Three Arrested in Death of Pikangikum Youth

Three youth from Pikangikum have been charged with murder in connection to the death of a 17 year old boy in the remote northwestern Ontario community.

The OPP say they charged a 17 year old youth on Wednesday with murder in connection in the death of Calvin Quill.

His body was found behind a home in Pikangikum late Tuesday night.

Yesterday, police laid charges against two other people, a 16 year old boy and a 17 year old male.

All three all due to appear in Kenora Court today.

New Marketing Brand Adopted for Kenora

Call it Brand Aid.

A new tourism marketing concept has been developed for the city of Kenora.

Tourism Guru Roger Brooks has been helping a local group and says he likes

the idea of marketing Kenora as North America's Premier Boating Destination.

A branding committee has spent the past two months going through a number of ideas for a marketing concept, and spent the past three days in an intensive process to select the one idea while will now be used to advertise the city locally, nationally and internationally.

NOACC Approves of Federal Budget

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce is giving the Federal budget two thumbs up.

Harold Wilson is the Chief Operating Officer of NOACC and says he's especially pleased that a mining investment incentive has been left untouched for now.

 Wilson says he's also happy that the environmental assessment process is being streamlined

Three Northwestern Ontario Tourism Bureaus Closing

The full impact of the provincial budget is just starting to be felt.

The province has announced that its closing the Tourist Bureau on Highway 17 west at the Ontario/Manitoba border.

That's one of three tourism centers being closed across the region.

The Tourist Information Center in Fort Frances at the Canada/U.S. border is being shut down along with the one in Rainy River.

The Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership is blaming low visitor numbers for the decision to close the centers.

MNR Restructuring

The Ministry of Natural Resources is looking to transform itself.

The Provincial Government included a 3 year plan in the budget that would look at cutting staff and offices.

Minister Michael Gravelle says it was bound to happen since the MNR is running a defecit.

The plan will be implemented if the Provincial budget is passed.

Campbell Angry with God's Lake Payout

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is accusing the provincial government of throwing away taxpayers money.

Campbell is angry Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci has agreed to pay God's Lake Resources 3.5 million dollars for its mining claims in the Big Trout Lake area.

Campbell suggests the government could have avoided the expensive pay-out if it had convened a joint panel, as promised back in 2009 to resolve outstanding issues between the community and God's Lake.

She says Ontario has to be the only province in Canada where a mining company can make a substantial profit without having to break ground.

OPP investigate Fatality in Pikangikum

The body of a 17-year-old boy has been found in the remote Northern community of Pikangikum.

Provincial Police say Calvin Quill was reported missing on Tuesday afternoon.

His body was found behind a home late that night.

Police are treating his death as suspicious.

A post mortem examination is pending.

Ice Anglers Reflect on Their Adventure on Lake of the Woods

A group of American ice anglers rescued off a giant ice floe on Lake of the Woods celebrated the adventure by frying up its catch of the day and kicking back with beers.

Tracy Sobush, one of the 13 men from Wisconsin, says they didn't factor in the wind would loosen a piece of the ice near Birch Point on the Manitoba side of Lake of the Woods.

More than a dozen rescue workers and firefighters were called out and a special airboat was brought in. to help rescue the men.

Thistles lose to the Cougars in Virden

Not the start the Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles wanted at the Telus Western Regional Championships in Virden.

The Thistles were blanked 4-0 last night by the host Southwest Cougars.

The Thistles managed just 14 shots on net in a losing cause.

The tournament doesn't get any easier today, as the Kenora Midgets face the top team in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League today.

The Thistles will face the Winnipeg Wild at 5:00.

The Wild played to a 3-3 tie with the Saskatoon contacts yesterrday afternoon.

Canfield has mixed feelings on Provinical budget

The provincial government is offering municipalities some tools to help collect traffic fines.

Each year thousands of dollars of parking and speeding tickets go uncollected.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says Tuesday's budget seems to address the problem of unpaid tickets.

Last year alone, the city had to write off more than 90 thousand dollars in uncollected traffic tickets.

New Tourism Website being developed for Kenora District

A new user-friendly and interactive tool will soon be in our hands to promote tourism in the Kenora District.

The Cultural-Tourism Marketing website is set to be on-line this Summer.

Michelle Hovi led a community session in Kenora yesterday and says this is an excellant opportunity to showcase area communities.

The group has hired a media technician to photograph and video events, businesses and activities for the website.

Northwest LHIN's Promises Overhaul of Health Care in the Region

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network is overhauling the health care system in the region.

The governing body for health care spending is creating Local Health Hubs and regional programs.

CEO Laura Kokocinski says the goal is to share services and common practices at a local level.

Thunder Bay would handle more regional programs including cancer care.

Rickford Promises Balance Approach in Today's Budget

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says today's Federal budget will strike a balance.

Rickford says we can expect a measured response by the Government in terms of reducing the deficit.

However, Rickford stresses the Feds understand that maintaining several key programs is essential in keeping the economy going.

Lakewood School to be declared Surplus?

The future of Lakewood School is a little clearer today.

Trustees with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board met Tuesday night to discuss what to do with the building.

Trustee Bob Onysko says after much discussion and debate they agreed to support a recommendation by senior administration to declare the school surplus and put the property up for sale.

A resolution to that effect will go to the next open meeting on April 10th.

Midget Thistles in Virden for Western Regional Championships

The Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles are in Virden, Manitoba today for the start of the Telus Western Regional Play-offs.

The winner will advance to the national championships next month.

First up for the Thistles are the host team, the Southwest Cougars.

Game time is 8:00 this evening.

Tomorrow, the Thistles will face the Manitoba Midget League Champions, the Winnipeg Wild.

The Kenora Midgets advance to the Western Regional Championships by beating Thunder Bay two weeks ago in the Northwest Branch finals.

Search and Rescue helps standed anglers on Lake of the Woods

The OPP have cautioned local residents about heading out on the ice for the past couple of weeks.

But apparently that message hasn't reached the south end of Lake of the Woods.

Early this morning 13 American Anglers had to be rescued from an ice floe near Birch Point on the Manitoba side of the Lake.

Terry McLeod is president of Lake of the Woods Search and Rescue and says they sent their air boat out last night, making five trips from the mainland to the chunk of ice, to rescue the stranded ice anglers. 

The anglers went out on ATV's yesterday around noon, but conditions deteriorated as the day went on.

Everyone was safely evacuated from the ice floe by around 3:00 this morning

NOACC Disappointed with Provinicial Budget

Local business groups are disappointed with Tuesday's provincial budget.

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce is concerned with the delayed implementation of corporate tax cuts.

Chief Operating Officer, Harold Wilson says there's really nothing in the budget to encourage economic growth.

Wilson suggests the promised corporate tax cuts could take as long as eight years to implement, because the government wants to wait until it erases the deficit.

Gravelle Defends Tuesday's Provinicial Budget

The Provincial Government is not touching the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

The Drummond report called on the Government to move the Fund and combine it with other economic development corporations.

Natural Resources minister Michael Gravelle says Heritage funding will stay at 100-million dollars.

Gravelle adds that the Provincial budget will also preserve the Northern Industrial Electricity rate for at least one more year. 

Two BC men face Weapons Charges

Two British Columbia residents are due to appear in Kenora Court today on weapons charges.

The OPP say they were called to a hotel last week to assist ambulence personnel.

One man was taken to hospital for treatment and later released.

While at the scene, officers notice a handgun in the hotel room.

They got a search warrant and seized the gun.

A 37 year old and a 23 year old man remain in custody pending today's bail hearing.

Habitat For Humanity Launches another Fundraiser

Habitat for Humanity is counting down to its first ever build in Kenora.

A couple of more fundraisers are being planned this spring to help raise money for the project.

Spokesperson Thelma Wilkens-Page says at the end of May they will be hosting a Re-Fit day where old building materials can be donated to the cause.

Habitat For Humanity is hoping to turn sod on its first Kenora home sometime in May.