Two Arrested in Early Morning Drug Bust

A busy weekend for the OPP's Street Crimes and Drug Enforcement Units.

A total of four people have been arrested and charged with trafficking in three separate incidents.

Early this morning, officers stopped a vehicle in the Transmitter Road area.

The occupants were found to be in possession of 129 grams of marijuana.

Two Winnipeg men have been charged.

20 year old Jesse Gran and 25 year old Drew Melvin are due to appear in Kenora Court in June.

Girls hockey Hands Out Annual Awards

The Lake of the Woods Girls Minor Hockey Association is celebrating another successful season on the ice.

The girls hockey league held its third annual awards banquet Saturday night at the Kenora Curling Club.

About 400 people attended the event.

Awards were handed out to each of the division winners, as well individual awards for most improved,  dedication, pride hustle & determination, miss congeniality and most sportsmanlike.

Ontario Fire Marshall to Investigate Devil's Gap Blaze

The Treaty Three Police and the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office is investigating a fire near Devil's Gap that destroyed seven cottages.

The fire broke out early Saturday morning around 2:30.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says they know which cabin the blaze started at, and because the units are so close together, it didn't take long for the fire to spread.

He says their main priority became to protect a large lodge nearby.

Crews spent several hours putting out the fire and didn't leave the scene until about noon on Saturday.

He estimates damage could top over a half a million dollars.

Shaw KBI Turns 25

The grand-daddy of bass fishing tournaments in northwestern Ontario hits a major milestone this year.

The Kenora Bass International turns 25 in August.

Duncan McEwan is chair of the event and says they are still going strong with 25 thousand dollars up for first prize this year. 

McEwan adds that there is still room for teams to enter this year's event.

Kenora Hydro Tries to Address Outages

Kenora Hydro is trying to improve the reliability of its electrical system.

The Lakeside and Coney areas continue to be a source of concern, with numerous outages in recent weeks.

Hydro president Dave Sinclair says they've installed new equipment, which he believes is part of the problem.

Sinclair says they have seem some improvement in the Lakeside area in the past year, but he says they are still working to ensure better service to that part of town.

City Looking at Coney Island Docking

Kenora City council is still undecided whether to replace the aging municipal docks on Coney Island.

An underwater assessment of the crib docks will be done this spring by a dive team.

Councillor Sharon Smith thinks the city should be looking all options.

Smith suggests the city should send out a request for proposal for the Coney docks and wait to see what kind of response they get.

Community Business Survey nears completion

A business survey of all companies, large and small in the City of Kenora is nearing completion.

The survey is being conducted by volunteers from the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Chair of the Business Development committee Thelma Wilkens-Page says right now they are working on the retail sector.

Wilkens-Page says they hope to finish their surveys by the end of May.

Federal Government works on First Nations water legislation

The federal government is pushing through legislation for clean, safe drinking water on reserves.

But for many First Nations, especially those in remote areas, new regulations aren't bringing the kind of help they need right now.

The Slate Falls Nation in northwestern Ontario has lived for years with a boil-water advisory.

Chief Lorraine Crane says the lack of good, clean wat er means her community can't expand. And now, she and other leaders suspect the water may be responsible for a strange spike in the rate of miscarriages.

A recent national assessment of water on reserves said the federal government would have to invest 4.7 billion dollars over 10 years to bring First Nations water systems up to an acceptable par with the rest of the country.

NOMA speaks out against Budget Impasse

The president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says the government should get at least a full year to see if it can work with the other parties before another election is called.

Ron Nelson says he doesn't like the idea of the government's first budget since the October election being turned into a political football.

However Nelson also says the Liberals ``have to listen, and the're not used to doing that.''

Ontarians could be headed back to the polls if the budget is defeated tomorrow.

Rafferty appointed FedNor Critic

John Rafferty's days of wandering in the political wilderness seem to be over.

Rafferty, the Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP says he's pleased with NDP leader Tom Mulcair's decision to appoint him as the new official opposition critic of FedNor.

Mulcair made the appointment at the unveiling of his first shadow cabinet as official opposition leader.

Rafferty and fellow Thunder Bay M.P. Bruce Hyer were kicked out of the NDP caucus last fall for supporting legislation to do away with the federal long gun registry. 

Southeast wins Allan Cup

The Southeast Prairie Thunder are the new Allan Cup champions.

The Manitoba squad beat Rosetown, Saskatchewan in Saturday's final 4-1.

The Kenora Thistles bowed out in the quarter-finals to Rosetown.

Hydro Rates Going Up next Month

Expect to see an increase in your electricity bills next month.

Kenora Hydro says it will be passing on a rate increase approved by the Ontario Energy Board.

Hydro president, Dave Sinclair says the average homeowner will see an increase of about four dollars a month.

Sinclair says the good news is that a 95 cent charge on your hydro bill to pay for the new smart meters will come off May 1st.

Shaw Launches Campaign to Fill local Food Bank

The cupboard is almost bare at Kenora's Salvation Army Food Bank, but Shaw is hoping to change that.

The Cable giant has launched its second campaign to fill foodbanks across the country.

A number of containers are being set up across the city for people to donate non-perishable food items.

The four week campaign will wrap up on May 11th, at the end of Hunger Awareness week in Canada.

Tom Cochrane Tickets for Harborfest on Sale today

Tickets are starting to move for Harborfest 2012.

Ticket sales go on-line today for the Friday night concert featuring Tom Cochrane, Saga and April Wine.

You can also pick up passes at Donny B's, Nibblers Nook, the KMTS Store and the Discovery

Center.

Tickets are 75 dollars for both Friday and Sunday night.

The line-up for Saturday night still has to be finalized.

Development Commission looks for more Docking

Kenora needs more docking space if it wants to become a more boater friendly community.

That's the conclusion of the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Its putting out a request for proposal for docking in the Harborfront area.

Thelma Wilkens-Page is chair of the Business Development Committee and says co-incidentally, this initiative comes the same months Kenora's new brand was launched.

Wilkens-Page says this will be a private/public partnership, with the city providing the land for the docking.

Wood First Bill Gets Through Second Reading

A private members bill to encourage the use of wood in multi-story construction in Ontario is getting all-party support.

Thunder Bay-Atikokan M.P.P. Bill Mauro introduced the bill earlier this month and yesterday in went through second reading at Queen's Park.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell says she'll support the legislation but says she still has some concerns.

She says feels the bill should say Ontario wood products will be given a preference in construction

projects. 

Mauro's bill was one of two that were debated yesterday, that encouraged the use of wood.

Lean to Camp Program Expanded

The Learn to Camp movement is heading north.

Parks Ontario is bringing its camping training program to provinical parks in the Thunder Bay, Wawa and Kenora areas.

Jeff Green says they will be conducting the program during one weekend of the summer in each park.

Green says the program will be offered at Rushing River this August.

Arrest made in Pikangikum Fatality

A Pikangikum man will appear in Kenora Court today in connection to a fatality in the remote northwestern Onatrio community.

23 year old Morgan Turtle has been charged with assault a weapon in connection to the death of a 32 year old man.

The body of Fitzgerald Owen was found by the side of the road in Pikangikum on April 14th.

He was taken to the local nursing station where he was pronounced dead.

Pikangikum Police Service, members of the Red Lake Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police and the OPP North West Region Crime Unit continue to investigate the fatality.

City Readies for 66th Annual NOMA Conference

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association has finalized its agenda for its annual conference taking place in Kenora next week.

A number of provinical politicians are scheduled to be in attendance, including PC leader Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath of the NDP.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says they had a hard time fitting all the speakers into just two days of meetings.

NOMA also has confirmation from at least two cabinet ministers they will be available for the so-called bearpit session.

Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Kathleen Wynne are scheduled to speak next Friday.

Thistles Bow out at the Allan Cup

For the second year in a row, the Kenora Senior Thistles have bowed out of the Allan Cup in the quarter-finals.

The Thistles were edged 3-2 yesterday by a team from Rosetown, Saskatchewan in the first game of the play-offs.

Jonathan Poirier scored both goals for the Thistles, his third and fourth of the Allan Cup Tournament, but it was too little too late.

The Thistles finished the Allan Cup this year without a win.