Drive To Conditions

All highways in the Rainy River district and Koochiching County are open but being listed as snow covered with the snow falling in the region.

Drivers are advised to take precautions while on the roads.

There was a brief closure of Highway 71 near Sioux Narrows yesterday, following a two vehicle collision.

No one was injured.

Propane Prices Questioned

While Minnesota continues to deal a propane shortage and higher prices, there's word of similar problems facing homeowners in northwestern Ontario.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says it was brought to his attention by a homeowner in Atikokan that the cost of propane had risen 80 per cent in the past year.

Rafferty says while the Canadian Propane Association insists there is no shortage in Canada, he wonders if it's a case of price gouging.

Rafferty is asking the Minister of Finance to investigate.

Campbell Gathering Input On Budget

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is gathering feedback on the upcoming provincial budget.

Campbell says affordability is the resounding complaint she's heard throughout the riding.

Campbell says the NDP will be making demands in the budget, but it's too early to say if the party will support the Liberal government like it did last year.

MPPs return to Queen's Park Tuesday.

NCDS Ready To Help Workers

NCDS is stepping forward to help laid off workers at Resolute Forest Products.

The Fort Frances based agency provides a number of employment services programs.

Marketing Coordinator Sarah Marasyk says they have a number of workshops including ones to help workers with their resume.

Marasyk says they're also planning to create a "Coffee Club" allowing workers to gather and offer support, feedback and job hunting advice to each other.

Firms Fined For Building Mining Camp

Two companies working in the Ring of Fire mining development have been fined $27-thousand for illegally building a mining camp.

Vancouver based Fancamp Explorations and Thunder Bay's Webequie Logistics were found guilty of carrying out construction work without proper permits.

The companies were charged back in 2010 after repeated warnings from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The camp has since been removed.

Province Not Happy With Feds

Plenty of negative post-budget reaction coming from the provincial government.

The governing Liberals says the federal government is cutting $641-million in transfers to the province.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says that's over the 110 actions the federal government has taken since 2006 that have impacted Ontarians in a negative manner.

Wynne says the feds are making cuts without consulting the province and forcing Ontario to pick up the tab.

Good Budget For Northern Ontario

The Minister responsible for FedNor says the budget is about is all about fiscal responsibility and balancing the books for 2015.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says while not mentioning northern Ontario specifically, there's are some goodies for the region.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty pans the budget for its lack of support for such things as the region's forest sector and no new funding for FedNor

Obestrical Department Recognized

Some recognition for Riverside Health Care.

It's core team of six obstetrical physicians and nursing staff have received a recognition award for completing the first phase of a comprehensive three-year program that sets obstetrical patient safety a top priority.

The program, known as MOREOB, was launched at LaVerendrye Hospital in Fort Frances last April.

Fight Against Drug Abuse Continues

The federal government is stepping forward in the fight against prescription drug abuse.

It plans to spend nearly $45-million over the next five years to on an awareness campaign, increased monitoring of pharmacies and enhanced services in First Nation communities.

Officials says Canadian consumption of prescribed opioids has risen by over 200 per cent since 2000, while abuse has more than doubled in the past two years.

Made In Canada Campaign Considered

Canadian producers will be getting some promotional support from the federal government.

The recent budget includes plans to create a steering committee to help in a "Made-in Canada" awareness campaign.

Details are to be revealed in the near future.

The quality of Canadian products is recognized worldwide, but no widely recognized Canadian brand exists.

Tourism Marketing Initiative On-line

A tourism partnership between northwestern Ontario, northern Minnesota and the National Geographic Society is now official.

Together they will create an online regional geo-tourism initiative highlighting the region.

The partnership means a new in-depth website and smartphone app that will be linked with existing National Geographic sites.

Atikokan, International Falls and Koochiching County were among those contributing funding to the initiative.

Proposal For Rainy Lake Hotel Made

There's been another proposal put forward for the former Rainy Lake hotel.

No details were revealed, but Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis council did talk with the proponent at a closed door meeting Monday night.

Avis says council still favours proceeding with efforts to acquire government funding to knock down the shuttered hotel, and help in the develop of an open-air market square.

Rafferty Pans Budget

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is panning the new federal budget.

He calls it a do nothing document with hardly any substantial support, especially for northern Ontario.

While the budget mentions protecting forestry jobs in eastern Canada, Rafferty says there's nothing about helping to recover those lost in Ontario, nor any mention of any new funding for FedNor.

Mining Likes Budget

The mining industry is welcoming certain components of the federal budget.

The Mining Association of Canada says an extension of a Mineral Exploration Tax Credit for another year will be of huge benefit to the junior exploration sector.

It says renewal comes at a critical time given the tough economic challenges faced in recent months by Canada's smaller exploration companies.

Kootasca Challenged With Propane Shortage

An agency that helps low-income people is facing some challenges of its own as it tries to help those deal with the propane shortage and subsequent price hikes in Minnesota.

Kootasca says the number of people seeking financial assistance this winter has more than tripled over last year.

Housing Director Dana Herschbach says its taxing both staff and their bottom line to the point that its administrative funding may dry up in the very near future.

Hershbach says they area talking with the State about some financial relief.

Warning From Fire Department

The International Falls Fire Department is warning area residents to take precautions if using alternative heating sources to compensate for the shortage of heating fuels.

Fire chief Jerry Jensen says with some residents turning to wood or space heaters, it's even more important to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms throughout the home.

He's also offering up the Fire Department to conduct home inspections to provide further advice that makes residents safer.

Break In At Nestor Falls

OPP looking into a break in to a business in Nestor Falls.

Police says the unnamed business on Highway 71 was entered sometime after its closing Saturday night and 1 p.m. the next day.

An undisclosed amount of money and other small items were taken.

Policing Costs Clarified

Municipalities are now learning how they will be charged for policing.

Beginning in 2015, cities and towns who contract police services out to the OPP will be charged $260 per household plus additional costs based on the number and types of calls for police assistance.

Rainy River district detachment commander, Inspector Steve Shouldice says municipalities, including Fort Frances, now paying nearly $700 per household should see savings.

Shouldice says the formula will also be based on 96 different types of calls, instead of the 400 now used.

New Water And Sewer Rates In Place

New water and sewer rates have now being determined in Fort Frances.

Beginning next month, Fort Frances residents will see an extra $1.25 per month on their bills.

The industrial and commercial sectors will see a nearly $8.00 increase to their base rates, paying $2.70 per cubic metre after that.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says it's a compromise to what some councillors wanted.

The increase will help the town raise an extra $106-thousand.

Campbell Calls Wage Increase A Good First Step

The MPP for Kenora Rainy River is weighing in on the increase to the minimum wage.

It's to go up to $11 an hour this summer with future increases based on the cost of living every October.


Campbell says the increase will be good to the province's lowest wage earners, but businesses are also facing financial challenges and may need some help of their own.

Campbell does note that small business owners at a pre-budget consultation in Thunder Bay indicated they did favour the wage increase.

Minnesota Looks To Improve Highway Workers Safety

File tape

Minnesota is looking some new rules aimed at improving the safety of highway construction workers.

One proposal would prohibit cell phone use - even hands-free devices – in work zones and establishes a new $375 fine for speeding when construction workers are present.

A second also proposes a ban on the use of mobile phones in construction zones, plus a $375 fine for drivers who don't obey safety flaggers in work zones.

The bills are now being debated at the committee level.

New Executive Director For NCDS

The agency responsible for delivering a number of employment programs in the Rainy River district has a new executive director.

Nikki Baird takes over at NCDS from the retiring Jenny Greenhaulgh.

Baird joins the organization after three and a half years with Riverside Foundation for Health Care.

The Foundation, meantime, will soon begin a search for Baird's replacement.

NDP Likes Chances In Northwestern Ontario

Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is optimistic with where the NDP stand in Northwestern Ontario.

Horwath says Sunday's selection of Mary Kozorys to challenge Liberal MPP Bill Mauro in Thunder Bay-Atikokan as a step forward.

Kozorys beat out former Schreiber mayor Madge Richardson for the right to represent the party in the next provincial election.

ONA Launches Campaign For More Nurses

The Ontario Nurses Association has launched a new ad campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the need for more registered nurses in the province.

President Linda Haslam-Stroud says Ontario continues to have the second-lowest ratio of RNs-to-population in all of Canada.

The ONA blames underfunding for hospitals having to cut more than one-thousand nursing positions in the past two years.

Rickford Feels First Nations Optimistic About First Nations Education Act

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says first impressions of the federal government's newly announced education act for first nations is being well received.

Rickford says regional chiefs he's spoken with feel optimistic about the act.

The act is intended to give more control for first nations over their education system.

School Board Considers Expanding High School

The school board responsible for public schools in the Dryden area is looking at having grade 7 and 8 students attend classes at Dryden High School.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board will hold public meetings later month.

The model is already in place at Kenora's Beaver Brae school.

Board officials say the addition of the intermediate grades at that school has been well received by teachers, students and parents.

New Water and Sewer Rate Proposal On The Table

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

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

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

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

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

Kozorys Selected To Carry NDP Banner Again

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

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

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

Unifor Targets Resolute For Patterned Talks

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

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

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

SIU Investigates Police Shooting In Red Lake

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

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

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

The woman was airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital for treatment.

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

Physician Retires

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

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

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

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

Ice Fort Planned

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

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

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

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

Prom Dresses Wanted

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

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

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

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

Strong Response To Hockeyville Submission

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

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

More Exploration For New Gold

More exploration at New Gold's Rainy River project.

Part of the work will explore the potential of expanding the footprint of its planned open pit mine.

Vice-president of exploration Mark Peterson says areas to the west of the original site will be studied.

The company says it's also moving to complete the environment assessment process and obtain the necessary permitting to begin construction next year.

Conservatives Seeking Out Fine Amounts

Ontario Conservatives are using the Freedom of Information Act to find out how much contractors have been fined this winter.

The province says three companies working in northwestern Ontario have been penalized.


Critic Vic Fedeli says they want to know if the contractors are facing significant fines, or just a slap on the wrist.

Fedeli says he's not opposed to private contractors doing the work, but standards have to be met.

NDP Critical Of Transportation Minister's Comments

The NDP is blasting Ontario's transportation minister for recent comments he made about northern Ontario's highways.

Critic Gilles Bisson says it's not good enough for Glen Murray to apologize for poor winter road maintenance.

Bisson believes the Liberals are making the overtures because of a pending election.

Job Opportunties In Rainy River Area

A couple of potential job opportunities in the Rainy River district.

The Northwest Training and Adjustment Board will host an information forum on New Gold's Rainy River Project on February 11.

There's two sessions at the Sunset Country Metis Hall from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and then 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at night.

CN Rail will hold a hiring event February 19 at the La Place Rendez Vous.

It starts at 9 a.m.

Job Fair In International Falls Today

A job fair goes today in International Falls.

International Falls Workforce Centre hosts the event at Rainy River Community College.

Spokesperson Alysa Hackemueller says all of the companies involved are looking for workers.

The event goes from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Watch Olympics At Library

FFPLTC photo

The Olympic spirit is strong at the Fort France Public Library and Technology Centre.

Chief Librarian Alicia Subniak-Kilgour says they've set up a lounge for the public to come and watch the games.

The lounge is open during Library hours during the next two weeks.

Transport Driver Found

OPP say they've been able to identify the transport driver seen on a recent Youtube video, passing a snowplow, as another transport was approaching.

Police says charges are now pending against the 31-year-old Toronto area man.

His name has not yet been released.

The incident, which occurred in early January north of Nipigon on Highway 11, was captured on video by the other driver who had to take evasive action to avoid a head on collision.

Northern Development Minister Concern Aboot highwya Maintanence

Ontario's Northern Development Minister is adding his voice to those concerned about the snowplowing of the region's highways this winter.

Gravelle says he felt winter road maintenance hasn't been up to what it has been in the past and addressed his concern to Transportation Minister Glen Murray last week.

He says he brought with in several letters and emails from constituents. 

Gravelle says the fact fines have been given out to contractors shows Murray is taking the issue very seriously.

But he says if things don't improve, he'll back to see Murray to suggest changes may have to be made.

Safety Program Coming To High School

OPP are bringing their winter driving campaign into area high schools.

The first of the presentations in this region by the Highway Safety and Education Committee take place at Fort France and Rainy River High Schools next week.

Constable Anne McCoy says they're aiming the safe driving message at the region's youngest drivers.

Part of the campaign will encourage high school students to create a public service announcement to be produced by Acadia Broadcasting's radio stations, including 931theborder.

Water Rate Discussed

New water and sewer rates could be forthcoming in the Fort Frances.

Councillors, this week, were  presented with a range of potential increases, ranging from one to eight dollars a month for homeowners.

No decisions were made, but most councillors were supportive of an increase at the lower end of the scale.

LHINs Get Review

A provincial legislative committee is reviewing concerns about the Local Health Integration Network.

It held public meetings in Thunder Bay yesterday.

Jules Tupker with the Thunder Bay Health Coalition says they see a need for improved communication with the regional health authority.

The Ontario Native Women's Association spokesperson Kezia Picard says they want a change in how services are delivered.

Tentative Deal Reached For CN Workers

A potential strike by CN Rail workers has been avoided.

A tentative deal between the company and the Teamsters union  was reached yesterday.

No details will be released until the 3-thousand conductors and yard workers have had a chance to vote.

The workers were prepared to walk off the job as early as this weekend.

The federal government says a work stoppage would have had damaging effects the economy and were prepared to intervene if necessary.

NDP Tour Ring Of Fire

The NDP will have several members of Parliament touring the Ring of Fire today.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John is joining them and says they'll be visiting regions key to the projects development.

Some of the communities being toured include Koper Lake and Fort Hope as well as a flight over both the north and south corridors of the Ring of Fire.

Colder And Wetter January

An analysis of last month's weather from the National Weather Service in Duluth finds January was colder and wetter than normal in International Falls.

The average temperature was -3.7 F, more than 8 degrees colder than normal.

The area also receive almost 17 inches of snow, two inches above the norm.

Medical School Dean Recognized

Some international recognition for the dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Doctor Roger Strasser has received one of seven Special Awards for Outstanding Health Professional Educators at a recent conference in Thailand.

Strasser has been with the Medical School, first hired in 2002 to help in its development as its Founding dean.

Town Identifies Priority Projects

The demolition of the former Rainy Lake Hotel and market square development among priority projects Fort Frances council is hoping the Ontario government can assist with.

The town intends to highlight several projects in a letter as it hopes to take advantage of government interest in light of the recent shutdown of Resolute Forest Products.

Mayor Roy Avis says projects that involve other partners may hold more favour.

Road improvements to the east end of Scott Street and Front street and the acquisition of the tourism bureau among other projects to be highlighted.