Thursday, October 29, 2009

Festival of Trees




Over 25 trees will be up for auction at the 6th annual festival of trees fundraiser for the Lake of the Woods Community Foundation.


Festival Committee Chair Linda Wydman says this year's theme is "Childhood Memories."

Over a thousand people viewed the festival of trees last year, and over 23 thousand dollars was raised for the community foundation.

Festivities for this year's event will start on Thursday December 3rd.

Sign By Law Public Meeting

About a dozen people turned out to a public meeting about the City of Kenora's proposed new sign by-law.

A number of changes are planned, including banning the use of neon, or L.E.D. signage in the Harbortown area.

City Planner Jeff Port says another class of sign would also not be permitted.

Port does say that any signs that currently have a permit would continue to be allowed under the
new sign by-law.

The new sign by-law is expected to go before council in the next couple of months.

St. Thomas Aquinas Court Sports

St. Thomas Aquinas Court Sport Teams faired well yesterday on the road.

In Junior Boys Volleyball, T.A. defeated the Sioux Lookout Warriors 5 sets to none.

The junior girls basketball clinched first place with a 61-45 victory over an undermanned Sioux Lookout team.

Meanwhile, the senior girls basketball team lost to the Warriors by a score of 34-30.

Crimestoppers Update

The new executive director of Northwestern Ontario and Minnesota Crimestopper is looking to raise the profile of the organization in the Rainy River district.

Doug Anderson was in the area yesterday to meet with police, media and other community members.

Anderson says residents in Fort Frances have played an important role in reducing crime.

Anderson says the program is also strong in Minnesota where it expanded more than twenty years.

OPG Hunters

Ontario Power Generation says it will proceed with trespass charges if hunters are found on its property.

The warning comes following recent indicents at hydro facilities in the Terrace Bay area where
O-P-G says hunters ignored barriers and signs and entered lands near its dams.

O-P-G says water levels near hydro facilities can change dramatically, which puts the hunters at risk.

It says its also concerned about the safety of employees who may be workign at the stations and don't expect hunters to be in the area.

Rickford defends money for riding

Kenora M-P Greg Rickford says a Liberal report putting his riding at the top of infrastructure stimulus funding is misleading.

The Liberals claim spending of the federal stimulus program heavily favoured Tory ridings with Rickford's riding near the top.

But Rickford says if you compare the dollars, opposition ridings claimed a bigger share.

Rickford says the 65 projects approved in his riding is a reflection of the number of towns and first nation communities he represents that benefited.

Greyhound Routes in Manitoba SAFE

It looks like Greyhound will continue to operate in Manitoba, at least for the short-term.

The bus company has announced it is working on an agreement with the Manitoba government to keep buses rolling.

Greyhound had threatened to stop operating in Manitoba by next week, and cut service in northwestern Ontario by December, unless it received $15 million a year in subsidies.

The company says it has met with provincial officials and isworking on a deal.

Manitoba Transportation Minister Ron Lemieux says he wants to see bus service continue, but warns some future route reductions are probable.

NWHU Flu Information

There are no immediate plans by the Northwestern Health Unit to have children in the district to receive the H-1-N-1 vaccine in local schools.

The death of two teenagers in southern Ontario from the flu has forced health officials to consider allowing children aged 5 to 18 to be among the first to receive the H-1-N-1 flu shot.

Medical officer of health Dr. James Arthurs says if there's a spike in the number of young people locally contracting the flu, it will offer shots different.

Currently, the health unit is encouraging those under the age of 5 and people under 65 with chronic health conditions to be among the first to get the shot.