Canada Day Draw Tickets Available

Riverside Foundation for Health Care is rolling out its annual Canada Day Cash Lottery.

Tickets are now available.

Over $19-thousand in cash and prizes is again up for grabs, including a 10-thousand dollars grand prize.

Early bird purchasers get in on a draw for an all-inclusive Fly-In Fishing Trip to Manitou Weather Station Fishing Lodge.

Tickets are available at Gillons' Insurance, Green's Country Wide, McTaggarts, Emo Health Centre, Rainy River Health Centre, Rainycrest Long Term Care and La Verendrye Hospital.

You can also call 274-4803 to purchase your tickets by phone with a credit card.

Rainy River Release Feasibility Study

Rainy River Resources is pegging developing of an open pit mine at its gold project north of Barwick to cost over a billion dollars.

The figure is contained in a feasibility study released by the company.

Pre-production costs come in at over $700 million.

Another $163-million is identified for an underground operation.

The study says as many as 400 jobs would be created during the construction phase with employment in the mines reaching at least 600.

About four-million ounces of gold and over 10-million ounces of silver have been identified with exploration to boost those numbers continuing.

The company, is hoping development on the project, currently going through the environmental assessment process, can begin late 2014.

Good Samaritan Society Soliciting For Funds

The Good Samaritan Society is turned to local governments for help in raising the local share towards its new home in International Falls.

Administrator Adam Coe is making a pitch to the Koochiching Development Authority for $100-thousand.

The Society is working to raising at least a million dollars.

The $18-million facility is on schedule to open later this summer.

The KDA is reserving a decision until a later date.

Riverside Gets "B" Rating

A national media website ranking the quality of care at hospitals is giving Riverside Health Care Facilities a "B" rating.

The report on Rate My Hospital is based on information compiled by the Canadian Institute For Health Information.

Riverside's rating compares with that given to other hospitals in northwestern Ontario.

No Extension Granted To Ice For Kids Arena

There will be no ice at the Ice For Kids Arena this summer.

Fort Frances Minor Hockey had asked that the ice stay until at least the end of June.

Town council declined the request at its meeting earlier this week.

The ice is being removed April 20.

With the FortLakers in the SIJHL finals, any home games after that will be played in the 52 Canadians Rink.



Frances

Sousa Confident Of Reached Deal With LCBO Workers

Finance Minister Charles Sousa says he's confident a deal can be worked out between the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and its unionized workers.

95 per cent members with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union voted in favour of strike

Sousa says there is no money for pay raises but adds "the best deals are negotiated one.''
action to back contract demands.

NDP Wants Wait Staff Tips Left Alone

The provincial New Democrats want to protect servers' tips from restaurant and bar owners.

MPP Michael Prue is introducing a a private members bill that simply states "an employer shall not take any portion of an employee's tips or  gratuities.''

Ontario's Labour Minister Yasir Naqvi says he agrees with  idea, but isn't saying if the Liberals will adopt Prue's bill or introduce one of their own.

CANWARN Program Promoted

Northwestern Ontario is looking for "Storm Hunters".

Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says they're out promoting its CANWARN program which helps the agency better report and forecast severe weather.

Environment Canada is planning to hold a number of information sessions in the near future.

Weather's Safe In The Borderland

It pays to live in the Borderland.

An advocacy group has come out with a new report that illustrates Minnesota's vulnerability to weather disasters.

Koochiching County is one of only five counties in the State that did not sustain a federally declared weather disaster in the past five years.

Out Of Town Library User Fees Questioned

FFPLTC photo

The fee paid by users living outside of Fort Frances to use the town library are getting a second look.

It's now a $77.00 charge.

Councillor Paul Ryan says that's far lower than the real cost to local taxpayers which pay $105.00 through taxation.

Council intends to seek input from the Library Board before deciding on any change.

Gasification Project Getting A Rethink

Some sober second thoughts about a proposed facility in Koochiching County that would generate energy through the burning of waste.

The Koochiching Development Authority has decided not to talk with the city International Falls on a proposed site for the gasification project.

County Commissioner Wade Pavleck says given that the project's taking longer than expected to develop, the county needs to decide if they want to continue first.

The project was first projected seven years ago.

More Ontario Grads

Ontario's high school graduation rate is on the increase again.

Education Minister Liz Sandals says 74 per cent of students get their diploma after four years, up 18 percentage points from when the Liberals took office nearly 10 years ago.

The graduation rate jumps to 83 per cent for
students who take five years to complete high school, an increase of 15 percentage points.

Festival Results Day 3

Anna Schwartz was the only double winner on the third day of piano competitions of the Rainy River District Festival of the Performing Arts.

The competitions wrap up today at the Townshend Theatre beginning at 9 a.m. and again at 1:30 p.m.

Here is the list of all winners from yesterday.

Own Choice, Grade 4
FIRST:  Alexa Veldhuisen
SECOND:  Mike Kooistra

Own Choice, Grade 5
FIRST:  Emma Dykstra
SECOND:  Katelyn Bruyere

Own Choice, Grade 6
FIRST:  Anna Schwartz
SECOND:  Gareth Dunn

Romantic or 20th or 21st Century, Grade 6
FIRST:  Anna Schwartz
SECOND:  Kayla Stang

Romantic or 20th or 21st Century, Grade 5
FIRST:  Katelyn Bruyere
SECOND:  (Tie) Emma Dykstra, Brianna Eldridge

Romantic or 20th or 21st Century, Grade 4
FIRST:  Mike Kooistra
SECOND:  Alexa Veldhuisen

Classical, Level 1
FIRST:  (Tie) Sadie Tolton, Paige Eldridge
SECOND:  Kenna Spuzak

Popular, Level 1
FIRST:  Ty Cunningham
SECOND:  (Tie) Emma Bassett, Sadie Tolton, Abby Bone

Jazz, Level 1
FIRST:  Ben Olson
SECOND:  (Tie) Mia Tullio, Ty Cunningham

Children's Songs, Level 1
FIRST:  Emma Saciuk
SECOND:  Emma Toriseva

Children's Songs, Level 1
FIRST:  Sadie Tolton
SECOND:  (Tie) Piper Danylchuk, Mia Tullio

Classical, Level 2
FIRST:  Tori Toriseva
SECOND:  Rowan Quast