Hydro Concerns Presented To Minister

Fort Frances town council has taken its concerns about the province's review of the electricity distribution system directly to Energy Minister.

A delegation met with Chris Bentley last week.

Mayor Roy Avis says local power users could be impacted if the Fort Frances Power Corporation is forced to merge with another.

Avis says they were also encouraged about a meeting with Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle regarding changes to the bear-wise program.

DSSAB To Develop Strategic Plan

The agency responsible for delivery of social services programs in the Rainy River district is embarking on a strategic planning session.

CAO Dan McCormick says it's the first time the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board has undertaken such an exercise.

The DSSAB has hired an outside consultant to assist with the work beginning next week.

McGuinty Would Like An End to Bankable Sick Days

Premier Dalton McGuinty is urging Ontario municipalities to consider ending bankable sick days for police and firefighters to control costs.

He says municipalities need to ask themselves whether they should continue to allow police and firefighter to bank unused sick days.

The Ontario Association of Police Service Boards says it agrees with McGuinty, but want the governing Liberals to take responsibility for the costs of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Health Unit Issues Report Card

The Northwestern Health Unit is out with a report on how well it's meeting provincial standards.

It's the second year for the report card.

Alex Berry, Continuous Quality Improvement Coordinator, says it provides a snapshot of how well it's doing in meeting Ministry of Health standards.

The report focuses on fourteen key area including food safety, tobacco use prevention and injury prevention.

The report card can be found on the Health Unit's website.

New Temperature Record Set

Fort Frances was the hot spot in northwestern Ontario yesterday.

The high of 32.5 C, or 90.5 F, shattered the 1991 mark by a full degree.

Yesterday was also the warmest day this month.

Forest Fire Hazard Increasing

State authorities say the wildfire threat is growing in Minnesota.

The fire danger is rated high to extreme in most parts of northern Minnesota.

The Department of Natural Resources is expanding its available support resources as a precaution and restricting burning permits in some areas.

In northwestern Ontario, the forest fire hazard is forecast to be in the high and even extreme range across the central and southern regions.

I. Falls Reaching Out To Celebrities

The annual Pulling for Peace Tug of War is still nine months away, but the city of International Falls is actively recruiting for its celebrity team.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Carl Eller and Mike Ehredt, who's currently running across the U.S. in honour of soldiers killed in Afghanistan are expected to be on the city's team next June.


This year event was cancelled due to weather.

College Faculty Deal Reached

It appears there will be no disruption to the school year at Confederation College.

A tentative two-year deal has been struck between the Colleges and the union representing nearly 10-thousand faculty, including those at Confederation College.

It includes a two-year wage freeze with improved job security for partial-load faculty.

Members of the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union were set to take a strike vote September 10.

Classes for thousands of college students begin Tuesday.

Most Students Meeting School Test Standards

The provincial government is glowing over the latest results of standardized tests written by students last spring.

The number meeting standards in the Grade 3 and 6 tests for reading and writing and Grade 9 math was up five to 10 per cent in most areas.

However that success was not matched in mathematics in the elementary grades and in the Grade 9 applied course.

The Liberals say, overall, it's still proof that its education plan is working.

The results for individual boards and school will be released later in September.

Drug Charges

Two Fort Frances area men face charges after a quantity of illegal drugs were seized from a vehicle stopped near Kenora earlier this week.

OPP says half a pound of marihuana, 55 hydromorphine capsules and small amounts of Oxycondone and Fentanyl were discovered.

They value the drugs seized at about $10-thousand.

A 25-year-old from Devlin and a 23-year-old from Fort Frances were arrested.