Service Review Planned

A review of services within the town of Fort Frances will be undertaken by town councillors.

It's an attempt to find additional savings as they works toward the 2010 budget.

Councillor Paul Ryan says they've been left with no choice but to see if cuts can be made.

"There's no choice," says Ryan. "We've hit the wall. In the past couple of years our budgets have been very, very close to the actual where in years past they've shot a little high and had a reserve at the end. We don't have that anymore."

The budget shortfall has been trimmed to about 246-thousand, but does not include provisions for capital spending or money set aside to reserves.

Fort Frances councillors also began a line-by-line review of the proposed capital budget at last night's budget meeting.

About $10.2 million dollars worth of projects have been identified with operations and facilities accounting for nearly 70 per cent of that total.

Councillors will tackle that list when the budget discussions continue tomorrow.

UltraMarathon Underway

More than one-hundred participants braved the elements for the start of the Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultramarathon this morning.

The participants, one from as far away as Singapore, must bike, ski or run or walk the 135 miles from Kerry Park Arena in International Falls to Fortune Bay Casino along the Arrowhead Trail and finish under 60 hours.

Of the 59 participants last year, only 24 finished.

Bullying Crackdown

All school staff in Ontario are now required to report serious student incidents such as bullying to the school principal.

Principals, in turn, must contact parents of victims under terms of legislation that was announced last March and adopted last June.

Reporting is now mandatory for all behaviour that would be grounds for suspension or expulsion, including bullying and swearing at a teacher.

Staff who fail to report serious incidents could face sanctions under the Ontario College of Teachers Act.

Forestry Report Released

A new study says the future of forestry lies in blending the production of traditional wood products with new ones such as biochemicals and bioenergy.

Avrim Lazar, president of the Forest Products Association of Canada, says the industry needs to extract the maximum value "from every tree harvested.''

Lazar says while demand for paper will continue to wane, most of the industry sees good future demand lumber, pulp, bioenergy and other new wood products.

Good Jobs Campaign

The Ontario Federation of Labour is launching an ad campaign to press for a "good jobs'' budget from the Ontario government.

President Sid Ryan says creating good jobs will help pay down the provincial deficit and is the "only sustainable way'' to really help the bottom line.

He warns though Ontario's recovery could be threatened if the province moves ahead with a possible sale of provincial assets such as the LCBO or the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Trains/Vehicle Accident

Four people escaped serious injury yesterday after a van they were in came into collision with a CN Rail train in Dawson Township.

The accident happened about 9:30 a.m. yesterday at a crossing on Atwood Road number 2.

OPP say the four people were taken to Rainy River Health Centre with non-life threatening injuries.

The train crew was not hurt.

Another Snowmobile Fatal

There's been another fatal accident involving a snowmachine in northwestern Ontario.

A 49-year-old man from Onegaming First Nation was killed Friday morning after the snowmachine he was operating came into collision with a truck on an ice road on Sabaskong Bay on Lake of the Woods.

The man's name has not been released.

The accident occurred a day after 33-year-old Aaron Hyatt of Fort Frances was killed following the collision of two snowmobiles on a trail on Couchiching First Nation.

University Applications Up

Lakehead University in Thunder Bay is expecting an increase in its student population this fall.

Applications from high school students are up more than 6 per cent over last year.

President Fred Gilbert says students see the university as an attractive destination.

"Since we're above the provincial average it's very clear for a host of reasons more students are selecting us as their first choice," says Gilbert.

Gilbert says the university has the capacity to meet an expected increase in enrollment.

Provincial Help Sought

The Ontario Forest Industries Association wants the provincial government to free up more land for logging.

President Jamie Lim says the move is needed to help the economies of northern Ontario communities, carrying unemployment rates at high as 48 per cent.

"Wee don't see any recognition by the Ministry of Natural Resources or the government as a whole that they have to start looking at their public policy," says Lim, "and asking how is it going to impact these communities economically."

Lim says freeing up more land for logging would help communities take advantage of improved markets when the economy turns around.

Foresty Industry Report Today

Canada's wood and paper producers are going to release a study today on how to pull the industry out of one of its worst slumps ever.

The Forest Products Association of Canada is unveiling the findings of a year-long study in Ottawa today on the state of the industry and how to improve it.

The manufacturers have mapped out the broad outlines of how the industry needs to change and what it will need from the federal government.

Budget Meeting Tonight

Fort Frances councillors return to the table tonight for discussions on the 2010 budget.

At their last meeting two weeks ago, councillors were looking at an operating budget shortfall of about $530-thousand prior to considering a few changes.

Today's meeting at the Civic Centre begins at 4 p.m.

Fatal Accident Still Under Investigation

OPP continue to investigate a fatal snowmobile accident that claimed the life of a 33-year-old Fort Frances man.

Aaron Hyatt was killed last Thursday night after two snowmachines collided on a trail on the Couchiching First Nation.

Two others were sent to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Cellphone Ban Tickets Now Being Issued

It is now against the law in Ontario to text friends, chat on a cell phone or browse through songs on M-P-3 players while behind the wheel of a vehicle.

The law actually took effect last October, but there was a grace period that ends today and violators are now looking at a 155-dollar fine.

Calls to 9-1-1 are an exception and is also illegal for drivers to look at display screens such as laptops and D-V-D players.

Since late October, police have issued more than 33-hundred warnings.

Smaller Lottery Tickets

The size of lottery tickets in Ontario is being reduced.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says its shrinking the tickets as part Bet on Green program.

The OLG says the move will save one-point-four million dollars and 5-thousand trees or 39 million sheets of paper annually.

Fish Huts Vandalized

Koochiching County Sheriff's office continues to investigate the break-in and vandalism of a number of fish shacks on the Minnesota side of Rainy Lake.

Fifteen houses located on Sand Bay were entered last Friday.

Most of the huts had windows broken or other damage.

Among items taken include fishing rods, ice augers and from one shack a 19-inch flat screen television.

Local Sports for Wednesday January 27

Fort Frances Lakers had a two-game home win streak snapped last night, falling 4-3 to the visiting Dryden Ice Dogs at the Ice for Kids Arena.

Tyler Stevenson, Blake Boaz and Byron Katapaytuk did the Laker scoring.

T.J. Pocock stopped 17 shots in the loss.


Willie Corrin had a four-goal night to pace the International Falls Broncos boys' hockey team to an 11-0 win over Ely.

Corrin added two assists for a six point night - a total matched by Jordan Christianson who had 2 goals and 4 assists.

Other scorers were Jon McDonald, Michael Bounds, Alex Bruess, Matt Youso and Dylan Farmer.

Mike Hart stopped just eleven shots for his third shutout of the season.


The Broncos boys' basketball team was also victorious, defeating Tower-Soudan 66-54.

Shawn Filipiak led all scorers with 17 points.


Rainy River Voyageur's men's and women's basketball teams take to the road for northern division games against Hibbing.

On the men's side, both teams are 3-2 in conference play, but Hibbing holds a stronger overall record.

Rainy River is still looking for its first conference win on the women's side.

Conservation Club Honours Members

Two long-time members of the Fort Frances Conservation Club have been recognized for their efforts.

Willie Anderson and Jack Hedman were awarded life-time members from the club at its annual meeting last night.

Hedman, the past-president of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, says its a great honour.

"I've been a member of the club for the close to thirty years," says Hedman, "I looked around the room tonight and I saw all these fellows who've been around for that length of time. To be honoured by your peers is really something else. It's really special."

For Anderson, it was a love for the outdoors got him involved with the club more than 40-years ago."

"I've always like the outdoors and hunted," says Anderson. "I used to gunsmith at one time and still do a fair amount of shooting when I get the chance. I just enjoy working with the group."

Anderson, who manages the club's gun range, was also awarded the Bud Cyr Conservation trophy which recognizes the contributions of a club member over the past year.

The club also honoured Junior members Robert and Jacob Empy for their work on several club projects last year.

Group Fighting for Community TV

A group that supports the use of community-access television stations across Canada wants the CRTC to ensure their protection.

Catherine Edwards of the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations says the regulating agency is reviewing its community TV policy and users of those stations need to speak out.

"We just think the solution is for communities to have their own channels," says Edwards, "and we think it will address the problem we're seeing in the public and private sector as well which is a lot of station closures in small communities. This way the future of these station would be in community hands to do what they want with them.

Edwards says the reduction of local programming and full-time staff at Shaw's Fort Frances operations is a trend being seen across the country.

Edwards encourages the public to comment on the policy before the deadline ends next Monday.

Lawsuit Permitted to Proceed

A judge has ruled the defamation, negligent investigation and malicious prosecution suit launched against the OPP by a former grand chief of Grand Council of Treaty No. 3 can proceed to trial.

Superior Court Justice Donald Gordon made the ruling on Leon Jourdain's lawsuit.

Jourdain is suing the police in the aftermath of a sexual assault allegation made against the former grand chief in February, 2004.

New VP Hired

Rainy Lake Medical Centre in the Falls has a new vice-president of human resources.

Pele Raymond Ugboajah replace Mary Philippe who retired earlier this month.

Ugboajah comes to the centre after having worked as a senior management consultant and executive coach at MDA Leadership Consulting.