Common Ground Research Forum

 

By: Sheri Leviski

2009-05-19

12:13:16

The Federal Government is putting a million dollars into Kenora's Common Ground initiative.

A research forum is being created that will include the City of Kenora, Grand Council Treaty #3, and the University of Manitoba.

Minister of Science and Technology Gary Goodyear says the research will be based around the former Abitibi Bowater lands.

Goodyear notes the next step will be to hire a project coordinator.

The million dollars will be used over the next six years.

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Student Committee

2009-05-19

07:18:07

Kenora, Ear Falls and Ignace student have been selected to sit on a provincial advisory committee that will provide advice to Ontario's Education Minister Kathleen Wynne.

Brandie Doudiet and Alexandra Paul are two of sixty students across the province selected to the new Minister's Student Advisory Council.

Doudiet says they will have a chance to voice their concerns and discuss education issues in Northwestern Ontario.

Director of Education for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board,
Larry Hope says they will have a very good representation on the council, considering they have three student selected. 

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Fisheries Study

By: Tim Davidson

2009-05-19

07:17:04

Provincial fisheries staff will be out on nearly 100 area lakes this summer.

They'll be monitoring the lakes’ health and gathering information to help manage fish populations effectively.

Crews will survey lakes north of Ignace, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Kenora by plane and boat beginning tomorrow, ollecting water samples and setting nets.

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Drug Bust

By: Tim Davidson

2009-05-19

07:16:06

The RCMP have arrested a 54 year old truck driver for trafficking marijuana.

Police say shortly before midnight last Friday, an eastbound tractor trailor unitchecked into the West Hawk Lake Inspection Station.

The driver agreed to a voluntary search of his trailor, which was destined for southern Ontario.

Several boxes containing 175 pounds of marijuana were discovered.

The drugs have a street value of over 400 thousand dollars.

The driver, from Aurora, Ontario was arrested and is due to appear in Winnipeg Court on July 23rd to face charges. 

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Water Levels

By: Tim Davidson

2009-05-19

07:15:16

The Lake of the Woods Control Board will be increasing outflow from the Norman Dam into the Winnipeg River once again this week.

The Control Board says due to recent wet weather, they will be increasing the amount of water through the Norman Dam to 1250 cubic meters per second.

That's an increase from the current level of 1150 cubic meters.

The lake rose about two inches this past week and is expected to go up another two to four inches during the next seven days.

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Long Gun Amnesty

By: Mike Ebbeling

2009-05-19

07:08:17

The federal government has once again extended its amnesty for long gun owners who haven't registered their firearms.

Treasury Board President Vic Toews says it's still the government's intention to kill the registry for long gun owners, something opposition parties would have to agree to in the minority Parliament.

But for now the government is giving people another year to sign up their unregistered, non-restricted firearms.
It's also waiving fees for licence renewals and upgrades for another year.

Toews calls the registry a waste of money that penalizes law-abiding citizens, but its supporters say it helps police crack down on crime.

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Normandie Hotel Burns

2009-05-19

07:07:21

The Historic Normandie Hotel and Restaurant is no more.

OPP were called to the Front Street building in Nipigon early Saturday morning.

The Hotel was destroyed as well as two adjacent homes.

No one was staying at the hotel, as it has not opened for the summer season.

The cause of the Fire has not yet been determined, and the Investigation continues.

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Howard Hampton on Forestry

2009-05-19

06:53:53

The Harper Government was attacked this week for not providing assistance to small businesses and suppliers impacted by the bankruptcy filings of both Abitibi-Bowater and Buchanan Forest Products.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River NDP MP John Rafferty says many businesses have been short-changed by both companies.

Rafferty says the forestry crisis has crippled workers, pensioners and communities.

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Highway 17 twinning

 

By: Tim Davidson

2009-05-19

06:53:12

Premier Dalton McGuinty says work to double lane Highway 17 west of Kenora has already started.

McGuinty made his first visit as premier to Kenora on Friday and along with prime minister Stephen Harper, promised 100 million dollars to begin the project next year. 

The premier says the route planning process has already started.

The route planning for the entire 40 kilometer route is expected to take about a year and a half to complete.

Ten kilometers of the Trans-Canada east of the Manitoba border will be the first section to be twinned.

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