Saints take three of four from Sioux Lookout

Another near sweep for Thomas Aquinas court sport teams.

The Saints took three of four games played against Sioux Lookout yesterday.

The T.A. senior boys volleyball team kept their perfect record intact in NorWOSSA
league play with a three game sweep of the Warriors.

The Saints junior boys won three sets to one.

In girls basketball action, the T.A. Junior girls cruised to a 30-7 win over
Sioux Lookout, while the senior squad lost the only game of the day 35-30
to the Warriors.

Today, the Thomas Aquinas boys volleyball teams head to Whitefish Bay for the

third games in three days. 

Property Values Jump in Kenora

A big jump in property values in the Kenora area.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation has just completed its most recent assessment and it shows an increase of 6.39 percent in the past year.

That's one of the biggest jumps in the region. 

Only Red Lake had a higher jump at almost eight percent.

Property values are also up in Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls by meagre 1.16 percent.

Waterfront values continue to soar, with Kenora lake front property up 31 percent in the past

four years, while it increased by 14 percent in Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls during that same time frame.

On the other end of the scale, property values are down in Ignace by almost 5 percent and
there was a two percent drop in Dryden and a four percent drop in Machin.   

TSB Still Investigating Pickle Lake Crash

Still more questions than answers surrounding the fatal plane crash in Pickle Lake last week.

Members of the Transportation Safety Board have worked tirelessly to remove the wreakage from a densly wooded area.

Spokesperson Peter Hildenbrand explains where they are in the investigation stage.

He said a full draft report on the crash probably won't be available for four to five months.
Three men from Quebec died in the crash.

Nishinabe Aski Police Seeking New Recruits

The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service is launching a new recruitment campaign to try and get more people into a NAPS uniform.

Sergeant Jackie George says the campaign is entitled the "Faces Behind the Flash".

The "Faces Behind The Flash" campaign is aimed at people 19 years of age or older.

Mayor Likes Committee Changes

Kenora City Council plans to be more accountable to local citizens.

Last night council did away with the committee structure, and instead adopted a new portfolio concept.

Mayor Dave Canfield says the changes should give local residents better access to information being reviewed by council.

All 6 portfolios have a councillor as the lead.

OPP Investigate More Break-Ins in Sioux Narrows

A new rash of break-ins in the Sioux Narrows area are under investigation.

The OPP say they are looking into a number of break and enter and thefts in the Lobstick Bay area of the community.

Police say at this time they are trying to determine exactly how many cottages have been entered, and what items have been stolen.

A recent community survey showed that break-ins were the biggest concern of residents living in Sioux Narrows.

Anyone with information about the crime spree is asked to contact the OPP or Crimestoppers. 

Mixed Results for Saints and Broncos

Home court was no advantage for Beaver Brae.

The Broncos were swept by the Fort Frances Muskies in boy volleyball and girls basketball action.

The Beaver Brae junior girls basketball team was edged 34-32, while the Bronco senior and junior boys volleyball squads both lost three sets to one to the Muskies.

Over at Thomas Aquinas, the Saints took three of four games played against Atikokan.

The T.A. senior boys still have not dropped a set in NorWOSSA league play sweeping the Voyageurs three set to none.

The Saints Junior boys lost a five set marathon against Atikokan 3 sets to two.

In girls basketball, the Saints senior squad upended the Voyaguers 40-18, while the T.A. junior girls romped to a 45-30 victory.

Today, the Sioux Lookout Warriors are in town.

Mayor for the Day



Kenora's mayor will soon look a little younger.

Maya Boivin has won this year's mayor for a day contest.

The Thomas Aquinas Student will get to sit in the mayor's chair at
an upcoming council meeting, and spend the day shadowing Kenora's
top elected official.

This is the second year in a row council has chosen a student to act as
Mayor for the Day. 

Senior Citizen Achievement Award

Local resident Colin Wasacase has received a provincial senior acheivment award.

Wasacase was presented with the award at city council last night.

Wasacase served multiple terms on city council and has been an active

member of the community for many years serving on multiple committees.

Task Force on Homelessness Ready to Roll

Kenora City Council is carrying through with its commitment to tackle the issue of homelessness.

A new Ad Hoc Task Force is being set up to look at the issue and hopefully develop some plans that will address some of the social issues facing the community.

Louis Roussin will be chairing the committee and says they want to look "outside the box" for solutions.

The Ad Hoc Task force on Homelessness and Behavioral Issues was established by city council last night at its open meeting.

Local Liberals Pleased with Early Leadership Convention

Names to lead the Ontario Liberals will be known soon.

The party will hold a leadership convention on January 25th.

Northern Region VP Anthony Leek says names will likely start coming forward this week.

Leek adds that they wanted to hold the leadership convention sooner rather than later in order to get the Ontario Legislature back to business. 

MPP's have been locked out of Queens park since last week when Dalton McGuinty resigned and prorogued the legislature.

OFAH Concerned About Recent Hunting Fatalities

Within the past month, two people have been killed in Ontario due to hunting related incidents.

In one case, a man had fallen on a slippery surface and accidently discharged his firearm.

Arnold Beebe is an instructor with the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers says when we fall, it's instinct to use your hands to brace yourself.

Beebe adds that it's important to be sure of the target and keep the gun pointed in a safe directon.

Griffith Mine to Go Back into Production

A milestone for the Griffith Mine, north of Ear Falls.

Northern Iron Group is bringing the mine back into business, which has been out of operation since 1986.

Vice President Michael Hepworth says starting tonight, they will be pumping the water out.

Hepworth says the mine won't be complete till about 2016, but is expected to bring in about 400 jobs.

Drug Charges Laid in Red Lake

Provincial Police in Red Lake have charged two people following an investigation into a man selling prescription medication.

OPP seized drugs and money.

Police say 53 year old Karel Hubeny of Balmertown faces trafficking and possession of property charges.

55 year old Marie Morissette has been charged with possession of a controlled substance.

LeBlanc Due Back in Court today

A man accused of sexually assaulting and confining a 16-year-old boy in Nova Scotia is due in court today.

David James Leblanc made his first appearance in Bridgewater provincial court earlier this month after his arrest Sept. 30 in northern Ontario.

The 47 year old man faces seven charges, including sexual assault, sexual assault causing bodily harm, forcible confinement, uttering a death threat, kidnapping, administering a noxious substance with intent to cause bodily harm, and breach of conditions.

He remains in custody.

Broncos face Elmwood in WHSFL Quarter-Finals

The Play-off Picture in the Winnipeg High School Football League is now clear.

Beaver Brae will take on the Elmwood Giants in quarter-final action this Thursday.

Elmwood finished third overall in the Currie Division Standings, while the Broncos were in a three-way tie for 6th.

The game will be played at the East Side Field at 5:00.

Meanwhile, Bronco running back Dylan Pykerman was near the top in a couple of offensive categories.

He was the third leading rusher in the league with 788 yards on the ground and scored 10 touchdowns, which was also the third best total in the division.

RCMP Investigate Hadashville Break-in

A hefty theft in the Hadashville area of Manitoba.

The RCMP says it was contacted about a break and enter to a restaurant around 2:00 Sunday morning.

Police say the culprits made off with a large floor safe.

No indication how much money was in the safe at the time.

Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to contact the Falcon Lake Detachment of the RCMP or Manitoba Crimestoppers.

Heavy Fog Creates Treacherous Driving Conditions

You might need a fog horn in order to get to work this morning.

Heavy fog is making travel difficult this morning with near zero visibility in some places.

Caution is advised on all roads in the Kenora area.

Environment Canada says the fog should lift later this morning as the sun finally makes an appearance for the first time in nearly a week.

Wanted: Lake Friendly Businesses

Be on the lookout for some Lake Friendly business in the new year.

A new campaign is being developed to recognize companies and stores that are trying to curtail their environmental footprint.

Kelly Saunders helping to launch the Lake Friendly intiative and say they just want to raise awareness through this campaign.

Saunders says their goal is to launch the Lake Friendly program around the Home and Liesure show next spring.

Duties Being Shuffled at the Council Table

You might consider it kind of a cabinet shuffle at the council table.

Kenora City Council is going to try and do things a little differently over the next couple of years, doing away with the committee structure.

Instead, each councillor will be given a portfolio, they will be in charge of.

Councillor Rory McMillan will take over Community Services, which he says presents some interesting challenges.

Council is expected to approve the new committee structure at tonight's open council meeting.

Health Unit Promotes Physical Activity

The Northwestern Health Unit is urging workers to take a break.

The Health Unit is out with a Physical Activity Kit.

Health Promoter Jessica Kivell has the details.

Kivell says being active in the workplace can improve employee morale, job satisfaction and reduce stress.

Aboriginal Women's Help Line Launched

The Ontario Native Women's Association is helping remote first nation communities feel more connect to large urban centres.

They've provided 3 years worth of funding for the Aboriginal Women help line called Talk 4 Healing.

Coordinator Robin Haliuk says the help line is open.

Haliuk says often first nation women can feel isolated.

Crimestoppers looks for Help Cracking down on Graffiti

The OPP and Crimestoppers wants to stop Graffiti in Kenora.

There has been numerous mischief incidents in the city between August 13th and September 8th.

Crimestoppers is asking anyone with information to call 800-222-8477.

All calls are anonymous.

Ontario Liberals to Choose New Leader January 25th

The Ontario Liberal party will hold a convention on January 25th to choose a new leader to take the reins from outgoing Premier Dalton McGuinty.

McGuinty has said his successor will decide when to recall the legislature, which he prorogued when he announced his surprise resignation last Monday.

The prorogation infuriates the Tories and N-D-P, who are calling on McGuinty to reverse his decision and let M-P-P's get back to work.

More Downtime for Fort Frances Mill

Downtime at the Resolute Forest Products Mill in Fort Frances.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union says workers were notified Friday that both the kraft and paper operations will be shutdown for 2-weeks starting on October 28th.

A lack of orders is being cited.

PeeWee Girls Win in Winnipeg

A promising start to the season for a couple of local girls travelling teams.

The Lake of the Woods Canucks won the PeeWee division of a pre-season tournament in Winnipeg.

The Canucks took the A-Side Championship yesterday with a 2-1 win.

Maren Turner and Hannah Yaremko each scored in that contest.

In the Atom girls division Canucks were the runners-up after losing in the championship game.

Thistle Lose two of three at Home

The Kenora Triple "A" Midget Thistles have fallen back to the .500 mark on the season.

The Thistles dropped a 5-1 decision yesterday to the Winnipeg Thrashers at the Rec. Center.

That was their third game in four days.

On Friday, the Kenora Midgets completed a two-game series against the Norman North Stars with a 4-3 win.

The Thistles record is now three wins, three losses and an overtime loss.

Their next game is Wednesday in Beausejour against the Eastman Selects.

Habitat For Humanity Gets Funding

Habitat for Humanity is getting a big boost from the Kenora District Services Board.

Councillor Louis Roussin sits on the KDSB and says the local committee will be getting 50 thousand dollars as part of an Affordable Housing Program.

The funding is being flowed through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

This is a ten year program aimed at reducing homelessness and creating more affordable housing.

Habitat recently completed construction of its first ever home in Kenora.

New City Committees Approved

Still no shortage of committees in the City of Kenora.

This week, city council agreeed to dissolve two committees, but at the same time will be establishing two new committees at its open meeting Monday night.

Council is doing away with the Audit Committee and Harbortown Center.

Councillor Ron Lunny says the Audit Committee had become redundant because BDO Dunwoody already carries out an independant review of the city's finances.

Volunteers are now being sought to sit on the newly established Special Events Center Committee and the

Non-Profit Housing Review Committee.

Plane Crash Still Under Investigation

The Transportation Safety Board says its investigation of a fatal plane crash near Pickle Lake is being hampered by dense bush.

The Laker 250 went down about two miles short of the Pickle Lake Airport Tuesday evening and it took rescue crews almost eight hours to locate it.

Peter Hildebrand from the Safety Board says they are trying to get the plane upright so investigators can get access to the fusillage.

Three men from Trois Rivieres, Quebec were killed in the crash.

Harbortown Center Committee Dissolved

A long-time City committee is going the way of the dodo bird.

The Harbortown Center Committee is being dissolved by city council.

Harbortown used to be a liason between downtown business, Harborfront programs and city hall.

However, the committee's importance began to wane in recent years with much of its work being taken up by the Harbortown BIZ and the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Arts Center Proposed for Bethesda

Artists in Kenora could soon have a new place to call home.

Bethesda Lutheran Church has been sold and the owners intend to transform the building into an arts space.

The Godbout family is behind the project and says they want to be a creative hub for the community.

Anna Godbout says she's still getting feedback from the local arts community about what their needs are.

She takes ownership of the former church on November 1st.

City Creates New Management Job

The City of Kenora is creating a new management position.

The Operations Manager's job is being split up, creating a separate job for Property and Planning.

Councillor Rod McKay says the Operations Managers workload was just getting too large.

The Property and Planning Manager will look after facilities, parks as well as planning.

McKay says the new position won't actually cost the city more money because it will mostly be a shuffling of departmental responsibilities.

Customer Service Focus of Presentation

Learn the benefits of customer service.

A world renowned retail specialist is being brought in by the  Northwest Business Centre.

Manager of the Business Centre Diane Schwartz-Williams says every business

can benefit from learning about customer service.

The "Get serious about service. Your customers are." presentation will be on October 29th in Kenora and October 30th in Dryden.

Visit Kenora.ca to get information and tickets for both presentations.

Federal Government Pledges Clean Water

Safe drinking water on First Nations communities in the far north has become a major priority for the Federal government.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford re-emphasized that point during the opening of a new water treatment facility in the Parry Sound area yesterday.

Rickford says they have to look at the big picture in the Kenora riding.

The Paliamentary Assistant for Aboriginal Affairs adds the government also plans to introdce legislation that would hold the Feds and First Nations communities more accountable.

Thistles Drop a Heartbreaker in Overtime

The Kenora Triple A Midget Thistles have suffered their first loss at home this season.

The Thistles dropped a 5-4 decision in overtime to the NorMan North Stars last night at the Rec. Center.

The loss drops the Thistles record to 2 wins, two losses and and overtime loss.

The same two teams will be back in action at the Thistle Rink tonight at 7:30.

Federal Liberal Leadership Candidate Visits Kenora

The federal Liberal leadership campaign is unofficially underway.

One of the candidates Alex Burton is on a cross-Canada tour to get his name out, and he'll be in Kenora this morning.

Burton plans to do some Main-streeting today and meet with local business owners and party faithful.

While the leadership race doesn't begin officially until next month, at least four people have already thrown their hats into the ring, including Montreal M.P. Justin Trudeau.

A new Liberal Leader will be selected in April.

Dalles Youth Charged in Stabbing Incident

A 16 year old Dalles First Nation youth faces assault charges following  a stabbing incident in downtown Kenora.

The OPP say they were contacted around 7:30 last night about a stabbing on Main Street.

Police say a 28 year old man had been stabbed in the back and was taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital, where he's recovering from his injuries.

Officers patrolled the Minto area and later located and took the suspect into  custody.

The youth has been charged with Assault with a weapon and is due to appear in Kenora Court later today.

MP's Fight for ELA

The fight to keep the Experimental Lakes Area open has reached the House of Commons again.

Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay is on the Fisheries and Oceans committee and has been try to put a motion through the house of Commons to keep the ELA open.

He says the closing costs outweigh the annual operating cost.

The government is facing public and political pressure to continue funding the ELA.

TSB Investigating Pickle Lake Plane Crash

Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are looking into the cause of a small plane crash that killed three people Tuesday night near Pickle Lake.

OPP say the aircraft crashed just before 7:30 in the woods as it was approaching the Pickle Lake Airport.

Peter Hildebrand, a transportation safety official, says weather doesn't appear to have been a problem.

One survivor was airlifted to hospital in Winnipeg for treatment of minor injuries.

The names of the deceased won't be released until the family is notified.

Hildebrand says it was a private plane, a Laker LA-250 that went down. 

Gravelle Keeps Leadership Door Open

Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle is keeping his options open.

The province's Natural Resources Minister says he might consider a run for the Liberal Party leadership if he finds that potential candidates to replace Dalton McGuinty don't show enough passion for the north.

Gravelle believes the person who succeeds McGuinty should be a strong advocate for the north.

Terrace Bay Pulp Faces Charges

Terrace Bay Pulp is facing charges in connection with a fatal incident at the mill in October of last year.

The Ministry of Labour also says that Venture Mechanical and three other individuals face charges in connection with the incident.

They are all due in court next month.

An employee from Schreiber died when a tank used to cook wood chips exploded.

Soccer Association Seeks Funding

Still a couple of significant hurdles to cross before a soccer complex in Kenora can become a reality.

The Lake of the Woods Soccer Association is seeking funding from the Trillium Foundation to help purchase the artificial turf needed for the JM Arena.

Colleen Neil is the recreational services manager and says they've had to re-work their contract and extend it to five years with the soccer association to meet the requirements of the Trillium Foundation.

The city had originally proposed a three year contract.

The cost of the artificial turf is expected to be about 125 thousand dolllars.

Three Dead in Pickle Lake Plane Crash

A fatal plane crash near Pickle Lake is currently under investigation by the OPP and the Transportation Safety Board.

The aircraft had four people on board and three people are confirmed dead.

Peter Hildebrand is a spokesperson for the Safety Board and says the plane crashed shortly before it was scheduled to touch down.

Hildebrand says its believed the Lakeer LA-250 went down around 7:30 last night in dense bush, but wasn't actually located until around 3:30 this morning.

One person survived the crash and was airlifted to hospital in Winnipeg with minor injuries.

New history of boating display at the Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre has a new exhibit displaying the history of boating.

The display features an early model Boston Whaler boat and 6 motors dating back to 1913.

Tourism Chair Randy Nickle says the collection is from a personal collector

The display is a temporary fixture at the Discovery Centre.

Campbell Urges Liberals to Bring Back Legislature

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says Northwestern Ontario is taking a hit with the legislature now at a stand-still.

Campbell says we are losing jobs and safety has been put at risk and the liberal government must address the situation.

Campbell says its been a frustrating year with by-elections, scandals and
MNR cuts in the region. 

She says the Liberals have shut down the legislature to have their own leadership race.

OPP Lay Charges in Prescription Pill Bust

A man from Couchiching First Nation is facing numerous drug charges.

Last Thursday, officers of the Fort Frances Community Drug Action Team noticed a man at a postal box with a package of 230 tables of Hydromorphone.

The street value is almost 20 thousand dollars.

Police say 28-year-old James Paul Morriseau has been charged with three counts of posession for the purpose of trafficking, and is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Bush Fire Proves Costly

The cost of fighting a wild fire in the Valley Drive area last month may end up over six digits.

Council received a report this week outlining the costs of Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services for battling the blaze in behind Valleyview School.

Initial projections are more than 54 thousand dollars.

Councillor Charito Drinkwalter says their still waiting for the bill from the MNR.

She says it could be very costly, because it includes the service of two CL-415 water bombers plus additional air and ground support from fire ranger crews.

Norman Residents Send Petition to City Council

An 800 name petition has been presented to Kenora City Council demanding that a legal covenant be put back on Norman Park.

Former Kenora Mayor Joyce Chevrier says residents in the area are worried about some of the recent development's, including the construction of the Discovery Center.

Council is drafting a resolution which says it will consult with the public if there are any major plans to change the usage of Norman Park, but Chevrier feels that's still doesn't go far enough.

Health Unit Celebrates Infection Control Week

The Northwestern Health Unit says routine practices can help you avoid becoming sick this winter.

This is Infection Control Week and the Health Unit is promoting hand hygiene and proper cough etiquette.

Spokesperson Donna Stanley says coughing and sneezing into your sleeve and washing your hands often can go a long way.

Stanley says even the common cold can cause severe health issues for the young and elderly, so precautions are the best remedy.