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.