Cruisers Over-Stuffed

OPP photo

A huge show of support from Rainy River District food banks.

Area residents helped stuff 37-and-a-half cruisers in the OPP's annual stuff a cruiser campaign held in Fort Frances, Emo and Rainy River.

Constable Anne McCoy is thankful to those who donated food and other items fur local food banks.

McCoy says the food will help them get through want is a normally busy time of the year.

The campaign also filled four ambulances and brought in a cruiser full of diapers.

The items are being distributed to the Salvation Army, the United Native Friendship Centre and Sunset Country Metis in Fort Frances, the Emo Food Bank and the Rainy River-West End Food Bank.

An earlier campaign in Atikokan helped fill ten cruisers.

More Food Drives

Area food banks are getting more support this week.

Staff and students at J.W. Walker School in Fort Frances are holding their own food drive today and tomorrow to help those in our community.

Food Bank Use On The Rise

The demand for food banks across Ontario is growing.

The Ontario Association of Food Banks finds 375-thousand people now relying on food banks every month with over 16-thousand first time users identified this year.

Executive Director Bill Laidlaw says it's an trend that has been on the rise in the past decade.

Laidlaw says those on social assistance, seniors, single parent families and students among the greatest users.

NDP Calls For HST Removal From Home Heating Costs

Provincial NDP are renewing their calls to have the HST removed from the cost of home heating.

MPP Michael Mantha introduced a private members bill on the final day of the fall sitting.

Mantha says with recent examples of government waste and the threat of huge increases in electricity rates in the near future, removal of the sales tax is needed more than ever for people already struggling to pay their bills.

Debate on the bill isn't likely until sometime in the new year.

LHINS Get A Review

Regional health authorities will get a review in the new year.

A provincial legislative committee intends to hold public meetings in late January and February to review the Local Health System Integration Act.

It include a meeting in Thunder Bay on February 3.

The 7-year-old act led to the creation of 14 Local Health Integration Networks, including one for the Northwest, to oversee the planning, integration and funding of local health.

Fatal Weekend Accident

One person is dead following a motor vehicle accident west of Thunder Bay.

OPP says the 53-year-old man died yesterday afternoon after a pick-up truck rolled over on Highway 11-17 west of Thunder Bay near Finmark road.

His identify has not been released.

Trains Moving Again

Trains are moving again on the CP rail line in northwestern Ontario.

A derailment about 10-kilometres east of Ignace forced the closure of the line early Saturday morning.

Fourteen grain cars left the track.

No one was injured.

New Gold Commits To Area Gold Project

New Gold is reaffirming its commitment to its newly acquired Rainy River gold project.

The mining company makes that promise following the release of a feasibility study for a gold project in British Columbia.

Chair Randall Oliphant says given the drop in gold prices and that the Rainy River project has a more modest capital requirement, the company's priority will be advancing the project north of Barwick.

An update feasibility study for the project is due out early next year.

Internet Services Study

Telecommunication services in the Rainy River district will be getting a review.

Rainy River Future Development Corporation wants to study what exists and what plans companies have to expand services.

Client services Manager Geoff Gillon says it's hoped the findings will lead to them working with companies to improve the bandwidth.

Stuff A Cruiser Tomorrow

OPP want area residents to stuff a few cruisers.

The annual food drive for area foods banks takes place in Fort Frances, Rainy River and Emo tomorrow.

Constable Anne McCoy says they need as many non-perishable food items as possible.

The food collected will be shared between the Salvation Army, the United Native Friendship Centre, Sunset Country Metis, Emo Food Bank and the Rainy River West End Food Bank.

Some of the food will also be given to the Fort France Volunteer Bureau for its community Christmas dinner.

Last year, a total of 30 cruisers were filled across the Rainy River district.

Ten were stuff in an even in Atikokan at the end of November.

Suspended Drivers Beware

Suspended drivers beware.

OPP are expanding a program that allows officers to nab suspended drivers

Sergeant Brian Humber says it includes cameras installed on top of cruisers.

Three of the units will be on vehicles in northwestern Ontario.

Spring Bear Hunt Bill Passes Second Reading

The return of the spring bear hunt in Ontario is one step closer to reality.

Thunder Bay-Atikokan  MPP Bill Mauro's private members bill has  passed second reading at Queen's Park.

It's now goes to a legislative committee for review.

The purpose of the bill aims to reduce the number of aggressive bear attacks.

Students Send Greetings To Fort Frances Solider

Some special holiday greetings for a soldier in Afghanistan from Fort Frances.

Master Bombardier Nathan Cousineau connected by Skype with students and staff at St. Francis School yesterday.

Teacher David Black says it was a real thrill.

Cousineau supply teaches at the school.


Students represented Cousineau with banners, art work and a huge postcard to show their support him and fellow soldiers.

Cousineau, deployed to Afghanistan in September, was very appreciative of the students show of support.

Fort Frances Impacted By Canada Post Plan

Canada Post is confirming door-to-door mail delivery in Fort Frances and other small communities where the service now exists will be eliminated as part of its announced changes.

Company spokesperson Anick Losier says every affected community in Canada will eventually see the change over to residents having to go to a neighbourhood community mailbox to get their mail.

Losier says exactly when the change over takes place in Fort Frances has yet to be determined.

Search For New Medical Officer Of Health Underway

The Northwestern Health Unit has started the process of hiring a new Medical Officer of Health.

Dr. Jim Arthurs plans to retire next year.

The Health's Unit Chief Executive Officer, Mark Perreault says they hope to have Arthur's replacement in place by May.

Perreault says they are currently in the final stages of the hiring process.

Postcard Signing

Premier Wynne can expect to receive a lot of holiday card this season.

Advocates calling a rise in Ontario's minimum wage are fanning out across the province today asking people to sign cards that asks the Premier to bring the hour wage to 14-dollars an hour.

The minimum wage has been frozen at 10-dollars for the past three years.

Good News Forecast For Ontario Economy

A new report suggests Ontario's economy is on the upswing.

RBC Economics Provincial Outlook says strong demand for exports and an expected resumption of the manufacturing sector's recovery will help boost economic expansion in Ontario in the next two years.

RBC expects growth to rise 1.3 per cent this year and 2.6 per cent in 2014.

Trails Still Closed

Despite a large dump of snow and recent cold temperatures, Voyageurs National Park says it hasn't been able to open any of its snowmobile trails yet this winter.

Park officials says the snow has actually slowed ice making and has made for slushy conditions on the area lakes.

Some of its ski trails are open, but not groomed.

Local Girls Retreat Wins Funding

An early Christmas present for the I Am Awesome and I Know It Retreat for young women.

It secured $5,000 after finishing 3rd in voting in the Aviva Community Fund contest's semi-final round.

Director Renee Martin-Brown says the money will make a huge difference for the event.

Her submission, along with the other top ten finishers, will now be reviewed by a panel to determine who gets the top prize of 50-thousand dollars.

A decision is expected in January.

High School First Responders Planning Trip To Washington

Fort Frances High School First Responders are planning for a trip to Washington in February.

Member Ashley Dupuis says they've embarked on a campaign to raise the money to attend to International Emergency Medical Services Conference.

The First Responders will be at Canada Safeway and the Christmas Store this weekend.