Friday, June 4, 2010

Heritage Events Re:Scheduled

Weather has won out over today's events planned in conjunction with the official opening of the tower and tugboat Hallet on the Fort Frances waterfront.

An official ribbon cutting was planned for noon, but officials instead held an indoor event this morning at the Ontario Travel tourism centre.

The tug-of-war between the town of Fort Frances and the city of International Falls, scheduled for 12:30 p.m., has now been cancelled.

It will now be held July 2.

Other events planned for the waterfront have been moved indoors to the Memorial Sports Centre including the lumberjack show and arts activities.

A BBQ for the Fun in the Sun committee has also been cancelled, but there will be an similar one later today for the Muskies Sports Association at the Sports Centre.

Local Doctors Appreciated

(Front Row L to R: Dr. Barry Anderson, Dr. Lorena Jenks, Dr. Elaine Spencer, Dr. Brian Johnstone, Dr. John Porter Back Row L to R: Dr. Robert Algie, Dr. Angus MacKintosh, Dr, Jason Shack)

More than 280 residents gathered at the Memorial Sports Centre for a community appreciation dinner in honour of doctors in the Fort Frances area.

Event chair councillor Andrew Hallikas says it was the first time the local Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee focused attention on the retention side of its work.

"And we need to recognize that if we wish to recruit new doctors we have retain the one's that we have," says Hallikas. "We can do this by showing our support for them and appreciation for their work and being seen as a physician friendly town."

Hallikas says last night's event was an opportunity for the public to say thanks to all doctors for their work.

Doctors Recognized

Three long-serving physicians in Fort Frances were honoured at a Community Appreciation Dinner last night.

Doctors Elaine Spencer, Brian Johnstone and Angus MacKintosh were cited for the care and contributions provided to residents of the Fort Frances area.

The three doctors have combined for nearly 125 years of medical practice to the area.

Dr. Angus MacKintosh has been practicing medicine in the Fort for the past 39 years.

"I would like to say that this indeed is a singular honour," says Dr. MacKintosh. "I am very, very pleased to receive it, but an even bigger honour has been to serve the community of Fort Frances for the past 39 years."

Dr. Spencer called it a special honour.

"I've had a great time in Fort Frances," says Dr. Spencer. "It's been fun to practice here. I was just did pap smears when I first came and that was quite limiting, but I got back to my love of anesthesia for quite a long time. I've developed general practice since then. I've enjoyed most of the minutes of it, not all of it."

Dr. Johnstone expressed his appreciation for the honour.

"I've enjoyed myself in Fort Frances," says Dr. Johnstone. "I keep on work because I can't think of anything better to do. I enjoy what I do."

The three physicians received special plaques of appreciation, including ones signed by Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Heritage Projects Opened

The second phase of Fort Frances' Heritage Tourism projects gets some recognition of its own today.

Museum Supervisor Pam Cain says events will kick off at later this morning.

"Starting at 10 a.m. at the Ontario Travel Information Centre and then walking the banner route down to the Fort Frances Parkway where we can admire our new interpretive banners and see the tower and Hallet," says Cain, "reflecting the history we are celebrating."

Weather permitting, an official opening of the tower and Hallet takes place at 12 noon with the annual tug-of-war between Fort Frances and International Falls taking place at 12:30 p.m.

A lumberjack show is also scheduled with shows planned for 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Tourism Week

Today is a kick off to Tourism Week.

Staff at Ontario Travel tourism Centre in Fort Frances will be celebrating with an open house that begins at 10 a.m.

The Centre will have displays and is offering four different travel trips up for grabs.

Influential Women Award Winner

A Fort Frances area woman is among this year's winners of the Northern Ontario Business' Influential Women of Northern Ontario awards.

Angela Halvorsen was presented with the Public Sector Award for the northwest region at a ceremony in Thunder Bay last night.

Halvorsen is the Business Investment Officer with the Rainy River Future Development Corporation.

May Weather Recapped


It felt warmer, but Environment Canada says the Rainy River district was at normal levels weatherwise for the month of May.

Climatologist Chantal Cerny says the average temperature was just slightly below normal.

"The mean temperature for the month of May was 11.5 C in Fort Frances," says Cerny. "Normals for the month is 11.6 C. There was a single day minimum temperature that was broken on May 9 with a temperature of minus 5 C. The past record was minus 4 in 1981 and 2008."

Cerny says the total amount of rainfall during the month was just above normal.