Charleson Recreation Area Upgrades

(Supplied Photo)


A grand opening of a recreational area near the former Steep Rock Mine in Atikokan took place Saturday.

Just under a million dollars has gone into the Charleson Recreation Area over the years which chair Brian Jackson says will be a benefit to the community.

"The development and expansion of some of the facilities allows us put on events, bigger and better," says Jackson. "New events that can increase the number of people coming to the existing events or attract new people to come to the new events."

Jackson says the site include a number of new buildings and bike and horse riding trails.

Funding was provided by the province and the municipality.

Plant Funding

A home-building company in Kenora is been seen as a potential model for northwestern Ontario's fledgling value-added forest industry.

Wincrief Forestry Products is receiving $1.2 million in the form of a provincial loan and grant to help the plant grow and start a utility pole division.

The company, which started up less than two years ago, builds modular homes for the region's First Nations.

Strike Looms at Medical School

Clerical, administrative and technical staff at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine have voted 97 per cent in favour of a walkout if contract negotiations fail.

The members of OPSEU Local 677 would be in a legal strike position as of August 16.

Outstanding issues include overtime, workload, job classification and sick leave.

Hudak Critical of LHINS

Ontario's Opposition says the Liberal government is wasting money on bureaucrats instead of addressing a growing shortage of long-term care beds.

The Progressive Conservatives say the government's failure to make progress on its aging at home strategy has allowed the wait list for long-term care beds to swell to 24,000 people.

Leader Tim Hudak says the Local Health Integration Networks set up by the Liberals mismanaged the 250-million dollar program that is supposed to help more seniors live at home.

Hudak is promising to scrap the networks and put the money into front-line health services if the Tories win next year's election.

Emo Fair Nears

The Rainy River Valley Agricultural Fall Fair in Emo is just around the corner.

President Emily Watson says exhibitors wanting to display their wares can now pick up the new fair book.

"Those are available at North American Lumber," says Watson, "all the way through to Lowe's Furniture, Lowe's Lumber in Sleeman and the local municipal offices. We also have our own website http://www.emofair.com/.

Watson says they also have volunteer and paid position open.

You can call Watson at 486-3688 or Lois Caul at 486-3341 for more information.

Advance ride tickets for the fair which goes August 19-21 are also on sale.