Broncos Host Eagles in Home OPener

Get your Bronco Pride On.

The Beaver Brae Broncos are welcoming the Dryden Eagles to Pete Fair Memorial field today at 3:00.

The game is the annual Home coming game for the Broncos.

Following the game the team is hosting a tail gate party at the schools upper parking lot.

Koch Signs With Argos

A former member of Beaver Brae's football team is back in the CFL.

Kyle Koch was added to the Toronto Argonauts roster this week.

Koch spent last season with Edmonton, but was cut this year during
training camp.

He's expected to suit up this weekend as the Argos head to Saskatchewan.

Police Investigate Plane Accident on Black Sturgeon

The OPP is investigating a plane crash on Black Sturgeon Lake.

Police say the Osprey Float plane went down in the Beauty Bay area around 4:30 yesterday afternoon.

Witnesses say the pilot was practicing touch and go, take offs and landings, but end up losing control of the aircraft and made contact with the water.

The OPP say the pilot sustained minor injuries while the plane was also damaged.

Canfield Pushes Reciprocity Deal for Snowmobiles

An old idea is being revived to try and improve winter tourism opportunities in the region.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says he's talked to political and tourism officials on all sides of the border about a reciprocity agreement for snowmobile permits.

Canfield says everyone he's talked to have been very supportive of the initiative.

Canfield says it will be up to the Ontario and Manitoba Governments to legislate the reciprocity agreement along with the State of Minnesota.

Campbell Ready for New Session At Queen's Park

Holding the provincial government accountable.

Summer break is over for MPP's and Kenora Rainy River's Sarah Campbell says she wants to make sure the Liberals form an accountability office.

Campbell says the office will overlook every government that takes office.

She also she will ensure the government lowers auto insurance premiums by 15 per cent with in 2 years.

Public School Board Excited By New Year

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is bullish about the new school year.

The Board held it's first meeting of the school year last night.

Director of Education Sean Monteith says everyone has a lot of pride in what they are doing right now.

Monteith points to the boards efforts, from facility renewal to assisting students that are at risk.

Autopsy Confirms Vermillion Bay Racer Died of Natural Causes

An autopsy has confirmed that Vermilion Bay stock car driver Bill Reimer died of natural causes.

Provincial Police were called to the Emo Speedway around 8 o'clock last Saturday night.

Police say Reimer was pronounced dead after his race car left the travelled portion of the raceway.

A post-mortem exam was conducted Monday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Legal Challenge Against Ring of Fire Lifted

With one roadblock now removed, Cliffs Natural Resources is looking forward to continuing it's quest to open a chromite mine in the Ring of Fire mining development.  

Company spokesperson Jason Aagenes says with the Matawa First Nations dropping its environmental legal challenges there is more room for optimism

The case was set to be heard by the Federal Court in mid-September but the group decided to put an end to it saying they never wanted a judge to decide their future.

The company says it still has some land issues to settle and environmental approval from the provincial government.

Aagenes says while it's good news, the company still hasn't taken the pause button off the project because there are still other roadblocks

Sioux Lookout Man Faces Trafficking Charges

A Sioux Lookout man has been charged after police found over 40-thousand-dollars worth of pot.

Dryden Police, along side Provincial Police, stopped 23-year-old Lucas Roy Monday evening along Highway 17 near Kennedy Road.

Police found the drugs, and Roy has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

In addition, a youth that was travelling with Roy has been charged for the same offence.

Pickle Lake Picks Up FedNor Funding

Federal funding for the Township of Pickle Lake.

Minister of State for FedNor Greg Rickford announced nearly 300-thousand dollars in funding during a stop in Pickle Lake yesterday.

242 thousand dollars will help the community replace an existing line to the local water tower, ensuring the community has access to clean and safe drinking water.

The rest of the money will help Pickle Lake increase its bandwidth service to 100-megabytes per second.

Rickford says the work will result in faster, more secure and reliable broadband services.

Former Thistle Gets A Shot with the Leafs

A former member of the Kenora Triple A Midgets has visions of wearing blue and white.

Kevin Raine has been invited to the Toronto Maple Leafs main camp and will battle for a position on the backend.

Raine started the season expecting to be the leader of the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League but was asked to attend the Leafs rookie camp.

Raine will compete against 19 other defenceman for a position with the Leafs.

Camp opens tomorrow.

Downtown Revitalization = Job Creation

The Downtown Revitialization project is paying dividends for Kenora's Job market.

A new survey conducted by the Lake of the Woods Development Corporation shows that since Phase One of Downtown Revitalization began, 261 jobs have been created.

The Commission interviewed 59 restaurants and retail businesses in the Harbortown area recently.

It found that 129 full-time and 132 part time jobs have been created over the past five
years.

More details on the report will be released this morning at City council's Committee of the Whole meeting.

Rain Reduces Fire Hazard in the Region

Recent rain has helped put a damper on the forest fire situation in northwestern Ontario.

The MNR says it saw a couple of small, new forest fires over the weekend in the Kenora District.

Both were less than a hectare in size and the Fire Rangers crews don't expect any problem with those blazes.

This week's rain has reduced the number of active fires in the region to
just nine including three in the Kenora District.

OPP Working On New Business Plan

The OPP in Kenora is working on a business plan for next year.

Inspector Dave Lucas says they usually do a three year plan and the current one will expire at the end of this year.

He says they've already started to consult local groups and agencies.

The Police Services Board has also suggested that a public meeting be held in November so local residents can give their input on what should be in the OPP's
business plan.

Wynne Says Government Trying to Bring Costs Down

Catching up to Manitoba.

A new report shows Manitoba pays almost 5 thousand dollars less a year in a utility package than Ontario.

Premiere Kathleen Wynne says the cut in auto insurance premiums will help lower the gap.

Wynne says the government remains committed to lower electricity rates and maintaining the rebate programs in Northern Ontario.

Bears Hunt Bear Hunter

A long ordeal for a hunter at a camp in the Dryden area.

Provincial Police received a report from a camp owner that a hunter had left for a tree stand around 2:30 Saturday afternoon and had not returned.

The camp owner checked on him and found 4-cubs and 3-adult bears around the stand not allowing him out of the tree.

Officers arrived and managed to remove the hunter from the tree without incident and without any shots being fired.

No injuries were reported.

The incident happened in the Detour Point area.

Premier On the Hot Seat Over Energy

Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is bringing up the failed conversion of the Thunder Bay Generating Station at Queen's Park.

Horwath used the first Question Period yesterday to ask the Premier  what her government's plan is for the local plant.

Northerner leaders stress that the plant needs to be converted to meet our emerging energy needs.

The Premier responded but only spoke about the funding for roads and the Experimental Lakes Area.

55+ Expo Tomorrow

The 55+ Expo is being brought back for a third year in a row in Kenora.

The Expo presents a wide range of information for local seniors.

Patti Letourneau is one of the organizers and says they have a number of exhibitors and activities lined up.

The 55+ Expo will take place this Wednesday at the Kenora Curling Club from 9:00 to 4:00.

School Stress An Issue

It's a problem we often associate with adulthood, but a national survey reveals high school students are majorly stressed out.

The study shows that 68% worry about finding a job in their field, 58% worry about not getting into their chosen post-secondary program and 51% worry about not being able to pay for it.

Big Brothers-Big Sisters CEO Bruce MacDonald says the difference in attitudes between the students who were sure about going on to post-secondary and those who weren't all that certain stuck out to him.

MacDonald says it speaks to a loss of hope and optimism far too early in a student's high school career.

Blood Donor Clinic Wraps Up Today

Canadian Blood Services is in need of more young people.

The agency is wrapping up its two-day clinic in Kenora this afternoon.

Spokesperson Mike Choi says with an aging donor base, it's important to attract new people every year.

Today's blood donor clinic will run from 9:30 to 12:30 at the Thomas Aquinas
Gym.