Town Looks At Staff Changes

The town of Fort Frances may soon look at little leaner.

Some staff changes are being considered in the effort to help keep costs down.

CAO Mark McCaig says a restructuring will include early retirements.

McCaig says full details of the changes will be announced in the near future.

Town Review Staffing Requirements

The town of Fort Frances may soon look at little leaner.

Some staff changes are being considered in the effort to help keep costs down.

CAO Mark McCaig says a restructuring will include early retirements.

McCaig says full details of the changes will be announced in the near future.

Mayor Calls For More Cuts From Departments

A call for more cuts within the town of Fort Frances.

Mayor Roy Avis feels some areas may not have reduced their budgets as best they can and would like them to go back to find further savings.


The operating deficit remains at just over $728-thousand.

Councillor Andrew Hallikas feels council should hold off asking for cuts until they see how other cost-saving measures will impact the numbers.

Pope Selection Surprising

Bishop Fred Colli of the Thunder Bay Catholic Diocese says he was surprised by the selection of former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as the new Pope.

Colli believes the Cardinals of the Church surprised Catholics around the world in their vote.

Colli says he will probably meet the new Pope Francis when he travels to Rome next year.

Water Quality Forum

Researchers from across Ontario, Manitoba and Minnesota are gathering in International Falls.

They're attending the 10th annual International Lake of the Woods Water Quality Forum.

Todd Sellars of the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation says the future of the forum is being looked this year.

The nearly one hundred delegates will also hear the latest in research being conducted in the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake watersheds.

Farmer's Market To Open This Month

Clover Valley Farmers' Market photo

Another sign spring is just around the corner.

The Clover Valley Farmers Market is preparing to open with an Easter market at the end of this month.

Manager Deb Cornell says they saw an increase in sales and customers last year.

Cornell says the regular season begins in May and vendors can now call to book space.

Rae Supports New Relationship With First Nations

The Federal Interim Liberal Leader says its time for the government to work more closely with the province and First Nations to address aboriginal rights and issues.

Bob Rae says forming strong partnerships will help First Nations move forward.

Rae made his comments during a stop in Dryden yesterday.

Health Integration Discussions

Health Care officials say they're working to rebuild the trust and communication that impacted their ability to address issues impacting care in International Falls.

Duluth-based Essentia Heath wants to full control of Rainy Lake Medical Centre, a plan that has been met with some resistance because of outstanding issues stemming from a 2007 partnership.

Bob Haley of Rainy Lake Medical Centre says with new people leading the discussions, they're leaving what happened in the past behind them.

Haley says they hope to have a report on the next steps by June.

New MRI In Region

A new MRI machine for northwestern Ontario.

Thunder Bay's Regional Research Institute is getting a million dollars for a new state of the art unit.

CEO Dr. Michael Wood says it will allow them to research brain diseases.

The MRI replaces an older model and will cost $5 million in total.

Gasification Project Still On Table

Work continues on a plasma gasification project in Koochiching County.

The project to generate energy by burning waste was first proposed several years.

John Howard of Coronal says the delays are actually benefiting the project.

Howard say they are also working toward getting permitting by the end of the year.

Wheelchair Curling Promoted In Fort Frances

There's an effort to establish wheelchair curling in Fort Frances.

Wayne Ficek brought his Kenora team to play teams in the local senior league yesterday.

The four time provincial champion says he'd like to help build the sport here.

Ficek says the sport is seeing growth elsewhere with a strong league in Thunder Bay and about five taking up the sport in Kenora.

Falls City Administrator Offered Job In Washington State

It appears the city of International Falls will be looking for a new city administrators.

Rod Otterness has been hired on to serve as city manager of Union Gap, Washington, a community of about 63-hundred people 140 miles southeast of Seattle.

Union Gap City Council offered the job to Otterness last week.

Otterness has been Falls city administrator since 2004.

Dog Park On Hold

Plans for a dog park in Fort Frances are on hold.

A town advisory committee working on the project has decided to stop any further planning.

Chair Duane Hicks says financial pressures facing the town played into their decision.



Hicks says they're look at revisiting the project in the fall to determine if they'll proceed with public meetings.

The committee narrowed its search to four potential sites, pegging costs in the area of $30-thousand.

Wellness Conference Next Week

A focus on holistic health later this month.

Gizhewaadiziwin Health Access Centre and Fort Frances Area Tribal Health Services are hosting a Wellness Conference next week.

The Centre's Program Manager Beverley Cochrane says several presenters are coming who will offer tools and demonstrate ways to achieve physical, spiritual, mental and emotional health.

Cochrane says the conference will also promote programs available in the Fort Frances area.

New Blood Plasma Clinics Concerns

The province is asking the federal government to hold off on approving new clinics that would pay people to give blood plasma.

Three clinics are proposed for Ontario.

Health Minister Deb Matthews says it would be irresponsible to allow a paid-donor system without first determining how it could impact the supply of blood and blood products.

Rae Tours Northwestern Ontario

Federal interim Liberal leader Bob Rae is in Dryden and Kenora today.

Yesterday, he was in Thunder Bay where he spoke about the Ring of Fire and First Nation involvement.

Rae says he's looking at how he can legally represent Matawa Chiefs with their dealings in the chromite mining development.

The one-time Ontario Premier is in the region for party faithful fundraisers billed as "Thanks A Million, Bob."

Expanded Sale Tax Still Possible

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk says there's still room to discuss an expanded sales tax even though Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton intends to abandon that budget approach.

Bakk, who represents Koochiching County, says the Senate Tax Committee plans to consider whether some services should be part of the sales tax mix.

Dayton is releasing a revised budget proposal later this week which still includes a higher tax income rate on the state top wage earners.

Snoasis Winners

The winners have been announced in this past weekend's Snoasis at the former Huffman School property.

Lindsay Hamilton and Joe Galbraith's creation "Building Bridges" earned the judges pick.

"Fishing Fantasy," a snow sculpture created by the staff at the Fort Frances Times was voted fan favourite.

Organizers says they were happy with the turned to the event they hope to continue.

Fort Teacher New OSSTF President

A teacher at Fort Frances High School is the new president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.

Paul Elliot was voted in as head of the 60-thousand member union at a conference in Toronto yesterday.

He's previously served as vice-president since 2007.

Thunder Bay's Sue Doughty-Smith joins him on the OSSTF executive as Executive Officer.

Expansion Planned For J.W. Walker

Google Earth

J.W. Walker School in Fort Frances will be getting larger.

Education Director with the Rainy River District School Board Heather Campbell says it's to accommodate the early learning program to be offered at the school this fall.

The work includes expanding two classrooms and relocating the entrance to the playground.

Campbell says tenders came in over budget, so the board is hoping for additional dollars from the province or approval to use reserves before starting work.