Rafferty Seeks Meeting with Minister over Toll

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is making another plea to the federal Indian Affairs Minister to meet with Couchiching First Nations in hopes of avoiding a planned toll booth on Highway 11.

Band members reportedly started construction of the toll yesterday and will start collecting from motorists Friday.

Rafferty says he's made four requests in the past two weeks asking Chuck Strahl to meet with the band over its concerns.

He fells there still time to find some resolution, but the Minister must "step up to the plate" and set up a meeting.

Meantime, Couchiching First Nations has announced the fees it will charge at its toll.

Band members say they'll collect one dollar from every vehicle that passes in or out of the reserve.

Commercial vehicles will be required to pay 10-dollars each way.

The band is also making monthly passess available costing passenger vehicles 25-dollars and commercial vehicles $100.00

Portage Avenue Re-opening Delayed

A need for additional work is delaying the re-opening of the Portage Avenue underpass by more than a week.

Fort Frances town officials says work crews need to install a storm sewer manhole at the intersection of Portage and 3rd Street.

Officials says records had indicated the presence of the manhole, but was found to be missing when crews started digging up the road this past week.

Work on the two intersections blocking the underpass is now expected to be completed by May 29.

Logging Deal

AbitibiBowater says a deal to halt logging in the boreal forest should have little impact to mill operations in Fort Frances.

The agreement between the forest industry and environmental groups was announced yesterday.

Pulp and paper companies have promised to stop cutting trees on 29-million hectares of forest while the environmentalists say they will abandon their ''do-not-buy'' campaigns.

Other conservation initiatives in the agreement include a promise to protect herds of endangered caribou.

But AbitibiBowater vice-president Roger Barber says it should not hurt the Fort Frances mill's ability to access fibre.

"Fort Frances is a bit unique," says Barber, "in that the forest area right around Fort Frances is outside the boreal and is outside of this agreement."

Barber says it will mean some changes in forestry practices elsewhere, but feels the agreement will aid in developing those plans.

Endowment Fund Established

(Sandra and Eric "Doc" Johnson - photo courtesy Riverside Foundation for Health Care)

Riverside Foundation for Health Care is receiving a sizable contribution from a long-time Fort Frances couple.

Director Teresa Hazel says Eric "Doc" Johnson and his wife Sandra established an endowment fund for use at La Verendrye Hospital.

"They've always been long time supporters of the Foundation," says Hazel, "and they just wanted to make a more meaningful and lasting gift to the hospital because they've been so pleased with the services and have used the services."

Endowment funds set aside the principal amount that is given and Riverside only uses the interest generated to help purchase medical equipment, support programs and services and assist with facility upgrades.

It's the third such fund for local health care since the Foundation was formed 13 years ago.

Mobile Command Unit in Service

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service showed off its new mobile command unit to the public yesterday.

Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong says it will serve as a base for operations during any type of emergency.

"We'll be able to set up at a scene and have a kind of office if you will," says Armstrong. "It will duplicate as a site coordination area. Obviously it's important for rehabilitation of people if you have them on scene for a long period of time."

The trailer unit replaces an older one that had been in use since 1975 and was purchase in part with funding from the federal government.

Writer Wins Award

A Fort Frances writer has won a literacy award from the Northwestern Ontario Writer's Workshop.

Judy Johanson story entitled "Picker's Kid" was named the region's top children's story at a ceremony held over the weekend.

"I've had this story in mind for a number of years," says Johanson. "The subject matter is bullying at an elementary school age. (It's based on) Just various stories I've heard about bullying and experiences in my own childhood, and it really compelled me to write this."

It's Johanson's first award from the Writer's Workshop.