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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011

Printed in Canada Volume 118 Number 3

FFPC customers to reap sizeable rebate

By Duane Hicks Staff writer

INSIDE

Thanks to a lengthy advocacy campaign involving Fort Frances Power Corporation (FFPC) staff, board of directors, and legal counsel, FFPC customers will receive a sizeable rebate over the next two months. FFPC has successfully advocated that the provincial global adjustment charge should not be applied to the volume of electricity associated with the 1905 historic power agreement between the town and owner of the local hydro dam. FFPC is now allowed to recover

$1.9 million in charges, return that money to eligible customers, and see that they are exempted from this charge in the future. The rebate is calculated on a customers proportionate share of the total electricity consumed during the period that the charges were incurred. The average FFPC customer will get a $288 credit over two billing periods this June and July. As well, the FFPC will be able to apply the global adjustment charge associated with the historic power agreement to the overall value of the historic power agreement. This will boost the annual historic

power rebate from $1.1 million to an estimated $1.9 million, meaning FFPC customer will receive a larger overall rebate. FFPC board chair Doug McCaig explained the provincial government has been adding a global adjustment charge on to hydro bills to support sustainable energy programs, such as solar, wind, and biomass power generation. The commodity price for electricity is 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour, but the global adjustment charge hydro customers pay is being used to allow the province to pay those who generate electricity from more expensive renewable

fuel types such as rooftop solar for example, which pays generators 80.2 cents per kilowatt hour. The fact is, its the ratepayer thats carrying the load for sustainable energy, noted McCaig. The FFPC discovered that under the framework of the old regulation the province was charging ratepayers a global adjustment charge for the 2.984 megawatts of power the town gets under the historic power agreement. Due to the due diligence of our staff, they found this issue, a proposition was given to the government, and as a result were getting that $1.9 million back that we paid.

And this will happen as long as that global adjustment charge . . . is in effect, said McCaig. The board of directors also understand the historic power agreement very well, and they demonstrated their necessary due diligence. When it was presented to us, we knew what was happening, he added. Were reclaiming it and giving it back to the customer, noted McCaig. FFPC president and CEO Joerg Ruppenstein said the FFPC as the custodian of the historic power agreement was able to influence Please see FFPC, A7

Teen heading to Peru to help kids

At age 11, Tylyn Silander saw a World Vision commercial on TV and immediately knew she wanted to help children in Third World countries. Right then and there, she packed her suitcase and insisted she would move out if her mom didnt agree to sponsor a child.

Triplet calves born in district

By Peggy Revell Staff writer A rare triplet birth has turned this years calving season into one for the local history books. It was a surprise, said Wayne Flatt, whose farm just north of Emo welcomed healthy triplet Charolais calves to the world back on May 9. Ive been farming for some 44 years, he remarked. First time that Ive had a set a triplets. Ive had lots of twins, but not triplets. Making the odds even more unlikely, the newborn calves are identicalall three are male, and a deep red in colour with matching markings. If it werent for being tagged, they cant be told apart from one another, noted Flatt. A cow having triplets is a onein-105,000 chance, said Gary Sliworsky, the local ag rep for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, citing the available numbers which come from a study published in the United States back in the 1920s. This number isnt even a survival ratemore of a what comes out rate, he explained. Having surviving calves that are all the same gender is even more unlikely. Even with twins, a lot of the times its one of each, noted Sliworsky. Three identicals to boot is rarer. The newborn triplets arent actually a first for the district, Flatt said, recalling that another set had been born some 40-50 years ago in this area. The first calf was born at 10:30 p.m., he recounted. From the size of this first calf and the size of the mother, Flatt knew a second calf was possible, so he wasnt surprised to see two calves when he returned to the barn around midnight. [Then] I saw this lump sitting off to the side, and I got closer and thought, Thats another calf! Sure enough, she had three of them. Despite the surprise, Flatt said he didnt wake up his wife, Marilyn, who was already asleepknowing she would be so excited she wouldnt be able to sleep, even with work the next morning. So I just went back to bed and thats it, he remarked, adding he broke the news to her in the morning. The calving itself wasnt difficult as it sometimes can be, Flatt said. Please see Triplet, A7

See story on A3

Local sees pics published

Rylee Nixon only started getting serious about photography last summer yet shes already had two of her photos published. The book Bunnies for Bunnies by Ccile de Vries (and Furry Friends), which was published just a few weeks ago, features two photos Nixon had taken of her sisters bunny, Peanut Butter.

Back in service
Trevor Armstrong, an aircraft maintenance engineer for Rusty Myers Fly-In Fishing and Hunting Outposts here, worked deftly to re-install the newly-overhauled engine of this Cessna Caravan 208. The engine was removed back in November after 10 years worth of trips to Rusty Myers 11 outposts. See A5 for story, more photos. Zoey Duncan photo

See story on A6

Locals urged to keep voting

By Heather Latter Staff writer The local Respect Campaign, vying for $10,000 through the Pepsi Refresh Project, currently is sitting in 33rd placetwo spots ahead of where it was two weeks ago. As such, the Celebrating Diversity Committee, which initiated the project, is urging the community to continue voting for its cause. We need people to vote, stressed committee chair Trudy McCormick. I think we can do it. Its a question of perseverance, she remarked. If we have more people who remember to keep voting and other places give up, then theres a big chance we could move up, she reasoned. In fact, the idea had jumped as high as 28th place last week, so McCormick insisted we should Please see Locals, A7

Green ag set to drop at Speedway

New cars, new drivers, and returning veterans are just some of the things district racing fans can come to expect during the 2011 season at the Emo Speedway, which officially kicks off this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (weather permitting).

Tightrope tricks
A Shrine Circus performer wowed the crowd with his balancing act on the tightrope yesterday afternoon at the Memorial Sports Centre. The annual spectacle, which offered a 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. show, featured everthing from clown acts to horse-riding stunts and dog tricks, as well as attractions like pony rides, an inflatable slide, and face-painting during intermission. Heather Latter photo

See story on C1

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

FORT FRANCES TIMES A7

FFPC customers to reap sizeable rebate

More from A1 the new global adjustment regulation that came into effect in 2011, to address the proper treatment of the agreement. In 2010, the FFPC worked with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure and the Ontario Electrical Financial Corp. to formulate the framework as to how the global adjustment should be treated in the new regulation to reflect the spirit of the historic power agreement, a Supreme Court of Canada ruling. FFPC went to all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Ontario Electrical Financial Corporation, Ontario Energy Board, Independent Electricity System Operator and the Ontario Power Authority, to get their approval to get global adjustment money back and to be allowed to apply it as a credit to the historic power agreement, explained Ruppenstein. This has been an iron in our fire for a couple of years now, but its finally to a point where weve satisfied the needs of all stakeholders and we can now proceed with this recovery, he said. A lot of effort and hard work went into this and I would like to thank our team for making this happen. Ruppenstein explained that the FFPC is the collection agency for all components of billing. In addition to the rebate in the next two months, the new regulation empowers the FFPC to direct the global adjustment credit associated with the historic power agreement to the value of the agreement. Going forward on a monthly basis, when we settle with the IESO (Independent Electrical System Operator), we can apply the global adjustment charge as a credit to the value of the agreement. So at the end of the day, at the current rates, the value of the agreement is worth $800,000 more per year, he added. This increases the annual rebate from about $1.1 million to $1.9 million. These savings are applied monthly and on a true up basis at the end of the financial year.

Locals urged to keep voting

More from A1 keep at it. The Respect Campaign will be comprised of a number of programs and strategies meant to raise awareness of how people should treat one another. The committee plans to provide training to district businesses and organizations on respect. These, in turn, will be given visible identifiers (i.e., buttons, lanyards, posters, and door signs) so that anyone going into these organizations immediately will know that they can expect to be treated with respect. McCormick said the definition of diversity is very broad, and includes gender, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, religion, people with disabilities, people with mental illness, race, age, etc. Its a feel-good idea, she explained. When you tell people about it, they say thats the kind of thing they want to be involved in, thats the kind of business they want to shop in, thats the kind of organization they want to work for. The committee also plans to work with the local school boards and officially launch the campaign in September. McCormick noted they submitted the idea to the Pepsi Refresh Project, which aims to support ideas that will have a positive impact on communities, in order to gain some funding to help get the Respect Campaign off the ground, as well as to raise some awareness about it. The top three ideas in the category will receive funding. McCormick said if the committee doesnt earn the Pepsi funding, they will continue with their campaign. But the funding would certainly make it easier, she conceded, noting shes pleased with all the support they have received so far for the Respect Campaign. Everyone who we have talked to has been very positive and enthusiastic about the idea, she remarked. And I think its pretty exciting that weve done as well as we have so far, she added, referring to their current ranking in the race for $10,000. There are a total of 50 entries in their category, with online voting continuing until the end of June. People can vote every day, once a day, with each e-mail address they have, McCormick explained. To vote for its idea, visit www. refresheverything.ca/respect The Celebrating Diversity Committee, meanwhile, has been working on its presentation of the campaign, which will be taken to a first round of businesses and organizations next month. The committee focuses on working together to create communities that celebrate diversity by actively practicing and promoting dignity, respect, and inclusiveness. Two other ideas in the district also are competing for funds through the Pepsi Refresh Project. The Township of Emo, for instance, is seeking $25,000 to plan and implement a recycling strategy there. As well, the Rainy River District School Board is interested in creating green spaces at every school in the district if it receives $25,000. These ideas, which currently are sitting in 57th and 48th place, respectively, are in a separate category from the Respect Campaign idea, so people are encouraged to vote for each of them. Vote for the latter two ideas at www.refresheverything.ca/emorecycling and www.refresheverything.ca/greenspace

A rare set of newborn triplet Charolais calves showed off their healthy appetites last Thursday afternoon while proud Emo farmer Wayne Flatt looked on. The calves beat the odds with their May 9 birth: there is a 1-in-105,000 chance of triplets in cattlea number which doesnt include survival, being identical, and all the same sex like these ones are. The calves and Peggy Revell photo mother all are doing well.

Triplet calves born at Emo farm

More from A1 This is especially fortunate given theres no large-animal veterinarian in the area, meaning local farmers are on their own during calving season. The mother is a good milker, Flatt added, and was bred with one of the bulls on his farm. At nine years old, she has had a calf every year and never lost one, he noted. Now shes got three, so shes a paying asset to the farm, thats for sure! All three of the calves are healthy and going good, Flatt said, but the biggest concern right now is making sure they get enough to eat. [A cow] doesnt normally have three calves, so to milk enough for three calves is abnormal, too, he explained. He noted he might have to supplement the newborns with a bottle or whatever else he can set up. This has to be done fairly soon so they can adapt to it, otherwise they wont take to it. Flatt has another cow which just calved, so he might try milking her and putting it in a bottle to see if the triplet calves will take to it. Unless put in a headgate, this other cow wouldnt let a calf thats not its own to milk from it, he noted, and he doesnt want to mess around trying to milk it and then trying to feed the calves. If the newborns do take to feeding with a bottle, Flatt said he then can buy milk replacer to feed them. Its not something that you look forward to having because its a lot of extra work, he said, referring to the triplet birth. It makes history, though!

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