Lots of Snow, But Not A Record

The Kenora area has seen about twice as much snow as normal this
winter.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says while it hasn't been a record year, there's no doubt there's been a lot of snow.

He says the snow level at the Kenora Airport is 60 centimeters, almost double the normal amount, which is 32 during an average winter.

Laidlaw says that's still a far cry from a record.

The most snow at the end of January was back in 1966, when the snowpack was 102 centimeters deep.

Making Kenora Home Cool To Minimum Wage Hike

An increase in the minimum wage in Ontario is getting a luke
warm response from Making Kenora Home.

Nan Normand is a spokesperson for the group, and says they aren't opposed to the minimum wage rising to 11 dollars an hour.

But she feels there are more efficient ways of tackling poverty.

Yesterday, Premier Kathleen Wynne confirmed the government is going  ahead with a 75 cent an hour increase in the minimum wage.

The minimum wage will rise to 11 dollars an hour on June 1st.

Canadian Rangers On Surveillance Patrol

The Canadian Rangers says they are battling bitterly cold conditions on their two thousand kilometer surveillance patrol.

The mission began on Sunday at the Ontario/Manitoba border along Hudson's Bay.

Captain Mark Rittwage says their snow machine trek is in part to celebrate 20 years
in northern Ontario, and is the longest one they've ever attempted.

The patrol will last two weeks and will hit the halfway mark on Saturday in Cochrane.

Rittwage says they've battled bone chilling conditions, as cold as -55 with the windchill.

OPP Investigating youtube Accident Video

OPP are looking into a viral video that shows a near head on collision on a winter road in the region.

Sergeant Shelley Garr says they're following up on the chilling dash board footage.

Garr says they're trying to identify the driver of the offending truck and charges could be laid.

The video posted on youtube says the incident happened on Highway 11 past Nipigon.

Osisko Battles Goldcorp Takeover Bid

Osisko Mining is taking a stand against a hostile 2.6-billion dollar take-over bid from Goldcorp.

The company says it's in the process of mailing its recommendation to shareholders, urging them to reject the offer.

Officials call it "opportunistic and financially inadequate".

Osisko is also taking legal action against its rival.

It alleges that Goldcorp misused confidential information prior to making the bid.

Vets to Protest Office Closures

It's a day of mourning for veterans in Northwestern Ontario.

They are holding a memorial service today over the loss of the local Veteran's Affairs Canada Office in Thunder Bay.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he's spoken to local vets and they're not pleased with Minister Julian Fantino.

Vets will now have to travel over 12 hours away to the North Bay office where half their case files are being transferred, the other half will be transferred to Winnipeg.

Cancer Society Readies for Relays for Life

Residents across northwestern Ontario are being encouraged to help get behind one of eight relays for life to be held this summer.

This year, Kenora's Relay will move back down to the Harborfront on June 20th.

The Society's Regional Manager Maria Cabral says a partnership will continue to see some of the money raised staying in this region.

Last year's Relay for Life raised 62 thousand dollars, and this year's fundraising goal is 74 thousand.

Dryden Edges Broncos in NorWOSSA Hockey

A tough loss for Beaver Brae's boys hockey team.

The Broncos were edged 6-5 last night in Dryden by the Eagles.

Logan Ginn and Coel Forsythe led Beaver Brae's offense with a pair of
goals each.

Saints Take 3 of 4 from Red Lake

Thomas Aquinas took three of four games against the the Red Lake Rams in NorWOSSA single "a" action.

The T.A. junior boys cruised to a 51-28 win over Red Lake, while the Saints senior boys suffered the lone loss of the day, dropping a 63-22 decision.

In girls basketball, both Thomas Aquinas senior and junior girls swept the Rams in three straight sets.

Broncos Prepare for Annual KIT

A tough day on the courts for the Beaver Brae Broncos.

The Broncos junior boys basketball team had the lone victory with 53-37 win over the Muskies.

A much different story however as the senior boys fell 65-22.

The senior girls volleyball squad lost in straight sets.

Meanwhile, the Broncos don't have a lot of time recover.

Beaver Brae is hosting it's annual KIT senior boys basketball tournament.

This year, there will be an international flair, with the Lake of the Woods Bears from Baudette, Minnesota entered.

The Broncos will face the Bears in the first game of the day at noon.

Local Rink 0-2 at Northern Bantam Curling Playdowns

A tough start for the Jaron Hoppe rink at the Northern Ontario Bantam
Curling playdowns in Sault Ste. Marie.

The foursome from the Keewatin Curling Club dropped both of it's games yesterday.

Hopped was beaten 9-1 by Tanner Horgan from Sudbury in the first draw
of the day, and then was beaten 5-2 by Christopher Perozak from
Thunder Bay.

Next up for Hoppe is the Chris Silver rink from Fort Frances.

Minimum Wage Goes Up

Ontario's Minimum wage has gone up for the first time since 2010.

The Liberal government announced that the wage has moved to 11 dollars an hour, up from 10.25.

The government also announced plans to review and adjust it annually.

The minimum wage will now be tied to the Consumer Price Index to ensure it increase with the cost of living.

Changes will be announced on April 1st and come into effect on October 1st.

City Responds To Snow Removal Concerns

Facebook now has a new use.

The City of Kenora is using the social media website to tell local residents
where and when snow removal will be taking place.

It's all part of a communications plan to deal with a large number of complaints about snow removal in the city this winter.

City staff says the roads department has been scrambling to keep up with
all the snow this year, but they do have a plan of attack.

Today, snow removal will take place along Valley Drive and sidewalk plowing
is scheduled for Lakeside and Minto areas.

Rickford Questions Liberal Decision to Oust Sentators

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says a Justin Trudeau decision to order his party's senators to sit as independents "smacks of something that he's concerned about within his rank and file".

The Liberal leader dropped the political bombshell yesterday.

Rickford calls it a liberal gimmick.

The Minister of State says Trudeau should concentrate his efforts on helping the Conservatives move towards an elected senate.

Impaired Driving Charges on the Rise

The Kenora OPP say they are disappointed in the number of impaired driving charges.

Last month, 10 drunk drivers were arrested.

Staff Sergeant Paul Van Belleghem says it's a disappointing statistic.

In addition to the higher number of impaired drivers, there was also a big jump in the number of motor vehicle accidents last month, with 68 reported in the Kenora
area.

Ontario Fire Marshall To Help Investigate Ignace Fire

The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office has been contacted to help investigate the cause of a massive fire that destroyed Gramma's Supermarket in Ignace early Tuesday morning.

Crews continue to work on mopping up and hitting hot spots and Fire Chief Robert Berube says it was a blaze that caused nothing but problems.

Berube says his firefighters received badly needed help from Wabigoon Fire, Dryden Fire, Hydro One, Union Gas and Ignace Public Works.

City of Dryden Facing Significant Deficit

The City of Dryden is sitting with a 4-million dollar deficit in the 2014 budget year.

A number of factors are included in the shortfall including a reduction in the Domtar Mill rate, a reduction in the annual Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund and an accounting discrepancy in the amount of 1-million dollars from the 2011-2012 budget years.

A media conference was held yesterday to discuss the financial picture and Chief Administrative Officer
Andre Larabie warned there will have to be cuts across the board.

Larabie adds a recovery plan is now in place and staff will be working with council for the next 5-weeks to find ways to cut without impacting the safety of residents and workers.

Fantino Taken To Task For Treatment of Veterans

The only Veterans Affairs Office in northwestern Ontario is scheduled to close its doors for good tomorrow.

A list ditch effort to save Canada's offices appears to have failed after Minister Julian Fantino showed up extremely late for a meeting with veterans in Ottawa.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty expressed his outrage.

Rafferty says there have been eight suicides in just two months and the Conservatives have failed to listen to those that fought for our freedom.

Wasacase Back As Chair of Police Services Board

No changes in the make-up of the Kenora Police Services Board.

Colin Wasacase is back for one more year as chair of the Police Board.

He was acclaimed at the inaugural meeting of 2014 this morning.

Glenda McMillan is also returning for another year as vice-chair.

Dave Canfield is the only other member of the Police Board.

More Bridge Work in NWO This Summer

A bridge on Highway 11 will get some upgrades this year.

The Swamp River Bridge, just west of Shebandowan, will be replaced at a cost of 3-point-2 million dollars.

Thunder Bay-based L-H North will begin work in the spring.

Senior Thistles Add Proven Winner

The Kenora Triple "A" Seniors are adding some more grit to the roster.

The Thistles have announced that minor pro forward Nathan O'Nabigon has signed with the club.

O`Nabigon, who hales from Long Lac, has spent time in the Central Hockey league with Rocky Mountain, Allen, Missouri, and Arizona.

The 30 year old also won the 2003 Memorial Cup with Mike Richards as a member of the Kitchener Rangers.

He also won the 2007 CIS Championship while playing with the University of New Brunswick.

Family Of Four Survives Frigid Weekend in the Bush

Another tale of survival in the bush in frigid weather conditions.

A family of four spent three nights stranded over the weekend north of Minaki near Trapline Lake.

The family had gone out on January 18th for a week of trapping.

On their way home, one of their snowmobiles broke down and the other became stuck.

The family, which included a six year old and a ten year old, had survival gear with them and
were able to build a shelter, light a fire and had enough food to survive.

They were finally located Monday morning by a pilot who had been contacted family members to try and locate them.

Attawapiskatt Walkers Close In On Ottawa

A group of First Nation walkers are only 900 kilomters away from their journey to Ottawa.

They left at the beginning of January from Attawapiskatt First Nation.

The three men are on foot and are hoping to encourage the Federal government to work on addressing several Aboriginal issues.

On Monday, the activists spent some time in Cochrane.

Chamber of Commerce Releases Economic Report

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce is teaming up with it's Ontario wide body, and the Mowat Centre to create a list of recommendation for the Ontario Government.

Spokesperson Charla Robinson says the suggestions are listed in the document "Emerging Stronger 2014" which was released on Tuesday.

Robinson says they've delivered the document to both opposition paries and the Liberal government.

Paramedics Reach Deal with KDSB

A tentative contract has been reached between the Kenora District Services Board and paramedic staff represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The three-year deal has been approved by the KDSB and terms won't be released until the contract is ratified by CUPE membership.

The deal covers 2012 to 2014.

New Gold Expects Slight Delay in Rainy River Project

New Gold says it's still committed to moving ahead with plans to develop a gold mine south of Kenora.

The company is holding a couple of open houses on its environmental assessment report.

Director of Environment Kyle Stanfield says the recent release of a new feasibility study shows plenty of promise for the project despite fluctuating  gold prices.

New Gold anticipates production to begin in the later part of 2016, later than what had been projected by then-Rainy River Resources.

Scary Bus Ride Home for Dryden Students

Not a routine ride home for some school bus students in Dryden yesterday.

The Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium says the DR19 bus traveled into the ditch near Dryden just after 4 o'clock in the afternoon.

Officials say police were immediately called and students were checked and then evacuated to another bus to be transported home.

No injuries are reported.

The Consortium says it attempted to call all impacted parents to advise them of the incident.

I Am Awesome, And I Know I Gets Funding

A major cash injection for a regional program for young women.

Program Coordinator Renee Martin-Brown says they have received 45-thousand dollars from the Aviva Fund.

She says the money will be used to promote the program across the region as well as hire more staff and presenters for the weekend retreat.

Last year, 19 girls from across the region attended a weekend conference in Nestor Falls.

Martin-Brown says their goal this year is to bring as many as 75 girls together for the self esteem and empowerment retreat.

Broncos Struggle After Exam Break

Beaver Brae sports teams were showing some signs of rust yesterday after their two week exam break.

The Broncos faced the Dryden Eagles on five fronts yesterday and managed just one win.

In girls hockey action, the Eagles cruised to a 5-2 win last night.

At the Beaver Brae gym, Dryden took three of four games against the Broncos in boys basketball and
girls volleyball.

The Eagles junior and senior girls beat Beaver Brae in three straight sets.

The lone win of the day came from the Bronco junior boys, who romped to a 59-42 victory.

The Beaver Brae senior boys were downed 63-43.

The Broncos are back in action at home again on Thursday against Fort Frances.

Green Advances to Final 16 of Master Chef Canada

Former Kenora resident Mike Green has made the cut.

Green is among the final 16 amateur cooks to make it through on
Master Chef Canada.

Green currently lives in Winnipeg, but grew up in Kenora.

His pan-seared arctic char with ratatouille and quinoa impressed the judges enough  to be invited into the Master Chef kitchen.

The title also includes 100 thousand dollars in prize money.

The next episode of the show will follow the Superbowl on Sunday.

Ignace Mayor Calls Fire Devastating

The mayor of Ignace says an early morning fire is devastating.

Lee Kennard has owned Gramma's Supermarket for the past five
years.

The grocery store went up in smoke this morning around 2:30.

Kennard says fire crews will likely be at the scene most of the day
putting out hot spots.

The fire is under control and was contained to the store itself, though
Kennard believes a home behind the building may have sustained some
damage.

No injuries have been report, and the cause of the blaze has not yet been
determined.

Highway 17 has also been re-opened after being closed for nine hours due to
the fire.

Fire Destroys Ignace Business

A major fire has destroyed Granmma's Supermarket on Main Street in Ignace.

The blaze was reported around 2:30 this morning and Ignace, Dryden and Wabigoon Fire were all dispatched.

The grocery store was engulfed in flames with the fire also threatening the adjoining hotel and a residential home.

Highway 17 is closed in Ignace, but traffic is being rerouted through the community.

No other details are available at this time.

Manitoba Sledders Recovering From Ordeal

Two sledders are recovering in hospital after spending a chilly night out on Lake of the Woods.

The RCMP says it was contacted Sunday afternoon about two people who were overdue after
going ice fishing near Birch Point on the western shore of the lake.

Police say the couple did not have a GPS and due to blowing snow, there was little to no visibility.

An extensive search was launched yesterday morning, and by 10:00 police were informed the
two had turned up in Roosevelt, Minnesota.

The RCMP say the two drove 40 kilometers, but had become disoriented.

They ended up making a fire and spent all day and night in the bush.

The 20 year old man, managed to walk to a local home and contacted his father's employer who called police.

He is currently being treated for frostbite in Roseau, Minnesota.

Finally, Some Good News For Forestry

After years of doom and gloom, finally a reason for optimism for the
forest industry in northern Ontario.

The Ontario Forest Industries Association is predicting huge growth in
2014.

Jamie Lim is the president of the OFIA and says lumber companies are getting ready to take advantage in an upturn in construction in the U.S. and globally.

In a pre-budget submission, Lim encouraged the provincial government to maintain programs that are helping the forest industry, including forest access road programs and the Northern Electricity subsidy.

Ontario's Minimum Wage Increasing?

Ontario's minimum wage could be going up.

A special advisory panel reviewing the 10-25 an hour wage released it's recommendations to to the finance minister yesterday.

The panel suggests potential increases be tied to the rate of inflation, but doesn't recommend what the new rate should be.

The minimum wage has not increased in four years.

Premier Kathleen Wynne is expected to announce an increase in the minimum wage later this week.

Red Ribbon Campaign to Launch Next Month

Be on the lookout for red ribbons.

People First is putting together hundreds of ribbons people can
wear in support during the Week of Action Against Poverty next month.

Nan Normand is a spokesperson for the group and says it's part of their
awareness campaign about poverty in the community.

The Week of Action Against Poverty will run from February 9th to 15th, andWear Red Day takes place on February 14th.

Winter Road Maitenance Contractors Fined

The state of area highways and winter road maintenance continues to be a dominant story in our area.

The Ministry of Transportation says it has penalized maintenance contractors clearing provincial highways in northwestern Ontario for not meeting winter maintenance standards.

Transfield Services in our area is one of three highway maintenance companies fined.

The other two are in the Thunder Bay region.

An MTO Spokesperson says it can't reveal how much the penalties amount to, because it's a contractual matter.

However, the MTO has described them as "significant financial consequences."

Two Men Arrested on Drug Charges

The OPP says two Kenora Men face drug charges following an search of a Matheson Street residence.

The Street Crimes Unit, the Organized Crime Unit and the Kenora Drug Enforcement Unit exercised a search warrant last week.

Two men were arrested while leaving the building.

Police say they had more than 70 hydromorphone pills on them with a street value of about 16 hundred dollars.

22 year old Jory Smith and 22 year old Allen Pencoff have been charged with trafficking in a controlled drug.

Beaver Brae wins Junior KIT

Beaver Brae won the battle of Kenora at the Junior KIT basketball tournament.

The Broncos and Thomas Aquinas advanced to the A-Side final Saturday afternoon, with Beaver Brae coming out on top.

The Broncos edged the Saints 43-31 at the Beaver Brae Gym.

St. John's Ravenscourt from Winnipeg trounced Atikokan 29-6 in the battle for third place.

Dryden got by Queen Elizabeth from Sioux Lookout 57-41 in the 5th place game.

Parliament Resumes Sitting Today

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford and other Members of Parliament return to their seats today as the winter-spring session begins.

Its expected to be a scene-setter for next year's federal election.

The main government theme of the winter sitting is the 2014 budget, which could be early, perhaps coming down within a few weeks.

It will prepare the ground for the election.

There is only one goal the budget must achieve: to be balanced in time for the Conservatives' election campaign.

Red Lake Man Faces Drug Charges

A 20 year old Red Lake man faces drug charges following a bust in that
community.

The Ontario Provincial Police Red Lake Detachment, Red Lake Crime Unit, Northwest Region Emergency Response Team and the Kenora Drug Enforcement Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in Red Lake last Wednesday.

Shortly before midnight the officers entered the residence and seized a quantity of cocaine, marij
uana, cash and an illegal firearm inside.

As of result of the investigation Ryan Brigden has been charged with 2 counts of Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Property Obtained by Crime, Unauthorized Possession of a firearm and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon.

IISD Close To Finalizing Transfer of ELA

Experiments could be taking place at the Experimental Lakes Area in 2014.

Matt McCandless is the ELA Project Manager with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and says the transfer of the facility is almost complete.

McCandless notes the Government of Ontario is also working on proposed regulatory changes regarding experiments at the ELA.

He says the changes should be in place for 2014 research season.

Canfield To Attend Prospectors Conference

The City of Kenora wants to put more of a focus on the mining industry.

City Council has approved a resolution allowing Mayor Dave Canfield to attend the annual Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto at the beginning of March.

Canfield says this will be the first time the city has sent a representative to the convention, which is one of the largest mining shows in the world with over 35 thousand people attending
from 120 countries.

He says Red Lake has attended for years and suggests it's an excellent opportunity to further diversify the city's economy.

Canfield adds that he will be in Toronto already for the annual Good Roads Conference, so
the cost to attend will be minimal.

The Lake of the Woods Development Commission and LOWBIC are also planning to send
representatives to the mining conference.

Museum Expands Budget for 50th Anniversary

Lake of the Woods Museum is increasing it's budget this year, in part to
help celebrate it's 50th anniversary.

Curator, Lori Nelson says they have ambitious plans including a book of
Carl Linde photographs, and a major exhibit on World War One.

Overall though she says they are seeking only a minor increase from the
city.

Nelson says their 2014 budget will increase by about 76 thousand dollars, but most of that will be covered through revenues from their projects.

Twice As Many Summer Company Grants Available

The provincial government is doubling the number of grants available for the Summer Company program.

This year there is funding for six students to set up their own business in
the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.

Diane Schwartz-Williams from the Northwest Business Center says high school and post-secondary students are both eligible for the program.

Schwartz-Williams says you can apply to the Summer Company program on-line through the Northwest Business Center website.

Midget Thistles Win Once In Weekend Road Trip

A tough road trip for the Kenora Triple "a" Midget Thistles.

The Thistles won just one of three games played over the weekend in central Manitoba.

The Kenora Midgets split their two game series with the Interlake Lightning.

Yesterday the Lightning doubled up the Thistles 4-2 in Teulon.

The Thistles lone win of the weekend came Saturday night, as they edged
Interlake 3-2.

Ben Hendrickson led the offense with three goals in those two games.

Friday, the Kenora Midgets started their weekend road trip off with a 4-2 loss at the
hands of the Pembina Valley Hawks.

Senior Thistles Remain Undefeated

A real confidence booster for the Kenora Triple "a" senior Thistles.

The Thistles scored early and scored often in both games over the weekend
against the Lac Du Bonnet Blues.

Yesterday, the Senior squad trounced the Blues 10-0 at the Kenora Rec. Center.

That followed up on a 7-0 whitewash on Saturday night.

Things will get a little tougher for the Thistles in two weeks time, as they host
former Allen Cup Champs, the Southeast Prairie Thunder at the Rec. Center.

Bell Let's Talk Campaign Begins Tomorrow

Ride along with an Olympian.

That's the idea of an event taking place in Kenora as cyclist Clara Hughes rides across the country for Bell Let's Talk.

Recreation Manager Colleen Neil says the ride takes place in the Kenora Rec. Center
.

Hughes will be stopping in Kenora during her ride this summer.

Natural Gas Expected To Be Restored In Southern Manitoba by Tonight

Manitoba Hydro is hoping to restore natural gas to most of it's customers
south of Winnipeg by tonight.

A massive explosion early Saturday morning in Otterburne, has affected natural gas distribution to nine other communities.

The blast has affected about four thousand customers.

Schools in several communities are closed today due to that lack of heat.

The RCMP has wrapped up it's investigation of the explosion and says the
cause is not suspicious.

Another Windchill Warning In Effect

Just can't shake this polar vortex.

Another day, another windchill warning in effect.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says strong northwesterly winds are producing wind chills in the Kenora area as cold as -46 this morning.

The windchill warning is in effect across northwestern Ontario and southern Manitoba today and is expected to last until at least tomorrow afternoon.

The only highway closure reported this morning is Highway 1 west of Headingly to Portage La Prairie.

Junior KIT Underway at Beaver Brae

Junior boys basketball teams across the region are wrapping up the exam break with a weekend tournament up at Beaver Brae.

The Junior KIT is now underway, with both the host Broncos and Thomas Aquinas Saints in action.

The Saints play their next game at 4:30 against Atikokan, while Beaver Brae faces Sioux Lookout at 6:00.

The six team tournament wraps up tomorrow afternoon with the finals at 1:00.