Campbell Urge Continued Pressure on Health Minister

Residents are being urged to keep up the pressure on Ontario's Health Minister for changes that resolves a doctor shortage in Rainy River.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says assurances from Deb Matthews that the Rainy River Health Centre's emergency room won't close when the lone doctor leaves is not a complete fix to the problem.

Campbell says a letter campaign started by residents in Rainy River needs to continue to bring more long-term solutions.

Osisko Seeks Public Input

Osisko Mining is exploring the environmental and socio-economic impacts of its planned gold mine near Atikokan.

The company held open houses in Atikokan and Fort Frances on the weekend to gather public input.

Spokesperson Alexandra Drapack says they're working towards completion of a feasibility study.

The company is also undergoing environmental assessment processes with both the federal and provincial governments.

Wage Hike Ups Council Earnings

An increase in salaries helped push up the amount paid out to members of Fort Frances town council last year.

A total of $135-thousand was earned by Mayor Roy Avis and the six councillors through salaries, conference expenses and per diems.

That's about $10-thousand higher that 2010, mostly because of a salary bump approved at the beginning of the four-year term.

Weather Records Set on Weekend

Spring like weather led to records across northwestern Ontario and Koochiching County on the weekend.

Fort Frances' Saturday temperature of 14.4 C surpassed the old mark of 11.1 C set in 1977

Highs of 16.2 C on Sunday in both the Fort and Atikokan shattered previous records set four year ago.

Temperature of 59 F on Saturday and 61 F Sunday were also records for International Falls.

Some Campsites Won't Open

Some campsites within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area won't be open this spring because of a forest fire last year.

The U.S. Forest Service expects as many as 76 campsites on 23 lakes to be unavailable in a hangover from last year's big Pagami Creek fire.

Standing scorched trees and burned latrines among issues still be addressed.

Kony Video Spurs Local Action

A campaign to raise global awareness of a brutal Central Africa rebel leader is gaining attention in Fort Frances.

Dexter Fischuk, who heads the high school group Fort Frances Mobilizers, formerly Saving Faces, says they're initiating a poster campaign to help educate residents about militia leader Joseph Kony.

Fischuk says their action was spurred by a You-Tube video that's attracting millions of viewers each day.

Another Award Nomination for Wilde

More accolades for Atikokan blue's artist Sunday Wilde.

Her Album "What man? Oh THAT man!!!" has been nominated for a Northern Ontario Music and Film in Motions Award.

The winners will be announced April 28 in Sudbury

Highway to Close

A section of Highway 602 near Fort Frances will be closed later this summer.

The Ministry of Transportation intends to replace a culvert located just north of the Bone Road sometime in July or August.

It's looking at installing a modular type system similar to one put in place last year at Wolf Creek, south of Emo.

The work would force Highway 602 between the Bone Road and Oakwood Drive to be closed for two to three weeks.

Atikokan CEO Find New Job

Atikokan is losing its Chief Administrative Officer.

Andre Morin is taking on a position with the city of Stratford at the end of April.

Mayor Dennis Brown says council will discuss how to replace him at its meeting Monday.

Morin has been with the town for the past eight years, initially hired on as its treasurer.

Men Charges in Illegal Gun Trade Investigation

Four men from the Rainy River district have been charged following a four-month police investigation into the illegal transfer of firearms in northwestern Ontario.

Treaty Three Police with the OPP's Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit, began their probe last November.

The men,  two from Manitou Rapids, one from Barwick and another from Couchiching face a variety of charges.

Police says more charge are pending.

MNR Fighting Invasive Species on Border Waters

The Ministry of Natural Resource says it works regularly with their counterparts in Minnesota in dealing with invasive species impacting border waters in this area.

Spokesperson Michelle Novak says the MNR is also very active with its own initiatives.

Koochiching County commissioners said last week it want more cooperation between the Ontario and Minnesota agencies in protecting the waters from invasive species.

Liberal Cheating with Grad Rates

The opposition parties accuse the Liberals of cheating for saying Ontario's high school graduation rate is 82 per cent because they include students who take five years to finish.

N-D-P Leader Andrea Horwath says the real grad rate under a four year program is really 73 per cent.

Ontario has had a four-year high school curriculum since 2003.

Steggeman Visit

A Canadian entrepreneur says you don't have to be an international conglomerate or a national government to affect change.

That was one of the message's delivered by Barb Steggeman in Fort Frances Thursday.

Steggeman, who launched her perfume business from her home, says it' not always  about making money.

Steggeman's visit coincided with International Women's Day, a day she used two years ago to launch her company.

A Warm February

Environment Canada is backing local observations that February was warmer than usual.


Spokesperson Chantale Cerny says in fact it was the warmest February in more than a decade.


Temperatures were about 4 degrees above the monthly norm.


Snow falls amounts in the district ranged between 25 and 40 centimetres, a normal, Cerny says, for the month.