SIU to investigating downtown shooting

The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has been called in to look into
a shooting incident in downtown Kenora.
Last night just after 8:00, the OPP say they responded to a domestic
dispute on 1st Street South.

An officer responding to the incident was confronted by a woman who was
wielding a knife outside of an apartment block.

The OPP say shots were fired and both on and off-duty officers provided
first aid to the injured woman at the scene.

She was then transported by ambulence to Lake of the Woods District Hospital
for treatment and then airlifted to the Winnpeg Health Sciences Center.

The name of the 39 year old woman has not been released by police.

Anti-Racism Rally Today

There's going to be an anti-racism rally today in Kenora.


Students in Beaver Brae's Canadian/Native Literature class
will be holding a march from the football field to the Harborfront
starting at 10:15.

The rally is called Bridging the Gap and is being held to promote
cultural awareness in the community and the school's student body.

The march is scheduled to wrap up around 12:30 this afternoon.

Woman shot in downtown Kenora

A section of downtown Kenora is still taped off by the OPP following an
incident on 1st Street South.

Around 8:30 last night there are reports that a woman armed with a
knife was shot by police.

So far, the OPP have not released any details of the incident, but
eye witnesses suggest a woman lunged at an officer with a
knife, before any shots were fired.

The whole section of 1st Street South is blocked off from Donny B's
to Matheson Street South.

Council debates Main Street Traffic issues

Some members of Kenora City Council aren't happy with the way traffic flows through

the downtown area.

Council spent a lengthy amount of time debating the merits of the current system, which
was brought in last year following phase one of downtown revitalization.

Councillor Jim Parsons says he's heard a number of complaints from local residents.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they hired a specialist to design the current system
and felt council agreed with the changes at the time.

Perchuck says a public meeting could be held to get feedback from local residents about
the current design, and possibly make changes, if warranted.

Bed shortage eases at Hospital

For the first time in over a month, the bed shortage at Lake of the Woods District

Hospital has started to ease.

On Friday, the Northwest Local Health Integration Network lifted the 1-A status, which
gave the hospital the first opportunity for any long term care beds that became available
in the community.

Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Marc Belcaen says there has been a slight improvement
in their situation in recent days.

Belcaen says they managed to place five patients from beds at the hospital into long term
care beds in Pinecrest and Birchwood Terrace over the past month or so.

Keewatin Break-in

Two male youth have been charged in connection to a break-in to a

business in Keewatin.

The OPP say they responded to an alarm at the Bigway grocery store on Ottawa
Street around 5:30 last Friday morning.

The suspects got into the building by smashing one of the windows out of
the front door.

Once inside, they stole the cash register.

A short time later officers noticed two youth in the area of Superior Street
and subsequently arrested them in connectin to the break in.

A 14 year old youth and a 16 year old have been charged with break, enter and
theft.

Rickford intoduces Water Quality Motion

Water quality on Lake of the Woods is apparently a motherhood issue for members

of parliament.

Last week, Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford introduced a motion calling on the government's
of Canada and the United states to work together to enhance and restore water quality.

The motion received unanimous support in the Commons.

Rickford says the resolution also calls on the International Joint Commission to become
involved in water quality issues on the lake.

Rickford says the motion will come back up for approval in the House in the Fall.

Clark Resigns from Hospital Board

A long time member of the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Board is calling

it quits.

Jim Clark has resigned after 16 years as a board member.

Chief Executive Officer, Marc Belcaen says Clark's expertise will be missed.

Clark served two separate terms on the hospital board and also served as chair
of the board for a couple of years.

CP overhead pedestrian bridge safety

Concern has been raised about the safety of pedestrians using the overhead pedestrian bridge over the CP rail tracks.

There have been complaints of people loitering in the area and students being roughed up.

Inspector Dave Lucas says the OPP are aware of the problem and are dealing with it.

Lucas says there have also been complaints about garbage in and around the bridge and
intoxicated people hanging around.

More awards for Buster's

The Vermillion Bay-based company, Buster's BBQ sauce, has won more awards for its Blueberry
Barbeque Sauce.

The company earned 5th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd place ribbons at the Great American Sauce Contest in Kansas City.

They placed 5th overall out of a 130 entries at the contest. Buster's BBQ also took home a "People's Choice" award for their Blueberry Barbeque Sauce product line at the Great American Invitational and Open Contest.

These awards came after the company recently won the "Marketing Excellence" award at the Dryden District Chamber of Commerce.

Junior Constable Camp

OPP have changed the location of this year's Junior Constable Camp in August.

The camp will be held at Longbow Camp on Longbow Lake Road.


Constable Dave Cain says that there will be many things to do at this year's camp, with visits by
the Canine Unit, the Emergency Response Team and other specialized police units.

15 Boys and 15 Girls will chosen from various communities in the North West region.

The Camp will run from Monday August 9th to Friday August 14th.

Funding from Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Local residential school survivors will get a chance to attend a national event being put on

by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission later this month in Winnipeg.

The event will be taking place at the Forks between June 16th and 19th.

Grand Council Treaty Three says it has received funding to send 100 survivors and
their decendatants to the gathering.

100 bus tickets and free accommodations at the University of Winnipeg are being
offered.

Anyone interested in attending the national event is asked to call the Treaty Three
office in Kenora as soon as possible.

New Tourist Regions Imminent

It won't be long now before the provincial government officially announces the formation of 13 new tourism regions.


The Regional Tourism Organizations will effectively kill the three regions we now have in the northwest and bundle them into one.

Tourism Minister Michael Chan says it should be announced within a month.

The initiative has been widely criticized by the Sunset Country Travel Association because it means
that all tourism marketing for this region will include all of northern Ontario rather than just the northwest.

American injured in weekend Accident

A 74 year old man from Iowa is in good condition following a single vehicle accident

on Highway 502 south of Dryden.
On Saturday, the OPP say a car left the road about 47 kilometers south of Dryden and
rolled several time.

The driver was pinned inside the vehicle for some time.

The highway had to be closed temporarily while emergency crews from Dryden and
Oxdrift got the driver out.

Richard Beckham sustained only minor injuries and was released from hospital.

Hospital in the Black

Lake of the Woods District Hospital managed to finish the 2009/2010 fiscal year in the black.

The hospital posted a surplus of about 116 thousand dollars last year.

President and CEO of the hospital, Marc Belcaen says it hasn't been easy to keep their books balanced.

This is the third time in the past four years the hospital has managed to post a surplus on
its operations.

The hospital had a budget of almost 44 million dollars last year.

Show Us Your Colors

The first ever Show Us Your Colors fundraiser for local cancer patients gets underway this

afternoon.

Irma Milko is one of the organizers of the event and says they noticed a definite need in
the community to help out cancer patients who have to go to Winnipeg for treatment.

Tonight's supper is already sold out.

There are a number of other events taking place all day at Norman Park, including
Dragon Boat rides.

Hospital Chair Elected

Debbie Baldwin is back as chair of the hospital board for a second year

in a row.

The executive of the board was elected last night at the Annual General Meeting.

Baldwin becomes the first chair of the board under its new corporate model.

She says under the new model, the board has been reduced from 20 members down to
just 13.

Fred Richardson was elected as vice-chair of the hospital board last night.

Northern Ontario Party a go

The Northern Ontario Heritage Party is one step closer to gaining official party status.


Party spokesperson Ed Deibel says they're waiting for a letter from the Ontario Elections Commission.

More than 1 thousand one hundred and fifty signatures in favour of the party were sent to the commission.

Deibel says they hope to have as many as 11 candidates in place for the next provincial election in 2011.

Pikangikum fire grows

Sun and windy conditions  over the past couple of days continue to fan out a large forest fire burning northeast of Pikangikum First Nation.


The fire has grown to 44-hundred hectares in size and is considered not under control.

A number of hotspots continue to smoke and fire crews are on scene.

The good news for the MNR is that there have not been any new fire starts reported
in the region in the past five days.

Three local soccer teams at All-Ontario's

Three local high school soccer teams are in action today at the all-Ontario

championships.

The Thomas Aquinas boys are in Windsor for the start of the OFSAA single A championships.

The Saints face Smithville District Secondary School at 10 this morning in their first round robin game.

Meanwhile, the T.A. girls team are in Sudbury for the provincial single "a" championships.

They play their first game at 8:00 this morning against Guido de Bres.

In Sarnia, the girls double "a" championships are taking place and Beaver Brae

is representing NWOSSA there.

The Broncos play their first game at 11:00 this morning against St. Thomas Aquinas from Oakville.

All the provincial championships wrap up on Saturday.