Loblaw Plans to Purchase Shoppers Drug Mart

A mega-merger between two of Canada's largest retailers.

Loblaw Companies says it has a deal to purchase Shoppers Drug Mart  for 12.4 billion dollars in cash and stock.
   
The merger would combine the country's largest grocery retailer and largest chain of pharmacies.
   
Under the terms of the agreement, which is still subject to approval, Shoppers will keep its brand name and operate as a
separate division of Loblaw.

Rickford Lands Cabinet Post

Kenora MP Greg Rickford has caught the attention of Prime Minister Harper.

Greg Rickford has received a major promotion and has been appointed to cabinet as minister for Science and Technology and also has taken over the FedNor portfolio from Tony Clement.

Rickford says he's ready to get down to work with his new jobs.

He has has also been asked to take the lead in the Ring of Fire project in northern Ontario.

OPP Recover Body of Missing Man

The body of 20 year old John Savoyard from Minaki has been located on the Winnipeg River.

The OPP Marine Unit began looking for a man, who dove off the Darlington Bridge early Saturday morning, and failed to re-surface.

The Underwater Search and Rescue Unit was brought in yesterday.

Today a post-mortem exam will be carried out at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

The name of the deceased is not being released.

Meanwhile, police are also looking for a missing swimmer on the Rainy River near Emo.

The OPP say two men tried to swim across the river last night around 7:00, a distance of about 200 feet
, but only one made it back to the Emo Public Docks.

A shoreline search is currently being carried out for the 27 year old man.

Treaty Three Residents Fighting Closure of Police Service

The people of Treaty 3 are going to make sure their voice is heard when a new public safety minister is chosen.

Tania Cameron says they plan to overload the new ministers communication lines with their concerns about the police service closing down.

Cameron says the idea came from another large aboriginal political movement.

Cameron says they are also drafting up a fact sheet on how the move will affect the economy and families in all Treaty 3 communities.

Quiet Weekend for Fire Crews

A quiet weekend on the forest fire front in northwestern Ontario.

Just one new fire was reported with the number of active down to 32.

However, the effects of rain in the far north were short lived and the hazard there is back to the high range.

The central and southern portions of the region are in a low to moderate fire hazard.

Nursing Goes Paperless

Nursing staff in Northwestern Ontario will now be using electronic charts.

It's part of the the Northwest Health Alliance's paperless medical record program.

It involves 13 hospitals in the region including Lake of the Woods District Hospital in Kenora and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center.

60's Scoop Lawsuit to be Launched

Efforts continue this morning in a Toronto courtroom  to certify a First Nations class action lawsuit against the federal government.

Beaverhouse First Nations Chief Marcia Brown Martel is the lead plaintiff who says it's about making the government answer for taking First Nations children away from their parents in the 1960's.

Chief Martel believes the government should own up to its mistakes and do the right thing.

Health Officials Warn Against Lyme Disease

Ontario’s Chief Medical Health Officer says people in the North shouldn’t be too complacent about ticks that carry Lyme disease.

Dr. Arlene King says that even though these black legged ticks are more prevalent in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario, they also make their way north.

Dr. King says that means wearing pants tucked into your socks and long-sleeved shirts, and using insect repellent with DEET.

Dr. Curtis
Russell says the Lyme-carrying ticks are highly prevalent as well in the northeastern United States.

City Wants Parking Limit at Discovery Center

The city wants visitors to stop in at the Discovery Center...just not for very long.

Council is being asked to support a four hour parking limit at the Discovery Center's parking lot, and prohibit overnight parking.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says with the new docks at the Discovery Center, they are worried people will take advantage of the situation.

The four hour parking limit would also apply to the new docks at the Discovery Center.

Stewners Win Shoal Lake Bass Classic

Another summer on the Northwest Bass Circuit has been launched.

Ted and Louise Stewner from Winnipeg won the Shoal Lake Bass Classic over the weekend.

The Stewners topped the leaderboard with a two day total of 33.64 pounds of bass.

They finished just over a pound ahead of Jay Samsal and Scott Dingwall
in the standings.

Jack and Darren Neniska finished third.