February Weather ReCap

Environment Canada says the month of February was littler cooler, but dryer than normal in the Rainy River district

Chantale Serny says temperature-wise it was about a degree below the normal range of minus 11.9 Celsius.

"Over all for the winter, we've been under the conditions of a moderate to strong El Nino conditions," says Serny. "That usually give use milder and warmer temperatures than normal."

Serny says just 12 centimeters of snow fell last month, compared with the 60 centimetres that dropped in February 2009.

Get Counted In Koochiching County

The push is on in Koochiching County to get every person in the county counted in this year's U.S. Census.

Speaking recently to members of International Falls Chamber of Commerce, County Commissioner Mike Hansen says its important people fill out the census.

"There's $400-billion in federal aid put out to the States bases on population," said Hanson. "Almost everyone of our cap agencies in the county, almost all of their funding is related to how many people we have."

Officials are focusing their attention on ensuring students learning outside the county and seniors wintering in other states report Koochiching County as being their main place of residency.

New School Named Robert Moore

The name Robert Moore will stay associated with the new elementary school in Fort Frances.

Trustees with the Rainy River District School Board approved the name at their meeting last night in Emo based on input from a committee that said the name was supported by more than half of the public submissions received.

The board says it will also consider renaming a section of the new school after F.H. Huffman.

The new school, to open this fall, will house about 480 students now attending classes at Huffman and the current Robert Moore School.

Hampton Fights for Buchanan Workers

Kenora Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton was back on the attack over the province's decision to help prop up Nortel's pension plan.

In the legislature yesterday, Hampton renewed his calls for similar support this time for laid off workers with Buchanan.

"What's striking is, the McGuinty Liberals showed no interest in the retirees or ex-workers of Nortel until a by-election was called in a Liberal riding, said Hampton. "But what's even more outrageous is that over the last three years, the McGuinty Liberals have given over $120 million in grants, loans and other financial benefits to the Buchanan Group of Companies."

"While you were handing out $120 million to the Buchanan Group of Companies, did anybody over there-the Minister of Forestry, the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Natural Resources-say that $30 million of it should go to the workers who were entitled to severance and termination pay under the laws of Ontario? Did anybody speak up for the workers?"

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan says the province has responded with a variety of programs to help forestry workers.

U.S. Groups Opposing Canadian Power Project

A number of U-S based organizations are voicing their opposition to a proposed hydro-electric project on the Namakan River.

Voyageur's National Park Association is among groups concerned with the impact a 6-point-4 megawatt run of the river power project will have on the area.

Executive Director Cory McNulty says a draft environmental report falls short in addressing their concerns.

"They listed a number of species and a number of factors about the river," says McNulty, "but they didn't actually say specifically what the impacts would be. Throughout the report they talk about mitigation and how they're going to minimize impact, but they don't give plans how they're going to do that."

The province is now reviewing the report put forward by Ojibway Power and Energy Group which involves the Lac La Croix First Nation.