OPP searching for Suspect in Airport Road Assault

The OPP are searching for a suspect in connection to an assault that took on a trail just off the Airport Road.

Police say the incident took place just before 7:00 last night on the hydro highline trail near Tetroe Road.

A woman was walking her dog when a man ran out of the bush and allegedly assaulted her.

The woman ran out of the bush and managed to flag down a motorist.

The OPP were contacted and they brought out their Emergency Response Team and a K-9 unit in their search for the suspect.

He is described as a First Nations man, tall, with a muscular build wearing dark shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kenora Detachment of the OPP.

Temperature Records could fall today

It could be a record-breaking day, weather-wise.

Its going to be another scorcher for Kenora and parts of northwestern Ontario.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says the temperature isn't the only thing local residents will have to deal with.

He says with the humidex is could feel like 40 celcius. 

The thermometer is expected to peak at 33 this afternoon.

The record for July 19th is 30.6.

Power Out in Pickle Lake Again

Pickle Lake residents are once again dealing with a power outage.

Red Lake Fire number 84 near Ear Falls has damaged power lines which has left 629-Hydro One customers in the dark.

Hydro One says power might not be restored until Friday.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says up to 6-kilometres of line have been affected.

Pickle Lake dealt with a lengthy power outage last week before power was restored for a brief period of time.

Ignace Woman faces Animal Cruelty Charges

An Ignace woman is facing not one, but three animal cruelty charges.

Earlier this month, the OPP say a large Bullmastiff managed to escape and killed a smaller dog.

The owner Tamela Inkster was initially charged with two counts under the Dog Owners Liablity Act.

11 days later, the OSPCA contacted Ignace OPP in relation to another complaint of animal cruelty.

Police were led back to Inkster who was then charged with Animal Cruelty under the criminal code and will appear in court on August 30.

Library ready to move forward with Operational Review

The Kenora Public Library says its ready to proceed with an operational review.

Council last night approved the terms of reference for the review, which includes governance, internal staff structure, service delivery and a  financial review.

Councillor Rory McMillan says the terms of reference do address a number of concerns council has raised about the Library's debt and deficit this year.

The Library Board has agreed to find its own funding to pay for the operational review.

Forest Fire Situation Intensifies in the Northwest

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to struggle to get the upper hand on several wildfires in the Northwest.

Information Officer Debbie MacLean says they have over 2-thousand firefighters involved in the fight.

Sioux Lookout Fire number 70 has grown to over 87-thousand hectares in size and is now burning 1-kilometre away from the Mussewhite Mine.

Firefighters continue to try and protect the mine site.

Musselwhite Mine Road and Highway 599 just north of Pickle Lake have been closed as a result.

More Evacuations due to Forest Fires

Nearly 400 people in northwestern Ontario have been evacuated by Canadian Forces personnel as forest fires threaten their communities.

The Forces says that 385 residents from Fort Hope and Sandy Lake have been flown out.

Members of the Fort Hope First Nation were evacuated Monday to Greenstone, using a Hercules from CFB Trenton.

People from Sandy Lake First Nation were airlifted on a Hercules to Winnipeg.

KACL Gets Green Light for Accessible Community Garden

The dream of a fully accessible community garden is now a bit closer to reality.

Kenora City Council has given its blessing to the project by allowing the Kenora Association for Community Living to use a road allowance in the Lakeside area to build the garden.

Lisa Gate-Villa has been spearheading the project and says plans for the garden are really coming together.

After meeting with city staff, council agreed to allow KACL to use the road allowance along 6th Street South and 3rd Avenue South for their community garden.

Ontario's Coronor's Office Looks at Pikangikum Suicides

The Ontario chief coroner's office is releasing some startling research on a rash of suicides on the Pikangikum First Nation.

Dr. Bert Lauwers, the deputy chief coroner for investigations in Ontario, says a unique feature of the Pikangikum suicides is that many happened in clusters.

Lauwers says a crisis intervention team should be put in place after a youth suicide to identify vulnerable children and provide them with immediate counselling.

Fires in the Far North blowing smoke into the City of Kenora

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and smoke from those blazes is causing some concern in the Kenora area.

The MNR fire base in Kenora says its been inundated with calls complaining about the smokey haze.

Its believed fires burning in the far north in the Red Lake District are responsible for the smoke.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says its dealing with almost 100 wild fires today, including a nearly 14 thousand hectares blaze, which is burning out of control about 50 kilometres northeast of Ear Falls, and is threatening a number of power lines.

Another fire of more than 70-thousand hectares is out of control near the Musselwhite Mine site.

And a blaze of 79-thousand hectares is out of control nine kilometres east of the New Osnaburgh First Nation.

Another road closure on the Kenora By-Pass

A couple of accidents have closed the Trans-Canada for varying periods of time over the past 24 hours. 

A section of the Kenora By-Pass at the west end near Middle Lake was shut down temporarily due to a single vehicle accident.

The OPP says a tractor trailor unit drove off the road and almost went into Louise Lake.

Crews have been working to remove the wreckage from the area, slowing traffic down.

Last night, another single vehicle accident in the area of Shoal Lake also caused delays for motorists.

Some motorists said they had to wait more than an hour before they were able to get through.

The accident took place around 7:00 last night.

OPP investigating death in Red Lake

The OPP in Red Lake are probing the death of a 46 year old woman.

Police say former Pikangikum resident Bertha Quill was found unconscious in that community and was flown to Thunder Bay where she was pronounced dead at the Health Sciences Centre early Thursday morning.

Police aren't saying anything about the cause of death.

A post-mortem exam was conducted Friday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, but the cause of death still has not been released.

Busy Weekend for Fire Crews

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and more new fires are expected.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says there are 96 active fires burning in the remote northwestern region.

And more than 30 new blazes are expected over the coming days.

Waterbombers, helicopters and ground crews are battling the flames.

More than two-thousand staff will be helped by another 500 reinforcements from B-C.

Many northwestern communities are dealing with smoke issues and are planning for evacuations with federal and provincial authorities.

Hudak Launches Northern Platform

Tim Hudak says he has big plans for the north now that his Progressive Conservatives have released their northern election platform.

As leader Hudak is making two main promises for this region if the Tories are elected, including holding

at least one cabinet meeting a year in northern Ontario.

Hudak is also promising to give gas tax money to every northern community.

OPP investigate fatal accident north of Red Lake

A Pikangikum man and woman are dead as the result of a traffic accident 60 kilometres north of Red Lake.

The OPP say the two were the passengers in a pick up truck that rolled several times last Thursday afternoon.

39 year old Kevin Suggashie and 37 year old Ibena Suggashie were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other people were treated in hospital.

The OPP say charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle, 36 year old Bernie Peters of Pikangikum.

He remains in hospital in Thunder Bay with severe injuries. 

Invasive Species Hit Squad launches summer campaign

Local residents are being urged to be on the look out for invasive species in local lakes and rivers.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association working together to promote their Invasive Species Hit squad.

Elauna Boutwell is summer student working with the squad and says  they are reaching out to as many people as they can to raise awareness.

Some of the species on the hit list are the spiney water flea, the rusty crawfish and the rainbow smelt.

Harborfest Seeking Volunteers

The count down is underway for the 20th annual Harborfest.

The biggest event of the summer will take place in two weeks time.

Dave Blake is one of the directors and says they are still looking for volunteers to help out during the weekend.

Harborfest will take place this year from July 29th to July 31st.

City Decides to Join One Call System

The City of Kenora has decided to join the One Call system.

Union Gas has been trying to get municipalities across the province to cough up a thousand dollars each to help fund the initiative.

One Call would create a dedicated phone line that local residents or contractors could call to find out where gas line, buried power lines and telephone lines are located.

If enough municipalities sign up, the provincial government has promised to help fund the program.

Canfield ready to lobby for more funding for City

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says the provincial government owes the city millions of

dollars in transfer payments.

Canfield is gearing up for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference next month and hopes to meet with a number of cabinet ministers.

He says his main goal is getting the province to restore the city's share of the Ontario Municipal Partership Fund.

He says when amalgamation took place 11 years ago, the province promised the city would not lose any revenue.

Instead Canfield says the Ontario government has given the city just 52 percent of the money it should have received under the Rural and Remote Grant.

He says before amalgamation Kenora, Keewatin and Jaffray Melick received 100 percent of that funding.

Michael Richards Charity Golf Tournament Tees Off

The second annual Mike Richards Charity Golf tournament is taking place this afternoon at the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

Last year the tournament made 11 thousand dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Richards expects the tournament to do just as well this year.

Some of the NHL stars taking part this year include Ian White of the San Jose Sharks, Jeff Carter of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Aaron Asham of the Pittsburgh Penguins.