NDP Campaign to Remove HST From Hydro Bills

Ontario's New Democrats are launching a campaign to force the government to take the provincial portion of the H-S-T off hydro bills.

Speaking in the legislature, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says seniors especially, are struggling to pay their electricity bills.

"Families in northwestern Ontario are being squeezed by skyrocketing hydro bills," says Hampton. "Mary Ellen Cooper from Thunder Bay writes: “We are going to be hurt—big time—with the HST.... My pension hardly covers my expenses. When is McGuinty going to open his door and look at the hungry people of this province, of the city of Thunder Bay where the mills are closed and” people “are out of work? Where families have lost everything. It is time McGuinty gave his head a shake.”

The NDP has created a website and Leader Andrea Horwath is planning to tour the province to promote the cause.

Catholic Board E.C.E. Join CUPE

Early childhood educators hired by the Northwest Catholic District School Board are now represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees.

CUPE and the board reached a deal that sees the educators, hired as part of the full-day early learning program, following the terms of the 2009 provincially-negotiated contract for the board's support staff.

The board currently has one E.C.E. at St. Patrick's School in Atikokan with others added when the early learning program is rolled out to other schools in the future.

Citizen Committee Being Formed

A task force set up to review the management of the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake watershed is now looking for people to sit on a citizen's advisory committee.

Canadian secretary Kelli Saunders says the advisory committee will serve as a sounding board for the task force.

"We're hoping the group will be well-rounded," says Saunders, "representation across the border as well as from many of the different sectors that are present along the watershed."

Saunders says person interested need to contact the task force before Friday.

Women Wanted by O.P.P.

Ontario Provincial Police are looking for more women to join the ranks.

Constable Anne McCoy says OPP will hold a symposium next month in Fort Frances for women interesting in a career in policing.

"We're teaming with our recruitment Sergeant who is coming down from Thunder Bay," says McCoy, "and we're looking for women interested in a career in policing. We're looking for (women) eighteen years old or older. We're looking for individuals who reside in northwestern Ontario and meet the basic qualifications."

There is no fee to attend the October 16 event, but early registration is required by calling for the Fort Frances detachment.

Pest Stopped

U.S. Customs and Border Protection are releasing details surrounding a shipment from Bangladesh, halted at the International Falls Port of Entry earlier this month, after it was found to contain potentially destructive insects.

Scaly crickets and gall midges, tiny mosquito-like insects, were discovered during the September 8 inspection of the shipment that was headed to Chicago, through Canada.

Officials say both insects had to potential of causing damage to other agricultural crops.

The container was emptied and swept out.

It's cargo was to be fumigated before being allowed to continue.

E.R. Study

The province has established a task force to find ways of improving emergency room services in rural and northern Ontario hospitals.

Ministry of Health Spokesperson David Jenson says fourteen medical experts have been assembled to examine issues surround small E-R's and make recommendations back to the Ministry.

"It's certainly consultations that the Ministry has held," says Jenson, "and that have come through from stakeholders to identify the need to look at the systemic issues related to providing emergency services and that's what this task force is going to look at."

The group will present its recommendations to the Ministry next spring.

Feds Spend Plenty on Bottled Water

A northwestern Ontario wants to see the federal government end its dependence on bottled water.

Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer says he's found federal departments and agencies spent almost two-and-a-half million dollars on bottled water last year.

"Just at a time when we're supposed to be tightening our belts, paying more taxes, paying HST on a whole host of things, for the government to be wasting money in this manner is just totally unacceptable," says Hyer.

Hyer says the cost may be much higher as seven government departments and agencies stopped tracking how much they spent on bottled water.

College President Retiring

(College President Patricia Lang (r) during 2010 Rainy River Campus graduation ceremonies in Fort Frances)

A national search is now on for a new president for Confederation College.

Patricia Lang says she's stepping down next July.

"It's been a privilege of a lifetime for me to be president of the College," says Lang "I've been extremely fortunate to work with all of the folks that I do and to get to meet the many talented people that I do on a daily basis."

Lang has been College president since 2000.

Rainy River to be Featured on T.V. Show

The town of Rainy River is getting some national exposure.

Jim Hoey, host and producer of the television show "The Dimestore Fishermen," is in the community to film segments for an upcoming show.

"We're here to take in the Rainy River tournament," says Hoey, "and take spend some time to documenting the community. Our program style guide is about the history, the various different cultural and recreational aspects of the communities we visit as much as is about the premiere watersheds and fisheries in the regions."

The segment on Rainy River is expected to air sometime next year.

Drug Team Busy

It's been a busy summer for members of the Fort Frances Community Drug Action Team.

The team, set up by the OPP to help deal with drug-related investigations in the Rainy River district, was involved in several drug busts resulting in charges against no fewer than ten people.

Constable Anne McCoy says police are seeing a wide-array of drugs still on the streets.

"The top three drugs that we're finding in our community are the opiates," says McCoy, "the Oxycontin, Endocets, Percocets, those types of drugs. There's also drugs like cocaine and marijuana. We're trying to tackle the misuse issues."

McCoy says tips, often through Crimestoppers, aid in the police's work.

Marijuana Party Candidate Charged

A former Marijuana Party candidate is facing drug-related charges.

66-year-old Doug Thompson, along with 63-year-old Audrey Thompson, were charged after police executed a search warrant at a home west of Kakabeka Falls, seizing 371 grams of marijuana, 371 grams of cannabis resin and and one pot plant.

Thompson, who has also been an advocate for medicinal marijuana, ran in the 2004 federal election as the Marijuana Party candidate for Thunder Bay-Rainy River.

Far North Act Passes

A controversial bill on northern land development has been passed in the Ontario legislature, despite the objections of First Nations and many northern communities.

The Liberal government's legislation aims to protect at least225,000 square kilometres of boreal forest from development _ up to21 per cent of Ontario's land mass.

Several First Nations leaders have demanded that the government scrap Bill 191, saying it violates their treaty rights and doesn't give them a say in how their lands will be developed.

They've also accused Premier Dalton McGuinty of lying to them by promising not to pass the legislation without their approval.

Contact North Expansion

Contact North is now providing distance education and training to teach more remote First Nations youth how to govern.

CEO Maxim Jean-Louis says an agreement with the National Centre for First Nations Governance, will bring workshops to additional communities.

"We we are doing today is really formalizing the work that we've been doing," says Jean-Louis, "so that we can really escalate and being able to help them extend those workshops, not only to those communities where they're offering them face-to-face, but to also offer them straight across northern communities where they can use the technology to increase access."

Jean-Louis says the program has the potential to go nationwide.

Recycling Deal

The groundwork has been laid on a plan that could result in recycling materials collected from the Fort Frances area being sent to Kenora.

Kenora is purchasing a new vehicle that will first collect materials from Dryden twice and week and send them to Winnipeg for processing.

City officials say if the system proves effective, similar arrangements may be reached with other communities including Fort Frances.

Gun Bill Killed

The long-gun registry has survived a critical vote but just barely.

MPs last night voted 153 to 151 in favour of a Liberal motion that essentially killed a Conservative bill to scrap the program.

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he'll be polling his constituents to find out what they want him to do next.

Rafferty was one of a handful of New Democrats who wanted to see the registry scrapped.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford expects the decision will now becoming a huge election issue in the ridings of MP's who voted to kill the bill.

Far North Concerns

Ontario's Environmental Commissioner says ineffective oversight from the Ontario government is allowing mining companies to illegally construct mining camps and airstrips in the Far North.

Gord Miller says a lack of Ministry of Natural Resources presence in the region is allowing the activities to happen.

"There's so much activity in the Far north," says Miller, "and the MNR just doesn't have the resources to stay on top of its responsibilities which is to look after our land and make sure the rules are followed."

Natural Resources Minister Linda Jeffrey calls the commissioner's assessment a ``stretch,'' noting her ministry has great staff in the north.

Drug Policy Implemented

Rainy River First Nation has implemented a new employee drug program.

Band officials says its aimed at helping those who struggle with subtance abuse, while ensure that all of their employees are safe and healthy.

It includes making drug testing as a condition of employment for new employees.

The policy went into place last Friday.

Children's Fair Coming

A fair, showcasing children's services in the Rainy River district, is making a return next month.

The October 5 event at J.W. Walker School in Fort Frances is being put on by the Coming Together for Kids Coalition.

Chair Miranda Sigurdson of the Northwestern Health Unit says they're hoping for a variety of agencies to participate.

"Any agencies, groups, service clubs that provide services to children we're inviting them to come out to the children services fair," says Sigurdson, "to showcase what they have to offer to people with children in the area."

Anne Ainsworth, an early literacy specialist from Kenora, will also be on hand to provide workshops for parents that encourage literacy skills for children through music and reading.

The last fair of its kind was held in 2006.

Murder Charges

Two teenage girls are facing second-degree murder charges in the death of a 16-year-old girl in Thunder Bay.

The two accused - aged 14 and 15 - remain in custody and will appear in youth court next week.

Police arrested the two hours after the body of a girl from Sachigo Lake First Nation was discovered near a paved walking path Tuesday.

Her name has not been released.

Commissioner Critical of Government

Ontario's environmental commissioner says the government isn't following through on any of its environmental promises.

In his annual report released Wednesday, Gord Miller says environmental legislation the government has passed is being undermined by its inaction.

Miller says Great Lakes pollution is getting worse because the Ministry of the Environment's municipal wastewater discharge rules haven't kept up with the rising population in southern Ontario.

He also suggests Ontario's air quality standards are not "airtight'' and so whole sectors of industry are exempt from tougher rules.