No Pre-Budget Hearings In Northwest

There's be no stops in northwestern Ontario for a provincial pre-budget consultation committee.

The legislative committee began its work last week with stops in Windsor, Timmins and Ottawa, ending in Toronto this week.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is disappointed it's not making a trip this way.

Campbell's hoping to fill the void by sending out her own pre-budget document to get residents thinking of what the budget priorities should be.

Accommodation Review Meetings Begin

A chance tonight to express your thoughts about the future of a small catholic school in the Rainy River district's west end.

A committee, tasked with examining the future of Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton, will hold the first of four scheduled public meetings.

Low enrollment has prompted the review.

Tonight's meeting begins at 5 p.m. at the schoo.

Visitor Restrictions At Emo Hospital

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A case of Influenza A has forced Riverside Health Care Facilities to impose visitor restrictions at the long-term care unit of the Emo Health Centre.

Patient visits are being restricted to family members only and to the resident's room.

Hospital officials also advise that if your experiencing any flu symptoms not to visit.

All group programming by Activation has also been cancelled until further notice.

Children Need To Be Active.

Children in the region aren't getting enough daily physical activity.

People for Education says its mainly due to the lack of physical education teachers in elementary schools, resulting in kids are falling short of the recommended amount of activity time.

Elaine Fischer with the Northwestern Health Unit says its an ongoing concern.

Fischer says developing physical activity early in life is key to life long habits.

Local Support For New Pope

Local support for Pope Francis.

Director of Education with the Northwest Catholic District School Board, Mary-Catherine Kelly expects him to shed a new light on the catholic system.

Kelly says the pope's message of hope will hopefully inspire students to help and support others.

Greenpeace Apologizes

Greenpeace Canada has acknowledged it was wrong when it accused Resolute Forest Products of secretly logging in protected boreal forests.

The environmental group says it has learned that the allegations it made the company in December were inaccurate.

Greenpeace says it sincerely regrets its error, and all references to the allegations have been removed from its website.

U.S. V.P. Interested In Minnesota Gun Law Debate

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is taking an interest in Minnesota's gun law debate.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk says Biden personally called him late last week to assess where the issue stands at Minnesota's Capitol.

Much of the focus has been around on requiring background checks on gun purchases.

Bakk says Biden also wanted to know opponents were fighting gun control measures.

Spring Is Here??

Today is the first day of spring, but looking outside it is hard to believe with 20 centimetres of fresh snow earlier this week.

If you think back, we were enjoying temperatures of 20 C, or 68 F, at this time last year.

It’s going to be colder than normal to start spring off this time, but we should see more seasonal temperatures later in the week.

Land Purchase Deal Completed

The city of International Falls has finally closed a purchase deal with Boise for land that will become the site of a multi-modal facility.

The more than $179-thousand purchase includes about 30 hectares, or 77 acres, to the east of the city, running adjacent to rail lines and a truck route.

Director of Economic and Community Development Shawn Mason says completion of the agreement allows them to focus on the project and have further discussions with the unnamed developer.

It's hopes work will begin later this year.

Appeal Court Supports Province

Ontario's highest court has ruled that the province has the right to "take up'' treaty land for mining and forestry.

The Grassy Narrows First Nation, north of Kenora, challenged Ontario's right to permit industrial logging on its traditional lands, saying it infringed on their hunting and trapping rights under a treaty they signed in 1873.

But The Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled yesterday the province doesn't need the federal government's approval to ``take up'' the lands - a decision that overturns a lower-court ruling.

Stockholders Meeting Comes To NWO

Resolute Forest Products is bringing its annual stockholders meeting to northwestern Ontario.

The meeting is scheduled for Thunder Bay on May 16.