Forest Fire Situation Intensifies in the Northwest

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to struggle to get the upper hand on several wildfires in the Northwest.

Information Officer Debbie MacLean says they have over 2-thousand firefighters involved in the fight.

Sioux Lookout Fire number 70 has grown to over 87-thousand hectares in size and is now burning 1-kilometre away from the Mussewhite Mine.

Firefighters continue to try and protect the mine site.

Musselwhite Mine Road and Highway 599 just north of Pickle Lake have been closed as a result.

More Evacuations due to Forest Fires

Nearly 400 people in northwestern Ontario have been evacuated by Canadian Forces personnel as forest fires threaten their communities.

The Forces says that 385 residents from Fort Hope and Sandy Lake have been flown out.

Members of the Fort Hope First Nation were evacuated Monday to Greenstone, using a Hercules from CFB Trenton.

People from Sandy Lake First Nation were airlifted on a Hercules to Winnipeg.

KACL Gets Green Light for Accessible Community Garden

The dream of a fully accessible community garden is now a bit closer to reality.

Kenora City Council has given its blessing to the project by allowing the Kenora Association for Community Living to use a road allowance in the Lakeside area to build the garden.

Lisa Gate-Villa has been spearheading the project and says plans for the garden are really coming together.

After meeting with city staff, council agreed to allow KACL to use the road allowance along 6th Street South and 3rd Avenue South for their community garden.

Ontario's Coronor's Office Looks at Pikangikum Suicides

The Ontario chief coroner's office is releasing some startling research on a rash of suicides on the Pikangikum First Nation.

Dr. Bert Lauwers, the deputy chief coroner for investigations in Ontario, says a unique feature of the Pikangikum suicides is that many happened in clusters.

Lauwers says a crisis intervention team should be put in place after a youth suicide to identify vulnerable children and provide them with immediate counselling.

Fires in the Far North blowing smoke into the City of Kenora

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and smoke from those blazes is causing some concern in the Kenora area.

The MNR fire base in Kenora says its been inundated with calls complaining about the smokey haze.

Its believed fires burning in the far north in the Red Lake District are responsible for the smoke.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says its dealing with almost 100 wild fires today, including a nearly 14 thousand hectares blaze, which is burning out of control about 50 kilometres northeast of Ear Falls, and is threatening a number of power lines.

Another fire of more than 70-thousand hectares is out of control near the Musselwhite Mine site.

And a blaze of 79-thousand hectares is out of control nine kilometres east of the New Osnaburgh First Nation.

Another road closure on the Kenora By-Pass

A couple of accidents have closed the Trans-Canada for varying periods of time over the past 24 hours. 

A section of the Kenora By-Pass at the west end near Middle Lake was shut down temporarily due to a single vehicle accident.

The OPP says a tractor trailor unit drove off the road and almost went into Louise Lake.

Crews have been working to remove the wreckage from the area, slowing traffic down.

Last night, another single vehicle accident in the area of Shoal Lake also caused delays for motorists.

Some motorists said they had to wait more than an hour before they were able to get through.

The accident took place around 7:00 last night.

OPP investigating death in Red Lake

The OPP in Red Lake are probing the death of a 46 year old woman.

Police say former Pikangikum resident Bertha Quill was found unconscious in that community and was flown to Thunder Bay where she was pronounced dead at the Health Sciences Centre early Thursday morning.

Police aren't saying anything about the cause of death.

A post-mortem exam was conducted Friday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, but the cause of death still has not been released.

Busy Weekend for Fire Crews

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and more new fires are expected.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says there are 96 active fires burning in the remote northwestern region.

And more than 30 new blazes are expected over the coming days.

Waterbombers, helicopters and ground crews are battling the flames.

More than two-thousand staff will be helped by another 500 reinforcements from B-C.

Many northwestern communities are dealing with smoke issues and are planning for evacuations with federal and provincial authorities.

Hudak Launches Northern Platform

Tim Hudak says he has big plans for the north now that his Progressive Conservatives have released their northern election platform.

As leader Hudak is making two main promises for this region if the Tories are elected, including holding

at least one cabinet meeting a year in northern Ontario.

Hudak is also promising to give gas tax money to every northern community.

OPP investigate fatal accident north of Red Lake

A Pikangikum man and woman are dead as the result of a traffic accident 60 kilometres north of Red Lake.

The OPP say the two were the passengers in a pick up truck that rolled several times last Thursday afternoon.

39 year old Kevin Suggashie and 37 year old Ibena Suggashie were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other people were treated in hospital.

The OPP say charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle, 36 year old Bernie Peters of Pikangikum.

He remains in hospital in Thunder Bay with severe injuries. 

Invasive Species Hit Squad launches summer campaign

Local residents are being urged to be on the look out for invasive species in local lakes and rivers.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association working together to promote their Invasive Species Hit squad.

Elauna Boutwell is summer student working with the squad and says  they are reaching out to as many people as they can to raise awareness.

Some of the species on the hit list are the spiney water flea, the rusty crawfish and the rainbow smelt.

Harborfest Seeking Volunteers

The count down is underway for the 20th annual Harborfest.

The biggest event of the summer will take place in two weeks time.

Dave Blake is one of the directors and says they are still looking for volunteers to help out during the weekend.

Harborfest will take place this year from July 29th to July 31st.

City Decides to Join One Call System

The City of Kenora has decided to join the One Call system.

Union Gas has been trying to get municipalities across the province to cough up a thousand dollars each to help fund the initiative.

One Call would create a dedicated phone line that local residents or contractors could call to find out where gas line, buried power lines and telephone lines are located.

If enough municipalities sign up, the provincial government has promised to help fund the program.

Canfield ready to lobby for more funding for City

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says the provincial government owes the city millions of

dollars in transfer payments.

Canfield is gearing up for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference next month and hopes to meet with a number of cabinet ministers.

He says his main goal is getting the province to restore the city's share of the Ontario Municipal Partership Fund.

He says when amalgamation took place 11 years ago, the province promised the city would not lose any revenue.

Instead Canfield says the Ontario government has given the city just 52 percent of the money it should have received under the Rural and Remote Grant.

He says before amalgamation Kenora, Keewatin and Jaffray Melick received 100 percent of that funding.

Michael Richards Charity Golf Tournament Tees Off

The second annual Mike Richards Charity Golf tournament is taking place this afternoon at the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

Last year the tournament made 11 thousand dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Richards expects the tournament to do just as well this year.

Some of the NHL stars taking part this year include Ian White of the San Jose Sharks, Jeff Carter of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Aaron Asham of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

MOE Pressures AbitibiBowater to Close Margach landfill

Pressure is being put on AbitibiBowater to de-commission an old landfill site in Kenora.

The Margach Waste Disposal Site hasn't been in use ever since the company closed the local newsprint mill back in 2005.

Ministry of the Environment spokesperson, Lisa Brygidr says they've gone to the courts to force Abitibi to de-commission the landfill.

The MOE is worried that phosphorous from the old landfill site could eventually leach into Laurenson's Lake, which drains into Lake of the Woods.

Lake Smart hits Lake of the Woods

A new program has been launched to help preserve the shoreline of  Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association has hired a couple of ambassadors to conduct Lake Smart.

Barry Baltesson is president of the Property Owners Association and says its strictly a voluntary program.

Baltesson says they launched the Lake Smart program on July 1st and will continue to meet with local cottagers on the lake all summer long.

Earthroots applauds Audit of Whisky Jack Forest

An audit of the Whiskey Jack Forest is painting a disturbing picture of a forest in decline.

Environmental group Earthroots says the report backs up Grassy Narrows' First Nation's claims of mismanagement.

Spokesperson David Sone says the audit team found significant issues with the management of the forest.

MNR Fire Crews Continue to be busy

The Ministry of Natural Resources has 86 aircraft and almost 500 fire rangers on the ground battling wild fires in northwestern Ontario.

There were six new fires reported yesterday including one in the Kenora District, bringing the total to 81 in the region.

The MNR says 149 people were evacuated from the Community of Cat Lake yesterday due to smoke blowing into remote first nation.

The elderly, the young and people with health issues were flown to Kapuskasing.

Cat Lake is one of five areas the are currently in a state of emergency due to a lack of electricity.

A fire burning out of control about 50 kilometers northeast of Ear Falls has knocked out power to Pickle Lake, New Osnaburgh, Slate Falls and the Musselwhite Mine.

Hydro crews were able start work fixing up the power lines, but its expected to be the weekend before the lights are back on in those communities.

Cultural Mapping in Kenora District Complete

A database of the area's people, places and experiences has been created as part of a lengthy cultural mapping process.

Vicki Kurz was part of the team responsible for the exercise and says they wanted to find out what assets the Kenora District has to market to outside communities.

Kurz says officials will now look to the marketing and promotion of regional tours.

For more information on the project  you can go to http://www.culturaltourismmapping.ca/

Summer Beaver memorial trek

A Northern Ontario first nation is holding a memorial walk from Pickle Lake to Thunder Bay.

Members of Summer Beaver will be walking in memory of those they lost in a plane crash in 2003.

Money raised will go towards maintaining the road that was built to the crash site.

Interim Beds promised for Pinecrest

Pinecrest Home for the Aged says it should be able to start accepting more long term care patients very soon.

Yesterday, the Northwest Local Health Integration Network announced it would fund 10 interim beds for the next two years.

Laura Kokochinski is the CEO of the LHIN's and says the goal is to try and reduce the number of elderly in hospital, who are waiting for a bed.

A total of 760 thousand dollars has been allocated to Pinecrest to help pay for the additional beds.

Electronics Recycling encouraged today

Bring us your tired old TV's, computers and stereo systems.

That's the mantra today of Ontario Waste Stewardship, which is the agency that oversees recycling programs in the province.

Local residents are being urged to drop off their old electronics for recycling today at the Kenora Public Works Yard.

This is the second year in a row the electronics recycling tour has come to

town.

Recyclable products can be dropped off between 10:00 this morning and 4:30 this afternoon.

Body of Missing American Angler Found near Ear Falls

The body of a missing angler has been found in Wenasaga Lake, near Ear Falls.

78-year-old Richard Carroll of Finlayson, Minnesota was located yesterday morning in shallow water.

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Carroll was reported missing last weekend and his boat was found capsized with his fishing gear and personal floatation device floating near by.

Lac Seul Spends money on new roads

Lac Seul First Nation has started work on a 7.2-million dollar upgrade of major roads in the area.

The project will refurbish existing roads that provide access to Frenchman's Head, Kejick Bay and Whitefish Bay.

The First Nation will also upgrade Goodie Lake Road between Hudson and Frenchman's Head.

The money comes from a recent timber trespass settlement with the Federal Government.

Library Prepares for Operational Review

The board of the Kenora Public Library says it will be going ahead with an operational review of the facility.

A committee has been struck to come up with a terms of reference for a consultant to come in an look at local library services.

Councillor Sharon Smith says one of the things she wants the review to look at is how the Library is spending the extra money the city came up with last month to help erase a sizable deficit.

Smith says she also wants an audit of the donations the library has received over the years for the continued operation of the Keewatin Public Library.

Ministry of Labor Continues Investigation at Nodin Causeway

The Ministry of Labour has issued two orders against a southern Ontario company following yesterday's industrial accident on the Noden Causeway, east of Fort Frances.

A 33-year-old man was taken to hospital in Fort Frances with leg injuries after the 65 tonne crane tumbled over.

The Ministry has halted work in the area until investigators can complete their work.

Con-create of Bolton Ontario, has also been instructed not to move the crane, but ensure it's stable.

Deer Lake Residents Heading Home Today

Residents of the Deer Lake First Nation should start returning home today.

They were evacuated to Geralton last week due to a large forest fire, which was burning just 3.5 kilometers from their community.

The MNR says the first wave of residents should start returning today and they should all be home by Friday.

In the meantime, Sandy Lake, Cat Lake, North Spirit Lake, Kee-way-win and Koocheching remain on evacuation alert as forest fires continue to blow smoke into those communities.

More Fire Crews Heading to Northwestern Ontario

The ministry of Natural Resources is getting some much needed help to combat the fire situation.

100 personal from BC are now in the province and 100 more are expected by the end of the week.

MNR Spokesperson Deb MacLean says its turning out to be a busy fire season.

MacLean says the fire hazard in the Northwest remains moderate at this time but expects it'll rise when hot dry conditions return.

OPP release the name of deceased in Highway 71 accident

A 25 year old Northwest Angle resident has been identified as the pedestrian killed in a collision with a transport south of Sioux Narrows.

The OPP say the accident took place around 4:00 Sunday morning in the area ofFickas Road.

Dayton Kavenaugh was pronounced dead at the scene.

That's the second fatality in that area in the four days, and third person who has been killed in a motor vehicle accident in the past week.

Fellowship Center seeking funding from the City

Kenora's only emergency shelter is looking for a handout from city hall.

Members of the Fellowship Center board made a deputation to council  yesterday seeking some funding to help offset their utility costs.

Bill Cameron is a member of the board and says they provide a vital service to the community.

Cameron says they are hoping the city will help pay for some of their recycling costs and their sewer and water bills.

Habitat For Humanity Comes to Kenora

Kenora is getting its very own Habitat For Humanity chapter.

An agreement has been formalized, which will see Kenora be a part of the international organization, which strives to build homes for low income families.

Ralph Page is chair of the local committee and says they have already started up their fundraising effort.

Page says their goal is to begin building their first home by late next spring.

OPP search for Missing Man near Ear Falls

The search is on for a missing angler on Wenasaga Lake, near Ear Falls.

OPP were notified on Saturday morning that a 73-year-old man from Minnesota went fishing and didn't return.

His capsized boat was found a shortime later in the water, along with some of his gear and a personal flotation device.

The Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is involved in the search.

No name has been released.

Tim Horton's to Appeal Assessment's

A hearing has been scheduled for September on an appeal of the property assessment of several Tim Horton's stores in northwestern Ontario.

The chain is arguing the assessment of several stores in Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, Dryden and Kenora is too high.

The Assessment Review Board will hold a tele-conference September 6th to hear the appeal.

MNR Focussing on Ear Falls Area Wild Fire

The Ministry of Natural Resources is concentrating its efforts on a large forest fire in the Ear Falls area.

Spokesperson Debbie MacLean says the fire is showing extreme behaviour.

MacLean says at one point they did have to pull ground crews from the area as well as evacuate a few tourists from an outpost camp in the Margaret Lake area.

The fire has consumed power lines that feed Pickle Lake, Cat Lake First Nation and New Osnaburgh.

Hydro One Spokesperson Danielle Gauvin says the power went out around 3:30 Sunday afternoon.

Pickle Lake officials say they are coping with the outage and continue to work on alternate plans.

Industrial Accident on Nodin Causeway

There's been an industrial accident on the Noden Causeway east of Fort Frances.

A crane, being used on the bridge, apparently fell over into Rainy Lake just after the lunch hour yesterday.

The operator was taken to hospital in Fort Frances.

An eyewitness says the individual suffered a leg injury.

Investigators with the Ministry of Labour in Kenora have been called in to look into the

accident. 

Gussy wins Castin' for Cash

Kenora anglers Jeff Gustafson and August Collinson captured the Castin' for Cash tournament at Lake Despair Lodge.

A record-setting catch on Saturday of 18-point-2-1 pounds gave the team a total of 32-point 4-6 pounds over the two days.

Nathan Brigham and Brett Meyers of Emo and Scott and Ralph Galusha of Devlin tied for second, but Brigham and Meyers were awarded the spot based on their larger day one catch.

A total of 56 angling teams participated.

Beware of conterfeit cheques

The Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce is warning local businesses about a possible scam that could be coming to town.

Local police have advised the Chamber that a number of people from Winnipeg may try to pass off counterfeit cheques from a company called Diversity Food Services Inc.

The OPP says while the company appears to be legitimate the address on the cheques is fake.

The cheques have the address 613 Spence Street, Winnipeg.

Pilot Walks away from Plane Crash in Pinewa

A pilot who walked into the restaurant at the golf course in Pinawa looking for help is still the talk of the town.

The 56-year-old Winnipeg man came in yesterday to use the telephone, minutes after his float plane crashed into the bush after trying to land in the Winnipeg River.

Lac du Bonnet R-C-M-P Constable Kyle Bernier says the plane wasn't in the air for long before it went down.

A witness says it appeared as though the plane's engines stopped. The pilot was the only person on board.

Sharks win gold at Man/Sask Championships

A strong performance for a number of members of the Kenora Sharks Swim Club at the Man/Sask Championships at the Pan/Am pool in Winnipeg over the weekend.

11 year old Winnie Boucha led the way with four medals, including first place finishes in the 400 meter individual medley and the 200 meter butterfly.

Michelle Belcaen also added a couple of gold medals to her resume, placing first in the 50 meter butterfly and 100 meter freestyle.

Bryce Jones also posted a couple of first place finishes in the 100 and 200 meter backstroke.

More weekend accidents

Another early morning accident has claimed at least one life in the Kenora area.

Highway 71 about six kilometers south of Sioux Narrows was closed early yesterday morning following an accident.

The OPP say the collision took place around 5:00 in the morning, closing the highway in both directions for almost seven hours.

The road was finally opened to one lane by 11:30 Sunday morning.

So far no details about the accident have been released.

There was also an accident on Highway 17 west of Kenora in the area of the tourism bureau at the Ontario/Manitoba border.

Eyewitnesses say a semi-tractor trailor unit was totalled in collision that took place just after 6:00.

Concern Raised about Trapping nuisence beavers

The City of Kenora has agreed to re-new its agreement with the Kenora Trappers Council for the removal of nuisence beavers.

That despite some concern about the the potential of the traps to the public.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they met with the Trappers Council recently about the placement of the traps.

Perchuck says in more urban areas, live traps will be used to capture nuisence beavers.

More good results for Rainy River Resources

More strong gold and silver findings from Rainy River Resources at its gold project north of Barwick.

The company says high grades of gold and silver were found in recent drilling in the sites western zone.

Notable results included over 13-hundred grams per tonne in gold and 76 grams per tonne in silver from one particular hole.

Health Unit releases report card

The Northwestern Health Unit is giving itself top marks in the release of a new public health report card.

The report outlines a variety of programs and the progress made in improving people's health.

C.E.O. Mark Perrault feels their doing very well.

One of the highlights was the health unit's unconditional accreditation from the Ontario Council on Community Health Accreditation.

Forest Fire cause power outage in Pickle Lake area

The nearly 79-thousand hectare forest fire burning near New Osnaburgh has consumed power lines and left hundreds of people in the dark.

Hydro One says the power went out around 3:30 yesterday afternoon in New Osnaburgh, Pickle Lake and Cat Lake First Nation.

Officials say power might not be restored until tomorrow at noon.

The fire is still very active in the area which poses a problem for Hydro One crews.

First Nations on Evacuation Alert due to Forest Fires

Residents in Sandy Lake, Cat Lake, North Spirit Lake, Keewaywin and Koocheching First Nations remain on evacuation alert as smoke continues to drift in from four area forest fires.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says crews are making progress on the multiple fires and stress the fires are not a threat to the First Nation communities.

543 Deer Lake evacuees remain in Greenstone.

There were 9-new fires reported yesterday in the District, including 3 in the Red Lake District and 2 more in the Sioux Lookout area.

A total of 76-active fires are currently burning in the region affecting nearly 115-thousand hectares of land.

A majority of the activity is in the Red Lake and Sioux Lookout Districts.

OPP Commissioner pays a visit to the region

OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis would like to see a bigger emphasis put on preventing crime.

Lewis was in the region last week to meet with officers, and municipal representitives.

Lewis says spending money on prevention programs can keep municipalities safe.

Lewis says its still important to balance resources that also ensures there's enough officers doing patrols.

Inquest to go ahead into death of aboriginal youth

An inquest into the death of a native teen attending High School away from home is a step closer to moving ahead after years of delays.

Thunder Bay coroner Dr. Michael Wilson says a pre-inquest hearing into the death of Reggie Bushie will begin on July 21st, and a date will be set for the inquest following that hearing.

The 15-year-old's body was recovered from the McIntyre River in Thunder Bay in 2007.

He is the first of several teens from Nishnawbe Aski Nation who died in similar circumstances, leading provincial opposition parties to suggest those tragedies could have been avoided had the inquest been completed earlier.

Bushie's inquest was set to begin in 2009, but was delayed due to a lack of First Nations representation on the jury roll.

While the inquest will focus on Bushie's specific case, the jury may also make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in First Nations students who move to attend school.

OPP release the Names of Two People Killed on local highways

The OPP have released the names of two people killed in two separate accidents in the Kenora area.

40 year old Colin Duguay of Kenora has been identified as the lone occupant of a Pontiac Montana that crashed into a rock cut on Highway 17 east of Kenora early yesterday morning.

Police say the vehicle caught fire, and Duguay was transported to hospital in Kenora, but succumbed to his injuries.

The other accident took place yesterday morning around 6:30 on Highway 71 in Sioux Narrows.

The OPP say an 18 year old Thunder Bay man lost control of a Suzuki passenger vehicle.

The car rolled several times and came to rest in a ditch on the west side of the road.

The driver was the lone occupant and was ejected from the vehicle.

Nicholas Corrigan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kenora Hydro Rates going up

Kenora Hydro has asked for, and received an 8 percent increase in its rates.

The Ontario Energy Board approved the rate increase earlier this week.

President and CEO of Kenora Hydro, Dave Sinclair says they had submitted their request for the increase way back in November.

For the average homeowner, electricity rates will be going up about eight dollars a month.

The rate increase went into effect July 1st.