Opposition Questioning Future Wage Freezes

The Ontario government is coming under fire for its position on wage freezes for public servants.

Opposition Conservatives are accusing the government of back-pedaling on the freezes.

P-C Leader Tim Hudak says a change of government is the only way to get the province's finances back on track.

Chambers Award Winners

Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce handed out awards in its annual business awards last night.

Here are the winners

Business of the Year – Award Sponsored by 93.1 The Border

·         Norwest Animal Clinic

Business Woman of the Year – Award Sponsored by the Professional Women’s Network

·         Heather Johnson, RBC Royal Bank

Customer Service – Business – Award Sponsored by TD Canada Trust

·         North Auto

Customer Service Award – Individual - – Award Sponsored by Good Impressions Printing

·         Pamela Bujold, Greensides General Store

Employee of the Year – Award Sponsored by the West End Weekly

·         Rosanne Farmer, Fort Frances Times

Entrepreneur of the Year – Award Sponsored by the Rainy River Futures Development Corporation

·         Kevin Webb, Webb’s Power Shack

Home Based Business Award – Award Sponsored by M.L. Caron Electric

·         Kirsty Sinclair, K.I.D.S.

Small Business Trainer of the Year – Award Sponsored by NCDS

·         Steve MacNeil, Rainy Lake Tribal Contracting

The Tony Beyak Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award – Award Sponsored by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

·         Jan Judson

More Positive Findings From Rainy River Resources

Rainy River Resources continues to build on the potential of its gold mine north of Barwick.

It's out with the latest findings from a drill program conducted in an area identified as the Intrepid zone.

The company says the results continue to support the belief that the zone is similar to a main deposit found in the heart of its project.

It hopes to better define the size of the zone by the middle of this year.

Go Local Cards Out March 6

Proponents of the Go Local campaign in the Fort Frances area are ready to distribute the cards required to participate in a customer rewards program.

A message on the campaign's twitter account says the cards will be out March 6th.

Users of the cards will earn points at participating businesses towards gift cards to be used at those stores.

Funding To Help Women Entrepreneurs

More assistance will be soon be available to women in business.

Thunder Bay's PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise is receiving $1.5 million dollars in funding from FedNor.

The money will help the centre offer workshops, training, coaching and mentoring activities to women entrepreneurs across northwestern Ontario.

Thin Ice Warnings

It's been a tragic winter on the ice across Minnesota.

So far five people have died after falling through the ice, with a sixth person missing and presumed drowned.

Kara Owens of the Department of Natural Resources says they're on pace to have the deadliest year on ice in six years.

The DNR notes that ice seldom freezes uniformly so while it may be a foot in one location, the ice may be only a couple inches just a few feet away.

Preliminary Operational Budget Released

The town of Fort Frances has a huge financial hole to dig out of.

A draft operating budget, released Tuesday night, has the town in a deficit position of over $2.2 million dollars.

Treasurer Laurie Witherspoon says left untouched, it would mean a 22 per cent tax increase.

CAO Mark McCaig says council and administration will be working hard over the next few weeks to bring that number down.

The deficit does includes the money the town has to rebate resulting from a lowering of Resolute Forest Products assessment, but not the town's share of costs toward the district's social services programs or its capital requirements.

Council will review the operating budget at a meeting March 4.

Water Rates Going up

Water and sewer costs in Fort Frances are going up.

Fort Frances council has approved a 4.5 per cent increase for residential users.

Mayor Roy Avis says it helps offsets a loss of revenue caused by the idling of Resolute Forest Products operations.


Avis says Resolute, one of the town's biggest water users, saw its consumption of water drop drastically.

Changes have also been made to the metered rate to the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

Court Case Underway

Opening arguments have been laid out in the court case regarding a stretch of shoreline property along Rainy Lake, known as the two-chain shore allowance.

Four area bands are seeking a declaration that the land was initially intended to be part of a reserve more than 125 years ago.

Lawyers representing the bands, the province, Canada, the town, and residents living in the area, also introduced several pages of documents to be used as evidence in Tuesday's opening.

The testimony in the hearing is expected to continue until late March.

NDP To Support Throne Speech

The New Democrats say they'll give the minority Liberal government a pass on the throne speech, but want to see some of their measures addressed in the budget.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says yesterday's throne speech was designed to include ideas that would appeal to both opposition parties.

Tory Leader Tim Hudak says his party will vote against the speech.

Northwestern Ontario MPP's Support Speech

The Throne Speech has the support of northwestern Ontario's Liberals.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says it includes something for everyone.

Mauro sees is containing good news for northwestern Ontario.

The speech gave reference to giving northern Ontario residents a stronger voice at Queen's Park and addressing "the special transportation needs" of the region.

Beef Pattie Recall

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling some frozen beef burgers sold by Canada Safeway, due to possible E. coli contamination.

They include the Gourmet Meat Shoppe Big and Juicy Burger and the Prime Rib Burger, and Butcher's Cut Pure Beef Patties -- all with a best before date of August 14th.

Campbell Ready To Work

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is eager to get back to work at Queen's Park.


Campbell says she has a long list of issues that she wants to bring up in legislature that she hasn't been able bring since it was prorogued last October.

Campbell adds she also has mixed feelings about our new premier and her agenda for northern Ontario.

Busy Weekend For OPP

A busy weekend for provincial police in our area.

OPP report 24 motor vehicle accidents across northwestern Ontario.

Most were considered minor in nature.

OPP ask that you take it easy when traveling, as high winds will make it challenging to get around the next couple of days.

Award Nominees Named

A total of 55 nominees in nine separate categories have been made for tomorrow's Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce business awards night.

The winners will be announced during the banquet.

Here's are all of the nominees.

Business of the Year – Award Sponsored by 93.1 The Border

·         Taggs Source for Sports

·         Rainy Lake Tribal Contracting

·         Tompkins Hardware

·         Nickle Lake Lumber

·         Norwest Animal Clinic

·         Harris Hill Resort

·         Angler’s Pro Shop

·         Rainy Lake Family Dental

Business Woman of the Year – Award Sponsored by the Professional Women’s Network

·         Heather Johnson, RBC Royal Bank

·         Grace Cridland, Gillons’ Insurance Brokers

·         Melanie Kozik, Living Art Emporium

·         Tonia Dolph, Northland Kitchen & Design Consulting

·         Sylvie Matthews, Certified Holistic Health & Life Coach

Customer Service – Business – Award Sponsored by TD Canada Trust

·         The Bargain Shop

·         North Auto

·         Greensides General Store

·         Fort Frances Times

·         Royal Bank

·         Sunset Country Ford

·         Rainy Lake Family Dental

·         Drs. Wu & Kennedy

·         Lowes Furniture & Appliances

·         J.D. Junction

·         Rocky Brown Auto Repair

Customer Service Award – Individual - – Award Sponsored by Good Impressions Printing

·         Andrea Whittle, Taggs Source for Sports

·         Jordan Marsh, Canadian Tire

·         Joleen Pettis, Canadian Tire

·         Peter Winik, West End Motors

·         Krista Kellar, Citifinancial

·         Kyle Glowasky, KG contracting

·         Pamela Bujold, Greensides General Store

·         Jay McFarlane, Taggs Source for Sports

·         Marjory Boileau, TD Canada Trust

·         Deb Emes, B93.1 The Border

Employee of the Year – Award Sponsored by the West End Weekly

·         Rebecca Webb, CIBC

·         Jay Caldwell, La Place Rendez Vous

·         Rosanne Farmer, Fort Frances Times

Entrepreneur of the Year – Award Sponsored by the Rainy River Futures Development Corporation

·         Chad Jackson, Pro Shine

·         Kevin Webb, Webb’s Power Shack

·         Inga Friesen, Inga Design

·         Jacquie Lampi Hughes, Energy Fitness

·         Just for Fun Power Sports

Home Based Business Award – Award Sponsored by M.L. Caron Electric

·         Kirsty Sinclair, K.I.D.S.

·         Lisa Jodoin, Scentsy

·         Jay Caldwell, Snicklefritz Custom T-shirts

·         Tonia Dolph, Northland Kitchen & Design

·         Patty Jorgenson, Sole Sister Reflexology

·         Travis Glowasky, Studio Gibbous

Small Business Trainer of the Year – Award Sponsored by NCDS

·         Steve MacNeil, Rainy Lake Tribal Contracting

·         Adam Jewell, ACO Electric

·         Andy Peters, Peters Plumbing & Heating

The Tony Beyak Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award – Award Sponsored by the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce

·         Robert Schulz

·         Jan Judson

·         Leslie Danielson

·         Monica Armour

 

Town Hunkers Down On Budget

A settlement in the Resolute Forest Products assessment appeal will give Fort Frances town council a better idea of what the 2013 budget may be.

The settlement, announced last week, means the town will have to rebate about $1.7 million back to the company in taxes.

Mayor Roy Avis says it means taking a real close look at all expenditures to mitigate the impact on taxpayers.

Avis says the goal will be be to maintain services as much as possible.

Lots Of Snow

Family day turned into a snow day for many in the Borderland.

As much as 20 centimeters of snow fell in a 24 hours period from Sunday afternoon to Monday.

That snow has now given away to cold air and strong winds that are combining to generate low wind chills.

Groups Fears Electricity Crisis For NWO

A regional group says northwestern Ontario is on the verge of an electricity crisis.

The Common Voice Energy Task Force says the region will be short of electricity if Ontario Power Generation's station in Thunder Bay is allowed to go down at the end of next year.

Iain Angus says it's up to the Ontario Power Authority and province to act.

Angus also warns of rolling blackouts in 2015 and possible delays of new mining projects.

Interim Minister Calls Residential Schools Horrible

Interim Aboriginal Affairs Minister James Moore admits Canada has a horrible record on native residential schools.

The Missing Children Project says at least three-thousand First Nations children died while attending the schools -- many of disease.

 Moore acknowledges the report reveals horrific details about the system.

Area Women Perform At Carnegie Hall

Two Fort Frances women are now among the thousands of performers who've stepped on the stage of the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City

Sarah Hallikas and Annelise Hawyluk were part of a Toronto church choir invited to perform at an event last night.

Hallikas say it was a thrill.

The two women had only joined the choir in September not knowing of the trip to New York..