Senior Thistles Finalize Allen Cup Roster

The Kenora Triple A Senior Thistles are ready for the Allan Cup.

The club has named the final roster that will travel to Dundas Ontario for the national championship.

Head Coach Brian Olson says the goalies are the backbone of this team
with Ryan Person and Tyler Gordon back between the pipes.

There are also some new faces on the squad including Nathan O'Nabigon, Matt Miller, and Rick Kozak.

Olson believes this is the best roster the team has sent to the Allan Cup.

The tournament hits the ice April 14th.

City Council Adopts 2014 Budget

Kenora city council has unanimously approved the 2014 municipal budget.

Council held a special meeting this morning to adopt the spending estimates.

The budget includes a four percent decrease in the mill rate, but the average homeowner will
see their taxes go up by about 2.3 percent, or the equivalent of about 43 dollars this year.

Mayor Dave Canfield admits he had to fight hard for the four percent cut in the tax rate.

The 2014 budget also sets aside 4.5 million dollars for phase three of Downtown Revitalization
and 2.2 million dollars for the roads program, 600 thousand dollars to install new L.E.D. street lights,
and 700 thousand dollars to complete the rehabilitation of the Winnipeg River West Branch Bridge.

Water main Breaks Could Affect 2014 Capital Budget

The City's capital budget in 2014 could be a moving target.

All the water main breaks this winter could take a chunk out of the
capital budget.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they are hoping the province
will come through with some financial assistance.

Perchuck says if the city does't get any additional funding, they may have to re-evaluate this year's capital plans.

The city says even though snow removal costs have been much higher this winter than usual, they
don't plan to increase that budget for 2014.

Rickford Says Ring of Fire Still a Federal Priority

The newly appointed Minister of Natural Resources says the Ring of Fire remains a high priority for the Federal Government.

Greg Rickford says the dialogue between the Feds and the Ontario government continues.

Rickford already had the Ring of Fire portfolio before the cabinet shake-up, but the new appointment will give him better control of the massive mining project in northern Ontario.

OPP Recover Stolen Vehicle

A 34 year old Winnipeg woman faces theft charges after the OPP pulled over a stolen vehicle on Highway 71.

Police pulled the vehicle over in Nestor Falls because it didn't have any visible licence plates.

A quick check determined the vehicle had been reported stolen in Winnipeg back on February 7th.

Louise Hill has been charged with possession of stolen property.

She made her first court appearance in Kenora on Friday.

PETA Launches Letter Writing Campaign Against Spring Bear Hunt

The animal activist group PETA is asking for people to write the Premier and Minister of Natural Resources to cancel the spring bear hunt.

A limited hunt is being brought back in some parts of northern Ontario for the first time since 1999 this
spring.

PETA representative Ashley Byrne says the spring hunt won't help with bear populations or human bear conflicts.

PETA feels Ontario should enforce strict wildlife feeding prohibitions and provide residents with more information about how to better coexist peacefully with their wild neighbours.

Health Unit Promotes World TB Day

Tuberculosis is still a concern in Canada.

That message from Public Health Nurse Chanda McAuley with the Northwestern Health Unit as she promotes World TB day today.

McAuley says the health unit has a lot of information on the disease.

McAuley says both the active and latent forms of the disease are treatable.

Treaty Three Commemorates Residential School Survivors

Focusing on the future.

Richard Green has helped organize a residential school commemoration today at the best Western Lakeside Inn in Kenora.

Green say he hopes people will remember the challenges people faced while attending the schools.

The commemoration will focus on survivors of all 5 schools located within the Treaty 3 Territory.

It runs from 9 until 6.

Injured Workers Concerned With Proposed WSIB Changes

Proposed changes to how workers compensation will be handed out are coming under fire from the Ontario Network of Injured Workers.

The group says the move will limit workers compensation eligibility if someone has a pre-existing condition.

Karl Crevar says they are currently raising funds to launch a legal challenge.

Crevar notes the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is acting illegally.

Shopper's Sale to Loblaws Approved

The Shoppers Drug Mart store in Kenora is safe.

The Competition Bureau has approved Loblaws acquisition of Shoppers.

Loblaws is selling 18 Shoppers Drug Mart stores but none are located in northwestern Ontario.

The deal is expected to close on Friday.