Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Walleye Classic Casts Off in Minaki

The fishing tournament season is continuing.

The Gary Roach Pro-Team Walleye Classic takes to the waters of Minaki this weekend.

Organizer Mandy Hell says a number of prizes are up for grabs including $5,000 for first place, and a daily big catch prize.

Hell says they also have tackle, Gary Roach roads, and other prizes.

The tournament starts on Friday with a rules meeting and runs through Sunday.

Visit www.paradisecoveminaki.com or call 807-224-1107 to register.

ETFO Re-Elects President Sam Hammond

 Members of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario have re-elected Sam Hammond as president at the union's annual meeting in Toronto.

Hammond has served as president of ETFO since 2009.

Hammond led the 76,000 member union's fight against Ontario's Bill 115, which imposed contracts with a two-year wage freeze.

He also defended the union's protest tactics as ETFO staged a series of one-day strikes last December to protest the legislation.

Hammond says he is looking forward to ensuring ETFO's leadership in championing public education and democratic rights into the next round of collective bargaining with the province.

ELA Negotiations hit road block

Raising the alarm bells.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has hit a road block in take over negotiations for the Experimental Lakes Area.

Peter Kirby is with Save ELA and says they are losing the operating team, and that science at the facility has been halted.

Kirby is calling on the Federal government to cover the necessary costs to finalize the negotiations.

He adds people wishing to donate to the ELA can't do so until the take over has been completed.

Kenora OPP Issue Multiple Driving Charges

The Kenora OPP have charged a Winnipeg man an impared driving offence.

Police say they stopped Justin Stapon on Saturday afternoon on Lakeview Drive.

Following a roadside test police charged Stapon with exceeding the legal limit.

He will answer to the charge in Kenora Court next month.

In the meantime, A Winnipeg man has been charged for a head on collision on Sunday morning.

Kenora OPP say 18 year old Michael Fisette was driving east on Highway 17 when he collided with a west bound truck.

The driver of the truck was taken to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Fisette has been charged with careless driving and will appear in Kenora court in October.

Wanted Man Located by Dryden Police

A little ways from home for a man who was stopped by Dryden Police yesterday morning.

Officers spoke with the Winnipeg man who was walking along Highway 17 near Bedworth Road, and found out he was wanted in Manitoba and British Columbia.

Police say he also had drugs on him.

He is being held in custody awaiting a bail hearing.

Dryden Council Creates New Working Partnership

Dryden Council has agreed to a close working relationship with a group of concerned business owners.

Council has agreed to involve the group in the service delivery review that's about to take place.

Mayor Craig Nuttall says it's the right thing to do.

A resolution introduced by Councilor Sid Wintle last night stated that the group will, among other things, assist the City in reduced staffing levels.

Wintle has suggested that the group is planning another meeting to determine the next course of action.

Opposition Parties Continue to Seek Answers

The opposition parties will have a lot of questions today about cancelled gas plants for Don Guy, the chair of the Liberals' three election victories and a long-time chief of staff to former premier Dalton McGuinty.

N-D-P house leader Gilles Bisson says Guy had a lot of power and emails show he wanted the Speaker to change a preliminary finding of contempt against the Liberals.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says Don Guy's emails paint ``a very disturbing picture of what was happening behind the scenes of the Liberal government'' under Dalton McGuinty.