Strategic Plan Moving Forward

Municipalities across the Rainy River District are being asked to back the development a district-wide strategic plan.

Rainy River councillor Gord Armstrong says the first step is to form a working committee.

"They'll be a letter going out to all of the councils asking them to appoint a person," says Armstrong. "We have people from all across the district serving as volunteers on this committee. We're hoping to go step-by-step over the summer and get a vision statement, a mission statement and goals and objectives in place."

Armstrong is hoping to have a document for review by the end of the year.

Kindergarten Registration This Week

Schools with the Northwest Catholic District School Board will hold registration for their kindergarten programs this week.

Education Director Mary-Catherine Kelly says it includes the new all-day early-learning programs at St. Michael's School in Fort Frances.

"First phase of the pilot was at St. Patrick's in Atikokan and it's been a highly successful program," says Kelly, "with great opportunities for the children because the teachers are getting support from the early-childhood educator as well. So we're very proud to bring it to St. Michael's."

Registration for programs are at area schools during normal school hours.

McGuinty Election Talk

Premier Dalton McGuinty says there's still room in his election platform for new ideas, even though the Liberals haven't ticked off everything on their lengthy to-do list.

He wouldn't say what suggestions were floated behind closed doors during the Liberal policy conference, which is expected to get the ball rolling for the October 6 election campaign.

McGuinty says many of the ideas that emerged at the Ottawa meeting focused on the economy, health care and education.

He's already challenged the Opposition Conservatives to reveal their plans for the province, warning that they'll slash services just like former premier Mike Harris.

He says the Tories will take billions of dollars out of health care and education to meet their promise to cut taxes.

Conservative critic Lisa MacLeod says McGuinty is so busy fighting an election from 15 years ago that he's lost touch with what voters want now - tax relief.

Police Search Underway

Provincial police are searching for a Fort Frances man, presumed drowned, at a lake north of Fort Frances.

Police says the man was operating a trail groomer late Wednesday night when it broke through the ice on Manitou Lake.

Manitou Gold, a mining exploration company doing work in the area, says the man was working as a service provider to the company and the incident took place near its exploration project.

His name has not been officially released.

An OPP dive team is expected to arrive on scene today.

Ontario's Ministry of Labour has also been called to investigate.

Fort Frances Man Tells Story of Egypt Visit.

A Fort Frances man is back home after experiencing first hand the situation in Cairo.

Tristin Hutton was visiting his sister who works at the Canadian Embassy there when anti-government protests began outside his hotel last week.

Hutton says they didn't appear to be very concerning early on.

"They were just gathering and police were kind of holding their distance," says Hutton. "The odd tear gas was sent, but nothing too rough for the next two days. I didn't really feel scared or worried that things were going to escalate. It looked like things were going to taper down."

Hutton says a flight home he booked when the situation escalated got cancelled and eventually took advantage of a flight set up for the Canadian government Monday.

He was initially told by Canadian authorities he'd have to find his own way of the country before the government set up evacuation flights.

He says given the ever-evolving situation, the Canadian Embassy was doing the best it could.

Hutton does have to pay 400-dollars back to the Canadian government for the flight that took him to Germany before he was able to continue home.

OPP Wage Increase Concerning

A five-per-cent pay increase for the OPP has local politicians across the province upset with the McGuinty government.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the OPP contract shows that the Liberal talk about wage restraint is "nothing but a joke.''

But the Premier insists his plan to curb salaries is still on track.

Fort Frances councillors voiced concerns about the OPP contract and the impact it will have on the town's policing costs back in December.

Wage Freeze Proposed

The head of the Ontario Hospital Association is advocating a need for a freeze on hospital union salaries.

Tom Closson was in Thunder Bay yesterday to speak with Hospital Board Chairs and C.E.O.'s from the northwest.

Closson says a wage freeze bring fairness between union and non-union workers.

"We have 20 per cent of front line staff that are not unionized," says Closson. "You can have a nurse that's non-unionized in an organization and another nurse that is unionized. So in the same organization, you can have some of them that are frozen and some of them that are not."

Closson will be bringing the region's concerns back to the provincial government.

Health Care Becomes Election Issue

It looks like health care is going to be a key battleground until the Ontario election this fall.

Health Minister Deb Matthews has come out fighting, saying voters have a real choice between Progressive Conservatives who closed hospitals and fired nurses and Liberals who built hospitals and hired nurses.

Outfitters Angry over Fee Increase

Some tourist lodge owners in northwestern Ontario are accusing the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association of being a lap dog for the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Paul Boucher says he's angry because the outfitters association negotiated an 800 percent increase in land use permit fees for camp owners.

"There was talk of something as far back as the mid-9o's," says Boucher, "but nobody knew what it was. No one saw it coming. There were no questionnaires sent out or solicitation of any kind. In the end, they did ask for proposals. I gave them one and they didn't like it."

NOTO's executive director Doug Reynolds says there was extensive consultation with camp owners and feels it negotiated the best deal possible.

Rafferty Opposes Internet Cap

John Rafferty is adding his voice to those upset over a CRTC decision to allow Internet service providers the right to cap data downloads.

The Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP says it's going to allow the ISP's to charge more and consumers will suffer.

"What it means for people in northern Ontario who rely on broadband services and the Internet for their livelihood or for their entertainment, it will be disastrous," says Rafferty.

Internet users are being driven to an on-line petition to oppose the ruling.

CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein is to appear before a Commons committee on the issue today.

Tent Future Explored

Use it or lose it.

That's the message from the Rainy River Future Development Corporation regarding its giant events tent.

Chair George Emes says the tent, purchased over a decade ago, isn't being used as much and the Corporation is now looking to see if its still needed.

The only renters last year were organizers of fishing tournaments in Rainy River and Morson.

Not Many Healthy Smiles

A dental program set up and funded by the province to help children in low-income families isn't reaching many children in the Kenora-Rainy River area.

CAO of the Northwestern Health Unit Mark Perrault says stiff criteria has limited access the Healthy Smiles program to just sixteen children.

"It doesn't include people on social assistance," says Perrault. "It doesn't include First Nations people who have non-injured health benefits. So the criteria eligibility is such that you create a program that nobody can use."

The province had suggested at least 880 would be eligible when it provided funding to the Heath Unit last fall.

Hydro Outage

Hydro One is planning a power interruption today that will impact its customers in Mine Centre, Seine River and Lac La Croix First Nations.

The outage from noon and until 3 p.m. is needed for Hydro One to perform maintenance and upgrade to its transmission lines.

Q-Gold Update

Q-Gold Resources says high silver mineralization has been found during a fall drilling program conducted at its McKenzie Gray project near Mine Centre.

The company drilled 18 holes and released the results of the first six.

Cold January

January 2011 is going down as one of the coldest months on record.

Fort Frances' average temperature for the month reached minus 18.5 C.

That's about a 2 degree drop off the normal, making it the 3rd coldest January in the last decade.

Atikokan's average temperature for January was minus 18 C, down slightly from its normal, but still making it the 4th coldest January in that community.

Internet Cap Opposed

The operator of a web design firm in Fort Frances says a CRTC decision allowing Internet service providers to put a cap on how much data consumers can download will have a detrimental effect on all users.

Travis Glowasky of Studio Gibbous says the planned 25 gigabyte limit will only impact how people now use the Internet.

"If we as Canadians have this cap brought in, the Internet won't flourish anymore," says Glowasky. "People are going to looking at it like a cellphone where you already say 'I'm I over my minutes. People will now be thinking 'am I over my bandwidth."

Glowasky says many people already exceed the 25-Gig cap.

An on-line petition has been set up in hopes of getting government to stop the regulation from going in place March 1.

Water Rate Increase Explored

Fort Frances town council is a little closer to where it wants to be with water rates in 2011.

Councillors last night discussed a 1.7 per cent increase.

The rate could go higher to raise additional capital for future projects.

Councillor Paul Ryan says its something that must be done.

"We've got collapsing water pipes all over the place," says Ryan. "We have to start collecting something and putting it away to repair these pipes and our roads. I think it has to be done now."

How each water user would be impacted by the increase is still to be determined.

Sidewalk to be Removed

A section of sidewalk could be eliminated if the town of Fort Frances moves forward with sewer and water improvements on Third Street East this year.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the north sidewalk between Portage and Mowat Avenues won't be replaced.

"This is a low volume road where you should be able to eliminate the north sidewalk," says Brown. "It's in the official plan and we've been moving towards getting that done."

Brown says the south sidewalk will remain because its newer.

Man Faces Drug Charges

An International Falls man is facing drug charges after police seized more than nine pounds of marijuana from a Falls home Monday.

Officers also seized over 10-thousand dollars in cash and a firearm from the 6th Street home.

Value of the drugs seized is believed to be about $20-thousand dollars.

Treaty Three on Rickford Announcement

Grand Council Treaty #3 is cautiously optimistic about the appointment of Kenora MP Greg Rickford as the new parliamentary assistant for Indian and Northern Affairs.

Grand Chief, Diane Kelly says she's pleased with the selection of Rickford, but questions the legislative goals of the Harper government, suggesting they give little hope to aboriginal youth in northwestern Ontario.

U.S. Border Concerns

A new government report says that less than 1 per cent of the U.S.-Canada border is considered under the operational control of U.S. border officials.

The report by the Government Accountability Office says Customs and Border Protection believes it can detect illegal entries, respond and deal with them on only about 51 kilometres of the 64-hundred kilometre border.

Snowarama Successful

More than $19-thousand was raised during the past weekend's Snowarama in Atikokan.

A total of 67 snowmobilers from around northwestern Ontario and the United States participated in the annual ride for Easter Seals Kids.

Atikokan Plant Gets Wood Supply

Atikokan Renewable Fuels is receiving the wood needed to begin producing wood pellets.

The province is providing the company with the rights to access 179-thousand cubic metres per year of poplar and birch fibre from forests near the Atikokan plant.

Company spokesperson Ed Fukushima expects production to begin later this year.

"We're excited about it," says Fukushima. "Demand has ramped up in the last two months and there's exciting opportunities for the plant in Atikokan."

The company is also receiving $1.25 million from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to cover costs incurred when the plant didn't have a wood supply.

Fire Deemed Accidental

A fire that destroyed a Fort Frances business has been ruled accidental.

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service says its investigation into last Thursday's blaze at Kitchen and Bath Plus on Fifth Street West is now complete.

The building's been turned back over to its owners.

Rafferty Seeks Pension Support

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is making a last minute push to get his pension bill passed.

He's making a statement in the house today looking for all-party support.

"What I'm asking the other parties to agree to is to open up the scope of C-501 just a little bit," says Rafferty, "to see if we can make some amendments to the bill that will bring enough MPs on board that we can pass this and get something done."

The proposed bill went through committee hearings before Christmas with Conservative MP's wavering on their support.

Municipalities Asked to Sign U.N. Initiative

Municipalities across the Rainy River District are being asked to become signatories to a United Nations backed initiative to combat racism and and discrimination.

Lincoln Dunn of Celebrating Diversity says local support sends a strong message to newcomers thinking of moving to the district.

"How powerful a statement is to people from outside our district who are thinking about coming here that we, as a district, are all signatories to an anti-discrimination and anti-racism common commitment developed at the United Nations level."

Dunn says by signing, area towns would have to adhere to a set of commitments in dealing with the issues.

More Elk Sought

The Lake of the Woods Elk Restoration Committee is looking to increase the number of Elk in northwestern Ontario.

Committee co-chair Murray English says they're asking the Ministry of Natural Resources to move some of the Elk from the Bancroft area in southwestern Ontario.

"Our preference would still be out on the Aulneau Peninsula (on Lake of the Woods)," says English. "That depends on ice conditions to get them out there."

Only 39 of the over one hundred elk released about a decade ago in the Cameron Lake area near Nestor Falls are believed to be still alive.

Bonding Bill Proposed

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is asking the State's lawmakers to borrow one billion for state-backed construction projects.

They include replacing the roof at Rainy River Community College in International Falls.

Republican House Majority Leader Matt Dean isn't ruling out a bonding bill, but says the GOP focus will be on rerouting unspent money from past projects that never got off the ground.

Hand-Held Devices Ban

Almost 50-thousand motorists have been charged in the first year of Ontario's ban on the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

It was one year ago today that police began enforcing the ban.

More than six-hundred charges have been laid by police in northwestern Ontario.

Regional Airport Gets Conditional Approval

Municipal leaders across the Rainy River district have given their support to the concept of turning the Fort Frances municipal airport into a regional one.

Fort Frances councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says the passing of a resolution at this past weekend's Rainy River District Municipal Association meeting allows them to take the idea a step further.

"That's probably where we'll go from here where we're giong to create a committee that will look at how we can fund this regional airport," says Wiedenhoeft.

Wiedenhoeft says they also plan to talk with senior levels of government to determine how First Nations and residents living in the unincorporated areas would contribute.

Good Relations with First Nations Required

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton is encouraging Rainy River district municipalities to have good working relations with First Nation communities.

Speaking at the Rainy River District Municipal Association meeting, Hampton says it ensure the entire district can benefit from a blossoming mining industry.

"It is really important for our collective future and for our collective economic future," says Hampton. "In many cases, those working relationships already exist and have existed for some time."

Hampton says mining companies are looking to the Rainy River area because it's easy to access and infrastructure and the workforce needed are already in place.

Health Unit Holds Line on Municipal Levies

The rate charged to municipalities to help fund the Northwestern Health Unit will remain the same as last year.

CAO Mark Perrault says combined with declines in population, area cities and towns will actually pay less this year than they did in 2010.

"This time everybody's numbers dropped across the region," says Perreault. "Some dramatically. I think there's nobody less than a 3 per cent decrease."

Perrault says staff reductions through attrition have allowed the Health Unit to work with less money from municipalities.

Atikokan Announcement Today

A news conference today in Atikokan is garnering the attention of Atikokan Renewable Fuels.

There's speculation that Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro will make an announcement about the company's wood allocation rights.

Thunder Bay's Ed Fukishima says he'll comment on the company's fate after the announcement.

Parliament Resumes

MP's get back to work today with election speculation running rampant in Ottawa.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says it's up to the Prime Minister to determine if that election happens sooner than later.

"What we're telling Stephen Harper is, this is the first day of work on Monday,"says Rafferty. "Either tackle the problems Canadians are facing or gear up for a spring election."

Rafferty is hoping that his pension bill becomes law before any election call.

New Duties for Kenora MP

Kenora MP Greg Rickford will have new duties when parliament resumes sitting today.

He has been appointed the parliamentary secretary for Indian and Northern Affairs.

Flu Deaths in Minnesota

Two more flu deaths have been reported in Minnesota this season.

The Minnesota Department of Health reports one person died in the last week of December and another in the second week of January.

Health officials continue to encourage Minnesotans to get their flu shots.

Chamber Awards Nominees Announced

A total of 68 businesses, individuals and organizations have been nominated for next month's Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce awards.

Winners will be presented February 10



Accessibility Award
Fort Frances Public Library
Canada Safeway
Community Living Fort Frances





Business of the Year - 1 to 15 employees
Ron's Auto Body
Lidkea's Optometry
Greenside General Store
Northern Lights Credit Union
Citi Financial
A Little off the Top
Nor-West Animal Clinic
Webb's Power Shack
Causeway Insurance
Camp Narrows
Rainy River True Value
John Gavel Custom Manufacturing
Fort Duty Free



Business of the Year - 15 employees or more
MacDonald Motors
La Place Rendez Vous
Iron Range Bus Lines
Tompkins Hardware
Iron Range Bus Lines
Shaw Communications



Businesswoman of the Year
Roberta Parker - Mr. Sub
Sherry Kaun - Share Bears
Angela Korzinski - Rusty Myers
Erin Wood - Simplicity Body Care
Tonia Dolph - Northland Kitchen and Design Consulting
Dawn Gustafson - Life Time Smiles



Customer Service - Business
Manitou Forest Products
North Auto
Lowes Furniture
Fort Frances General Supply
Nor-West Animal Clinic
CIBC
Badiuk Equipment
Stan's Carpet
Starbucks
Darryl's Custom Landscapes

Customer Service - Individual
Debra Elias - Revco Carpet
Matt Sweigard - Sight and Sound
Krista Kellar - Citi Financial
Russ Ling - Taggs Source for Sports
Shelly Matias - RBC
Neila Booth - Northwoods Gallery and Gifts
Chris Dittaro


Employee of the Year
Don Larson - Ed Kaun and Sons
Gord Watson - Ed Kaun and Sons
Rochelle Mosbeck - CIBC
Penny Flatt - Northwoods Gallery and Gift

Entrepreneur of the Year
Dale and Elizabeth Fortes - Boston Pizza
Cecile Lavigne - Squeek E Klean
Randy Hogan - Hogan Hockey
Todd Moxam
Badiuk Equipment
Lindsay Hamilton - Little Beaver Snow Cultural Centre
Monique Dufresne - The Lawg Caybun Restaurant

Safety Award
Union Gas
Rainy River District School Board
Gingrich Wood Craft Inc.

Small Business Trainer of the Year
Mark Caron - M.L. Caron Electric
Valley Adult Learning Association
Strachan Trucking
BDO Dunwoody

Volunteer of the Year
Joelle Blanc
Doug Cain
Allan Bedard
Bill Krukoski
Joan Anderson

Two Charged

Two Fort Frances residents face charges after Provincial Police discovered more than five pounds of marijuana in a vehicle they pulled over earlier this week.

The vehicle was stopped on Highway 11 near Emo on Tuesday.

A 44-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman will appear in a Fort Frances court room in March on trafficking charges.

Another Snow Day

Winter storm warning have been issued on both sides of the border as an strong Alberta clipper moves toward the Rainy River district and Koochiching Country.

Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says the system is expected to bring upwards of 15 centimetres of snow in most areas today.

The storm is expected to last until midnight.

More Anti-Smoking Efforts Needed

Ontario's chief medical officer of health says the province needs to put more money in programs that will help smokers butt out.

Stepping up anti-smoking efforts are among the recommendations Dr. Arlene King is making in her first annual report.

She says government funding for tobacco control has dropped in recent years, even though smoking is costing Ontario about $8-billion a year in health care and lost productivity.

Soldi to Start Drilling

Mining exploration company Soldi Ventures is set to begin a winter drilling program on its properties in the Nestor Falls and Black Hawk areas.

The company says a recent airborne survey helped identify the areas it will begin drilling.

Oberstar Future Clarified

Former Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar says another run for the 8th district isn't in his future.

The veteran Democratic congressman was defeated in November's election and speculation about a another run surfaced recently.

But, Oberstar says that things have changed and that he's moving in another direction.

Oberstar is to be recognized by the city of International Falls with the renaming of its waterfront development project this summer.

Special Ed Students Benefit Through Technology

(Rainy River District School Board photo)


The introduction of technology in the classroom by the Rainy River District School Board is proving to be a huge benefit to special education students.

Special Education Coordinator Kevin Knutsen says equipment such as smart boards and assistive technology is provide for more independence.

"The technology certainly allows them to feel more successful and to demonstrate their learning in ways they weren't able to prior to the technology," says Knutsen.

Knutsen says some of the new programs include software that reads text on a computer to the student.

I. Falls Not So Cold After All

International Falls may be the Ice Box of the Nation, but it's not the coldest city in the United States.

That distinction has been given to Barrow, Alaska by the U-S Weather Channel's Global Forecast Centre.

International Falls is placed third.

Only cities over 5-thousand were considered in the rankings.

Fort Frances Business Hit by Fire

Fire officials describe damage to a Fort Frances business caused by an overnight fire as extensive.

Firefighters with the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue service were called to Kitchen and Bath Plus on 5th Street West around midnight last night.

Cause of the fire is still unknown at this time.

Electricty Concerns Expressed

Electricity concerns are high on the list of many community leaders in the northwest.

Vice-president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, Dave Canfield, told a provincial finance committee yesterday a northern energy plan is needed.

"There's a lot of mining activity and opportunities in northwestern Ontario," says Canfield, "but with the closure of the coal plants, there's going to be a short fall in energy as we move forward in some of these projects. There's going to be some upgrades, not only in the production, but in the grid as well."

Canfield says the current grids are inadequate and shouldn't be acceptable.

Liberals Called Out by Tory Critic

The Progressive Conservative's Northern Development critic Randy Hillier tried to call out the area Liberal MPPs at the pre-budget consultation session yesterday in Thunder Bay.

Hiller sent out a media release asking why none of the Thunder Bay-area MPP's were at the meeting.

Moments after making the release public, Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro showed up.

He was late because he was attending a Health Sciences Centre news conference.

The two MPP's were seen later have a friendly chat with each other.

Former L.U. Pres. Seeks Tory Nomination

(Lakehead University photo)


A former Lakehead University president is looking at making at run at provincial politics.

Fred Gilbert says he'll seek the Conservative nomination in the Thunder Bay-Atikokan riding in this fall's election.

Gilbert retired as L.U. president last year.

Chronic Wasting Disease Confirmed

(File photo)


A federal laboratory has now confirmed that a white-tailed deer killed near the southeastern Minnesota town of Pine Island has tested positive for chronic wasting disease.

It's the first such confirmed case in the State.

Airport Superintendent Retires

A superintendent who spent his entire career as an employee at the Fort Frances Airport worked his last day yesterday.

Bill Caul started over 36 years ago as an airport attendant.

Caul says he's seen a lot of changes take place.

"The new terminal was one of the big projects," says Caul. "Back in '84, '85, the expansion of the runways when the cross-runway was built. We've go a fair amount of development over the years with new hangers."

Caul now enjoys vacation time that will take him to the end of March when his official retirement starts.

Glen Wood takes over as airport superintendent.

Airport Proposal to be Pitched this Weekend

The town of Fort Frances is making another appeal to have other communities in the Rainy River district help fund its municipal airport.

Town officials plan to bring forward a resolution to this weekend's Rainy River District Municipal Association meeting in Stratton seeking support for their idea of a regional airport.

The resolution says the airport provides a vital link to residents in the western portion of the district and should be supported financially by all, including First Nations and residents in the unorganized communities.

Atikokan would be excluded by a cost-sharing agreement because it operates own airport.

Atikokan Extends OPP Contract

The township of Atikokan will continue to have the Ontario Provincial Police patrol its streets.

Town council has agreed to renew a five-year policing contract with the OPP with costs to come in at just under $1.5 million this year.

That's about $100-thousand more than what the town expected to pay in 2010.

Mayor Dennis Brown says OPP did submit a second proposal worth about half that, but would not have given the township twenty-four hour policing.

OPP took over policing from Atikokan's municipal force in 2006.

Pre-Budget Hearing In Thunder Bay

The provincial finance committee will likely get an earful when it makes a pit stop in Thunder Bay today.

Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield, who's making a presentation on behalf of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, is disappointed by the lack of notice given to municipalities to attend the pre-budget consultation.

"We just got in under the deadline," says Canfield. "They didn't do a real good job of advertising this."

Because presenters only have five minutes to speak, Fort Frances council did not see any value in attending and is not making a presentation.