Drunk Drivers Nabbed

Three men will be making appearances later this month in an Atikokan court room on separate impaired driving related offences.

O-P-P first charged a 35-year-old man from B-C with failing to provide a suitable breath sample during a traffic stop early Saturday morning.

Later that day, police charged a 19-year-old Atikokan man suspected of operating a dirt bike while impaired.

Then that night, a 51-year-old Atikokan man was charged with impaired after police acted on a public complaint.

Copper Theft

Hydro One is expressing concern with a rise in theft of copper from its stations and facilities across the province.

The Utility says it's been a frequent target, but a dangerously one for thieves.

A recent incident in Toronto led to a young man being badly burned while allegedly attempted to steal copper from a transformer station.

Avis Comments on Vandalism

(Lion's Park fountain as been a frequent target of vandals this summer)


Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis is expressing disappointment over a rash of vandalism that has struck town parks this summer.

Avis says vandals are only targeting the hard work of people who helped create the parks and force the town to exhaust resources on the clean-up.

"What happens in those cases people who should be doing other things in town like maintaining cemeteries, parks and the waterfront, they're tied up doing that kind of repair," says Avis. "So what happens is the other assets suffer because we don't have the manpower to do that work."

Avis is hoping someone will come forward with information that will lead to arrests and charges.

Airport Fence Contract

Work crews are expected to begin next week on erecting a new fence around the Fort Frances airport.

It's intended to keep deer from wandering on the runway.

The town has awarded the more than $380,000 contract to Thunder Bay-based Wilco Contractors.

A grant from the federal government is covering the full cost of the work.

Trail Development in Rainy River

(Town of Rainy River photo)

The town of Rainy River has received $65,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation towards building a network of multi-use trails through the community.

Recreation Manager Meaghan Shanks says they're hoping to start some of the development this year.

"We're making these available for residents, but also to try and attract visitors and travels to stop and stretch their legs and walk on our trails that we have, " says Shanks.

The eventual goal is to extend the trails beyond town limits.

Area Youth Travel to World Youth Day

Three youth from the Rainy River District will be among the hundreds of thousands of young catholics taking part in this year's World Youth Day festivities.

Joshua Zimmerman, Thomas Lepine and Ryan Brady have been preparing themselves for months for the pilgrimage to Spain.

The six-day event begins August 16.

Mineral Mountain Joins U.S. Exchange

The mining company that's exploring the former Straw Lake Gold Mine near Fort Frances has expanded its ability to acquire funds.

Mineral Mountains began trading on the OTCQX International Monday.

It's allows non-U.S. companies access to U.S. investors without additional regulatory costs required of listing on a traditional U.S. exchange.

MNR Watching Weather

(MNR photo)

Ministry of Natural Resources fire managers are nervous as a low pressure system treks across northwestern Ontario.

They are hoping for rain but may get more lightning as the storm passes.

Meantime, new lightning fires from the weekend in the Rainy River district are now out.

Three lightning fires started at the end of July in Quetico Provincial Park are still smoldering.

Horwath Visits

The province's NDP leader is planning to make some election promises in Thunder Bay today.

Andrea Horwath will announce her plan to protect jobs in the forestry and mining sectors in northwestern Ontario.

She's expected in Fort Frances next Monday.

Lightning Fires Strike Rainy River District

(MNR photo)

Some rain is expected in northwestern Ontario today, which could help reduce the number of new fires as well as dampen existing ones.

Lightning strikes ignited about two dozen more fires over the weekend, including five in the Rainy River district.

There was also a human caused blaze at east end of Rainy Lake.

119 fires are still active across the northwest - four in the Rainy River district.

Natural Area Plan Developed

A new Conservation plan for Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake is close to being finalized.

It's being developed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Regional vice-president Chris Maher says the plan is important to the area.

"Certainly Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake is an impressive bio-diverse area and there's huge opportunity," says Maher. "We've been looking forward to it to about ten years now. We think we're at the position where we can afford to move ahead and we have the scientific basis to do so."

Maher says the plan would help protect the area and several plant and animal species from the endangered lists.

Canoeing Capital Challenge

Atikokan is challenging its residents to help build on its moniker as the Canoeing Capital of Canada.

Paula Sanders of the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation says they've created a contest that aims to develop idea or products around the theme.

"There is money set aside if people need some financial help to actually develop one prototype so that we can see what it looks like," says Sanders. "We will also be giving money to those top three ideas to produce as many as them as they can with the money that's allotted so we can sell them to residents and visitors."
The contest will close August 31.

Elections Ontario Readys

The Ontario provincial election is just under two months away.

Elections Ontario, the agency tasked with managing the election, is getting prepared.

Deputy chief electoral officer Loren Wells says for the first time, voters will get the chance to vote by mail.

"It's a special ballot you can apply for in person, by mail, using fax or e-mail," says Wells. "Then you mail it back to either your local returning office or if you applied to the Chief Electoral Officer, then back to our office back here in Toronto."

Wells says Elections Ontario will have its returning offices up and running by September 7.

Minnesota Washing Away Zebra Mussels

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has launched a new weapon against the spread of the invasive zebra mussels.

DNR workers used high-pressure washers to decontaminate boats at three lakes over the weekend.

It intends to move its decontamination units around the state to some of the 50 Minnesota water bodies known to be infested with zebra mussels.

Conservative Nominee Steps Forward

Conservatives in Kenora-Rainy River now have someone interested in running for the party in this October's provincial election.

He's Rod McKay, a Kenora City councillor and manager of the Kenora Forest Products mill.

"I've been thinking about this for a while," says McKay. "I a couple of personal issues I had to sort out with my health. Now that I've got that figured out, I'm putting my name on the ticket and hope to be nominated by the nomination committee in the near future."

So far the party has not indicated when it might hold its nomination meeting.

McGuinty Responds to P.M. Comments

Premier Dalton McGuinty is shrugging off Prime Minister Stephen Harper's call for his defeat in the October 6 provincial election.

McGuinty says he's worked well with Harper in the past, even though they don't always see eye-to-eye.

Harper called for the ouster of the McGuinty Liberals during an unannounced visit Tuesday to the home of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford.

Outreach Group Created

The Rainy River District Women's Shelter of Hope is setting up a new support group for women in Fort Frances.

Cindy Richard, an Outreach Worker, says it's an extension of services provided by the Atikokan-based home.

"If women need to discuss issues that are happening within the home, a lot of women don't want to access the shelter but need ongoing support," says Richard.

Richard says the first meeting will be an informal one August 11 at the Northwest Community Legal Clinic Office on Scott Street.

Derby Girls Up for Rachel's Challenge

Members of the Borderland Roller Derby League are taking up Rachel's Challenge.

They're raising money to help bring the positive peer pressure and anti-bullying program to the Rainy River district.

The team's marketing head Melissa Carpenter says a recent presentation convinced them to help.

"The main reason is that it spoke to us because we're moms," says Carpenter. "We don't want to see our kids go through maybe what we personally went through in school or in high school. We want it to be here for our kids and we'll do our part."

The team is now soliciting funds from businesses and will provide a share of its ticket sales for an upcoming bout with Thunder Bay towards the cause.

Forest Fires Activity Continues

(MNR photo)

Despite some recent rain, officials say there's little relief in sight in the battle to douse more than 100 forest fires in northwestern Ontario.

Although smoke still blankets much of the area due to the fires, all of the more than 35 hundred evacuees have been returned to their homes.

Firefighters, equipment and aircraft from several provinces, and now Minnesota and Michigan and Parks Canada, have been brought in to battle the fires.

Oeegy Gooey Lady Comes to Fort Frances

Early childhood educators and teachers from across the Rainy River district will gather tomorrow in Fort Frances for a workshop focusing on play-based-learning.

It's being led by Lisa Murphy, affectionately known as the Ooey Gooey Lady.

She says it's a concept that has proven results.

"A lot of the tenants that we're talking about are not new," says Murphy. "It's not Lisa Murphy's personal preference. It's actually what our industry history has shown as what is the best most developmentally appropriate way of interacting with this age group."

The workshop comes as the province's introduces play-based learning through its early learning program for four-and-five-year-olds.