Friday, March 19, 2010

Ring of Fire Northern Ontario

First Nations in northern Ontario say they are ending theirblockade of airstrips used by mining companies looking to get at theRing of Fire chromite deposit.

The First Nations will officially end the three-month-longprotest today and say they will work with the province and miningcompanies to ensure their concerns are addressed.

The blockades in the Ring of Fire, 500 kilometres northeast ofThunder Bay, were set up after Marten Falls and Webequie communities said they were not consulted by the mining companies.

NAN Women's Conference

The fourth annual Nishnawbe Aski Nation Women's Traning Forum is underway.

Deputy Grand Chief Mike Metatawabin says its an empowering event that gives a voice to NAN women.

Metatawabin says drug and alcohol abuse is deffinately the greatest issue facing his people.

MNR Bear Wise

A warning from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Linda Wall of the Bear Wise program says because of the unseasonably warm weather, bears are likely to come out earlier than usual.

She says they'll be scavenging for food and that could mean encountering a bruin in town.

Wall anticipates most of the bears will be younger ones, likely 2-years old.

KDSB Budget Defeated

The Kenora District Services Board still doesn't have a 2010 budget.Municipal reps defeated a 50.8-million dollar budget Thursday, prolonging a task that started last September.

Kenora Councilor Rory McMillian says the document will lead to increased costs for his community.

The budget is 2.6-million dollars higher then the one presented in January due to additional uncontrolled costs in Land Ambulance and Ontario Works.The financial document was defeated 5-4, with reps from Dryden, Ear Falls, Ignace and Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls also opposed.

Meanwhile, Staff with the Kenora District Services Board must be thinking a climb up Mount Everest is easier then figuring out a 2010 budget that suites everyone need.

The climb could get a lot more complicated because of Provincial Legislation.

The Board defeated the fiscal document on Thursday and is not scheduled to meet again until May.

However, CAO Stain Leaf says they are required by law to submit a balanced budget to the Provincial Government by March 31.

With no current numbers in front of the Government, Leaf is also concerned that the Board may be ignored when the McGuinty Liberals present their budget later this month.