Red Cross To Provide Help In Local Emergencies

The Canadian Red Cross has a renewed presence in the Rainy River District.

It's signing protocols with area municipalities that spells out the agencies role in emergency situations.

Disaster Management Coordinator Kari Raptor says the agency will be there to help victims for such things as shelter.

Raptor says they're now in the process of finding volunteers to assist in those efforts.

Lightning Caused Fires Possible

The Ministry of Natural Resources is on the watch for lightning fires.

There are currently 15 fires now burning, although none are in the Rainy River district.

The Ministry says the region may see new lightning-caused fires pop-up in the next couple of days resulting from a storm that passed by Monday night.

Meantime, MNR is sending ten FireRanger crews from northwestern Ontario to help deal with forest fires in northeastern Ontario.

Restrictions Lifted

Burning restrictions are being lifted in Koochiching County today.

The County is one of the last in Minnesota where restrictions has been kept in place.

Property Clean-up Dilemma

Difficulties in dealing with unsightly properties are becoming a sore spot for Koochiching County Commissioners.

The County has a committee set up to handle complaints, but Public Health Director Susan Cosgrove says many of the cases don't necessarily fall within the committee's jurisdiction.

Chair Brian McBride says there's a public perception the County isn't doing anything, but in some cases there's nothing they can do.

Water Meter Bills Issued

Commercial and institutional properties in Fort Frances that received new water meters last fall are now getting their bills.

Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown says they're still working through a few glitches, but the new metres ensure the protection and quality of the town's drinking water.

The new metres replace ones that had been in place for up to forty years.

Premier Not Worried With Doctors Group Warning

Premier Dalton McGuinty says he's not worried doctors will leave the province because the government slashed fees they're paid.

McGuinty says doctors are doing better now than when his government came to power, and he's confident they'll stay in Ontario.

A doctors group is warning physicians they may want to look elsewhere given the Liberals recent decision to cut fees and freeze wages.

Lipinski Back as Metis Nation President

A Fort Frances area man has been given another mandate to head the Metis Nation of Ontario.

Gary Lipinski received over 87 per cent of the vote to be returned as president in what the Metis Nation says was a record voter turnout for recent elections.

Lipinski says its a strong mandate to continue to push forward on their Métis rights agenda.

Seniors Allowed To Address Council

There's little it can offer, but Fort Frances town council will give a seniors group the right to speak at an upcoming meeting on a number of issues.

Requests to address council are rarely turned down, or even debated.

Mayor Roy Avis says council really has no control over the issues the group wants to talk about.

Members of the Seniors-Retirees against Pension and Elder Abuse plan to talk their concerns over pensions, old age security and the pending assessment appeal by Resolute Forest Products and it's impact on seniors.

Theatre User Surtax To Increase

A surtax, paid by users of the Townshead Theatre, will go up this September.

Fort Frances town council agreed to hike the fee to a dollar-fifty per ticket, up from the dollar fee theatre users have paid since 1999.

The money is used to offset theatre improvements.


Meantime, there will be some work taking place in the Townshend Theatre this summer.

The theatre stage flooring is being replaced at a cost of $21-thousand.

There was a plan to doing some painting inside, but an estimated of $32-thousand cost  was felt too high by the Theatre Advisory Committee.

It's feels that job can, instead, be left up to the Rainy River District School Board to do as part of its summer painting projects.