Budgets Break as Policing Costs Rise
March 15, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

Although public safety remains a priority for municipalities operating throughout the region, the recent disclosure of 2006 policing costs have left many communities questioning whether or not they can continue to keep their residents safe. For Red Lake increases in policing charges will cost the Municipality an additional $270,000 which could raise taxes by as much as six percent. In Ear Falls municipal taxpayers were left with an additional bill of $144,279 last year, which accounted for virtually all of the municipal general tax increase of 5.6 percent.
 “Funding for policing comes from OMPF [the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund], but it has not been working out for us,” explained Municipality of Red Lake Councillor Donna Molloy. “When we were in Toronto, we gave our position to the minister [Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Monte Kwinter]. We told him the new contract was out of our ability to fund. I should say that we are very pleased with our policing and OPP in general, but we just can’t fund it.”
 With the substantial influx in cost, the Municipality of Red Lake has yet to endorse the new contract and is now looking into other funding options to ensure there are not cuts to the current level of service. According to Councillor Molloy, who also sits on the local policing committee, it may be possible for the Municipality to access funding through a $35 million provincial investment announced in November of 2005—the 1,000 Officers Partnership Program.
 Although the Municipality was originally under the impression that they did not qualify for the funding, which will see 1,000 new officers patrolling the streets beginning this summer, Councillors have since discovered that the Municipality does meet the funding requirements and are hoping to obtain one or two officers through the program.If their application for funding were approved, the Municipality would receive $70,000 per officer however they would still be responsible for covering any additional costs for those positions including communications, detention, vehicles, etc.
 The Municipality is also looking in to the possibility of staggering the increase over the total length of the five-year contract, which they are thankful they opted into rather than paying on a cost basis per year because unless the government negotiates a new wage scale with the OPP union, there are no surprise increases to catch the Municipality off guard.
 “We opted for negotiating a five year contract through Contract Policing because it is the best for us,” said Molloy. “We looked at other options including using the Dryden Police or not having a contract but negotiating a contract means we can budget for the costs—anyone without a contract can be in for a big surprise. Other communities like Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout and Pickle Lake do not have a contract and are getting hit with large increases.”
 In fact, things are decidedly grim for the community of Pickle Lake, which was forced to take out a loan to cover its policing costs and on Monday, declared that it would be throwing in the towel. To clarify, after three years of digging into its reserves to cover the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) shortfall in order to avoid triple-digit property tax increases, the reserves are gone and the Township of Pickle Lake is about to hit a financial wall and it is up to the Province to decide the next step.
 According to Pickle Lake Mayor Roy Hoffman, the final straw came when the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing brokered a deal in the fall of 2005 that would see the Township get $210,000 in a Special Assistance Grant, and a $218,000 loan from the Ontario Strategic Infrastrucutre Financing Authority to help cover the $2,195 policing cost per household. This deal would have balanced the Pickle Lake budget for 2005 but would have done little to help the community in the long-term meaning the Township would still require more loans—which it would be unable to secure—to keep it a float in 2006. According to Hoffman, the 2005 loan has not been approved or finalized as of yet and Pickle Lake will not be signing the loan, which will push the community into further financial trouble.
 “Putting our community into long-term debt over downloaded services, such as policing; is a sure-fire recipe for failure,” commented Mayor Hoffman. “Pickle Lake has no control over exorbitant cost nor does it have the means to pay the price with only 265 households to draw from. You just can’t paint the whole Province with the same brush. The OMPF formula just doesn’t work for Pickle Lake.”
 Pickle Lake might be the first community to hit the wall, but as the Mayor points out, with escalating costs across the province there is little doubt that there are many other small communities that are not too far behind them.

Snowmobile Collision Closes Highway 125
March 1, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

A nineteen-year-old Balmertown man is in serious condition following a collision between his snowmobile and a car on Highway 125 between Red Lake and Balmertown. The accident, which took place shortly before noon on Saturday, February 25, 2006, closed the local highway as emergency crews responded to the scene.
 Balmertown resident Kalvin Levesque was seriously injured after he collided with a westbound vehicle while crossing the highway on his snowmobile. Although the driver of the car suffered minor injuries, Levesque fared much worse and was transported to the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital in serious condition before being transferred to Winnipeg for further care.
 In another unrelated incident, a sixteen-year-old male was pronounced dead after a collision between a GT SnoRacer and a CP Rail train at the rail crossing near the government dock in the community of Wabigoon.
 The collision occurred on February 26th when a snowmobile towing a GT SnoRacer made an attempt to cross the railway tracks and while the snowmobile was able to make the crossing, the towed vehicle was subsequently struck. The snowmobile driver and passenger remained unharmed in the collision and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
 The OPP are continuing their investigations into both collisions.

Councillors Fare Well at Good Roads Conference
March 1, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

During the week of February 20, 2006, Councillors with the Municipality of Red Lake attended the 2006 Good Road’s Conference in Toronto to discuss outstanding issues with the various provincial ministries. Although their schedule was jam-packed and left little time for rest, the local Councillors fared well making headway on several fronts.
 Although the Councillors had the opportunity to take in several workshops throughout their stay in Toronto, their main focus during the conference was to meet with representatives from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Natural Resources.
 During their sessions with the various ministries, the Miss McKenzie ferry service, which links McKenzie Island to the Cochenour mainland, was of high interest as Councillors struggle to find funding for a much-needed replacement. According to the Municipality, although a new ferry vessel is currently in the works, it will not be completed in time to hit the water in the spring and unless the Canadian Coast Guard is willing to extend its certification for their current operation, the Municipality will be left high and dry as it works to find a solution.
 Although no funding is currently available through the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Minister Rick Bartolucci was sympathetic to the cause and is prepared to approach other ministries on behalf of the Municipality to secure funding to help cover the $250,000 to $300,000 price tag associated with the construction of a new 12-seat vessel.
 The new ferry will be expensive to purchase however according to the Municpality it will generate less operating expenses and therefore offer some relief on the overall costs of continuing with the service.
 While in Toronto the Councillors also took the opportunity to discuss the current condition of Highway 105 between Ear Falls and Red Lake. Although a portion of the highway was capped in the fall, the Municipality took the opportunity to express their disappointment with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO)—Regional Director Larry Lambert in particular—and their decision to downgrade the highway by capping the road rather than resurfacing it as expected.  The Municipality was also disheartened to hear that the road isn’t slated for any upgrades in the announced series of projects, which means that the highway likely won’t be upgraded for at least five years. Despite their frustrations with the MTO, the Municipality will continue to pressure the Ministry for an estimated timeline as to when the work will be completed.
 The Municpality of Red Lake also relayed its concerns regarding the Management Plan for Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. According to the Councillors, there is some concern as to whether or not the opinions of the park’s stakeholders have been given proper consideration during the development of the management plan. Although they recognize that it is in fact a provincial park, Councillors believe that local park users should have a say in whether or not their access to the park changes.
 According to Councillor Jack Goodwillie, many people who enter the park on motorized vehicles—including snowmobiles and motorized boats—remain respectful of the environment and wildlife and do not deserve to be penalized by being denied continued access to areas within the park’s boundaries.
In addition to the Red Lake Councillors, Township of Ear Falls Mayor Jim Desmarais and Councillors Ron Bergmann and Frank Ray also took part in the conference where their attention was directed toward the lack of funding for after school busing programs.
 According to Mayor Desmarais, students attending the Red Lake District High School from Ear Falls and Perrault Falls are missing out because of the absence of late bus services previously funded by the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board. Although they received no funding guarantees, Minister Bartolucci is expected to lobby on their behalf in a move to ensure all students have equal access to education.
 During the week-long conference, Township of Ear Falls representatives also had the opportunity to meet with Education Minister Gerrard Kennedy who agreed that the absence of the late busing service is hindering students access to good education. During their meeting, Minister Kennedy suggested that the councilors take a closer look at the $10 million recently allocated to school boards to help with their drop out rates in the hopes that their late-busing program would meet the funding criteria.
 “The Minister, at this point, agreed that the [late busing] issue we had brought forth fits right in with what is required to better educate our students and the fact that all of our students require the same access to good education,” explained Mayor Desmarais. “The Minister seemed surprised that [funding] would not be spent for the After School Bus under the circumstances.”
 Despite their relative success in Toronto, representatives of the Municipality of Red Lake and Township of Ear Falls received no guarantees however they remain optimistic that their concerns have been heard and progress on the issues has been made.

Goldcorp Inc’s Gold Sales Triple in 2005
February 22, 2006
By Myles Gunn
The Northern Sun News

Goldcorp Inc. recently released details of their 2005 fiscal year, including sales figures which indicate the company’s growing profitability.
 The company’s gold sales for 2005 were 1,344,600 ounces, or more than triple 2004’s figure of 427,600. Cash costs per ounce for the company were less than $25 USD, compared to 2004’s cash cost per ounce of $115 USD. The sale of 221,200 ounces of gold from the company’s gold inventory was factored into the 2005 sales figure.
 Goldcorp also announced that it had replaced proven and probable reserves in 2005.  Total proven and probable reserves as of December 31, 2004 were 12.49 million ounces from all operations.
 Goldcorp went on to state that a transaction with Barrick for the acquisition of Placer Dome’s Canadian assets would be finalized on April 1st, 2006. The company speculates that total gold production in 2006 from the combined assets of Goldcorp and Placer Dome could total as much as 2,000,000 ounces at a cash cost of less than $150 an ounce, and as much 2.4 million in 2007 at less than $175 an ounce.
 “With the doubling of production from 2005 to 2007, Goldcorp remains the fastest growing, lowest cost multi-million ounce gold producer,” said Goldcorp’s Chief Executive Officer Ian Telfer.
 Goldcorp plans to release its year-end financial results for 2005 on the morning of March 6th, 2006.

Councillors Head to Toronto for Good Roads Conference
February 22, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

On Monday, February 20, 2006, Councillors from the Municipality of Red Lake and Township of Ear Falls gathered in Toronto to take part in the 2006 Good Roads Conference. The weeklong event kept its attendees occupied with back-to-back workshops scheduled to help municipalities make the most of their tourism opportunities, learn more about the proposed Local Health Integration Networks as well as the recently reported lack of funding for provincial 911 services.
 Although registration began on Sunday afternoon, the conference officially began on Monday morning with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Gerretsen hosting the conference’s Opening Session. Upon completion of the early morning sessions, local representatives were given the opportunity to sit in on various workshops including Natural Attraction-Bringing Tourism Home, which was geared at helping municipalities make the most out of the tourist opportunities that can be found right at their backdoors.
 Chaired by ROMA Board Member Roy Ingram, the tourism workshop offered up a slew of speakers who discussed a plethora of tourism-related topics including how to successfully market an area as a tourist destination and how to operate a thriving trails association. According to the Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA), which is one of Canada’s largest municipal associations, the workshop also provided details on the a new OMAFRA program—First Impressions—that will help Ontario’s municipalities work together to make the most out of local attractions and tourism amenities.
 With province-wide CUPE protests making headlines over the past week, the OGRA took some time to address the concerns of its attendees through the Take Two Aspirins-Learn About LHINs workshop on Monday afternoon. The session, which provided valuable information on the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) planned for the province, offered various perspectives on the somewhat-controversial affects of the LHINs on local health care services from the legislative, service provider and municipal points of view. There is concern that the LHINs will cut services in the north however the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital remains firm in their belief that the new system will allow for local health planning and will ultimately be a benefit to the Red Lake area.
 The forestry industry has been cited as the cornerstone of Ontario’s economy and as the struggles continue within the industry—with mass layoffs quickly becoming a normal expectation—OGRA hosted a session on the impact of the forestry crisis on provincial prosperity.
 Chaired by Township of East Ferris’ Mayor and Roma Chair Bill Vrebosch, the forestry crisis session opened the floor for discussions on the wealth generated by the industry and the devastating affects the crisis is having on communities that rely on forestry. According to OGRA, Ontario’s competitive advantages have been “severely eroded by made-in Ontario problems such as soaring energy prices and regulatory regimes that are as costly as they are redundant” and the government is being asked to work to reduce or eliminate obstacles to help reinstate competitiveness for Ontario’s forestry industry while at the same time, improving provincial prosperity.
 In other provincial news, OGRA held a workshop Tuesday afternoon to provide information regarding the expenses of running 911 emergency services across the province. Although fairly new to the Red Lake area, the emergency service has been chalking up quite the overhead in Ontario and is now facing an emergency situation of its own.
 According to workshop speakers, who represented various agencies within the 911 organization, despite the small charge listed on the monthly telephone bills of people living in Ontario, 911 isn’t collecting enough money to fully support the people or technology working behind the scenes to administer top-notch care in emergency situation. Those who attended the workshop received first-hand insight into the high costs and what the province is doing to salvage the essential service.
 Despite the information provided at these sessions, local Councillors were setting their sights on the Minister’s Open Forum, held yesterday evening, where they had the opportunity to speak directly with various ministers regarding issues directly facing their constituencies.
 According to Municipality of Red Lake Deputy Clerk Christine Goulet, policing costs, the Miss McKenzie ferry service, high-energy costs and the Woodland Caribou Provincial Park were on the local agenda however no further information was available at the time of press. With two days left of the conference, local residents will have to wait to see what kind of headway was made at the annual event.

Police Suspend Search for Geoff McClain
February 15, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

On Thursday, February 9, 2006, after five days of extensive searching, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) suspended their efforts to locate former Ear Falls Mayor Geoff McClain. The search for the forty-one year old man, which encompassed an area thirteen-kilometres southwest of Ear Falls, ended after the OPP, Ontario Power Generation and divers became concerned over the safety of the waterways.
 According to the OPP, since the discovery of McClain’s truck near the bailey bridge on February 04, 2006, an air, ground and vessel search of the English River has turned up negative results on the Township of Ear Falls’ Clerk Treasurer, and after divers assessed the scene on February 08, 2006, the search was discontinued indefinitely.
 “Communication between the divers, officers in charge and managers of Ontario Power Generation and their stakeholders resulted in the decision to suspend diving activities in the area,” read an official news release issued by the Ear Falls OPP detachment. “The decision was made with the safety of the divers and other users of the waterway system in mind.”
 Despite the suspended manhunt, the Ear Falls’ OPP detachment will be continuing their investigation into McClain’s disappearance and will reassess the search area once there is a change in the water and ice conditions of the English River.

Money for Local Mining School
February 15, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

Thanks to a $637,952 investment by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) the Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre, in partnership with Campbell Mine, will be providing Aboriginal youth with the skills required to find employment in the mining sector.
 “The McGuinty government is committed to stimulating economic development and creating job opportunities across the North,” commented Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci. “Through this investment, we are ensuring that the mining industry has access to a number of skilled workers that will contribute to a more prosperous future.”
 According to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM), the funding will allow the Friendship Centre and Placer Dome to train up to one hundred and twenty youth—over a three year period—for Ontario Common Core Hard Rock Mining Certification. The investment will offer the mining industry a pool of trained workers to draw from and will help Aboriginal youth find jobs in the North.
“I’m pleased that we are helping Aboriginal youth develop essential skills to work within one of Northern Ontario’s most robust sectors,” said David Ramsay, who is the Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs. “Program participants will learn the skills and knowledge necessary to obtain gainful employment in Ontario’s mining sector and have opportunities to seek rewarding employment closer to home.”
 The NOHFC investment in the mining sector is part of the government’s Northern Prosperity Plan for building stronger northern communities.

Heavy Equipment Operator Drowns at Birch Lake
February 8, 2006
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

The dangers of building winter roads hit home last week with the drowning of a Red Lake man who died after the heavy equipment he was operating broke through weak ice on Birch Lake, located 130 kilometres northeast of Ear Falls.
 56 year old John Haugland was last seen on January 31st at Southwest Bay on Birch Lake where he was operating a bulldozer constructing a winter road to access a mineral exploration property in the area. Haugland who works for a local company was reported missing on February 2nd after his crew returned to the site and could not locate him.
 On February 3rd, the Ontario Provincial Police Emergency Response Team including a Canine Unit attended the scene and at approximately 2:30 p.m. located and recovered the body of Mr. Haugland in 23 feet of water, approximately 800 meters north of where the winter road enters Birch Lake. The Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Labour continue to investigate the incident. The O.P.P warn that ice conditions remain unstable and unpredictable in many areas and extreme caution should be used before venturing onto the ice.

OPP and Community Search for Local Man
February 8, 2006
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4th the Ontario Provincial Police were notified of a missing man in the Ear Falls area.  Reported missing is 41 year old Geoff McClain, the current Clerk Treasurer Administrator and former Mayor of the Township of Ear Falls.
 McClain’s truck was found sometime later south of Ear Falls at the 13 km mark of Hwy 804, near the bailey bridge which spans a narrowing of the English River.
 A search was commenced in the area around the bailey bridge and on the English River, aided on Sunday, February 5th by 11 members of the O.P.P. North West Regional Emergency Response (ERT) Team a Canine Unit, an airboat out of Kenora and a civilian helicopter.
 The area being searched is centered around the English River downstream of the bailey bridge below Camping Lake, upstream of the Manitou Falls generating station.
 The O.P.P. Underwater Search and Recovery Unit and the O.P.P. helicopter were expected in the area on Tuesday, February 7th to assist with the search effort.

Barrick Obtains 90 Percent of Placer
February 8, 2006
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

 Barrick Gold Corporation has announced that it has been successful in acquiring the 90 percent of Placer Dome stock it required by the closure of its offer on February 3rd. To date, Barrick has acquired approximately 419 million shares, or about 94 percent of Placer’s outstanding stock.
Accordingly, Barrick can now exercise its right to acquire the remaining 25 million shares under the Canadian Business Corporation Act.
 “We are pleased to reach this significant milestone,” said Greg Wilkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of Barrick. “The powerful combination of these companies will bring the assets, people and projects together to deliver value to all stakeholders.”
 The $10.4 billion deal will see Placer Dome shareholders receive $22.50 in cash or 0.8269 of a Barrick common share plus $0.05 in cash for each Placer Dome common share. Barrick expects to acquire the remaining Placer Dome shares within the next 30 days at which time it will proceed with its deal with Goldcorp whereby that company will acquire Placer Dome’s Canadian holdings by cutting a cheque for $1.485 billion to Barrick.

Brothers Sentenced to One Year for Break & Enters
February 1, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

On January 23, 2006, Ronald Larsen (21) and Peter Larsen (19) appeared in Kenora court to answer to a mass of charges stemming from numerous break-and-enters within the Municipality of Red Lake beginning in September of 2005. The brothers, who pled guilty to the charges, were each sentenced to one-year in custody for their crimes committed.
 According to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the duo was arrested on December 02, 2005, after a local citizen reported that two males were in the process of breaking into Woodlands Tire on Young Street in Red Lake. Peter Larsen was apprehended at the scene and while conducting their investigation, the OPP discovered that two other buildings in the Young Street area had also been broken into—the Red Lake Fire Department and the Harmony Centre for Community Living. Investigations into these break-ins lead to the arrest of the second suspect.
 Although minimal damage was reported at the Fire Hall, Harmony Centre employees arrived at work to find extensive damage to their facility including broken glass, doors and smashed electronics in addition to the theft of a camera and approximately two hundred dollars in cash. Perhaps more disheartening for the Centre’s staff was the destruction of Christmas Decorations made by their clients for their annual Christmas Party.
 The December 02, 2005, arrests were the second arrests for the Larsen brothers who had been released with conditions after an attempted break-in at the Sears retail outlet on Hammell Road in Red Lake, where they were also apprehended thanks to the help of the public.In addition to the charges stemming from the Young Street and Sears break-and-enters, the OPP were able to close twelve other break-and-enter cases including break-ins at Holliday Pet Supply and Grooming, the Red Lake Community Centre, Uncle Wally’s (Drop-in Centre) and the Royal Canadian Legion, with a total of thirty-four charges laid against Peter Larsen and twenty-four charges against Ronald Larsen.
 According to Staff Sargeant Brent Bennett, although the brothers will initially be serving their sentences in Thunder Bay, they have both put in requests to be transferred to treatment centers and may be relocated to a facility in Sault Ste. Marie.

Local Man Rescued After Becoming Stranded on Ice
February 8, 2006
By Myles Gunn
The Northern Sun News

One local man is certainly lucky to be alive this week, thanks to the diligence of local Conservation Officer James Guise. The man, a trapper whose identity has not been released, was riding his snowmobile on Trout Lake – approximately 40 KM northeast of Red Lake.
 Guise was conducting a routine patrol in the area on the morning of January 22nd, when he encountered snowmobile tracks leading out onto Trout Lake. Officer Guise, being fully aware of the questionable ice quality on area lakes this season, made the decision to follow the fresh tracks. When the officer came to the trail’s end, he encountered a snowmobile bogged-down in slush ice, as well as the stranded trapper – who was at that point soaking wet from his failed attempts to free his trapped vehicle. Guise assisted the lone trapper in freeing his vehicle in an effort to prevent the machine from freezing, and proceeded to rush the trapper back to Red Lake for further medical assistance.
 When the pair made it back to Red Lake several hours later, the trapper was suffering from a mild case of hypothermia and frostbite on his face. However, the trapper’s condition could have gotten a lot worse, according to Dave Anderson – District Enforcement Supervisor with the Red Lake MNR. “Potentially, it could have turned into a much more serious situation,” Anderson commented.
 “I’d like to get the message out that the lakes are very unpredictable this year as far as slush pocket and air-hole conditions are concerned,” Anderson went on to say. “It’s best that anybody traveling on the lakes this year follow established trails whenever possible.”
 The MNR also suggests that anybody riding the lakes this winter let a friend or family member know where they’re going, and carry a radio or satellite phone whenever possible.

Changes in Local Health Care Underway
January 11, 2006
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

As a result of a June 28, 2005, announcement made by Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman, fourteen Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN) have been established across the province of Ontario. The networks, which will plan, integrate and eventually fund local health initiatives, are part of the government’s plan for making the province’s health system more accessible, accountable and transparent.
 “I am pleased to be part of the process toward a better health care system—a true system—in which it will be easier for patients to access the health services they need, in their own communities,” commented the North West LHIN Chair John Whitfield. “We have begun to set the stage for a transformation of health care that will benefit every patient across the province, including here in our communities across the North West.”
 According to Whitfield, the North West LHIN will work with the local communities and health care providers to set priorities and plan health care services throughout the region. The LHIN will also oversee the integration and coordination of local health services and eventually, subject to the passage of the Local Health Integration Act, will determine resource needs and allocate funding to the region’s health care providers.
 If the new legislation were passed, it would mark the first time that decisions about health care in the North West, affecting patients in the North West, would be made with the jurisdiction. “The Local Health System Integration Act, introduced on November 24, is an important next step in this process,” said Whitfield. “If passed by Legislation, the Act will provide LHINS with the authority to make decisions affecting health services in their areas.”
 According to the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital’s (RLMCMH) Chief Administrative Officer Janice Mullin, the ability to have more control over the health services being offered throughout the region is a good thing and patients shouldn’t worry. “It’s not sensible to micromanage a 33 billion dollar health care system from a head office in Toronto,” explained Mullin. “Health care decisions affecting our community will be made by people in our region who understand the needs of our community and the people that live here.”
 Mullin also pointed out that from a patient perspective, the LHINs should be basically invisible except for their effects on surgery wait times and their ability to better match resources with local needs. Likewise, the RLMCMH is expecting the LHINs to result in an increased capacity across Ontario’s health care system and improved access for those requiring medical attention throughout the province.

OPP Search for Missing Cochenour Man
January 11, 2006
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

The quiet community of Cochenour became the scene of a manhunt over the weekend as members of the O.P.P. Emergency Response Team (E.R.T) assisted by a helicopter searched for a local man who had been reported missing in the early evening of Saturday, January 7th.
 The 46-year-old Cochenour resident was last seen on Saturday afternoon at approximately 1:00 pm, when he left his Cochenour residence on foot. Although unseasonably warm temperatures were an asset to the search, of particular concern to searchers was the fact that the individual was only lightly dressed and was wearing running shoes when he left his residence.
The 10-man E.R.T (west) team and local members of the Red Lake Detachment of the O.P.P. searched throughout the night of January 7th and into the next day before being relieved by the eastern E.R.T team who arrived to assist in the search.
 Also joining the search on Saturday were dozens of concerned local citizens who searched the Cochenour townsite and surrounding forests on foot, by car and by snowmobile.
 A Cochenour resident commenting on the outpouring of support by local citizens remarked that it was remarkable how quickly local people can mobilize to help out in times of need.
 In the end, the missing man returned home on his own and in good physical condition in the early evening of Sunday, January 8th. A short time later he was brought to the Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital in Red Lake.
 The Red Lake O.P.P. would not comment or give further details on the man’s condition or the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.

High Grade Gold Zones Discovered at Campbell Mine
December 21, 2005
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

Just in time for Christmas is the announcement that deep exploration at Campbell Mine has confirmed the extension of Goldcorp’s Red Lake Mine High Grade Zone (HGZ) onto the Campbell Mine property. Also being reported is the discovery of a high grade mineralized zone within the Deep Campbell (DC) development zone of the mine.
 "These two discoveries validate the exploration potential of the deeper Campbell orebody,” said Placer Dome President and CEO Peter Tomsett. “While further work is required to define the extent and significance of these discoveries, they highlight the exploration potential of the Campbell mine and our land position in the Red Lake camp. Ongoing exploration to expand the orebody at depth positions the Campbell mine to return to a high-production, low-cost operation."
 Earlier this year the Campbell mine exploration team developed a model which predicted the continuation of the Red Lake HGZ onto the Campbell property.  A drill campaign was commenced to target the projected extension approximately 75 meters onto Campbell’s property at a depth of 2,590 metres, (approximately 8,500 feet) from surface.
 The initial drill hole intersected the projected extension returning a length-weighted uncut average of 23 grams per ton (g/t) over 3.4 metres (.67 oz/t over 11.15'), including 122 g/t over 0.6 m (3.56 oz/t over 1.97'), with the HGZ geological structure being visibly identifiable in the drill core.
 Currently, a second drill hole has been wedged off the initial hole to further explore the projected structure of the HGZ.  Further wedge holes are being planned to expand geological data and test the extent of the high grade zone.
 While in the early stages of investigation, the exploration team at Campbell mine are encouraged by the results that confirm their model which predicts the possible vertical extent of the HGZ over 700 meters on the western extent of the Campbell property, approximately 1,000 horizontal meters from current working areas.  Additional drilling to test the extent of the HGZ will utilize an exploration drift scheduled for completion in mid-2006.
 Also being reported at Campbell is the discovery of a high grade zone within the Deep Campbell (DC) zone.   In September 2005 mining activities in the DC zone at a depth of 1800 metres, tested a 50 metre vein structure which averaged 135 g/t uncut over a 3.4 metre (3.9 oz/t over 11.15') width.  Mining within this structure encountered a pocket of even higher grade mineralization 11 metres in length that averaged 484 g/t across an apparent width of 4.9 metres (14.1 oz/t over 16').
 Additionally, drilling in the DC zone between 1800 and 1950 metres has intersected the apparent down plunge of the DC high grade mineralization.  Drilling approximately 75 metres below the September discovery has returned narrow intercepts of extremely high grade including 455 g/t over 0.8 metres (13.27 oz/t over 2.6') and 172 g/t over 1.5 metres (5 oz/t over 4.9').
 Exploration in the DC zone continues to intersect significant gold mineralization to a vertical depth of 2,185 metres (more than 7100 feet) below surface.
 "These high grade structures contain similarities to historical areas within the upper levels of the mine", said Tomsett. "The recent deep drill results at Campbell have opened two significant mineralized areas for further exploration and definition. These results are extremely encouraging and give us confidence that the Deep Campbell mine will be an exciting exploration and development focus for the company in the near term and over the coming years."

Gold Rush Continues
December 14, 2005
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

Gold prices continued to strengthen Monday reaching a new 24 year high of $544.50 in early morning trading before retreating to the $527 mark. Appetite for the yellow metal remains strong, with prices surging by more than $80 since the beginning of November and up by more than $100 from a year ago.
 Market watchers have justified the increases on tight supply and a strong demand, coupled with continued worries about inflation, higher oil prices and speculative buying by some investors. It has been noted that fund managers have been buying gold to diversify portfolios and that some central banks including those in Russia, Argentina and South Africa have also been investing in gold.
 Prices for other metals have also rallied along-side gold.  Silver for March delivery was up 20 cents at $9.295 an ounce, platinum increased by $5.30 to $1,012.20 an ounce and palladium was up $14.95 at $301.50 an ounce.
 Although traditional analysts cite economic pressures and normal supply and demand dynamics for gold’s recent luster, the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee (GATA) lead by founder Bill Murphy contend that in recent years gold prices have been suppressed by a gold cartel operated by global financial institution. Furthermore, GATA maintains that the “cartel” is running out of gold which it has been clandestinely placing onto the market to inhibit prices, opening the way for gold to reach what the group says is gold’s true market value, somewhere over $1,000 per ounce.  For those interested in this point of view, GATA’s Chairman, Bill Murphy will be interviewed on Report on Business Television at 11:42 ET on Friday December 16th.  The interview will also be available on the ROB-TV website at www.robtv.com.
 Back in traditional economic circles, analyst and traders have already noted some profit taking and are bracing themselves for a price correction.  When and how large the correction could be remains conjecture but some profit taking has already been noted. Gold prices hit record highs of $850 per ounce back in January 1980 before dropping by $90 the next day. By December 1981, gold had dropped below the $400 mark.Prices in U.S. funds

Red Lake OPP Detachment Seeking New Officers
December 14, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News
UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL POSTING

On Tuesday, December 06, 2005, the Red Lake Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Detachment’s Acting Staff Sergeant Stacey Whaley made an appearance at a Regular Council Meeting to present the detachment’s 3rd quarter report. In his report, Whaley commented that with the relocation of several of the local OPP officers, the detachment will be operating less six officers until sometime in April. “We just found out that (these officers) were leaving within the last two weeks. Now complicating things a little bit is our staffing officer for the region is retiring at the end of this month and he’s the one who correlates all (new staff),” said Whaley. “So, I don’t know how long it’s going to take to get these staff positions filled but hopefully it won’t be long.”
  Also discussed at the council meeting was a request from the OPP for two additional officers for the Red Lake and Ear Falls’ detachments, which would cost the municipality about $270,000 annually. But with the reported crime rates down coupled with the increase in tax rates for the area as a result of the new officers, Council members are having a difficult time justifying the force expansion.
  “I really don’t think that we should be using overtime hours that are awarded to us to fill in for the people they are short of when it is not because of us that they’re leaving. It’s not the Municipality of Red Lake’s problem that someone got on to a different force or whatever,” commented Councilor Donna Molloy. “You’re jumping from 11.3 officers to 13.11 and it’s a very expensive thing.”
  Municipality of Red Lake CAO Brian Anderson agreed and pointed toward the absence of any incident, within Whaley’s quarterly report, where responding detachments were short officers especially now that the homeless shelter is willing to except intoxicated people into their facility as long as they are non-violent. The new shelter allowance is expected to have a substantial effect on policing costs associated with bedding and monitoring those who are under the influence of alcohol. 
  “Council has not received the justification for the additional officers and will be requesting this information in the near future,” said Anderson. “This was a complete surprise when the new Police Contract was presented by the OPP Contract Policing.”
  Despite the apparent lack of justification, the Municipal Councillors will wait for the information before rendering a decision on whether or not bringing in two contract officers would be a cost-effective way to assist the local detachment.
  In addition to listening to S/Sgt Whaley’s report, the Municipal Councillors took time to discuss the pending six month deadline to contract negotiations for policing costs between the Municipality of Red Lake and the provincial government. Until a contract can be negotiated, the Municipality will be contributing to the 2005 policing costs. According to Councilor Molloy who sits on the Police Board, the committee is putting together a proposal which will be discussed further at a later Council meeting.

Placer Recommends Rejection of Barrick Bid
November 30, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

In a Director’s Circular filed on November 24, 2005, the Board of Directors for Placer Dome Inc. unanimously recommended that shareholders reject the Barrick Gold Corporation’s hostile takeover bid and not tender their shares to the Barrick offer. The hostile bid, which was tabled earlier this month, could potentially see mining-leader Goldcorp Inc. take over several of the mines currently owned and operated by Placer Dome including the local Campbell property.
According to Placer Dome, in addition to the Board’s recommendation, the Director’s Circular contains a discussion of its reasons for recommending the rejection as well as other information required under applicable Canadian and US law and shareholders are being actively urged to read the Circular in its entirety.
“We believe Barrick’s offer is financially inadequate, opportunistic and fails to recognize the value of Placer Dome’s assets and long-term growth profile,” said Robert Franklin, Chairman of the Placer Dome Board and Special Committee. “It appears that Barrick needs to address a projected decline in its gold production and the negative consequences of its hedging strategy, but we fail to see how the Barrick offer serves the long-term interests of Placer Dome shareholders.”
Backing the recommended rejection are a multitude of reasons including the belief that the Barrick offer fails to provide full value for the Placer Dome assets and common shares. According to Placer Dome, the offer is reading like an attempt by Barrick to acquire the company without offering adequate consideration to Placer Dome shareholders especially considering the fact that Placer Dome’s gold production is expected to increase while Barrick’s gold production is anticipating a decrease by 2010.
According to the Board, in addition to the lack of an adequate premium for control of Placer Dome, Barrick’s offer is highly conditional and based on shares that are subject to risk and uncertainty due to Barrick’s hedging practices and strategy.
“It’s easy to see why Barrick needs Placer Dome, but it is difficult to understand why Placer Dome should want Barrick,” said Peter Tomsett, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We have the industry’s best long-term growth profile and the financial strength and operating expertise to turn that potential into significant and sustainable value for our shareholders . . . what Barrick brings to the table is declining long-term production, execution risk with the Pascua-Lama project, a loss of strategic assets via the sale to Goldcorp, and no clear strategy for eliminating a 13.6 million ounce hedge position with a negative mark-to-market of $2.4 billion at the end of the third quarter.” According to Barrick’s President and Chief Executive Officer Greg Wilkins, who responded to Placer Dome’s Director’s Circular, there is nothing that would suggest to Barrick that Placer Dome has any additional value that was not fully understood when the takeover offer was tabled.
“We are confident of the success of our bid as our offer represents full and fair value for the Placer Dome shareholders,” commented Wilkins. “We have met and discussed our offer with a substantial number of Placer Dome’s shareholders and have received enthusiastic response. In addition to the immediate premium, they are excited at the prospect of further value creation available to them as shareholders of Barrick when the offer is completed.”
In addition, the Board and the Special Committee, alongside Placer Dome’s management and financial and legal advisors, are working to evaluate a range of strategic alternatives that may enhance shareholder value. According to Placer Dome, the company is currently in contact with various third parties who have expressed interest in considering alternative transactions. If Placer Dome shareholders accept the Barrick hostile takeover bid, the possibility of considering superior proposals or other alternatives will be eliminated.
“Discussions are being pursued with various of these third parties in order to generate value enhancing alternatives,” reads the Placer Dome news release. “These parties have begun to examine confidential information, and while it is impossible to predict whether any transactions will emerge from these efforts and discussions, due to the strategic value of quality gold and copper assets the Board believes that Placer Dome and its assets are potentially very attractive to other parties in addition to Barrick.”
The Director’s Circular is available free of charge at www.placerdome.com and copies of the document are also being mailed to all current Placer Dome shareholders to ensure that all shareholders actively consider the possible alternatives.

Fate of Whiskey Jack Unknown
By Lisa Dumontier
November 23, 2005
The Northern Sun News

Marking the first forestry assessment by a non-government agency using governmental data and analysis methods, the CPAWS Wildlands League has released a report documenting what it says is the serious harm being caused by unsustainable logging in the Whiskey Jack Forest located west of Ear Falls.
The study, which investigated the results of Abitibi Consolidated’s government approved logging practices in the Whiskey Jack Forest, near Kenora and the Manitoba border, found that the amount of wood that Abitibi is cutting is causing extensive damage to the forest ecosystem.
“We’ve found evidence that these logging levels are too high and we know they cannot be sustained,” commented CPAWS Manager of Forest Certification Chris Henschel, who was also the lead author of the report. “The forest is in rough shape.”
According to the Wildlands League, a large portion of the Whiskey Jack Forest is in a young and fragmented state as a result of the recently frequent amounts of fire, wind damage and extensive logging and as a result, the study found that harvest levels are too high to protect existing wildlife habitat.
“Abitibi cut almost all of the woodland caribou habitat in the forest between 1999-2004 that was still there after earlier logging periods,” said Henschel. “I don’t know if the caribou—which is a threatened species—will survive here. The Ontario government and Abitibi should be focusing on restoring the forest, rather than trying to sustain the cut.”
Based on the report, the Wildlands League is calling on the province to reduce the allowable harvest level in the forest to improve the prospects for local wildlife and to provide greater stability in longer-term wood supply. The Wildlands League is also recommending that the province ensure that its plan for sustaining woodland caribou focuses on the protection of the habitat that is currently being used by the threatened species.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), during the Whiskey Jack Forest plan development, forest planners ensured that the Management Plan met all appropriate and prescribed tests of sustainability.
 “MNR and (Sustainable Forest License) staff use sophisticated computer modeling to determine harvesting levels and we believe our foresters have used the latest and best science to determine the harvest level—and it is a sustainable level,” said Shawn Stevenson, who is the MNR Area Supervisor for the Kenora East area. “The (Wildlands League) submission is a product of one interest group’s re-interpretation of the data and modeling undertaken to produce the 2004-2024 Whiskey Jack Forest Plan. It represents an alternative view of the forest which is keeping with the beliefs and priorities of that special interest group.”
According to Stevenson, 57,000 ha of the Whiskey Jack Forest are considered to be within the range of continuous woodland caribou distribution and the management plan recognizes that any remaining areas of suitable habitat that are currently being used, or have high potential for use in the future, would be differed from harvest for a period of eighty to ninety years.
Although Abitibi Consolidated’s Kenora mill is currently non-operational, the Sustainable Forest Licensee must still meet all of its wood supply commitments to its other dependent mills in the region. These include shipments of polar to Trus Joist, saw logs to Kenora Forest Products, conifer to ACCC Fort Frances and veneer quality hardwood logs to Nipigon.
As of press time, Abitibi Consolidated had not commented on the information contained within the Wildlands League’s assessment of the sustainability of the Whiskey Jack Forest.

Unincorporated Win Gas Tax Rebate Battle
November 23, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

 When the District of Kenora Unincorporated Ratepayers Association (DOKURA) first heard news of the Federal Gas Tax Rebate at the Northern Ontario Municipal Association meeting in May of 2005, they were surprised to hear no mention of access for the unincorporated areas in the province. So as a representative of the organization, local resident Bill Blower picked up the campaign to ensure that the unincorporated received their share of the funding.
 The gas tax rebate, as outlined by the provincial government in the spring of this year, is geared to support environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure in a move to ensure cleaner air, cleaner water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible project categories for the funding include public transit, water, wastewater, solid waste, community energy systems, capacity building and local roads and bridges in small communities that enhance sustainability outcomes.
 “The one criteria set by the federal government is that (the infrastructure projects) have to have sustainability,” said MP Roger Valley. “(The recipients) have to have a thirty-year or definite plan on how they’re going to protect and look after their infrastructure—meaning roads.”
 Desperate to get the funding that he felt was owed to the unincorporated and under the assumption that because the Municipalities were dealing with the province of Ontario, DOKURA would be too, Blower began his fight by writing letters to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci, Premier Dalton McGuinty, MP Roger Valley and MPP Howard Hampton. Blower also mailed out approximately two-hundred and forty packages to the local boards across Ontario, which included letters for their unincorporated areas to send on to their MPs and MPPs.
 After being informed that they would have to deal with the federal government, Blower, alongside MP Valley and his colleagues pushed onward and because a final agreement between the federal and provincial government had yet to be met, DOKURA was able to secure $5.8 million to be used over the next five years.
 “Because of Mr. Blower’s intervention, we’ve actually taken the step of saying that the people who live in the unincorporated are going to be a part of this,” commented Valley. “There are provinces that don’t have that kind of jurisdiction at all. There are provinces that just simply kept the money not recognizing how they were going to deal with the people in the unincorporated but because of timing, we were able to get the money set aside, which is always the biggest battle. How we disperse it is going to be the challenge right now.
Blower seconded that opinion pointing out that although they used the same formula as the Municipalities did to calculate how much was owed to the unincorporated areas, it is still unclear exactly how many areas are entitled to the money or how it will be dispersed. According to Blower, DOKURA is anxiously waiting for further news on when and how that money will be used and is keeping its fingers crossed that with the talk of the upcoming election, the funding won’t fall through.
 Although they have yet to hear back from the Federal Minister of State John Godfrey, DOKURA has also submitted a proposal to be the delivery agent for the funding dispersal for the entire Northern Ontario area and according to Valley, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Northwestern Ontario leads the way.

Red Lake Hospital Raises Concerns Over Closson Report
Recommendations Could Lead to a Loss of Services and Access to Winnipeg Hospitals for Red Lake
November 16, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

 With the recent public release of a Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care report outlining an integration plan for Northwestern Ontario, the fate of regional hospitals is up in the air. The report was developed by Special Advisor Tom Closson, on behalf of the Ministry, in a move to enable the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to achieve true referral centre status for acute health care services in the Northwest.
 “The recommendations in this report will maximize the populations’ access to health service by integrating service along the continuum of care, emphasizing culturally sensitive service delivery and providing services as close to home as feasible with respect to the safety of care and economics off the care delivery systems,” reads Closson’s report. “These recommendations, if implemented, will make it possible for more people to receive more care closer to home.”
 According to the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital (RLMCMH), which has appointed a committee of administration staff, physician staff and members of the Board of Directors to review the report in its entirety, while there are some positive suggestions for efficiencies in the region’s health care services, there are also some areas of serious concern including the proposed elimination of hospital transfers from Red Lake to Winnipeg.
 Although seventy-percent of regional medical transfers currently go to the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, in his report to the Ministry, Closson recommended that all Northwestern Ontario hospitals, with the exception of Kenora, cease patient transfers to Winnipeg in lieu of transfers to Thunder Bay. “In an area as large as Northwestern Ontario with it’s relatively small population, it is not possible to avoid the necessity of having people travel for some of their care,” wrote Closson. “By planning for more integration and interaction of services across Northwestern Ontario it should reduce the need for travel for services that can be provided effectively in, or close to, the patient’s home community.”
According to the Red Lake Hospital’s Chief Nursing Officer Debbie Larson, the recommendation that all local patients be transferred to Thunder Bay rather than Winnipeg is not a viable option especially in emergency situations. “Our Hospital is geographically located closer by land and air to the Winnipeg Hospitals,” commented Larson. “There are many health care emergencies that are time sensitive to treatment and our health care team will not compromise safe patient care by sending all patients to Thunder Bay when service may in fact be sooner available and more comprehensive in Winnipeg.”
 According to Closson’s report, in order to take the pressure off of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, hospitals in Northwestern Ontario will also need to have clearly designated roles and responsibilities in responding to the needs of the regional population. Under Closson’s guidelines, every hospital in Northwestern Ontario would be designated as either Local, District or Regional Hospitals with roles and responsibilities that fit their designation.
 For the RLMCMH, this designation process is problematic because as a designated Local Hospital, the current level of services provided by the RLMCMH, including Obstetrical or Surgical Services, would be transferred to the hospitals with District or Regional designation. According to Closson, as a Local Hospital the RLMCMH would provide office support and treatment space for Family Health Teams, diagnostic technologies, emergency care, inpatient medical care for observation, treatment and stabilization, general practitioner procedures and surgeries as well as the continuation of recovery treatment for patients that have received acute care treatment in a District or Regional hospital.
 Closson also proposes that hospitals in Kenora, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Fort Frances and Marathon be designated as District Hospitals with Thunder Bay continuing as the only Regionally designated facility in Northwestern Ontario.
 Closson’s report also fails to address the current quality of the Air Ambulance services throughout the province, which the RLMCMH claims is in dire need of an overall improvement throughout the North. Although, according to Larson, there have been some improvements to the Air Ambulance system throughout the past two years, in order to ensure that patients in the North receive timely and equal access to health care, the system requires additional air crafts and an increase in the number of paramedics.
 “An enhanced Air Ambulance System would increase availability and promote timely transfers of patients within and out of the province,” said Larson. “Consideration must be given to the elimination of jurisdictional borders. This would allow, for example, the Manitoba Neonatal Team to fly to Red Lake to appropriately transfer the neonate requiring advanced care in a tertiary centre.”
 In addition to their critiscism, it is important to note that the Committee reviewing Closson’s report has found some very positive suggestions for efficiencies in Northwestern Ontario’s health care system. These include the development of angioplasty service in Thunder Bay, as well as Closson’s recommendations for primary care delivery for the remote First Nations Communities in Northwestern Ontario.
 “The committee welcomes the opportunity to explore integration as our Hospital takes steps forward to work with the Dryden Regional Health Centre,” commented Larson. “The recognition of the importance of formulating a strategy to manage the health care human resources in the Northwest brings some hope for our Hospital as we struggle with significant recruitment challenges.”
 Those wishing to view the report in its entirety can access the information through the Ministry of Health’s search engine, located at www.health.gov.on.ca, by typing Closson Report into the search box. The Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital is also welcoming any questions or concerns to be included in their review of the report and local residents are encouraged to contact Janice Mullin at 727-2231 ext. 338 or Board Chair Dennis Gushulak at 222-3459.

Goldcorp Inc. Fined $225,000 For Non-Compliance
November 9, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

On October 31, 2005, Goldcorp Inc. appeared in the Ontario Court of Justice in Red Lake to answer to three counts under the Ontario Water Resources Act. The company, which owns and operates the Red Lake and Wilanour Mines in Balmertown and Cochenour, Ontario, pled guilty to the counts, which related to a 2003 sewage works incident, and were fined $225,000 as a result.
“The three guilty pleas were procedural and administrative in nature,” commented Goldcorp’s General Manager Claude Lemasson. “In no instance was there any effluent discharge to the natural environment without treatment. Goldcorp has no prior record related to environmental issues and we fully cooperated throughout the legal process.”
When Goldcorp acquired the Wilanour property in 1998, it also assumed responsibility for the tailings area, which had been left mostly as it was when the mine ceased its operations in 1971. Although both mines, over the course of their operational life, have had active Certificates of Approval issued by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) for their sewage workings (tailings areas), charges were laid after the MOE’s Investigations and Enforcement Branch discovered amended Certificates had not been issued.
During the proceedings, the court heard that in the spring of 2003, Goldcorp added chemical treatment at the Red Lake mine site sewage works and undertook additional construction at the tailings area for both mine sites without amending their Certificates of Approval for the sewage works. According to the MOE, during September of 2004, the company also discharged approximately 110,000 cubic meters of tailings overflow to Red Lake’s Bruce Channel without submitting a start-up report to the Ministry as required by law.
As a result of the guilty plea, heard by Justice of the Peace Marjorie A. Pasloski, Goldcorp was fined $50,000 and $25,000 for two charges relating to the altering of sewage works and $150,000 for using or operating a sewage works other than in accordance with its Certificate of Approval. These fines are exclusive of the victim fine surcharges.
 In addition to the three fines, the court also issued a Section 112 Order under the Ontario Water Resources Act, which requires the company to have its new treatment plant at the Red Lake Mine Division constructed and fully functional prior to May 01, 2006. Improvements to the Wilanour Mine Site treatment plant must also be completed by that designated date.
“We have made commitments for some key project dates to be met in the next two years related to treatment plant construction activities,” said Lemasson. “We are committed to continuing to dedicate significant resources to our environmental programs and to make on-going improvements to our facilities in order to protect the environment.”

St. Paul’s Bay Cottage Owners Seek Lower Tax Rates from Municipality
November 9, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

On Tuesday, November 01, 2005, St. Paul’s Bay property owners packed the Council Chambers during a regularly scheduled meeting to relay their concerns regarding the current property tax rates being charged to their properties. According to Adam Jankowski, who spoke on behalf of the St. Paul’s Bay Cottage Committee, the delegation is looking for a true seasonal rate to reflect the services provided to those who pay taxes on St. Paul’s Bay.
“We’re not looking to get out of our responsibilities to pay taxes,” commented Jankowski. “We are here to make a request that Council consider a couple of options to provide relief and consider the taxes we incur without getting any services.”
Currently, there are no tax breaks given to those who have cabins on St. Paul’s Bay despite their lack of Municipal services and road access and although the committee wasn’t looking to create waves over the situation, they were hoping the Municipality would be willing to find a compromise that would help lower the taxes the cottage owners pay.
During their presentation, the St. Paul’s Bay Cottage Committee offered the Municipality four options. These included the provision of services allotted to other residential taxpayers in lieu of a St. Paul’s Bay tax break, a rebate of taxes for services not supplied or a change in tax class to reflect the absence of service for St. Paul’s Bay property owners. The final option, as presented by Jankowski, suggested that the St. Paul’s Bay area be severed from the Municipality so that the cottage owners can pay their taxes provincially like areas such as Coli Lake do.
According to the Municipality’s Chief Administrative Officer Brian Anderson, although the St. Paul’s Bay area is currently designated as Seasonal, the designation doesn’t affect the way the property owners are taxed. This is because for all intents and purposes, the Municipality only has one taxation rate for residential properties and owners are taxes on the assessed value of their property, which should reflect the lack of services.
“The one thing that property taxpayers must realize is that (property tax) is a tax that all residents pay, in proportion to the value of their properties, for services that they collectively enjoy,” commented Anderson. “This means that most of the services are for all taxpayers whether they use them or not. Property tax is not a user fee, in the same way that income tax is not linked to services used by all Canadians. The Municipality only uses one tax rate, which is residential, and property owners within the district are taxed on their property assessments as preformed by (the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation).”
Although the current system dictates that all taxpayers must pay for services that fall under the property tax umbrella, the Municipality is in the process of moving services, which could be considered user fees, out of the taxes. According to Anderson, this process will be completed over the next few years but is already in effect for local Water and Sewer rates.
“We realize that the Municipality has little involvement in setting the guidelines for assessing properties,” said Jankowski, who recognizes that part of the problem is that (the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) has valued the property high and the taxes have gone up accordingly. “We are here to make a recommendation and to make you aware of our concerns.”
According to Anderson, the St. Paul’s Bay Cottage Committee’s concerns have indeed been heard and Council has already begun their investigation into the questions raised by the delegation with the hopes that a solution to the problem might be found.
On a side note, Mr. Andre Marin, who is the Ombudsman of Ontario, has launched an investigation into whether the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s (MPAC) process for valuing properties in Ontario is fair and transparent. According to Marin, the investigation was launched in response to the increasing number of complaints received from members of the public.
“Homeowners in Ontario have complained to us that they are unaware of the criteria their property assessments are based on and the facts relating to their individual assessments,” said Marin. “The public outcry on this issue is palpable. There are profound concerns expressed concerning MPAC’s operations which has cause me to invoke the mandate of the office.”

Barrick Bids to Take Over Placer Dome
Side deal would see Campbell Mine sold to Goldcorp Inc.
November 2, 2005
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

Barrick Gold Corporation, Canada’s number one gold producer spooked gold investors on Halloween day with the announcement that it would make an offer to acquire all outstanding common shares of rival Placer Dome. The US$9.2 billion offer, if successful would create a massive gold company with mines and development properties on four continents that would rival the world’s largest producer US-based Newmont.
"I am very excited about the value that Barrick can deliver for Placer Dome and Barrick shareholders by combining our assets, people and projects," said Greg Wilkins, Barrick President and Chief Executive Officer. "We will have a solid foundation of operating assets and financial resources, and an unrivaled pipeline of development projects and exploration properties to expand our business internationally. And this pipeline of projects will benefit from Barrick's proven track record in developing new mines."
A separate US$1.35 billion agreement within the deal between Barrick and Goldcorp Inc would provide for the sale of a number of Placer Dome’s assets to Goldcorp once Barrick attains 100 percent interest in the company.
Among the assets is local producer Campbell Mine, as well as the Porcupine and Musslewhite mines in Ontario. Goldcorp would also take over Placer Dome’s Canadian exploration and reclamation properties, the La Coipa silver mine in Chile and would acquire a 40 percent interest in the Pueblo Viejo development property in the Dominican Republic.
"We believe that our partnership with Barrick adds a unique element to Barrick's offer for Placer Dome,” said Goldcorp's Chief Executive Officer, Ian Telfer. “Together, we have been able to create further value by bringing additional synergies to the proposed transaction, and we at Goldcorp will have acquired additional quality operating assets and gained the gold industry's premier mine builder as a joint venture partner in a significant development project."
For cash rich Goldcorp, the deal would mean a 50 percent increase in 2006 gold production to 2 million ounces and an 83 percent increase in gold reserves to 23 million ounces.  The company also says that there will be “potential for significant synergies” between the Red Lake and Campbell mine due to their close proximity. Goldcorp says that it estimates that US$30 to US$40 million in total annual “synergies” could be attained.
In the offer made by Barrick, Placer Dome common shareholders would receive $20.50 per share: approximately 87 percent in Barrick stock and 13 percent in cash.  A deal that provides Placer Dome stock holders with a 27% premium above the average closing price of Place Dome shares over the last 10 days.  For Barrick, the deal will cost approximately US$1.224 billion in cash and the issue of approximately 303 million in Barrick shares.
"We believe that our offer represents a compelling opportunity for Placer Dome's shareholders. It is also an exciting opportunity for Placer Dome employees, whose dedication and skills we value highly,” said Wilkins. “We look forward to working with them in realizing the potential growth of the combined Company."
The markets seemed to react to the announcement on Monday when gold dropped in New York to US$468 in early morning trading, off from US$473.80 per ounce at Friday's close.
Barrick will be making the formal offer and take-over bid to Placer Dome shareholders following receipt of the shareholder list. The offer will be open for 35 days from the date of mailing and is subject to curtain conditions and the acceptance by at least two-thirds of Placer Dome shareholders.  It should also be noted that while the Barrick bid may be the first, there could be other bidders including Anglo Gold and Newmont waiting in the wings to make counter offers to Placer Dome shareholders.
Placer Domes responded to the Barrick announcement by stating that the Placer Dome’s Board of Directors will be meeting to consider this unsolicited proposal, and that they would not comment on the offer or its content and will not speculate as to any future course of action it might take.

Province Rolls Out Hydro Rebate
October 26, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

Ontario consumers will be receiving a one-time credit on their upcoming electricity bill courtesy of the provincial government. According to Minster of Energy Donna Cansfield, the government is fulfilling its promise to return any surplus to eligible ratepayers in Ontario.
“The McGuinty government is committed to providing Ontarians with a responsible plan for electricity pricing that is consistent with the true cost of generating electricity,” said Cansfield. “We are putting electricity pricing back on a responsible and sustainable footing.”
Between April 01, 2004, and March 31, 2005, approximately $495 million was accumulated in the Electricity Consumer Price Protection Fund, as a result of the difference between the province’s interim pricing plan and the actual cost of power. According to the Ministry of Energy, the interim pricing was lower because of the unusually mild weather conditions during the yearlong period. The 2004 prices, which were based on predicted supply and demand under normal weather conditions, were set at 4.7 cents for the first 750-kilowatt hours used, and 5.5 cents for anything over this amount.
The announcement comes just one week after NDP Leader Howard Hampton called on the provincial government to roll-out the long delayed 2004 rebate after McGuinty confirmed that his government was holding back approximately $528 million in promised hydro rates for consumers. The excess funds should result in a credit of roughly sixty-dollars, for families living in detached homes, prior to the end of the year.
Despite a McGuinty promise to freeze electricity rates through 2006, alongside the news of a rebate comes information suggesting that Ontarians will be hit with another price increase in the spring of 2006. The spring hike would be the third hydro rate increase since 2003 and would have Ontarians spending significantly more on electricity costs per year.
“You just can’t trust anything the Liberals say,” said Hampton. “They promise one thing before the election then do something completely different after the election.”

Students Improve on Provincial Assessments
October 26, 2005
By Lisa Dumontier
The Northern Sun News

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board (KPDSB), which is continuing to focus on improving literacy and numeracy achievements of their students, has announced continued gains in achievement results on recent provincial assessments.
According to the KPDSB, improvement has continued at the Grade 3 level in all subject areas with more than sixty percent of all students reaching the provincial standards in reading, writing and math. Most notably, the KPDSB was not only able to sustain the Grade 3 reading scores, which improved by twenty-seven percent in 2003/04, but also offer up a slight increase in overall reading scores.
At the Grade 6 level, an improvement was demonstrated in most areas with sixty-one percent of students meeting the provincial standards in reading, fifty-two percent in writing and fifty-four percent in mathematics. Although these levels are not as high as the school board was hoping they would be, they are working on ways to increase the success of these students.
Although Grade 9 students with the KPDSB continue to find the applied mathematics curriculum challenging, recent tests show a significant improvement with twenty-nine percent of students reaching the provincial standard. Despite this improvement, student achievement in the Grade 9 academic mathematics has dropped from last year’s scores with sixty-two percent of students reaching the provincially mandated standards.
In a move to combat low Grade 9 test scores, the KPDSB has implemented a number of strategies to improve student achievement in mathematics, including the facilitation of on-going interaction between teachers in grades seven, eight and nine, increased training for teachers, consistent programming and hands-on learning materials in mathematic classrooms. With these tools, the success of Grade 9 students is expected to increase.
If you ask NDP Education Critic Rosario Marchese, the improvements in the Grades 3 and 6 test scores can be attributed to the simplification of the provincial testing courtesy of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty.
“Dalton McGuinty and Education Minister Gerard Kennedy cheated on their tests,” commented Marchese. “The McGuinty government is keen to unveil better results but is unwilling to make the meaningful investments in public education that will lead to student success.”
The revisions made by McGuinty include cutting the length of the test in half, from approximately ten hours to six hours, allowing students unlimited time to answer the questions as long as it is in one continuous sitting, and permitting the use of calculators for the entire length of the test including the multiple choice section. According to Marchese, teachers have also indicated that they were encouraged to give higher marks than they have before but unfortunately, all teachers who mark the test are forced to sign confidentiality agreements and are thus prohibited from discussing the changes.
“McGuinty should stop announcing fake improvements and actually improve classroom learning,” stated Marchese. “Students need classroom assistants, special needs educators, ESL teachers and specialist teachers. Now that would be improvement.”

Government Help for High Energy Costs
October 19, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

The federal Cabinet has approved a $2.4 billion package of short-term and longer-term measures to help residents across the country cope with high-energy costs. The announcement includes $500 million to provide direct financial assistance to low income households as well as additional measures to promote energy efficiency across the country.
According to the federal government, Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale, Acting Minister of Natural Resources John McCallum, Minister of Industry David Emerson, Minister of Labour and Housing Joe Fontana and Minister of the Environment Stephane Dione presented to the cabinet on three fronts. These included providing timely and direct financial assistance to low-income seniors and low-income families with children, helping families lower their future household heating costs by making their homes more energy-efficient and enhancing market accountability.
“This comprehensive approach provides timely, short-term relief to millions of low-income Canadians while also setting the stage for a more energy-efficient future,” commented Minister Goodale. “Delivering payments to this many families and individuals poses a number of challenges, but we are taking steps to ensure that timely relief is delivered to Canadians in need.”
Payments under the proposed Energy Cost Benefit will amount to $250 for families entitled to receive the National Child Tax Benefit supplement in January of 2006, $250 to senior couples where both spouses are entitled to receive the Guaranteed Income Supplement in January of 2006 as well as $125 to single seniors who will be receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement as of January 2006. In line with the package, 3.1 million payments totaling $565 million will be sent out to households across the country.
In addition to the direct payments, a portion of the package will be put toward energy efficiency and transit infrastructure because according to the federal government, making homes and buildings more energy-efficient will help Canadians offset higher energy prices in the long run. “These new initiatives will enable consumers to make more energy-efficient choices to help reduce energy use and costs, while reducing greenhouse gases and helping our country honour our climate change commitments,” said Minister Dion.
On a local level, costs have risen dramatically over the last year with the current price of home heating fuel sitting at 96.4 cents per litre plus tax. This is a thirty-five cent increase from December 2004, when the price for fuel was 61.5 cents per litre and is especially significant when it’s considered that homeowners who paid $1500 for fuel last year will be paying approximately $2300 for the same amount in 2005.
Additional measures to promote energy efficiency include $170 million to enrich the EnerGuide for Houses Retrofit Incentive program, which will result in almost 750,000 homes being retrofitted by 2010, as well as corresponding financial incentives, which will average $250 per household, for homes heated with electricity.
According to the federal government, the package will also increase retrofit incentives for public sector institutions such as hospitals, schools, municipalities and provincial governments.
As a last effort to help Canadians cope with the higher fuel costs, the government has also announced that it will be setting stricter guidelines with the Competition Bureau to deter anti-competitiveness. These changes are expected to increase the fines for those convicted of price-fixing by $15 million per offense. Changes will also be made that will allow the Bureau to act quicker when it suspects anti-competitive behaviour.
“We are strengthening the Competition Act to deal with anti-competitive behaviour,” commented Minister Emerson. “These amendments will increase deterrence and improve compliance with the law.”

Local Citizens Concerned Over Restricted Access to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park
October 12, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

Throughout the past several years, various committees and groups have been working alongside the provincial government to create a management plan for the Woodland Caribou Signature Site. As those plans reach the final stages of the management process, regional citizens and organizations are voicing their concerns and are hoping for some sort of compromise regarding the plan to close the park to all motorized vehicles.
 “We are reasonable people,” commented Brad Johnson, who represents the Concerned Red Lake Citizens Group. “We value the Woodland Caribou Wilderness Park, but we also value our rural way of life. We realize that access to the entire park is not reasonable, but hopefully a leveler head will prevail, concessions will be made and a reasonable solution can be met for all involved.”
 The signature site, which is one of nine in the province, covers a vast area west of Red Lake to the Manitoba border, including the 450,00 hectare Woodland Caribou Provincial Park (WCPP) as well as four proposed wilderness park additions. Although all options and issues are considered during the management policy planning process, the key objective for Ontario Parks is the protection of the plant and wildlife species that reside within the WCPP.
 Under current Ontario Parks’ policy, any designated wilderness site in Ontario is off-limits to motorized vehicles, including snowmobiles, airplanes and motorized boats, within the park boundaries unless otherwise specified. Although the WCPP Interim Management Statement, which is currently being used in place of a park plan, does not restrict motorized access, it does state that motorized vehicles are not compatible with a wilderness park policy and that their continued use within the park is not guaranteed.
 Despite the Ontario Parks statement of the incompatibility of motorized vehicles and wilderness areas, organizations including the Concerned Red Lake Citizens Group and the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers (OFHA) believe that WCPP’s policy should not be set in stone. It is their belief that the policy should be able to grow within the guidelines of the new management plan in a way that can benefit all park users and ensure continued recreational use of the park for years to come.
 On a local level, the biggest objection seems to be the restriction of snowmobile use throughout the signature site. According to Ontario Parks, a major reason for restricting snowmobile travel to access zones a long the park boundaries is to limit the packed trails through the core of the park and into caribou wintering zones. Although the caribou are not in danger from the snowmobiles themselves, they are in danger of the predators who travel down the packed trails and gain easy access.
 “This is a four season community, with eight months being winter,” noted Johnson. “A large part of our recreational lifestyle takes place in winter and a part of this experience is snowmobiling. Many people leave Red Lake and head north into the wilderness (and) a portion of this traditional trail ride is in the park. This area is not densely populated with caribou and it is our view that the impact of this snowmobile route on caribou migration is minimal.”
 According to the Concerned Red Lake Citizens Group, there are also fears that closing the park to motorized vehicles will have a negative impact on the area’s economy especially for companies trying to recruit new employees. “One of the major selling points to getting someone to relocate to this area is the recreational paradise,” commented Johnson. “If we start taking away portions of what people can access, this place becomes less appealing to possible new community members. Industry acknowledges the benefits of being rural, but if rural becomes limited, your ability to sell it to recruit new professionals becomes limited as well.”
 Other organizations, including the OFAH, are concerned that the motorized vehicle prohibition is not equal across the board and that commercial operators within the signature site boundaries are getting the upper hand. “Access provisions being proposed support our concern that the park is being developed for the commercial tourist industry,” stated OFAH Zone A Chair Bruce Hamilton.
“If there are to be allowed any motorized vehicles in the park for commercial operations, the same provisions must be made for the general public.”
 Although WCPP Acting Superintendent Doug Gilmore understands the frustrations of local park users, he maintains that the management plan must adhere to specific Ontario Parks’ guidelines and priorities. As for the OFAH’s concerns that commercial outfitters are getting preferential treatment, Gilmore believes that it depends on where you’re looking. “Airplanes for example, will have access zones for both private and public access,” commented Gilmore. “There will also be some areas of the park where only canoeists will have access but it depends on how the park is zoned.”
 Gilmore is also quick to point out that nothing has been set in stone, as the planning process is still open to public input. “As we go down the planning process, we address the smaller issues and we make attempts at getting the bigger issues figured out,” said Gilmore. “We are still in discussions with Brad (Johnson) and his group and we are still working on the preliminary plan.” Once completed, the preliminary plan will be released for reading and the general public will have forty-five days to formally voice their concerns. After that forty-five day period, Ontario Parks will begin drafting their final management plan, which will eliminate the opportunity for further changes.

Ontario Invests in Forest Industry
October 5, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

On September 29, 2005, the provincial government announced its plans to boost the competitiveness of the Ontario forest sector with a commitment of $330 million, to be dispersed over the next five years, aimed at fostering a new generation of forest sector jobs.
 With approximately $18 billion in sales and $9 billion in exports on an annual basis, the forestry industry provides both direct and indirect employment for over 200,000 people across the province of Ontario. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), there are forty communities in the province that depend on the sector for their livelihood and it is because of this significance that the government has made the forestry sector one of its top priorities.
 “The forest industry provides good jobs for northerners and supports the prosperity of the entire province, but the sector is facing some tough challenges, including the adjustment to a higher Canadian dollar,” commented Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. “Together with northerners, we will work to make forestry a viable sector. We’re doing our part, and we’re urging the federal government to honour its own commitment to come forward with tangible financial support.”
 According to Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay, the newly announced funding will be dispersed in a variety of forest sector avenues including the investment of $150 million over the next three years through a Forest Sector Prosperity Fund, which will help leverage new capital investments in a number of areas such as energy conservation and co-generation, better use of fibre and value-added manufacturing. The funding will also provide $28 million annually to maintain primary forest access roads to reduce delivered wood costs. Improving these roads will also benefit mining companies, tourism operators, First Nations as well as hunters and anglers.
 Beginning in 2006/07, the provincial government will also be investing $1 million per year in an Ontario Wood Promotion program, which will enhance value added manufacturing, and in 2007/08, an annual investment of $10 million will be launched to enhance the Forest Resource Inventory. According to the MNR, these investments will help ensure the long-term sustainability of Ontario’s wood supply and forest industry.
 Although the new funding is a step in the right direction, according to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA), there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the viability of the region’s forest sector.
 “While I am pleased that our coalition efforts have put this issue on the government’s radar screen, it is clear that more work needs to be done. (Thursday’s) announcement is one step toward returning Ontario to a competitive jurisdiction for the forest industry,” commented Greenstone Mayor and NOMA President Michael Power. “The difficulty we have is that nothing that was announced today will bring about company-led investment in Ontario’s forest industry because we remain the highest cost jurisdiction in the world.”
 At fifty-five dollars a cubic metre, Ontario’s cost of delivered wood is the highest in North America and according to the Ontario Forestry Industries Association (OFIA), Thursday’s announcement will only reduce those costs by less than one dollar a cubic metre. “We certainly did not expect the announcement to completely close the $20 gap,” stated OFIA President/CEO Jamie Lim. “But we did expect a more material gain that would have resulted in delivered wood costs of below $50.”At twenty dollars above the global average, Ontario will need much more than the current measures of funding to ensure its competitiveness in the global market.
 Although these investments take into consideration many of the industry’s immediate concerns, absent from the package was any specific measures to deal with the rising energy costs. “It’s a good start,” commented Red Lake Councillor Brian Larson, who is also NOMA’s Executive Vice President. “But it didn’t go deep enough and Hydro is still a big thing.”
 Until their concerns can be met NOMA, with the help of the Forest Industry Coalition, will continue to lobby the government for the support they need to ensure sustainability.
“This issue is too important to our communities and for Ontario for us to sit on the sidelines,” said Powers. “That is why we will continue to make the case to the Ontario Government that they must act, and act in a way that is meaningful to the forest industry in Ontario for the short and long term. We will continue to work with our partners, the Ontario Forest Industry Association, First Nations, the Ontario Lumber Manufacturers Association, FONOM, Labour, AMO, the Chambers of Conference and our member municipalities to keep this issue on the front burner and we look forward to the provincial government doing the same.”

Travellers Say Highway 105 Repairs Worsen Road
September 28, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

To the dismay of local residents, who believed that Highway 105 couldn’t get any worse, the Ministry of Transportation has pulled another rabbit out of the hat by limiting the highway’s resurfacing work to a hard top finish. Despite the need for a major overhaul of the highway, between Red Lake and Ear Falls, the new resurfacing work has essentially downgraded the Red Lake area to a gravel road link to the rest of civilization.
 Although there is a $1.5 million highway capital upgrade currently underway in the Red Lake area, there will be no hot-mix paving or patching done on the twenty-six kilometres of Highway 105 slated for improvements. Instead, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is relying on a surface treatment that, as many people are already aware, will leave loose gravel to combat in addition to the already present driving obstacles.
 “This section of Highway 105 is a normal asphalt roadway with a surface treatment ‘cap’,” commented MTO Regional Director Larry Lambert. “Surface treatment provides a suitable and cost-effective surface for lower volume highways, where gravel is placed onto an asphaltic emulsion. The surface resembles a gravel roadway during the five-day curing period and there will be areas of loose gravel. After the short curing period, the emulsion sets and bonds with the gravel, forming a smooth, hard and stable wearing surface.”
 According to Lambert, this type of resurfacing treatment is commonly used on the four-lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway in jurisdictions west of Ontario however Municipal Councillors disagree on its effectiveness. In fact, elected municipal officers from both Ear Falls and Red Lake have been lobbying for major highway resurfacing work for several years and are frustrated at the results of the current improvements.
 “Clearly we aren’t a priority,” stated Councillor Brian Larson. “Red Lake to Harry’s Corner is just window-dressing and you can guarantee that nothing major will be done (on Highway 105) until well into 2013. I don’t mind driving on that kind of a road to the North, but this isn’t a secondary highway.”
 According to Larson, the Municipality has been doing it’s best to stay informed on the MTO’s plans in the hopes of working with the ministry to get jobs done. However this doesn’t seem to be happening and the frustrations of local representatives are growing, as highway conditions get worse. “This is definitely a highway downgrade,” said Larson. “The rocks don’t go away in three to five days and it may improve, but that has yet to be seen.”
 For Bill Larkin, who works at Weyerhaeuser’s Ear Falls Sawmill and travels Highway 105 daily, although the road is better, there are still trucks kicking up stones and some areas of washboard are already apparent. “There’s no centerline and it’s hard to judge where the highway ends and the shoulder begins,” said Larkin “You pay so much in taxes and this is what you get.”
 “They made a big mistake,” echoed Kathy Latell, who also travels the highway on a daily basis. “It’s a big waste of money if you ask me. I’m fighting with transport trucks and they’re kicking up rocks with twelve tires out there. I have four chips in my window-- not to mention the paint chips.”
 Despite local concerns, the MTO has assured the Northern Sun News that the loose gravel and dust is a short-term problem, as it will blow off the highway in a couple of days, and improvements should be noticeable reasonably soon.
 “This is NOT a ‘gravel road’—and it is NOT a highway ‘downgrade’,” stated Lambert. “The ministry has briefed Red Lake and Ear Falls municipal officials on this project, which will provide a significant improvement in safety, operability and roadway maintenance capabilities on Highways 105 & 125 in the Red Lake area.”

Man Attacked By Bear West of Ear Falls
September 28, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

At approximately 3:00am on the morning of September 21, 2005, three forestry workers from Manitoba camping on Long Legged Lake, approximately 80 kilometres West of Ear Falls, got an alarming and unwanted wake-up call.
 According to Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) spokesperson Yolanta Kowalski, the three campers had been in the Long Legged Lake area for several weeks completing forestry work when two of the men, who were sleeping in a camper, awoke to the screams of a third man in his tent nearby. When the two men exited their camper, they quickly realized that a bear had taken hold of the third man’s upper body and was attempting to drag him out of his tent.
 “The two men threw sticks and rocks at the bear to scare it away but it wouldn’t budge,” commented Kowalski. “Then one man got into the camper and drove it at the bear to scare it away.”
 After being struck by the vehicle, the bear left the campsite and the two unhurt men transported the injured party to an ambulance. The victim was then taken to the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital before being transferred to the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre where he was held for several days. According to Kowalski the man suffered from numerous bites and scratches to mostly his upper arms and shoulders and is expected to make a full recovery.
 Conservation Officers with the Red Lake MNR, alongside the two uninjured campers, returned immediately to the location where the attack took place in the hopes of locating the aggressive bruin. Although it is quite difficult to locate an aggressive bear in an unpopulated area, according to Kowalski, Conservation Officers were able to bait and dispatch the problematic animal at approximately 6:00pm on Thursday night.
 Although Conservation Officers are confident that they dispatched the correct bear, DNA tests on a tuff of hair recovered during the initial attack will be completed to ensure the situation has been taken care of.

Bear Attack Prompts Calls for a Return of the Spring Bear Hunt
September 14, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

With recent occurances of human-bear conflicts throughout Northern Ontario and Manitoba, conservation groups, including the Canadian Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA), have renewed their plea for the return of Ontario’s spring bear hunt as a much-needed form of black bear management. According to the COHA, the September 06, 2005, attack and subsequent killing of a woman just north of Chapleau, Ontario, is an absolute tragedy but could be just a taste of what could happen if the government does not move to address the out-of-control bear population throughout the province.
 “We’ve been warning the Ontario government since 1999 that the result of their failure to properly manage the black bear population would result in someone being mauled and killed,” commented COHA Chairman Bob McQuay. “Just this spring we pleaded with the government, on behalf of all Ontario citizens, to reinstate the spring black bear hunt. Our contacts in the north have reported bear activity that could only result in this fatality.”
 In response to the cancellation of the spring bear hunt and the rise in bear activity, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) launched their Bear Wise Program, which is currently in its second year of operation. According to the MNR, the Bear Wise Program was established as the first step to a complete nuisance bear management strategy and is aimed at educating the public on ways to prevent human-bear conflicts. However, despite the intentions of the MNR, the program is doing very little to address the current state of nuisance bear activity. In fact, with over twenty black bear dispatches in the Red Lake area alone, organizations are questioning why the hunt was cancelled in the first place.
 “We’re hearing that in many cases the cancellation of the hunt stopped the legal harvest of black bears and that many nuisance bears are being shot and their carcasses are merely dumped in landfill sites,” commented COHA representative Jim Lawrence. “What a waste of a valuable natural resource. Only in Ontario could the government turn an income producing spring event into a $1.5 million deficit.”In addition to the increase in nuisance bear activity, the cancellation of the spring bear hunt has also resulted in a loss in revenue of approximately $44 million per year for outfitters, gas stations, grocery stores and other businesses that would typically service black bear hunters. Under the old hunting allowances, the spring bear hunt also acted as the first instance for many businesses to begin recollecting their incomes after the winter months and according to the COHA, one in five outfitters that were active in 1999 have since closed their doors.
 Although local outfitters have avoided closure, according to Dave McLeod, who operates the Howey Bay Resort in Red Lake, there is little doubt the cancellation of the spring hunt has had a negative impact on his family-operated business. “I think there was a dramatic increase in the number of bears a year or so after the cancellation,” commented McLeod. “It does affect business to a degree. The bears are up on the decks of the cabins and last summer we had some really aggressive and hungry bears in the main camp.”
 For McLeod, the major contributing factor to the increase in nuisance bear activity isn’t necessarily the absence of the spring hunt but rather the inconsistency in bear management programs. It’s hard at times to get someone to come out (to deal with nuisance bears),” stated McLeod. “Especially on weekends and it’s not a fair expectation to have a (Conservation Officer) respond to the nuisance bear calls when they’re so busy with everything else they have to do. A system needs to be set up that is understandable and has a short-time response.”
 Whether the spring hunt is reinstated or not, many in bear country maintain the provincial government must do something to manage the out-of-control bear population before other human-bear conflicts result in further losses.

Municipality Improves District Roads
September 14, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

Although they are still awaiting word on their Phase-Two application to the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF), the Municipality has begun its efforts to improve road standards by chip sealing and patching high traffic roads throughout the District.
 According to the Municipality of Red Lake’s Chief Administrative Officer Brian Anderson, although they are a standstill of sorts with COMRIF, the Municipality is making an effort to cut back on future maintenance costs by repairing extreme rough areas in Red Lake, Balmertown and Cochenour.
 In Red Lake, Howey Bay Road, Spruce Street, Dynes Street, Lakeview Drive and Waterfront Road have all been chip sealed in an attempt to reduce major maintenance problems encountered throughout past years. According to the Municipality, the total cost incurred for these repairs was $66,956.94 including all applicable taxes and because these roads were high maintenance roads in the past the savings could be quite substantial.
 Also on the agenda to be completed in conjunction with the Ministry of Transportation, are pavement repairs to sections of roads in the District. Repair work on the roads, which among others include sections on Goldshore Road, Discovery Road and Forestry Point in Red Lake, Dickenson Road, Pine Road and Lassie Road in Balmertown and Williams Street in Cochenour, will be completed by mid-October and will incur approximately $100,000 in costs.
 The asphalt patching will include utility cuts, pavement failures as well as the overlay of extreme rough areas however according to the Municipality, none of the listed roads will be redone in their entirety.

Companies and Communities Call for Action from Province on Forest Crisis
September 7, 2005
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

Pressure on the provincial government continues to build as companies and communities call for immediate action from the government to counter the downward turn in Ontario’s forest industry.  Northwestern Ontario in particular has been hit hard as many communities rely on the forest industry as their main employers.
 Recent announcements of closures and downsizing at Weyerhaeuser’s Dryden Mill, the Abitibi-Consolidated Mill in Kenora and most recently at the Cascades mill in Thunder Bay are casting a dark shadow over the industry and fueling criticism of the McGuinty government.
 NDP Leader Howard Hampton says that recent cuts are a wake up call for the province to initiate a plan to protect the forest industry which has gross sales of $19 billion annually and employs 85,000 in the province. “The cuts at Cascades are another wake-up call for Dalton McGuinty,” Hampton said. “It’s time for the premier to stop standing on the sidelines doing nothing while Northern forest communities and workers suffer. We need a plan to sustain paper mill and sawmill jobs in Northern Ontario and we need it now.”
 In the Ear Falls - Red Lake area, numerous forest harvesting and hauling companies along with two sawmills provide hundreds of high paying jobs as well as much needed tax base for those communities.  The largest of these operations is the Weyerhaeuser sawmill in Ear Falls which produces dimensional lumber for markets in the U.S. and Canada.
 Weyerhaeuser spokesperson Bonny Skene says there are a number of issues facing Weyerhaeuser’s Ear Falls Sawmill and the industry as a whole. “Challenges faced by the forest industry in Ontario include uncompetitive fiber costs and energy costs, the Canadian/US exchange rate and for lumber producers, the countervail duty and anti-dumping charges,” said Skene.
Last year, Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources, David Ramsay established a Minister’s Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness who subsequently released a report earlier this year.  In that report the Council detailed that the province’s forest industry was being hurt by a number of factors including rapidly rising energy costs, some of the highest wood costs in the world, the softwood lumber dispute and competition from lower cost jurisdictions.
 “These challenges are not new. We are working diligently to reduce costs that are within our control and we are asking the province to provide a competitive playing field in Ontario so that we can compete with operations in other jurisdictions,”says Skene. “We are encouraged that Minister Ramsay recognized the challenges faced by the industry by striking the Minister's Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness in 2004 and are hopeful that the provincial government will act on its financial recommendations.”
 Commenting on the Council’s report, Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory said that poor stewardship of the energy sector and uncertain wood supply is making it hard for companies to operate in Ontario.  “Only the McGuinty Liberals would commission a report to help the forestry industry and then completely ignore its recommendations,” said Tory. “They should not be standing by and watching while this industry suffers, they should be acting to help it.”
 Skene and the province’s forest industry are hopeful that the provincial government will make a move towards the implementation of recommendations made by the Minister’s Council on Forest Sector Competitiveness and are looking for help in getting their message across. “We are encouraging employees, contractors and citizens within our operating communities to take the time to understand the challenges faced by the industry in Ontario and to write to Premier McGuinty and Minister Sorbara, Minister of Finance outlining their concern and asking that the provincial government implement the key financial recommendations identified in the Minister's Council Report,” said Skene.
 The Township of Ear Falls, Weyerhaeuser and the local Communications, Energy and Paperworker’s Union (C.E.P.) will be holding a public meeting regarding the current forest crisis on Monday, September 12th at the Ear Falls Royal Canadian Legion at 7:00 p.m.

Northern Ontario Highways Strategy
Big Money for Ontario’s Near North, Some Resurfacing for Highway 105
September 7, 2005
By Gary Worrall
The Northern Sun News

The provincial government recently announced it would be investing $1.8 billion in a five-year plan to improve and expand highways in Northern Ontario. The Northern Ontario Highway Strategy released on August 30th outlines major improvements to a number of provincial roadways, many of which are located in Ontario’s near-north, south of Sudbury.
 "Northern Ontario highways are lifelines for people and businesses of the North," said Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines. "The Northern Ontario Highways Strategy will help ensure optimum safety for drivers and facilitate economic growth through enhanced access to markets elsewhere in the province."
 The five year plan is expected to direct $1.1 billion into pavement and bridge improvements, and another $700 million into highway expansion.
 In regards to road expansion projects, the area south of Sudbury will receive the majority of attention including four-laning on Highway 11 to North Bay and Highway 69 between Parry Sound and Sudbury. 
 In Northwestern Ontario there will be a number of rehabilitation projects for Highway 11 between Thunder Bay and Longlac and Thunder Bay and Rainy River as well as some work on Highway 17 limited to resurfacing and additional passing lanes.
 When it comes to four-laning of Highway 17, the only work scheduled in the next five years will be 23 kilometres in two areas, both of which are located east of Sault Ste Marie. When discussing expansion plans the report states, “Aside from Highways 11 and 69, the government has not yet finalized the priorities, timing and investment requirements associated with the longer-term northern highway expansion program.”
Closer to home, the only rehabilitation projects slated for Hwy 105 in the next five years will be for the reconstruction of 28.2 kilometres north of Highway 804 (Manitou Falls Road). 
 According to documentation provided by Ministry of Transport Northwestern Region, Regional Director Larry Lambert, the province is currently spending $1.5 million on resurfacing work on Highway 105 including work between Red Lake and Harry’s Corner, as well as patching and leveling on sections of the highway between Red Lake and Ear Falls. A portion of this money is being spent for patching work on Highway 125.

Black Bears Prowl Red Lake Communities
August 31, 2005
By Lisa Karschti
The Northern Sun News

Despite the efforts of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), with the number of black bear hotspots at a seemingly elevated level this season, local residents are feeling frustrated and fed up with the nuisance bear activity in their communities and back yards.
 Coupled with the current frustrations is the knowledge that in addition to the current state of bear abundance, it is likely the problem will worsen as the bears begin their pre-hibernation ritual of feasting for twenty hours a day.
 “(The bear problem) has been probably peaked-out for the last couple of weeks here,” commented MNR Enforcement Supervisor David Anderson who reported three bear dispatches in the last week alone. “And we feel that it is going to continue for probably another two or three weeks at least.”
 Since the cancellation of the spring bear hunt, Ontario’s black bear population has increased significantly as the total bear hunt harvests have dropped from 6,400 to 4,900 black bears per year. For a large majority, the current bear problem is hardly tolerable and with an increase in black bear population of 7.5 percent annually, as estimated by the MNR, many believe that the local nuisance bear problem will only get worse without some form of much needed population control.
A strong believer in the reissuing of the spring bear hunt is the Canadian Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA), which is a national organization committed to protecting outdoor heritage across Canada. According to the COHA, Ontario residents are in danger from the ballooning bear population and the Spring Bear Hunt would be a viable method of wildlife population management in this particular instance.
 In an open letter sent to the MNR in the Spring, COHA Chairman Bob McQuay expressed his concerns for the growing black bear population and lack of natural food sources by stating, “It is COHA’s worry that unless firm steps are taken immediately by (the MNR), some northern Ontario citizen will be killed or badly mauled by a black bear this spring or summer.” Although his concerns have been unsubstantiated thus far, it is possible that the brazenness of local bears, which are no longer limiting their in-town visits to after dark, could potentially lead to human-bear conflicts in the future.
According to Municipality of Red Lake C