Business

After arduous negotiations, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada has agreed to a tentative agreement with AbitibiBowater to renew the collective agreement.
This deal fulfills an essential condition towards the emergence of the company from the current restructuring process.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty is hosting a series of town hall meetings to hear from the public regarding the 2010/11 federal budget, which is being tabled tomorrow afternoon in the House of Commons.

OTTAWA—Canadians are all but certain to enjoy historically-low interest rates for at least another four months after the Bank of Canada passed up on its opportunity to signal a policy change today.

Chuck McPherson will be returning for another term as chief following Couchiching First Nation’s election Feb. 18.
Also in the running for chief were Allan Yerxa and Bill Perrault.
Meanwhile, out of the 20 candidates running for council, voters elected Dan Mainville, Christine Jourdain, Dick Bird, Eugene McPherson, Ed Yerxa, and Sara Mainville.

The provincial government is touting the extension of municipal services to Emo’s industrial park, including more funding for the project.
The $69,171 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. comes in addition to the previously-announced $121,900 for bringing municipal services to the industrial park.

New small businesses—run by young entrepreneurs—are up and running, creating seven private-sector jobs in three Northwestern Ontario communities.
Ontario’s Young Entrepreneur Program is supporting TY-GR Construction, a construction and renovation business in Fort Frances focusing on residential, cottage, and commercial buildings.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton (NDP) is demanding pension fairness for AbitibiBowater workers and retirees.
On Monday during Question Period at Queen’s Park, Hampton asked about the McGuinty government’s recent decision to bail out Nortel’s pension plan.

Bending Lake Iron Group (BLIG) has secured $325 million to construct the first of two proposed iron processing facilities at the Steep Rock mine site, and president and CEO Henry Wetelainen is now calling for the province to speed up its land tenure approval process.

Faced with million-dollar deficits, Children’s Aid Societies across the province have welcomed the Ontario government’s one-time mitigation funding of $26.9 million—but now are left wondering about the state of their budget next year.

In an effort to get more people participating on town boards and committees without having to commit too long, council has reduced the length of terms from four to two years.