Thursday, November 26, 2009

Miracle Marathon

The Salvation Army is predicting an increased need for its Christmas Hampers this year.

The biggest fundraiser for the Christmas Cheer campaign takes place later this week with the CJRL Miracle Marathon.

Captain Debbie Gosse says not only is the need for hampers expected to rise, they are looking for the community to help fill the shelves oftheir food bank.

The Miracle Marathon will air on CJRL starting at 6:00 Friday morningand run until Saturday afternoon.

Northern Growth Plan Sioux Lookout

About 20 people from the Sioux Lookout area turned out last night to give their thoughts on the Northern Growth Plan drafted by the Province.

Diane Kelley is the Grand Chief of Treaty 3 and says she wants to make sure aboriginal people are properly consulted and represented in the plan.

Feedback is being accepted on the Northern Growth Plan until February 1st.

CP False alarms

Canadian Pacific says an investigation found no problems with any of their trains in the Kenora Rail yard.

Yesterday afternoon a business in the Railway Street area reported an odor coming from the CP tracks.

Personnel from the rail yard began investigating and even stopped a train to see if they could find the source of the smell.

A company spokesperson says they were eventully able todetermined that the odor wasn't coming from any of their equipment.

Its still unclear where the mysterious smell originated from.

Police Firearms

The OPP have released details surrounding an arrest in the River Drive Area yesterday afternoon that closed down Highway 17 east for a brief period of time.

Around 2:45, the Street Crime Unit and the Crime Unit were called out after getting a call that a suspect was in possession of a firearm at a localmotel.

Police secured the area and the man was arrested without incident.

A 34 year old Kenora man was taken into custody for an outstanding warrant on an unreleated matter.

The area and the motel room were searched, but no firearm was located.

Optimistic about Abitibi

An AbitibiBowater official in northwestern Ontario is still optimistic about the company's future.

John Harrison provided an update on the company's status this week.

Harrison says the focus over the next few months on shaping the company that can help it exit credit protection.

Harrison adds the company is also continuing to examine alternative production for its high-
gloss paper machine that's has been scheduled to be idled by the end of the year.

CAS Northeastern Ontario

The N-D-P are upset with a proposal to merge some northernOntario Children's Aid Societies.

The government is trying to find a way to keep the Payukotayno James and Hudson Bay Family Services office open afterit sent layoff notices to its 120 staff.

Children Services Minister Laurel Broten says the government islooking at all kinds of options to keep centres open.

Human Remains Identified

Human remains found north of Pickle Lake on Saturday are those of a Kitchener, Ont., man.

Jeffrey Boyd, 51, was reported missing to the Waterloo Regional Police on Nov. 8.

Police say a hunter came across the remains roughly 65 kilometres north of Pickle Lake.

Police are not releasing the cause of death at the request of the family.

Foul play has been ruled out, although police say an investigation continues into why Boyd was in
remote northwestern Ontario.

Transport Crash in Dryden

Charges have been laid in yesterday morning's single vehicle crash on Highway 17 near Wal-Mart.

Dryden Police say an eastbound vehicle left the road, crossed into the westbound lane and struck a light standard.

The car flipped onto its roof, while live power lines fell to the Highway.Police say an unindentified driver faces 1-count of failing to drive in a marked lane.

The driver was transfered to Hospital with minor injuries.

Transport Crash in Dryden

Charges have been laid in yesterday morning's single vehicle crash on Highway 17 near Wal-Mart.

Dryden Police say an eastbound vehicle left the road, crossed into the westbound lane and struck a light standard.

The car flipped onto its roof, while live power lines fell to the Highway.Police say an unindentified driver faces 1-count of failing to drive in a marked lane.

The driver was transfered to Hospital with minor injuries.

Skyharbour Mining Red Lake

B.C. based Skyharbour Resources has reacquired a the Sidace Lake mining property near Red Lake.

Company officials believe the property is located in an ideal area, surrounded by rival Goldcorp claims.

Skyharbour will compile and review all previous work reports and exploration programs on its Sidace Lake property, including geophysics and diamond drilling.

The company plans to put together a budget for a future work program on the 2 square miles of
land it now holds there.

The property is located in the Sobeski Lake Area in northwestern Ontario.

Bayfield Gold Northwestern Ontario

B.C. based Bayfield Ventures is actively looking for gold in Northwestern Ontario.

The company has acquired 100 percent of the mineral rights to a claim in the Chapple municipality in the Rainy River District.

The claim consists of four patented mineral claims equaling 480 acres of land.

The company plans to continue its work in the area into the new year.

Chromite Northwestern Ontario

The owner of a valuable chromite deposit in northwestern Ontario is being taken over by a major U-S international iron ore and coal producer.

The deal for Freewest Resources by Cleveland Cliffs Natural Resources is 150 million dollars in stock.

Cleveland Cliffs plans to build an 800-million dollar open-pit mine and processing plant to
convert the ore into ferrochrome, used widely in stainless steel manufacturing.

The mine near Nakina would be North America's first major chromite producer with start up slated for 2015.

Fort Frances Physician

A Fort Frances physicians is being named to head a provincial physicians group.

Doctor Robert Algie is to become president of the Ontario Colleges of Family Physicians for the next year.

Algie has practiced in the Fort Frances area for the more than 28 years and joined the O-C-F-P
board seven years ago and its executive in 2006.

He's to assume the position at a conference being held in Toronto this week.