Kenora Skiiers Bring Home More Medals

Kenora Nordic Skiiers are continuing to rack up the medals at the Manitoba Winter Games.

6 more skiiers took home medals yesterday.

Christopher Moose and Jaicey Myer topped the podium with gold.

Breeze Boucha and Elise Hummelbrunner both took home silver.

Tyson Silvestor and Dustin Scheiblier also found success with bronze medal performances.

Multi Vehicle Collision on Highway 17

Traffic remains slow moving on Highway 17 just east of the 71 junction.

Emergency crews are on scene following a reported 4 vehicle collision.

The accident took place in the Westbound lane.

Police are directing one lane of traffic at a time.

Earlier today a two vehicle collision held up traffic on Highway 17 East infront of McDonald's.

Caution is advised on all area roadways.

Charges Laid in Shovelling Scam

Provincial Police have laid charges following a theft last month.

OPP say 25 year Mitchell Bryant of Kenora was charged for theft under 5 thousand after items were stolen from the bathroom of a home.

Bryant and a woman were going door to door offering their services to shovel snow

At one house he asked to use the washroom and that's when the resident noticed items were taken.

He will answer to the charge later this month.

Slippery Road Conditions Cause Accident on 8th Avenue South

8th Avenue South might be a good area to avoid today.

A couple of accidents have already been reported in the area of the 8th Avenue Bridge, where the road is very slippery.

That's the area where there was a water main break last week, and today's snow has made matters worse.

Right now, police, rescue crews and an abulence is on the scene of a two vehicle collision in the area of McDonald's Restaurant.

No indication if there were any injuries.

Van Wallenghem Enters Council Race

A Kenora realtor says he plans to run for a seat on city council.

Jeff Van Wallenghem has set up a Facebook page and says he filed
his nomination papers yesterday.

That would make him the third person to enter the council race.

He joins Gregory Potvin and Kelvin-Chicago Boucher as the only candidates so far.

However there is still six more months to enter the municipal election race.

The deadline to file nomination papers is September 12th.

OPP Warn of New Scam

OPP are warning area residents of a phone scam that asks those being called to support an initiative to combat cyber-bullying.

Recently a Fort Frances resident was contact and asked to make a donation of  one, two or three hundred dollars.

OPP are warning people to remain cautious if an unfamiliar organization calls asking for donations.

New Osnaburgh Declares State of Emergency

A call for support for the community of New Osnaburgh First Nation as it continues to deal with a tragic house fire.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation says a woman, her two daughters and her nephew died in the February 13th fire.

Chief and Council have declared a state of emergency, stating that widespread trauma has burdened their ability to provide assistance.

NAN's Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is urging the federal and provincial governments to deploy all appropriate resources to ease the burden.

Resolute Still Looking Into Cause of Bio-Mass Explosion

The cause of an explosion at the Resolute Forest Products Mill in Fort Frances is still under investigation.

One worker was seriously injured in the blast at the biomass boiler and he remains in hospital.

Resolute says both the Ministry of Labour and the Fort Frances Fire and Rescue Service have conducted investigations.

The company is also looking at what corrective measures can be put in place.

Light Snow Poses No Problems So Far

Despite some light now overnight, it's all systems go this morning.

The snow has created some slick driving conditions, especially in the
area of 2nd Street South and 8th Avenue, where there was water main break last week.

The road is very slick and at least one accident has been reported in that area this morning.

Most roads in the region are described as snow covered to partly snow covered with poor visibility.

Highway 1 in Manitoba to Winnipeg is now listed as partially ice or snow covered with fair visibility.

Bottled Water Companies Busy With Boil Water Advisory

The boil water advisory has meant more business for companies that bottle water.

Worlframes World of Water is all hands on deck.

President Darcy Wolframe says the store is facing more and more questions these days about treatment systems.

He says previous work in the city has eased some of the pressure.

Wolframe notes the store has treatment systems that can work on single taps for an entire house.

NDP Offer Up Hydro Plan

The provincial NDP are unveiling a plan to help Ontarian's save on Hydro costs.

Leader Andrea Horwath says the plan includes stopping energy subsidies to the U.S, capping pay for executives and a stop to private power giveaways.

Horwath says the plan was an easy one to support.

Should the plan go through the NDP are promising a 100 dollar hydro rebate to customers.

OFIA Pushes Province for Building Code Changes

Kenora stands to prosper if the Ontario Forest Industries Association gets their way.

President Jamie Lim says they continue to push for building code changes to allow for six level wood frame construction in the province.

Lim says Kenora is in great position once it happens.

Lim adds a design of the world's largest wood construction building in B.C. used Weyerhaeuser products.

Con College Tight-lipped About Student Excursion

Confederation College says it will not confirm a report that some students in a winter survival training course on the weekend suffered from frostbite.  

The course is supervised by the Lakehead Search and Rescue Unit.  

The College will only say that the staff along with members of  Lakehead Search and Rescue will review current protocols-ensuring that the health and safety of students and instructors will continue to be a priority.

Roller Derby League Looking to Expand

Looking to expand the Kenora Roller Derby League.

That is the goal on Thursday according to Spokesperson Bayley Zilinski when the league hosts the Fresh Meat Recruitment event.

Zilinski says they are hoping for more players before the host a bout later this year.

She invites any interested players out to the meeting at 7 at the OLV Gym on valley Drive.

More Medals For Kenora Skiers At Manitoba Winter Games

More medals for members of the Kenora Nordic and Biathlon Club at the Manitoba Winter Games.

August Hummelbrunner, Sadie McCallum and Jesse Bachinski all medalled in cross-country  ski events for a second day in a row.

They each won silver medals in their respective events.

Meanwhile, Shayna Hensrud, Dustin Scheibler and Elise Hummelbrunner won bronze medals in
their races on Tuesday.

Galusha Wins Second Medal At OFSAA Swimming Championships

A Thomas Aquinas student has medalled at the All-Ontario High School Swimming championships
for a second day in a row.

Socorro Galusha picked up a silver medal yesterday in the girls 14 and under 100 meter Individual medley.

A day earlier, Galusha won bronze in the 50 meter breast stroke.

Thomas Aquinas finished the OFSAA championships in 97th place in the team standings.

Police Charge Man in Viral Video

An accident caught on camera has led to charges against a Manitoba man.

Kenora OPP say the accident happened Saturday afternoon on the West By-pass when a truck pulling a trailor turned to head west and failed to notice an oncoming  Eastbound vehicle.

The Eastbound vehicle was unable to stop and hit the truck.

Police say all 3 people involved in the crash only suffered minor injuries.

The 36 year driver of the pick up truck has been charged with failure to yield.

View our Facebook page here to see the video.

Lakeview Drive Open to Traffic

The traffic snarl on lakeview drive has been cleared up.

OPP say the transport that got stuck at the Norman Husky has been cleared.

As a result both lanes of traffic are open once again.

The hold up caused a big back up in traffic for around an hour.

No End In Sight for Boil Water Advisory

Don't expect a quick end to the boil water advisory.

City crews are still repairing broken water lines and Operations manager
Rick Perchuck says until that work is complete they can't start testing
the water system.

He adds that it's no co-incidence all the water main breaks took place in the same are of the city.

Perchuck says a phenomenon called a "water hammer" is likely to blame for all the problems in the Central area of the city.

He adds Kenora isn't alone in this epidemic of broken water main breaks.

He says Calgary, Winnipeg, Atikokan and Dryden have all experienced significant damage to their water systems due to the extremely cold conditions.  

Valleyview Promotes French Immersion to Trustees

A french immersion program at Valleyview Public School seems to be taking off.

French Immersion Teacher, Kelly Ogilvie says the kids, who are in JK and SK are catching on quickly.  
Ogilvie says the inquiry-based program has been very sucessful so far and both parents and students seem happy with the results.

The program is expected to move up to grade one next year, for students graduating from the senior kindergarten class.

Energy East Consultations Coming to Kenora

The Ontario Energy Board is releasing information about it's next steps in consultation with Ontarians regarding the proposed Energy East Pipeline.

The 12 billion project will transport crude oil from from Western Canada through Northern Ontario to Quebec and New Brunswick.

The board will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the proposed pipeline route.

They will be in Kenora on March 25th.

Seperate meetings will be held during the same period  with First Nation's and Metis communities to seek their views on the project.

Anglican Church Closing Keewatin Diosese

Some administrative changes are being made to the Anglican Church in
the region.

The Keewatin Diosese will be closing it's doors by the end of the year.

Archbishop David Ashdown says they will be merging their operations with the church
southern Manitoba.

Ashdown says a new aboriginal diocese is being created for communities in northern
Ontario and Northern Manitoba.

Premier Says Hydro One Addressing Billing Errors

Hydro One is continuing to address some of the billing issues affecting some of it's residential customers across the province.

Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli says the utility has hired extra staff to deal with some of the problems that have arisen over the past several months.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says they knew about the billing issues well before Ontario's Ombudsman decided to launch an investigation and had already started working on those
problems.

Olympic Gold Medalist To Attend Winter Carnival

The Whitecap Pavillion is going to be transformed this weekend.

Crystal Stokes is the city's special events co-ordinator and says they will
be making over the skating rink under the tent and putting in a curling rink.

Stokes says the change over is in honor of Olympic Gold medalist Jill Officer coming to town.

Officer will be on hand for the opening ceremonies of the Winter Carnival Friday night.

Saints Medal At OFSAA Swimming Championships

Just one medal so far for Thomas Aquinas at the All-Ontario High School Swimming championships.

Socorro Galusha earned a bronze medal yesterday in the 14 and under
girls 50 meter breast stroke.

The Saints sit in 89th place in the team competition with 56 points after day one of the two day OFSAA championships in Brantford.

Kenora Skiers Medal At Manitoba Winter Games

Some medals for members of the Kenora Nordic Trails Ski and Biathlon Club at the Manitoba Winter Games.

August Hummelbrunner won gold in the Pee Wee Girls 2.5km Classic race, while Jesse Bachinsky claimed the silver medal in the Juvenile Boys 7.5 km Classic

Sadie McCallum earned a bronze medal in the Midget Girls 5 km Classic.

The Kenora skiiers are competing for Team Eastman at the games in Morden and Winkler.

Saints Eliminated from OFSAA Championships

It's the end of the line for the Thomas Aquinas Senior Girls volleyball team at the All-Ontario
championships in Richmond Hill.

The Saints bowed out in the quarter-finals yesterday,  losing three sets to one to the number one ranked team in the tournament from West Elgin.

T.A. will head home from OFSAA without a medal this year.

The Saints finished the provincial championships with a 3-2 record.

3 Drugs Busts in 4 Days in Kenora

It's the 3rd marijuana bust in 4 days for Kenora OPP.

Last night police seized 750 grams of pot during a traffic stop on Highway 17.

The value of the drugs is $8,000.

As a result 47 year old Michael Lambert from British Columbia has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of marijuana.

He will answer to the charges in Kenora court next month.

Police also seized 725 grams of pot on Friday during a search warrant and 24 grams on Sunday along with 23 Oxycocet pills during another traffic stop.

Deer Population Expected To Decline This Winter

People aren't the only ones struggling through this winter.

Deer are also having a problem getting through the deep snow and frigid temperatures.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters Mark Ryckman says it's having an impact on the deer's movements.

Ryckman says it is possible that a number of animals could die off as a result.

Fraser Institute Releases Secondary School Report Card

It's a poor grade for local high schools.

In the latest report card by the Fraser institute local secondary schools had an average rating of 4.2.

Author Peter Cowley says that's not the worst part.

Cowley says the provincial average is 6.0.

Only Thomas Aquinas, Atikokan, and Rainy River High Schools surpassed that mark.

Thomas Aquinas was the highest rated school in the region at 7.6
out of 10.

First Nations Sign Onto New Land Management Regime

Nearly twenty First Nations communities are signing on with a program that will allow them greater control of their land according to Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt.

Valcourt says the First Nation Land Management Regime already has a proven track record with the over one-hundred communities involved.

Three of the nineteen communities that joined yesterday are from Ontario.

Former Price Is Right Host Speaks Out Against Spring Bear Hunt

The former host of The Price Is Right is hoping local municipalities will reverse it's decision on allowing the province to conduct a spring bear hunt in the region.

Bob Barker calls the hunt a slaughter and agrees that any councillor who voted for it should be voted out in the next election.

The spring bear hunt is scheduled to resume this year for Ontario residents, after being banned in the province for the past 15 years.

Saints Gunning For OFSAA Quarter-Finals

The Thomas Aquinas senior girls volleyball team is still well positioned for a run at the
medals at the All-Ontario Single A championships in Richmond Hill.

The Saints have a 2-1 record in round robin play after the first day.

Their lone defeat came in their final game of the day, when they dropped a straight sets decision to Toronto District Christian High School, the top ranked team in their pool.

T.A. actually had a 21-16 lead in the second set, but ended up losing 26-24.

Thomas Aquinas finishes up the round robin at noon against Bloor Collegiate.

Busy Weekend for Kenora OPP

A busy weekend for the Kenora Provincial Police.

On Friday 52 year old Donald Pencoff of Kenora was arrested after police executed a search warrant in the North End of the City.

Police seized 725 grams of marijuana, cash, and a shotgun and charged Pencoff with 4 drug related offences.

Meanwhile on Sunday police seized 24 grams of marijuana and 23 Oxycocet pills during a traffic stop.

27 year old Gary Osmond and 22 year Brandon old Power of Newfoundland were both charged with possession.

All 3 men will answer to the charges in court next month.

Also on Sunday OPP arrested 18 year old James Kratochvil of Kenora after he was found downtown with an unloaded .303 caliber rifle.

He will answer to the charge in court today.

Osisko Settles Lawsuit Against Goldcorp

Osisko says it has settled a lawsuit against Goldcorp out of court.

The two sides were supposed to appear before a Quebec Superior Court judge later this week.

Under the settlement, the offer from Goldcorp has been extended from March 10 to April 15th.

Osisko had argued that Goldcorp misused private information it received last year to make it's 2.6 billion dollar takeover bid. 

Manitoba and Ontario Collaborate on New Energy Deal

Ontario and Manitoba are working together to find new clean, renewable power for both provinces.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Canadian Energy Innovation Summit.

The agreement will enable Ontario and Manitoba to collaborate on growing the energy sector in a number of key areas, including conservation, efficiency, security and reliability.

New Event for Winter Carnival

There will be no shortage of snow this year for the Kenora Winter Carnival.

The annual festival takes place this weekend on the Kenora Harborfront.

Tourism Development Officer Heather Gropp says they are introducing
a new event this year, the Silly Sled Race.

Gropp adds that they are also looking for teams to compete in the annual Great Canadian Canoe Race, the Sunday of the winter carnival.

New Gold Ramping Up For Rainy River Project

More evidence that a gold mine south of Kenora is closer to becoming a reality.

New Gold says plans to submit purchase orders next month for some of the equipment it needs.

Meantime, executive chairman Randall Oliphant says their time table remains unchanged.

New Gold is hoping to secure permitting by the end of the year to start construction in 2015.

OPP Trying Crack Down on False Alarms

The Kenora Detachment of the OPP says it has to respond to between 700 and
800 false alarms each year.

Inspector Dave Lucas says that's too much.

As a result, Lucas says he's developed a new protocol for dealing with false alarms.

Starting June 1st, Lucas says he will send out letters to building owners who have
frequent false alarms and if the problem persists officers could refuse to respond
to future alarms.

A Couple of New Water Main Breaks Over the Weekend

At least two more water main breaks in Kenora over the weekend.

One was reported on River Street near Luby's and the other by Sunset Strip Husky yesterday.

All the broken water lines have forced the City of Kenora to impose a boil water advisory.

The city says the advisory will allow it's sewer and water crews better deal with the rash frozen and broken lines.

No word as to how long the boil water advisory will have to remain in place.

Snow Poses Risks for Your Roof

You shovelled the driveway and the sidewalk, now it's time to shovel your roof.

Rob Emond with REMR Roofing says it's very important to clear snow of the top of your house.

Emond says all the snow can create ice dams, mould, or in a worst case scenario, even collapse.

An example of the damage snow can cause is the collapsed roof at Debbie's Greenhouse.

Emond says it's very important to have a licensed contractor perform the work.

Canfield Takes In Mining Conference

Opening doors for Northwestern Ontario.

That's the goal for Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield as the Prospectors and Developers Association of canada Convention gets under way in Toronto.

Canfield says it's a huge opportunity.

This is the first time the City of Kenora has sent any representatives.

Canfield will be sharing a booth with Red Lake mayor Phil Vinet.

Making Kenora Home Joins National Lobby Group

Improving Kenora's homeless plan.

That's a goal for Making Kenora now that they have joined the Street Level campaign.

Spokesperson Nan Normand says the campaign will bring in fresh new ideas.

Normand adds that the move will create a larger voice with all levels of the government.

MNR Levies Fines For Illegal Hunting

Fines have been slapped against three hunters for infractions in separate cases.

Eugenio Berardi of Thunder Bay was fined 15-hundred dollars after pleading guilty to illegally shooting a gun while on a road.

He was charged last November in connection with a deer he shot near Kaministiquia, northwest of Thunder Bay.

And 28-hundred dollars in fines were levelled against Mikulus Huttner of Thunder Bay and Eduard Jendek of Slovakia in a separate case.

Court heard that last year, Huttner posed as Jendek in an effort to obtain an Ontario hunting licence and validation tags for the Slovakian.

NDP Call on Federal Government For Lower Propane Prices

The NDP are calling on the Federal Government to cut the cost of propane.

The request comes during one of the coldest winters in recent memory.

NDP MP Claude Gravelle raised the issue in the House of Commons recently.

The NDP are calling for an oil and gas ombudsman to ensure fairness for consumers being squeezed by high prices.

Saints Senior Girls Volleyball Team Open OFSAA This Morning

The Thomas Aquinas senior girls volleyball team will be gunning for a medal today at the All-Ontario Single A championships in Richmond Hill.

The Saints play their first of three games today at 9:30 against Durham Christian High School.

T.A. goes into the OFSAA finals as the eighth ranked team of 20 entered in the tournament.

Sharks Medal In Manitoba Provincials

Seven members of the Kenora Sharks Swim Club were in Winnipeg over the weekend for the Manitoba Under 10 and Junior  short course championships.

The Sharks finished in 7th place out of 16 teams competing.

10 year old Amelia Illman led the way with a pair of first place finishes, a second and and a third, while 16 year old Jarrett Weedon had a pair of gold and two bronze.

PeeWee Thistles Lose Semi-Final Opener

A tough loss for the KMTS Double "a" PeeWee Thistles.

The Thistles were beaten 5-4 in double overtime by Iles Des Chenes
in the first game of the best-of-three semi-final series.

The Kenora PeeWees will be in a must win situation Thursday when they
travel to Ile Des Chenes for game two.

Black Widows Win Gold in Emo

An all Kenora Final at a girls
hockey tournament in Emo over the weekend.

The Black Widows and the Hat Tricks had the best records in the PeeWee division and met in the A-side final.

Mariah White scored a hat trick to lead the Black Widows to a 4-2 win for their second tournament win this season.

In the Bantam Division, the Chaos made it into the B-side final, but were upended 3-1 by Dryden.

Bronco Boys Lose to Muskies In NorWOSSA Final

Fort Frances proved to be the dominant team in the NorWOSSA boys hockey league this season.

The Muskies won another championship by beating Beaver Brae in two straight games in the best-of-three final.

Fort capped the series with a 7-3 win last night at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Logan Ginn scored a pair of power play goals, while Jed Rattai had a single in a losing cause
for Beaver Brae.

Tyler VanUden led the Muskies scoring attack with a pair of goals.

Fort now advances to the All-Ontario championships at the end of the month.