Thursday, April 22, 2010

OPP 2009 Stats

The OPP says it has developed five priority areas for reducing
crime in the City of Kenora.

Inspector Dave Lucas presented his 2009 report to council this
week and it shows a 10 percent decrease in the number of calls
for service last year.

Lucas says one area they have been concentrating on is youth
crime.

Lucas says their overall budget came in about 300 thousand dollars
less last year than projected.

NOMA Conference

Municipal leaders from across northwestern Ontario are gathering in Marathon this week.

They're attending the annual Municipal Association convention.

Lynn Peterson is NOMA member and says the gathering will be attended by several high level provincial cabinet ministers.

Councillors Chris Van Wallenghem and Jim Parsons are the only two members of Kenora city council attending the three day conference.

Forestry Fund

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle is disputing suggestions the province is not helping the forest sector as well as it should.

Yesterday, New Democrats revealed much of a fund set up to help the forestry sector remains unused.

But Gravelle says its one program of many Ontario has provided to the industry.

Gravelle says a recent competition for the province's wood supply is also to make the industry more sustainable in the long term.

NWO Fire Risk

The Ministry of Natural Resources says northwestern Ontario is under a -- high to extreme -- forest fire hazard.

New fires are being reported daily across the entire region, keeping fire crews and waterbombers busy.

The fires are generally caused by people although high winds late last week caused numerous fires from trees landing on hydro lines.

There is no rain in the forecast so fire managers are urging people not to burn.

First Nations HST

First Nations groups plan to gather at Queen's Park today to protest the new harmonized sales tax to take effect on July 1st.

They say the H-S-T will remove a point-of-sale exemption they receive on the provincial portion of the merged tax.

A report commissioned by the Chiefs of Ontario suggests this will cost First Nations up to 120 (m) million dollars in the first year
of the H-S-T.

Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse says this will punish many communities already living in poverty.

Diamonds for Sale

Some of the first diamonds to be mined in Ontario will go on sale at Birks' flagship store in downtown Toronto next Monday.

The 100 gems are of extremely high-quality, with a retail value 10 to 15 per cent higher than other diamonds because they are processed in one place.

These sparkling rocks are the first batch available from DeBeers Canada's Victor Mine, near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.

The mine began operations in 2008.