Friday, May 6, 2011

Work Continues on Getting Seniors Home


A seniors group in Fort Frances is still committed to getting an assisted living facility built.

Chair of Seniors and Law Enforcement Together Robert Schultz says they've made it one of their priorities and are working to attract the interest of both governments and a developer.

"We're trying to bend the ear of politicians, right from federal, provincial and local," says Schultz, "and also putting a pitch out to contracts that this would be a viable venture for them that they can make money on."

Schultz says being able to keep seniors in their communities provides many economic benefits as well.

Flavour Gone Back



The Flavour Gone campaign to eliminate flavoured tobacco is back.

Spokesperson Roberta Lappage says despite new legislation, tobacco companies are continuing to produce flavoured tobacco products.

"We were happy to get this bill passed and they thought that would be the end of that," says Lappage. "Then these loopholes came up. Were just mad and they want the government to stand up and close those loop holes and ban all flavours in all tobacco products."

Lappage says they're also hoping for support of elected representatives and municipal councils in their battle against flavoured tobacco.

Municipal Politicians Recognized

Two long-serving municipal politicians in the Rainy River district has been recognized by the province.

Lake of the Woods township Mayor Valerie Pizey and former Dawson township councillor Linda Armstrong received 25-year service awards.

Pizey was first elected as a councillor in 1985 to the former township of McCrosson-Tovell, later serving as reeve before the amalgamation of Lake of Woods township.

Armstrong was a councillor in the former township of Worthington and later Dawson between 1985 and 2010.

Trustee Elected to Provincial Group

(Anne-Marie Fitzgerald (l) with Catholic Board Education Director Mary-Catherine Kelly)


The chair of the Northwest Catholic District School Board has been re-elected to the Ontario Catholic School Trustees Association.

Anne-Marie Fitzgerald of Fort Frances will serve as a director-at-large.

This will be her second term.

Missing Girl Found


A 15-year-old girl, the subject of an OPP search, has been found.

Provincial Police say Tia Medicine was found safe and sound later yesterday afternoon.

Medicine was reported missing Tuesday after failing to return from Fort Frances High School to Young Star House north of Emo.

More Fire Training



Training has been the name of the game during the first month of what has been a quiet start to the forest fire season.

Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Brad Diehl says the latest happened in Thunder Bay with fire crew leaders.

"We went out to the field and did some fire exercises where we simulated an area and they have to come up with an action plan for that," says Diehl. "Then they come back to the classroom and explain what they saw and how they're going to attack the fire."

Fifty crew leaders took part.

Rail Safety Blitz Today



CN Rail Police will be joined today by other enforcement agencies at a crossing on Highway 11 at Couchiching First Nation.


It's part of blitzes held across the country to remind drivers to be extra-careful around train tracks.


While handing out safety pamphlets, rail police plan to lay charges if they find motorists or pedestrians breaking the law.