Electric Ride

A southern Ontario man is passing through northwestern Ontario as part of a cross-country trip on an electric bike.

Art Burns left Dundas at the end of May, and hopes to be in Langley, B.C. by June 22.

Burns says the purpose is to promote green transportation.

Burns, who is to reached Dryden last night, is driving a bike equipped with a small generator to charge its lithium batteries.

New Registration System

There's a new registration system in place for Voyageur's National Park's naturalist-guided boat tours.

As of yesterday, reservations can now be made online at Recreation.gov or by calling the National Call Center.

Visitor can book tours up to three months in advance and receive tour confirmation notices.

Victim Identified

Grand Council Treaty 3 is identifying the victim in Monday's shooting incident in Kenora.

Treaty 3 says 39-year-old Helen Proulx of Grassy Narrows was shot twice by an officer.

OPP have said the officer was responding to a domestic dispute and was confronted by a woman wielding a knife.

Aboriginal leaders question the use of what they call excessive force, and say there have been poor relations between First Nations people and police in Kenora.

Grand Chief Diane Kelly says they want the Special Investigation Unit to conduct a transparent and procedurally fair investigation of the incident.

Meantime, a candlelight vigil is planned for tonight in Kenora.

Relays for Life Tonight and Tomorrow

There will be plenty of fundraising for the Canadian Cancer Society tonight.

Relays for Life are being staged in both ends of the Rainy River District.

Twenty teams are taking part in the first ever event in Rainy River.

Organizer Andrew Hartnell says they have number of people are taking part in the fundraiser at Riverview School.

"We have twenty survivors for our survivor walk," says Hartnell. "We are also doing a Cuts for Cancer and we have eight participants for that."

It begins at 7 p.m. and Hartnell says there will be several events held during the 12-hour walk.

There are ten teams entered in a Relay for Life in Atikokan.

It's happening at North Star Community School.

Committee member Randy Ricci says they'll be remembering both victims and survivors of cancer in a special way.

"We're going to light up candles on the back benches that will spell out 'Hope'," says Ricci. "Later on in the evening they move some of the luminaries around to spell out 'Life.'

Ricci says they'll be accepting teams and participants for the survivors lap right up until the event starts at 7 p.m.

There is also a Relay for Life event scheduled for tomorrow in International Falls.

But due to the weather, it's being moved indoors to Rainy River Community College, beginning at 2 p.m. until 12 midnight.

Terry Fox Run Needs Help

The Terry Fox Foundation is putting out a call for someone to organize this year's Terry Fox run in Fort Frances.

The Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau has done the work in the past.

The Foundation's Community Events Coordinator Kim Smith says the Bureau's still interested in providing support, but can't do it alone.

"We have materials that can be shipped to the volunteers all throughout the summer months so that posters can be up, t-shirts can be sold and people can advertise the Terry Fox run," says Smith. "The Volunteer Bureau is willing to help but they need help as well."

Smith says Fort Frances area residents have raised almost $150-thousand through the runs since 1993.

Unfair Tax Tour Hits Thunder Bay

The NDP is continuing its opposition to the harmonized sales tax.

Making a visit to Thunder Bay yesterday, leader Andrea Horwath says rebate cheques mailed out this week are not going to offset the costs associated with the new tax.

"Once that third cheque is cashed that's the end of it," says Horwarth, "but you'll be paying the HST forever. Forever on your hydro, forever on your heating, forever on your gas."

Horwath is encouraging taxpayers to sign the party's unfair tax petition.

HST Tolls Planned

A number of First Nations communities are preparing to impose toll fees on traffic passing through their territories over the HST.

Anishinabek Nation Chiefs, meeting at Fort William First Nation, endorsed a resolution directing their bands to begin advertising their intentions for this summer.

Native leaders want a point-of-sale tax exemption now given to aboriginal people extended when HST kicks in July 1.

Keith to Be Honoured

There are plans to honour Duncan Keith in both Fort Frances and Winnipeg this summer.

Dave Egan says a local group is in the early stages of planning some type of community event in Fort Frances that recognizes Keith's success in both the Stanley Cup playoffs and Vancouver Olympics.

Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz says his office is also working on a public event to honour Keith, along with Chicago Blackhawks teammates Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp, who all have ties to that city.