Treaty 3 Commemorates CJ Residential School

 A milestone day for residential school survivors in Treaty 3.

A commemoration ceremony was held at the site of the Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School in Kenora.

Peter Bush spoke on behalf of the Presbyterian Church and offered his apologizes for the actions of abuse performed at the school.

Elder Stephen Kejick said the ceremony did not offer closure but instead a new beginning.

6 residential schools were once operated with in Treaty 3.

New Safety Initiative in School Buses

The Northwest Student Services Consortium is making sure no kid is left behind.

The Consortium has adopted the empty/checked safety initiative.

A checked sign is placed in the back window after the bus driver has checked the bus for any remaining students.

The empty goes up after the driver confirms nobody is left on the bus.

Manager Judy Green says this is another new way for the consortium to improve safety.

Campbell Demands MNR's Long Term Plan

The MPP for Kenora-Rainy River says the Province needs to fully disclose its plans for the Ministry of Natural Resources.

This week the government announced layoff plans across the region and Ontario.

Sarah Campbell says its vital that the Minister come forward with its long-term plan.

The NDP member says the Ministry has already botched cuts, such as those to the Bearwise program and the decision to outsource MNR jobs to the United States.

MNR Offers Black Bear Hunting Safety Tips

The Black bear hunting season in Northwestern Ontario is officially underway.

And Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Debbie MacLean says it's important to be cautious of what's around you.

MacLean says firefighters usually work in groups, and wear highly visible clothing.

She adds that the forest fire season runs until October 31st.

FedNor Invests in Ring of Fire

The Harper government is providing more Ring of Fire related funding in the area.  

FedNor Minister Greg Rickford says 4.4-million dollars is going to the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund to help First Nations businesses create jobs in preparation for the giant mining development.

The funding will be spread over 3 years.

Minimum Wage Campaign Growing in Ontario

A coalition of groups across the province want to see Ontario's minimum wage hit 14-dollars an hour.

Demonstrations in several cities are planned today in hopes convincing government to up the current rate of 10.25.

Most rallies are in southern Ontario, but organizer Sonia Singh says their campaign is growing with people taking a larger role in Thunder Bay and Kenora.

Singh says a wage of 14-dollars would bring many people now struggling over the poverty line.

See says the protests the protests will take place every month on the 14th until the wage is increased.

Northwest LHIN Reappoints 2 Members

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network has reappointed 2 members to it's board of directors.

Dennis Gushalak of Ear Falls and Diane Loubier of Ignace will remain with the LHIN for the next three years.

The LHIN oversees regional health care planning and funding.

Treaty 3 Commemorates Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School

Grand Council Treaty 3 is commemorating the students affected by the Cecilia Jeffrey Residential School.

The gathering gets underway today at 11:00 at the school site on Airport Road.

Elder Stephen Kejick will speak followed by a traditional drum and dance.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Council Defers Decision on Flying Lanterns

Kenora city council has deferred a resolution to ban the sale of flying lanterns.

Council has decided to do more research before requesting the province the sale of the lanterns.

Mayor Dave Canfield says they want to discuss the issue with other municipalities first.

Canfield says council has recently gotten information claiming the lanterns have never caused any forest fires or property damage.

Businesses Seek New Loading Zone

Businesses on Bernier Drive are seeking a new loading zone.

Kathy Oberg is with the Brown and Associates Planning Group and says the concerns stem from talks back in 2008.

Oberg says the plan is still to create a new loading zone during the phase 2 utility upgrades on the Harbourfront.

She has also provided council with a letter displaying intern solutions.

Forest Fire Season Remains Quiet

This year's forest fire season in Northwestern Ontario is far from over.

Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Debbie MacLean says while things have been quiet, they are expected to pick up.

McLean says crews are always readily available.

Currently, there are 17-active fires in the region.

MNR Cutting 102 Jobs

Some bad news for the Ministry of Natural Resources.

A number of jobs are being cut including 3 positions here in Kenora.

The moves comes as budget cuts have lead to the MNR losing 102 positions.

Dryden and Thunder Bay are losing 7 employees, while Fort Frances, Red Lake, and Sioux Lookout are losing 2.

Walleye Classic Casts Off in Minaki

The fishing tournament season is continuing.

The Gary Roach Pro-Team Walleye Classic takes to the waters of Minaki this weekend.

Organizer Mandy Hell says a number of prizes are up for grabs including $5,000 for first place, and a daily big catch prize.

Hell says they also have tackle, Gary Roach roads, and other prizes.

The tournament starts on Friday with a rules meeting and runs through Sunday.

Visit www.paradisecoveminaki.com or call 807-224-1107 to register.

ETFO Re-Elects President Sam Hammond

 Members of the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario have re-elected Sam Hammond as president at the union's annual meeting in Toronto.

Hammond has served as president of ETFO since 2009.

Hammond led the 76,000 member union's fight against Ontario's Bill 115, which imposed contracts with a two-year wage freeze.

He also defended the union's protest tactics as ETFO staged a series of one-day strikes last December to protest the legislation.

Hammond says he is looking forward to ensuring ETFO's leadership in championing public education and democratic rights into the next round of collective bargaining with the province.

ELA Negotiations hit road block

Raising the alarm bells.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development has hit a road block in take over negotiations for the Experimental Lakes Area.

Peter Kirby is with Save ELA and says they are losing the operating team, and that science at the facility has been halted.

Kirby is calling on the Federal government to cover the necessary costs to finalize the negotiations.

He adds people wishing to donate to the ELA can't do so until the take over has been completed.

Kenora OPP Issue Multiple Driving Charges

The Kenora OPP have charged a Winnipeg man an impared driving offence.

Police say they stopped Justin Stapon on Saturday afternoon on Lakeview Drive.

Following a roadside test police charged Stapon with exceeding the legal limit.

He will answer to the charge in Kenora Court next month.

In the meantime, A Winnipeg man has been charged for a head on collision on Sunday morning.

Kenora OPP say 18 year old Michael Fisette was driving east on Highway 17 when he collided with a west bound truck.

The driver of the truck was taken to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Fisette has been charged with careless driving and will appear in Kenora court in October.

Wanted Man Located by Dryden Police

A little ways from home for a man who was stopped by Dryden Police yesterday morning.

Officers spoke with the Winnipeg man who was walking along Highway 17 near Bedworth Road, and found out he was wanted in Manitoba and British Columbia.

Police say he also had drugs on him.

He is being held in custody awaiting a bail hearing.

Dryden Council Creates New Working Partnership

Dryden Council has agreed to a close working relationship with a group of concerned business owners.

Council has agreed to involve the group in the service delivery review that's about to take place.

Mayor Craig Nuttall says it's the right thing to do.

A resolution introduced by Councilor Sid Wintle last night stated that the group will, among other things, assist the City in reduced staffing levels.

Wintle has suggested that the group is planning another meeting to determine the next course of action.

Opposition Parties Continue to Seek Answers

The opposition parties will have a lot of questions today about cancelled gas plants for Don Guy, the chair of the Liberals' three election victories and a long-time chief of staff to former premier Dalton McGuinty.

N-D-P house leader Gilles Bisson says Guy had a lot of power and emails show he wanted the Speaker to change a preliminary finding of contempt against the Liberals.

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak says Don Guy's emails paint ``a very disturbing picture of what was happening behind the scenes of the Liberal government'' under Dalton McGuinty.

26th Annual KBI a huge Success

The 26th Annual Kenora Bass International is a resounding success.

KBI Chair Tyler Johnson says the event was fantastic and went off with only a few minor bumps along the way.

Johnson says KBI could not have happened without the Board of Directors, Tournament Advisers, Sponsors, and Volunteers.