More Downtime at AbitibiBowater

There will more downtime for workers at the AbitibiBowater mill in Fort Frances.

The company reports operations will be curtailed for two weeks begin May 2nd.

The mill is currently in the middle of a shutdown that began Monday.

A previous two-week shutdown of the paper machines happened in February.

Poor market conditions are being blamed.

North West CCAC Workers in Strike Position

Workers with the North West Community Care Access Centre are poised to hit the picket lines April 18.

Conciliated talks between the Ontario Nurses Association and the Centre broke off yesterday.

Wages are at the heart of the dispute.

The union says the Centre's case managers and care coordinators are the lowest paid in the province.

Six nurses work out of the office in Fort Frances.

Merger Plans Delayed

Most of the groundwork is done, but it will still be at least a couple of months before a merger of child aid agencies in the Kenora and Rainy River district is complete.

Chair of Family and Children's Services Rainy River Bob McGreevy says they're still awaiting word that the province will take care of Rainy River's debt.

"For a couple of years, FACS has accumulated a debt," says McGreevy, "and before the amalgamation could go forward, we wanted to have that debt eliminated. We anticipate an announcement from in the next coupe of days from the Ministry that they have resolved that debt issue."

McGreevy says approval will allow both boards to cast a final vote on the merger.

Forest Fire Season Underway

Today is the official start to the forest fire season in Ontario. Ministry of Natural Resources spokesperson Debbie Maclean says they're anticipating a quiet start in northwestern Ontario. "We have slightly above average snow fall," says Maclean. "It likes that trend is going to continue with cold, wet weather in April. It's looking like a quiet start to the fire season in 2011." Maclean notes the average number of fires in the northwest Region has dropped in the past few years.

FedNor Dollars Awarded

Two Atikokan group have benefited from recent FedNor money.

The money to the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation and the Friends of Quetico was quietly announced last Friday, prior to the federal election.

The EDC received about half-a-million dollars for loan programs accessible by small and medium sized businesses.

The Friends of Quetico received about $25-thousand to hire a youth intern.

New Bridge Rules Approved

New rules governing the operation of CN Rail's drawbridge connecting Fort Frances with Rainer will go in place at the end of April.

Federal approval has been given a U.S. Coast Guard regulation that forces CN to man the bridge 24 hours a day between May 1st and October 15.

The bridge will open for vessels the remainder of the year with 12-hours advance notice.

It's currently operated remotely, but public complaints led to the Coast Guard taking action.

CN opposed the rule, citing limited requests for the bridge to open.

Solar Panel Project Clarified

Fort Frances town councillors have a clearer understanding of a project to place solar panels on some municipal buildings.

Corey Watson of Solar Logix met with councillors this past week.

He says the ability to sell power-produced back at 80 cents per kilowatt hour is based on peak usage.

"During peak hours, (users) actually paying over a $1.80," says Watson. "It's actually $1.86 at prime hours of consumption. So this steady rate of 80.2 cents is actually occurring right when the prime hours of peak consumption are occurring."

Watson predicts the rate will drop to about 40 or 50 cents in the near future.

Liberals Accussed of Ignoring the North

The Opposition at Queen's Park is on the attack for what they say is a lack of commitment to northern Ontario in this past week's provincial budget.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Liberals have done nothing in the way of job creation.

"Families in the north were expecting a budget that would address the loss of value-added jobs, the higher cost of living and the soaring electricity rates that people in the north are facing," says Horwath. "But instead of action, they got the same old tired rhetoric."

Horwath is also critical of cuts to the Ministries of Natural Resources and Aboriginal Affairs.

Boshcoff In

Ken Boshcoff has made it official.

The Liberal candidate for Thunder Bay-Rainy River has filed the necessary paperwork with the District Returning office in Thunder Bay to run in this May's federal election.

Boschoff simply says "The race is on."

Grade 10 Students Attend P.A.R.T.Y.

(LaVerendrye Hospital's emergency department was one of the stop in Grade 10 students visit to hospital)

A group of grade 10 students got a close-up look yesterday at what the impact of an tragic accident can have.

A visit to LaVerendrye hospital in Fort Frances was part of a prevention program called P.A.R.T.Y. - Prevent Alcohol Related Trauma in Youth.

Paramedic John Beaton, who started the program here, says it teaches young people to make smart choices.

"The term we use is a ripple effect," says Beaton. "The choice you make, how it effects everybody else, your family and friends, you don't realize those choices you make on a short notice how effects everybody so we're trying to get them to make smart risks."

Students also heard from emergency personnel and accident survivors.

Daffodil Sales Kick Off Today

The Canadian Cancer Society is asking area residents to help join in the fight against cancer by buying daffodils.

Fundraising Coordinator Margaret Saville says this year they're selling both daffodils and daffodil pins.

"Throughout Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Kenora and Fort Frances there will be live daffodil sales," says Saville. "The pins are in Ignace, Rainy River and Ear Falls."

Saville says they've also started the planning for this summer's Relays for Life, including an event schedule for Fort Frances.

Tests Written Today

It's an important day for Grade 10 students across the Rainy River District.

Students at Atikokan, Fort Frances and Rainy River High Schools will write the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Tests.

The passing the test is a prerequisite for graduating high school.

Treatment Centre Supported

Area service providers are backing the need for an addictions treatment centre in the Rainy River district.

It's one of the conclusions to a survey conducted by the Rainy River District Women's Shelter of Hope

Researcher Connie Terlesky hopes the findings lead to a centre being built.

"We have an investor that is willing to put in a significant amount of money towards building a centre in Atikokan," says Terlesky. "I know there are others on that same path. I say who ever gets there first, lets band together and get it done."

Agencies also suggested a need for more programs aimed at men-only.

MMAH Supports Fort Frances

The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing appears to be supporting the town of Fort Frances in its dispute over the funding of the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board.

In a response to the town's concerns, the Ministry states in a letter that the benefit to area municipalities from the province taking on more of the costs to social services program amounts to over $918-thousand this year.

Fort Frances is to see a benefit of $420-thousand.

The DSSAB has reportedly stated the savings are only a fraction of those dollars.

Ontario Budget Details

Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan has unveiled the budget that will take the Liberals into the October provincial election.

Here are the highlights:

-- no new tax increases, decreases or tax credits for taxpayers or businesses.

-- program spending in 2010-11 was 2.6 billion dollars lower than forecast at 13.3 billion dollars; spending projected at 13.8 billion for fiscal 2011.

-- belt-tightening measures aimed at 1.5 billion dollars in savings over three years; includes major agencies cutting 200 million by 2013-14 and trimming 15-hundred civil service jobs starting next year.

-- deficit projected to fall to 16.3 billion dollars in 2011-12, down 400-million from previous year; balanced budget not forecast until 2017-2018.

-- creation of 60-thousand new university and college spaces by 2015-16.

-- 15 million dollars over three years to expand breast cancer screening programs to cover an additional 90-thousand women at high risk.

-- risk management program to help grain and oilseed farmers deal with volatile commodity markets made permanent; new programs for livestock and fruit and vegetable farmers.

-- 12.8 billion dollars in 2011-12 for infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, sewers and other projects.

-- economy forecast to grow by 2.4 per cent this year and 2.7 per cent next year.

Ontario Budget Reaction

The budget includes a $10-million dollar increase to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says it's good news for the region.

"That fund for northern Ontario only, that at $60 million in 2007, now as a result of today's announcement, it at $100-million annually," says Mauro.

Mauro feels announcements for health care and education will also benefit the Northwest.



Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says the budget really brings nothing to northern Ontario.

Hampton feels the budget is more good news for people in southern Ontario. "The government was really talking to Bay Street," says Hampton. "Really talking to people in Toronto. That's where the corporate tax cuts are aimed."

Hampton is disappointed the budget provides no relief to high hydro rates, but includes cuts to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Rainy River College Threatened

The Minnesota House has passed a higher education budget bill that cuts funding for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities systems.

Democrats say the bill threatens the future of small colleges such as Rainy River Community College in Internatinoal Falls

UFO???

(Sandra Allan photo)

Some residents are talking about a strange object that appeared in the night sky over Fort Frances Monday night.

Sandra Allan, who took photographs, says it hovered in the south in an area over the AbitibiBowater mill for nearly half an hour before it disappeared.

"And it had lights. There was pink, yellow, white and green lights," says Allan. " In another picture it was rounded and the lights were evenly separated."

Some residents in Couchiching also reported seeing the object.

Reunion Planned

A grade 9 class from the former Westfort High School in Fort Frances is planning to reunited this summer.

Teresa Hazel, a former student, says the 1980-81 class was one of many that experience a unique school setting.

"Until about a year past our year, Westfort was exclusively for Grade 9," says Hazel. "That was kind of a unique position to be in because all of the kids from all of the different elementary schools came to grade 9 and had a year just on their own."

The committee is now in the process to contacting the 270 former students for the July reunion.

Fire Department Changes

The town of Fort Frances is downsizing its fire department. The number of full-time firefighters will drop from eight to six Fire Chief Frank Sheppard says the department is also moving to a platoon-style deployment model. "Rather than an overall response, it will be more of a reasoned response," says Sheppard. "For example, if there was a vehicle accident, there would be far fewer people responding to that initially." Sheppard says the change gives firefighters the ability to upgrade manpower and resources as needed.