Early Learning Changes Planned

Published reports suggest the McGuinty government is expected to drop plans for boards to run before-and-after-school care for full-day kindergarten students.

The program is a key piece of its early learning program.

The move comes after lobbying from daycares, which worried about losing business, and from school boards, which didn't want to operate the programs.

A lack of interest led to the Rainy River District School Board opting not to offer the programs at Atikokan's North Star Community School, its first school to offer full-day kindergarten.

Rainy River Presents Bought Deal Offering

Rainy River Resources plans to raise $65-million dollars in a bought deal offering to help advance its gold exploration project north of Barwick.

The company will issue more than 5-million shares at a reduced rate of $12.65 C. each.

Shares of Rainy River have more than doubled in value since it increased its capital budget for the year by 33 percent in August to extend drilling activities at the high mineral grade project.

New Officers In Place

Treaty Three Police Service has added some new officers.

Four constables, three sergeants and a staff sergeant were sworn-in during a ceremony in Kenora yesterday.

Police Chief Conrad DelaRonde feels its important to recognize the officers and the work that they are doing.

"We always recognize or tend to see or hear about the bad things that have occurred in the police universe," says DelaRonde, "but there's a lot of good things happening. It's opportunities like this we should give official recognition for their accomplishments."

Terry Armstrong was also sworn in as the new deputy chief.

More Help Needed

It has enough food, but the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau is still looking for more people for its Community Christmas dinner.

With the dinner just ten days away, only a handful of volunteers have stepped forward while the Fort Frances Legion Ladies Auxiliary is offering to cook some of the turkeys in advance.

The bureau's Karen Mitchell says help is still required in setting up the Knox United Church hall and serving and clean-up at the dinner.

Mitchell says those also wanting a meal delivered to them on Christmas must call the Volunteer Bureau by Monday.

Hampton Expects Campaign Push by Liberals

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says Ontarians can expect to see campaign-style ads showing up in advance of next fall's provincial election.

Hampton says the McGuinty Government has been under siege in the Legislature and will likely start an active campaign very soon.

"I think the government will use the Christmas break as a period of interuption," says Hampton, "and then they will begin what will amount to an eight or nine month election campaign."

Hampton says the government has been hurt by recent reports by the Ombudsman and the Auditor General.

Bus Impacted by Cold

A second straight day of sub-zero temperatures is having an impact on some school buses today.

Iron Range has cancelled all of its runs in Atikokan.

Jane Peterson's Dove bus, ANH route, is delayed 25 minutes.

Rising Policing Costs Concerning

Rising cost of policing has the town of Fort Frances seeking help.

Councillor Rick Wiedenhoeft says the cost to contract police services to the OPP has rising almost 19 per cent over the past four years, and the province should provide more financial help.

"I would like to say demand, but I thing we have to suggest at this present time, that they increase their provincial policing grant as part of the OMPF funding (Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund)," says Wiedenhoeft, "to cover the additional costs of police services in Ontario to those communities that are contracting the OPP."

Wiedenhoeft says a recent wage settlement for officers could lead even higher costs to the town.

Town Buys Old Library

The town of Fort Frances is purchasing the former library building.

Mayor Roy Avis says it still to be determined, though, what they will do with the building.

"There's been letters written from people showing an interest," says Avis. "What we're doing is we're going to be looking at what we're going to do with it in the future whether it be sold or leased, who will get it. All those things have not been dealt with yet, but we're going to have a committee set up in order to look at all of those."

The one-dollar deal with the Fort Frances Public Library Board was part of a memorandum of understanding struck in October and formalized last night.

Support Sought for Fire Victim

There's a campaign underway to help out a 72-year-old area woman get back into her home.

The woman was forced from her home, south of Finland, last week because of an electrical fire.

Neighbour Jim Scheibler says she has no insurance and he's hoping to rally area support for her.

"It's really tough on her," says Scheibler. "She's lived there many years and it's her home. So we're just looking for help from the community to just step up and try to get her home again."

Anyone who can assist can call Jim or Maxine at 487-1425.

Educational Staff Help Needy

Fort Frances High School and Confederation College's Rainy River campus have joined in the campaign to help the district's needy.

Staff at both institutions waged a friendly competition in collecting non-perishable food items.

College campus manager Anne Renaud says her staff did well.

"I think we're pretty close," says Renaud. "I don't know if we're going by weight or size of boxes, but I think relative to the number of stuff that we have we did very well and we helped the community which was the main goal."

High School principal Al McManaman says the biggest winner was the community.

The collection was held in conjunction with the OPP Stuff a Cruiser campaign.

Essay Winner Address Council

A grade 5 students from Robert Moore School in Fort Frances says the building of a dirt bike track would be high on his list if he were mayor.

Daymond Morriseau was the winner of the town's Local Government Week essay contest held back in October.

"I have a lot of friends that would benefit from a dirt bike track as they also have dirt bikes," says Daymond. "I would build this track behind the Lakeview Trailer Park as there is a lot of open space in the back."

Daymond pitched his idea to council last night.

Stuff A Cruiser Overstuffed

A huge show of support from area residents to the OPP's Stuff-a-Cruiser initiative to collect food items for five separate agencies.

Constable Anne McCoy says four cruisers places in locations around Fort Frances and Emo were filled a total of thirteen times Saturday.

"I can't believe how much everyone gave," says McCoy. "I'm just so appreciative of all the help from the community and all the volunteers who came forward to get the message out."

The food will be distributed to the Salvation Army, the United Native Friendship Centre, Sunset Country Metis Association, a food bank in Emo and to the Fort Frances Volunteer Bureau to help with its community Christmas dinner.

New Owner for Ford Dealership

(Nick Beyak holding Olympic Torch at his GM dealership in Dryden during 2010 Torch Run - CKDR photo)

New owners for the Ford dealership in Fort Frances.

Nick Beyak, current owner of the GM dealership in Dryden, will take ownership of Sunset Country Ford next month.

"Having two dealerships in two different towns I think is a good business move from a diversification stand point," says Beyak, "and two difference manufacturers is good also. Looking really forward to getting back to Fort Frances and doing business there."

Beyak is the son of the late Tony Beyak who operated the former Causeway Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealership.

Kelly Welcomes Resource Sharing Agreement

The Grand Chief of Treaty 3 says increased interest by mining companies striking agreements with area bands is exciting.

Kelly says Friday's signing of a Resource Sharing agreement between Osisko and several area bands is something that should be shared by others.

"I think the relationship that's developed through Brett Resources and the Fort Frances Chiefs and Lac Des Milles Lac First Nation and then now with Osisko is one that should be representative probably as a best practise for other industry that's looking to do business in the Treaty 3 area," says Kelly.

Kelly also issued caution about having to much mining activity that could make their lands not sustainable for the future.

Murder-Suicide in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide involving a man and a woman in the rural township of Oliver Paipoonge.

Police entered a home yesterday in the community just west of Thunder Bay and found the bodies of a man and woman, who are both 69.

Regional Strategic Plan Considered

There's a move to do some strategic planning for the entire Rainy River district.

Area representatives gathered this week to determine the interest of such an exercise.

Rainy River Councillor Gord Armstrong helped spearhead the meeting.

"If you look at each municipalities they're trying to do their own little thing," says Armstrong. "That's great. We want them to do that, but it's time we look at the district as a whole because we have things across the district that if we work together it would be wiser to do that."

Armstrong says more details on how the process would work will come to area municipal leaders when they gather for their annual meeting in January.

AbitibiBowater Out of Bankrupcty Protection

AbitibiBowater has finally emerged from 20 months of creditor protection.

The company says its transformed itself into a lower-cost forest products company better able to withstand slowing demand for newsprint.

The Toronto Stock Exchange says new shares in the Montreal-based company will begin trading today.

Resource Sharing Agreement Signing

Representatives from Osisko Mining and several area First Nations will sit down later today to sign a new Resource Sharing agreement pertaining to the company's Hammond Reef project near Atikokan.

The document provides for ongoing dialogue between the company and first nations and for employment and training opportunities for native people.

First Nations communities signing the document will also receive shares in Osisko as milestones in exploration and development are reached.

Julian Austin Returning

(Julian Austin during 2010 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship)

Another fundraiser is in the works for the Fort Frances Community Chest.

Fort Frances Chamber manager Anthony Mason says Canadian country artist Julian Austin has agreed to return to the community to help the fund.

"He graciously donated to come back to Fort Frances and perform," says Mason. "The committee has decided we are going to plan another event for Community Chest to raise money and we plan having him perform somewhere in Fort Frances at a later day."

Austin performed at this summer' Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Operation Children Child Success

Operation Christmas Child in the Rainy River district is being hailed a huge success.

Over 460 shoe boxes, filled with items for children living in under-developed countries, were collected.

The collection of those boxes happened last month, but area residents can still participate through an new on-line feature at http://www.samaritanpurse.ca/.

Most of the on-line boxes will go to children in Haiti.