Awards Handed Out

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce handed out its hardware on the weekend at its annual business awards night on Saturday.

The winners were;

Rainy River District Victim Services (accepted by Peggy Loyie) - Safety Award - Business or Individual sponsored by Ainsworth Safety Committee

Betty-Ann MacKintosh, Supervised Access Program - Accessibility Award sponsored by the Town of Fort Frances Accessiblity Advisory Committee

Jack Hedman - Tony Beyak Memorial Award (Volunteer of the Year) sponsored by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

Laurie Witherspoon, Town of Fort Frances - Employee of the Year Award sponsored by the Westend Weekly

Jennifer Krag-L'Hirondelle, Moss Yoga & Barnswallow Photography - Business Woman of the Year Award sponsored by the Business Women's Network

Geoff Gillon, Rainy River Future Development Corporation - 100th Anniversary Economic Development Award sponsored by Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation

Judy Webster, Royal Bank - Customer Service Award (Individual) sponsored by Good Impressions Printing

Boston Pizza (Dale and Elizabeth Fortes accepting) - Customer Service Award (business) sponsored by TD Canada Trust

Blair and Donna Lowey, Lowey's Greenhouse - Entrepreneur of the Year Award sponsored by the Rainy River Future Development Corporation

Spruce Creek Golf Course - Small Business Trainer of the Year Award sponsored by NCDS Career Works

The UPS Store (accepted by Lillian Gerley and Carolyn O'Brien) - Business of the Year Award (1-15 employees) sponsored by B93 fm

West End Motors (accepted by Roy Avis) - Business of the Year Award (16+ employees) sponsored by Bell

Native Hydro Projects Pursued

A collective of aboriginal communities across Ontario is angling to build and manage new electrical transmission lines as part of a major expansion of the power grid.

A group of 22 first nations recently formed the Lake Huron Anishinabek Transmission Company and named veteran Ontario native leader John Beaucage as chief executive officer.

The company is aiming to take an ownership stake in part of Hydro One's three-year, two-point-three billion plan for 20 new transmission projects.

LHIN Loses C.E.O.

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network is losing its Chief Executive Officer.

Gwen Dubois-Wing has resigned to pursue other endeavours after five year with the Northwest LHIN.

Laura Kokocinski will take over immediately in an acting capacity.

C.A.S. Funding Announced

The McGuinty government is providing extra funding for struggling Children's Aid societies in the province.

Almost $27-million in one-time funding will go to Children's Aid societies with the most immediate financial challenges.

Minister of Children and Youth Services Laurel Broten says the funding will ensure that the societies continue to provide critical services to youth.

It's not immediately clear how much Family and Children Services Rainy River or Weechitiwin Child and Family Services , two local agencies who previously announced large operating deficits, will receive.

Legislature Opens

The opposition will focus on jobs, the $25-billion dollar deficit and the harmonized sales tax when the Ontario legislature resumes sitting today.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says ``reckless and out of control spending'' by the Liberal government has landed Ontario with a record budget deficit.

Hudak says the opposition will be pushing the Liberals to abandon the 13 per cent HST and come up with a solid job creation plan.

He says the top issue across Ontario now is jobs and the economy.

The New Democrats say hospitals shouldn't have to cut services,cancel elective surgeries and lay off staff to comply with a provincial law that they not run deficits.

N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath says if Ontario can afford 4.5 (b)billion dollars in corporate tax giveaways, then it can afford to invest more in hospitals.

The Liberals say they will pit their economic plan against the mud slinging and criticism expected from the opposition parties during the late winter sitting.

Premier McGuinty has already announced he'll prorogue the legislature within the next two weeks and return with a throne speech and budget in March.