Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Thunder Bay Flu Scanners

Wait times at Thunder Bay flu shot clinics should get shorter once new computer equipment is up and operating.

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is receiving gear that will allow quicker sign-ins at swine flu and seasonal flu clinics.

The equipment will allow those seeking shots to swipe an Ontario health card or driver's licence for identification.

The health unit will receive about 20 scanners at a cost of about 60-thousand dollars.

Dryden Highways

The City of Dryden plans to lobby the provincial government to improve the state of highways in northwestern Ontario -- and ask fora higher speed limit.

Dryden will ask that the speed limit to be increased by 10 kilometres an hour.

One councillor says most travellers are going stateside because of the state of Ontario's highway's.

Greyhound Hampton

No news, isn't good news when it comes to Greyhound Bus Service in northwestern Ontario.

Greyhound has said it will suspend bus service December 2nd unless the government agrees to provide some sort of subsidy for the service.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Howard Hampton says he asked the Transportation
Minister yesterday in the Ontario Legislature what's being done to keep the service running.

Hampton says so far no other bus company has applied to the Ontario Transportation Board to operate in northern Ontario if Greyhound pulls out.

Greyhound Hampton

No news, isn't good news when it comes to Greyhound Bus Service in northwestern Ontario.

Greyhound has said it will suspend bus service December 2nd unless the government agrees to provide some sort of subsidy for the service.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Howard Hampton says he asked the Transportation
Minister yesterday in the Ontario Legislature what's being done to keep the service running.

Hampton says so far no other bus company has applied to the Ontario Transportation Board to operate in northern Ontario if Greyhound pulls out.

KDSB Budget

Area Municipalities may be paying less for social services next year.

The Kenora District Service Board has released its proposed budget for 2010, with net costs dropping 147-thousand dollars from 2009.

Finance Chair Anne Krassilowsky says they are still facing considerable pressures.

The KDSB is expecting to pay 6.1-million dollars in Ontario Works financial benefits next year, up 700-thousand dollars from this year.All communities in the District have seen an increase in cases, with the exception of Red Lake.
The Kenora Riding did very well in terms of securing federal infrastructure funding this year.

A total of 6.7 million dollars was handed out to communities in first nations under the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Fund.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says he's not going to apologize for the fact this riding got more funding under that program than any other in Canada.

Rickford says at this point its too early to say whether the Harper government will pump any more money into infrastrucuture projects next year.

He says the finance department is currently holding consultation sessions and will decide before the budget is released in the spring.

Nutritious Food Basket

The cost of eating a healthy, well-balanced diet continue to go up in northwestern Ontario.

The Health Unit has come out with its annual nutritious food basket survey for 2009.

Dietician, Julie Slack says their main concern isn't the cost of food in the region, so much as how people on limited incomes are managing to eat health meals.

Slack says the cost of feeding a family of four has risen to 825 dollars in 2009.

The survey is based on the average price of groceries in 25 stores thoughout the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.