2009-04-30
08:26:07
Ontario Provincial Police have ruled out foul play in the recent death of a Fort Frances woman.
The body of 23-year-old Courtney Jack was discovered Sunday in a home on Sixth Street West.
Police are not revealing cause of death, but say their investigation in the case is now concluded.
2009-04-30
08:23:15
The use of Portage Avenue as a route for trucks heading to the Abitibi-Bowater biomass is drawing concerns from residents living along the road.
The town of Fort Frances officials held a meeting last night to inform residents of its plans to make Portage more suitable for heavy trucks hauling from the company's landfill site. But Dave Bourgeault says he can't understand why they're not using the current truck route.
"Currently trucks can go down McIrvine which is highway commercial and heavy industrial and down to the truck route that already exists," says Bourgeault. "Why would you take them through a primarily residential area?"
Other residents also asked town officials for more information from the company as to how many trucks would be operating on the street and at what times.
2009-04-30
08:21:27
Steve Arpin was 14th fastest at a ARCA/ReMax practice session yesterday at Kentucky Speedway.
Arpin's best time around the 1-and-a-half mile oval of 31.643 seconds was about a full second off the fastest time posted by Jesse Smith.
Arpin will qualify for the May 9 race at Kentucky next week.
2009-04-30
08:21:00
Three new cases of swine flu in Ontario have brought the province's total to seven.
Ontario's acting chief medical officer of health says all but one of the cases involve people who had travelled to Mexico.
Health officials are still trying to determine whether the seventh case involved someone who had been down south.
2009-04-30
08:20:27
Ontario's Mining Act will be updated today for the first time in 100 years.
The changes include provisions for companies staking their claims to be more respectful of private land owners and aboriginal communities.
Government sources say the legislation would force mining companies to consult with First Nations' communities, and includes a dispute-resolution process for aboriginal-related mining issues.
2009-04-30
07:58:47
Volunteer firefighters from across the Rainy River district will be gathered at the Fort Frances airport this weekend.
Fire Chief of the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service Gerry Armstrong says they'll be involved in a fire suppression training course.
"The Ontario Fire Marshall's Office sponsors this training," says Armstrong. "It is certification training in the sense that it mets the requirements of the Ontario Firefighter curriculum. We have done this before. We actually conducted this very same kind of training in the municipality of Chapple last year.
Armstrong says the exercise will include several practise burns at the airport this weekend.
2009-04-30
07:56:39
The union representing workers at AbitibiBowater and the company are headed to court today.
The Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union is objecting to the company's plans to stop pension payments for workers. President Dave Coles says the union is prepared to "go to war" with the company to protect pensions.
Meantime, the first of what's expected to be several meetings involving the company's creditors will take place next month in Delaware as part of bankruptcy protection proceedings
Public documents filed in court identify several Fort Frances individuals and companies as creditors, but don't reveal exactly how much money is owed.
2009-04-30
07:47:40
A new citizen's committee is being formed to assist the town of Fort Frances with its review of its official plan and zoning by-law documents.
The updates are being done to reflect changes in provincial policies and the municipal planning act. Municipal Planner Faye Flatt says the new steering committee will play a vital role in that review.
"We'll be taking our existing documents, looking for input from the community," says Flatt. "The steering committee will act as a liaison to bring those comments from the community to develop policies that we can implement to give guidance to development."
Flatt says the work will begin next week and the town's still seeking individuals to sit on the committee.
2009-04-30
07:44:27
An increase in the number of complaints over deer in Fort Frances has prompted town officials to issue warnings to residents about feeding the animals.
A by-law prohibiting the feeding of deer is currently in place, and C-A-O Mark McCaig says they will enforce it.
"There have been a lot of people come forward suggesting that certain people are feeding deer," says McCaig. "We would kindly ask you to stop. Our general practise with by-law is to be very consultative and approach people in a reasonable matter. We will continue to do that, but only to a certain extent."
The fine for feeding wildlife is $300 plus a $60 surcharge.
2009-04-30
07:42:31
Work on the so-called Biomass Roads project will begin next week.
First phase of the $5.4 million dollar project includes road and sewer and water line replacements along Victoria Avenue, between Front and Nelson Streets; Nelson, from Victoria to Portage Avenue; and Portage from Nelson to First Street.
Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says traffic along those roads will be disrupted during various stages of the work.
2009-04-30
07:30:12
Residents expressed anger last night over town of Fort Frances plans to remove a section of sidewalk from Portage Avenue.
The removal of the walk between Fifth and Sixth Streets is part work planned for Portage next year. But Randy House says area residents were forced to pay $1,600 dollars each 15 years ago to have the walk repaired.
"We we're forced to repair the sidewalk because it was damaged," says House. "We didn't complain and we got a nice sidewalk out of it. To pay again to take the sidewalk out doesn't ring right."
Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the town is moving forward with plans to have at least one sidewalk on every street, but the concerns expressed will be considered before any work on Portage actually takes place.
2009-04-29
07:26:00
An Atikokan firm is about to get a big bigger, thanks to the provincial government.
Souris River Canoes will use a $166 thousand loan from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to expand its production facility and adopt green energy technology.
The company says the money will allow it to grow its workforce from 7 to ten employees and increase its annual production from 500 to 750 canoes.
2009-04-29
07:24:33
Small business plays a big part in the economy of the Rainy River District.
The Northwest Training and Adjustment Board says businesses with under 200 employees made up 96-per cent of all industries in the district in 2007, employing more than 7,600 people.
NTAB says health care and social assistance sectors led the way with 21-per cent of the total workforce. Accommodation and Food Services made up 18-per cent while forest-related industries accounted for 14-per cent of that employment.
2009-04-29
07:22:40
Tourist officials from across northwestern Ontario have gathered in Kenora today to discuss the future of Sunset Country.
Ontario's Ministry of Tourism called the meeting to talk about its proposal to create 11 new tourism regions. Sunset Country Travel Association Executive Director Gerry Cariou is hoping to convince them to maintain the local group.
"Our area of Ontario has unique tourist markets," says Cariou, "and should be marketed in its own regional destination brand as we are as Sunset Country."
Cariou says the new region proposed for northern Ontario is far too large to be effective.
2009-04-29
07:21:08
Ontario is on track to provide enhanced driver's licences as an alternative to a passport before June 1.
That's the day the United States will require a passport or an approved alternative when crossing the border. But the estimated four million people who don't drive are out of luck.
A Transportation Ministry spokeswoman says high-tech photo I-D cards won't be ready before the new rules take effect.
2009-04-29
07:20:12
The town of Fort Frances will move ahead with plans to relocate the Hallet and former fire tower from Pither's Point Park to the waterfront.
Council agreed Monday to awarding a tender for the work to Tom Jones and Sons Construction for slightly more than one million dollars.
Work is expected to begin later this year.
2009-04-29
07:19:06
Meantime, the World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak is moving closer to becoming a pandemic.
Doctor Keiji Fukuda says developments in the disease are moving the agency closer to raising its pandemic alert to phase 5, indicating widespread human-to-human transmission.
2009-04-29
07:18:17
Minnesota Health Officials hope to know by the end of the day whether a case of swine flu has turned up in the state.
Two schools in Cold Spring, about 70 miles northwest of Minneapolis, were closed after an unidentified person attended with what officials call a probable case of swine flu.
Health Commissioner Sanne Magnan says the person is expected to make a full recovery and didn't require hospitalization.
2009-04-29
07:11:30
It's a moment aboriginal Canadians have waited years for.
The Pope expressed his sorrow today for abuse at church-run residential schools . He says acts of abuse can never be tolerated by society. The pontiff expressed his sorrow during a private meeting at the Vatican with former students and representatives of aboriginal Canadians, and Canadian church leaders.
Phil Fontaine, national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says what native people wanted was for the Pope to say to them that he was sorry and ... that he deeply felt for them.
Fontaine, who himself suffered abuse at one of the schools, says "We heard that very clearly today."
Until today, the Church as a whole had never apologized for the abuse that aboriginal students suffered. The Canadian government has admitted that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant, and has apologized and offered compensation.
