Monday, June 29, 2009

Canada Day Activities

No shortage of activities this Canada Day in the City of Kenora.

There will be a number of activities and entertainment down on theHarborfront and Keewatin will be holding its own Summer Splash onJuly 1st.

Carol Davis is one of the organizers and says Keewatin will be the onlyplace to view fireworks on Canada Day.

The fireworks are scheduled to be set off at 10:00.

Kenora's fireworks will be saved for next weekend, when they will beblasting off on July 4th.

OFIA on Forestry Ministry

The forest industry seems to be embracing last weeks cabinet shufflewhich saw the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines take overresponsibility for the province's forests from the MNR.

Jamie Lim is executive director of the Ontario Forest Industries Association and says the move should be a positive one.

Lim says she wants to make sure Northern Development and Minestakes over all forestry related files.

Otherwise she suggests the move could just create more red tape forforest companies.

Community Foundation Funds

A total of 20 groups in Kenora have been given over 84 thousand dollarsfrom the Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Triple Play received two grants totalling more than 12 thousand dollars.

Co-ordinator of the program, Jada Puls says they spent over 53 thousand dollars last year on registering kids in various programs last year, so the funding is definitely welcome.

The Minto Parent Child Resource Center also picked up two grantsworth more than 12 thousand dollars for its breakfast program.

Federal Funding

The Rat Portage First Nation is getting two million dollars from thefederal and provincial levels of government for a new communityrecreational center.

The funding was announced by Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford on Friday.
Chief of Rat Portage, Ken Skead says the center will have a couple of purposes.

Skead says they hope to start construction in the next couple of weeks and have the community center complete in the next 18 months.

He says it will be located near Second Portage.

Hydro Outages

Wicked weather conditions over the weekend have left 400 Hydro One customers without power.

Crews from both Kenora and Dryden are working on restoring power today.

Hydro One Media Spokesperson Danielle Gauvin says they've already restored some power to the community.

Several customers are expected to have their power restored by noon, with all hydro outages expected to fixed by 6 pm tonight.