Rural Communities Need Help

2009-05-26

12:55:05

A new report says rural communities across the country are in crisis.

The report by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities urges the federal government to develop a long-term plan to diversify rural economies.

Rural areas have been struggling for decades with shrinking populations and tax bases,  lower-than-average incomes, and higher rates of poverty and chronic health problems.

The federation says rural communities need `a champion' at the federal cabinet table to ensure their priorities receive the proper resources and attention.

Missing Woman Found

2009-05-26

12:54:14

Police have found the body of a 61-year-old woman from Orillia in the bush in northwestern Ontario.

The body of Nancy Stafford was recovered near Angler Creek, west of Marathon, late last night.

Provincial police started searching the area Saturday, one week after Stafford's empty van was spotted on the Trans-Canada Highway.

A post-mortem examination is scheduled for today in Thunder Bay although investigators don't suspect foul play.

Highway 502 MVA

2009-05-26

12:53:39

Some American anglers escaped serious injury following an accident on Highway 502 early yesterday morning.

Provincial police say a truck, towing a boat, left the highway near Rattlesnake Creek, and struck a rock cut after the driver swerved to avoid a bear.

Both the truck and boat suffered extensive damage.

Native School Study

2009-05-26

12:52:51

A new report suggests the Harper government is shortchanging native schools while cutting the number of new ones that get built.

The parliamentary budget officer says Indian Affairs built an average of 35 schools a year on reserves under the Liberals.

Eight have been finished since the Conservatives took power in 2006.

Another 10 new schools have been announced but the report says there's no clear criteria to justify where they will be built.

Area Trustee Named to Provincial Board

2009-05-26

12:52:18

The vice-chair of the Northwest Catholic District School Board has been appointed to a provincial board.

John Borst will serve as a director-at-large for region 3 for the Ontario Catholic District School Trustees Association.

The appointment was made at the association's recent meeting in Toronto.

Drive to Work Caravan Coming

2009-05-26

12:44:30

Ontario's labour groups will be given area residents another avenue to talk about how the economy is hurting them.

The Ontario Federation of Labour will kick off its "Drive to Work" caravan in Kenora on June 8th with stopped planned in Dryden, Fort Frances and Atikokan.

Luc Quesnel of the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union says the campaign will help get northerners concerns heard.

"The noise and the publicity we're going to get," says Quesnel, with the president of the OFL going on this campaign starting in Kenora, it will be a good response especially with the way a lot of the industries are going and there's starting to be some talk federal and provincially. We'll see what happens."

Labour officials will also be promoting a buy-Ontario policy to the area's municipal leaders.
 

Interim Deputy Mayor Appointed

2009-05-26

12:43:43

John Albanese will be taking over the role as deputy mayor for the town of Fort Frances on an interim basis.

The move was made after town councillors were informed current deputy mayor, councillor Sharon Tibbs would be away from council for the next six weeks due to medical reasons.

Council agreed to hand duties of deputy mayor to the chair of the committee of the whole meeting, a post currently held by Albanese.

Concessions Contract Renewed

2009-05-26

12:42:54

Fort Frances town council has approved a new contract with the operator of the concessions at the Memorial Sports Centre.

The three-year deal with Carol's Canteen will see the town receiving 12-per cent of all sales generated.

Progress Made in Road Work

2009-05-26

12:37:50

Significant progress is being reported at the only road project underway in Fort Frances.

At town council last night, Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown said along with the roadwork on Victoria Avenue and Nelson Street, a new parking lot in the area is taking shape and some of new sewer line has been installed.

"There's been two crews working," says Brown. One started at the intersection of Veterans Drive and Nelson and moving eastward. They've installed 93.8 metres of 450 millimetre diameter sewer pipe. The other crew was at Victoria and Nelson. As of Sunday, they had 76 metres of 250 millimetre diameter pipe in place."

Brown says work at the Portage Avenue underpass is still anticipated this year, but is still waiting for a work schedule from the contractor. The town was hoping to begin repairs to Scott Street between Reid Avenue and Colonization Road East, but Brown says provincial money for it has yet to arrive.

"There's been several letters written to the Minister of Transportation Jim Bradley and there's been no response. We have a short construction season and we have to get on with it if we're going to do the work this year."

Fire Master Plan Delivered

2009-05-26

12:27:36

The Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service is looking to the future.

It's put forward a comprehensive Master Plan for council's to consider. Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong says it gives the department some direction on where it wants to be in five years.

"So we have some idea of where we're going to be, what we're going to be doing," says Armstrong. "and how we're going to be able to sustaining our present services to the level we can provide them."

Armstrong says the document also reflects changes in legislation and the changing role of fire services.

"For the most part it's an administrative kind of plan which is the biggest part of our legislative requirement right now that we must provide specifics in public education and enforcement. Suppression is certainly part of the service we must provide, but it's at a lesser focus than some of the other things."

The plan includes efforts to expand the department's service training capabilities and increase the  sharing of resources with nearby communities. Armstrong says increasing capital costs may lead area communities to reconsider how future purchases are made and relying more on each others resources.

"Who's to say Fort Frances may own one pumper truck, maybe Alberton owns a tanker truck and LaVallee owns a different kind of fire vehicle and we share it. So when Fort Frances needs a tanker, Alberton comes. When Alberton needs a pumper, Fort Frances arrives and we share the costs."

Armstrong says they're already working toward an administrative district fire service with the town now providing administrative services to seven area municipalities.

Emo Walleye Classic Coming Up

2009-05-25

13:30:18

The countdown begins for the first fishing tournament of the year in the Rainy River district.

The Emo Walleye Classic will kick off Thursday with the annual boat parade. As many a 60 teams will take to Rainy River Friday and Saturday. Co-chair Ed Carlson says water levels should not be a problem for anglers this year.

"The river is high this year," says Carlson, "but it's clear and clean. One of the good things about it being high is that it's been high all year and all of the debris in the river has washed away."

Carlson says the event can still use volunteers. Anyone wanting to help out can visit the Emo-LaVallee arena anytime this week.

Steve Ballan and Doug McBride return as defending champions.

Labour Talks for LCBO Workers

2009-05-25

13:29:15

The LCBO and the union representing thousands of workers are meeting tomorrow for contract talks.

If those negotiations fail, workers have voted 93 per cent in favour of striking.

The union says full-time positions are being replaced by part-time and contract work.

But the LCBO says contract jobs are necessary because there's a peak in demand at certain times of the year, such as Christmas and summer.

The contract for about six-thousand LCBO workers expired at the end of March.

Scare at Ignace LCBO

2009-05-25

13:28:21

A nervous incident for LCBO workers in Ignace.

OPP were called to the town's LCBO outlet last Friday after staff found a black wire coming out of the cap of a wine bottle that was attached to a plastic device with touch pad buttons.

An investigation revealed the device was a temperature data tracker that had been put in some global shipments as an experiment to record temperatures.

The LCBO said it was not aware of such experiment.

College Program Returns

2009-05-25

13:26:10

Confederation College is bringing back a developmental service worker program to the campus in Fort Frances.

It's been nearly a decade since the campus offered the two-year diploma program. Kim Lepine of the Association for Community Living Fort Frances and District welcomes its return.

"Our agency loves to hire people who are trained in this area, as well as other social services areas," says Lepine. "Schools will look for these people as well as other social services agencies."

The college is currently accepting applications for the fall program.

Catholic Board Budget Proposed

2009-05-25

13:20:33

The Northwest Catholic District School Board is out with a balanced budget.

Revenues and expenditures total more than 16 and a half million dollars.

Director of Education Mary-Catherine Kelly says they balanced the budget, despite a number of challenges that stood in their way.

"Despite a $122 thousand reduction in the transportation funding, our transportation costs are anticipated to rise by about $28 thousand next year," said Kelly. "This is the primarily the result of some increased costs associated with our noon hour transportation because our board does continue to offer the lunch hour kindergarten transportation and our administration and our board continue to support that initiative."

Textbook and classroom expenditures will decrease by $6,000 in response to a grant reduction of $151 thousand.

Trustees will vote on the budget June 20.

Council Meeting in Fort Frances

2009-05-25

13:17:45

The construction season is now upon us.

Tonight, Fort Frances town council will get an update on work taking place or planned this year from Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown. So far, the only road work underway is along Victoria Avenue and Nelson Street near AbitibiBowater's biomass boiler. Union Gas has also started its replacement of old gas lines and metres.

A number of by-laws are also before town councillors. One formalizes the contract with Tom Jones Corporation for the second phase of the Heritage Tourism Project. This includes the moving of the tugboat Hallet and former fire tower to the waterfront. Council is also expected to support a by-law allowing authorized town staff to perform civil marriages after hours and on weekends.

During the in-camera portion session of their meeting, councillors will be discussing an issue surrounding the Kiwanis' Sunny Cove Camp. Later council will look at a infrastructure grant application for the park.

The public portion of tonight's meeting begins at around 6:25 p.m. 

Young Women's Conference

2009-05-22

12:56:48

Building self-confidence among young women is one of the objectives of a gathering this weekend in Sioux Narrows.

About 60 girls from across the Rainy River district in grades 7 to 12 will be participate  in the annual Young Women's Conference's coordinated by the area's school boards.

Dana Kosowich, one of the teachers involved, says the event has proved to be successful.

"It really does build that self-confidence with the girls," says Kosowich. "They have a great time. It's really interesting to see their growth over the weekend and just how excited they are. They start out really quiet and then just come into their own and get a lot out of the conference.

The event includes a variety of workshops and presentations.

Tory Contenders Propose Cutting PST

2009-05-22

12:55:19

Two of the four Progressive Conservative leadership hopefuls are promising to cut Ontario's eight per cent sales tax if the party wins the 2011 election.

During a debate in London, all four Tory leadership contenders said they opposed harmonizing the PST with the federal goods and services tax.

But Frank Klees and Randy Hillier went beyond vowing to fight harmonization by pledging to cut the provincial tax, with Hillier going so far as to say he'd cut it by three percentage points.

Jail Fire Recommendations

2009-05-22

12:54:35

An inquest into the deaths of two men in a jail on a northern Ontario reserve is calling on Ottawa and Ontario to shut down all unsafe holding cells.

The inquest was held in Toronto following the deaths of Ricardo Wesley and Jamie Goodwin on the Kashechewan First Nation.

The men, both in their early 20's, were trapped in their cells as flames tore through the jail in January 2006.

The inquest jury also says First Nations deserve the same level of policing services as non-aboriginal communities.

Condo Units Up For Sale

2009-05-22

12:52:09

The developer of a condominium project in Fort Frances feels there is strong interest.

Robert Zanetti was in town yesterday to promote the project to prospective buyers.

He says he'd like to see at least twenty of the twenty-units available sold before building commences.

"If seventeen, eighteen, nineteen people step up and say yes this is a marketable commodity, then we pretty much know that by the time we finish the rest of the building, we'll be okay," says Zanetti.

Construction could begin as early as this fall.