New Seniors Group Gets Meeting with Company

A group of seniors concerned over the pensions of former Abitibi-Bowater employees is being given an audience with the company.

Allan Bedard, chair of the group, Seniors and Retirees Against Pension and Elder Abuse, says company officials asked for the meeting to take place later this month.

It comes after the group just made itself public.

The group is concerned over a recent reduction in pension payouts and the future of the fund.

Rainy River Resources Seals Agreement with Area First Nations

Six area First Nations are giving their seal of approval to a major gold mining project in the Rainy River district.

President of Rainy River Resources Raymond Threlkeld says the signing of a participation agreement sets out a schedule of benefits and ensures an open dialogue with the First Nations.

Rainy River Resources is hoping to having mining operations at its site north of Barwick underway by 2015.

Locum Housing Plan Scaled Back

Housing plans for locum doctors providing emergency room coverage in Rainy River are being scaled down.

The Rainy River Health Care Committee says it will pursue development of a single home rather than a duplex as originally planned.

Part of the home was to be intended for medical students, but with the pending loss of the town's lone physician that part of the project has been lessened.

Former Health Minister Blames Ministry for Scandal

Former Ontario health minister George Smitherman is pointing the finger at health bureaucrats for failing to keep an eye on Ornge.

Smitherman told a legislative committee the Ministry of Health should have seen the red flags at the troubled air ambulance service before it became a full-blown scandal.

Smitherman signed the original agreement that created Ornge in 2005.

County Passes on Free Trade Zone Road Grant

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Koochiching County won't pursue grant money for development of a road to the area's Foreign Trade Zone.

The zone, located just east of International Falls, is intended to give companies financial advantages in importing and exporting goods.

County Commissioners opted against submitting a grant application for the road after learning the county's share would be about $150-thousand.

Human Rights Review

A hearing being held in Thunder Bay is looking at Ontario's Human Rights programs.

Chair of the review board, Toronto Lawyer Andrew Pinto says northerners are telling him more needs to be done.

About 30 organizations are making submissions.

Youth Conference Planned for District

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Two youth conferences are being planned for the Rainy River district in May.

A Young Women's Conference, held previously at Luther Village in Sioux Narrows, will take at Sunny Cove Camp for the first time.

Jennifer Baker, vice-principal at J.W. Walker School, says it help build self-esteem among girls in Grades 7 to 12.

A conference for boys, in its third year, will go again at Quetico Provincial Park.


Challenge 2012 will bring together students in Grade 8.

Gord McCabe, principal of Crossroads School says it focuses on students considered at-risk.

Liberals Not Too Keen on NDP Budget Ideas

Premier Dalton McGuinty is pouring cold water on an NDP call to increase taxes for the wealthy, but isn't ruling the idea out completely.

The New Democrats want people making over $500-hundred thousand to pay a two percentage point tax premium.

McGuinty says he doesn't want to respond to one-off ideas from the NDP and wants to see all of their demands for supporting his minority government's budget.

Plasma Donation Centre to Close

Canadian Blood Services isn't backing down from it's plans to shut down its plasma donation centre in Thunder Bay.

Ian Mumford says the closure will go ahead as planned next week.

The CBS says new replacement products and a decline in hospital demand have led to a decrease in the need for plasma for transfusion