Changes to Land Ambulence Service Proposed

The Kenora District Services Board is taking a bold move to get everyone at the table to solve the long-standing issue of non-urgent land ambulence patient transfers.

The Board has adopted a new policy that could see them bill hospitals for so-called code 1 and code 2 transfers or cut the practice out all together.

Chair Phil Vinet says folks need to think what they would do if there was no ambulance available in the case of a true emergency.

Mark Balcaen is the CEO of the Lake of the Woods Hospital and he agrees, but notes they do provide an essential service.

The Board believes some hospitals or doctors are improperly coding cases in order for the patient to receive a ride home.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Announces School Funding

The federal government is carrying through on a promise to provide new schools for first nation communities.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan was on the Fort Severn First Nation yesterday to announce the construction of a new elementary school.

He says this is the first announcement from their 175 million dollar pledge in the spring budget.

Today Duncan has a meeting scheduled with the new leadership of Grand Council Treaty Three and then will fly to the Pikangikum First Nation for another announcement.

Rickford Helps Find Supreme Court Judge

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford will have a hand in selecting the next justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Rickford was one of five M.P.'s chosen to sit on the selection panel.

He says he takes that responsibility seriously.

The panel will create a short-list of three qualified candidates from the Province of Quebec and submit that to the Prime Mininister and the Minister of Justice.

Dragon Boat Festival this Weekend

Dragon boats will be plying the waters of Rabbit Lake this weekend.

The 10th annual Dragon Boat Festival gets underway on Sunday.

Darlene McGilvary is the executive director of the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Foundation and says they expect people of all ages to take part.

Racing gets underway Sunday morning from Garrow Park.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Comes to Kenora

Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting face to face with inmates at a correctional institution for the first time.

A statement gatherer has been speaking with inmates from the Kenora Jail over the past two days and will wrap up the visit today.

Ry Moran from the commission says this is really uncharted territory for them.

Moran says there is a dispropotianate number of first nations people incarcerated at the Kenora Jail, with 92 percent of the population of aboriginal origin.

Green Party Says Go Slow on Ring of Fire

The Leader of the Ontario Green Party feels the Liberals are mishandling the development of the Ring of Fire.

The green party leader spoke out recently about the project noting his party supports mining development when it's done right.

Mike Schreiner says the Government is rushing the project through.

Schreiner says the mineral resources found in the Ring of Fire aren't going anywhere and there isn't a need to rush the process.

Protection Sought for Norman Park

Residents in the Norman area are rallying in support of a popular beach area.

The city is considering some changes to the official plan to give Norman Park a special designation.

But councillor Sharon Smith says she also wants to see a covenant that was removed on the park back in 2008, put back in place.

Former Kenora mayor Joyce Chevrier says she wants to make sure there are protections in place to ensure Norman Park is never used for any other purpose than recreation.

Ryberg and McNanney Lead after Day 1 of SKBI

A couple of familiar names are on top the leaderboard after day one of the Shaw Kenora Bass International.

Matt Ryberg and Brian McNanney from Sioux Narrows had the top weight yesterday, bringing in 17.84 pounds of bass.

Ryberg and McNanney are members of Team Canada and won KBI back in 2009.

A total of six teams weighed in more than 17 pounds of fish on day one.

Genvie Grafham and Bruce Berringer from Keewatin were just a couple of ounces back at 17.82 pounds, followed by Tim Strempler of Winnipeg and his partner Terry McClymont from Kenora are in third with 17.72 pounds.

It was a tough day for a number of teams, last year's champs, Mark Libitka and Dave Bennett are in 38th place with 14.26 pounds, while Jeff Gustafson and Chris Savage are in 42nd place with 14.06 pounds.

In the Can/Am Challenge, Team Canada took a commanding lead with almost 15 more pounds than the Americans on Day one.

Fishing begins this morning again at 6:30.

Tim Horton's Camp A go

Encouraging news for local kids in Northwestern Ontario.

Officials say a Manitoba First Nation has backed off its opposition to a Tim Horton children's camp near the Ontario/Manitoba border.

Dave Newnham of the Tim Horton Children's Foundation says it recently signed a lease for a site on Sylvia Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

He says a right-of-way has been cleared and road construction is expected to start shortly.

This would become the closest camp for kids in our area who attend camp on a yearly basis.

Baird Rules Out Canadian Intervention in Syria

Canada's Foreign Affairs minister is concerned about the on-going conflict in Syria.

John Baird spent the weekend in Kenora, but took time to reflect on some of the recent happenings in the middle east.

He says the resignation of Kofi Annan as a special UN envoy to Syria should be a wake-up call for everyone.

Baird says Canada will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the country but says he has no intention in sending our troops into the war-torn region.

MNR Conducts Enforcement Blitz

An enforcement blitz at a lake along the Canada-U.S border has found several anglers not following the rules.

Ministry of Natural Resources Conservation officers laid 20 charges and issued 78 warnings during the four-day blitz in the middle of July at Basswood Lake located within Quetico Provincial Park

Infractions included anglers fishing without a licence, having an over-limit of fish and using barb hooks or live bait, both of which are prohibited in the park.

Rainy River Man Pleads Guilty to Gun Smuggling

A man from the Rainy River area has been sentenced to three years in prison for trying to smuggle guns across the Manitoba-U.S. border.

The Canada Border Services Agency says Dorion Larry Ozykowski arrived at the entry point of Sprague last December.

He told border officers he didn't have any guns, but when they searched his vehicle they found a prohibited 9-mm handgun and magazine clip.

They also found ammunition.

The 67-year-old pleaded guilty in Winnipeg provincial court to one Criminal Code offence and one Customs Act offence.

Shaw KBI Underway

Fishing is officially underway at the 25th annual Shaw Kenora Bass International.

Over 130 boats are entered into this years event.

Mark Libitka and Dave Bennett are the defending champions and are the captains of Team Canada this year.

Libitka suggests the weather forecast will play a big role in their success.

First Day weigh-ins will start at 4:00 this afternoon. CJRL will have live updates from the White Cap Pavillion.

Parents Protest Daycare Closure

It was standing room only in Kenora Council Chambers last night, in fact it was an overflow audience for the Committee of the whole meeting.

Over 100 parents and children wanted to find out if council was going ahead with plans to close the Castle of Learning Day Care Center and its after school programs.

Carol Bruneau is vice-president of CUPE Local 191 and says as many as 17 jobs will be affected.

She adds the city is creating an unnecessary crisis.

Only Councillor Rory McMillan indicated he would vote against the closure of the daycare.

The city report says daycare is running a deficit and with the province ready to provide all-day kindergarten programs, the city doesn't need to provide the service any longer.

Milestone for SKBI

A major milestone for one of Kenora's signature events.

The Shaw Kenora Bass Internation turns 25 years old this year.

Duncan McEwan is chair of SKBI and says there's no secret to their success.

Fishing begins tomorrow morning and final day weigh-ins will take place Saturday afternoon.

Over 100 thousand dollars in prize money is up for grabs.

Indoor Soccer Complex Proposed for JM Arena

The Jaffray Melick Arena could find new life, not as a hockey rink, but as an indoor soccer facility.

The Lake of the Woods Soccer Association has submitted a proposal to turn the facility into the Kenora Indoor Soccer Complex.

Councillor Ron Lunny says he's all for the change.

Under the proposal, the soccer association would partner with the city to transform the Arena into a year round facility.

The cost to install indoor turf is estimated at about 126 thousand dollars.

OPP Release Long Weekend Stats

A sad statistic for Ontario.

This past long weekend was a busy one for Ontario Provincial Police.

Sergeant Shelly Garr of the Northwestern Division says five people died in road and waterway incidents in the province.

She adds that there were more charges laid this year for speeding and dangerous driving that last

year during the same weekend. 

Fortunately there were no fatalities reported in Northwestern Ontario.

Fire Hazard Continues to Drop

The forest fire hazard has dropped to low to moderate in Northwestern Ontario.

There are currently 58 active fires in the region.

Two new fires have been reported, one near Dryden and one in Nipigon.

Fire crews were called out to deal with a grass fire along highway 17 about 30km west of Vermillion Bay.

Additional Charges Laid in Boating Accident

The OPP have charged a second person in connection with a boat accident on Lake of the Woods last week.

Police say 40 year old Kristin Hansen of Winnipeg was the operator of a 19 foot crownline, which was involved in a collision with a 15 foot Bayline last Sunday morning.

She's been charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

The 25 year old operator of the Bayliner was charged with impaired operation of a vesssel causing bodily harm.

Hansen is due to appear in Kenora Court in October on the charge.

TSB Not Investigating Sioux Lookout Plane Crash

No more details are being revelaed about the plane crash in Sioux Lookout on Sunday.

The transportation safety board says there will be no full investigation, however Slate Falls Airways is continuing their own investigation.

The Cessna aircraft occupied by a pilot and 4 passengers crashed around 2pm, shortly after take off from Pelican Lake.

All 5 occupants recieved minor injuries and have been released from Meno Ya Win Health Center.