Osisko Mining Project Outlined

Osisko Mining has kicked off what it says will be a lengthy public consultation process on its Hammond Reef Gold project north of Atikokan.

The company held an open house Saturday in Atikokan to outline its plans to area residents.

Project Manager Anne Charland says they're in the pre-feasibility stage right now.

"Right now what were doing is that we have an extensive drill program that aims at defining the resource we have so we can go to (the)feasibility (stage)," says Charland.

Charland says on average the company is drilling about 22-thousand metres each month with as many as 17 drills on site.

New Forest Fires Reported

(Ministry of Natural Resources photo)

Ministry of Natural Resources forest fire fighters in the Rainy River district responded to four fires on the weekend.

Two of the fires, one near Cuttle Lake, northeast of Fort Frances and one at Marmion Lake, north of Atikokan, were small lightning fires.

Another fire at Marmion and one near Bat Fly Lake, north of Fort Frances, were human caused.

The MNR is still monitoring two fires in Quetico Provincial Park.

Relays For Life Set to Go

Relays for Life are set for this Friday in both Fort Frances and Rainy River.

Committee spokesperson for the Fort Frances event John Homer says all is set to go at the Fort Frances High School.

"We've got a really good core committee," says Homer. "Couple of us have been on the committee for a while. A couple that have been on for a couple years. Some brand new people. We all kind of pull together and it's going to be really fun. We've got some really exciting new thing."

Friday, the Fort Frances event was boosted with separate fundraisers at M and M Meats and Boston Pizza.

Hospital Tour Planned

It's going to be a busy summer for the CEO of the Thunder Bay Health Sciences Centre.

Andree Robichaud says she'll be making the rounds of the region's hospitals.

"For me when I listen to their issues, I have to see, I want to visit and I really want have the time to sit with each and every one of them and see how we can help each other," says Robichaud.

Robichaud says she'll start her tour in August.

Missing Angler Found

The body of a Wisconsin man has been pulled from a lake in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Emergency personnel recovered by the body of 23-year-old Ty Sitter from 90 feet of water in Swan Lake, north of Grand Marie.

Sitter disappeared June 9 when he left his family campsite to go fishing.

Meantime, the body of an 80-year-old Minnesota man has been recovered by a provincial police dive team in Nipigon.

Ronald Lee Hilsen was reported missing last Thursday after failing to return from a fishing trip on Lake Superior.

Divers found his body not far from where he had been fishing.

Atikokan College Grads

It was graduation day for Confederation College students in Atikokan Friday.

It's the first time a Convocation ceremony has been held in the community.

College President Pat Lang says it's a result of strong partnerships.

"Any time we move into a community to offer programing it's always successful," says Lang. "We have our community partners involved. In this case it was the Atikokan High School, Atikokan General Hospital and Contact North."

A total of 13 students were recognized at ceremonies held at the Atikokan High School.

Strategic Planning

It was a long day of discussions for Fort Frances town councillors Thursday.

The town's elected officials were joined by members of the administrative team in coming up with a new strategic plan.

Mayor Roy Avis says it was an important exercise.

"What we're trying to do is evolve a plan that will make it a better community to live in," says Avis. "It will be better for the future economic viability of our community. It will also deal with the hardships that we're going to be be faced with in the near future."

Councillors also discussed suggestions from local residents on such things as bus service, eliminating heavy trucks down Scott Street and water metres.

Time-of-Use Billing in Place

Time-of-use billing is starting to take effect in Fort Frances.

Some Fort Frances Power Corporation customers are now being charged rates based on when they use power.

CEO Jorge Ruppenstein says customers will see the difference when their bills are issued in July.

"On the new bill, it will actually total how much electricity was consumed during these three time periods," says Ruppenstein, "on-peak, off-peak and mid-peak."

All Power Corp customers will be on the new billing system July 1st.