Bass Championships Get Money

The Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is getting some financial help from the town, but not the amount it hoped for.

The organizing committee wanted $5-thousand to offset the loss an annual FEDNOR grant.

Mayor Roy Avis says the best they can give is $2-thousand.

The town is also denying the committee's request for a more long-term funding arrangement for the event.

Councillor Ken Perry says with the town facing financial pressures from reductions in their own federal and provincial money, it's becoming increasingly difficult to help out local groups.

Flooding Concerns Remain in Thunder Bay

The state of emergency continues in Thunder Bay as city officials and resident continue to deal with flooding.

A crippled sewage treatment plant in the city's south side one of the major issues.

City officials say until the flooding at the plant is settled, they're asking residents to conserve water.

Emergency Planned

As Thunder Bay deals with a real emergency, Fort Frances is planning to handle a mock one this fall.

Fire Chief Frank Sheppard says it will be centered around a major winter storm, impacting several key areas of the town.

Sheppard says it will give the town and local agencies an opportunity to test their own emergency response plans.

The last time the town was involved in a mock disaster of this magnitude was about a decade ago.

Hates Crimes Discussed

An Edmonton police officer says education is key to dealing with Hate Crimes in our area.

Stephen Camp was in Fort Frances as part of a conference.

Camp says many groups aren't fully aware of what Hate Crimes are and the legislation around it.

Camp says the most prevalent form of Hate Crime is mischief and occurs across the country.

Border Numbers up

There was a slight increase in traffic coming across the Fort Frances border last month.

Canada Border Services Agency reports over 55-thousand people entered into Canada at Fort Frances in April.

That's a 1.6 per cent increase over the numbers from April of last year.

Senior Population Increases

The number of seniors living in Fort Frances is growing.

Census data show over 15-hundred people, who lived in the community in 2011, were 65-or-older.

That's a fifth of the town's total population, and up almost half a percentage point from the number of seniors five years ago.

At the other end of the scale, Fort Frances is seeing a decrease in the number of children.


Those under the age of 14 make up over 16 per cent of the population, an eleven per drop from 2006.

Those in the working-age population in Fort Frances - people aged 15-64 - represent 64.5 per cent of the town's residents.

That's up from the 2006 census when 63 per cent of the population was made up of working-age residents.

The median age of Fort Frances was 44 years, two years old than in 2006.

Across the district, 17 per cent of the total population is being identified as 65 or older.

The town of Rainy River saw the number of seniors in its community drop 12 per cent  since 2006 while the senior population has increased 3 and a half per cent in Atikokan.

25 per cent of the district's population has been identified as being under the age of 14.

Atikokan saw a 23 per cent drop in this age group, the highest decline in the district.

Rainy River's population is the oldest community with the median coming in at almost 51 years. 

Chapple is the young at just over 38 years.

Seniors Concerned with Mill Assessment Appeal

Seniors in Fort Frances are expressing concern over the impact Resolute Forest Products' appeal of its tax assessment may have.

Wendell Stevens says residents can ill afford the company paying less on its Fort Frances mill and would like to see the town consider a legal route..

Town CAO Mark McCaig says there is a process that must be followed, but the town is waiting to see how the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation moves on the case before determining its next course of action.

Seniors Look For Support

Seniors want Fort Frances town council's support in their fight against recent changes to old age security and the need for pension reform.

Allan Bedard of Seniors-Retirees Against Pension and Elder Abuse says they're seeking letters of support and an approval of a resolution on the pension issue.

Council reserved making a decision until a later date.