SIU takes over Shooting investigation

An investigation into a shooting incident in downtown Kenora is now in the hands of the
Ontario Special Investigations Unit.

On Monday night, a 39 year old woman was shot after police responded to a domestic
dispute on 1st Street South.

Monica Hudon is a spokesperson for the SIU and says it could take a month or more to
complete their investigation.

The woman is currently at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Center where her condition
has stabilized.

Human remains found in Sioux Lookout

Human remains have been found in Sioux Lookout.


OPP were notified yesterday morning that a body was found in a wooded area in the community.

Police attended and located human remains.

A post-mortem examination is scheduled for today but foul play is not suspected.

The identity of the victim is being withheld until next of kin are notified.

New location sought for Land Ambulence Base

The ball is back in the court of the Kenora District Services Board in its attempt

to find a suitable location for a land ambulence base in the city.

Last month, council rejected the re-zoning application for property on Railway Street,
and the 30 appeal period has expired.

Council asked fire chief Warren Brinkman this week whether its too late to build
a land ambulence base beside the new fire hall on Barsky's Hill.
Brinkman adds that work on the new fire hall is currently progressing ahead of
schedule and on budget.

Progress on HST talks with aboriginal leaders

Nishnawbe Aski Grand Chief Stan Beardy says he's encouraged a solution may be reached in the HST point of sale controversy.

Beardy's comment comes in the wake of a meeting Monday between Ontario First Nations and the federal and provincial governments.


Beardy says both levesl of government have come a long way and is confident the point of sale exemption will continue for Natives when the HST comes into effect July first.

City Buys new Boat

The City of Kenora will soon have a new boat for its fleet.


Council has aproved the purchase of a 24 foot vessel with a
drop bow.

Councillor Dave McCann says the boat will allow them to take
over bear traps and other equipment needed to do work on the
island.

In the past, the city had to wait until the winter and use the ice
road to bring over material.

The boat will cost just over 42 thousand dollars.

Show Us Your Colors raises $$$

Organizers of the first ever Show Us Your Colors fundraiser for local cancer

patients proved to be a success.

Despite some wet weather, organizers says they managed to raise about
12 thousand dollars.
The dinner at Norman Community Club was sold out, and funds were also
generated through the sale of solar lights and a penny auction.

This weekend there will be another fundraiser for cancer.

The annual Relay for Life is scheduled to take place Friday night.

SIU to investigating downtown shooting

The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has been called in to look into
a shooting incident in downtown Kenora.
Last night just after 8:00, the OPP say they responded to a domestic
dispute on 1st Street South.

An officer responding to the incident was confronted by a woman who was
wielding a knife outside of an apartment block.

The OPP say shots were fired and both on and off-duty officers provided
first aid to the injured woman at the scene.

She was then transported by ambulence to Lake of the Woods District Hospital
for treatment and then airlifted to the Winnpeg Health Sciences Center.

The name of the 39 year old woman has not been released by police.

Anti-Racism Rally Today

There's going to be an anti-racism rally today in Kenora.


Students in Beaver Brae's Canadian/Native Literature class
will be holding a march from the football field to the Harborfront
starting at 10:15.

The rally is called Bridging the Gap and is being held to promote
cultural awareness in the community and the school's student body.

The march is scheduled to wrap up around 12:30 this afternoon.

Woman shot in downtown Kenora

A section of downtown Kenora is still taped off by the OPP following an
incident on 1st Street South.

Around 8:30 last night there are reports that a woman armed with a
knife was shot by police.

So far, the OPP have not released any details of the incident, but
eye witnesses suggest a woman lunged at an officer with a
knife, before any shots were fired.

The whole section of 1st Street South is blocked off from Donny B's
to Matheson Street South.

Council debates Main Street Traffic issues

Some members of Kenora City Council aren't happy with the way traffic flows through

the downtown area.

Council spent a lengthy amount of time debating the merits of the current system, which
was brought in last year following phase one of downtown revitalization.

Councillor Jim Parsons says he's heard a number of complaints from local residents.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they hired a specialist to design the current system
and felt council agreed with the changes at the time.

Perchuck says a public meeting could be held to get feedback from local residents about
the current design, and possibly make changes, if warranted.

Bed shortage eases at Hospital

For the first time in over a month, the bed shortage at Lake of the Woods District

Hospital has started to ease.

On Friday, the Northwest Local Health Integration Network lifted the 1-A status, which
gave the hospital the first opportunity for any long term care beds that became available
in the community.

Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Marc Belcaen says there has been a slight improvement
in their situation in recent days.

Belcaen says they managed to place five patients from beds at the hospital into long term
care beds in Pinecrest and Birchwood Terrace over the past month or so.

Keewatin Break-in

Two male youth have been charged in connection to a break-in to a

business in Keewatin.

The OPP say they responded to an alarm at the Bigway grocery store on Ottawa
Street around 5:30 last Friday morning.

The suspects got into the building by smashing one of the windows out of
the front door.

Once inside, they stole the cash register.

A short time later officers noticed two youth in the area of Superior Street
and subsequently arrested them in connectin to the break in.

A 14 year old youth and a 16 year old have been charged with break, enter and
theft.

Rickford intoduces Water Quality Motion

Water quality on Lake of the Woods is apparently a motherhood issue for members

of parliament.

Last week, Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford introduced a motion calling on the government's
of Canada and the United states to work together to enhance and restore water quality.

The motion received unanimous support in the Commons.

Rickford says the resolution also calls on the International Joint Commission to become
involved in water quality issues on the lake.

Rickford says the motion will come back up for approval in the House in the Fall.

Clark Resigns from Hospital Board

A long time member of the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Board is calling

it quits.

Jim Clark has resigned after 16 years as a board member.

Chief Executive Officer, Marc Belcaen says Clark's expertise will be missed.

Clark served two separate terms on the hospital board and also served as chair
of the board for a couple of years.

CP overhead pedestrian bridge safety

Concern has been raised about the safety of pedestrians using the overhead pedestrian bridge over the CP rail tracks.

There have been complaints of people loitering in the area and students being roughed up.

Inspector Dave Lucas says the OPP are aware of the problem and are dealing with it.

Lucas says there have also been complaints about garbage in and around the bridge and
intoxicated people hanging around.

More awards for Buster's

The Vermillion Bay-based company, Buster's BBQ sauce, has won more awards for its Blueberry
Barbeque Sauce.

The company earned 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place ribbons at the Great American Sauce Contest in Kansas City.

They placed 5th overall out of a 130 entries at the contest. Buster's BBQ also took home a "People's Choice" award for their Blueberry Barbeque Sauce product line at the Great American Invitational and Open Contest.

These awards came after the company recently won the "Marketing Excellence" award at the Dryden District Chamber of Commerce.

Junior Constable Camp

OPP have changed the location of this year's Junior Constable Camp in August.

The camp will be held at Longbow Camp on Longbow Lake Road.


Constable Dave Cain says that there will be many things to do at this year's camp, with visits by
the Canine Unit, the Emergency Response Team and other specialized police units.

15 Boys and 15 Girls will chosen from various communities in the North West region.

The Camp will run from Monday August 9th to Friday August 14th.

Funding from Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Local residential school survivors will get a chance to attend a national event being put on

by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission later this month in Winnipeg.

The event will be taking place at the Forks between June 16th and 19th.

Grand Council Treaty Three says it has received funding to send 100 survivors and
their decendatants to the gathering.

100 bus tickets and free accommodations at the University of Winnipeg are being
offered.

Anyone interested in attending the national event is asked to call the Treaty Three
office in Kenora as soon as possible.

New Tourist Regions Imminent

It won't be long now before the provincial government officially announces the formation of 13 new tourism regions.


The Regional Tourism Organizations will effectively kill the three regions we now have in the northwest and bundle them into one.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan says it should be announced within a month.

The initiative has been widely criticized by the Sunset Country Travel Association because it means
that all tourism marketing for this region will include all of northern Ontario rather than just the northwest.

American injured in weekend Accident

A 74 year old man from Iowa is in good condition following a single vehicle accident

on Highway 502 south of Dryden.
On Saturday, the OPP say a car left the road about 47 kilometers south of Dryden and
rolled several time.

The driver was pinned inside the vehicle for some time.

The highway had to be closed temporarily while emergency crews from Dryden and
Oxdrift got the driver out.

Richard Beckham sustained only minor injuries and was released from hospital.