OPP warn of thin ice

With the warmer weather this week, the OPP is warning local residents to careful when heading out on the ice of local lakes and rivers.

Over the past few days, officers have responded to reports of youth

playing on the ice near open water.

Police say ice conditions can change quickly at this time of year,

and kids put not only themselves at risk playing near open water,

but the lives of emergency service personnel as well.

Independant Candidate Hits the Campaign Trail

Kenora Riding Independant candidate Kelvin Chicago-Boucher says he has a list of recommendations  on how grassroots aboriginals can hold their leadership accountable.

That's his main plank in his Federal election campaign.

Chicago-Boucher says more transparency is needed in all levels of Government.

The 46-year-old is from Lac De Milles Lac First Nation outside Upsala, but lives in Minaki.

Taxi rates going up next month

Its going to cost a bit more to catch a cab in Kenora next month.

City council has approved a modest increase in taxi rates effective April 18th.

Most of the rate increases have to do with the implementation of the Harmonized Sales Tax.

The starting rate will go from three dollars and 83 cents, up to four dollars and 30 cents.

For each one tenth of a kilometer, the rate will actually drop from from 22 cents down to 10 cents.

Council agreed to the rate changes following a deputation earlier this year from the cab companies

in town.

CDC prepares for Merger

The delivery of child and family services in the Dryden and Kenora District's will change on Friday.

'Firefly' will replace the amalgamated agencies of Patricia Centre for Children and Youth and the Lake of the Woods Child Development Center.

Patricia Centre President Jackie Mitchell says its seen as a welcome move.

Mitchell says the merger will allow staff to share ideas and will create more services for more families.

Con College Likes provincial budget

Confederation College President Pat Lang says she's pleased the Provincial Government supports post-secondary education in tough economic times.

Lang is supportive of yesterday's Budget, noting it showcases education as an economic driver for Ontario.

Lang notes she would like the Government to keep investing in rural education.

Finance Minister Dwight Duncan is promising funding to add 60-thousand spaces to post secondary institutions by 2015-16.

NDP Leader says provincial budget is bad news for the North

The NDP is continuing its critique of the provincial budget.

In an interview with CJRL news, party Leader Andrea Horwath says even though the McGuinty Government has promised to increase spending for hospitals, they are going to have a tough time making ends meet.

Horwath says the McGuinty Liberals are also cutting the budget for the

MNR by 7.3 percent, which will have a big impact on northern Ontario.

Boutwell to attend National Junior Selection Camp

A former member of the Thomas Aquinas Senior Boys Volleyball team will be attending the National junior men's selection camp.

Dan Boutwell is the starting middle hitter for the Brandon Bobcats men's volleyball

team and will be heading to Gatineau, Quebec for the camp.

Boutwell earned a silver medal at the CIS national championships last month with

the Bobcats.

The National junior men's volleyball team will be competing in tournaments this

summer in Argentina, Brazil and Slovenia.

UFO Sighting?

(Photo courtesy of Sandra Allan)

Some residents of northwestern Ontario are talking about a strange object that has appeared over the night sky over the past couple of days.

Sandra Allan of Fort Frances, who took photographs, says it hovered for nearly half an hour last night before it disappear.

Some residents on the Shoal Lake and Rat Portage First Nations have reported seeing the UFO as well over the past few nights. 

Hampton Pans Provincial Budget

The provincial budget isn't getting good reviews from the opposition at  Queen's Park.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Howard Hampton claims yesterday's fiscal plan is a pre-election budget for Southern Ontario.

He believes the budget does more harm than good for northern Ontario.

Hampton says the budget forges ahead with the controversial forest tenure reform plan.

Provincial Budget Gets Mixed Reviews

The Minister of Northern Development is standing by his Government's Provincial budget.

Michael Gravelle admits there wasn't specific money set aside for the Region but notes there were projects that were mentioned.

Randy Hillier, the Progressive Conservative Critic for Northern Affairs says the budget is 300-pages of nothing for Northern Ontario.

Hillier points out the only announcement was one that was already made; 10-million dollars extra for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Two mergers of child care agencies in NWO near completion

Not one, but two mergers will be finalized this week involving local child care agencies.

The Lake of the Woods Child Development Center will be joining forces with the Patricia Center for Children and Youth out of Dryden.

The new agency will be called "Firefly".

The other merger will see the Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services amalgamate with Rainy River Family Services.

Both amalgamations will take effect on April 1st.

Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services is holding a meeting Thursday afternoon to update staff and the media about the merger.

Council supports proposed changes to building code

Kenora City Council is supporting proposed changes to the Ontario building code that

would allow the use of wood in the construction multi-story buildings.

The province is looking at allowing the use of wood in constructing buildings up to six stories high.

Council has passed a resolution saying such changes to the building code would support the forest industry in northern Ontario and increase opportunities to use wood in building projects.

Mayor Dave Canfield says some countries in Europe allow wood in buildings as high as 10 stories.

The resolutions urges the government to include the changes in the 2012 Ontario Building Code.

Daffodil Days here again

The Canadian Cancer Society 'Daffodil Sales' campaign kicks-off Thursday across Northwestern Ontario.

Fundraising Coordinator Margaret Saville says they are offering a new twist this year.

The fundraisinig campaign helps off-set transportation costs for patients requiring treatment.

Last year, the Society assisted 336-cancer patients from this area.

Fire Department to get another truck

Kenora's Fire Department is going to be getting a new piece of equipment.

An aerial ladder truck is being purchased second-hand from the Oakville Fire Department.

The total cost of the purchase is expected to be about 80 thousand dollars.

Fire chief Warren Brinkman says that includes the cost of having the truck shipped to Kenora, and a retrofit of the truck, including the installation  of new tires on the vehicle.

OPP Investigate Pickle Lake Fatality

A Thunder Bay man has succumbed to injuries sustained in a single vehicle crash on Umex Mine Road in Pickle Lake.

OPP say the incident occurred on March 16th and involved a  tractor trailer unit, carrying a bulldozer and large metal conatainer.

Police say the tractor trailer unit slid into an intersection and jacknifed while striking a snow bank.

The driver was transported to Thunder Bay Hospital with serious injuries.

Police say the man, 58-year-old Thomas Dufault, was released from Hospital on March 24th, but later died.

Five names expected on Federal Election Ballot

The election ballot could see a couple of more names added on in the Kenora riding in the next few weeks.

At least two more candidates are expected to file nomination papers before the May 2nd federal election.

The Green Party says it has nominated a new candidate.

Mike Schwindt, a teacher from the Poplar Hill First Nation will be carrying that party's colors during the 38 days campaign.

An independant candidate, Kelvin Chicago-Boucher is also talking about entering the election campaign.

St. Louis Tops local schools in Fraser Report

The Fraser Institute is out with its annual report card on Elementary Schools in Ontario, and this year a small school in Keewatin tops the list in this region.

St. Louis had the top mark of 7.6 out of ten.

Michael Thomas is one of the authors of the report and says they compile all the data from the Education, Quality and Accountability tests to come up with results.

Ste. Margarite Bourgeoys was just behind St. Louis at 7.2.

Valleyview had a rating of 5.8, while Pope John Paul was at 5.3 and  King George at 4.6 out of ten.

Hampton Critical of Northwest Jury Crisis

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Howard Hampton is putting the blame on the McGuinty government for the jury crisis in the northwest.

The NDP critic says there is no reason a judge had to postpone a jury trial last week because there was not enough Aboriginals on the jury roll

Hampton says the government has been aware of the situation since 2008 and simply has not taken the issue seriously.

OPP in Rainy River Crack down on Drugs

The crackdown on drug trafficking continues in Northwestern Ontario.

Police have released some details surrounding 3-separate investigations in Rainy River and Emo on March 16th.

During the search of two homes, Police seized 34-marihuana plants and 860-grams of dried marihuana.

The street value of the drugs is estimated at nearly 52-thousand dollars and no charges have been laid yet.

In the third case, Police did charge a 57-year-old man after seizing a substancial quantity of money as well as roughly 45-hundred dollars worth of prescription pills.

Nielson wins Dominion Club Playdowns in Kenora

A Fort Frances area team has won the regional Dominion Curling Club Championships in

Kenora.

The Maury Nielson rink from the Stratton Curling Club finished the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record.

Nielson beat the Steve Lundin foursome in the final game of the round robin 8-3 to secure the right to attend the provincial playdowns next week in Sault Ste. Marie.

Lundin and Ted Shesky from Kenora finished in a three way tie for second with a

2-2 record.