Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Union Seeks Court Injunction against Daycare Closure

The Union representing the 17 workers at the Castle of Learning Daycare Center say it plans to get an injunction against the closure.

Council voted last night to shut down the municipally run daycare at the end of December.

Carol Bruneau is vice-president of CUPE Local 191 and says the city is violating the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

CUPE is the City's largest Union and Bruneau says the lay-off of staff at the Castle of Learning could result in a lot of bumping of employees from their jobs.



Local School Boards Ready to Provide Daycare Services

Both the Kenora Catholic and Keewatin-Patricia District School Boards say they will do what they can to accomodate parents who have kids at the Castle of Learning Day Care Center.

The City announced it will close the municipally run daycare at the end of this year.

Jack McMaster is the director of education with the public school board and admits they are dealing with fairly tight timelines.

The Castle of Learning is already located in King George School, so McMaster is hoping they can get another provider to take over the daycare with little disruption to the parents.

Fellowship Center Develops Action Plan

The Kenora Fellowship Center on Water Street is starting to develop and action plan to deal with the homeless population in the city.

Colin Wasacase spoke to Kenora City Council yesterday about some of their programs and is hoping the city will be involved in some of their solutions.

Wasacase says there are a number of different agencies in the community that can help out.

Wasacase says they feed as many as 100 people each day at the Fellowship Center and receive about 60 thousand dollars a year in donations from the local community to keep the program going.

Pink Bus Tours Kenora Today

You might have noticed a large pink bus in town over the past couple of days.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is taking its "Pink Tour" across the province.

Its aimed at educating the public on breast cancer and screening.

Vice President of Development Karen Malone says they have a target of 30,000 visitors to the bus.

The bus will be stopping in front of the CIBC on Main Street this morning and Shoppers Drug Mart this afternoon.

Special Designation Planned for Norman Park

There could be soon better protection for Norman Park.

Kenora city council has agreed to amend its official plan and give the park a special designation.

Last week a number of Norman Residents asked city council to put a covenant back on the park to ensure it would never be be used for anything but recreational purposes.

Instead council is directing the Planning Department to draft a policy for Norman Park and present it at the next Property and Planning meeting in September.

Resolute Sets Tree-Planting Milestone

One billion trees and counting.

Resolute Forest Products says its now hit a milestone in tree planting in northern Ontario.

The company celebrated by planting a two-meter tall white spruce tree at it's mill sites at Fort Frances, Iroquos Falls and Thunder Bay.

President and CEO Richard Garneau says the ceremony represents the unwavering commitment to forest renewal and sustainable forestry.

Stanley Cup to Arrive Saturday

Plans have now been finalized for the arrival of the Stanley Cup in Kenora.

The Cup will be here Saturday and will be making a two hour pit stop under the White Cap Pavillion.

Mike Richards is scheduled to bring the Cup by boat to the Kenora Harborfront at Noon.

Richards and the Cup will then be available for photographs for about two hours.

Richards won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings this past June and
gets to spend 24 hours with the trophy.