Hampton Ending Political Career

Former Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton says after 35 years in politics, 26 of them as the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, it's time to move on.

Hampton stated last fall he'd plan to seek re-election this October.

But the 59-year-old Hampton says he's since had a chance of heart.

Hampton, who was attorney general and minister of natural resources in Bob Rae's government in the early 1990s, stepped down as Ontario NDP leader in 2009 after 13 years in the job.

Forest Fires Situation Heats Up

(File photo)


The forest fire situation in northwestern Ontario appears to be heating up again.

35 new fires were reported across the region over the long weekend, including a new lightning-caused fire within Quetico Provincial Park near Sunday Lake.

Two others within the park are also burning.

There are now 125 fires still active.

Meantime, there are about one-thousand residents forced from home by forest fires still waiting to return.

July Weather

July was a hot and dry month across the Rainy River district.

Atikokan was the hot spot of the region with its average temperature coming in 3.6 C higher than normal.

It's total rainfall of about 80 millimetres was 82 per cent of the norm received in July.

Fort Frances was a degree and a half above normal while its 36-millimetres in rainfall was about 38 per cent what it normally gets in July.

Local Programs to Get National Audience

(Students involved in the P.A.R.T.Y. program - Fort Frances P.A.R.T.Y photo)


The ripple effect of youth empowerment and involvement in the Rainy River District will be shared to a national audience this fall.

Fort Frances paramedic John Beaton will address delegates attending the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference in Vancouver.

"With 300 applications and they only picked so many to do presentations," says Beaton. "I'll be taking one of the youth who helps do the P.A.R.T.Y. program and the first responder program at the high school to help me with the presentation."

Beaton says the conference will allow him to share the success of local programs to the all Canadian conference.

Road Projects for Rainy River District

(Ministry of Transportation photo)


Several road projects have been announced for the Rainy River district.

They include two previously announced paving projects of Highway 11 between Devlin and the Ontario-Manitoba Border.

Other projects;
* replacement of McCauley Creak Bridge on Highway 11 west of Atikokan
* replacement of Caribus Lake culvert on Highway 11 west of Atikokan
* replacement of Moosehorn Lake culvert on Highway 11, east of Fort Frances
* replacement of Wolf Creek culvert on Highway 602
* replacement of Rainy River tributary culvert on Highway 602
* replacement of Spruce Creek culvert north of Berglund

All projects are scheduled for the 2011 and 2012 budget year.

Bowling Alley Re-opens

The former Timberpins bowling alley in International Falls has been reopened under new management and a new name.

The International House of Bowling is only operating on Fridays and Saturday for now.

But co-owner Larry Bement hopes to get things into full swing by the fall.

"Right now it's more of just to get the place up and running, get the bugs out of it," says Bement. "The pin-setter hasn't been run in over a year. They got quirks and everything. Other things needs to be fixed."

Bement hopes to bring back league bowling that will include a solely Canadian one.