School on the Move

A Fort Frances school has been recognized by the Ministry of Education as a 'School on the Move.'

Principal Teresa Dennis says the designation for St. Francis School recognizes the progress its made in student achievement in the areas of numeracy and literacy.

"They are working, not only in academics which we have very high expectation throughout the school," says Dennis, "but also working on spiritual growth, character development and we consider those as the cornerstones of the learning process."

Dennis says credits the entire school community for the school being just one of 33 schools and the only one in northern Ontario to be given the designation.

MNR Firefighters Off to Manitoba

The Ministry of Natural Resource has sent more help to battle forest fires in other provinces.

Yesterday, firefighters from the Fort Frances, Kenora, Red Lake, Dryden and Sioux Lookout areas were dispatched to The Pas, Manitoba.

Two waterbombers and birddog aircraft were also sent.

The MNR also has personnel in Quebec and the Northwest Territories.

Meantime, it was a busy weekend for remaining Ministry of Natural Resources firefighters in northwestern Ontario.

Sixteen new fires were reported caused by lightning and the high winds that went through the area.

The Fort Frances fire region had eight new starts.

All were small in size and started as a result of trees falling across hydro lines.

Fires were located in and around Nichol Lake, Finland, Crystal Lake Beach, Mine Centre and Factor Lake Road.

Rainy River Aquires More Land

Rainy River Resources is purchasing more property in the Rainy River district.

The company is paying out $100-thousand and 50-thousand shares for a patented claim covering 160 acres from an unnamed owner.

Rainy River Resources is conducting gold exploration in the area of Black Hawk, 25 kilometres north of Barwick.

The purchase must still be approved by the TSX Venture Exchange.

MPs Take Break

MPs have started their 12-week summer break.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says the recent session of Parliament was a roller coast of success for him.

"There have been highs. There have been lows," says Rafferty. "The whole session was highlighted by Conservative mismanagement, fiscal mismanagement and Liberal ineffectiveness."

Rafferty was happy that his private member's bill on workers pensions was able to reach the committee level and expects it to come back for a final vote in the fall.

Electric Car Incentives Offered

The Ontario government is offering consumers a rebate of between $5,000 and $8,500 if they buy a new plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicle after July 1.

The rebates will only be offered to the first ten-thousand applicants who qualify.

Ontario is aiming to have one out of every 20 vehicles in the province be electrically powered by 2020.

Currently, none of the major automakers sell purely electric vehicles in Canada, but many expect to have battery-powered cars on the market by 2012.