Temporary Fence Stays

The community garden in Fort Frances will have a fence around it this winter.

Fort Frances town council gave its blessing to having a temporary fence remain in place until the end of next year when a lease on the property expires.

It will also be marked with reflective tape to be seen by snowmobilers who drive by.

The fence was set up this year to keep deer away.

Garden organizers had requested the fence become more permanent.

County Concern About Area Post Offices

Koochiching County is standing with the city of Ranier in opposing proposed changes to postal services in that city.

The U.S. Postal Service is looking to reduce in half hour of services at the city's post office.

Mayor Ed Oerichbauer says a postal official at a recent public meeting hinted the plan is already done deal.

Oerichbauer says the U.S. Postal Service is also looking at reducing the hours at several other post offices located throughout the county.

Rainy River Resources Exploring New Ore Deposit

Rainy River Resources is beginning to unlock the potential of a recently discovered ore deposit near its gold project north of Barwick.

The company has released new assay results for the area its calling the Intrepid Zone.

It was found just a kilometre from where an open pit mine is planned.

President Raymond Threlkeld says the new results suggests the zone may contribute high quality ounces early in a planned underground operation and perhaps develop into another open pit mine.

Exploration Project Changing Hands

An exploration project in its infancy stages in the Rainy River district is being sold off.

B.C. based Duncastle Gold has signed a letter of understanding to acquire Mineral Mountain Resources Pipestone project in a cash and shares deal.

It's located about 60 kilometres north of Fort Frances.

School Suspensions Down

The Rainy River District School board is seeing fewer students suspended from its schools.

There was a 20 per cent drop in suspensions last year compared with the year before.

Superintendent of Education Casey Slack says figure also show lower numbers over a four year period as students progress through high school.

Slack attributes the decreases to measures the board has taken in its schools to make them safer.

Thunder Bay Presents Its Case

A Thunder Bay delegation is pleased with its meeting with Energy Minister Chris Bentley.

The group was in Toronto yesterday to discuss the decision that halted conversion of Ontario Power Generation's coal-fired Thunder Bay plant to natural gas.

Mayor Keith Hobbs believes they made a pretty strong case to keep the plant open, but says the city is prepared to consider a purchase if it shutdown.

Volunteers Wanted

Volunteers are wanted to assist with some of the work of the locum home in Rainy River.

Officials are seeking people to help stain siding.

Call Archie Wiersema at 852-3363 if you can help out.

Contract Talks Begin With Ontario Workers

Ontario government civil servants are making their case across the province as the bargaining starts in Toronto to get them a new contract.

Union spokesperson Neil MacDonald says the protection of services in northwestern Ontario is part of their demands.

The workers are holding an information picket today in Thunder Bay.

Doctors Get Deal

The Ontario government has reached a new fee agreement with the province's doctors that will add $100 million to their total compensation and reverse some earlier fee cuts.

Health Minister Deb Matthews says the tentative fee agreement with the Ontario Medical Association includes savings in other areas to offset the additional payments for doctors.

Doctors will get to vote on the deal next month.

Hoskins In Race

Eric Hoskins is the latest former cabinet minister who's running to succeed Dalton McGuinty as leader of the Ontario Liberals.

He resigned as minister of children and youth services last week.

Hoskins joins Gerard Kennedy, Sandra Pupatello, Charles Sousa, Glen Murray and Kathleen Wynne in the leadership race that's to be decided in late January.

Two Died In Highway Accident

OPP says two people have died in a two-vehicle accident that closed a section of the Trans Canada Highway for several hours Monday night.

Police say 75 year old John Marsholok and 71 year old Irene Marsholok, both of Kenora, were in a vehicle that lost control and came into a collision with a mini van about 56 kilometres east of Kenora.

The driver the van was taken to hospital in Kenora for treatment and later released.

TVO Cuts

Ontario's publicly funded broadcaster is cutting up to jobs and cancelling some program as part of an effort to save two million dollars.

Between 35 and 40 employees will leave TVO between now and the end of next March.

Among shows being cancelled is "Saturday Night at the Movies'' which has been on the air for nearly four decades.

Province Prepared To Quell Job Action

The Ontario government is threatening to quickly end any teachers' protests that put student safety at risk.

Education Minister Laurel Broten is worried teachers are not taking attendance and providing proper supervision in hallways.

High school teachers at 20 boards, including Thunder Bay, began a series of work-to-rules strike actions yesterday after talks between their union and the province collapsed during the weekend.

Teachers in the Rainy River District are not yet involved in that action, but could be in a legal strike position November 22.

Fort Frances High School Students To Speak To Catholic Students

The Northwest Catholic District School Board is turning to a Fort Frances High School student to help in a student leadership forum.

Dexter Fichuk will be the keynote speaker at the forums taking place at catholic schools this week, starting Tuesday in Atikokan.

The Grade 12 student will speak personally about his involvement with Free the Children Organization and his "We Day" experience where an anti-bullying video involving him was recently shown.