Firefighter Support Sought

More federal support is being sought for volunteer fire departments.

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty wants the Harper government to work with the province and municipal governments to ensure they are properly funded.

Rafferty says the fact that fire departments respond to a high number of incidents on major highways corridors such as 17 and 11 show the need for federal support.

Military Help to Watch Border

Some American senators want the military to help curb the flow of illicit drugs entering the U-S from Canada.

Among other things they want to use military radar to ground low-flying aircraft carrying drugs.

New York Senator Charles Schumer says figures show drug smuggling from Canada into the U-S has risen dramatically during the past five years.

New Program to Deal with Abuse Among Native Women

A new program has been rolled out across northwestern Ontario that helps deal with the issue of abuse among aboriginal women.

Executive Director of the United Native Friendship Centre in Fort Frances Sheila McMahon says Kanawayhitowin brings more awareness of the signs of abuse.

"That's why it's so important," says McMahon, "because we do know within our communities there are a lot of signs. To get those signs out there and to teach the public of the signs of the abuse and what we can do is important."

Representatives from Centres in Fort Frances, Dryden and Atikokan gathered yesterday to discuss how best to promote the program in their communities.

Health Panel Visits Northwestern Ontario

The one and only stop in northwestern Ontario for the Rural and Northern Health Care Panel took place in Dryden yesterday.

Liz Sandals, the Health Minister's Parliamentary Assistant, says non-urgent medical transportation was one of the key issues discussed.

"The problem of you need health care. It's not an emergency so you can't get an ambulance. How do you get to where the doctor is?," says Sandals. "How do you get to where the dietitian is?"

The panel will make its recommendations to the Legislature later this year.

Don't Feed the Deer

The Ministry of Natural Resources is asking area residents to avoid feeding deer this winter.

Melissa Mosley, a biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources, says the type of winter being experienced can actually help keep deer numbers in check.

"Supplemental feeding that people do can encourage larger population growth than what the habitat can carry," says Mosley. "The cold winters try to keep the population numbers in check and that's what really controls our deer numbers up here."

Mosley says the heavy snow also limits deer movement which could lead to fewer animals been seen in Fort Frances' residential areas later on.

Fort Frances Chamber Awards

The Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards last night. Here is a list of all winners.

Safety Award-Business or Individual - Sponsored by Ainsworth Engineered Canada - Gingrich Wood Craft Inc.

Accessibility Award - Sponsored by Town of Fort Frances - Safeway Canada

Tony Beyak Memorial Award - Volunteer of the Year - Joan Allison

Employee of the Year Award - Sponsored by Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce - Rochell Mosbeck-CIBC

Business Woman of The Year Award - Sponsored by Rainy River District Business Women's Network - Angela Korzinski

Customer Service Award (individual) - Sponsored by Good Impressions Printing - Shelly Matias -RBC

Customer Service Award (business) - Sponsored by TD Canada Trust - Fort Frances General Supply

Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Sponsored by Rainy River Future Development Corporation - Jim Badiuk -Badiuk Equipment

Small Business Trainer of the Year Award - Sponsored by NCDS Career Works - BDO Canada LLP

Business of the Year Award (1-15 Employees) - Sponsored by B93 FM - Lidkea's Optometry

Business of the Year Award (16+ Employees) - Sponsored by Bell Alliant - Shaw Communications

Boil Water Advisory in Place

Residents in the town of Rainy River are being told to boil their tap water before using it.

The advisory comes after a major water line break yesterday forced the town to shutdown its water treatment plant, leaving the entire community of one thousand without water for much of the day.

Water services were restored late yesterday afternoon.

The advisory is expected to continue through the weekend.

WFN Contest Back On

The search is on again to find Canada's Ultimate Fishing town.

The World Fishing Network contest will begin accepting nominations March 1st.

Spokesperson Shauna Gosevitz says the success of the event last year convinced them to run it again.

"We ended by crowning Port Alberni, B.C. the Ultimate Fishing Town for Canada," says Gosevitz. "Through the success of the promotion and realizing how many people really enjoyed it and how many towns were able to benefit, we decided to bring it back."

Nestor Falls won five thousand dollars for its second place finish last year.

Shaw Supports Dryden Tournament

Shaw Communication has signed a deal that will make it the major sponsor of the Dryden Walleye Masters for the next three years.

The Cable provider is reportedly contributing up to $15-thousand in cash while agreeing to televise the June tournament live across the Shaw Television network.

Shaw's contribution is allowing organizers to increase the first-place prize to $15-thousand.

No Chronic Wasting Disease Found

The Ministry of Natural Resources says there remains no evidence of chronic wasting disease in northwestern Ontario.

Wildlife Research Technician Tore Buchanan says a strong response to the MNR's request for deer heads from hunters' kills last fall helped in their analysis.

"We did the Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances areas," says Buchanan, "and we went around and asked hunter's for samples from their deer and we got great cooperation from those hunters."

Of the 362 deer heads collected, none showed signs of the disease.

Plane Skids Off Runway

No injuries are reported after a Wasaya Airways plane slid of the runway at the Kasabonika Airport yesterday afternoon.

All 13 passengers and two crews were taken to the community's nursing station as a precaution.

The Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

A Gift from the Heart

A Fort Frances dental hygienist will be giving a Gift from the Heart this weekend.

Dawn Gustafson of Lifetime Smiles will be among those across the province offering services at no cost.

"The Gift from the Heart is an event to offer free dental hygiene services to the public who have financial difficulty obtaining it on their own," says Gustafson. "It's also to create awareness that there are a lot of residents of Ontario who can not afford preventive dental care on their own."

Eligible residents must book an appointment before Saturday's event.

Strongman Competition Coming to Fort Frances

(www.lukeskaarup.com photo)


Fort Frances will be the site of a Strongman competition this spring.

Organizer Luke Skaarup says the first-ever event is expected to attract some of the strongest men in the province, along with a few from Manitoba and the U-S.

"I think the guys we're drawing here are mostly the Ontario athletes," says Skaarup, "so it could be guys from southern or northern Ontario. This is there opportunity to qualify for the 2011 Ontario Strongest Man competition."

The event will coincide with this year's Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce's Home and Leisure Show.

Skaarup says participants will take part in five events involving some very heavy weights, along with a truck pull.

Eco Tourism Lodge Proposed

A First Nation community in the Rainy River district is exploring the potential of developing an eco-tourism lodge.

Mitaanjigamiing First Nation, formerly Stanjikoming, located northeast of Fort Frances, is studying the market potential for a new lodge.

A $35,000 grant from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will help it evaluate potential locations and partners.

Legislative Action Day

International Falls will be represented in St. Paul at today's Legislative Action Day.

Councillor Cynthia Jacksa says the future of Local Government Aid will be the focus of her talks with the State's lawmakers.

"We have a real fight at the Capital," says Jacksa, "and we'll be engaging Legislators to keep LGA whole."

Jacksa says she'll also be lobbying for the reinstatement of a truck testing facility in the Falls and delivering an invite to Governor Dayton to attend this summer's waterfront festivities.

State of the State Address

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton makes his first State of the State address today.

District 3 Senator Tom Saxhaugh is anticipating a solid plan that can help the State overcome its budget crunch.

"The Governor so far has kind of shown his ability to give us vision," says Saxhaugh, "and if he'll do that (today) followed up by a budget to make it possible I'll be happy."

Dayton presents his proposed budget next Tuesday.

Cheap Beer Election Platform

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says he'd consider reducing beer prices if he wins the next provincial election.

But Premier Dalton McGuinty calls the beer price debate a bright, shiny object to take attention away from the Tories' lack of a campaign platform.

McGuinty says voters won't be fooled and are more concerned with real issues like health care, education and the economy.

Boise Fine for Air Quality Infraction

Boise was forced to pay a fine of more than $2,400 in December for an air quality infraction at its mill in International Falls.

Details of the case were outlined in the recently released Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's quarterly report.

Spokesperson Stephen Mikkelson says the infraction, which occurred last June, was identified in tests conducted by the mill.

He says the problem has since been corrected.

Local Projects Promoted in England

A mining project in the Rainy River district will be get some international attention next week.

Rainy River Resources will be among companies scheduled to make a presentation about their projects at a conference in London, England.

The conference allows companies to meet with potential overseas investors.

Rainy River Resources is proposing a gold mine north of Barwick.

Soldi Ventures Exploration Plans

Soldi Ventures has revealed further details of its exploration plans in the Rainy River district.

The Vancouver-based company plans to drill up to 25-hundred meters in the first phase of a drilling program on its properties located in the Cameron Lake and Rainy River areas.

Its main focus will be around a potential gold deposit near Cameron Lake.

New Board of Health

The Northwestern Health Unit has sworn in a new Board of Directors.

Fort Frances councillor John Albanese, who's appointed to the board by the province, returns as its chair.

Also on the board from the Rainy River district are LaVallee township councillor Jim Belluz, Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown, Fort Frances councillor Paul Ryan and Russ Fortier of Emo who is one of three public appointees.

I. Falls Wants LGA Left Untouched

International Falls City council is calling on the State to maintain an aid program that helps Minnesota cities keeps taxes down.

Councillor Cynthia Jacksa says a resolution supported by council last night asks the Legislature to keep funding levels the same for the next two years.

"We've received an unfair proportion of the cut in the past," says Jacksa, "and we're going to deliver the message that further cuts to LGA is unfair and damaging to rural Minnesota."

The city is to receive about $4-million dollars this year.

Mural Project in International Falls

Another mural is set to go up in International Falls.

The city is receiving a $6-thousand dollar grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council for the project.

It will be painted along side the Bob Walls Memorial Union Hall on Third Street.

The mural, to be painted this summer, will depict the city's various trade unions.

Town Eyes Solar Projects

The town of Fort Frances is eyeing the possibility to installing solar panels on some of its buildings.

It's part of a larger study that's exploring the town's energy consumption.

Sustainability coordinator Travis Rob says a feasibility study on installing the solar generating systems is now complete.

"We're now just looking at which buildings would give us the best return," says Rob, "and trying to decide how many buildings we want to invest in, which buildings we want to invest in."

Rob says he's also looking at other projects that can help the town reduce its energy costs.

Energy Pamphlet Panned

The Opposition accuse Ontario's Liberal government of wasting $1 million to mail out pamphlets explaining why electricity rates are rising so high.

The government is sending out a six-page pamphlet to every Ontario home as part of its pre-election campaign to defuse vote ranger over soaring hydro bills.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak calls it a $1 million propaganda exercise that won't fool voters for provide peace of mind.

Energy Minister Brad Duguid says the government brochures explain to voters that hydro rates are rising to pay for badly needed repairs and upgrades to Ontario's electricity system.

Sedgwick named Librarian of the Year

(Supplied photo)

Fort Frances' head librarian is back home after receiving an award as the Ontario Library Boards' Association's librarian of the year.

Margaret Sedgwick says she's honoured to have received the W.J. Robertson Medallion.

"It's probably the highest honour a librarian in the province can get so it means great deal to me," says Segdwick. "As you know, I've had quite an exciting past few years and certainly with the building of the new library and technology has been the highlight of my career and this kind of puts the icing on the cake."

Sedgwick has been the head librarian in Fort Frances since 1977.

Hometown Heroes Celebrated

(Angus Jourdain from Lac La Croix First Nation will be in Couchinching First Nation this month)


Three professional aboriginal performers will share the stage with a couple of local youth at an event at Couchiching First Nation later this month.

Mandi Olson of the United Native Friendship Centre says the Hometown Heroes concert will help showcase local talent.

"We just wanted to tie some of our younger youth and their performance with older adults just to show them that we support them," says Olson, "and that if they want to do a career in the industry it's possible."



Among those performing include comedian Ryan McMahon and musicians Angus Jourdain and Wab Kinew.

Local Man Found

The body of a man who broke through the ice while in a trail groomer at a lake north of Fort Frances last Wednesday has been found.

74-year-old Edwin (Ted) Davis of Fort Frances was recovered by an OPP dive team early Saturday afternoon from the depths of the Lower Manitou.

Davis was working for Manitou Gold, a mining company doing exploration work in the area, and in the process of building a winter road when the accident happened.

The Coroner has ordered a Post Mortem examination to be conducted in Kenora today.

The Ministry of Labour is also investigating.

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.