Atikokan Plant Gets Wood Supply

Atikokan Renewable Fuels is receiving the wood needed to begin producing wood pellets.

The province is providing the company with the rights to access 179-thousand cubic metres per year of poplar and birch fibre from forests near the Atikokan plant.

Company spokesperson Ed Fukushima expects production to begin later this year.

"We're excited about it," says Fukushima. "Demand has ramped up in the last two months and there's exciting opportunities for the plant in Atikokan."

The company is also receiving $1.25 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to cover costs incurred when the plant didn't have a wood supply.

Fire Deemed Accidental

A fire that destroyed a Fort Frances business has been ruled accidental.

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service says its investigation into last Thursday's blaze at Kitchen and Bath Plus on Fifth Street West is now complete.

The building's been turned back over to its owners.

Rafferty Seeks Pension Support

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is making a last minute push to get his pension bill passed.

He's making a statement in the house today looking for all-party support.

"What I'm asking the other parties to agree to is to open up the scope of C-501 just a little bit," says Rafferty, "to see if we can make some amendments to the bill that will bring enough MPs on board that we can pass this and get something done."

The proposed bill went through committee hearings before Christmas with Conservative MP's wavering on their support.

Municipalities Asked to Sign U.N. Initiative

Municipalities across the Rainy River District are being asked to become signatories to a United Nations backed initiative to combat racism and and discrimination.

Lincoln Dunn of Celebrating Diversity says local support sends a strong message to newcomers thinking of moving to the district.

"How powerful a statement is to people from outside our district who are thinking about coming here that we, as a district, are all signatories to an anti-discrimination and anti-racism common commitment developed at the United Nations level."

Dunn says by signing, area towns would have to adhere to a set of commitments in dealing with the issues.

More Elk Sought

The Lake of the Woods Elk Restoration Committee is looking to increase the number of Elk in northwestern Ontario.

Committee co-chair Murray English says they're asking the Ministry of Natural Resources to move some of the Elk from the Bancroft area in southwestern Ontario.

"Our preference would still be out on the Aulneau Peninsula (on Lake of the Woods)," says English. "That depends on ice conditions to get them out there."

Only 39 of the over one hundred elk released about a decade ago in the Cameron Lake area near Nestor Falls are believed to be still alive.

Bonding Bill Proposed

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is asking the State's lawmakers to borrow one billion for state-backed construction projects.

They include replacing the roof at Rainy River Community College in International Falls.

Republican House Majority Leader Matt Dean isn't ruling out a bonding bill, but says the GOP focus will be on rerouting unspent money from past projects that never got off the ground.

Hand-Held Devices Ban

Almost 50-thousand motorists have been charged in the first year of Ontario's ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

It was one year ago today that police began enforcing the ban.

More than six-hundred charges have been laid by police in northwestern Ontario.