Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Council split on free gym passes

Kenora City Council remains split over the issue of whether to give medical students workingin the community free access to the gym at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Councillor Rory McMillan raised the issue once again this week, trying to gain support for the free passes.

However, Mayor Len Compton, and Councillors Chris Van Wallenghem, and Dave McCann votesd against providing the freebies.

Compton says he's been complaining about the deficit at the Rec. Center for months now, and doesn't feel it would be appropriate to ask the facility to foot the bill for free gym access.

It has been suggested that the city provide a couple of free passes in packages handed out to medical school students when they arrive in the city.

OPP Recruitment

The Ontario Provincial Police are holding an information session on the hiring process for new officers.

Two sessions will be held on Thursday, September 17th at the local detachment on
Highway 17-A.

O.P.P. Constable Dave Cain says there are a couple of prerequisites that need to be met before applying.

The first session will be held at 3 and the second at 7 at the OPP detachment.

Jones Road Landfill back in use?

It looks as if the City of Kenora is ready to start using the Jones Road Landfill site for municipal garbage.

Council received a report outlining the increasing costs of sending garbage to the Brady Road Landfill in Winnipeg.

Operations Manager Rick Perchuck says the local landfill site is currrently used only for construction and demolition waste.

Perchuck says the cost of sending garbage to Winnipeg is will almost double this year and suggeststhe city could save about 200 thousand dollars a year by using the Jones Road site.

Hampton at Queen's Park

The harmonized sales tax and the on-going spending scandal at OLG and E-Health Ontario dominated disuccsions on the opening two days at Queen's Park.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton also raised the issue of bus service in Northwestern Ontario, stating the Liberals must take immediate action.

Hampton says there are currently 2-Government owned bus lines in Northeastern Ontario and the Toronto area, so the McGuinty Liberal should strongly consider bus service in our area.

Opposition to Via Cuts

First it was Greyhound, now its looks as if Via Rail is looking to reduce service in northern Ontario.

Thunder Bay Councillor Iain Angus is asking municipalities across the region to support a resolution opposing any cuts in rail service.

Angus says Via has been told to cut its budget by five percent, which could result in the loss of at least one cross-country train a week.

Via currently operates its passenger trains on the CN mainline, which has stops in Redditt, Sioux Lookout and Armstrong in northwestern Ontario.

Union Gas Rates Decrease 11 Percent

Local residents can expect to pay less for natural gas this fall.

Union Gas has confirmed that rates in northwestern Ontario will be going down by 11 percent starting October 1st.

Last month, the utility confirmed that natural gas prices would be decreasing, but was waiting for the Ontario Energy Board to approve the new rates.

Union Gas says the price of natural gas is now at its lowest level in ten years and has gone down 45 percent since January of 2009.

Fire Rangers Return Home

Most of the fire ranger crews from Ontario battling blazes out west in British Columbia are expected to be home by the end of the day.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says 99 fire fighters were flown back yesterday and the remaining 59 are due to return sometime today.

Ontario has had fire ranger crews out in B.C. for nine weeks, battling wildfires in that province.

Things remain quiet on the home front in terms of forest fire activity, with just one new blaze reported in the Sioux Lookout District.

Pikangikum Training Center

Aboriginal workers in Northwestern Ontario will soon be able to train for jobs in forestry, tourism and mining at a new educational facility in Pikangikum.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is providing over 600 thousand dollars towards the project.

The facility will have three classrooms, and a residence for instructors.

Five people will be employed at the facility.

Catholic School Board Enrolment

Not a big change in the student population at the Kenora Catholic DistrictSchool Board this year.

Enrolment in the Kenora schools decreased by just one student, to 1,379 compared to 1,380 last year.

Director of Education, Phylis Aikre says the good news is that their funding should remain stable from the Ministry of Education, as a result.

The only big change for the separate school board is the addition of St. John's Catholic School in
Red Lake.

The merger was announced by the provincial government this past spring and adds another
114 students to the separate school system.