Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Policing costs going up next year

Its going to cost a bit more to police the City of Kenora next year.

Inspector Dave Lucas presented his 2012 costing to the Kenora Police Services Board this morning.

The proposed budget for OPP service next year is just over 6.8 million dollars, which is about 130 thousand dollars more than this years estimated costs.

Lucas says they've reduced the overtime estimates for next year, because they have been coming in about 2.5 percent less than the nine percent they budgeted for over the past couple of years.

Campbell Speaks out on Auditors Report

NDP Critic Sarah Campbell is weighing in on the findings of Ontario's Auditor General.

The audit shows that it's taking us longer than expected to pay off the Province's hydro debt and that our bill payments don't always go towards paying down that debt.

Campbell says we can't afford to mess around with an essential service like electricity.

Home First Launched at the Hospital

Home is where the heart is.

That's the philosophy behind the Home First Program.

Leslie Brown is the head of patient care at the local hospital and says

Home First allows older patients to recuperate at home, rather than a hospital bed.

Brown says they have been rolling out the Home First program over the past couple of months.

Kenora and Thunder Bay are the first communities in the region to start it up.

Saints Girls Hockey Team hits the road

The Thomas Aquinas girls hockey team will try to get back on the winning track tonight.

The Saints travel to Dryden to take on the Eagles.
These same two teams met this past Friday in Kenora and Dryden skated to a 3-0 win. Game time is 6:30.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team had a hard time scoring last night.

The Saints outshot Sioux Lookout 47-10, but still lost 4-1 to the Warriors.

The final two goals of the game were into an empty net. Tanner Kapera scored the lone goal for T.A.

The Saints next action is tomorrow night at the Thistle Rink against Fort Frances.

Contact North

Looking for a College of University degree but don't want to leave the Kenora area?


Contact North is giving you the opportunity to study at home with the launch of it's Winter 2012 semester.

Coordinator Tracy Jackson says more than 800-online programs and 10-thousand online courses are now available.

Jackson says they've seen enrolment in Contact North program increase over the past couple of years.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

An Ontario man who lost four members of his family to carbon monoxide poisoning is urging provincial politicians support a bill that would make detectors mandatory in Ontario homes.

Former firefighter John Gignac says he wants to make sure a tragedy never happens again.

Conservative Ernie Hardeman says he hopes his private member's bill -- which has been introduced in the legislature for a third time -- will finally gain enough support to become law

New Power Line

A new First Nations led company has been formed to develop a new power line in Northwestern Ontario.


The project will be completed in two phases and will connect First Nations communities north of Pickle Lake.

A study has been completed and a preferred route has been identified.

Community consultations and an environmental assessment is planned early next year.

The green energy development will replace diesel generators and officials say it will expand economic development opportunities north of Pickle Lake as well as benefit the Goldcorp Musselwhite Mine.

Treasury Metals

Things are moving forward for Treasury Metals.


The company has secured 4-million dollars in private financing and plans to use the money to advance its gold projects in Northwestern Ontario.

Treasury officials say its Kenora mining district covers more than 75-thousand kilometres.

In late October, the company announced further high-grade drill results from its Goliath gold project in the Dryden area.

Cancer Care Ontario

Cancer Care Ontario has recognized the work being done in Northwestern Ontario concerning cancer prevention.


The Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre have received the 'Quality Honourable Mention' award.

The honour was for implementing tobacco cessation clinical practice guidelines into all Northwestern Ontario hospitals.

The Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute has won the Cancer Care Ontario 'Innovation Award'.

The Institute partnered with First Nation communities to increase screeing for cervical cancer and understand barriers affecting aboriginal women.