Hydro Rates Going Up next Month

Expect to see an increase in your electricity bills next month.

Kenora Hydro says it will be passing on a rate increase approved by the Ontario Energy Board.

Hydro president, Dave Sinclair says the average homeowner will see an increase of about four dollars a month.

Sinclair says the good news is that a 95 cent charge on your hydro bill to pay for the new smart meters will come off May 1st.

Shaw Launches Campaign to Fill local Food Bank

The cupboard is almost bare at Kenora's Salvation Army Food Bank, but Shaw is hoping to change that.

The Cable giant has launched its second campaign to fill foodbanks across the country.

A number of containers are being set up across the city for people to donate non-perishable food items.

The four week campaign will wrap up on May 11th, at the end of Hunger Awareness week in Canada.

Tom Cochrane Tickets for Harborfest on Sale today

Tickets are starting to move for Harborfest 2012.

Ticket sales go on-line today for the Friday night concert featuring Tom Cochrane, Saga and April Wine.

You can also pick up passes at Donny B's, Nibblers Nook, the KMTS Store and the Discovery

Center.

Tickets are 75 dollars for both Friday and Sunday night.

The line-up for Saturday night still has to be finalized.

Development Commission looks for more Docking

Kenora needs more docking space if it wants to become a more boater friendly community.

That's the conclusion of the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Its putting out a request for proposal for docking in the Harborfront area.

Thelma Wilkens-Page is chair of the Business Development Committee and says co-incidentally, this initiative comes the same months Kenora's new brand was launched.

Wilkens-Page says this will be a private/public partnership, with the city providing the land for the docking.

Wood First Bill Gets Through Second Reading

A private members bill to encourage the use of wood in multi-story construction in Ontario is getting all-party support.

Thunder Bay-Atikokan M.P.P. Bill Mauro introduced the bill earlier this month and yesterday in went through second reading at Queen's Park.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell says she'll support the legislation but says she still has some concerns.

She says feels the bill should say Ontario wood products will be given a preference in construction

projects. 

Mauro's bill was one of two that were debated yesterday, that encouraged the use of wood.

Lean to Camp Program Expanded

The Learn to Camp movement is heading north.

Parks Ontario is bringing its camping training program to provinical parks in the Thunder Bay, Wawa and Kenora areas.

Jeff Green says they will be conducting the program during one weekend of the summer in each park.

Green says the program will be offered at Rushing River this August.

Arrest made in Pikangikum Fatality

A Pikangikum man will appear in Kenora Court today in connection to a fatality in the remote northwestern Onatrio community.

23 year old Morgan Turtle has been charged with assault a weapon in connection to the death of a 32 year old man.

The body of Fitzgerald Owen was found by the side of the road in Pikangikum on April 14th.

He was taken to the local nursing station where he was pronounced dead.

Pikangikum Police Service, members of the Red Lake Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police and the OPP North West Region Crime Unit continue to investigate the fatality.

City Readies for 66th Annual NOMA Conference

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association has finalized its agenda for its annual conference taking place in Kenora next week.

A number of provinical politicians are scheduled to be in attendance, including PC leader Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath of the NDP.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says they had a hard time fitting all the speakers into just two days of meetings.

NOMA also has confirmation from at least two cabinet ministers they will be available for the so-called bearpit session.

Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Kathleen Wynne are scheduled to speak next Friday.

Thistles Bow out at the Allan Cup

For the second year in a row, the Kenora Senior Thistles have bowed out of the Allan Cup in the quarter-finals.

The Thistles were edged 3-2 yesterday by a team from Rosetown, Saskatchewan in the first game of the play-offs.

Jonathan Poirier scored both goals for the Thistles, his third and fourth of the Allan Cup Tournament, but it was too little too late.

The Thistles finished the Allan Cup this year without a win.