Contract Deal Reached

A tentative deal has been reached between Unifor and Resolute Forest Products.

If ratified, the four-agreement will become the pattern agreement for the pulp and paper industry in Eastern Canada.

The announcement comes just days after Resolute announced it would not re-open its pulp and paper mill in Fort Frances.

PC's Propose To Reduce Size Of Government

Progressive Conservatives wants to reduce the size of government and the number of workers in the public sector.

Leader Tim Hudak says it's key to balancing the budget within two years in an effort to help achieve his million jobs plan.

Part of the plan includes shrinking the size of cabinet from 27 to 16 ministries and reducing the number of government workers by 100-thousand.

NDP Offering Tax Credits

New Democrats are offering up a couple of tax credits they say will create more jobs.

 

One would reward manufacturers that expand facilities or purchase new machinery or equipment.

 

Leader Andrea Horwath says it will help kick-start investments in the manufacturing sector.

 

The NDP is also promising a tax credit to businesses to offset 10 per cent of the salaries of new hires.

Nurses Get Contract

Members of the Ontario Nurses' Association have received an arbitration decision resolving a contract dispute with several Ontario hospitals.

 

The two-year award provides a 1.4-percent wage increase in each year.

 

The Association is disappointed with the ruling saying it barely keeps up with inflation and the impact of a wage freeze nurses accepted over the past two years.

FAlls Hospital Earns Award

Rainy Lake Medical Centre is being recognized for meeting guidelines for reporting its birth rate data to the State.

 

Hospitals are required to register 98 per cent of births to the Minnesota Department of Health within five days.

 

Rainy Lake Medical Center was almost 99 per cent compliant with its 75 births last year.

Red Cross Helping New Osnaburgh

New Osnaburgh First Nation remains in a state of emergency as the community continues to deal with a February fire that killed a woman and three children.

A team from the Canadian Red Cross is in the community near Pickle Lake.

Spokesperson Tracey Browne says the goal is to develop a plan to improve the quality of life in New Osnaburgh and determine what services various agencies should be offering.

Man Pays For Hole Through His Truck

A Timmins man is facing a repair bill and a $3,000 fine after accidentally discharging his rifle inside his truck.

The man told conservation officers it happened while he was loading his gun inside the vehicle so he won't startle a deer he spotted while travelling in the Sioux Narrows area last November.

The gun went off as he stepped out of the truck with the bullet going through the passenger door,
breaking a window and deploying the airbags.

Court heard the case last month.

McHappy Day

A significant contribution to Ronald McDonald Houses from the Fort Frances area.

Last Wednesday's McHappy Day at the Fort Frances restaurant helped raise more than $2,000.

The annual fundraiser gives one-dollar from every Big Mac, Happy Meal and hot McCafe beverage sold.

Fort Frances Ready To Move On

The town of Fort Frances says it's ready to move ahead without the existence of its major employer for the past 100 years.

Resolute Forest Products announced this week it will permanently shutdown its pulp and paper mill.

Mayor Roy Avis says it has lift a cloud of uncertainty that existed for month with temporary layoffs and shutdowns along the way.

Avis says the focus now will be on initiatives that help offset the economic loss.

Students Empowered To Make Change

Students in northwestern Ontario who identify as being gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or trans-genders are being encouraged to promote dignity and human rights in their schools.

 

About 80 gathered for a conference in Fort Frances yesterday.

 

Human rights-consultant Chris D'Sousa hopes the message can spread outside schools as well.

 

D'Sousa was encouraged that school administrators and teachers attended to support the students efforts.

Tory Candidate Visits Atikokan

The Progressive Conservative candidate for Thunder Bay-Atikokan is kicking his election campaign with a visit to Atikokan today.

 

Harold Wilson says he's been chomping at the bit for several months to get his message out about the importance this election is to Ontarians.

 

Wilson also feels he can do a better job representing the riding that the Liberals have done.

Elections Ontario Sets Up In Former Library

The former library in Fort Frances will serve as the main returning office for the provincial election in the Kenora-Rainy River riding.

 

Ian Simpson returns as the returning officer.

 

There will also be satellite offices in Dryden, Kenora, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout.

 

There is also a satellite office in Atikokan at the Voyageur Mall for voters in the Thunder Bay-Atikokan riding.

Hudak Focused On Jobs

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak is remaining focused on his jobs plan.

He says yesterday's campaign start is the first day of his million jobs mission.

Hudak says jobs creation is the only issue that should matter in this election.

Premier Warns Against Voting PC or NDP

Premier Kathleen Wynn is warning Ontarians about voting for the PCs or NDP in the June election.

The Premier says the province has made several gains under Liberal leadership, but a change at the top could reverse that.

Wynne also makes no apologizes for the investments her government has made and is planning more of the same if re-elected.

Oberstar Funeral

Funeral services for former Minnesota congressman James Oberstar will be held today in Maryland.

International Falls Economic Development Officer Shawn Mason says he was a great advocate for the city.

International Falls Mayor Bob Anderson says Oberstar was instrumental in many city and area projects.

Oberstar died on the weekend at the age of 79.

He represented northern Minnesota in Washington for 36 years before being defeated in 2010.

Now Say It!

Graduating high school students in Minnesota are being encouraged to "Now Say It."

It's the name of a campaign by the Minnesota Secretary of State's office to get more young people to register for the November 4th general election.

While Minnesota has the highest voter turnout in the nation, turnout for non-presidential elections is often lower than presidential years — with the lowest rates among young people.

Native Policing Probed

Canada's auditor general has identified a number of problems with the First Nations Policing program.

Michael Ferguson suggests the program is not working as intended and aboriginal police services in Ontario often have different standards that other police departments.

Ferguson adds there are no assurances that policing facilities maintained by First Nation communities are adequate or meet building and fire codes.

Resolute To Close Mill

Resolute Forest Products is making it official.

The company has announced it is permanently closing its idled pulp and paper mill in Fort Frances.

Spokesperson Xavier Van Chau says all efforts to restart the mill in some way were simply exhausted.

The company those is still looking at potential opportunities for its biomass boiler.

The decision comes just three months after the last operation paper machine was halted in January.

The remaining 50 employees working since will be offered job opportunities with Resolute's other operations.

One of the unions representing workers at the Fort Frances mill is expressing disappointment in the company's closure decision.

Unifor's Stephen Boon says workers agreed four years ago to concessions aimed at helping the company restructure and keep the mill profitable.

He says the union will now ensure that Resolute follows through on its commitment to provide new job opportunities for affected employees.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty calls the closure news devastating.

Rafferty says he's willing to work to secure the pensions and severance pay for affected workers and community assistance as required by the town.

Campbell Ready For Election

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says affordability will be one of the key talking points in her campaign for re-election.

 

She says last week's Liberal budget failed to address issues such as the rising costs of hydro, gasoline, and auto insurance which played into her decision to back her leader's decision not to support the document.

 

Campbell adds there's just no longer any trust in the provincial Liberals.

 

Leaders Campaign Day

For the leaders today in the provincial election, Premier Kathleen Wynne focuses on jobs with stops in Kitchener and Brampton before helping to open a campaign office in Ottawa.

 

PC Leader Tim Hudak travels to Mississauga, Burlington and Brantford.

 

NDP leader Andrea Horwath is in Toronto this morning before heading to Kitchener and Niagara Falls.