Atikokan Forest Products in Receivership

An Atikokan area mill is among four Buchanan-owned mills that have entered bankruptcy proceedings.

Atikokan Forest Products is now in receivership.

Company spokesperson Yves Fricot says it's too soon to say if it will be a positive move.

"The mills closed about three years ago," says Fricot," and it's everybody's hope, ours, the unions and our employees, that we might be able to hang through this downturn and ultimately reopen the mills and put people back to work."

Atikokan Forest Products closed in 2008.

The Steelworkers Union will be looking to obtain severance for former workers.

Forest Tenure Changes This Spring

The provincial government is looking to make its planned overhaul of Ontario's forest tenure and pricing system official this spring.

Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle says the province plans to introduce legislation to establish two new governance models for managing and harvesting Ontario's forests.

"We want to be able to open up the system so that new entrants, aboriginal communities, municipalities, those with good business ideas that previously had a difficulty accessing wood can now now have greater access," says Gravelle.

The legislation includes establishing local forest management agencies to manage Crown forests and oversee timber sales.

Rainy River Resources Spotlighted

Analysts are looking for big things from Rainy River Resources this year as the junior exploration company recently closed a $75-million financing and released its latest drilling results.

The company, which is developing a gold project north of Barwick, says the infill drilling results also opened up new areas for potential expansion.

RBC analyst Stephen Walker says ongoing results will be the prime catalyst driving share prices until the company releases its resource update this spring.

NOMA to Elect President

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association plans to appoint an interim president today.

NOMA is meeting in Thunder Bay this afternoon.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown is the current acting president and has said he would like to keep the job if no one else wants it.

McGuinty Frustrated with HST Opposition

Premier Dalton McGuinty is expressing frustration with critics who are still demanding the provincial portion of the HST be removed from electricity bills.

Niagara Falls Liberal Kim Craitor is among them.

McGuinty says he doesn't understand why critics are complaining when the government is giving rebates that amount to two points better than removing the HST.

Rail Workers Vote Strike Action

(CN Rail photo)


More than six-thousand workers at CN Rail and CP Rail have voted heavily in favour of strike action.

The employees, including mechanical workers, say the major issue is a demand by Canada's two biggest railways for concessions.

Their strike deadline at CN is January 25.

For CP, it's February 8.

Pennies for Play

International Falls and Hibbing are going head-to-head in a fundraising effort for new playground.

Pennies for Play was kicked off yesterday and organizer Robin Bjornquist says the Falls is hoping to raise $17-thousand.

"Kerry Park has been missing a tunnel for a few years due to damage," says Bjornquist. "That's also a twenty year old play structure so we definitely use some funds funnelled into our playground."

Bjornquist says the contest is also tied to the NFL initiative Play 60, which encourages kids to be active, and they're hoping it entices a visit from members of the Minnesota Vikings.