Another Forest Fire in Rainy River District

Yet another forest fire in the Rainy River district.

Ministry of Natural Resources FireRangers, training near Hope Lake, in the area of Northwest Bay First Nation, identified smoke nearby Friday.

The fire burned 0.2 of a hectare.

It the third first in the district this season.

Osisko Focused on E.I.A.

Focus for Osisko Mining at its Hammond Reef gold project near Atikokan is on an environment impact assessment.

It's been submitted to both the federal and provincial governments for their input.

President Sean Roosen expects a final report to come back some time late this year or early next.

Roosen says about 500 comments were received, but none the company couldn't address.

Meantime, the company will spend just $7-million dollars on the project this year.

Medical Students Happy In Fort Frances

Fort Frances is benefiting from the presence of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

The school's board of directors was in the community last week for its monthly meeting.

Dean Dr. Roger Strasser says Fort Frances is getting positive reviews from students who are doing part of their studies here.

Strasser says that can help in attracting the same students back to the community when they complete their studies.

Strasser says the community may soon see a graduate in the near future here to set up a practice.

Jail Or Bail Success

Voyageur Lions Club's first ever Jail or Bail is being called a huge success.

Twenty-one celebrity criminals help raised nearly $8,500 with more pledges yet to come in.

President Bill Michl says few came in with the minimum and those that did were happy to sit in jail and raise the bail they needed to get out of jail.

The club also attracted four new members as a result of the event.

It's now planning to make it an annual one.

Cold April

April is going down as one of the coldest months in the Fort Frances area in several years.

Environment Canada's Peter Kimbell says temperatures were about four degrees lower than normal.

Just 36 millimeters of precipitation fell during the month with most of any big storms passing by with little impact here.

Cold Fishing Opener

It was a cold fishing opener in Minnesota.

Anglers flocking to lake's in northern Minnesota were greeted by mostly icy conditions.

Governor Mark Dayton kicked things off Saturday by catching and releasing a walleye near Park Rapids.

Research To Continue

A new life for the Experimental Research area.

A deal between the federal government and the International Institute for Sustainable Development will allow research at the Kenora area site to continue this summer.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says the agreement was months in the making.

Rickford says the province will also continue talks with the Institute.

MPP Seeks WSIB Changes

A northwestern Ontario claims injured workers are being treated like criminals.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell makes that assertion in calling for reforms to the Workers Compensation Board.

Campbell says is disappointing that too many workers often have to fight for years to receive even the basic benefits from a system that is supposed to help them.

Parts Of Hotel Shut Down

A portion of a hotel in International Falls has been temporarily shutdown.

This after a person was found unresponsive in a room at the AmericaInn Monday  and had to be airlifted to hospital in Duluth.

City officials says the person's condition may be been the result of carbon monoxide entering the room.

The pool and the room the person was in have been closed while local officials determined no other parts of the hotel were impacted.

The exact cause for the incident is still being determined.

NTAB Looking At The Trades

The Northwest Training and Adjustment Board wants to know what employment demands are in the region.

It's focusing primarily on the trades.

Executive Director Sonja Wainio says the trades have become high-profile positions.

Wainio says they want to start going into schools and talking to students about the endless opportunities.

New Budget Demand Expected

File photo

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is set to unveil yet another demand today in exchange for supporting the minority Liberal government's budget.

The New Democrats are seeking a firm five-day guarantee for seniors needing homecare services.

Last week's budget includes 185-million dollars this year to reduce wait times for seniors who need
home care.

Gay Marriage Bill Passes

Minnesota's House has given approval to a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the State.

The vote resulted in four Republicans breaking party ranks to pass the bill, while two Democrats voting against it.

The Senate will hold its vote Monday before it's handed to Governor Mark Dayton for his signature.

Fishing License Sales Slow

A cool spring has slowed the sale of fishing licenses heading into this weekend's fishing opener in Minnesota.

The Department of Natural Resources says sales are down by about a third.

The DNR expects license sales will pick up after all of the ice melts off northern Minnesota lakes.

Minnesota Mussel Dogs

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be sniffing out zebra mussels this weekend.

For the first time, it's using canine teams in the effort to combat the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Conservation Officer Travis Muyres (Meyers) says three dogs have been trained to search out the mussels, much like dogs used in drug investigations.

Minnesota's mussel dogs will also be trained in tracking, firearms and wildlife detection.

Fire Kills Three

Three people, including two young children, are dead following a house fire in a remote First Nations community.

Officials in the Wunnumin Lake First Nation say the two children, aged one and six and a 21-year old woman were killed in yesterday's blaze.

The cause of the fire is not immediately known.

Crisis teams have been sent to the community, 360 kilometres northeast of Sioux Lookout, where officials say residents are devastated by the tragedy.

Red Lake Contamination

Residents of Red Lake are being advised about possible heavy metal contamination in area soil and well water.

The Northwestern Health Unit says since the 1920's, waste products from gold mines deposited throughout the Red Lake area may contain elevated levels of arsenic, antimony or cadmium.

Parents are being advised to not let children play in areas where so-called mine tailings may have been deposited.

Residents with wells are being urged to have their water tested.

Manitou Continues Exploration

Manitou Gold continues its exploration north of Fort Frances.

It's released the latest results of drilling in its Elora property.

President Todd Keast says the exploration continues to demonstrate indications of a potentially large gold bearing deposit.

More drilling is expected once ice from lakes is gone.

Accountability Office "Interesting"

Premier Kathleen Wynne says the NDP's call for a financial accountability office for the province is an "interesting idea.''

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath made the pitch Wednesday - the latest in a list of changes the New Democrats want made to the minority Liberals' budget.

Wynne says the budget is not a starting point for negotiations and she's not afraid of facing an election.

New Treatment Program In District

Some help closer to home for those suffering from addictions or mental health issues.

Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Services is out with a new treatment program that includes pre-treatment, out-patient and after care programs.

Director of Behavioral Health Services Lori Flinders says it avoids having to go out of town.

The Health Services will begin the program next week.

Children's Mental Health Week Recognized

Firefly is celebrating Children Mental Health Week.

Board chair Jackie Mitchell says the one big initiative this week is to raise awareness about mental health.

Mitchell says one in five children have a mental health issue.