Fire Ban in Place

The Ministry of Natural Resources is placing a ban on open fires.

Much of northwestern Ontario is now under a Restricted Fire Zone.

The MNR says fire hazard has reached extreme levels due to the unusually dry spring conditions which have resulted in increasing forest fire activity.

The long-term weather forecast offers no relief in the form of significant precipitation.

The ban covers an area between Red Lake and Pickle Lake in the north to the U.S. Border, but excludes Quetico Provincial Park.

Burn restrictions also went into place in Koochiching County and 37 other Minnesota counties today.

Much of the state is also experiencing dry weather conditions.

Campfires are also banned in Voyageurs National Park.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reports almost 900 fires in the state this year.

Cabinet Ministers Attend NOMA

Municipal leaders will sit down with a handful of Provincial Ministers today in Marathon at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference.

President Anne Krassilowsky says a visit by Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne will be timely.

"We all know we have transportation issues in more way than one," says Krassilowsky, "looking at public transportation across the province and road conditions, to the challenges of obtaining funding."

Other speakers include Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle and Municipal Affairs Parliamentary Secretary Donna Cansfield.

Meanwhile, delegates are being asked to support a resolution that calls for improvements to FEDNOR.

The resolution suggests the economic development program become a crown agency with a budget of not less than $90 million a year.

It's also calling for grants to be processed within four months.

Sex Ed Proposal On Hold

It's back to the drawing board for the Ontario government on its proposal to update the province's sex education curriculum.

After defending the new sex ed curriculum for two days, Premier Dalton McGuinty suddenly had a change of heart.

McGuinty says it's important to educate elementary kids about sex, but adds the government clearly didn't do a good enough job of consulting parents on the ideas.

He says the Liberal government should have taken time to inform parents about the changes it had in mind.


The opposition parties are accusing McGuinty of making policy on the fly and bowing to pressure from church groups.

Under the changes McGuinty has withdrawn, Grade 1 kids were to be taught to identify genitalia using the correct words, while Grade 3 students would have been taught about same-sex families.

Victims Services Program Holds Open House

An open house yesterday for the Rainy River District Victim Services Program.

The event held to promote it and other services for victims of crimes

Trudy McCormick of the Northwest Community Legal Clinic says her agency is one such group that works hand in hand with the program.

"If they've been a victim of crime there are times when people can be compensated for that," says McCormick. "They can be compensated for out-of-pocket expenses. They can be compensated for pain and suffering. They come to our office and we can help them do the applications, and if it comes to a hearing we can even represent them if they qualify financially."

Dorion Chambers of the Rainy River District Women's Shelter of Hope was among those on hand.

"We have a protocol between Victim services," says Chambers. "It's a transportation protocol. If there's a woman in crisis in the Rainy River district they will assist us in getting that woman to safety to the shelter in Atikokan."

Yesterday's open house was held in conjunction with National Victims of Crime Awareness week.

Principal Honoured

Some honours today for a elementary school principal in the Rainy River River District.

Brendan Hyatt is being recognized by the Catholic Principals' Council of Ontario as a regional principal of the year at an event tonight in Windsor.

Hyatt is principal of Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton.

Festival Ends Today

The Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts will come to end today with the final Drama competitions.

They take place this morning at the Townshend Theatre and this afternoon at Knox United Church

Yesterday, Melissa Fletcher earned five first place certificates in the English Drama division while Shawn Brady led the way in the French drama division with two wins.