Snowmobile Safety Week in Ontario

Ontario Provincial Police and Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs are asking snowmobilers to make smart choices this winter.

This is Snowmobile Safety Week in Ontario.

OPP Sergeant Michael Price says there have already been five snowmobile fatalities this winter.

"Unfortunately our latest fatalities took place on a lake," says Price, "so we're stressing that the safest place to operate a snowmobile is actually on an OFSC trail."

A 55-year-old man died when his snowmachine went through the ice near Kenora last month.

Hydro Assets Still on Chopping Block

AbitibiBowater's is still looking to sell off its hydro assets in Ontario.

That includes its hydro dam in Fort Frances.

Executive vice-president William Harvey says any sale, though, will be done without impacting mill operations.

"Anything we move there, of course, we are not going to do anything to impact the cost structure of the mills associated in Ontario," says Harvey. "That's one of our first priorities."

Harvey says any proceeds for the sale will go towards reducing the company's debt.

More Cost Cutting to Come

AbitibiBowater is planning further cost cutting at some of its Canadian mills.

CEO Richard Garneau says with the Canadian dollar hovering around par with the U.S. greenback, the company needs to have a similar cost structure on both sides of the border.

Garneau declined to identify the targeted mills or indicate how much more costly they are to operate than their U.S. counterparts.

Hope for Atikokan Forest Products

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown isn't giving up hope on Atikokan Forest Products.

The mill, located at Sapawe which closed in 2008, is now in receivership.

Brown believes it's a mill that can easily reopen.

"It's a very modern mill," says Brown. "Mr. Buchanan and his group spent a lot of money over the years and I'm sure it's going to be an asset for another organization, another company to purchase and continue operating."

Brown says the town's willing to work with the receiver to help find a buyer and get former employees back to work.

Budget Discussion Begins

Fort Frances town councillors sit down today to begin discussing the 2011 budget.

The preliminary operating budget is at about $21-million while the capital budget is sitting at almost $8.5 million.

The figures, though, don't include costs for such things as town's levy to the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board, a policing cost increase or a fire department arbitration award.

New NOMA President Selected

O'Connor township Mayor Ron Nelson has been elected the new president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.

Nelson's selection was needed because of the October election loss by former president Anne Krassilowski of Dryden.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown, who held the position on an interim bases, maintains his seat on the board as a past-president.

Get Your Flu Shot

Northwestern Health Unit's medical officer of health says the new strain of flu concerning health officials this year isn't causing much concern to this area yet.

H3N2 has strained medical services elsewhere.

Doctor James Arthurs says because of its inactivity here people shouldn't avoid getting the flu shot.

"I think this is our opportunity to encourage people to go out, if they haven't already gotten their flu shot vaccination," says Dr. Arthurs, "we would certainly encourage them to do that."

Arthurs says this year's flu shot includes a vaccine to combat the new strain.

Driven to Quit

The Northwestern Health Unit and Canadian Cancer Society have once again teamed up to offer the Annual Driven to Quit Challenge.

Society Spokesperson Naomi McNeill says a number of prizes are for grabs for smokers who butt out for the month of March.

"Such Honda Hybrids, a five-thousand dollar vacation get-a-way and buddy prizes as well," says McNeill.

Visit any Health Unit office or go on-line at http://www.driventoquit.ca/ to register.

Atikokan Forest Products in Receivership

An Atikokan area mill is among four Buchanan-owned mills that have entered bankruptcy proceedings.

Atikokan Forest Products is now in receivership.

Company spokesperson Yves Fricot says it's too soon to say if it will be a positive move.

"The mills closed about three years ago," says Fricot," and it's everybody's hope, ours, the unions and our employees, that we might be able to hang through this downturn and ultimately reopen the mills and put people back to work."

Atikokan Forest Products closed in 2008.

The Steelworkers Union will be looking to obtain severance for former workers.

Forest Tenure Changes This Spring

The provincial government is looking to make its planned overhaul of Ontario's forest tenure and pricing system official this spring.

Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle says the province plans to introduce legislation to establish two new governance models for managing and harvesting Ontario's forests.

"We want to be able to open up the system so that new entrants, aboriginal communities, municipalities, those with good business ideas that previously had a difficulty accessing wood can now now have greater access," says Gravelle.

The legislation includes establishing local forest management agencies to manage Crown forests and oversee timber sales.

Rainy River Resources Spotlighted

Analysts are looking for big things from Rainy River Resources this year as the junior exploration company recently closed a $75-million financing and released its latest drilling results.

The company, which is developing a gold project north of Barwick, says the infill drilling results also opened up new areas for potential expansion.

RBC analyst Stephen Walker says ongoing results will be the prime catalyst driving share prices until the company releases its resource update this spring.

NOMA to Elect President

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association plans to appoint an interim president today.

NOMA is meeting in Thunder Bay this afternoon.

Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown is the current acting president and has said he would like to keep the job if no one else wants it.

McGuinty Frustrated with HST Opposition

Premier Dalton McGuinty is expressing frustration with critics who are still demanding the provincial portion of the HST be removed from electricity bills.

Niagara Falls Liberal Kim Craitor is among them.

McGuinty says he doesn't understand why critics are complaining when the government is giving rebates that amount to two points better than removing the HST.

Rail Workers Vote Strike Action

(CN Rail photo)


More than six-thousand workers at CN Rail and CP Rail have voted heavily in favour of strike action.

The employees, including mechanical workers, say the major issue is a demand by Canada's two biggest railways for concessions.

Their strike deadline at CN is January 25.

For CP, it's February 8.

Pennies for Play

International Falls and Hibbing are going head-to-head in a fundraising effort for new playground.

Pennies for Play was kicked off yesterday and organizer Robin Bjornquist says the Falls is hoping to raise $17-thousand.

"Kerry Park has been missing a tunnel for a few years due to damage," says Bjornquist. "That's also a twenty year old play structure so we definitely use some funds funnelled into our playground."

Bjornquist says the contest is also tied to the NFL initiative Play 60, which encourages kids to be active, and they're hoping it entices a visit from members of the Minnesota Vikings.

Rail Bridge Operation Changes Proposed

The U.S. Coast Guard is looking to impose new rules governing the operation of CN Rail's bridge connecting Fort Frances with Rainer, Minnesota.

Bridge program manager Scott Striffler says they're proposing the bridge be manned 24 hours a day during the summer month.

"In our proposed regulation would have someone at the bridge between May 1 to October 15 each year," says Striffler. "The remainder of the year, people would still be able to get a bridge open with 12-hour notification."

Striffler says public concerns prompted the Coast Guard to put forward the proposed regulation.

The public can comment on the proposal until January 26.

Depot Gets Too Much Use

The new recycling collection depot in Fort Frances appears to be working too good.

Bins, allowing residents to drop off materials at any time of the year, filled to capacity over the weekend.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says that led to some additional cost for the town to empty them.

"On Saturday I had to have a guy come in at a four-hour call out to empty the depot," says Brown. "Then on Sunday I had to do the same thing. I don't know if its a Christmas rush because of all the stat holidays and the schedule changes."

Brown says he's not discouraging people from using the depot, but resident should make ever effort place their recycling at the curb on their regular pick-up days.

Lawsuit Dismissed

(Rainy River Futures Development Corporation photo)


The Rainy River Cattlemen's Association is starting 2011 without legal action hanging over its head.

The Association says a lawsuit launched by its former barn manager Russell Richards has been dismissed by the courts.

Richards launched the suit against the Association and several board members after being dismissed from his position in 2007.

In dismissing the case, the Association says the judge also ordered Richards to pay financial compensation for defamation of two board members.

Duguid Pans NDP Energy Proposal

Energy Minister Brad Duguid is calling out NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

Horwath recently suggested the province scrap the H-S-T from hydro and home heating bills.

Duguid says that wouldn't help as much as his party's plans.

"Well she's missed the boat there," says Duguid. "The Clean Energy Benefit does more than that and provides greater savings to consumers than if we were remove the HST off the bills."

Duguid says the clean energy benefit provides 10 per cent off hydro bills while the HST is only 7.

Premier Pre-Campaign Speech

Premier Dalton McGuinty is trying out his election pitch for the October provincial vote.

The premier painted a rosy picture of Ontario's future under the Liberals in a speech to a business crowd yesterday in Kitchener.

He touted his government's education and green energy policies, and emphasized the lack of labour unrest since the Liberals took over from the Tories in 2003.