Hospital still in the black

Lake of the Woods District Hospital still expects to break even on its operations this year.

After the first eight months of this fiscal year, the hospital is running a surplus of about 388 thousand dollars.

Finance Manager, Cindy Gasparini points out the surplus will likely shrink during the winter months, because they have higher utility costs.

She adds there will also be some added expenditures, including equipment maintainance contracts.

She says they are still in good shape financially and barring any unforseen expenses they should be in the black once again this year.

Visitor Restrictions Lifted at Hospital

Some good news for anyone with a loved one at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Administration has lifted visitor restrictions that have been in place since before Christmas.

Leslie Brown is the head of patient care and says they decided to lift the visitor ban yesterday
afternoon because they've seen a decrease in the number of people with the flu.

Brown says anyone who has a cough, a runny nose, has a fever or any symptoms of vomiting or
diarrhea should avoid visiting patients at the hospital.

Quiet year for RIDE Campaign

The message of not drinking and driving seems to finally be sinking in.

The OPP wrapped up its seasonal RIDE program over the weekend and just two people were pulled off the road for impaired driving.

In all, officers stopped over 63 hundred vehicles during the five week seasonal campaign.

Two license suspensions were also issued along with 21 other criminal code and liquor license violations.

NOHFC funds three new local businesses

Six local entrepreneurs are getting funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund to

start up new businesses in the region.

Taiga Property Services of Kenora has been promised just over 35 thousand dollars to
purchase a back-hoe loader to provide earth-moving services to local cottagers.

Comfort Table Bakery of Vermillion Bay is also getting over 92 thousand dollars to purchase a

building so it can produce fresh baked goods, such as bread, cinnamon buns and pastries.

Another Kenora business, North West Doors, will get 25 thousand dollars under the Young

Entrepreur Program to purchase a trailor, a scissor lift and other tools to repair and install

garage doors.

NDP promise to take HST off Home Heating Bills

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath continues to attack the McGuinty Government's failure to remove the HST from hydro, and home heating bills.

Horwath says Northerners are struggling and need a break.

Horvath says if her party is elected she would remove the HST from home heating oil and natural gas.

New Fishing Regs available

There are no major changes to the fishing regulations in the 2011 Ontario Recreational Fishing Summary for lakes in the Kenora and Rainy River Districts.

The booklets are now available and MNR Biologist Amy Godwin says some clarifications were made to the northern pike season at Eagle Lake near Dryden.

Godwin says the MNR is currently reviewing fisheries management plans for this area which could lead to regulation changes in the future.

Saints win on the Court, lose on the Ice

Thomas Aquinas court sport teams haven't missed a beat after being idle for the Christmas Holidays.

The Saints won all three games played yesterday in Ignace against the Falcons.

The T.A. junior boys basketball team cruised to a 59-33 victory.

Jarrod Sundmark led all scorers with 19 points.

In girls volleyball action, both the Saints junior and senior girls won in three straight sets.

Both girls teams will be back in action today as Thomas Aquinas and Beaver Brae are hosting the 30 team Winter Smash tournament.

Action begins at noon at both gyms.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team lost its first game of the NorWOSSA Single "a"

season.

The Saints were in Sioux Lookout last night and lost 6-5 in a shootout to the Warriors.

STR getting local snowmobile trails ready

The Sunset Trail Riders Snowmobile Club is hoping to have more of its trails in the Kenora area open soon.

So far, just two trails are officially listed as open.

Shaun Clifford is a spokesperson for STR and says they are working hard to get lake trails ready.

Clifford says crews will be out again this weekend signing trails and hopes they will be able to open a few more once that work is complete.

Mike Richards Charity Golf Tournament back in 2011

The Mike Richards Charity Golf Tournament will be back for another year in 2011.

Organizers announced that the second annual fundraiser will take place on July 14th

at the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

Last year, the Charity Golf tournament attracted 180 golfers, guests and sponsors and raised over 11 thousand dollars, which was shared evenly between the Cancer Society and the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

In a news release, Richards says he's looking forward on building on last year's success and making this year even better.

Last years event sold out quickly.

Ring of Fire Office to open in 2011

An office for the Ring of Fire should be open by February or March.

Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle says they are moving forward on the initiative and will have an office in Thunder Bay. 

He adds that the government will also be creating an advisory council.

The aboriginial consultation stakeholder director will be announced in February or March as well.

Alzheimer Society Targets Baby Boomers

A new survey shows that almost a quarter of baby boomer's can't name any of the early sign's of Alzheimer's Disease.

The Alzheimer's Society of Kenora and Rainy River is trying to raise awareness of the disease this month.

Lynn Moffatt is the executive director of the local Alzheimer's chapter and says the risk of getting the disease increases the older you get.

Moffatt says they have a couple of events planned this month, including a virtual dementia tour, which will take place in Kenora at the end of January.

New Years Baby born

Kenora's new years baby waited just six hours to be born in 2011.

Christine Wiebe was born early Saturday morning at Lake of the Woods

District Hospital to Lyndsay Wiebe and Brendan Orosi.

The baby girl was born at 6:07 A.M. on January 1st.

New Fire Hall almost ready to move into

The count down has begun for Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Fire fighters are expected to move into the new fire hall on Barsky's Hill by the middle of this month.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says they are just putting the finishing touches on the building.

Brinkman says one of the issues that delayed their move was the need to re-paint the floor of the garage.

2010 wetter and milder than normal

2010 will go into the books as a wet and mild year.

Figures compiled by Environment Canada show that the average temperature in Kenora last  year was 4.6 degrees, which was almost two degrees warmer than normal.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says overall it was much warmer than usual.

Last year was also wetter than normal with 909.1 millimeters of precipitation.

That's about 250 millimeters more than normal.

Greyhound Passengers Furious after being stranded in NWO

Greyhound Bus passengers are furious at their treatment after being stranded for 15 hours in White River over the weekend.

Paul Hitchin says they felt simply abandoned by the driver and got no help from the company.

Some passengers are considering a lawsuit.

Greyhound is now apologizing, blaming weather for the delay, and says it is reviewing its protocols.

Passengers say Highway 17 to Thunder Bay was re-opened at 6:00 Sunday morning, but Greyhound
didn't have a driver available until 4:00 in the afternoon. 

Tough Start for the Broncos in 2011

Beaver Brae's girls hockey team has the first blemish on its record in

NorWOSSA league play.

The Broncos lost their first game of the year yesterday afternoon at the
Kenora Rec. Center, after being shut out 2-0 by the Dryden Eagles.

Beaver Brae now has an 8-1 record.

Meanwhile, things weren't any better on the court for Beaver Brae.

The Broncos just managed on win on the road in their first action of 2011.

Beaver Brae's senior boys basekball team held on for a 41-38 decision over the Eagles.

The Broncos junor boys were edged 40-37, while Beaver Brae's junior and senior girls volleyball teams lost in three straight sets to Dryden.

Fighter fighers busy over New Years

The New Year's long weekend proved to be pretty eventful for Kenora's

Fire and Emergency Services Department.

Fire crews had five calls over three days, including a fire to a trailor home

on New Year's Eve.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says the blaze broke out in the crawl space of

the trailor, but crews were responded quickly.

At least one person had to be treated for smoke inhallation, but no other

injuries were reported.

Crews also responded to a multiple vehicle accident on Matheson Street,

and a carbon monoxide alarm at a local home.

Treaty Three Police Set to Open new Detachment

The Treaty Three Police Service is hoping to have a new detachment up and running in the Fort Frances area sometime in the next month or so.

Chief of the aboriginal police service, Conrad Delaronde says they are just putting the finishing touches on a new detachment office on the Couchiching First Nation.

Delaronde says they also want to expand their drug unit and enhance their administrative services in the new year.

More Family Doctors Expected in 2011

Kenora should see some new family doctors in the new year.

The Paterson Medical Clinic is hoping to attract some new recruits in 2011.

Dr. Buzz Pedersen says they are hoping to land one or two family doctors from the first graduating class of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

Pedersen says having the students work in Kenora during the course of their schooling is probably one of the best ways of recruiting new doctors to the community.

Five Kenora Skiiers Heading to Canada Winter Games

Five Kenora cross country skiiers will be heading to Halifax next month for the Canada Winter Games.

Eric Lockhart was selected to be part of Manitoba's Bi-Athlon team.

Meanwhile, Amy Matthews, Sammy Burkhart, Jenny Hissa and Maya Boivin will be part of
Manitoba's Cross-country Ski squad.

The Canada Winter Games will take place from February 11 to 27th.