Dummies Cancel

One of the main shows in this year's Tour de Fort's line-up is in jeopardy.

Brad Roberts, of the Winnipeg-band Crash Test Dummies, says they've cancelled a fall tour of Canada and the U.S. because of his back trouble.

Doctors have advised the lead singer not go out on the road for the remainder of this year.

The band was set to play at the Townsend Theatre in Fort Frances November 15.

No word if the concert will be rescheduled.

Coaltion Seek Healt Care Platforms

Ontario's politicians are being urged to make health care a top election campaign priority.

Natalie Mehra with the Ontario Health Coalition says access to care is a serious issue in Ontario and all the political parties need to detail where they stand.

The coalition will soon distribute two newsletters to 400-thousand households.

One is a voter's guide to how the parties stand on key health-care issues.

The other will focus on how tax cuts are affecting health care.

Ontario Election Day 8

A change in the polls has been followed by a change in Tory tactics.

Recent polls suggest PC Leader Tim Hudak has lost his lead over the Liberals.

Yesterday, Hudak broke from several days of blasting the Liberals over its proposed tax break for companies that hire new Canadians to focus on government waste.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says her office has not approved using Jack Layton's memory to raise money.

One Toronto candidate was calling voters to say the party is going through a rough patch since the federal NDP leader died last month and could use financial support.

Horwath says it's not an approach she agrees with and nor should NDP candidates.

Premier Daltom McGuinty says is promising to continue taking over some costs from municipal governments.

But, he says, it's not something the PC's would do.

Library Board Seeks Meeting with Town Council

The Fort Frances Library Board wants to meet with Fort Frances town council.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft, who sits on the board, says there's some conflicts between the provincial library act and the municipal act they need to resolve.

"We're going through a policy review at the library board," says Wiedenhoeft, "and the chair wants to resolve these subtle difference between the Municipal Act and the Library Act."

Mayor Roy Avis and town clerk Glenn Treftlin will attend to board's meeting later this month.

Rafferty Sails with Canadian Navy

(John Rafferty photo)


John Rafferty is back from being at-sea.

The Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP spent the weekend aboard HMCS Ville de Quebec as part of a program offered to federally elected representatives.

"It certainly opened my eyes what the Canadian navy does," says Rafferty. "It certainly opened my eyes to life on a frigate. And it opened my eyes to the sorts of Canadians who are involved with the Navy and what they have to do."

Rafferty says much of time was spent on manoeuvres in the Atlantic off the coast of Nova Scotia.

Lemonade Stand Helps Health Care

(Tatum Kielczewski and Kiera Sherlock with Lori Maki of Riverside Health Care Facilities)


Local health care services have benefited from the entrepreneurial spirit of two six year old girls in Fort Frances.

Tatum Kielczewski and Kiera Sherlock set up a lemonade stand on Scott Street Saturday.

They raised 45-dollars and turned all of their profits over to Riverside Foundation for Health Care.