Pennies Gathered For Leukemia Research

Supplied photo

Students at Rainy River Community College have gathered their pennies in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

A fundraiser promoted by the College's Student Senate this month brought in $227.49 for blood-born cancer research.

The Pennies for Patients included a battle of the sexes component with the women collecting $112 to the men's 105.

Condo Project To Get A Further Review

A proposed condominium project for Fort Frances is going to get a further review by town council.

 

Thunder Bay-based Northern Superior Structural Solutions is proposing a 24-unit project on Front Street.

 

Mayor Roy Avis says the idea will get look over from its various committees first before council makes a firm decision.

 

Company officials are currently promoting the project on its website as "The Vu by the River. "

Job Cuts At DSSAB

The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board is reducing staff.

Three full-time positions are being eliminated.

The Board says the reductions reflect the economic pressures faced by municipalities who, in part, fund the agency.

It last cut positions in 2012, when six in the Social Housing Program were eliminated.

Mauro Named Municipal Affairs Minister

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro is the province's new minister of municipal affairs and housing.

The announcement coming from  Premier Kathleen Wynne as part of a wider cabinet shuffle.

Mauro says it came as a bit of surprise, but is ready to hit the ground running.

Mauro calls it a big hill to climb with a tremendous amount to learn but looks forward to the challenge.

The shuffle was precipitated by the departure of Linda Jeffrey.

The former Municipal Affairs Minister announced yesterday she was leaving provincial politics to make a run for mayor of Brampton in this falls municipal elections.

Jeffrey was first elected to Queen's Park in 2003, holding a number of cabinet portfolios under former Premier Dalton McGuinty along the way.

Premier Not Saying When Budget Is Coming

Premier Kathleen Wynne continues to evade opposition demands for a provincial budget.

In Question Period yesterday, the Premier did outline what her government spending priorities will be.

Wynne says infrastructure spending, skills development and training and a youth jobs strategy is among her government's focus.

Gas Up The Snowblower, Again

Brace for more snow.

Environment Canada says a system, tracking from the U.S. is expected to bring snow to across northwestern Ontario tonight and into tomorrow.

Atikokan and area to the east are expected to receive the greater amounts with about 5 to 10 cm expected for the Atikokan area.

Lesser amounts are predicted for areas west.

Drivers Want Highways Improved

Research being released by the five companies responsible for plowing Ontario's highways is  showing that Ontarians want the government to make roads safer.

The survey, conducted in early March, shows that the majority of 1,500 drivers questioned feel the government should increase spending on highway maintenance.

The study also shows that Ontarians find roads to be in worse shape that they were 3 years ago by a 2-to-1 margin - 3-to-1 in Northern Ontario.

Another Job Fair In Fort Frances

The offer of jobs continues in the Rainy River district.

CN Rail plans to hold another job fair in Fort Frances April 2.

A similar event held in February attracted considerable interest and a number of applicants.

The region has also been visited by representatives from at least three pulp and paper companies in the past month, trying lure former workers laid off from Resolute Forest Products.

RRFDC Moving

Staff at the Rainy River Future Development Corporation is moving.

The regional economic development agency is relocating to the second floor of the same building that houses the Northern Lights Credit Union and the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.

It will open its new office April 7.

To accommodate the move, it will close its Scott Street location April 3 and 4.

Residents Warming to Getting Flu Shot At Drug Store

File photo

It appears getting a flu shot at the local pharmacy is catching on in Ontario.

More than 750-thousand people opted to get the free flu shot at a pharmacy this past season.

That's triple the number over last year when pharmacies were given provincial approval to administer the shot.

Man Arrested For Trying To Steal Truck

A 24-year-old Fort Frances man faces several charges after trying to steal a pick-up truck from a locked compound.

The man was sitting in the truck at the back of a Fort Frances commercial property when OPP arrived last Thursday evening.

After some time in trying to get the doors unlocks, the man began to physically resist officers trying to get him out of the truck before eventually taking him into custody.

Name Your Worst Road

Just in time for pot hole season.

The Canadian Automobile Association is once again launching it's Worst Roads campaign.

Over the next four weeks, Ontario motorists are invited to vote online for roads or city streets in most need of repair.

You can log onto worstroads.ca to nominate a road in our area. 

Town Eyes Tourist Centre

The town of Fort Frances is looking at taking over the former provincial tourist information centre.

Mayor Roy Avis says the town's is speaking with the Ministry of Infrastructure about a leasing the vacant building.

The building was closed by the Liberal government in May 2012.

Avis says it would improve their ability to promote the town and the region.

He adds they hope to partner with other organizations as well.

Council Signs Off On Funding Request

Fort Frances council is signing off on the grant application to help tear down the former Rainy Lake Hotel and create a new market square.

The town is also committing $150-thousand, plus another $30-thousand in in-kind services toward the project.

The exact dollar amount requested from the province was not disclosed, but previous estimates had the project coming in at around $1.2 million.

Plant Still Treating More Water Than Produced

Fort Frances continues to treat more water than it produces.

It's been an ongoing issue for the town, but the agency that handles its sewage treatment plant says it's not that unusual.

Ontario Clean Water Agency's Jamie McPherson says is a common theme in many northwestern Ontario communities with older infrastructure and sewer lines located below the water table.

The plant did see spikes in the amount of water treated last summer, but McPherson that was due to increased snowfall and rainfall.

Outbreak Declared At Hospital

An outbreak of gastro-intestinal illness has occurred at Riverside Health Care's LaVerendrye Hospital in Fort Frances.

Seven patients and four staff members have contracted symptoms consist with the stomach virus.

Officials say it's isolated to the hospital's first floor.

They say patients have been isolated, all group activities have been postponed, and an aggressive cleaning of the floor has taken place.

The effected staff members were sent home until they are symptom free for at least 48 hours.

Leek Steps Down From Northern Caucus

The Liberal's candidate for Kenora-Rainy River has relinquished his post with the party's northern caucus.

Anthony Leek had served as a regional vice-president for the past two years.

He says he'll now focus more attention on his run in the next provincial election.

Leek says sitting on the council allowed him to work with people across the province and to have a better understanding of how the party worked.

Refusal To Leave A Bar Sends Man To Court

A 58-year-old Fort Frances man will now visit a court room after refusing to leave a local drinking establishment last week.

OPP were called to the unnamed bar Friday night where they had to place the inebriated man in custody after he was uncooperative with staff and confrontational with officers.

He remained at the Fort Frances detachment until he sobered up.

Impaired Driver Nabbed

A 35-year-old man from Wabigoon First Nation will be in court next month on impaired driving charges.

OPP were alerted of the driver early Sunday morning after he left the drive through of a Fort Frances restaurant.

He was stopped a short time later on Third Street West where he was taken into custody and his vehicle impounded.

NDP Taking Direct Aim At Debit And Credit Card Fees

The federal NDP is taking direct aim at the fees consumers pay to use their bank cards at ATMs or debit machines other than their own institution.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says some users are being charged as much as $3 and $4 a transaction when it's only costing banks about 36-cents to handle each transaction.

The NDP wants to limit those fees to  50-cents.