Economic Development Changes Considered

The Rainy River Future Development Corporation is proposing an enhancement of economic development services for the town of Fort Frances.

Client Services Manager Geoff Gillon says it includes provisions for more involvement by the town's economic development advisory committee.

"They are an advisory committee to council, so they respond when (council) asks," says Gillon. "What we would like to have council do is have the advisory council review the current terms of reference and come back to council with recommendations on how they'd like to change that."

Gillon says because the current contract is partly funded in part by FEDNOR, the changes would need the agency's approval.

He doesn't expect the changes to cost more money, but is asking the town to set aside $20-thousand to offset costs FEDNOR may not cover.

Union Gas Upgrades to Continue

Union Gas will resume work to replace aging pipe and gas meters in Fort Frances next month.

Director of Engineering Doug Alexander says much of the work this year will be in the town's east end.

"We will work on roughly 1,500 service connections," says Alexander. "Of that we will simply reconnect 995 services, but will also put in 524 new services of the old steel pipe that was put in back in 1971."

The gas company is into the second year of a $10-million project.

DSSAB Vote On Hold

Municipalities in the Rainy River district continue to wait the outcome of a vote on a proposed change to how they fund the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board.

The vote, which needs both a majority of municipalities and electoral votes to pass, was conducted earlier this month.

Municipal officials say they now trying to determine the number of voters in the unorganized areas which could impact the final tally.

The Municipal Provincial Assessment Corporation is helping to determine the numbers, but there is no word when they will be made known to the DSSAB board.

Pension Bill Gets Support

A private members' bill that aims to protect workers' pensions when a company restructures or enters into bankruptcy proceedings got its first debate in the House of Commons' yesterday.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he was pleased with how the other parties responded to his bill.

"All of the parties indicated a desire to get it into committee so they can call some witnesses and bring the bill back to the house," says Rafferty. "There certainly seems to be a will among all of us to work cooperatively on this."

A final vote is expected sometime in the fall.