Thursday, August 2, 2012

Two TSB Investigators Looking into Trout Lake Crash

The Transportation Safety Board says its too early to say what might have caused a float plane to crash north of Kenora.

A Cessna 180 went down yesterday morning near Trout Lake.

John Cottreau from the TSB says it will be a few days before they have any more information about the accident.

Cottreau says the invetigators will also want to talk to the people on board the plane.

Two remain in hospital in serious condition.

Kenora Agricultural Fair Turns 101

The Kenora Agricultural Fair begins a new century.

This year the Ag Fair turns 101 years old.

Chris Madison is one of the organizers and says things will get under way this evening at the Kenora Rec. Center.

The Agricultural Fair will continue tomorrow and wrap up on Saturday night.

Trout Lake Plane Crash Under Investigation

The Transportation Safety Board is looking into a plane crash in the bush north of Kenora.

The OPP say that three people were injured, two of them seriously, after a small plane crashed near Trout Lake around 9:30 yesterday morning.

David Ross of the Transportation Safety Board says all three people on board were from Minnesota.

Ross says the pilot was taking off from Trout Lake at the time.

The pilot was taken to Thunder Bay for treatment, while a female passenger was airlifted to Duluth.

School Board Under the Gun to Negotiate Contracts

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says its unlikely it will be able to negotiate new contracts with its unions before the start of the school year.

Earlier this week, the Minister of Education, Laurel Broten gave boards one month to negotiate the contracts.

Superindentant of Business, Dean Carrie says that doesn't give them a  lot of time.

Carrie says they have seven bargaining units to deal with.

He says right now, talks are scheduled to begin at the end of this month.

Support for Lac Seul Agreement

The interm forestry licence for Lac Seul is gaining lots of support.

The signing was made official this week by Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle and Chief Clifford Bull.

Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says she'd like to see similar agreement's reached across the region.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford also thinks this is a good step for the first nation.

Chief Bull announced they will be working with the Domtar Mill in Dryden on the forestry plan.

Kenora Gets Trillium Grant

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is awarding community grants to 16 local, not-for-profit and charitable organizations across Northwestern Ontario.

The grant money for the region totals more than 650 thousand dollars.

The City of Kenora is getting 15 thousand dollars to help pay for new signage.

The Share the Road signs are part of a campaign to make the city a more bike friendly community.

The Northwest Angle #33 First Nation is also getting over 12 thousand dollars towards the purchase of chair and tables for special events in the community.

Girls Sentenced in Thunder Bay Manslaughter

Three years is the sentence for two teenage girls who plead guilty to manslaughter in connection with the death of a 16-year-old Sachigo Lake First Nation girl two years ago.

The girl was found dead near a trail in Thunder Bay.

Defence Lawyer Chris Watkins says the judge took his clients sad background into consideration.

The sentence will only involve one year of secured custody.

Court Ruling on Attawapiskatt

The federal government says it's disappointed with a Federal Court ruling that Ottawa acted unreasonably in appointing a third-party manager for financially troubled Attawapiskat.

University of Ottawa constitutional lawyer Joseph Magnet says the ruling verifies what many experts have already concluded, that the relationship between the federal bureaucracy and some aboriginal communities is seriously flawed.

The court says the decision in November, 2011 to send in Jacques Marion to take over the band's finances was the wrong way to deal with the housing crisis on the northern Ontario First Nations community.



Cross Canada Tours Cross Paths in Kenora

Not one, but two cross country bike tours in support of organ donation are passing through Kenora.

Quinn Thomas is heading east on his Organ Donation Heros campaign.

Meanwhile, Damon Milsom and Kibby Evans cycling west as part of their Trekking for Transplants tour.

Evans says they've raised almost half of their 50 thousand dollar target.

All three cyclists met with Kenora mayor Dave Canfield on the Kenora Harborfront this morning.