Nominations Sought for Influential Women Awards

A unique awards program for woman is accepting nominations.

The Influential Women of Northern Ontario awards will be presented in June.

Spokesperson Kimberley Wahamaa says along with six awards to be given out, they're also offering up a scholarship.

The awards have also been expand to include new categories in aboriginal leadership, tradeswoman and community trailblazer.

To more information visit www.influentialwomen.ca

KPDSB Downplays Fraser Report

The Director of Education for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is firing back at the Fraser Institute and its lastest report on student achievement.

The right-wing think tanked ranked area High Schools near the bottom of the list in student achievement.

Sean Monteith is inviting Author Peter Cowley to a visit of our schools.

Monteith notes the graduation rate is well above the provincial average.

Thunder bay Tackles Dementia

Thunder Bay will be one of the many communities to push for the Federal Government to create a national dementia strategy.

Councillor Andrew Foulds says the cause is gaining traction with 102 communities in Ontario passing a resolution on the issue.

Canada is currently the only G8 country to not have a strategy in place.

Winter Carnival Wraps Up

Another Winter Carnival has come and gone in Kenora.

The Great Canadian Canoe race wrapped up festivities of Sunday.

Jacob Jeswiet of the winning 4-some says it was quite the challenge.

Meanwhile the Brooms for beds funspiel hosted by CJRL raised just over $3500 for the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation.

Police Investigate Washagamis Death

A death on Washagamis Bay First Nation is under investigation by the Treaty 3 Police.

A 39 year old man was pronounced dead inside a residence on Saturday after police were called.

A post mortem exam is taking place today at the lake of the Woods District Hospital.

The investigation is being assisted by the OPP's Northwest Crime Unit and Forensic Identification Unit.

The man's name has not been released at this time.

Anyone with information is asked to call the OPP or Crimestoppers.

City Supports Private Member's Bill

City Council is trying to lower property taxes by changing the rules surrounding joint and several liability.

Current rules can see municipalities held fiscally responsible for traffic accidents such as hitting a pothole while speeding.

Mayor Dave Canfield says a resolution passed last month is calling for a level playing field.

The Private members bill tabled by MPP randy Pettapiece is currently before the legislature.

Elk Not Affected by Weather

The harsh winter conditions aren't expected to affect the elk population in northwestern Ontario.

Elk were released into the Cameron Lake area southeast of Kenora about 15 years ago.

Murray English is the co-chair of the Elk Restoration Committee and says the animals are pretty well adapted to surviving deep snow.

English says the elk population ranges between 40 to 50 animals, but they do see more calves every year.

KDSB Upgrading Homelessness Plan

The Kenora District Services Board says it's continuing to work on it's Homelessness Plan.

The Board recently submitted it's 10 year plan to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

Dan McNeil is the Chief Administrative Officer and admits ministry officials found their plan waning.

McNeil says they are working to fill out the plan, providing time lines for certain goals to be completed.

Ministry Focused on All Mining Projects

The Ring of Fire may be get all of the attention, but Ontario's Mine's Minister says he has a good sense of the other mining projects that could be in production well before that in the remote north.

Among them, New Gold's project north of Barwick which the company says is prepared to start construction next year.

Michael Gravelle says the Ministry's not ignoring those other projects.

Gravelle adds his Ministry is working well with New Gold and shares in the excitement of the economic opportunities.

Broncos Win Bronze in Boys Hokcey

Another medal for the Beaver Brae boys hockey team.

This weekend the Broncos took bronze at the tournament of champions.

Cole Forsyth and Adam Withers each had a pair of goals as the team doubled up Thunder Bay's Westend Bruins 4-2 for the medal.

It was another mark to end a strong season for Beaver brae after winning silver in NorWOSSA league play.

Kenora Wrestler Wins Bronze

A Beaver Brae wrestler is coming home from OFSAA with a medal.

Tyanna Carpenter used the momentum of a great season to finish with a bronze medal in her weight class.

In her second provincial championship Carpenter fought her way to a 6-1 record.

Her only loss came to the eventual gold meadlist.

Water Main Break Strikes West Side of City

Another water main break in the city.

This time it's affecting the communities of Keewatin and Norman.

The sewer and water department has confirmed the break in the area of Tenth Street.

As a result Firefly Child Care at Cameron bay will be closed for the day.

Reports have come in that water is returning to the affected areas.

The city wide boil water advisory remains in effect.

KDSB Takes Government to Task Over Patient Transfers

Pressure is being put on the provincial Government once again to address the issue of land ambulance non-emergency patient transfers.

Kenora District Services Board Chair Barry Baltessen says they are sending strongly worded letters to both the Ministry of Health and the Northwest Local Health Integration Network.

Baltessen says the LHIN has received 5-separate reports on the financial impact of transfers but stresses nothing has been done about it.

Rickford Angry at Rifle Changes

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he's doing everything in his power to overturn an RCMP decision to reclassify a sporting gun that is common in northwestern Ontario.

The Swiss Arm SG550 and SG551 have been deemed prohibited.

Rickford says local residents are outraged with the decision.

The Minister of State says the RCMP hasn't announced what gun owners should do with the rifles after purchasing them in good faith.

More Power to be Given to Ombudsman

The provincial Liberals says they want to bring more accountability and oversight to government and the broader public sector.

The Liberals intend to introduce legislation that includes new powers for Ontario Ombudsman and more oversight of spending of provincially-funded agencies.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says it's been a commitment of her's since taking office.

The legislation also calls for the creation of a new patient Ombudsman to investigate complaints specific to hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Conservatives Focus on Math Scores

Back to basics.

That's the Conservatives plan for improving math scores in Ontario.

Tory Critic Rob Leone says the Conservatives have come out with a Math Achievement Action Plan to address falling test scores.

Recent EQAO test results show math scores across the province have dropped in the past couple of years.

Time to Spring the Clocks Forward

It's a sure sign spring is coming.

Daylight savings time begins on Sunday.

It means you will have to push your clock ahead an hour when you go to bed Saturday night.

Cell phones, laptops, computers will automatically update.

However, don't forget to change your oven, microwave, automatic timer light or car clocks.

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.