Rafferty Seeks Meeting with Minister over Toll

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is making another plea to the federal Indian Affairs Minister to meet with Couchiching First Nations in hopes of avoiding a planned toll booth on Highway 11.

Band members reportedly started construction of the toll yesterday and will start collecting from motorists Friday.

Rafferty says he's made four requests in the past two weeks asking Chuck Strahl to meet with the band over its concerns.

He fells there still time to find some resolution, but the Minister must "step up to the plate" and set up a meeting.

Meantime, Couchiching First Nations has announced the fees it will charge at its toll.

Band members say they'll collect one dollar from every vehicle that passes in or out of the reserve.

Commercial vehicles will be required to pay 10-dollars each way.

The band is also making monthly passess available costing passenger vehicles 25-dollars and commercial vehicles $100.00

Portage Avenue Re-opening Delayed

A need for additional work is delaying the re-opening of the Portage Avenue underpass by more than a week.

Fort Frances town officials says work crews need to install a storm sewer manhole at the intersection of Portage and 3rd Street.

Officials says records had indicated the presence of the manhole, but was found to be missing when crews started digging up the road this past week.

Work on the two intersections blocking the underpass is now expected to be completed by May 29.

Logging Deal

AbitibiBowater says a deal to halt logging in the boreal forest should have little impact to mill operations in Fort Frances.

The agreement between the forest industry and environmental groups was announced yesterday.

Pulp and paper companies have promised to stop cutting trees on 29-million hectares of forest while the environmentalists say they will abandon their ''do-not-buy'' campaigns.

Other conservation initiatives in the agreement include a promise to protect herds of endangered caribou.

But AbitibiBowater vice-president Roger Barber says it should not hurt the Fort Frances mill's ability to access fibre.

"Fort Frances is a bit unique," says Barber, "in that the forest area right around Fort Frances is outside the boreal and is outside of this agreement."

Barber says it will mean some changes in forestry practices elsewhere, but feels the agreement will aid in developing those plans.

Endowment Fund Established

(Sandra and Eric "Doc" Johnson - photo courtesy Riverside Foundation for Health Care)

Riverside Foundation for Health Care is receiving a sizable contribution from a long-time Fort Frances couple.

Director Teresa Hazel says Eric "Doc" Johnson and his wife Sandra established an endowment fund for use at La Verendrye Hospital.

"They've always been long time supporters of the Foundation," says Hazel, "and they just wanted to make a more meaningful and lasting gift to the hospital because they've been so pleased with the services and have used the services."

Endowment funds set aside the principal amount that is given and Riverside only uses the interest generated to help purchase medical equipment, support programs and services and assist with facility upgrades.

It's the third such fund for local health care since the Foundation was formed 13 years ago.

Mobile Command Unit in Service

Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service showed off its new mobile command unit to the public yesterday.

Fire Chief Gerry Armstrong says it will serve as a base for operations during any type of emergency.

"We'll be able to set up at a scene and have a kind of office if you will," says Armstrong. "It will duplicate as a site coordination area. Obviously it's important for rehabilitation of people if you have them on scene for a long period of time."

The trailer unit replaces an older one that had been in use since 1975 and was purchase in part with funding from the federal government.

Writer Wins Award

A Fort Frances writer has won a literacy award from the Northwestern Ontario Writer's Workshop.

Judy Johanson story entitled "Picker's Kid" was named the region's top children's story at a ceremony held over the weekend.

"I've had this story in mind for a number of years," says Johanson. "The subject matter is bullying at an elementary school age. (It's based on) Just various stories I've heard about bullying and experiences in my own childhood, and it really compelled me to write this."

It's Johanson's first award from the Writer's Workshop.

Fort Budget Finalized

Fort Frances town council has finalized its 2010 budget.

It calls for an average of a 3 per cent increase in the tax levy charged to residential ratepayers.

But Treasurer Laurie Witherspoon says the tax rate used to calculate what they actually pay is less than half that.

"In dollars and cents, if someone paid $1,872.50 last year for an assessment of $100,000, in 2010 they would see $1,863.77," says Witherspoon. "So that's an increase of $8.73."

Witherspoon says commercial and industrial ratepayers will see their tax rates drop due to decreases in both assessment and the education portion of their bills.

Councillors accepted the budget by a 6-1 vote - councillor Ken Perry the lone objector.

Mayor Roy Avis says given what the town is facing financially, he's pleased, as it sets aside money for potential wage increases for unionized staff.

"I was happy with our final decision on making sure that we had enough money built in there," say Avis, "that if we have a couple of unknowns that are quite costly, if that comes to fruition, then we have money put aside to look after that."

The budget, however, does not take into account a possible increase in the town's cost to the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board, which has yet to be determined.

Toll Details Released Tomorow

More details on Couchiching First Nations plans for a toll booth on Highway 11 are expected to be revealed tomorrow.

Band council meets tonight to discuss the toll which is scheduled to go in effect this Friday at noon.

The band has said its setting up the toll over a number of unresolved issues involving both the federal and provincial government.

Among things yet announced are the cost charged to motorists and how long it will be in effect.

Northern Hospitals Report Released

The Ontario Health Coalition has released a report on northern and rural hospitals.

Thunder Bay Health Coalition Co-Chair Barb Maki says they want to ensure services are kept intact.

"We want to ensure that services are going to be available at our hospitals, still," says Maki. "That would include the hospital emergency department, blood, x-ray, ultra-sound, in-patient services for acute and complex continuing care beds, palliative care and rehabilitation."

Maki says the Northwest Local Health Integration Network has been good at consulting patients about potential service changes, and doesn't foresee any immediate problems.

Fire Hazard Creeps Up

The forest fire hazard is on the rise in northwestern Ontario.

Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Information Officer Mitch Miller says the warmer weather is again leading to an increase in forest fire activity.

"We're looking at the forecast right now and we don't see any significant precipitation in the next two weeks," says Miller. "The humidity is very low and it's very warm. It's going to dry out increasingly over the next two weeks so we could start to see some activity here with forest fires particularly if people aren't careful with their fires."

Five new fires were reported over the weekend, none in the Rainy River district.

Park Site Closed

Voyageur's National Park is temporarily restricting public access to parts of the park because of bald eagles.

A total of 69 bald eagle nests were found during a survey in April.

As a result, the park is closing some land and water areas around the sites during the nesting period.

It's also asking boaters not travel or stop within 200 meters of the nesting sites during the closure period.

Volunteer Awards Presented Tonight

Volunteers from the Rainy River district will be honoured this evening at the Townshend Theatre.

Service awards will be presented to a number of volunteers recognizing years of contribution.

Four residents will be receive awards for forty-or-more years of continual volunteer service.

The ceremony begins at 7 p.m. with a reception to follow.

Fun in the Sun Committee Needs Help

The group organizing Canada Day and Fun in the Sun activities which received a boast in funding from the town of Fort Frances last week - is now looking for more manpower.

Member Dawn Booth says the committee only has a handful of members and need individuals or groups to take over some of the events.

"Our committee simply can't do it anymore," says Booth. "We just don't have the manpower to organize events and activities so we need the help of the community."

Booth says unless more help is forth coming, the only events to be held will be the parade and the July 1st fireworks.

The committee will hold its next meeting May 25 and Booth is hoping those interested will attend.

Point-of-Exemption Supported by Province

The provincial government is supporting First Nations demands for a point-of-sale exemption when the Harmonized Sales Tax comes into effect this July.

But Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says it's the federal government that must honour the exemption.

"The first step is that we actually need them just to sit at the table," says Bentley. "They haven't seem to be willing to do that which is quite unfortunate. This is an important issue so we'd like them to come to the table."

Bentley still feels there is time to have the tax exemption that's now in place continue once HST is fully implemented.

NDP Leader Jack Layton says Ottawa and the provinces are needlessly provoking potential disruptive action by First Nations over the harmonized sales tax.

Aboriginal groups have threatened to fight the HST through any means possible unless they're allowed to retain the exemption on purchases made outside reserves.

Layton says he'll try to convince Prime Minister Harper he can avoid conflict if he acts now.

'Respect' Campaign Gains Attention

A campaign established four years ago to help bring "respect" back into the minds of Confederation College students is getting some attention elsewhere in North America.

The campaign aims to reinforce the value of diversity within college campuses.

Associate director Jim Lees says its now reaching well outside northwestern Ontario.

"We've spoken to high schools," says Lees. "We've spoken to parks and recreation in Thunder Bay and we've spoken to about a dozen colleges across Ontario. I also got a call from a college in California that's interested in launching some kind of respect campaign as well."

A similar campaign was adopted by Fort Frances High School using the College initiative as its model.

Local Students at Canada Science Fair

(Photo Courtesy Rainy River District School Board)

Two local students will be featured at this year's Canada Wide Science Fair that begins today in Peterborough.


Chelsey Skirten and Hailey Beaudry earned the trip after finished one-two at this year's Regional Science Fair.

The Canadian event attracts more than five-hundred students across the country.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors Bill

Conservative MPP Ernie Hardeman reintroduces his private member's bill today to make carbon monoxide detectors mandatory in homes.

The Oxford member's bill failed a third reading after the legislature was prorogued earlier this spring.

Currently, detectors are only mandatory in new homes.

Foster Care Report Being Released

A report says Ontario should press Ottawa to give children in foster care the same educational support as children who live with their families.

The report being released today says it would cost the federal government about $8-million a year to set up educational savings accounts for the 18-thousand Ontario children in state care.

Memorandum of Understanding Signed

(Left: Rainy River Resources President Raymond Threlkeld and Rainy River First Nations Chief Jim Leonard (right) sign Memorandum of Understanding)

There is a new memorandum of understanding in place between mining company Rainy River Resources and seven area First Nations.


It was signed yesterday afternoon at the company's gold properties, 20 kilometres north of Barwick.


Company president Raymond Threlkeld says it's important to work with the Native communities as they move forward on the development of possible mines.



"They're one of the largest stakeholders around here," says Threlkeld, "and for us to move forward we have to be partners."



Rainy River First Nations Chief Jim Leonard says its an important document to have.



"It means we're able to participate in this mining activity from a sense of providing some employment to our community," says Leonard. "And also gaining a knowledge of the mining industry and exploration work."



Leonard says it also provides for area First Nations to have input and dialogue into the operations.



The document outlines such things as consultation, employment opportunities and ways to resolve disputes.

Library Begins Move

It's moving day at the Fort Frances Public Library.

Staff , along with several volunteers, will be taking boxes of books to the new facility.

Chief Librarian Margaret Sedgewick says the current library will still be open until Sunday for people to access materials.

"We're allowing the double number of DVDs people can take out," says Sedgewick. "As many books as they want just to make sure they are well stocked."

The current library will close for good on Monday with the new facility expected to open June 1.