Mining Agreement to be Signed

Rainy River Resources and seven area First Nations represented by the Fort Frances Chiefs Secretariat will gather later today to formally sign a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to the mining company's activities north of Barwick.

The agreement sets out processes for ongoing consultation and employment and other opportunities for First Nations people.

The signing is to take place at the companies main site in Black Hawk this afternoon.

Water Study Continues

(Area Biologist Evan Armstrong checks a temperature monitoring instrument - MNR Photo)

A long term study looking at water temperatures in lakes in northwestern Ontario is entering its second year.


Mark Sobchuck of the Ministry of Natural Resources says they want to find out what impact global warming is having on fish populations.



"We're interested in the impacts of a changing climate on how the thermocline in the various lakes sets up," says Sobchuck, "how its established, the depth its established and the length of times its maintained during the year."



Monitoring devices have been placed in 22 lakes across the region.

Bass Championship Nears

Planning continues for this year's Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Both rinks at the Memorial Sports Centre will be used and Chair Tom Fry says their still working on logistics.

"We're getting our head around it," says Fry. "We won't really know until we actually do it, but we're trying to anticipate all of the issues that could come up."

Fry says the 52 Canadians rink to be used for the weigh-ins and the Ice for Kids site devoted to entertainment.

Fort Students in Ottawa

(From left to right: Steve Mitchell, Max Calder, Ryne Strachan - Business Development Bank of Canada photo)

A group of Fort Frances High School students will know later today how well they were able to push their business-case for a new funeral home with an aboriginal focus.

They're among 200 aboriginal students involved in a business-planning competition sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada in Ottawa.

Steven Mitchell says it's been positive experience.

"The Ottawa University has just been great," says Mitchell. "We presented our board at one of the halls and today we're presenting our power point presentation with all of our financials in one of the university classrooms."

Mitchell is joined by Ryan Strachan, Max Calder and teacher Gary Medicine at the event.