Emo Fair Begins Today

It will be a pioneer theme at this year's Rainy River Valley Agricultural Society Fall Fair in Emo.

Organizers are asking people to dress up in period costume and enter the parade.

President Emily Watson says a theme is something they haven't tried for a while.

"It's on again, off again," says Watson. "People, when they want to enter the parade, they ask what's our theme. The last couple of years we've trying to come up with a theme that's consistent throughout the fair."

Tied to the pioneer theme will be an old-time music dance Friday night where patrons will receive dance lessons to better enjoy the music.

The fair opens with the midway at 2:00 p.m. today.

Tonight it will crown a fair queen.

Legal Aid Dispute

Ontario's attorney general says he's willing to set up consultations with those involved in a legal aid boycott if it will help move discussions forward.

Lawyers, including those in northwestern Ontario, have been refusing legal aid cases in their demands for more money in the system.

Attorney General Chris Bentley says he's been in constant talks with players in the justice system and would be happy to set up discussions in any structure that will help the sides communicate.

But he warns it's difficult to commit to increased funding during hard economic times.

Student Aid Demands Increases

Calls are flooding into financial aid offices at universities across Ontario as concerned students scramble to pay for their fall tuition.

Ontario Student Assistance Program applications are up 5.7 per cent this year for colleges and 4.6 per cent for universities.

University registrars are pointing to a record high student unemployment rate as the main reason young people are seeking financial assistance.

Gren Party Candidate Wanted

The federal Green Party has started the search for a candidate to run in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding in the next election.

Russ Aegard represented the Greens in the last two elections, but is stepping aside to spend more time with his family.

Aegard received about 14-hundred votes in last fall's election.

Building Permits Down

Despite the influx of millions of dollars in government infrastructure money, building activity in Fort Frances was far greater in 2008 than its been this year.

Statistics Canada says 33 building permits during the first six months of this year have accounted for nearly $6.5 million in construction.

This includes the building of the new library.

During the same period last year, a total of 57 permits were issued worth $13.6 million dollars.

Last year's activity was aided by the building of the native youth detention facility.

However over the past two months, more than $16.5 million worth of work has been started in Fort Frances, including the work on the new Robert Moore School.

Federal Building Gets Upgrades

Some major improvements to a Fort Frances landmark.

The federal government is spending more than 246-thousand dollars on a variety of upgrades to its Scott Street building - home to several departments including Canada Post and Service Canada.

Conservative MP for Kenora Greg Rickford says the improvements are for both safety and security reasons.

"We believe this will be a substantial upgrade at 301 Scott Street," says Rickford, "and provide ultimately better service to residents of Fort Frances. It includes handrail upgrades and lock stone repairs to increase the safety for residents accessing the building. There will also be a security system upgrade to improve security."

Rickford says some of the work has already started, but expects most of it to occur next year.