Socio-Economic Impact Study Underway

Oskisko Mining has started looking at the impacts its proposed open-pit gold mine near Atikokan might have on existing services in the district.

The company projects up to two-thousand employees in the construction phase and five hundred in the mill.

Mark Bowler, a senior advisory, says a socio-economic impact study will identify potential challenges.

Bowler says having enough trained staff might be one of the early challenges.

Boise in Good Shape

There's some good news emerging from Boise's mill in International Falls.

Mill manager Bert Brown says the mill's is extremely stable, but still needs to work on getting costs down without the need for layoffs and production shutdowns.

Brown says the mill is also focused on improving safety with a goal of being incident free.

Chamber Elects Officers

The Fort France Chamber of Commerce has its slate of officers for the next year.

Mark Caron, of M.L. Caron Electric returns as President.

Caron says improving on the next year's Home and Leisure Show will be one of the main objectives for the Chamber.

Social Media Promoted to Businesss

Businesses in the Rainy River district are being encouraged to use social media more to attract customers.

Melissa Schenk of MS2 Productions says with a good on-line identify sites such as Facebook and Twitter can help businesses owners become remembered..

Schenk is in the Fort Frances this week to hold workshops.

Feds Blasted over Attawapiskat Stance

Some aboriginal leaders are blasting the Harper government for putting the Attawapiskat First Nation under third party management.

The Chiefs of Ontario say the government is not showing respect and support for residents of the northern Ontario reserve.

The government wants an accounting of the 90 million dollars it gave to Attawapiskat over the past five years.

Cell Phone Bill Goes to Committee

A bill designed to reduce sticker shock when Ontarians open their cellphone bills has passed second reading in the legislature.

The Liberal private member's bill would make the cost of using a cellphone more transparent, and clarify contracts so that customers know what they're paying for.

It now goes to committee for study.

Green Energy Change Shot Down

A proposal to restore the ability of municipalities to oppose green energy projects has been killed at Queen's Park.

The Liberals and NDP voted against the Conservative private member's bill to give municipalities more say over new wind and solar projects.

Assessment Appeal Begins

The first meeting of what could be a lengthy process has been held in Abitibi-Bowater's appeal of the assessed value of its Fort Frances mill property.

The province's Assessment Review Board held a teleconference this week and set dates for future meeting for next spring.

The company, now known as Resolute Forest Products, feels the value of its properties for last three years was assess too high.

The town has said it stands to lose as much as 800-thousand dollars in taxes if the company wins its case.

Economic Opportunities Explored

The township of Emo is looking to the future.

Last night, the community held a public meeting to gather input on future economic development opportunities.

Mayor Vince Sheppard says the township wants to expand.

Sheppard says council will review comments received to determine the next steps.

Atikokan Gets Provincial Dollars

The provincial government is helping the town of Atikokan identify potential investment opportunities.

Funding will help the town develop a new community Geographic Information System that can be used for site selectors and potential investors.

A study of accommodation and housing needs is also being done.

Mining Focus for Chamber

One of the companies poised to open a gold mine in the Atikokan area will outline its project to members of the Fort Frances business community today.

Officials with Osisko Mining are the guest speakers at the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting.

Chamber Manager Anthony Mason says the Chamber wants to keep people informed about what going on in mining.

The meeting at the La Place Rendez-Vous begins at 4 p.m.

Mineral Mountain Expands

Mineral Mountain Resources is adding to its land base in the Rainy River district.

The BC-based mining company is acquiring ten mining claims located around its Straw Lake gold project from a resident of Emo.

The company believes the area to be similar to one nearby being explored by Manitou Gold.

Benefit for Heart Transplant Patient Planned

A benefit dinner is being planned for a Fort Frances woman recovering from a heart transplant.

25-year-old Samantha Pearson has been in an Ottawa hospital room since the October 22 operation.

Her cousin, Chad Canfield says family and friends are looking to raise some funds for her and her family.

The dinner will be held at Fort Frances High School December 8 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Advance tickets can be picked up at the Great Bear, NCDC, Northwoods Gallery and Gifts, Emo Drug and Cooper Chiropractic

Uploading Concerns

The town of Fort Frances isn't all that happy with the province's efforts to take back the responsibility of social services costs from municipalities.

Councillor Sharon Tibbs says with funding for social housing frozen at 2002 levels, the shortfall is still being picked up on the municipal side.

Councillor Ken Perry says the Rainy River District Administration Board recently passed a motion addressing that issue and will be seeking municipal support.

Attawapiskat Called Deplorable

Canada's top aboriginal leader says the spotlight on the deplorable living conditions on the  Attawapiskat First Nation is "a moment of reckoning.''

Shawn Atleo, grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says it's long past time to take care of the needs of Attawapiskat and other reserves in the same position.

Many residents of Attawapiskat live in tented shacks with no insulation, no bathrooms, and no running water.

Atikokan Animals Get Rescued

Homeward Bound photo

An Atikokan group is helping to rescue stray animals from being destroyed and finding them new homes in the community.

Homeward Bound Animal Rescue was established only two months ago.

President Stephanie Martin says they're getting lot of support.

Martin says animals rescue are housed in Foster homes until more permanent ones are found.

Stuff-A-Cruiser Numbers

Final numbers from Saturday's Stuff-a-cruiser event in Atikokan are now in.

Residents donated enough food to help stuff a total of seven cruisers during the four hour food drive.

The items will be shared by Atikokan Native Friendship Centre/Ashandiwin Food Bank, Atikokan Christmas Cheer and the Faith Lutheran Church Food Bank.

Another Stuff-a-cruiser event will take place December 10th in Fort Frances and Emo.

Bait Smugglers Fined

Two United States residents have been fined a total of one-thousand dollars for attempting to smuggle live bait into Ontario.

The men, one from Iowa and another from Hibbing, Minnesota, tried on separate occasions this past summer to bring leeches through Canada Customs entry point on Sand Point Lake.

In both cases, the bait was seized by Customs officers and turned over to Ministry of Natural Resource conservation officers.

Lawyers Concerned with Changes

A group of northwestern Ontario lawyers have teamed up fight changes to the criminal code.

The Kenora Lawyers Sentencing Group is worried that amendments to the criminal code will result in more aboriginals being incarcerated.

It is also worried the changes will reduce opportunities for alternative sentencing, like restorative justice.

Airport Fence Works

A new fence around the Fort Frances airport appears to be doing its job.

The fence was installed to keep deer from running into the path of aircraft on the runway.

The town's Operation and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says they did have bear slip in under a gate, but no deer have been spotted by airport staff.

The fence has been in place since the middle of October