Fight on Blight Continues

The city of International Falls says its making good progress in its efforts to tear down derelict residential buildings.

The city's initiated a fight-on-blight program about five years ago.

The city's building inspector Kelly Meyers says crews have been fairly busy this year taking care of unsightly properties and removing old buildings.

"Since about the first of the year we've done about eighteen buildings," says Meyers. "They've been house and garages, some of them very dilapidated homes that needed to be removed. We've also done some sheds and individual homes that have gone past their prime."

The city's now looking at some modifications to the ordinance to help it deal with repeat offenders, especially with unsightly lawns.

Cellphone Crackdown

Law enforcement agencies across Minnesota will be conducting a one-day crackdown on motorists who use a cellphone or text while driving today.

It will be part of "Distraction Free Driving Day."

The department's Office of Traffic Safety also is launching a print and radio campaign to educate drivers about Minnesota's two-year-old law banning texting while driving.

Officials say driver distraction is a leading factor in crashes in Minnesota.

Weather Increasing Liquor and Beer Sales

Ontario residents are cracking open more cool ones this summer, a trend some are attributing to the weather.

The LCBO says sales of beer and cider from June 30 to July 17 show an increase of 11.5 per cent over the same period last summer.

Meanwhile, the Beer Store has seen a three per cent increase over last year's sales in June and July.

Odour Complaints Linger

There are more complaints coming from the Minnesota side of Rainy River over an odour that many residents there believe is coming from AbitibiBowater's mill in Fort Frances.

Koochiching County Commissioner Wade Pavleck says the county's fired off letters to the company asking for information on what's been done to stem the smell since an initial meeting three years ago.

"They were going to make quarterly reports to us as they made progress on doing some updates that were going to take of the problem," says Pavleck. "But those meetings never occurred and the odours have continued. It's got to the point that we've got so many complaints that we had to take some action ourselves and try to get the parties back together."

The company maintains its meeting guidelines for air emissions at its mill.

Rainycrest Shortfall Discussed

Discussions are underway between Riverside Health Care Facilities, the Northwest Local Health Integration Network and the Health Ministry to find cost savings at Rainycrest Long Term Care.

CEO Wayne Woods says about half of Riverside's 1-point-1 million dollar shortfall this year is attributed to the Fort Frances home.

"We have to look at Rainycrest," says Woods. "It's been producing a significant deficit for the last three years so we have to be looking at it quite seriously."

Woods says steps to address the shortfall could be similar to those used in dealing with deficits that occurred at Riverside's three hospitals.

Outage Corrected

An outage effecting 9-1-1 service in northern St. Louis County has been corrected.

Officials says the outage was caused by crews working near Aurora, east of Virginia, who damaged a fiber-optic cable.

The outage also impacted some land line, cell phone and Internet services in International Falls and Rainer.

Spray Park Official Opening

Residents of Emo gathered Tuesday night for the official opening of its spray park.

Construction was completed just a few weeks ago.

Fundraising chair Lincoln Dunn says it was a full community effort to make it a reality.

"The support from the community has been unbelievable," says Dunn. "Some of the partners who have worked with us on this project have been there every time we've gone back look for material, labour, assistance or expertise. It's been just outstanding."

Dunn also credits the support of several volunteers in reaching their objective.

More than $225-thousand was raised for the project over a three year period.

NCDS Primary Training Provider

Northern Community Development Services is expecting little change to how it delivers programs after being selected the primary employment and training provider in the Rainy River District.

NCDS will help carry out the province's new Employment Ontario model.

It does include an end to the Job Connect program for youth, but a broader range of programming for all ages.

Ontario's Minister of Training John Milloy says residents now have access to all programs at one location.

Comuzzi Name Back in Political Arena

There's a Comuzzi looking to get back into federal politics.

Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann, the niece of former longtime Thunder Bay MP Joe Comuzzi, is seeking the federal Tory nomination in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River Riding.

"We'll I feel after many years or service with Mr. Comuzzi that it's time for someone else to pick up the torch," says Comuzzi-Stehmann, "and who better than his niece to do that."

No date has been set for the nomination.

New Terry Fox Run Organizer

There will be a new organizer of the Terry Fox run in Fort Frances this September.

The Church of the Holy Spirit in Fort Frances will coordinate the run's thirtieth anniversary.

Spokesperson Cheryle Wolfe says there's a significant connection to the church.

"We have a member of our congregation, George Walsh and his brother Sandy, who have taken part in the carrying of the colour flag in Thunder Bay since day one," says Wolfe. "It's kind of a special thing for George which is a special thing for all of us."

Wolfe says they are looking at a new route and ways of involving more people from around the district.

Pledge forms and t-shirts are expected to be made available soon.

Bayfield Adds Second Drill Rig

Bayfield Ventures is stepping up its exploration activities north of Barwick.

The company is adding a second drill rig to its Rainy River gold project.

It's hoping the results will lead to an expansion of gold mineralization previously determined by Rainy River Resources on its site which is adjacent to Bayfield's property.

Restructuring Plan Outline Approved

AbitibiBowater has won court approval of its restructuring plan outline, allowing the company to seek the support from its creditors.

Under the plan, unsecured creditors would share the reorganized company’s stock in addition to the right to participate in a 500-million dollar notes offering that would be convertible into equity.

Secured creditors would be paid in full in cash, or get some other other mutually agreed upon treatment that would give them a full recovery.

The company’s existing shareholders would be wiped out under the proposal.

Driver Charged

A motorist faces several charges after trying to allude police in Fort Frances on the weekend.

OPP say as officers turned to follow a motorist driving in an erratic manner in the town's west end early Sunday morning, the driver sped away only to stop along McIrvine Road near Eighth Street.

The driver then fled his vehicle, but was apprehended a short time late by police at a nearby private business.

He now faces several Highway Traffic Act offences, entering a premise where prohibited and impaired driving.

Busy Weekend for OPP

A busy weekend for Provincial Police in the Rainy River district.

Police responded to 135 calls between during the August long weekend.

Among them, nine motor vehicle collisions - four involving wildlife.

No injuries were reported in any of the accidents.

Forty-seven charges were also laid during traffic patrols, including three for motorists having a radar warning device.

Mill Fire

Minimal damage is being reported from a weekend fire at AbitibiBowater's mill in Fort Frances.

It started shortly after midnight Sunday in the area of the paper machines.

Mill staff and the mill's sprinkler system helped contained the blaze by the time firefighters with the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service arrived on scene.

Officials says the fire was likely started by an overheated bearing.

Border Blamed for Declining Tourism Numbers

Border crossings in Fort Frances and Rainy River continue to be a bone of contention for the area's tourism officials.

Executive Director of Ontario's Sunset Country Gerry Cariou says area lodges are reporting large declines in American visitors, and point to the area's border as a contributing factors.

"Canada has over the past ten years since 9-11 has established an unfriendly border to American travellers," says Cariou. "Fort Frances and Rainy River, specifically, seem to be the canary in the coal mine where it's almost the serial turnbacks of people of minor criminality much more pronounced than the other entry points across Canada."

Cariou believes millions of dollars in revenue has been lost by the enforcement of rules that restrict Americans with prior drunk driving convictions from entering Canada.

New Strategic Plan in Place

International Falls city council has a new strategic plan.

Mayor Shawn Mason says it outlines a number of goals and objectives for council over the next two years.

"For some people looking at them they might think they're out there in terms of being able to achieve them," says Mason, "but we really have to think big. We have to really have that peripheral vision as a leader."

The plan includes taking a proactive leadership towards economic development and on legislative issues affecting the city.

Election Filings Start Today

Today starts a two week filing period for candidates seeking a number of local government seats in Minnesota.

They include International Falls councillor positions representing west, east and central wards.

Mayoral seats and certain councillor positions in Rainer, Littlefork and Big Falls will also be up for grabs as part of the November 2 general election.

Youth Employment Centre Closing

(Youth Services Officers Jamie Petrin (left) and Dayna Debenedet)


Service Canada's Employment Centre for Youth's season is coming to a close.

The Fort Frances office ends its season Friday.

Youth Services Officer Jamie Petrin says despite a tough economy, they were able to find work for a number students this summer.

" It was really, really awesome this summer," says Petrin. "We had a really successful summer this season. (We) met lots of people. Got lots of jobs posted. Talked to lots of students and employers."

Petrin says until its closing, the office will also be providing information on loans and grants for students returning to school this fall.

SIU Makes Correction

The Special Investigation Unit is correcting information it released last week regarding this past June's police shooting in Kenora.

The S.I.U. had noted there was a two hour delay by the OPP in reporting the shooting of 39-year-old Helen Proulx who had brandished a knife at a female officer.

It now says there was a 51-minute delay.

Director Ian Scott apologizes for the error, but says they would still have liked to have been notified sooner, as required under the Police Service's act.

The officer involved was cleared of any wrongdoing.

Ontario Sends More Help

Ontario is sending more help to western Canada ravaged by forest fires.

Over one hundred Ministry of Natural Resources firefighters and support personnel were sent to northern Saskatchewan and British Columbia on Sunday.

Another twenty firefighters have been in Manitoba since early last week.

The MNR expects to be called on for more assistance, especially in B.C. where the fire situation is worsening.

New Legislation Already Felt

At least two drivers have received licence suspensions under Ontario's new regulations for zero blood alcohol for young drivers.

They were both issued by police in Toronto.

Ontario Provincial Police say they will release complete numbers later today.

Under new regulations in effect this weekend, Ontario drivers age 21 and under must have a blood alcohol level of zero.

Maximum penalties include a 30-day suspension and $500 fine.

Water Park Opens

The township of Emo officially opens its spray park tonight.

A dedication ceremony will be held at 5 p.m.

The park became a reality this year following four years of local fundraising which topped well over $225-thousand.

Warning! Fake Inspectors

The Northwestern Health unit is warning restaurant owners to be on the watch for fake public health inspectors.

The fake inspectors contact restaurant owners by phone asking for detailed business and personal information and threatening them with fines if they don't comply.

Medical Officer of Health Doctor James Arthurs says two restaurants were recently targets in the Kenora and Rainy River districts.

He says Health Unit inspectors usually arrive unannounced and carry photo ID's.

Drownings to be Reviewed

The province's acting Chief Coroner says there will be a review of all drowning deaths in Ontario that have occurred this summer.

Doctor Bert Lauwers says the purpose is to identify common factors that may have played a role in the deaths.

Once complete, Lauwers says the results of this review will be released to the public later in the year.

There have been three drowning-related deaths in the Rainy River district.

Inquests Planned

The deaths of two men in northwestern Ontario last year will be subjects of coroner's inquests later this fall.

A September inquest in Fort Frances will examine the death of 21-year-old Dylan Wreggitt of Atikokan.

He died while in custody at the Rainy River District Jail last August.

Another inquest into the death of 30-year-old Levi Schaeffer will be held in Thunder Bay in October.

Schaeffer died in an altercation with Provincial Police in the Osnaburgh Lake area last June.

E.R Cash Defended

Health Minister Deb Matthews is defending the decision to spend 100-million dollars this year to help cut wait times in E-R's.

Conservative Lisa MacLeod says the money would be better spent creating long-term care beds to free up space in congested hospitals.

Matthews says she understands the program isn't perfect, but she says it's a good start.

One-point-nine million dollars earmarked for the Northwestern Health Integration Network is all going to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Atikokan Bass Classic Nears

(CKDR Photo)

Atikokan will be the next stop on this summer's tournament tour for area anglers.

The Atikokan Bass Classic gets under in two weeks time with a full field of 110 angler teams competing.

Chair Jim Johnson says the push right now is for volunteers to help set up a week from today.

"The big tent is going up and everybody knows that's a big job, " says Johnson. "The more hands that are there, the easy it will be to put it up. Then Saturday and Sunday we'll be filling it up with tables and chairs which is a labourious job. Again, the more people that we have out to help will make the job that much smaller."

Person interested in helping out can register at Bass Classic's office, by calling 597-2757 or on its website http://www.atikokanbassclassic.com/.

Boys Scouts 100th Celebrated in International Falls

Boys Scouts in the International Falls area will gather tomorrow to help celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of scouting in the United States.

Troop 145 committee member Tammy Riley says they're invited current and former scouts to watch a Centennial Celebration Show originating from the National Scout Jamboree in Fort A-P Hill in Virginia.

"We're going to gather at Faith United Church for the webcast," says Riley. "We also want to consider it an opportunity for past and present scout to gather so we're going to consider it as a reunion also."

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night.

Interested community members on both sides of the border are invited.

Abzac Sold

A local manufacturing company has been sold.

Abzac's Fort Frances operation will be taken over by South Carolina-based Sonoco by the end of October.

The plant makes cardboard cores for paper mills and employees 13 people.

Kenora Shooting Report Issued

A Kenora OPP officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in the June shooting of a woman in that city, but the Special Investigation's Unit is questioning why it took Provincial Police almost two hours to report the incident.

39-year-old Helen Proulx was shot twice in the torso after brandishing a knife at a female officer.

S.I.U. director Ian Scott found no reasonable grounds to believe the officer acted inappropriately.

Witnesses told the S.I.U. Proulx was intoxicated and in a despondent emotional state at the time and failed to comply with the officer's repeated requests to drop the knife

But in his report, Scott expressed concernd with the delay in reporting the shooting to the S.I.U., a contravention under the Police Services Act, and that some officers at the scene were told by an association lawyer not to make notes.

He's asked the OPP Commissioner to investigate.

Teenager Charged with Murder

A 16-year-old boy from Fort Hope First Nation, north of Sioux Lookout, is facing a murder charge.

Ontario Provincial Police say it follows the stabbing death of a 17-year-old boy in that community last week.

The accused will be appear in a Thunder Bay court August 3.

Police to Crackdown on Careless Drivers

A rise in the number of fatal motor vehicle accidents across the province has prompted Provincial Police to be on a close watch for motorists who break the law this August long weekend.

Sergeant Shelly Garr says there have been twelve fatalities in northwestern Ontario this year, compared with eighteen in all of 2009.

"We're always concerned with the number of motor vehicle collisions on our highways," says Garr. "We're always looking for the big three risk factors and will continue to do so this long weekend. We'll be looking for aggressive driving, failing to wear seatbelts and impaired driving."

None of the fatalities have been in Rainy River district, but twenty-six people have been injured in accidents in the district this year.

Staff Changes Before Police Probe

The Ontario Realty Corporation reportedly fired some staff and restructured a department just before a police raid as part of a corruption probe.

The restructuring took place in May and June that saw some staff, including a vice-president , let go.

The Corporation won't say what, if any, link its purge has to the police probe of procurement in three ministries which went public July 15 with search warrants executed at government buildings in Toronto.

Class Action Suit Proceeds

A lawyer says tens of thousands of people across Canada could be part of a sweeping class-action lawsuit from developmentally disabled people alleging decades of abuse at an Ontario institution.

An Ontario Superior Court judge gave the green light for the one-billion-dollar class action suit involving former residents of Huronia Regional Centre and their family members.

The institution opened in 1876 as the Orillia Asylum for Idiots, and closed in March 2009.

Computer Glitch Hits WFN Contest

The World Fishing Network has repaired a computer clitch that impacted Fort Frances' bid to become the Ultimate Fishing Town in Canada.

Wednesday morning, Fort Frances appeared with two separate bids to WFN contest, but residents could not post supporting submissions to the original bid.

The problem has since been corrected.

Low Forest Fire Hazard Prevails

Recent wet weather has dropped the fire hazard to low across much of northwestern Ontario.

Ten fires are burning in the district, including nine in the far north, but are being allowed to burn out.

There are no active fires in the Rainy River district

Meanwhile, twenty firefighters, three aircraft and three Ministry of Natural Resources officers are in Leaf Rapids, Manitoba to help in the fire fight there.

Suspected Drug Kingpin Arrested

A southern Ontario man, police believe is behind a large prescription pill trafficking ring in northern Ontario is now in custody.

37-year-old Jabir Khan was arrested in North York and sent to Thunder Bay to face trafficking charges.

Police believe he's helped in the illegal distribution of Oxycodone to First Nation communities around the region.

During a two-year investigation, police seized more than 360-thousand dollars in Oxycodone tablets and another 60-thousand in cash.

Two other men from Toronto and Thunder Bay and a woman from Toronto have also been charged.

Swimmer Warnings to be Posted

The Northwestern Health Unit is planning to post permanent signs at area beaches to warn swimmers of the potential of bacteria in the waters.

It now issues warnings only after water tests confirms its presence.

But Medical Officer of Health Doctor James Arthurs says the situation often changes by the time it get those results back from a lab in Thunder Bay.

"The potential exposure of the public to high bacterial counts may occur actually before we get the tests back," says Dr. Arthurs, "and because of the run off of our rivers, the water may have actually cleared by the time we get an adverse report and have closed the beach."

Arthurs sees the signage more as a preventative measure than a suggestion to swimmers they enter at their own risk.

Sunny Cove Funding

The town of Fort Frances has been awarded funding for upgrades to Sunny Cove Camp.

The $100-thousand is from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The money is to cover the cost of plumbing, electrical and structural renovations done to the camp.

The town had pegged costs coming in at about $134-thousand.

Trillium Money to Atikokan

Two Atikokan organizations will benefit from funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Beaten Path Nordic Ski Club is getting almost $15-thousand to purchase an all-terrain vehicle to maintain cross-country ski trails in the Atikokan-Quetico area.

The town of Atikokan will use another $15-thousand to install insulation, siding and new windows in the Mount Fairweather ski chalet.

Board Office on the Move

A move of the Rainy River District School Board administration office is to begin at the end of this week.

Education Director Heather Campbell says the offices will be temporarily located in the main floor of the existing Robert Moore School.

"We are moving the board office (to the existing school) to prepare for the renovations to our offices," says Campbell.

The offices will be closed Friday, reopening in the new location Monday August 9.

Bike Rodeo in Atikokan

The second of two bicycle rodeos in the Rainy River district this week happens in Atikokan today.

The event at North Star Community School begins at 1:30 p.m. and is open to kids aged 4 to 12.

There are also now plans to hold a bike rodeo in Fort Frances at Boston Pizza on August 5 and later this month as part of childrens' camps at the Memorial Sports Centre.

Ministries Identified in Probe

Premier Dalton McGuinty has identified three ministries that were the target of police raids this month, as part of an anti-corruption probe.

McGuinty says they are Transportation, Economic Development and Trade, and Community and Social Services.

McGuinty says he has no details of allegations that sparked the probe, which has not resulted in any charges.

Restructuring Plan Approved

An Ontario Superior Court judge has approved a financial restructuring plan for Terrace Bay Pulp.

Tuesday's decision means the pulp and paper mill will be able to exit bankruptcy protection by August 17 and immediately ramp up ongoing operations to get the plant back into production before fall.

The pulp and paper mill is a division of Thunder Bay-based Buchanan Group and had stopped production in February 2009.

Garden to Open Next Year

Gardeners hoping to be a part of a community garden in Fort Frances will have to wait until next year to plant their vegetables.

A group was hoping to have the garden ready for planting this summer, but Becky Holden of the planning committee says permission needed to use municipal property in the town's north end took longer than expected.

"We will not be moving ahead with gardening this year," says Holden, "but we will be working on the property after we've been given approval form the town of Fort Frances to use to site. The committee will also still be meeting regularly."

Town council held a public meeting Monday night on a potential zoning amendment to permit the Garden at Lillie Avenue and Elizabeth Street West.

A decision is expected next month.

Beach Volleyball Courts Sought

The development of more beach volleyball courts at Pither's Point Park will get another look by the town of Fort Frances during its 2011 budget discussions.

Councillors Monday night discussed the idea put forward by an organizer of a beach volleyball league.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says with ownership of the park in dispute, it's best the town hold off on the request for now.

"That would be an ideal spot," says Wiedenhoeft, "but given the Point Park is in dispute probably not a wise move at this point in time. Next year, maybe, the disposition of the park may be resolved."

It was suggested the courts could be built at St. Francis Sports Field or Sunny Cove Camp.

Loans Nearly Paid in Full

AbitibiBowater says it's repaid $166-million of its debtor-in-possession loan following an improvement in market conditions and operational performance.

In regulatory filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says it now has $40 million outstanding under the loan.

Companies rely on DIP financing to fund operations while in bankruptcy.

Terry Fox Stories Wanted

Terry Fox's Memory of Hope is going onto its thirtieth year.

Terry's brother, Fred Fox wants to hear from northwestern Ontario residents.

"People that saw Terry or touched Terry or even had the change to talk to Terry," says Fox. "We don't hear those stories enough or people haven't had the opportunity to share those stories. One day we're going to lose those stories."

Anyone who wishes to share their story can e-mail ontario2@terryfoxrun.org.

More Support Needed

More public support is needed if Fort Frances is going to have any hope of being considered the Ultimate Fishing Town in Canada.

As of this Tuesday, Fort Frances has seven supporting submissions in its bid to the World Fishing Network Contest.

That pales in compared to Thunder Bay which as 23.

Kenora has 20 with Dryden sitting at 14.

Residents are being asked to submit stories, photos and video to support reasons why their town should be considered the Ultimate Fishing Town before next Monday.

A link to the Fort Frances nomination can be found on our website http://www.b93.c-a/.

Area Man Killed in Timmins Crash

A northwestern Ontario man has been identified as one of the victims of a helicopter crash south of Timmins.

19-year-old Ethan Boucha of Rat Portage was among two people aboard a Bell 206 helicopter that struck a tower last Friday afternoon.

The helicopter belonged to a North Bay company which offers flight training in conjunction with Canadore College.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Crash Victims Identified

OPP have identified the names of the victims in a crash on Highway 17-A just east of Kenora earlier this month.

46-year-old Chae Nyeo Hyeon and her 19-year-old son Jayson Kim were both killed when the van they were in struck a rock cut on July 22.

47-year-old Soo Hyun Kim and 17-year-old Jewan Kim were transported to Thunder Bay hospital and are still listed in critical condition.

New Champions in Bass Championship

For the first time in nine years, a Fort Frances name is appearing on the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship trophy.

Dorian Lindholm with long-time fishing partner Bill Wilcox of Texas captured the 2010 tournament with a three day catch of 56.45 pounds.

"We had no problem in the pre-fish," says Lindholm. "We had very little problem fishing. It worked out really good for us."

Wilcox says the duo stayed true to their game plan.

"we had a good game plan and changed up water each day," says Wilcox. "That was the key because we used our fish up each day and just changed locations."

Mark Raveling of Minnesota and Mike Luhman of Wisconsin finished second.

Jeff Gustafson of Kenora and John Peterson of Bemidji, who carried the biggest weight on the final day before the final three angling teams weighed-in, were third.

Three-time defending champs Joe Thrun and Jim Moynaugh fell to 19th after weighing in with just 8-pounds on the final day.

Bass Tournament Staying Inside

It's looking like the Memorial Sports Centre will be a permanent home for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships.

The event was held indoors for the first time and chair Tom Fry says it worked out every well for organizers.

"I think we're here to stay," says Fry. "It was just an awesome show. Everything was professionally done. The arena looked great. That boat parade worked out just super going in a circle around the arena. I don't think we could have done it any better."

Fry says the big challenge for next year will filling a number of positions on the board of directors including his role as chair.

"There are a few other directors who have indicated they would like to step down so we're going to be looking for directors no later than September 1st."

The organizing committee faced a similar problem which threatened the 2010 tournament before being able to fill several vacancies late last fall.

Bag Bag Considered

Sioux Lookout is close to becoming the first town in Ontario to ban plastic bags in stores.

Councillors approved the second reading of a by-law last week.

Town clerk Mary MacKenzie says they'll seek out more public comment before bringing the by-law back for a final reading in September.

Summer Students Give OPP as Helping Hand

Ontario Provincial Police in Fort Frances are getting some assistance this summer from a couple of summer students.

Samantha Meuller and Brett McMahon are bicycling throughout the town, carrying out a variety of policing programs.

"We've been involved in certain problems including the Lock It or Lose It," says Meuller. "We've conducted traffic surveys for statistics on traffic behaviour. We are also positive role models for the Positive Tickets Program within the bike rodeos that we hold for the children of the Rainy River district."

McMahon says the experience he's gaining may be used toward a possible career in policing.

"I've always been interested in law enforcement," says McMahon, "so I thought this would be a great opportunity to get to know what they do and get a feel for it."

The local detachment also has a student assigned to its Marine unit.

PUSH Seeks Input

Persons United for Self-Help is looking for Northwestern Ontario residents who want to share their story.

Spokesperson Justin Miller says they want to hear from people living with disabilities.

"Share their stories of various issues they have faced in regards to barriers they have encountered with their disabilities," says Miller. "We have representatives go out to the other smaller communities in the region to ask give people a better understand of PUSH Northwest."

Miller says many people in the region still have trouble finding adequate housing and transportation.

Pickle Story Today at Library

A story about pickles and diversity will be told at Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre today.

Pickle Bumps for Baby Dill is the first picture book for children by author Bob Fulton of St. Cloud Minnesota.

Fulton credits his youngest grandson for the idea.

"He says tell us a story about pickles," says Fulton. "He just loves pickles. I thought, well, how do you tell a story about a pickle. The first thing that came to mind was the saying 'like bump on a pickle.' I thought well maybe we can have a story about a pickle that doesn't have any bumps and where does that go."

Fulton will hold readings at the library this 2 p.m. this afternoon and tomorrow at 11 a.m..

A book signing is planned for Wednesday at Betty's in Fort Frances.

Winnipeg Team Leads FFCBC

(Mark Raveling of Longville, MN and Mike Luhman of Deer Park, WI are third after Day 1 of fishing with their catch of 19.11 lbs of bass)


Winnipeg team has grabbed the early lead in the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Alex and Darrell Keszler were the only team crack the 20 pound mark, weighing in five bass at 20.1 lbs.

Darrell Keszler says it was a great start.

"We had an awesome day," says Darrell. "The old man was hot. We made great decisions, but in all honesty we didn't catch that many fish. Fishing has been tough but we got the right bites today."

Dorian Lindholm of Fort Frances and fishing partner Bill Wilcox of Texas sit half a pound back in second.

Three time defending champions Joe Thrun and Jim Moyaugh are thirteenth.

Strike Vote Taken at Ainsworth

Unionized workers at Ainsworth OSB mill in Barwick has voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to back contract demands.

The strike vote came after the 130 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union voted 97 per cent against the company's latest offer.

C.E.P. national rep Steven Boon says the union will continue to work towards a deal before the mid-August strike deadline.

Boon says many of the outstanding issues centre around non-monetary items such as contract language, contracting out, seniority and scheduling changes.

Record Road Work Planned

The Ontario government has released the list of highway projects in northern Ontario its funding during this construction season.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says almost $775-million will be spent on on road improvements, expansions and bridge updates.

"That's a 20 per cent increase over last year's record amount of $648-million," says Gravelle. "We are seeing a tremendous amount of construction work. All of it important to the people of the communities it effects.

Six projects are in the Rainy River district, including continued upgrades to the Noden Causeway and the rehabilitation of the LaVallee River bridge on Highway 11.

Applications Now Accepted

(Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley (left) with Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro)

The McGuinty Government has unveiled a new training program for northern Ontario residents.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says they want to train aboriginals, Metis and other northerners who want a new job but don't have the necessary skills.

"It ables the business organization with the training provider and the First Nations communities to come together with a proposal to say "we want to train these people for these jobs."

The 45-million dollar fund will cover part of the training costs with the rest coming from the businesses looking to hire.

Bear Frees from Jar

An elusive black bear near Thunder Bay is finally free of the jar that was stuck to its head for about two weeks.

Wildlife officers say the bear somehow managed to get rid of the jar on its own.

A canoeist found a similar empty jar yesterday containing black fur and scratches with claw marks.

Teddy Bear Picnic

Teddy Bears off all types and their owners are being invited to the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic today.

Head of the Children's department Andrea Avis says lots will be going on at the Fort Frances Library Technology Centre, rain or shine.

"We have some carnival games for the kids to participate in with some pretty cool little prizes," says Avis. "Face painting and a special guest performer, Aaron Brunette and his wife, coming from Winnipeg. They'll be performing in the main part of the library."

It begins at 11:30 a.m.

Man Charge in 1990's Sex Offences

Provincial Police in Fort Frances have charged an area man in connection with a series of sex offences, some dating back almost twenty years ago.

43-year-old Garry Donald Mathewson was to appear in a Fort Frances courtroom Thursday on eleven counts of sexual exploitation and a charge of sexual interference.

Police say the charges relate to incidents that took place within the Rainy River and Thunder Bay districts between 1992 and 1999 involving three men who were in their early teens at the time.

Mathewson was arrested last week in Vancouver and returned to Fort Frances where he's currently in custody.

New Deal for Town Workers

Unionized employees with the town of Fort Frances have a new contract.

The 80 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees ratified the deal Tuesday.

Workers will get a 3.5 per cent increase in pay over the course of the two-year agreement.

There are also improvements affecting part-time employees including a sick leave benefit plan and changes in vacation time for employees who worked as seasonal or part-time employees prior to gaining full-time employment with the Town.