New Democrats Call for Review

Opposition New Democrats are calling on Premier McGuinty to review an Ontario Energy Board decision that raised the guaranteed rate of return for electricity distributors and transmitters.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says those rates went up despite recommendations no change was needed.

"Independent Canadian experts and consumer and business groups said that no change was needed," says Hampton, "but American consultants, paid for by the big utilities, said that Ontario consumers should pay an extra $240 million a year for their electricity and gas. And what a surprise: Under the Liberal government, the big utilities won."

Energy Minister Brad Duguid says the NDP's figures are inaccurate.

Last Day for Voting

Today is the last day to help Nestor Falls become Canada's Ultimate Fishing town.

On-line voting in the World Fishing Network's contest end at 4 p.m. CST.

Nestor Falls is in a tight race with Port Alberni, B.C.

Colleges Visit High Schools

Thirteen post-secondary institutions are visiting Rainy River district high schools this week.

Confederation College among them.

Spokesperson Shari MacKenzie says they'll be wooing students to consider the northwestern Ontario college.

"We get the majority of the students for our Thunder Bay campus from our catchment area," says MacKenzie. "Our area campuses also populate quite a few of our regional students. The colleges that are coming from outside Thunder Bay may have programs that aren't available at our community college."

Their visit is part of a regional recruitment tour that visits Fort Frances High School this morning and Atikokan high school this afternoon.

It was in Rainy River yesterday.

Lions Fundraiser On this Morning

Members of the Voyageur Lions Club are at Tim Hortons in Fort Frances this morning for their annual Drive-thru Breakfast fundraiser.

District Governor Val Martindale says a ten-dollar donation gets you a grab bag of items along with a coffee and a muffin.

"Everybody gets and orange, a breakfast bar, a juice box, a water bottle and some gum," says Martindale. "They get lots of coupons and the chances you might get a gift certificate in there as well."

Martindale says patrons also have the chance to win a number of big prizes with their donation.

Breast Screening Program Reaches 20

The Northwest Regional Cancer Centre is celebrating a milestone.

It's operated the Breast Screening Program in Northwestern Ontario for the past twenty years.

Cancer Care Director Alison McMullen says over 32 thousand women have been given mammograms, but more needs to be done.

The program is offered at five satellite sites across the region, including at Riverside Health Care Facilities in Fort Frances.

Hampton Solicit Support for Nestor Falls

Howard Hampton is throwing his support behind Nestor Falls as it competes to become Canada's Ultimate Fishing town.

In a statement to the legislature Wednesday, the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River called on Ontarians and politicians of all stripes to back the northwestern Ontario community in the World Fishing Network's Contest

Nestor Falls trails Port Alberni, British Columbia with online voting ending Thursday afternoon.

Atikokan Saying No to Airport Help

One Rainy River district community is saying "no" to Fort Frances' request for financial support for its airport.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown says the request doesn't make much sense for his community which has its own airport.

"I think it's a no brainer," says Brown. "We couldn't be expected to pay for the one in Fort Frances when we have our own. We've been limping along with our own airport."

Brown adds the town also recently spent almost over million dollars upgrading the airport runway and taken steps to reduce operating costs.

Auxiliary Funds New X-Ray Equipment

The Emo and District Hospital Auxiliary is helping to fund new x-ray equipment at the Emo Health Centre.

The new equipment, in place since April, allows Diagnostic Imaging personnel to send x-rays electronically for viewing by the radiologist.

Auxiliary Chair Heather Oltsher says they're about a quarter of the way towards their goal.

"We have $40,000 to raise," says Oltsher. "We have given about $13,000, not all from us. About $7,500 of that has been given from the Auxiliary.

Oltsher says their next major fundraising event happens October 15 when they host a Falls tea at the Emo Legion.

Retirement Gathering Planned

A retirement and appreciation dinner is being planned for a long-time Fort Frances physician.

Nelson Medicine Professional Corporation and Riverside Health Care Facilities will host the public event for Doctor Angus MacIntosh October 8.

MacIntosh is ending a 39-year career in Fort Frances where he's been a critical part of Riversides' Obstetrics' department for many years, delivering an estimated ten-thousand babies during his career.

HST Defended

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro is defending his government's decision to implement the HST.

The NDP have launched a campaign calling on the Provincial Government to remove the tax from hydro bills.

Mauro says the NDP aren't being completely truthful.

"I don't think anyone is surprised by that," says Mauro. "NDP Leader Andrea Horwath's numbers that she used last week were extremely soundly criticized and actually people were laughing at them at how inaccurate they were."

Yesterday, the Liberals announced further tax exemptions for Seniors and their energy costs.

Native Child Welfare Services Reviewed

Ontario's Children and Youth Services Minister is committing to working with native child welfare agencies in improving services.

Laurel Broten spoke recently at a provincial conference in Fort Frances.

Broten says with the hiring of John Beaucage as a advisor, they'll be talking further about making the system better.

"John and I, along with chiefs and other experts, will be working together to bring leaders and experts and technicians to a summit which we will hold in the spring," says Broten.

Broten says it's an opportunity to work together to ensure that children and their families are well cared for.

Rafferty Supports Long-Form Census Return

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is adding his voice to a long-list of politicians and organizations who want to see Canada's long-form census kept in place.

Rafferty says its a vital tool for good policy-making.

"The decision to amend it was shortsighted and was carried out without consultation," says Rafferty. "The government should immediately reverse the changes to the long-form census."

MP's debated an opposition motion yesterday calling for the long-form census to be reinstated.

Mining Studies Planned

The town of Atikokan is looking to see how prepared it is for an renewed mining boom.

Talk of new gold and iron ore mines have prompted the town to conduct three separate studies.

Mayor Dennis Brown says one will look at how well the town can meet industry needs.

"As we go through this and prepare for the mines to come in, we want to be sure we have the services that the mines are looking for," says Brown. "Consultants will interview the mining companies to get an idea on what they need."

Other studies will examine how open Atikokan is to attracting new business and where new industrial lots could be developed.

Arena Modifications Requested

A Fort Frances councillor is looking for some modifications to the Ice for Kids Arena.

Sharon Tibbs wants the town to install metal hand rails along stairs of the arena's seating area.

Tibbs says she got the idea after seeing the rails in use at an arena in Sault Ste. Marie.

"I paid particular attention to the crowd movement and watched the ability of seniors and people with various disabilities to negotiate the stairs," says Tibbs. "I noted how they were able to securely and independently reach their seats with the hand rail."

Tibbs says with a push to make government-run facilities more accessible, the town maybe able to access provincial dollars for the project.

Sewage By-Pass Made

For the third time this year, the town of Fort Frances was forced to dump partially-treated sewer directly into the Rainy River.

The by-pass of the sewage treatment plant happened during last week's rain storm.

Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown says chlorine was added to the 965 cubic meters of waste before it entered the river.

The Ministry of Environment was notified of the occurrence.

The town also by-passed the plant during two heavy rain storms in July.

Reward Offered

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is issuing a reward for information into the illegal shooting of four trumpeter swans near Warroad.

Conservation officers say the swans were found at Browns Lake and shot sometime during the opening of the ruffed grouse hunting season.

The trumpeter swan is considered a threatened species and hunters can face fines of up to $3,000 and a loss of their hunting licenses for up to three years for shooting the birds.

Minaki Lodge Plans

The Minaki Lodge properties in northwestern Ontario may have a new lease on life.

Bob Banman, a former Manitoba cabinet minister and Steinbach real estate developer Bob Schinkel say the sale should be finalized in the next few days.

Banman says they want to create several condo units in the buildings that were once used for hotel rooms.

But he says there are no plans to rebuild the hotel or operate the golf course which closed after a fire destroyed the lodge in 2003.

McGuinty Poll

Premier Dalton McGuinty is shrugging off another poll that suggests his Liberal government may be out of a job next fall as opposition parties renew their attacks over soaring hydro bills.

McGuinty says he won't be distracted by polls that show a majority of voters think it's time for a change in government, and will stay focusing on issues that matter to families, such as schools.

The Liberals have been under fire for weeks over rising home electricity bills.

McGuinty announced today he would extend an existing tax credit for seniors to help with energy costs, but opposition critics says it won't do much to help people on a fixed income.

Businesses Seek Small Water/Sewer Rate Hikes

A group of businesses are calling on Fort Frances town councillors to rethink their approach to sewer and water rates in the town.

The town has been looking to make the rates between commercial and residential users become more equal.

Paul Noonan of La Place Rendez-Vous says double-digit increases aren't reasonable.

"Incresase of fifteen to seventeen per cent or higher annual on sewer and water bill for the high volumne business users are not reasonable," says Noonan, "when combined with the slow pace of redressing the taxation issue between the commercial and residential ratepayers."

Noonan says businesses would rather see rates changes proceed at a pace that more aligned with the decrease in commercial tax rates.

Road Plan ReSubmitted

The town of Fort Frances is revising a road improvement plan to government in hopes of securing connecting link funding.

It includes a planned upgrade to Scott Street, from Reid Avenue to Colonization Road.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says it's a project they submitted for funding last year.

"We compete against other connecting link roads that go through municipalities in Ontario," says Brown. "I think there's sixteen communities. There were $16-million dollars divided up last year. We didn't get one penny."

The town is adding three smaller paving projects on Colonization Road East, Kings Highway and Mill Road to this year's wish list.