Scott Street Closure Clarified

2009-06-03

12:36:09

The town of Fort Frances has clarified closure plans of Scott Street this summer.

Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says when crews begin that work on Portage Avenue, the intersection of Portage and Scott will be blocked to traffic for a one-week period.

The town clarified the closure during a recent meeting with members of the Fort Frances Business Improvement Association.

Brown says when that closure takes place is still dependant upon work around Victoria Avenue and Nelson Street.

But he says it could be at the end of July or early August. The town also intends to give the BIA a one-weeks notice before the closure occurs.

Robert Moore School Contract

2009-06-03

12:35:01

A contract has been issued for the building of the new Robert Moore School.

Manshield Construction's bid of $11,830,000 thousand dollars was the second lowest of five received.

Education Director for the Rainy River District School Board Jack McMaster says that bid was selected after a lower one from Monteith Building Group was withdrawn.

McMaster says they'll be meeting with the Thunder Bay contractor soon to outline a work schedule.

 

RIDE Program Nets Buds

2009-06-03

12:34:04

A Fort Frances man faces a drug charge after provincial police found a quantity of marijuana in a truck during a RIDE program check last week.

The seven pounds of marijuana is estimated at over $21 thousand.

The 18-year-old man will appear in court at the end of June on a charge of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.

Catholic Boards Amalgamated

2009-06-03

12:33:12

The board responsible for most catholic schools in the Kenora and Rainy River district is getting larger.

An amalgamation plan by the provincial government will see the Northwest District Catholic School Board take over schools now under the control of the Atikokan Catholic District School Board.

The change is effective this September.

Board Volunteers and Bus Drive Honoured

2009-06-03

12:32:29

Three volunteers and a long-serving bus driver were honoured by the Rainy River District School Board last night.

Gary Parker at North Star School in Atikokan, Paul Noonan at Fort Frances High School and Shawna Lee Carlson at Robert Moore School were named volunteers of the years.

Sonny Ferris, a bus driver with the board for the past 45 years, was named driver of the year.

Energy Efficiency Project Money

2009-06-03

12:31:29

Nearly $1.5 million in energy efficiency improvements will be made to the district's public schools over the next two years.

The funding to the Rainy River District School Board is part of a $600 million dollar fund the province is doling out to school boards.

The board is now identifying areas where the money will be used.

Board Budget Approved

2009-06-03

08:53:41

A balanced budget for the Rainy River District School Board.

Trustees approved at their meeting last night, the budget which includes expenditures and revenues equalling almost 43-million dollars.

Superintendent of Business Laura Mills says balancing the budget was made despite changes in provincial funding.

"The benchmarks for text books was reduced by 15 per cent," says Mills, "and they are calling that a permanent decrease. Classroom computers, they're calling for a reduction of 25 per cent this next and a further 25 per cent the year after."

Provincial money for staff development and transportation was also reduced.

The budget, though, does show a $3.6 million dollars increase in revenue.

"Even though this looks like a really big number this year, it's not really indicative of what was happen. Last year when we were doing budget at this time, we did not have Mine Centre. So we did not have revenue for eight students. We did not have the expenditures for those eighty students."

 Mills says the increase in revenue also reflects new labour agreements.

Forestry Protests

2009-06-03

08:48:57

Forestry workers in Dryden blocked the Trans-Canada Highway yesterday to highlight concerns about their battered industry.

About three dozen demonstrators stopped cars on the highway, which runs through Dryden,  for about 20 minutes over the lunch hour.

The workers want federal support, saying Prime Minister Stephen Harper has done nothing for the forestry sector while offering billions of tax dollars to help the auto industry.

The demonstration in Dryden comes as thousands of forestry workers marched through the streets of Ottawa, sharing the same concerns as the protesters in northwestern Ontario.

In the Commons, N-D-P Leader Jack Layton offered some solutions to the industry's problems to the prime minister.

"What we need is some loan guarantees, said Layton. "What we need is a strategy to create markets in this sector. What we need is some fair trade for a change. What we need is to stop raw logs from going across the border and creating jobs down in the United States. When will we see some real action from the government?"

Prime Minister Harper responded by criticizing the New Democrats for voting against past measures to help the forestry industry.

"Everybody knows that the difficulties in the forestry industry are due to the dramatic decline in demand we have seen in the American market. Yet, when the government brought in the softwood lumber agreement that gave us access to that market and $4.5 billion back from the litigation, the NDP voted against it. When we brought in measures to help workers and communities affected by layoffs in the forestry sector, the NDP voted against those. When we brought in measures to increase financing for EDC and BDC to help this sector, the NDP voted against them."

Book Drive Announced

2009-06-02

07:51:01

Ontario's Lieutenant Governor is launching an aboriginal summer reading book drive today.

David Onley will be joined by Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy for the announcement this afternoon.

The drive collects books for remote First Nation communities and runs until June 21.

Brand new books for children up to age 14 can be dropped off at OPP detachments across the province.

Youth Jobs Centre Open

2009-06-02

07:45:22

Young people looking for a job this summer can now visit the youth employment centre in Fort Frances.

The Service Canada Centre for Youth is located at 301 Scott Street.

Youth services officer Dayna DeBenedet says there are a few jobs already posted.

"We've also started to contact a lot of businesses and camps," says DeBenedet. "So jobs are starting to pick up in the northwestern region. We're just hoping that throughout this next week, it's our Hire-a-Youth week nationally, a lot more job posts will come as businesses become more aware of our services."

Debenendt says staff will also be visiting area businesses this week with potted plants as part of their "Hire-a-Youth - Help the Economy Grow" campaign.

Boating Accident in Lake of the Woods

2009-06-02

07:44:42

A 21-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged following a boating accident on Lake of the Woods on the weekend.

OPP say two of four people on board were treated for minor injuries after the boat they were riding was destroyed when it struck a reef.

The operator was charged with operating a vessel in a careless manner.

New Border Rules Working Well

2009-06-02

07:41:03

The United States Deputy Consul General does not anticipate any problems with the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

Mark Bysfield was in Fort Frances yesterday discuss with Fort Frances town council the new travel rules, and other border issues.

Bysfield says there appears to be strong compliance in the borderland.

"Guys at the border are telling us that a vast majority of people already had their documents weeks ago," says Bysfield. "They only saw a few people who still don't have them and their giving out little slips of paper saying your non-compliant, next time throught why don't you get one of the compliant documents."

Those documents include a passport, enhanced driver's license or approved identification card. Bysfield says the new rules will make it easier and more secure for travellers in the long run.

No problems were reported at either International Falls or Baudette crossings yesterday.

H1N1 in Northwestern Ontario

2009-06-02

07:39:52

The Northwestern Health Unit has reported its first case of H1N1 influenza in the region.

The exact location has not been disclosed, but the Health Unit says the individual has recovered from mild symptoms of the acute illness and is reportedly doing well.

As of yesterday, Ontario had 715 confirmed cases, up 89 from Friday.

Far North Protection

2009-06-02

07:29:33

At least half of Ontario's Far North will be permanently protected under legislation to be introduced at the legislature today.

The bill would protect at least 225-thousand square kilometres in a network of conservation areas.

There will also be a community-based land use planning process to identify areas where development can take place to would benefit First Nations communities north of the 51st parallel.

The province has already reached 13 memorandums of understanding on land use planning with First Nations in the region.

Forestry Protests Today

2009-06-02

07:28:44

Mill workers are planning to block the Trans-Canada Highway in Dryden today.

This afternoon's protest is to coincide with a rally taking placing in Ottawa.

Thousands of paper mill workers are heading to the nation's capital to draw attention to the crisis in forestry, pulp and paper.

The rally will begins this morning outside the office of the federal natural resources minister.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union says the situation is bleak at mills across Canada, with 55,000 layoffs over the past two years.

It's asking the Harper government for better protection of wages and pensions during bankruptcy cases and a national forestry summit.

Abattoir Project a Go

2009-06-02

07:23:28

Proponents of a abattoir in Emo say construction will begin at the end of this month.

The Rainy River District Regional Abattoir group says all of the funding for the 2-million dollar project is place and a contract has been awarded. The organization will cover the the remaining 360-thousand dollars

President Steve Loshaw says it's been a long time coming.

"We're obviously very happy to get going," says Loshaw. "We're starting into the fourth year of this membership. It's been a very long road and we're really glad to get started on this and hope to have the abattoir open by the end of the year."

When it opens, the facility will employ two or three part-time employees and handle beef, pork, bison and elk.

 

Dog Walk Successful

2009-06-01

13:12:15

The Fort Frances waterfront went to the dogs yesterday.

Twenty canines and their owners took to the Waterfront for the annual Purina Walk for Dog Guides put on by the Voyageur Lion's Club and the Fort Frances High School's Leo Club.

Organizer Kendall Richardson says the event proved to be their most successful to date.

"It was a great turnout," says Richardson. "We had the greatest number of walkers and financial support this year than we've had over the past four events."

More than $2,400 was raised which all goes to supporting the Lions Foundation of Canada and its Dog Guide programs.

 

Truck Driver Faces Drug Charge

2009-06-01

13:11:36

A truck driver has been charged after police in Thunder Bay seized ecstasy pills from the cab of a transport.

Police seized about 140-thousand pills in plastic bags from a truck at McKevitt Trucking last week.

A 31-year-old Brampton man is charged with a single count of drug possession for the purpose of trafficking.

High School Drug Sweep

2009-06-01

13:11:06

A drug sweep of Thunder Bay high schools has resulted in charges against 14 girls and boys ranging in age from 14 to 18.

Thunder Bay police spokesman Chris Adams says officers seized mainly marijuana.

Police laid 15 charges for drug possession, two for trafficking and one for breach of release conditions.

Forest Fire Hazard Remains Low

2009-06-01

13:10:13

Just one new forest fire reported in the West Fire Region over the weekend.

The fire, which has now been extinguished, occurred in the Kenora District late Saturday afternoon.

The forest fire hazard remains low across all sections of Northwestern Ontario.