Council Supports Kraft Celebration Tour Bid

Fort Frances Council is throwing its support behind the Fort Frances Curling Club and its bid in the Kraft Celebration Tour.

Mayor Roy Avis is encourages everyone in the region back the bid as well.

Council has agreed to help promote the upcoming July 19 vote on the town's website and is temporarily waving its sign-by law to allow the club to display posters around town.

New Fees For Sunny Cove Camp

Fort Frances Council has given approval to a lower fee at  Sunny Cove Camp.

Groups wanting to use camp's facilities for only a few hours will be charged $75 for half day use or $125 for the full day.

The new fees were a recommendation of an advisory committee who suggested they may attract more users to the facility.

Dragon Boats Secure Funding

Organizers of a Dragon Boat Club in Fort Frances have secured funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says Northern Community Development Services is getting $52-thousand  to assist in the club's formation.

The club genesis comes out of two successful dragon boat festivals.

Student Run Business Gets Provincial Support

A Fort Frances student has launched his own company with help from a provincial program aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship.

Tanner Bell is operating "Social Torch Media," a social-media based business, after his business proposal was accepted by the Summer Company program.

It's just one of three in the Kenora and Rainy River districts to be accepted.

Bell receives a grant to start his business and an additional bursary if it proves to be successful.

Firefly To Benefit From Foundation Gift

A regional children's agency is receiving some support from a Kenora-based foundation.

Firefly's board chair Jackie Mitchell says the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation has set up a 50-thousand dollar endowment fund to offer funding for various program.

Mitchell says donations towards the fund through the foundation can also be made as well.

Chares Laid In Weekend Stand Off

A Fort Frances man has now been charged in connection with a weekend stand-off with OPP.

33 year old Bobby Joe Wilson remains in custody until Friday after making a brief appearance in court today.

He was arrested after a 13-hour stand-off in Fort Frances ended peacefully

Police were dealing with a call outside a First Street East Home earlier that morning when they say a man refused to obey their orders and went inside where a gun was fired.

The incident forced the evacuation of residents nearby while additional OPP resources were brought in to help bring the situation.

First Nations Rally In Support Of Police

First Nations communities are rallying around the Treaty 3 Police Service.

The force says it will cease August 19 because of financial issues.

Public Service Alliance of Canada's Sharon DeSousa says they were shocked by the decision.

Petitions to keep the force alive are now circulating around communities effected with a rally planned in Kenora July 23.

Fire Crews Moved

MNR file photo

The lack of forest fire activity in the Rainy River district is allowing the Ministry of Natural Resources to move crews to where they're needed.

Crews from this region, as well as from Thunder Bay, Kenora and Dryden areas have been deployed to support their counterparts further north.

Over 40 fires are burning, mostly in the Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Nipigon districts.

Help is also arriving from the MNR's northeastern regions.

Information Sharing At Border

Some of the information gathered from travelers at northwestern Ontario's border crossings in now being shared.

It's part of an initiative between the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Program director Andrew Lawrence says it expands on a pilot program conducted at four borders last year and is aimed at improving security at the border

Lawrence says much of the data collected is already contained in documents such as a passport.

Traffic Disruption Today In Fort Frances

A reminder to motorists in Fort Frances.

A section of Second Street, between Central and Mowat Avenues, is being closed this morning as crews begin the first phase of installing new sewer and water pipes.

Traffic lights at Central and Second will also be shut off as well.

Detour signs have been posted.

TSN Personality To Be A Part Of Tour

Eleven days before you get your votes in to support the Fort Frances Curling Club's bid to be a part of the Kraft Celebration Tour.

TSN's Jennifer Hedger would be among those in Fort Frances when we beat Dryden July 19.

Hedger, who missed the last two tours, says they help show community pride, giving them a chance to show off on a national stage.

Hedger says she'd love to come to Fort Frances, but encourages people to get online and vote often to make it happen when the polls officially open.

Caramel Set To Travel

Fort Frances Library photo

Caramel has his bags packed and passport.

The Fort Frances Public Library's pet guinea pig is visiting area libraries as part of a summer reading program.

Chief Librarian Alicia Subnaik-Kilgour says it connect with the program's travel theme.

Caramel begins his travels this week to the Rainy River library with stopped later in Emo and Atikokan.

Union Deal Helps Resolute Plan For Restart

An agreement between Resolute Forest Products and the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union will allow the company to restart an idled paper machine at its Fort Frances mill later this month.

Machine number 7 will run for two to three months beginning July 17.

CEP National Rep Stephen Boon says about 40 people, laid off earlier this year, will be asked to return.

He says the return will be voluntary and former workers who refuse won't be in fear of losing their severance or recall rights.

Boon says many workers who might be called back may have found new jobs and won't be able to return.


Boon says they are still hoping for some feedback from Resolute on what the long range plans are for the mill.

No Kid Pro Or Parade For Bass Tournament

2012 Kid Pro Winners

A lack of people to run them is to blame for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship putting both the Kid Pro fishing tournament and Parade of Boats on hiatus this year.

The Kid Pro offered young people the chance to fish in a catch-and-release tournament style event with anglers competing in the main event.


President Gord Watson says there were angler concerns the event, held the Sunday before the main tournament, impacted on their ability to pre-fish.

But he says the main reason for it not going this year was the inability to find anyone to organize and run it.

Watson says similar issues faced the parade of boats.

The parade was last cancelled in 2009 because of a lack of interest from anglers.

Watson says if people step forward next year, both event could return.

Question of the Week

Will you miss the Kid Pro Fishing Tournament and Parade of Boats not taking place at this year's Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships?

Let us know on our website 931theborder.ca.

In response to our last question, 67 per cent feel a need for a public nuisance by-law in Fort Frances.

Castin' For Cash Underway

Another bass fishing tournament gets underway this morning.

Sixty-three teams are competing in the Castin' for Cash Bass Tournament on Lake Despair.

Wayne and Pat Howard are the two-time defending champs.

Teams leave the docks this morning with first day weigh-ins at 4 p.m.

Lightning Blazing Up New Fires

MNR file photo

Multiple forest fire starts are beginning to put pressure on the Ministry of Natural Resources,

As many as 40 new fires have popped up in the past three days, all lightning caused.

One of the largest is about 40 kilometres northwest of Red Lake which has been mapped at 2,600 hectares as the result of several smaller fires joining as one.

None of the fires burning are in the Rainy River district.

Teddy Bear Picnic Today

FF Library photo

It's a Teddy Bear picnic at the Fort Frances Library today.

It begins at 11 a.m. and cost $3.00 per person.

Program director Andrea Avis says there will be a lot of activities for young children and their favourite bear to participate.

Dr. Elaine also returns to provide teddy bears in need.

Thunder Bay's Jim 'n' I will provide the day's musical entertainment.

People are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs and a picnic lunch, although there will be food sold on site.

And don't forget your favourite teddy bear.

Cold And Dry June In Borderland

It was a much colder and drier June in the Borderland.

The National Weather Service out of Duluth says the average temperature during the month in International Falls was about 15 C or 60.2 F  - about half a degree lower than normal.

Just 1.6 inches of rain were also recorded, more than two inches below the norm.

Acadia Buys New Station

Acadia Broadcasting is moving to add another radio station to its stable.

The parent company of  93.1 The Border has filed an application with the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission to purchase CKNI-FM in Moncton, New Brunswick,

The Saint John based company currently owns ten stations across the Maritimes and northwestern Ontario.

from Rogers Broadcasting.