Walk for Good Life at Half-way Point

A group of walkers have passed the half-way point in their journey around the Kenora-Rainy River district.

The seventeen young people are taking part in the "Walk for Good Life" that started Monday at Eagle Lake First Nation.

Passing through Couchiching First Nation yesterday, 16-year-old Justin Morrison of Couchiching says its been a great experience.

"Just walking alone on the highway, just all by yourself, you have so much time to think and find yourself," says Morrison. "That's why it's my favourite time of year."

The group will end their walk at Eagle Lake First Nation Sunday.

Samsung Deal Rewritten

The province has renegotiated its seven-billion dollars green energy deal with Korean giant Samsung.

The Liberal government says the new deal will save taxpayers money and get new manufacturing plants built faster.

The government is giving Samsung a one-year extension to get its wind and solar projects online because of problems securing agreements with First Nations.

Get Your Vaccine Shots

Ontario's chief medical officer says recent cases of mumps and measles should serve as reminders for everyone to get their vaccine shots.

Two people from Quebec were sick with infectious measles recently while at Canada's Wonderland and a southern Ontario resort.

Doctor Arlene King says two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are enough to protect someone from both infectious viruses.

Two Enter NDP Nomination Race

There are now two people in the running to replace the outgoing Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton as the riding's NDP's candidate for this October's provincial election.

Sarah Campbell, Hampton's constituency assistant in Dryden and Kenora lawyer Robert Siding have declared this intention to seek the nomination.

NDP will select their candidate through a series of meetings beginning August 12, ending in Fort Frances August 15.

Liberal Select Candidate Tonight

The Liberals in Kenora-Rainy River will select their candidate for the October provincial election tonight at a meeting in Fort Frances.

Emo councillor Anthony Leek is the only declared candidate so far.

Greens Selected Riding Candidate

The Green Party has selected its candidate for Kenora-Rainy River.

Jo Jo Holliday of Kenora was also its candidate in the 2007 provincial election and was the Greens candidate in the 2008 federal election.

Tax Loss to Fort Frances

More tax loss for the town of Fort Frances

Treasurer Laurie Witherspoon says a reassessment of the International bridge will mean a loss of about $25,000 to the town.

"For 2010 the assessment was $1,447.000," says Witherspoon. "This year it has dropped to just over $1-million. What it means the revenue for the town of Fort Frances is that we'll only receive $14,888."

Witherspoon says the reassessment was done by the U.S. Revenue Department and can not be appealed.

Town Turned to Retired Employee for Help

The town of Fort Frances is turning to a recently retired employee to handle its I-T services.

CAO Mark McCaig says the signing of a contract with former Manager of Information and Technology Darryl Allan will save the town money in the long-run.

"We take a look, case-by-case basis, with every job that we have," says McCaig. "When there's retirements we examine any opportunity to achieve some organizational synergies and to downsize through attribute. That opportunity presented itself with Darryl."

Allan retired from the town Friday.

Charges Laid over Weekend

OPP across northwestern Ontario laid almost 500 charges over the long weekend.

Nearly 70 per cent of them were against motorists who were caught driving too fast.

Fourteen other people were cited for seatbelt infractions and 51 charged for liquor offences.

Rent Hikes Promised

The Liberals say they'll change the way Ontario's rent increase rate is set if they're re-elected this fall.

Landlords will be able to increase tenants' rents by 3.1 per cent in 2012 -- up from the 2011 rate of 0.7 per cent.

The rate is currently tied to the Consumer Price Index, which is calculated annually by Statistics Canada.

Mudfling This Weekend

(Atikokan Mudslingers photo)

There'll be plenty of mud slinging in Atikokan this weekend.
The Atikokan Mudslingers host their annual 4-by-4 Mudfling at the Charleson Recreation Area.

President Cathy Barnard says this year there will be a featured vehicle on site.

"This year we have a feature presentation by Wade Snyder of Edgerton, Alberta," says Barnard. "He's coming in with his blower car has 2,500 horsepower and holds the record in western Canada of 2.7 seconds for 200 feet."

Races go Saturday and Sunday.

Truck Accident Near Atikokan

(OPP photo)


A man was taken to Thunder Bay hospital Sunday following a single vehicle accident involving a transport.

It happened on Highway 11, twenty kilometres west of Atikokan.

The vehicle suffered extensive damage

Police are still investigating.

Move Over for Emergency Vehicles

OPP are conducting a blitz on drivers who fail to obey Ontario's move over legislation.

Drivers are required to move over or slow down and proceed with caution when passing an emergency vehicle parked on the side of the highway with its lights flashing.

A campaign to make motorists aware of their obligations was conducted on the weekend.

Literacy Camp Underway

Rainy River District School Board has started a summer Literacy Camp at Donald Young School in Emo.

The camp provide children with a variety of activities designed to enhance their literacy skills and prepare for the new school year.

Road Work in Koochiching County

Work has begun to resurface the Silverdale Bridge on Highway 65 in Koochiching County.

A section of the highway will be closed as a result, forcing motorists to take detours until the project is complete August 19.

Motorists can also expect lane closures on Highway 71 between Big Falls and Pelland as crews work on a resurfacing project that began last Thursday.

The 28-mile project is scheduled to be complete in mid-October.

Hampton Ending Political Career

Former Ontario NDP Leader Howard Hampton says after 35 years in politics, 26 of them as the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, it's time to move on.

Hampton stated last fall he'd plan to seek re-election this October.

But the 59-year-old Hampton says he's since had a chance of heart.

Hampton, who was attorney general and minister of natural resources in Bob Rae's government in the early 1990s, stepped down as Ontario NDP leader in 2009 after 13 years in the job.

Forest Fires Situation Heats Up

(File photo)


The forest fire situation in northwestern Ontario appears to be heating up again.

35 new fires were reported across the region over the long weekend, including a new lightning-caused fire within Quetico Provincial Park near Sunday Lake.

Two others within the park are also burning.

There are now 125 fires still active.

Meantime, there are about one-thousand residents forced from home by forest fires still waiting to return.

July Weather

July was a hot and dry month across the Rainy River district.

Atikokan was the hot spot of the region with its average temperature coming in 3.6 C higher than normal.

It's total rainfall of about 80 millimetres was 82 per cent of the norm received in July.

Fort Frances was a degree and a half above normal while its 36-millimetres in rainfall was about 38 per cent what it normally gets in July.

Local Programs to Get National Audience

(Students involved in the P.A.R.T.Y. program - Fort Frances P.A.R.T.Y photo)


The ripple effect of youth empowerment and involvement in the Rainy River District will be shared to a national audience this fall.

Fort Frances paramedic John Beaton will address delegates attending the Canadian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference in Vancouver.

"With 300 applications and they only picked so many to do presentations," says Beaton. "I'll be taking one of the youth who helps do the P.A.R.T.Y. program and the first responder program at the high school to help me with the presentation."

Beaton says the conference will allow him to share the success of local programs to the all Canadian conference.

Road Projects for Rainy River District

(Ministry of Transportation photo)


Several road projects have been announced for the Rainy River district.

They include two previously announced paving projects of Highway 11 between Devlin and the Ontario-Manitoba Border.

Other projects;
* replacement of McCauley Creak Bridge on Highway 11 west of Atikokan
* replacement of Caribus Lake culvert on Highway 11 west of Atikokan
* replacement of Moosehorn Lake culvert on Highway 11, east of Fort Frances
* replacement of Wolf Creek culvert on Highway 602
* replacement of Rainy River tributary culvert on Highway 602
* replacement of Spruce Creek culvert north of Berglund

All projects are scheduled for the 2011 and 2012 budget year.

Bowling Alley Re-opens

The former Timberpins bowling alley in International Falls has been reopened under new management and a new name.

The International House of Bowling is only operating on Fridays and Saturday for now.

But co-owner Larry Bement hopes to get things into full swing by the fall.

"Right now it's more of just to get the place up and running, get the bugs out of it," says Bement. "The pin-setter hasn't been run in over a year. They got quirks and everything. Other things needs to be fixed."

Bement hopes to bring back league bowling that will include a solely Canadian one.

Wood Report Coming

A report that hopes to identify sources of wood for the idled Atikokan Forest Products Mill is expected out soon.

The town of Atikokan commissioned a consultant to explore potential supplies in hopes of getting the mill reopened.

Mayor Dennis Brown believes some of that wood could come from private woodlot holders.

"We're hopeful that through her work in talking with these people that she can come up with letters of intent with an amount that will be acceptable to the potential purchasers of the Atikokan Forest Products Mill," says Brown.

Brown says they'll present the finding to Eacom Timber at a meeting planned for next month.

Former City Mayor Honoured

A long-time mayor of International Falls, who died earlier this year, has a seaplane base on the waterfront named in his honour.

A dedication ceremony was held yesterday.

Murray's daughter Patty Murray Christianson says her father was aware of the dedication before his passing.

"We are so happy that dad knew of the dedication and has seen the plaque is going up," says Murray-Christianson. "He was so proud and so looked forward to being here today to receive this honour."

The ceremony came on a day that Murray would have turned 90.

OPP Crackdown

It's another long weekend and OPP will be out in force to enforce traffic laws.

Sergeant Shelley Garr say they are trying to prevent serious accidents on the highway.

"This weekend the OPP will be targeting the big four causal factors in collisions," says Garr. "These have been identified as aggressive driving, impaired driving, lack of occupant restraint and distracted driving."

Police will be making sure drivers slow down when passing emergency vehicles on the shoulder of a road.

Firefighter Getting Upper Hand on Fires

(File photo)

More than two-thousand firefighters continue the work to put out several fires still burning across northwestern Ontario.

Recent cool and wet weather is helping them get the upper hand on many of the 104 fires still active.

It's also allowed some First Nations residents evacuated to begin returning home.

Board Office Re-opens

Administrative staff with the Rainy River District School Board are in their new offices.

Renovations to the Fort Frances board office are complete and staff are continuing the move from their temporary surroundings in the old Robert Moore School.

The school itself is slated for demolition sometime in late August.

Greens Select Shadow Cabinet

The Ontario Green Party has released its "Shadow Cabinet" going into the fall provincial election.

Since the Greens don't have anyone elected to Queen's Park, the list includes candidates who will run in the upcoming election.

The party has yet to name its candidates for Kenora-Rainy River or Thunder Bay-Atikokan.

Vote for Area Golf Courses

Golf courses across the Rainy River district are in the running for the best golf course in Ontario.

An online poll is looking to name the top one-hundred courses in the province.

Click here to vote.

Mining Workshop Next Week

Rainy River Resources is giving area residents an opportunity to learn more about the mining indusry and its project in particular.

The company is hosting a three-day workshop in Fort Frances beginning next Wednesday

Director of Environment Kyle Stanfield says there will be separate sessions for youth and adults.

"The first day is going to be for adults," says Stanfield. "Confederation College is kindly allowing us to use some space for the program for two in-class days as well as some field work around the College. The third day will be a field trip out to the site."

The event is free, but registration through the company's website is required.

Gold Mine to Reopen

The forest fire situation in northwestern Ontario is cooling off enough for Goldcorp's Musselwhite Mine to soon resume production.

The company evacuated 330 staff two weeks ago as fires threatened the site, north of Pickle Lake.

Company officials hope to get back to production today.

Lake Access Point Closed

The Ministry of Transportation is closing public access to an island at the Noden Causeway.

The island is often used by people to launch boats into Rainy Lake.

The Ministry says because of ongoing work on the Causeway, access will be closed beginning Tuesday until early November.

Government Falling Behind on First Nations Housing

An internal government audit has found Ottawa is not keeping up with housing support on First Nations reserves.

The audit says the federal government is meeting its own targets for constructing social housing on reserves, but the aboriginal population is growing more quickly than the government plan.

Art in the Park

Quetico Provincial Park will be hosting its Art in the Park this weekend.

Natural Heritage Education Leader Susan Bourne says the event includes a number of art workshops for both adults and children.

"It's to encourage people to interpret their cultural and natural heritage through art," says Bourne. "There's children from infants to ladies and men's in the 50's and 60's who come and participate in various activities."

The event kicks off Friday night with a concert featuring Thunder Bay performers Jim 'n' I at the Dawson Trail Campground.

NDP Select Interim Leader

(Nycole Turmel - Government of Canada photo)

Federal NDP are meeting today to discuss who will take over the party while leader Jack Leader seeks treatment for an undisclosed form of Cancer.

Layton is recommending Quebec MP Nycole Turmel.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River M-P John Rafferty says he can support that choice.

Layton is not expected back in Ottawa until September 19th.

Water Meters Replaced

The town of Fort Frances is replacing some of the water meters now used by commercial and industrial users.

It's purchasing 180 new meters to replace those that have reached the end of their life cycle at a cost of more than $240-thousand.

The town is also adding new modules to all of its 300 metres, allowing for them to be read automatically.

Water System Receives Limited-Accreditation

The town of Fort Frances has received a limited accreditation for the management of its drinking water system.

The designation from the Canadian General Standard Board is the first step towards a full accreditation.

The Board acts as a third party auditor for the Ministry of Environment.

Evacuations Concerns

(File photo)


Emergency Management Ontario is responding to reports that Thunder Bay and Sudbury aren't taking on additional fire evacuees because they weren't reimbursed for a previous event.

Deputy Minister of Community Safety Ian Davidson acknowledges there is an unresolved issue.

"There were some discussions and some dispute as to resolution for some costs that I know Sudbury incurred and I assume Thunder Bay as well," says Davidson. "This relationship was somewhat problematic and I believe have been or are being resolved by (the Ministry of) Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development."

Thunder Bay has acted as a "transportation hub" for evacuees, while Sudbury took nobody.

Fires Still Burning

(File photo)

116 forest fires continue to burn across northwestern Ontario.

Six-hundred-fires have been reported this season, with over 560-thousand hectares of land scorched.

That's the third highest on record since 1917.

Border Incident Under Review

Federal officials are looking into the arrest of a 66-year-old Minnesota woman who was jailed for 12 days in Winnipeg when a jar of motor oil in her car was mistaken for heroin.

Janet Goodin of Warroad says she was handcuffed, interrogated and strip searched after trying to cross the border at Sprague, Manitoba in April.

Charges against here were eventually dropped.

Arts Funding Awarded

Three entertainment series in the Rainy River district are receiving federal dollars to help them bring performers to their communities.

Tour de Fort Concert Series in Fort Frances is getting $8,000.

Kids and Company Fort Frances Family Performing Artists Series will get $6,000.

The Atikokan Entertainment Series is receiving $7,500.

Youth Create Mural

(Photo courtesy Lindsay Hamilton)


A new mural has been created by youth from the Fort Frances area.

Local artist Lindsay Hamilton helped facilitate the project at a recent Confederation College sponsored arts camp.

Hamilton says the 11 to 13 year olds fully captured the idea of metamorphosis, transition and transformation.

"I was nervous,"says Hamilton. "I didn't really know if they were going to have the sophistication to understand and stick with it as well as collaborated with it. But honestly, this was the best class I ever taught."

Entitled Timmy's World, the mural includes images of the real world centring a surreal landscape.

Family Novel Published

(Francis Shelfantook (l) at a recent RTO District 1 gathering - RTO District 1 photo)

A Fort Frances author is out with a book based on the life of her great-grandmother.

Francis Shelfantook says she used real life experiences of her great-grandmother, from her early life in Sweden to a move to Minnesota in the 1860's in the novel Sophia's Journey.

"It's true in essence really because I didn't make anything up of the adventures that she had," says Shelfantook. "All of the events had some basis in reality."

She'll launch her book at the Fort Frances Library tomorrow with a signing from noon until 2 p.m.

Firm Hiring Defended

The town of Fort Frances is defending its decision to award a construction contract to the Canadian subsidiary of an International-Falls based company

The town has received some criticism in it's selection of Wagner Construction Canada.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the firm meets all their requirements.

"Wagner Construction Canada Limited did have the proper qualifications," says Brown. "Our engineering firm that did all of the work for the town is recommending Wagner. Administration brought a report recommending Wagner be offered this."

Brown says the firm's bid was also $200-thousand lower than any other.

Water Monitors Proposped

Environment Canada is seeking permission to set up two water monitoring gauges in the town of Fort Frances.

It wants to use the gauges to gather data on water levels on the Rainy River.

The agency has asked the town for approval to install the units at Pither's Point Park near the CN Rail bridge and at the old wharf on Colonization Road East.

Land Claims Negotiations Halting - Report

There's word Ottawa has moved to cut off some land-claims negotiations with First Nations.

APTN reports negotiators for First Nations have been told of the move by negotiators for the federal government.

A lawyer representing several Indian bands says the October 16th anniversary of the Specific Claims Tribunal Act has been set as the deadline.

Weather Helping wwith Fire Fight

(File photo)

Cool and wet conditions are helping firefighters get control of the forest fires threatening communities in remote northwestern Ontario.

More than 110 fires are burning across the region.

Officials are now working on plans to return more than 35-hundred evacuated First Nation residents to their communities when the timing is right.

Fires at Quetico Park

(File photo)

Two fires in Quetico Provincial Park continue to burn.

One is located on an island at Basswood Lake at the Ontario-Minnesota border.

The other is located at Jeff Lake.

The Ministry of Natural Resources is keeping a close eye on them, but the fires don't pose much a concern and are being allowed to burn themselves out.

Fires at AbitibiBowater

A pair of separate fires at the AbitibiBowater mill in Fort Frances have been ruled as accidental.

Members of Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service were first called to the mill 8:30 a.m. Saturday to a fire that occurred in an area above the lime-kiln.

After remaining on scene until 10 p.m., firefighters were called back to the mill a few hours later to a fire in a storage building located below the lime-kiln.

Officials says both fires were the result of wood materials that had been exposed to heat over a period of time, eventually igniting.

Photo ID Card Available

Ontario is now selling a photo ID card for the 1.5 million people over 16 who don't have a driver's licence.

It costs $35, is valid for five years, has raised lettering and clearly states it is not a driver's licence.

The card, though, won't be available at Service Ontario centres in the Rainy River district until sometime early next year.

Co-Champions in Bass Tournament

(Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship photo)

For the first time in the history of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, there are co-winners.

Richard Rud and Jon Austin of International Falls and Thunder Bay's Glenn Leroux and Trevor Zimak avoided controversial tie-breaking scenarios to share the title after tying for the lead after three days of fishing with 52.42 pounds

The tie-breakers included anglers going back into the lake for a fish-off or a flip of a coin to determine who takes the first place money.

The two teams opted to share the title and the first and second place money.

Tournament Draws Good Crowds

An estimated 1,600 people attended the weigh-ins at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship over the three days.

Paul Morrison, who served as master of ceremonies, says a new format, that crowned three different winners, helped create more excitement.

"I thin it's been really great," says Morrison, "not only with the three different formats, but the three different days of fishing. So it ties in quite nicely for the first year that we're doing this."

Morrison also applauded the work of the 85 volunteers involved which is down from the normally 200 that have worked the event in the past.

NHLer in Bass Tournament

Among this year participants at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship was Dustin Byfuglien, who now plays for the new Winnipeg Jets.

It's was Byfuglien's first appearance at the tournament.

"Being from Roseau, not to far away, and always coming here in the summer time to go fishing," says Byfuglien. We decided to going and see what happens."

Bfyfuglin and his fishing partner Josh Meyers finished well back in the standings.

Forest Fire Update

(File photo)

Several forest fires continue to burn in northwestern Ontario, but some of the 3,500 people evacuated from communities over the past two weeks could be going home as early as today.

Emergency officials says weather has turned favourable for the two-thousand plus firefighters involved, helping to minimize further risk to communities.

There are still over 118 forest fires burning across the region.

Evacuation Process Reviewed

(File photo)

Officials in Ontario are looking into whether families have been split up while being evacuated from communities threatened by forest fires raging in the province's north.

Deputy community safety minister Ian Davidson says the province has done its best to keep families together since evacuations started.

But he says the province is investigating unconfirmed reports that the evacuation process has separated members of some First Nations families from each other.

Fires Reported in Rainy River District

After almost two weeks of no forest fires activity in the Rainy River district, there were two new starts yesterday.

Both are located within Quetico Provincial Park.

Their cause is not immediately know, but the 0.1 and 0.3 hectare fires are being observed currently by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Four More Years - If He Wins

Premier Dalton McGuinty says he will be around for another four years if his Liberals win the election -- but can't say what he will do if they lose.

Speaking at a party conference in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto, McGuinty says opposition leaders don't have the experience he does.

The Liberals still haven't released their election platform, but McGuinty says it will have some exciting ideas for the future.

Fire Truck Taken

A Minnesota Man is facing charges after trying to steal a fire truck.

Members of the Greenwood Township Fire Department, northwest of Tower, had gone out on a call Saturday, only to return to the hall to find their fire truck missing.

St. Louis County Sheriff's officials found the fire truck in Cook and arrested a 25-year-old on charges of theft and impaired driving.