Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Aboriginal Trustee School Board

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has officially sworn in its new aborigial trustee.

Mary-Ann Ketchemonia took her oath of office at last night's board meeting.

Ketchemonia is from the Eagle Lake First Nation and was appointed byschool board trustees to the position back in November.

Council Report

Kenora City Council has turned down a request from the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation for 3.5 million dollars.

The foundation made the request just before Christmas, but at a committee of the whole meeting yesterday, members of council say they aren't ready to look at such a rich donation at this time.

Chief Administrative Officer Bill Presentanz says the only place council could secure such funding is from the KMTS Prosperity Fund, and council has indicated it doesn't want that money touched at all.

Councillor Dave McCann says if they decided to find the money, it would be detrimental to local taxpayers, and its not something he is prepared to do at this time.

All Day Kindergarten KPDSB

Evergreen Public School in Kenora and Pinewood School in Dryden will beginoffering all-day, everyday Kindergarten classes this fall.

Those two schools were chosen by the Ministry of Education from a listof six schools submitted by the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.

The outgoing Director of Education, Larry Hope expects most of the kidsenrolled in the all-day kindergarten program will initially come from the areassurrounding those two schools.

Hopes says the maximum enrolment in the all-day, everyday programwill be 26 students, and doesn't expect a problem filling those classes.

Lower Black Sturgeon Report

Lower Black Sturgeon is in good shape according to the latest water quality monitoring report.

Ryan Haines was hired by the City of Kenora to conduct the study looking at the lake's oxygen, temperature, phosphorous, and algae levels.

Haines says fairly stable water temperatures and oxygen levels are extremly important to the lake's fish population.

Lower Black Sturgeon's phosphorous levels are below the Provincial Government's Ontario wide average, but Haines notes there is a significant difference in phosphorus levels in the inlet and outlet of the lake.

Haines is suggesting the City add an extra testing site near the Upper part of Black Sturgeon to see if phosphorus is travelling from that part of the lake into the lower section.

Ontario Sunset Country Travel Association

The leader of Ontario's Sunset Country Travel Association is spreading the word about the Provincial Government's new tourism marketing regions.

Gerry Cairou told Kenora City Council yesterday that there is a lack of information and communication about certain aspects of the new tourism initiative.

Cariou says he'll be taking part in discussions with the province in the near future.

Cariou is concerned about whether the money generated in this region will be sent back to Sunset Country in marketing funds, and if the new marketing regions are just another layer of beaurocracy.

Local Sports Round Up

Kenora's court sport teams travelled to Dryden yesterday, and the Junior Boys Basketball team fell to the Eagles 41-34 in overtime.

The Kenora Seniors boys team beat the Eagles 41-19.

In girls volleyball...Dryden defeated Kenora in 4 sets in Junior play.

The Senior Girls downed the Broncos in straight sets.

In highschool hockey, the Bronco's beat the Eagles 3-2.