Environmental Film Festival Begins

2009-05-05

08:19:38

Roll out the red carpet.

J.W. Walker School will be hosting an environmental film festival today and tomorrow. Angela Petsnick says six films shown during the Toronto Film Festival will be viewed locally

"There's a film called 'Garbage Revolution.' It's from a Toronto filmmaker. We're going to show that film to three different audiences," says Petsnick. "There another movie called 'Slow.' It's about out water use and that film will be sent to Atikokan and Rainy River."

This morning, students from Fort Frances High School will have the opportunity to view the movie "Digital Cemeteries." In the afternoon, primary students from surrounding schools will be invited to view three short movies including, "Raising the Green Roof", "Intestines of the Earth" and "Squirm".

While most of the films will be viewed only by students, the public will have an opportunity to see the movie "Addicted to Plastics" and a series of short films produced by J-W Walker's grade 8 students tomorrow night at the Townsend Theatre.

Planet in Focus provided the funding for the school to host the event. It's just one of four school in Ontario to receive funding.

Mental Health Help

2009-05-05

08:09:49

Helping people deal with the economy is becoming the focus for mental health workers in the Rainy River District.

This week is Mental Health Week in Canada. Educator-trainer for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Fort Frances, Nancy Daley says its important to take care of yourself.

"Stress is a huge impactor on health on many, many way," says Daley, "physical and mental, emotional and spiritual. It really takes its toll if its not taken care off. The best thing to do is to keep people informed. If people know what's going on, know what to expect, they can handle it better."

Daley says the association offers a variety of information and services for workers and their employers to access.

 

Flu Cases Increase in Ontario

2009-05-05

07:58:40

There are no known cases in northwestern Ontario, but the number of H-1-N-1 flu cases elsewhere in the province has spiked sharply higher.

Most of the cases had been in the Toronto area, but Sudbury and Windsor are now reporting flu patients.

All 31 cases are considered mild and involve people who were in Mexico or had close contact with someone who did.

Government Bailouts

2009-05-05

07:56:47

Opposition critics say they're concerned about government plans to become more involved in businesses and pick "winners'' to invest.

Progressive Conservative finance critic Ted Chudleigh says it should be consumers, not the government, who pick which businesses should thrive. He says governments have typically picked the companies that cry the loudest - not the best ones.

N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath says taking any more taxpayer money to boost corporations amounts to stealing from the poor to give to the rich. She says the government should be focusing on ways to help struggling sectors instead of looking at specific corporations.

Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant says the crisis requires "reverse Reaganism'' and that the government must accelerate funds to help jump-start businesses.

Cable Commission Formed

2009-05-05

07:44:49

The city of International Falls is forming a cable commission to study ways of bringing more public access programming to its cable system.

The city is already responsible for approving cable operators.

The new commission will be tasked with making recommendations to council on all matters pertaining to the cable system, including increasing public access programming.

Policing Options Considered

2009-05-05

07:25:19

International Falls could be looking at different ways of policing its community in the future

The move comes after its deputy chief, Darryl Waller agreed to an early retirement package from the city. It end a 30-year policing career for the current acting chief and comes just days after Chief Chris Raboin retired after more than 10 years as the city's top cop, taking a similar early retirement package.

Mayor Shawn Mason says with the retirements of both its chief and now its deputy chief, the city will explore potential policing options.

"Should we remain as the International Falls Police Department? Should we find ways to collaborate with the Koochiching County Law Enforcement Operations? Those questions remain unanswered at this time," says Mason. "It is our responsibility to do some research, and discussion with the county board and discussions with the public."

Mason says if the city moves to consolidating services, residents would have the final say in a referendum. Meantime, the city will proceed with the search for a new chief. Mason says they'll ask its civil service commission to initiated that search,

"We are governed by civil service commission rules and regulations. We're going to be advertising for a police chief test that people can take if they're interested in the job of police chief."

Under regulations, a test has to be performed within 40 days of the chief retiring.

Library Debate Continues

2009-05-05

07:10:23

Fort Frances town councillors will await the outcome of a federal grant application before determining how to proceed with the new library and technology centre.

The town is seeking one-point-one million dollars from the Build Canada Fund. During a joint meeting of council and the library board yesterday, councillor Andrew Hallikas says they have some time to wait.

"There's an extension on the tender," says Hallikas. "That gives us a chance to see how this Build Canada thing comes through. If the build Canada thing comes through, it puts a completely differently complexion on the money."

The proposed contractor, Aurora Construction, has given the town an extra six weeks to make a decision to its contract. Council is hoping for news of its application soon. But while the councillors wait, they remained concerned with the library project.

At yesterday's meeting, some councillors reiterated their concerns about ongoing operating costs while Councillor John Albanese doesn't want to see it built at all.

And councillor Ken Perry says still thinks the proposed building's too big for the community.

"They're looking at these spacial requirements put out by a certain architectural or engineering company," says Perry, "saying 'this is what you need for the size of your new library.' But anybody who's building a new library right now or in the last three or four years have cut the sizes down drastically because they realize per capita, they can't afford the money."

Board members believe the new building will result in savings, and recommending a freeze on operating costs for a period of time to back their claims.