Weedless Wednesday

Today is Weedless Wednesday a day when people are encouraged to try and kick their
smoking habit.

Dr. Karen Mazurski is a local anti-smoking advocate and says tobacco is a highly addictive substance and stresses one can't quit overnight.

Mazurski notes that quitting for even a couple of days is beneficial as people learn from each quit attempt.

Changes in store for FedNOR?

Major changes may be in store for Northern Ontario's funding body.


There are reports that top officials with FedNor have been sequestered in Sudbury to discuss the future direction of the Federal agency.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford the goal is to make a better economic development agency for the region.

Rickford believes this Region will see an even better FedNor operating in the near future.

Freedom of the City Distinction being Sought

Its kind of like getting the key to the city.

Kenora's 116th Independant Field Battery has requested the honorary designation of Freedom of the City.

Colonel Woody Linton says the honor is given to an organization that

has provided heroic service to the community.

Linton says if city council grants the request, they will start the ball rolling

with the Department of National Defense for the honorary distinction.

Not too late for a flu shot

Northwestern Health Unit's medical officer of health says the new strain of flu concerning health officials this year isn't posing many problems in this area yet.


H-3-N-2 has strained medical services elsewhere in the province, especially southern Ontario
in and around Toronto.

Doctor James Arthurs says because of its inactivity here, it doesn't mean people should avoid getting the flu shot.

Arthurs says this year's flu shot includes a vaccine to combat the new strain.

City continues to seek funding for Harborfront Tent

The City of Kenora is doing what it can to make a year-round tent on the

Kenora Harborfront a reality.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says while they don't have any money budgeted
for the structure, they continue to seek out alternate sources of funding.

Earlier this week a local business owner pledged five thousand dollars towards the
estimated 1.5 million dollar cost of the new tent.

Snow removal budget tapped out

All the snow this winter has been hard on the City of Kenora's

Budget.

Mayor Dave Canfield says if its keeps snowing, at some point
the city may no longer be able to afford to remove it all.

Canfield says crews would continue to plow the downtown core and
major traffic routes, but they may not be able to do every street in the city
for much longer.

Funding Sought for Early Learning programs

The Kenora District Services Board says it wants the Ministry of Education
to come up with some capital funds renovate schools in the region so they
can host Early Learning and Care Centers and Best Start programs.

The Board says the province has not provided any funding for alterations or
renovations to existing schools.

Last April, the province transferred responsibility for early years programming
to the Ministry of Education from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services.

The KDSB says the lack of funding for early learning centers is not in the best
interests of children and goes against the Ministry of Education's vision of creating
the best opportunities for children to learn.