Province Says Its Committed to ELA

It appears the Ontario government is committed to keeping the Experimental Lakes area open in the long term.

There have been concerns that the provincial involvement would only be one-time funding.

Ontario Natural Resources Mininster David Orazietti says the money will be below 2-million dollars but isn't commenting on a specific number.

The exact funding formula hasn't been determined.

The province and the federal government continue to negotiate the transfer of the research station to the
Winnipeg-based International Institute for Sustainable Development.

A tentative transfer agreement expires at the end of August.

Four Vehicle Collision Ties Up Traffic in Downtown Fort Frances

OPP says it could have been a lot worse.

As many as four vehicles were involved in that accident yesterday afternoon on Portage Avenue in Fort Frances.

Constable Anne McCoy says it started when the driver of a pick up truck suffered a medical problem a couple of blocks from the downtown area.

The truck went back onto the road, missing oncoming car before colliding with two parked vehicles.

The 65-year-old driver and a woman inside one of the parked vehicles were taken to hospital for treatment.

Police Seek Suspect in Minto Mischief Rampage

The OPP say they are now investigating several more mischief complaints
in the Minto area of town.

Around 5:00 Monday morning, a man was seen striking a vehicle with a
crow bar.

He has been described as being about six feet tall and wearing dark colored
clothing.

Police say there were at least eight other vehicles in that area of town that also
sustained damage.

Anyone with information about the these incidents is asked to contact the
Kenora OPP or Crimestoppers.

Police Investigate Mischief Complaints

The OPP are investigating a couple of mischief complaints.

Monday morning, police were called to a home in the 9th Street
North area, where a car had been egged and the side of the vehicle
scratched.

A little later on, officers were dispatched to the Minto area, where the
rear window of a vehicle was smashed in.

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to contact the Kenora OPP or Crimestoppers.

Funding Restored for Legal Aid Clinics

The Northwest Legal Clinic is relieved the provincial government has
reversed its funding cuts.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of the Attorney General announced it was
providing an additional 30 million dollars to community legal clinics.

Trudy McCormick is the executive director of the Northwest Legal Clinic
and says earlier this year the province had slashed their budget.

McCormick says if the province had not restored their funding, they were
looking at potential service cuts across the region.

Campbell Pleased With Youth Employment Program

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is happy Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced details on a new youth employment program.

The province will provide up to 78-hundred dollars for each eligble youth, starting in September.

Campbell says it was one of the NDP's demands in the spring budget.

The grant also includes up to one-thousand-dollars to hep youth pay for costs like tools and transportation to work.

Police Investigate Baby Death on Big Trout Lake

Provincial Police are investigating the sudden death of a six-week-old baby girl in Big Trout Lake.

Officers were called to the nursing station Monday morning, and the child was pronounced dead.

Police say the deceased is Shantelle Sainnawap.

A post mortem is being done in Toronto.

Another Scam Reported

A scam in Northwestern Ontario, but this time the warning is out from the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.

The Commission says people claiming to be with Sental Insurance have been targeting mostly Royal Bank of Canada clients.

They are asking for personal information in an effort to sell identity theft protection insurance on behalf of the bank.

But the Commission says the firm is not associated with the bank nor is it licensed to do business in Ontario.

Report Suggests Ontario Jails Over-crowded

Almost half of Ontario's jails are holding more prisoners than they were designed for.

Inspector Kevin Glenister says many inmates in the region end up at the Kenora Jail.

Glenister suggests the situation locally might not be as bad because a few years ago the Kenora Jail closed it's youth facility and says that's freed up more space for the adult population.

Glenister says all prisoners under 18-years-old either go to another facility in Kenora, Thunder Bay or Sault Ste. Marie.