Council Staying with Option 2 on Policing

It appears Fort Frances town councillors will stay with their decision to accept a policing contract with the OPP that will see the town pay for two fewer officers. Councillors reopened their discussions over the contract last night. Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft feels satisfied that the level of policing provided won't change. "It still must meet with adequacy and effectiveness of the OPP," says Wiedenhoeft. "I don't think we have to be concerned about when we make that reduction of 1.5 officers that we're still going to be well serviced in this area." It was noted the town would have to raise taxes almost four per cent to maintain the existing contract with 18 officers on patrol.

Call for Locals to Participate

The Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship would like to see more local anglers participate.

Speaking to town councillors last night, chair Gord Watson says the field for this July's event is two-third's full, but most of the 81 teams are from out of the district.

"We still don't have the local support we're looking for," says Watson. "The prize structure was structured to intrigue more local anglers. It hasn't done so yet. We hope it will in the near future."

Tournament officials met with several town committees last week to discuss a host of requests for this year. Watson says they're working hard to ensure the tournament continues.

Drug Busts

Three separate drug investigations in the Rainy River district have resulted in the seizure of thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs and charges against one man.

A 57-year-old resident of Rainy River faces trafficking charges after OPP seized nearly $4,500 worth of prescription pills and a large quantity of cash.

A search of two other homes in Rainy River and Emo led police to finding 34 marihuana plants and 860-grams of dried marihuana valued at $5,200.

No charges have yet been laid in those cases.

Green Party Candidate in Running

The Green Party has announced its Candidate for Thunder Bay-Rainy River.

Former research scientist Ed Shields says with science based jobs in our future, Parliament is in need of someone with his expertise.

"I just thought we that need scientists in Parliament," says Shields. "I looked and there's no PH.D. scientists in Parliament. We have all of these issues that deal with science that we need to be worked on yet none of the Parliamentarians have any experience in that."

Shields says northwestern Ontario has great potential for jobs in the bio technology industry.

Budget Day in Ontario

It's budget day in Ontario, but the McGuinty Liberals won't be filling today's budget with pre-election goodies designed to entice voters on October 6. But Finance Minister Dwight Duncan is planning to deliver a budget that doesn't contain any new hikes or cuts.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River Riding Candidates in Place

The campaigning has started for the federal election candidates in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding. Voters got to the polls May 2nd. Incumbent MP John Rafferty says he's ready. "There's no secret to my strategy," says Rafferty. "It's the same strategy I always used. That's to knock on as many doors as possible, stand in front of as many post offices as possible, meet as many constituents as possible and see what happens at the other end." Rafferty sees the issue of government ethics to be top of mind on voters. The riding's Liberal Candidate is prepared to regain the seat he lost to Rafferty in the last federal election. Ken Boshcoff says it will be a matter of time before his campaign team in place and he's opening campaign offices throughout the riding. "You have to be prepared both psychologically and physically," says Boshcoff. "I am that. It's just a matter of responding with a volunteer group and that's coming together very nicely." The former area MP says representation will be the key issue in the riding. Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann carries the Conservative banner in Thunder Bay-Rainy River. t's her first campaign, but is eager to help the Tories win the riding by showcasing projects helped by programs initiated under Prime Minister Harper. " We're going to go after the Economic Action plan and reinforce the good work he's done for this region," says Comuzzi-Stehmann. "It's amazing that northwestern Ontario has gotten so much attention." Comuzzi-Stehmann says her team is already in place and has her campaign headquarters set up in Thunder Bay.

School Survey

The Fraser Institute's annual ranking of schools is again putting northwestern Ontario school near the bottom.

Spokesperson Michael Thomas says the rankings, based on the province's standardize test results, alert officials of the need for improvement.

"There may be issues at the heart of it that are not easily understandable by looking at the report card," says Thomas. "We want the whole community to come together to look at ways to improve student achievement."

North Star Community School in Atikokan tops all Rainy River district schools, but some schools honoured by the very group responsible for the tests are left out of the survey.

Bass Tournament Back on Agenda

Members of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship will be back at town council tonight.

Their appearance comes following a week of talks with various town committees over a number of requests for this year's tournament.

Council is also to hear presentations from the Downtown Business Improvement Association and Solar Logix, the company offering to help set up solar panels on some municipal buildings.

No Chronic Wasting Disease Found

Minnesota's search for additional evidence of chronic wasting disease continues to come up empty. So far, 665 adult deer have been tested in southeastern Minnesota. The Department of Natural Resources began the tests after a deer infected was found near Pine Island last fall. The DNR will end its tests this week.

Federal Election Looms

Political mountains may have to move if we're to avoid a spring election.

It appears the government will fall on a Liberal non-confidence motion, chiding the government for showing contempt for Parliament.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River John Rafferty says he's voting in favour of that motion.

"I don't believe this government has been very ethical," says Rafferty. "I certainly don't believe they've been accountable or transparent - two things they campaigned on in the last election and in the election before."

Rafferty doesn't see any last-minute ditch efforts to avoid the inevitable.

Survey Studied Next Week

A survey conducted by the Rainy River District Women's Shelter of Hope is finding a high misuse of prescription drugs in our district.

Executive Director Donna Kroocmo says area service providers will come together next Tuesday to discuss the results.

"I think it will give us a lot of good information going forward as to the gaps in service that we have in our district to address some of these issues," says Kroocmo. Possibility that will give us good information to write proposals to fill in some of these gaps."

The survey was done to identify the key symptoms leading to abuse.

School Fees Explained

Provincial public schools will find out today what they can charge students in extra fees.

Some schools have charged students hundreds of dollars.

The new guidelines will also require boards to track their fundraising and corporate participation in schools.

NCDS Renovates

Some new facilities for Northern Community Development Services.

Executive Director Jennifer Greenhalgh says renovations to their Fort Frances location provides space for employers to meet with prospective employees.

"A lot of outside agencies do not have an office and quiet space to meet clients," says Greenhalgh. "They often become our clients after that so we realized there was a real need for a place for employers who want to conduct interviews and don't have an established office space."

The $160-thousand dollars worth of work was offset in part by provincial funding.

Cost to use NCDS facilities is free.

Murder Suspect Dies

A police investigation into a murder in northern Ontario is now turning into a coroner's inquest.

Dwane Turk of Thunder Bay died while being held in custody in North Bay.

Turk was charged with second-degree murder in the death last week of 32-year-old-Christopher Jean, near Elk Lake, North of Sudbury.

Jean was also from Thunder Bay.

Former Mayor Charged

The former mayor of Kenora will appear in court in May on impaired driving charges.

74-year-old Len Compton was arrested early yesterday morning after O-P-P pulled over a vehicle in downtown Kenora.

Policing Needs Explored at Meeting

A discussion with the OPP over policing costs and manpower requirements has revealed a decision by Fort Frances town council to accept a contract that pays for fewer officers.

The decision was made December 20, but never reported publicly until now.

Mayor Roy Avis says the decision was above board.

"It was presented to council at an open committee meeting," says Avis. "and council looked at it. It was in our package. There was nothing that was done behind the scene. It was just a process of negotiations that we go through with all contracts."

Councillors may revisit the contract for 16 constables after OPP yesterday outlined differences with the current one for eighteen.

Bass Tournament Policing Requirements

Policing of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship was also discussed at yesterday's meeting.

OPP Inspector John Kendrick says it's a balance in meeting both community and event needs.

"(The town's) contract provides for you to have two officers in town," says Kendrick. "Well if those two officers are continuously at the bass tournament then they're not answering the calls for service in town. If there at the bass tournament, in accordance with the liquor license, and they're called away, they're not providing the services that required by the liquor licence act."

Tournament organizers plan to address the issue with the Police Services Board in the near future.

Chair Appointment Questioned

The Opposition is questioning the McGuinty government's appointment of a panel to investigate the use of Agent Orange in Ontario.

NDP Critic Gillies Bisson says it's chair, Doctor Leonard Ritter, worked for a federal department that approved the chemical's use for over four decades.

"How independent can he be," says Bisson, "if he is in fact the very person who is responsible for the approval of Agent Orange in the first place?"

Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey says she has all the confidence in Ritter's abilities.

Hampton on Jury Rolls

Howard Hampton is putting the blame on the McGuinty government for the jury crisis in the northwest.

The Kenora-Rainy River MPP says there is no reason a judge had to postpone a jury trial earlier this month because there were not enough aboriginals on the jury roll.

"This was brought to the government's attention back in 2008," says Hampton. "It's pretty difficult for the provincial government to say we've been working on this."

Hampton says the government has not taken the issue seriously.

Contract Terminated

(Belmont Resources photo)



Belmont Resources has ended a potential agreement with another junior mining exploration company for partial ownership of a mining project north of Atikokan.

The agreement would have seen Dorex earn up to 60 per cent interest in Belmont's Lumby-Buffo property.

Belmot says Dorex failed to meet certain requirements and deadlines set out in the contract.