Balmertown news

• Heat warnings issued in northwestern Ontario

  28-05-2023 17:30 via globalnews.ca
  
  Environment Canada issued a series of heat warnings for areas of Ontario on the Manitoba border down to the tip of the United States.
  
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• Recruitment, retention issues plague Ontario wildfire program

  13-10-2022 12:00 via globalnews.ca
  'Mark my friggin words, somebody is going to get severely hurt,' Daniel Speckert, an Ontario forest firefighter with 11 seasons of experience, told Global News.
  
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• Severe thunderstorm, heat warnings issued for Northern Ontario

  19-06-2022 17:03 via globalnews.ca
  
  Residents in Thunder Bay, Atikokan, Upsala, Quetico and Superior West have been warned to prepare for severe thunderstorms with heavy rain and nickel-sized hail.
  
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• ‘Unruly passenger’ caused Ontario flight to be diverted, had to be restrained onboard: police

  07-06-2022 18:43 via globalnews.ca
  
  "One of the pilots along with other passengers were forced to restrain and subdue the accused until the aircraft could be landed safely," police allege. 
  
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• Red Lake fire shrinks to 552 hectares as Manitoba sends water bombers, aid

  13-08-2020 15:12 via globalnews.ca
  
  A fire threatening a northern Ontario town has shrunk since Wednesday, but is still classified as "out of control."
  
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• Red Lake fire creeps closer to community as Manitoba sends water bombers, aid

  13-08-2020 15:12 via globalnews.ca
  
  A fire threatening a northern Ontario town has shrunk since Wednesday, but is still classified as "out of control."
  
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• Northern Ontario First Nation begins to evacuate some residents due to forest fires

  12-08-2020 19:37 via globalnews.ca
  
  Eabametoong First Nation declared a state of emergency due to concerns of smoke affecting the health and safety of its residents.
  
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• Red Lake residents ordered to evacuate area as forest fire burns nearby

  11-08-2020 15:01 via globalnews.ca
  
  Residents in a northern Ontario municipality were told to leave Monday night as a nearby forest fire burned closer.
  
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• Police warn against impaired driving after northwestern Ontario man charged in lawnmower incident

  21-07-2020 19:18 via globalnews.ca
  
  A man from a small Ontario community near the border with Manitoba is facing charges after police received a call about a possibly impaired driver operating a lawnmower.
  
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• Evolution Mining vows to invest after buying Ontario gold complex for US$375M

  26-11-2019 18:27 via globalnews.ca
  
  In a news release, the Australian company says it plans to spend US$50 million on exploration and invest US$100 million in existing operations at the underground mining complex if the acquisition closes as expected by the end of March.
  
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• North Spirit Lake First Nation declares state of emergency over water, drugs

  24-10-2019 20:06 via globalnews.ca
  The band says there has been interruptions to power and water services because of a lack of personnel.
  
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• Pikangikum First Nation evacuees heading home as officials bring forest fire under control

  10-06-2019 21:58 via globalnews.ca
  About 90 people who had been flown to Winnipeg are going back to the community in northern Ontario.
  
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• Curriculum changes owing to need for consultation, cost savings: Rickford

  07-08-2018 16:06
  By Shayla Bradley
  Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says the Progressive Conservative provincial government’s roll-back of sex education is not going back very far.
  “I don’t think 2014 is that old of a curriculum, for starters,” he said in a conference call earlier this month, calling it “a fairly modern curriculum by any academic standards.”
  The Ontario Ministry of Education is reverting to the sex education curriculum last updated in 1998, prior to an upd
  
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• Nominations close for upcoming Municipality of Red Lake elections

  07-08-2018 16:05
  By Shayla Bradley
  Names are in for the Red Lake council and school board elections.
  Running for the role of councillor are Red Lake’s Tom Doherty, Mike Desmeules, Samantha Dykin, Jack Goodwillie, and Dale Butterfield; Madsen’s Gene Vallee and Ted Nowakowski; Balmertown’s Carol Baron, Allistair McRae, Warren Badiuk, and Jamie Kristoff, and Cochenour’s Janet Hager. Baron and Goodwillie are incumbents.
  Vying for mayor are Balmertown’s Fred Mota; Cochenour’s Dale
  
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• Bellegarde elected to another term as AFN national chief

  07-08-2018 16:03
  By Shayla Bradley
  Perry Bellegarde is Assembly of First Nations national chief again, re-elected during the AFN Special Chiefs Assembly held July 24 to 26 in Vancouver.
  Bellegarde won 328 of 522 votes in a second ballot after failing to earn the required 60 per cent of votes during the first round. Sheila North won 125 votes, Miles Richardson won 59 votes and Russ Diabo won 10 votes, while Katherine Whitecloud did not move onto the second round.
  During his acceptance speech, Bellegarde said, &ld
  
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• Red Lake area Goldcorp exploration advances on schedule

  07-08-2018 16:01
  By Shayla Bradley
  Goldcorp released its second quarter earnings and exploration reports July 25, highlighting the work the company has done during this time frame.
  “With the first half of our 2018 exploration program behind us, we are pleased to report that the momentum continues to build on the results generated in the first quarter throughout the second quarter… At Red Lake, both Cochenour and HG Young advanced on schedule, the diamond drill results continued to support the prospe
  
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• North West Company drops Wasaya as freight deliverer

  07-08-2018 16:00
  By Shayla Bradley
  The North West Company will no longer use Wasaya Airways to deliver freight shipments to northwestern Ontario communities, a decision Wasaya says its First Nation owners do not support.
  “Wasaya has been delivering food for the North West Company to both our ownership and non-ownership communities for over 10 years,” the company said in a statement. “As a First Nation owned airline, we have always researched and found ways to provide cost effective services to
  
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• KDSB, Windigo sign student housing MOU

  07-08-2018 15:54
  By Shayla Bradley
  The Kenora District Services Board (KDSB) and Windigo First Nations Council are joining forces to address housing needs for Indigenous students accessing education away from home.
  The two parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which indicates both organizations will collaborate to develop new housing units in order to provide student safety, coordinated supportive services for students and housing and supports for their families.
  The MOU also intends to establ
  
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• Alberta firefighter dies while helping battle Ontario blaze

  28-07-2018 00:00 via globalnews.ca
  While taking part in fire suppression efforts in Red Lake, Ont., a wildland firefighter lost his life on Thursday.
  
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• Ontario PCs rapid moves in first weeks of power

  22-07-2018 21:28
  Published: July 18, 2018 
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  Ontario’s Progressive-Conservative government is launching into changes immediately, after Premier Doug Ford was sworn into office June 29, along with 21 members of cabinet.
  In the throne speech delivered July 12, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Elizabeth Dowdeswell read, “The fact is that Ontario is at a critical juncture. We face mounting challenges at home and abroad. These challenges, if left unchecked, threaten livel
  
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• Child poverty in Kenora double Canadian average

  22-07-2018 21:24
  Published: July 12, 2018
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  The rate of child poverty in the Kenora riding is higher than the rate across Canada, a new study says.
  The average child poverty rate across Canada is 17.4 per cent, but in the Kenora Riding it rises to 34.7 per cent. According to Campaign 2000, Canada’s ridings with the worst child poverty rates are home to the highest proportions of Indigenous and racialised people, recent immigrants and mostly mother headed lone parent families,
  
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• Red Lake to appoint new mayor

  22-07-2018 21:21
  Published: July 5, 2018 
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  Red Lake will soon have a municipal treasurer and mayor.
  “On June 18 the position of head of council, mayor, was declared vacant in the Municipality of Red Lake due to the death of our Mayor, Phil Vinet,” explained Deputy Mayor Sandy Middleton.
  “I was appointed Deputy Mayor by Mayor Vinet following the 2014 municipal election and continue in that position.”
  A vacant seat must be filled within 60 days. “T
  
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• Hospital foundation golf tournament draws over $140K

  22-07-2018 21:18
  Published: July 5, 2018
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  This year’s Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Hospital Foundation Annual Golf Tournament set new records for fundraising, bringing in over $140,000, the highest profit ever earned at the event.
  Held June 16 and 17, with 22 teams participating, the tournament brought in money that will be used for purchasing capital equipment for the hospital.
  Pearl Fleming, executive assistant for the hospital, explained that over the next five years the f
  
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• Red Lake, Dryden winners in TbayTel for Good campaign

  22-07-2018 21:14
  Published: July 4, 2018 
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  Northwestern Ontario initiatives are getting a boost from the Spring 2018 TbayTel for Good Community Fund, including a project funded in Red Lake, and one in Dryden. Red Lake’s Laverty Park is getting $500 for upgrades.
  “Our friends in Cochen won the same grant last year and used the funds to build seating for the park in their neighbourhood,” explained Jill Woolley.
  “Some other parents and I discussed some id
  
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• School board prepares for capital projects

  22-07-2018 20:59
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is closing the 2017-2018 school year out with plans for upcoming major capital projects.
  With the final June 12 board meeting, director of education Sean Monteith reflected on the past school year.
  “The year has been an incredibly successful one, with challenges and unavoidable setbacks at certain moments,” he said.
  “We end the year in strong financial shape, a growing reach into the north resulting in positive impac
  
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• Don’t get ticked! At work or play, prevent tick bites

  22-07-2018 20:57
  Submitted
  The Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) is encouraging individuals working or exploring the outdoors with friends, family or pets, to make small changes that can help to prevent tick bites.
  There are two main tick species in northwestern Ontario; wood (dog) ticks and blacklegged (deer) ticks. Wood ticks have reddish-brown bodies and legs with white markings on their back. These ticks are not known to transmit tick-borne disease and pose little risk to a person’s health. Blacklegged t
  
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• Red Lake’s second annual Pride delights and uplifts

  22-07-2018 20:55
  Published: June 15, 2018 
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  What started as a group of young people who decided to march down Main Street waving mini rainbow flags has turned – into a spectacular community wide event. Red Lake celebrated its second annual Pride June 8 and 9, growing from its – humble yet driven beginnings to something even greater.
  “It just grew,” said Michael Brunton, one of the event organizers, reflecting on how the event expanded. “It snowballed to wh
  
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• Red Lake and region mourn Mayor Phil Vinet

  22-07-2018 20:50
  Published: June 14, 2018 
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  Red Lake is saying good bye to longtime mayor, Phil Vinet, who died on June 5. Vinet, 69, was in his third term as mayor, before which he was a town councillor.
  He was past president of the Kenora District Municipal Association. Vinet was born and raised in Red Lake, getting into politics as a school board representative to start. Condolences are coming – in from many communities and figures across the region. 
  “He was a fierce ad
  
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• Hometown street named after Olympian Eric Radford

  22-07-2018 09:41
  Published: June 13, 2018
  BY SHAYLA BRADLEY
  Olympic champion and Balmertown native Eric Radford has his name – on a little bit of Balmertown. The former Mine Road in Balmertown is now – Eric Radford Way, unveiled June 8.
  “It’s so cool,” Radford said at the celebration “I love it. I also love that we’re in front of my old house right now … Red Lake and Balmertown have been so special to me through my journey,” he said.
  “To have this be m
  
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• Saarinen receives young entrepreneur award

  22-07-2018 09:32
  Published: June 11, 2018 
  BY RICK GARRICK
  Green and Gone Pest Solutions owner Kaija Saarinen enjoys travelling wherever her services are needed across the northwest, including Kenora, Dryden, Red Lake and the fly-in communities.
  She was recently recognized with the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award at the 2018 Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards on May 31 in Thunder Bay.
  “It’s just really based on need,” says Saarinen, whose b
  
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• Olympic gold returning to hometown, Radford visit scheduled

  13-03-2018 17:27
  Published: February 28, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS       
  Red Laker will be getting a fresh taste of gold next month, in Olympic form.
  Sources in the community confirmed this week Olympian, and former Balmertown resident, Eric Radford will be in the district mid-March, bringing with him his new hardware.
  Golden Learning Centre Principal and former coach to Radford Debra Geary said this week the Olympian will be making a tour of area schools, skating with members of his former s
  
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• Gov’t not discouraged by delayed pot passing

  13-03-2018 17:24
  Published: February 28, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  As the chamber of sober second thought gets ready to review legislation that will make recreational cannabis a legal to possess substance, Kenora MP Bob Nault says the government is optimistic everything will be completed and in the hands of the province by the fall.
  “As we have said before we are trying to get this done right, not get it done fast,” said Nault on Feb. 21 discussing the Senate review process that is not expected to wra
  
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• “Experiment” key to increasing participation; Heritage Centre

  13-03-2018 17:22
  Published: February 28, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Attendance records at a local facility continue to be broken thanks to experimentation and flexibility.
  Red Lake Regional Heritage Center Director Trevor Osmond says for a second year in a row the facility has smashed its all time attendance count prior to 2016.
  Osmond says the building received more than 9,000 visitors in 2017 beating the previous year’s record of over 7,000 visitors and posting the highest turn out in the building’s
  
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• Premier Gold continues exploration on Hasaga property

  05-03-2018 18:26
  Published Feb 21, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Drills will continue to turn this summer behind Westerlund and across Highway 618 as Premier Gold works to understand the ore body of the Hasaga property.
  Providing an update to residents on the exploration activities on Feb. 13 Hasaga Project Manager Jim Rogers noted there would be drills set up on either side of the local highway as the company moves forwards on plans for 20,000 plus kilometres of diamond drilling.
  “This year we are planning to
  
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• PCs nominate Lac Seul Chief for new riding

  05-03-2018 18:23
  Published: February 21, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Lac Seul Chief Clifford Bull has been named the Progressive Conservative (PC) candidate looking to represent Red Lake and surrounding communities in the upcoming provincial election.
  Chief Bull was confirmed as nominee for the new riding of Kiwetinoong at the party’s nomination meeting in on Feb. 15 in Sioux Lookout. He has been Chief of Lac Seul since 2006.
  “Obviously, I’m very elated. I’m very humbled by being asked and j
  
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• Pot won’t be legal soon

  05-03-2018 18:17
  Published : February 21, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  The legalization of cannabis in Canada will be delayed past the anticipated July 1 implementation date.
  The Liberal government had initially planned to legalize the drug by this summer, however Health Minister Ginette Petipas Taylor says the Senate vote on the draft bill has been scheduled for the beginning of June.
  “If you do the math, you can certainly see that it certainly won’t be July 2018,” Petitpas Taylor told reporters l
  
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• Goldcorp releases fourth quarter earnings

  05-03-2018 18:16
  Published: February 21, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Goldcorp Red Lake Gold Mines hit their highest rates of mining and milling tonnage in the last quarter of 2017 since 2012 say company officials.
  Providing an update to investors on the fourth quarter results last week Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Todd White said rates at the local site reached approximately 2,300 tons per day, the highest rates Red Lake has achieved since the end of 2012.
  “The investment to optimize t
  
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• Lack of candidates disconcerting: Mayors

  27-02-2018 21:04
  Published: February 14, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  With the next provincial election just under four months away it is still unclear who will be representing the three major political parties in the riding of Kiiwetingoong.
  The new riding, which now encompasses Red Lake, Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout, and over 20 First Nation communities, spans more than 294,000 square kilometres and was created this summer alongside three other ridings in an effort to better represent Northern Ontario in the provincia
  
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• Rubicon management provide update on Phoenix Gold project

  27-02-2018 21:01
  Published: February 14, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  The Phoenix Gold Project, located north of Cochenour, is on track for exploration and test mining in 2018 says the company’s top executive.
   
  Presenting to a local crowd on Feb. 7 President and Chief Executive Officer George Ogilvie called the year past “successful” and outlined plans for the company and the local project for the next 12 months. 
  Ogilvie says all suspension orders were satisfied and removed over a year
  
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• Municipal reserves reviewed, operating budget moved forward to vote

  27-02-2018 21:00
  Published: February 14, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Municipal leaders are moving the 2018 proposed operating budget forward for vote after a second review last week.
  The budget allocates more than $19.2 million in operating funds to programs, facilities and services across the district and includes a 0.29 per cent increase over the previous year’s budget projections.
  Councilors advanced the budget with little discussion, turning their attention a reserve statement requested by the group durin
  
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• KPDSB housing in crisis

  27-02-2018 20:56
  Published February 14, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Northwestern Ontario is still in crisis mode when it comes to housing. That was the message delivered to municipal leaders earlier last week during a review of the Kenora District Services Board mandate and regional programs.
  “It is not an exaggeration – we are in a housing crisis situation,” declared KDSB’s Chief Administrative Officer Henry Wall noting in 2017 the organization had 817 approved applications for housing. In
  
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• CRA scam targeting the vulnerable, resident offers warning

  14-02-2018 16:57
  Published: Feb 7, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSON
  If it seems to good to be true, it is. If something seems off it probably is – too old adages that continue to grow in importance says a local resident who was nearly scared and bullied into paying a fake Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) tax bill.
  “They had an answer for everything,” said Debbie Fretz this week while describing a phone call her and her husband experienced recently informing them of a past due balance on their income tax bill
  
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• Operations budget review, smaller than average tax increase coming to residents

  14-02-2018 16:56
  Published: February 7, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Taxpayers in the Red Lake district could see a 1.2 per cent net tax increase in 2018 when the municipal operating budget gets approval later this month. Over the last five years the net increase to taxpayers has averaged 2.2 per cent.
  Reviewing the proposed document at a Special Council meeting on Jan. 31 leaders were presented with a budget that CAO Mark Vermette says injects more money into reserves and includes the latest collective bargaining r
  
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• Pot or Not?

  14-02-2018 16:54
  Published: February 7, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  With the legalization of marijuana just around the corner, municipal and regional leaders say they have continuing concerns over how the federal and provincial governments plan to keep the substance out of the hands of young people and keep residents safe.
  Bill C-45, legislation that will allow adults to possess and use small amounts of recreational marijuana legally is currently in front of the Senate of Canada with the federal government expectin
  
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• KPDSB Career Fair

  30-01-2018 18:53
  Published January 17, 2018
  Photo by Jennifer Parsons
  Denise Ouellette (left) takes a test drive of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board’s new on-line application process from Superintendent of Education Joan Kantola on Jan. 9. Offering an interactive job fair for those seeking casual and permanent employment in the field of Education, Kantola and others set up shop in the Red Lake District High School cafeteria last week to greet prospective applicants and assist in setting up appli
  
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• Block G Housing

  30-01-2018 18:29
  Published January 17, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS) is seeking public input into plans to develop “Block G” after the purchase of the land parcel was finalized at the end of November.
  Acting Director Justin Marchand confirmed in an interview last week his organization is working with the Municipality to rezone more than five kilometres located to the west of Pine Crescent.
  “OAHS has been in discussions with the Municipality of Red Lake for
  
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• SIU says charges not warranted in Pikangikum incident

  30-01-2018 18:27
  Published January 17, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  A civilian law enforcement agency has deemed criminal charges are not warranted against an Ontario Provincial Police officer for an October 2016 incident in Pikangikum.
  On Oct. 18 officers were dispatched to Dump Road at approximately 2:10 p.m. in response to a report of an impaired driver. A 43-year old man who was arrested in the incident was later diagnosed with a dislocated elbow and possible hand injuries.
  In a report filed with the Attorney Ge
  
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• Michèle Alderton honored by North Western Ontario

  30-01-2018 18:11
   
  Published January 10, 2017
  BY NSN STAFF
  Resident Michèle Alderton says it took a village to launch an initiative geared to bringing together francophone residents in the community. 
  In 2014, Alderton created the Association Francophone de Red Lake (AFRL) and it is this effort that earned her the 2017 North Western Ontario Francophone Personality Award, presented last month in Thunder Bay.
  “It is truly an honor for me to receive such a prestigious award,”
  
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• Grant positions Norseman Festival for a 2018 return

  11-01-2018 21:53
  Published January 3, 2018
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  The Norseman Festival received a boost in paying their 2017 bills and getting a head start on a 2018 event last week after receiving a provincial government grant.
  On Dec. 28 committee representatives confirmed that $15,000 had been secured from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to assist with the cost of the Canadian Harvard Areobatic Team visit in July.
  “We are very grateful to receive this money as our reserves were totally depleted with th
  
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• Knox Lake extension granted

  11-01-2018 21:44
  Published: January 3, 2018  
  BY JENNIFER PARSONS
  Snowmobilers in the area will continue to have access to a popular fishing spot located in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, after an Ontario Parks decision to extend temporary access to the zone.
  The Knox Lake access zone was set to close at the end of 2017 as part of a 10 year phase-out of recreational snowmobiling within the park that was approved in 2007.
  Park Superintendent Anne Young says the decision to issue the extension was based on
  
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