OPP on Back to School Safety

The OPP is urging local motorists to slow down today as kids return back to school.

Classes resumed this morning for elementary and secondary school students in Kenora.

Police say motorists should be aware of school buses stopping and kids cross local roads.

The OPP say officers will be out patrolling school zones this week and conducting traffic enforcement to ensure students are going to be safe getting both to and from school.

Species at Risk Funding Announced

A couple of Species at Risk projects are being supported by the Provincial Government.

The Dalles First Nation is getting money to study lake sturgeon and their habitat on the
Winnipeg River.

AKRC will be getting funding to study species at risk on the east side of Lake of the Woods in
the Sioux Narrows area.

The Government is funding 113-community projects in Ontario to the tune of 3.6-million dollars.

Classes begin again today

Summer unofficially comes to an end today for kids heading back to school.

Students in both the public and separate school boards return to class this morning.

Phyllis Eikre is the director of education for the Kenora Catholic District School Board and says they have high expectations this year.

Eikre adds that they are also excited by their all-day kindergarten programs which will
be starting up at St. Louis School tomorrow.

Redditt Water project a go

Despite sky-rocketing costs, the Redditt Local Services Board is planning to move ahead

with a water treatment plant this year.

The project was tendered out earlier this summer, but the costs came in over twice as high
as the amount they had budget for.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says he's spoken to the Redditt Board and is relieved they are
going ahead with construction.

The Redditt Local Services Board says its going to look again at its tender to see if it can find ways of reducing costs of the project.

Under the terms of the federal infrastructure program, projects that receieved funding
have to start no later than March 31st, 2011.

Angry Angler lashes out at Canada Immigration Officials

A Hoffman Estates, Illinois man is irate with border guards at the Fort Frances crossing.


Ed Pokorski says he was denied entry into Canada because of a charge that dates back to the 1980's.

Pokorski also claims the border agents were rude and not at all helpful.

He adds the agents wouldn't give him information on who he could call and they wouldn't help him with directions so he could make travel plans back home.

Nomination Deadline looming

With just two weeks left to the nomination deadline for the upcoming municipal elections, there are still a couple of races that need more candidates.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board will elect three trustees from the Kenora area, but so far only Cecile Marcino and Bob Onysko has signed up to run for the public school board.

Likewise, there are only four people signed up for five positions on the Kenora Catholic District School Board.

Current trustees, Paul Landry, Mike Favreau, Theresa Gallick and Frank Bastone will be running
for re-election.

September 10th is the last day to submit nomination papers.

Kenora Team wins I-Falls Bass Tournament

A Kenora team has become the first to win the International Falls Bass Championship twice.


Jeff Gustafson, along with his fishing partner Scott Dingwall, won this year's title by weighing in just over 30-pounds of bass at the weekend tournament.

Gustafson and Dingwall won the inaugural tournament in 2005 by beating Travis Peterson and Scott Mattson who also finished second this year.

Winnipeg Man Charged with Assault

An 18-year-old Winnipegger has been charged with assault with a weapon in connection with an incident  on Lake of the Woods.

Ontario Provincial Police say a 35-year-old man from England was assaulted while visiting friends in Glass Township last Tuesday.

The victim was treated at Lake of the Woods District Hospital and released.

The suspect left the residence and police began a search that involved the OPP emergency response unit, a canine unit and a helicopter.

Two days later, Adriel Shworob was located at a home on the mainland.

He is scheduled to appear in Kenora court October 18th.

Rickford gets a new job

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford is getting a promotion.


Rickford will be getting his first post in the federal Conservative
caucus.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Rickford
will take over duties as the parliamentary secretary for Official Languages.

This is Rickford's first position in the federal cabinet.

Minister defends Open For Business Act

The Minister of Natural Resources says NOMA has jumped the gun when it comes to their concerns over the "open for business act".


The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association feels bill 68 proposes changes to the Crown Forest Sustainability Act; giving the Endangered Species Act higher authority on forestry practices.

Linda Jeffery says they just want to get rid of duplication.

Jeffrey made the comments on a recent tour of northwestern Ontario

Public School Board ready for new year

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is ready for a new School year.


The Board is working on a new strategic plan that will see teachers working together in order to enhance student learning.

Director of Education Jack McMaster predicts its going to be a great year and he's looking forward to his first full year at the helm of the public school board. 

McMaster adds full-day, all-day Kindergarten is now in place at Pinewood School in Dryden and Evergreen School in Kenora.

PUSH demands more supportive housing in Northwest

Persons united for self help in Northwestern Ontario wants the Ontario Ombudsman to investigate the region's long wait lists.


Currently there are over 400 adults in the region waiting for accessible supportive community housing and home support care.

President Ron Ross says some of those people have been on the wait list for 10 years.

The people on the wait list are living in long term care facilities or with their aging parents.

New V.P. for Pope John Paul

The Kenora Catholic District School Board had to search a little further afield

for a vice-principal at Pope John Paul II School.

Michelle Sawa, a teacher at St. John Separate School in Red Lake has been
selected to fill the vacancy.

The Separate School Board expanded last year by incorporating St. John's into
its system last year.

Sawa replaces Maureen Carlin-Franklin, who was promoted to the principal's
job at Pope John Paul earlier this week.

Machin Election Update

There's going to be a race for the mayoralty in the Town of Machin.


Two people are currently seeking the top job in Vermillion Bay.

Incumbent Garry Parkes is looking for a second term as Mayor.

He's now being challenged by Gordon Dingman and Linda Anderson.

Dennis Peterson is the only person to file nomination papers for council.

Tourist Numbers up in Kenora

Tourism Kenora says its seen an increase in tourist traffic through the city this summer.

Statistics show the number of visitors to the Tourism Bureau on the Harborfront are up from last year.

Heather Paterson is Kenora's Tourism Development Officer and says local businesses are also reporting a better summer season.

Paterson believes a marketing campaign carried out in the late spring and early summer in southern Manitoba and Winnipeg has played a big part in their increase in tourism numbers this year.

New CEO Hired for Northwest LHIN's

A new person is in charge of the Northwest Local Health Integration Network.


The Board has appointed Laura Kokocinski as Chief Executive Officer effective September first.

She has worked with the LHIN as the Senior Director, Planning, Integration and Community Engagement since January 2006 and was appointed Interim CEO back in February.

Kokocinski is from Northwestern Ontario and has extensive health care experience in various communities including Sioux Lookout and Thunder Bay.

She was selected from a large Canada-wide pool.

Anglers Fined for Too Many Walleye

A fishing party of 4 has been fined 24-hundred dollars for having 16-walleye over the legal limit.

Roger Marion and Donalda Zoratti of Kenora and Cyril and Solange Taylor all pleaded guilty in Court and were fined 600-dollars each.

The group was stopped on a house boat on Lake of the Woods back in May.

Houston Lake Mining has evidence of a new gold zone at its West Cedartree project near Kenora.

The Sudbury-based Company says that a potential gold mineralized zone has been identified by sampling of surface bedrock.

Houston Lake says it will move forward with future exploration with diamond drilling.

Officials believe that they have discovered another area which creates resource potential for the project.

Garrow Beach Closed Again

With a warm weekend on the way, its not the news people wanting to cool off want to hear.

The Northwestern Health Unit has issued a notice closing Garrow Beach.

The Health Unit says recent water quality tests at the beach yeilded higher than acceptible levels of
E-coli bacteria.

The beach will be closed for swimming until satisfactory water quality test results
come back from the provincial lab in Thunder Bay.

More Fire Rangers Heading West

Ministry of Natural Resources fire personnel continue to bounce between Ontario and B.C.

Another 184-firefighters are scheduled to leave for fire ravaged B.C. today.

As they arrive to begin work, 200-personnel will be allowed to return home on Friday.

A total of 317-Ontario staff members are in the Western Province.

The MNR has been lending a helping hand since July 29th.