Native Language Conference Starts

Educators from across northwestern Ontario, Minnesota and Manitoba are gathering in Fort Frances today for the start of a three day conference focusing on native education.

Aboriginal Education Leader with the Rainy River District School Board Brent Tookenay tells B93 News the conference is in its third year.

"It was usually focused on just native languages," says Tookenay, "but now we've expanded it to native studies and tried to draw in some different areas. Teachers can take these workshops and apply some of the concepts and themes in their classroom."

The conference features a number of guest speakers and workshops.

Students Raise Money for Haiti

Students and staff at St. Francis School in Fort Frances have raised over $1,000 to help a village in Haiti enjoy clean drinking water.

The money was raised over the past six weeks through their Lenten campaign entitled "Buckets of Love."

The money will be turned over to the "Free the Children" organization who will use the money to construct wells and sanitation systems in Haiti.

Conservatives Supporting FedNor

The Harper Conservatives are again committing themselves to FedNor.

Speaking in Thunder Bay, the minister responsible Tony Clement says despite what the other parties may say, the regional development program is not in any danger.

"We are committed to FedNor," says Clement. "We were the first party when we were in government to actually FedNor guaranteed funding for five years and we have improved upon that funding in our proposed budget."

Clement was in the city to help support the area's Conservative candidates.

Advance Polls Busy

It was a busy time at the advance polls for Elections Canada workers in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding.

A total of 4,846 people across the riding took advantage of the early voting on the Easter weekend.

That's just short of a 2008 record of 4,900.

Local Town's not so Ultimate

Unless there's a huge stuffing of the ballot box over the next week, Fort Frances, Nestor Falls and International Falls chances of being named the Ultimate Fishing Town look slim.

Both Fort Frances and Nestor Falls are far back of the Canadian leaders in the World Fishing Network's on-line contest

International Falls had received just 20 votes as of this morning in the U.S. version.

First round voting ends Tuesday.