Kenora District Services Board

One of the longest serving staff members at the Kenora District Services Board is calling it quits.

Toni Thurbide is the director of finance for the KDSB and was the second employee hired for the organization.

Her resignation comes as the Services Board is getting ready to finalize its 2012 budget.

NWOSSA Championships

The Thomas Aquinas senior girls basketball team will try to book its ticket to the All-Ontario Single "a" championships today.

The Saints are hosting the NWOSSA championships. T.A. will take on Marathon in a best-of-three final series.

Game one tips off at 9:30 this morning.

Game two is this afternoon at 1:30 and game three if necessary will take place Friday morning at 9:30.

The winner will advance to the OFSAA championships next week in St. Catharines.

Resolute Forest Products

Members of CEP Local 141 and 259 at Bowater Mersey voted to accept the latest proposal from Resolute Forest Products - formally Abitibi Bowater - which includes massive job cuts.

In total, 51.7 percent of those who cast a ballot, voted in favour of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the company.

It means 110 employees at the mill along Nova Scotia's South Shore are going to lose their job. That includes 80 full time and 30 casual positions. The reduction of the workforce represents almost half of the union's membership and will leave 128 workers left to operate the mill.

Union President Courtney Wentzell was clearly dejected and emotional as he delivered the news to a handful of his co-workers and union members at the union hall in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

No word on when negotiations between the company and union will commence. Wentzell didn't take any questions or reveal how many of the union's 228 members voted but he said turnout was solid.

Redditt Railway Crossings

Redditt may be a small community, but its getting some attention from the federal government.

A total of 43 thousand dollars is being spent in the community to upgrade six railway crossing in the area.

The funding is part of a 14 million dollar program to fix up railway infrastructure across Canada.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says northwestern Ontario has one of the safest rail systems in the
country, but notes that improvements can always be made.

Kenora Handi-Transit

After years of penny pinching, Kenora Handi-Transit will be getting a helping hand from the city.

Handi-Transit had racked up a deficit of 25 thousand dollars, but has managed to cut that in half over the past couple of years.

The board of Handi-Transit has asked city council for 13 thousand dollars to help erase the deficit.

Most of the city councillors have agreed to the request, saying the volunteer board has worked hard to address its financial situation.

Ontario Tourism Awards

Northwestern Ontario has always been known for its tourism potential, now its being recognized for its tourism marketing.

The "Escape to Ontario" campaign place third in the Ontario Tourism Awards this year.

Tourism Development Officer Heather Paterson says they finished just behind Toronto and Ottawa in the competition.

The campaign ran in June of 2010 and February of 2011.

Red Lake OPP

An OPP officer with the Red Lake Detachment has been suspended amid allegations a person was driven several kilometres out of town before being released from custody.


The incident is alleged to have happened on October 29th.

The name of the officer now under investigation has not been released.