Wednesday, February 10, 2010

McMaster returns to KPDSB

A familiar face is returning to the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board as Director of Education.

Jack McMaster was hired to replace Larry Hope, who signed last month.

McMaster has been a principal and Superintendant of Education with the public school board for a number of years.

He was hired away from the Rainy River District School Board where he has been the Director of Education for the past five years.

Med School Benefits

A study shows the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is providing big economic and social boosts to the region.

The study was commissioned by the school which has campuses at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury.

The study shows about 37 (m) million dollars is spent by the school and its medical students annually.

And recirculation of the funds generates up to 82 (m) million dollars in communities which are involved in N-O-S-M programs.

Sudbury and Thunder Bay get most of the money but Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Timmins, Kenora and Sioux Lookout also benefit.

Board chairman Fred Gilbert notes one of the biggest benefits is that more doctors will stay in the region either as graduates or simply as doctors interested in teaching.

Rezoning Meeting

The City of Kenora's Property and Planning Committee will be holding a public meeting on a rezoning application for a proposed land ambulance base.

The meeting will take place this Tuesday and deals with rezoning a piece of property that lies near a CPR line from highway commercial to institutional.

Assistant City Planner Tara Rickaby says the property owners Degagne Brothers are applying for the rezoning application.

Councillor Rory McMillan says members of the Kenora District Services Board could be speaking in favour of the rezoning application at the meeting on Tuesday.

Ring of Fire Protest

A First Nations blockade of mining activity at the Ring of Fire in northern Ontario could end as early as nextweek.

That's if a new memorandum of agreement is accepted by the Ontario government and the mining companies.

Marten Falls First Nation Chief Elijah Moonias met with government and industry representatives yesterday and outlined their concerns.

They include speeding up construction of a new airport, more environmental accountability for the mining companies, and the end to the use of frozen lakes as landing strips due to environmental concerns.

A group of First Nations set up blockades on the landing strips at Koper and McFaulds lakes in the Ring of Fire, a potentially massive chromite deposit 500 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay.

The blockade is effectively preventing planes used by mining companies from landing in the area.

The First Nations say the blockade could end by February 18th if all parties agree to address their concerns within the next six months.

Confederation College Applications

Confederation College is getting its fair share of applications for this fall's programs and courses.
Applications for full time studies are up 20 percent.

President Pat Lang says there are a number of reasons for the increase in applications.

Lang adds they've seen an increase in older student applications.