Uploading Concerns

The town of Fort Frances isn't all that happy with the province's efforts to take back the responsibility of social services costs from municipalities.

Councillor Sharon Tibbs says with funding for social housing frozen at 2002 levels, the shortfall is still being picked up on the municipal side.

Councillor Ken Perry says the Rainy River District Administration Board recently passed a motion addressing that issue and will be seeking municipal support.

Attawapiskat Called Deplorable

Canada's top aboriginal leader says the spotlight on the deplorable living conditions on the  Attawapiskat First Nation is "a moment of reckoning.''

Shawn Atleo, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says it's long past time to take care of the needs of Attawapiskat and other reserves in the same position.

Many residents of Attawapiskat live in tented shacks with no insulation, no bathrooms, and no running water.

Atikokan Animals Get Rescued

Homeward Bound photo

An Atikokan group is helping to rescue stray animals from being destroyed and finding them new homes in the community.

Homeward Bound Animal Rescue was established only two months ago.

President Stephanie Martin says they're getting lot of support.

Martin says animals rescue are housed in Foster homes until more permanent ones are found.

Stuff-A-Cruiser Numbers

Final numbers from Saturday's Stuff-a-cruiser event in Atikokan are now in.

Residents donated enough food to help stuff a total of seven cruisers during the four hour food drive.

The items will be shared by Atikokan Native Friendship Centre/Ashandiwin Food Bank, Atikokan Christmas Cheer and the Faith Lutheran Church Food Bank.

Another Stuff-a-cruiser event will take place December 10th in Fort Frances and Emo.

Bait Smugglers Fined

Two United States residents have been fined a total of one-thousand dollars for attempting to smuggle live bait into Ontario.

The men, one from Iowa and another from Hibbing, Minnesota, tried on separate occasions this past summer to bring leeches through Canada Customs entry point on Sand Point Lake.

In both cases, the bait was seized by Customs officers and turned over to Ministry of Natural Resource conservation officers.

Lawyers Concerned with Changes

A group of northwestern Ontario lawyers have teamed up fight changes to the criminal code.

The Kenora Lawyers Sentencing Group is worried that amendments to the criminal code will result in more aboriginals being incarcerated.

It is also worried the changes will reduce opportunities for alternative sentencing, like restorative justice.

Airport Fence Works

A new fence around the Fort Frances airport appears to be doing its job.

The fence was installed to keep deer from running into the path of aircraft on the runway.

The town's Operation and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says they did have bear slip in under a gate, but no deer have been spotted by airport staff.

The fence has been in place since the middle of October