Alberta Clipper hits Kenora

Motorists might want to give themselves a few extra minutes to get to get around town today.

An Alberta clipper continues to blow across northwestern Ontario.

About 15 centimeters of snow has fallen so far and another five more are expected throughout the day.

Crews are currently working to clear area roads and highways.

Highways in the Kenora area are described as snow-covered, with some slippery sections and poor visibility.

Meanwhile, Severe Weather Specialist Geoff Coulson says he expects the snow to hang around for the rest of winter.

Coulson says another weather system could bring another five to ten centimeters of snow to the Kenora area on Monday or Tuesday.

Funding for homeless shelters announced

The Kenora District Services Board has handed out nearly 68-thousand dollars in funding to support four homeless programs.

The Kenora Fellowship Centre will see 15-grand, while the Dryden Food Bank is welcoming 5-thousand dollars.

The Sioux Lookout Out of the Cold Shelter is receiving roughly 28-grand to help the 489-clients it serves a year.

KDSB Chair Rory McMillan says this only scratches the surface of what is needed to improve the homeless issue in our District and he's urging the incoming Board of Directors to keep the pressure on the Government for more funding.

Province Announces Electricity Rebate for 2011

You can ring in the New Year knowing that your electricity bill will be cut by 10 percent.

The McGuinty Government announced the rebate on Thursday, and opposition members are saying it's nothing more than an election gimmick.

Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says that's not the case.

Gravelle says rebates may not show up on bills immediately in January, but they will be reimbursed on later bills.

Treaty Three Applauds U.N. Declaration

Grand Council Treaty Three is applauding the United Nations for approving its

Declartion of rights for Indiginous People.

Grand Chief Diane Kelly says Canada was a major architect of the declaration, which
was signed on November 12th.

She adds that the expectations of Treaty Three residents has been raised by Canada's
move to endorse the declaration.

Kelly is hoping this marks a new era in the relations between Treaty Three and the crown and will create a new, better and strenghened economy in northwestern Ontario.

Infrastructure projects on Budget

Infrastructure projects currently underway in the City of Kenora are all running pretty much on budget.

Councillor Dave McCann provided an update to council at its final open meeting yesterday.

McCann says the second phase of downtown revitalization will wrap up by next spring.

McCann says they have written to the federal and provincial government's to ask for an extension to complete the Discovery Center at Cameron Bay

and also to spend about a million dollars in the paving budget that wasn't spent this year.

Snow Day today

Students will get their first snow day of the year today.

Excel Coach Lines says all school buses have been cancelled today because the roads have not bee plowed yet.

Excel adds that the bus cancellation also applies to the city's Transit system.

All buses have been cancelled this morning, but Excel says it will review the situation this afternoon.