Rickford Road Funding Announcement

Its going to be another busy construction year in Kenora.

The Provincial and Federal Levels of Government have announced six million dollars to complete the re-paving of Highway 17 from the City boundaries out to the Kenora By-Pass.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the funding is part of a new infrastructure project announced by the two levels of government earlier this month.

The Ministry of Transportation says it plans to tender out the paving work in the next couple of weeks and expects the work will be complete by early fall.

City of Kenora Graffitti

Kenora City Council has received support for its Graffitti By-Law from an unlikely source.

Grade school student Charity Busch made a deputation to councilthis week to enact a by-law to crack down on the unwanted wall art.

Busch suggests graffitti in town is inappropriate and should at least be covered over.

Council says its working on measures to eliminate graffitti frommunicipal buildings and its also working on a by-law that would apply to privately owned buildings in downtown Kenora.

KDSB New Name and Slogan

The Kenora District Services Board will be changing their name and adapting a new slogan based on ideas from the public.

Chair Joyce Timpson says the name dosen't reflect what they do.

Interested individuals can email or write a letter to the Services Board.

Responses are due by the end of May.

Rowing Club Lease

A split decision for the Kenora Rowing Club from city council.

The city has agreed to a 49 year lease arrangement for its club house on Rabbit Lake.

On the downside, council has rejected a request by the Rowing Club for a reduction in its property taxes.

Council feels that if they gave the rowing club a break on its taxes, other groups in the city would want the same kind of deal.

Doctor Shortage

A rosy picture when it comes to Kenora's medical shortage.

Dr. Buzz Pedersen told city council this week that Kenora has experienced a doctor shortage for about eight years now.

But he suggests the newly expanded medical clinic on Tunnel Island will be a lure for graduating health care professionals.

Pedersen says the new medical center is now a fully affiliated teaching center for the Northern Ontario Medical School.

Fire Season NWO

Northwestern Ontario has seen more than 100 fires since the season officially began at the start of this month.

In comparison, there were just 194 wild fires reported in the region all of last year.

Fire Information Officer Debbie McLean says its certainly a turnaround from the last couple of years.

A Restricted Fire Zone was put in place on Friday, meaning that all open air burning is prohibited.

NOMA Conference Day 2

Photo Courtesy of City of Dryden website

Municipal leaders will sit down with a handful of Provincial Ministers today in Marathon at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference.

President Anne Krassilowsky introduces two of the delegates.

Other speakers include NDP Leader Andrea Horwath as well as Parliamentry Secretary to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Donna Cansfield.

MNR RFZ

Photo Courtesy of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources

No more roasting marshmellows by the campfire.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has issued a restricted fire zone in Northwestern Ontario.

Fire information officer Debbie MacLean outlines why the restriction was put in place.

Marathon, Terrace Bay, Nipigon and North are not within the restricted fire zone.

Harbourfront Tent

The City of Kenora is going to chop up the work needed to construct a new tent on the harbourfront.

Underground work will be part of the first phase with the wall coverings to be dealt with at a later date.

Operations Manager Rick Perchuck says they want to put the project out for tender as soon as possible.

The underground work costs less than a million dollars, the entire project with coverings is estimated at 1.4 million dollars.

Warm Weather Kenora

Don't expect an immediate end to the dry weather conditions.

Geoff Coulson of Environment Canada says we've have about half our normal precipitation for April.

He says that'll continue for at least the next week in northwestern Ontario.

Coulson says the dry conditions can be blamed on the El Nino weather pattern.

Home and Trade Show

Photo Courtesy of Kenora District Chamber of Commerce website

This weekend marks the 24th annual Kenora Chamber of Commerce Home and Trade Show.

Chamber Manager Darcie Buchanan says they've got sixty exhibitors signed up.

The event kicks off tonight and runs until Sunday.

OPP 2009 Stats

The OPP says it has developed five priority areas for reducing
crime in the City of Kenora.

Inspector Dave Lucas presented his 2009 report to council this
week and it shows a 10 percent decrease in the number of calls
for service last year.

Lucas says one area they have been concentrating on is youth
crime.

Lucas says their overall budget came in about 300 thousand dollars
less last year than projected.

NOMA Conference

Municipal leaders from across northwestern Ontario are gathering in Marathon this week.

They're attending the annual Municipal Association convention.

Lynn Peterson is NOMA member and says the gathering will be attended by several high level provincial cabinet ministers.

Councillors Chris Van Wallenghem and Jim Parsons are the only two members of Kenora city council attending the three day conference.

Forestry Fund

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle is disputing suggestions the province is not helping the forest sector as well as it should.

Yesterday, New Democrats revealed much of a fund set up to help the forestry sector remains unused.

But Gravelle says its one program of many Ontario has provided to the industry.

Gravelle says a recent competition for the province's wood supply is also to make the industry more sustainable in the long term.

NWO Fire Risk

The Ministry of Natural Resources says northwestern Ontario is under a -- high to extreme -- forest fire hazard.

New fires are being reported daily across the entire region, keeping fire crews and waterbombers busy.

The fires are generally caused by people although high winds late last week caused numerous fires from trees landing on hydro lines.

There is no rain in the forecast so fire managers are urging people not to burn.

First Nations HST

First Nations groups plan to gather at Queen's Park today to protest the new harmonized sales tax to take effect on July 1st.

They say the H-S-T will remove a point-of-sale exemption they receive on the provincial portion of the merged tax.

A report commissioned by the Chiefs of Ontario suggests this will cost First Nations up to 120 (m) million dollars in the first year
of the H-S-T.

Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse says this will punish many communities already living in poverty.

Diamonds for Sale

Some of the first diamonds to be mined in Ontario will go on sale at Birks' flagship store in downtown Toronto next Monday.

The 100 gems are of extremely high-quality, with a retail value 10 to 15 per cent higher than other diamonds because they are processed in one place.

These sparkling rocks are the first batch available from DeBeers Canada's Victor Mine, near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.

The mine began operations in 2008.

Electricity Rate

Expect to pay a little bit more for your electricity starting in May.

Kenora Hydro has received permission from the Ontario EnergyBoard to increase its rates.

President and CEO of Kenora Hydro Dave Sinclair adds they are working on a more comprehensive rate schedule which will go into effect nextyear.

Sinclair says for the average homeowner, rates will be going up about 66 cents a month.
Of that amount, Kenora Hydro will be getting just 22 cents.

Paterson Medical Clinic

A modern new wing is now open at the Paterson Medical Clinic on Tunnel Island.

The expansion has been in the works for a couple of years.

Chair of the medical center board, Don Parfitt says the newbuilding has two floors with the possibility of further expansion.

Parfitt says the medical center is also the recipient of anothergrant from the Paterson Foundation.

The Thunder Bay based organization has matched its original500 thousand dollar contribution to help build the new wing.

Northern Ontario Party

North Bay resident Edward Deibel believes Northern Ontario should have its own political party.

A petition is being distributed to register the Northern Ontario Hertiage Party to get on the ballot for the next provincial election.

Deibel outlines what policies will be enacted if the party is registered.

The website is www.nohp.ca

The goal is to get 1 thousand signatures from communities all across the province.