More charges facing kidnapper

The man accused of sexually assaulting and confining a 16-year-old boy in Nova Scotia made a brief appearance at an arraignment hearing in Bridgewater this morning.

Before his court appearance, David James Leblanc had charges of sexual assault causing bodily harm, uttering a death threat, administering a noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm, kidnapping and breach of conditions added to those he was already facing.

As Leblanc was escorted out of the courtroom, two boys yelled profanities from the gallery, calling him a ``goof'' and saying they hope he dies.

Leblanc was arrested in northwestern Ontario last week, and was suffering from hypothermia when

police finally caught up to him on a logging road near Longlac. 

OPP Searching for Two Suspects in Manhunt

The search is continuing for two suspects who stole a vehicle in Thunder Bay and abandoned it in Kenora.

The OPP say they were called out Saturday afternoon around 1:00 after receiving a report of a black Chevy Impala being operated in an agressive manner in the Cambrian area of town.

A short time later, the vehicle was found on Houghton Road.

A Canine Unit was brought in along with the Emergency Response Team, but so far the male and female suspect have not been located.

Both people are said to be in their 20's, with the male suspect described as 5 feet 11 inches tall, wearing a red had and a white jacket.

He also may have had scratches on his face.

Police say the car had been reported stolen in Thunder Bay this past Friday.

Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission Holds Hearings In Kenora

The MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding will be among those expected to speak out against proposed changes to federal riding boundaries in northwestern Ontario.

John Rafferty intends to make a submission today to the panel proposing to take Lake of the Woods township out of his riding and attach it to the Kenora riding.

Rafferty is worried the area will not be adequately served.

He agrees with the Commission the area has more "community interest" with Kenora than Thunder Bay, but it's not taking into account the interest it has with the Rainy River district.

The first public hearing will take place this afternoon at 2:00 at the Lakeside Inn.

Good Results for Safe Communities Kenora

Safe Communities Kenora is excited by its latest report card.

It received a grade of 19 out of 20 in its annual assessment.

Co-chair Judy Underwood says one of the areas they have improved is their community partnerships.

Underwood says many events are scheduled for the upcomming year including their annual trivia challenge, the share the road campaign and supporting the spring home show in Kenora.

OPP Use Taser at LCBO

A 50 year old man is recovering after being tasered by the OPP over the weekend.

Officers say they were called to the Kenora Liquor Store Saturday afternoon around 4:30 to deal with a suspect who was acting in an irrational manner.

When police arrived, the man standing on a counter in the LCBO holding a number of bottles.

The OPP say he was unstable and acting in agressive manner to people inside the store and the officers, so they used a taser to subdue him.

He wasn't harmed, but was taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital for treatment of mental health issues.

More Ambulence Woes for DSAB

The land ambulance saga has been compounded for the Kenora District Services Board.

Ontario's Air Ambulance service has gone back to a requirement to have land ambulance support on every single call.

Dennis Leney says he's seen cases of an air ambulance call and three other units were dispatched to the same call.

Leney says the heartattack patient referenced endured a lengthy wait because there were no land ambulances in the area.

Kidnapping Suspect Due to Make First Court Appearance

A man accused of confining and sexually assaulting a teenage boy is expected to make his first court appearance today in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

Forty-seven-year-old David James Leblanc was returned to the province last week after being captured in northern Ontario.

His co-accused,31-year-old Wayne Alan Cunningham, was found dead in some nearby woods.

Warrants were issued for the two men after a 16-year-old boy turned up on a woman's doorstep, barefoot and chained at his wrists and ankles.

RCMP Warn of Human Trafficking

We might not see it on the streets, but an ex-RCMP officer says human trafficking is likely happening in northern Ontario.

Marty Van Doren, who coordinates a RCMP human trafficking awareness program, says many young girls and boys involved in the sex trade industry come from remote First Nations looking for a better way of life.

Van Doren was speaking to members of area police services boards gathered in Fort Frances.

Midget Thistles off to slow Start

Not the start the Kenora Triple A Midget Thistles were hoping for to start the new season.

The Thistles dropped both of their weekend games in Morden to the Pembina Valley Hawks.

On Saturday, the Kenora Midgets were edged 3-2 by the Hawks.

They followed that up with a 7-1 loss on Sunday.

The Thistles play their home opener Friday night against the Southwest Cougars.

RCMP Confinement case

RCMP have gotten medical clearance to send David Leblanc back to Nova Scotia tonight.

Leblanc is a suspect in an unlawful confinement case in Nova Scotia and has been in hospital since his arrest Sunday.

Walk For Hope Tomorrow

The Kenora Fellowship Center wants local residents to give thanks for having a roof over their head.

The emergency drop-in center is holding its third annual Walk for Hope this weekend.

Spokesperson Nikki Spencer says the fundraiser will take place tomorrow morning.

The walk will start at 9:00 and will be followed by a community breakfast afterwards.

Thistles Open new Season on the Road

The Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles will see their first regular season action this weekend.

The Thistles will head to Morden to take on the Pembina Valley Hawks for a pair of games.

The first game of the year is tomorrow night at 8:00.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys volleyball team continues its busy fall schedule.

The Saints are travelling to Portage La Prairie for the annual Pride of the Prairies tournament.

Its the third weekend in a row the Saints have entered a tournament.

Last weekend, they won the consolation side of the University of Winnipeg tournament.

OPP offer Hunting Tips

Happy Hunting.

The OPP is reminding hunters to be careful when heading out into the bush this fall.

Constable Dave Cain says each year there are accidents, which are preventable if people take the proper precautions.

Cain adds that quads can be used on and off road at this time of year, but says the Trans-Canada Highway is off-limits to ATV's.

Gravelle Taken To Task for Provincial Park Cuts

Some tough questions for Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle in the Ontario Legislature.

Gravelle was grilled about cuts announced by the MNR last week to provincial parks.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is also seeking assurances the cuts will not impact area offices.

Gravelle didn't answer Cambell's question directly, though he did says the MNR is committed to maintaining its core services.

KDSB Ready to Pull the Plug on Non-Emergent Ambulences

The Kenora District Services Board says it plans to move ahead in November with a new policy that could allow the Board to eliminate non-urgent land ambulance patient transfers.

Board member Dennis Leney says discussions about the move have taken place.

Leney believes the hospitals should run non-emergency patient transfers, noting it costs the KDSB 450-thousand dollars.

Both sides still have differing views on the issue and further talks are planned.

Firefly Willing to Take Over Child Care Services in Kenora

A seamless transition of child care services in Kenora.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says it will be working with Firefly to replace services currently being provided by the Castle of Learning.

Superintendent of Education Caryl Hron says there will be no major changes.

Before and after school programs will continue to be offered at Evergreen, King George and Valleyview.

Police Confirm Identity of Body found near Longlac

RCMP have confirmed that a body found in the woods of Geraldton is a man who was facing charges of alleged confinement of a 16-year-old Nova Scotia boy.

Police say Wayne Cunningham's body was found near Long Lac at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

A news release says OPP found the remains of the 31-year-old near a 2003 Hyundai Elantra he was believed to have travelled in.

Cunningham had faced charges of sexual assault and forcible confinement after a boy alleged he was held captive by two men at a home last month.

Police say the cause of death is under investigation, but foul play is not suspected.

Saints Excel in Two Day Road Trip

A successful road trip for Thomas Aquinas Court Sport teams.

The Saints were in Ignace and Sioux Lookout this week, and lost just one match.

In girls basketball, the Saints senior girls held on for a 22-21 win over Queen Elizabeth High School.

The T.A. junior girls suffered the lone loss of the day, after they were edged 36-35 by the Warriors, but they bounced back with a 30-17 win over Pelican Falls later in the day

In boys Volleyball, the Saints Junior Squad earned wins over Sioux Lookout and Pelican Falls yesterday, while the senior team remains perfect in league play, recording 3-0 wins over Warriors and the Thunderwolves.

The T.A. senior boys will play their third tournament in a row this weekend as they travel to Portage for the Pride of the Prairies tournament.

Hydro One, Manitoba Hydro Report Outages

About 2300 Hydro One customers in the Kenora area are without power this morning.

There have been a number of outages reported in areas west of town and in the Whitedog area.

Hydro One says heavy snow and high winds yesterday have knocked trees and branches onto power lines affecting service.

It could be later this afternoon before power is fully restored to all customers.

Manitoba Hydro adds that about 24 hundred of its customers in the Falcon Lake, West Hawk Lake and Hashaville areas are without power today.

School Buses Cancelled this morning

Some students will get a chance to sleep in this morning.

The Northwestern Ontario Services Consortium has announced that it is cancelling school bus service for the Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Red Lake and Ear Falls areas.

Rat Portage also says its school buses will not be running today.

Local schools will remain open however, for kids who walk or who get dropped off by their parents.

Last night, road conditions in the Kenora area got so bad, the OPP closed down the Kenora By-Pass for just over an hour, due to a number of accidents between the Jones Road and the Redditt Road intersections.

Highway 17-A was re-opened around 10:30 last night.