Gravelle to Update Northern Growth Plan

An update on the Northern Growth Plan.

A forum is slated for next month in Timmins featuring mayors, aboriginal and community leaders.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle says he promised such a meeting to the northern mayors back in August.

The meeting is scheduled to take place December 6th.

Heart of the Continent Progressing

A new tourist idea is being discussed for our region, and both sides of the border would be part of the plan

A group called the Heart of the Continent Partnership, wants to create a new travel destination by connecting the dots between International Falls and Duluth in Minnesota and Fort Frances and Thunder Bay in Ontario.

The idea comes in the form of an interactive map that would highlight the area’s natural features and it's historic sites.

 Restaurants, Hotels and bars would also be featured.

The hope is to create new jobs and tourism.

The group is on the verge of raising $200,000 that would fund the project.

I Am Awesome Retreat in the Running for Aviva Funding

A local event, may be well on it's way to receiving additional funding for next year. .

The I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!,) retreat is currently ranked 1st in this round of voting for the Aviva Community Fund contest.

The retreat is meant to help boost the confidence of young women in our area.

The organizer of this retreat, Renée Martin-Brown is grateful to those who have voted so far.

Voting for this round ends today.

 The winning project is provided with funding for next year.

A link to the contest is available on the 93-1 The Border facebook page.

Atikokan Experience Building Boom

A brand new saw mill being built just outside of Atikokan could bring 90 more job to the area.

The 50 million dollar project is being constructed on the property of the former Buchanan Mill.

It should start operations in 2015.

On the other side of town, Ren-tech is building into a new wood pellet facility.

With the hope of creating 20 new jobs.

The plan is to supply the Atikokan Generating Station.

They are spending $22 million in an effort open in April of next year.

The Bargain! Shop Is Number One

A fundraising campaign for Easter Seals has earned number one honours for a Fort Frances department store.

Local staff at The Bargain! Shop raised $4,100, topping all stores in Ontario and Manitoba.

Manager Darcy Banman says it had been something they had been striving for after placing second for so many years.

The Fort Frances total was almost 25 per cent of money raised by all The Bargain! Shops in Ontario.

NDP Upset At Lack of Government Help for Mining

NDP Critic Michael Mantha, continues to attack the Ontario Liberal government's treatment of the mining sector.

He believes the electricity supply is not sufficient enough to support new mining developments.

Mantha says if the government doesn't take action, thousands of potential new jobs could be affected.

Mantha adds that 30 to 50% of operating costs for the Mining sector is in the price of electricity. And the threshold for the Global Adjustment program still stands at 1 megawatt, which penalizes mid-sized producers.