Rec. Center Parking lot ready for paving

Not a lot of parking space available at the Kenora Rec. Center this week, but that's about

to change.

Pioneer Construction is in the process of re-paving the parking lot in front of the Thistle Rink.

The work is being done in conjunction with other construction which is being carried out in the

area.

A new storm water system is being installed along Mike Richards Way.

The warm weather this month, has meant, construction is pretty much on schedule.

Public School Trustees Honoraria Frozen

Trustees with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board won't see any increase in their pay for the next two years.

The honorarium for the elected school board members will be frozen at 59 hundred dollars a year.

Superintendant of Business, Dean Carrie says under the provincial government's restraint legislation, trustee salaries have to be frozen until April 1st, 2012.

After that, the honorarium will go up to almost 63 hundred dollars a year.

The chair will continue to receive another five thousand dollars a year, while the vice-chair

is eligible for an additional 25 hundred dollars.

CHAP is danger of shut down in Kenora

A popular community-based health program is in danger of being shut down due to a lack of funding.

The Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program, or CHAP for short, has been operating in Kenora since 2006 and is one of 16 communities across Ontario providing the service.

Randy Belair is with the Sunset Country Family Health Team, which operates the program and says they have been trying to convince the provincial government to continue funding CHAP.

Belair says unless they get additional funding, they will have to wrap up the program at the end of the month.

Canadian Bass Championships Seeking Help

For the second straight year, the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is faced with the prospects of coming to an abrupt end.

The board says it needs someone to replace Tom Fry, who's stepping down as chair after three years.

Fry is hoping someone will take over by the time a public meeting on the tournament happens October 21.

The board has been trying to find a replacement for the past year.

Missing Man found near Ontario/Manitoba Border

A Manitoba angler is safe and sound after being lost in the bush near the Ontario border.

The RCMP say a 50 year old Winnipeg man took his canoe out last Friday on Mink Lake in Nopiming Provincial Park.

He walked to a nearby lake to do some fishing, and when he returned, he couldn't locate

his canoe.

He managed to place a call to the RCMP, but they couldn't locate him using GPS tracking.

The angler ended up making a temporary shelter and spent the night in the bush.

The next day, an RCMP helicopter and search team manage to find the missing

man.

He had made a large fire and searchers were able to see the smoke.

The angler is said to be in good condition and is making arrangements to

pick up his canoe.

Beaver Brae Scholarships Announced

Six former students at Beaver Brae Secondary School have received

lucrative scholarships.

The Ministry of Education has announced the winners of the Queen Elizabeth

Aiming for the Top scholarships.

Nicole Campbell, Montana Lomnicki, Erin Van Breda, Kelsey Craven, Ashley McDonald and Jamie Warkentin will receive as much 35 hundred dollars a year for up to four years.

In order to be eligible for the scholarship, the students have to maintain at least
an 80 percent average at the post-secondary level.

Council meets one more time

Member of Kenora City Council will be taking time off the campaign trail this morning for a special meeting.

A number of items are on today's agenda, including the expenditure of 30 thousand dollars

to do repairs to Rideout Community Club.

Council is also expected to pass a resolution to make the Fire Hall on Second Street South

surplus, so the city can get ready to sell it.

The special meeting of council is scheduled to start at 9:00 this morning in the Second Floor

Meeting Room of the Kenora Rec. Center.

Kenora Metis Council Receives Funding

The Kenora Metis Council is getting some help in its attempts to launch a traditional language training program locally.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford presented a cheque for 20 thousand dollars yesterday on behalf of the Minister of Official Languages.

The funding will help the Kenora Metis Council work with local school boards and enable them to set up a lending library at their office beside the old

Fire Hall on Park Street.

Local Schools Get new Smart Boards

A number of classrooms in the public school board are getting smarter and more technologically savvy thanks to 11 school board trustees.

Under a new initiative, trustees have asked to have Smart Board's installed in local public schools as part of a legacy project.

Sean Monteith is a superintendant of education with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board and says smart boards are revolutionizing the education system.

Beaver Brae, Keewatin Public, Evergreen and Valleyview Schools in Kenora have all been beneficiaries of the Smart Board Legacy Project.

Other schools in the region getting new Smart Boards include New Prospect, and Riverview, Ignace, Lilian Berg in Vermillion Bay, Ear Falls, Red Lake, and Sioux Mountain in Sioux Lookout.