Medical Hostel Suggested

A member of the Atikokan General Hospital board feels there's a need for an affordable place to stay in Thunder Bay for regional patients and their families traveling for medical purposes.

Marlene Davidson says a medical hostel could be an alternative to those who can't afford the $75 to $100 a night hotels.

"There should be a regional spot in Thunder Bay, like a hostel, where people can go to if they have someone in the Regional Hospital," says Davidson, "or someone who is doing testing or just coming out of the hospital that needs to have another day or two before they get on the road to go back to their own community."

Davidson envisions the hostel being similar to one in Thunder Bay set up for aboriginal people.

Collection Depot Open

Fort Frances' new recycling collection depot is now open.

The town's environmental superintendent Doug Herr says the facility on Sixth Street West allows residents to drop of acceptable recyclables at any time of the day.

"There are four bins that you feed through the fence to put your recycling in to," says Herr. "When the bins are full we'll dump them into the recycling building on the same property and put the bins back.

Herr says the town will be monitoring the site regularly to ensure things such as tires and household waste aren't dropped off.

A $75-thousand grant from Waste Diversion Ontario aided in the facilities construction.

Emergency Aid Fund Bolstered

KOOTASCA Community Action has received financial support from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

The foundation is giving the Koochiching County agency $20-thousand.

The money will be set aside for eligible residents facing emergency or crisis situations and needing financial help for such things as heating, housing or transportation.

NAN Chief Heading Down Under

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation is traveling to New Zealand next week.

Stan Beardy will be taking part in a conference that will look at environmental issues.

He'll be one of the panel speakers representing first nations living in the boreal forest.

Shaw E-Mail Coming to Internet Users

Shaw Cable will be sending its Internet customers warnings about illegal downloading.

Warner Brothers Entertainment is apparently asking Shaw to send emails advising customers that it is illegal to download copyrighted music and movies.

Shaw president Peter Bissonette says the company is simply complying with a copyright agreement between all broadcast distributors and copyright holders.

New Fishing Summary Released

The new Ontario Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary is now out.

There are no changes to the rule governing lakes in the Rainy River district, but MNR Biologist Amy Godwin says that could change in the future.

"They're currently working on the management plan for the zone," says Godwin. "From there they will implement changes to the regulations if need be."

Godwin says the only change of any significant in northwestern Ontario for this year was a clarification of the northern pike season at Eagle Lake near Dryden.

Snow-a-Rama Approaching

Easter Seals is putting out a call for participants to this year's Snow-a-rama in Atikokan.

The January 29 event is a one hundred kilometre ride allowing snowmobilers to raise money for Easter Seals kids programs in northwestern Ontario.

Rhonda Harrison of the Easter Seals Thunder Bay office says it's one of their signature events.

"Atikokan is like the second biggest of all of Ontario," says Harrison. "It's one of the original Snow-a-Rama events. It's quite a following. It has people coming from all over to participate."

Registration and pledge forms can be found by going to the website http://www.snowarama.org/