New Water and Sewer Rate Proposal On The Table

Fort Frances town council gets a look tonight at another proposal to increase water and sewer rates.

It calls for residential rates to go up a $1.25 a month.

Industrial, commercial and institutional users on water metres would see their base rates go up nearly $8.00  a month.

The rate per cubic metre after that for the industrial and commercial sectors would go to $2.70 - $3.10 for the institutional side.

If approved the new rates would be reflected on the year's first bills.

Kozorys Selected To Carry NDP Banner Again

The NDP are going with a familiar face to challenge Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro in the next provincial election.

After two days of voting,  Mary Kozorys was selected as the party's candidate for the riding.

Kozorys ran against Mauro in the last election, losing by under five-hundred votes.

Unifor Targets Resolute For Patterned Talks

The Fort Frances mill will be front and centre when Unifor begins contract talks with Resolute Forest Products next month.

The union says negotiations with the company will set the pattern for talks with other forest companies.

Union president Jerry Dias says northwestern Ontario issues will be prominent, including the recent shutdown of operations in Fort Frances.

SIU Investigates Police Shooting In Red Lake

The province's Special Investigations Unit is looking into an incident in Red Lake that led to OPP have to fire their weapon.

OPP says it happen Saturday night while police were responding to noise complaints at a home.

An altercation between a women, who had forced her way inside and police led to a shot being fired.

The woman was airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital for treatment.

Two officers involved were also injured and treated in Red Lake hospital.

Physician Retires

One of the Fort Frances' long serving physicians has hung up his stethoscope.

Doctor Brian Johnston, retired at the end of the last year and was official recognition Friday night.

Johnston says he never had regrets moving to Fort Frances in 1966.

The 90-year-old says he now has time for some of the others things he enjoys such as golf.

Ice Fort Planned

The Friends of the Museum are trying to put the "Fort" back in Fort Frances.

They plan to build an ice fort at Lion's Park next month as part of a Snoasis 2, a follow up to last winter event where snow sculptures were created.

Chair Duane Hicks says they're hoping the public will help created the ice blocks for the March 15 event.

Hicks says using milk or juices cartons will make the ice blocks uniform.

Prom Dresses Wanted

A request for gently used prom and other formal wear is being made by the area's Professional Women's Business Network.

Spokesperson Jennifer Horton says they intend to sell back the dresses at reduced rates to high school students who will to attend this year's prom.

Donations will be accepted at Curvy Chick or Shear Serenity until March 17.

The dresses will be sold at events during April and May with the money raised donated to the I Am Awesome Retreat for Young Women.

Strong Response To Hockeyville Submission

The Fort Frances bid in the Kraft Hockeyville Contest has ended with the submission receiving 264 members and 365 uploads.

We'll know March 8 if our community is one of 16 to move on to the next round.