fort Frances High School for 12 hours in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.

Chair Jennifer Anderson says the public is invited to participate.

This year's theme is around the game Monopoly.

The event begins with cancer survivors gathering for a dinner at 4:30 p.m.

Opening ceremonies will take place at 6:30 p.m. before the open lap at 7 p.m.



Rainy River's Relay For Life is at Riverview School.

It begins with a survivors' dinner at 5 p.m. before the ten teams involved take to the track at 7 p.m..

Committee member Georgia Kreger says this theme is "Decades of Hope" with team dressing up to celebrate their favourite decade of time.

The fundraising goal has been set at $55-thousand.

Luminary ceremonies are planned at both events at around 10 p.m.

Atikokan High School Graduation

The final high school graduation in the Rainy River district takes place today in Atikokan.

Fifty graduating students will received their diplomas at a ceremony scheduled for Grayson Hall beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Kayla Goranson will make the valedictorian address.

Aboriginal Day Celebrated

This is National Aboriginal Day in Canada and First Nations across northwestern Ontario will be recognizing the day.

Couchiching First Nation stages its annual pow wow.

A princess and brave pageant is also scheduled.

University Pub To Offer Pregnancy Tests

A student pub at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay will be offering pregnancy tests in its bathroom dispensers.

Healthy Brains for Children Thunder Bay is behind the initiative.

Spokesperson Marilyn Leiterman says they hope the move will help prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

The tests will costs 3 dollars and be in place before this September.

Coventry Resumes Drilling

Conventry Resources has resumed drilling in the Nestor Falls area.

The mining company is focusing on its West Cedartree Gold project, an area of a much large exploration project near Cameron Lake.

The work will be to determine the extent of potential mineral deposits.

Science North Celebrates

Science North is celebrating its three year anniversary in northwestern Ontario.

Spokesperson Emily Kerton says it means a lot for them to be able to reach out to the small communities.

Science North will bring its annual science summer camps to Atikokan next week and to Fort Frances in early July.

No Furniture Please

The Salvation Army in Fort Frances wants people to stop bringing it furniture.

It says it doesn't have the space for such donations.

Lieutenant Dennis Maybury says it's an ongoing problem and encourages the public to respect its request.

Maybury admits there's a need to handle such donations and would be willing to work with another group on how furniture donations could be collected.

MP Welcomes Early Break

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty is welcoming the summer break.

MPs adjourned Parliament Tuesday night.

Rafferty says it was good news for Conservative MPs who were dogged by spending scandals.

Rafferty say he'll use his summer break to go door to door and listen to his constituents concerns.

Air Gun Used At Dryden school

No one was injured after a student brought an air-soft gun to a Dryden elementary school and started shooting in the school yard.

A few students were hit by small plastic bb's.

School board officials say staff were not aware the student had the air gun and confiscated it immediately.

According to a RCMP fact sheet,the type of gun the student had is classified as a child's toy and isn't powerful enough to cause injuries.

Tuition Fee At Minnesota Universities And Colleges

The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has approved a budget that freezes tuition.

The freezes includes tuition paid by students attending Rainy River Community College in International Falls.

MnSCU is using a state funding boost to hold next year's tuition to this year's rate.