Health Unit to Hold Grand-Opening Today

The Northwestern Health Unit will be showing off its new digs today.

A grand opening ceremony will take place this afternoon for the City View Office Center.

The building is the former Mount Carmel School and the Health Unit moved most of its programs and staff in the Kenora area in back in August.

The Health Unit will also be releasing its Strategic Plan following the ribbon cutting ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies will start at 4:00 this afternoon.

Festive RIDE Program Working

Just a little over a week into the OPP's Festive RIDE campaign, and police have been busy taking impaired drivers off our roads.

Nine drivers in northwestern Ontario are now facing impaired driving charges while another three had their licenses immediately suspended for having a blood alcohol level of between point-zero five and point-zero 8.

The campaign ends January 2nd.

Trans-Canada Re-Opens, School Buses Running

Traffic is moving once again on Highway 17 west of Kenora.

The OPP had closed the Trans-Canada all the way from the Manitoba border to Vermillion bay last night due to freezing rain.

The flash freeze caused very slick road conditions across the region.

The Highway was re-opened early this morning.

School buses are running this morning, and there have been no cancellations listed by the Northwest Student Services Consortium.

Sunset Country Says Visitor Numbers Are Up

Sunset Country Travel says pleasure travel to Northwestern Ontario has gone up in the past year.

Gerry Cariou is executive director of  the travel association says the numbers have gone up slightly in this years summer season.

He says while visitor numbers from the U.S. are up marginally, he doesn't expect a huge

rebound until the American economy starts to rebound.

Cariou adds that numbers are still lower then they were before the recession.

OSSTF Threatens to Withdraw from Extra-Curriculars

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation says its 60 thousand members will step up their protest against Bill 115 by withdrawing from extra curricular and sports activities starting next Monday.

Union president Ken Coran says the high school teachers will not join their counterparts in elementary schools who plan one-day rotating strikes.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario is promising to give 72 hours notice before it begins rotating, one-day walkouts in public schools.

Ontario Child Advocate Appeals for Improved Funding

Ontario's Advocate for Children and Youth is dissapointed with the decision by the Federal Government to not let them intervene in a Federal Court case regarding funding services for First Nations Children.

Provincial Advocate Irwin Elman says the government seems to think there should be no comparison between the funding for First Nations children, and the remainder of children in the country.

Elman adds that they are doing everything they can to get their message across.

In April, the Federal court send the case to the Human Rights Tribunal and this hearing begins in February.

Resolute Says it's Committed to Worker Pensions

A commitment from the president of Resolute Forest Products to maintain workers pensions.

It came during Richard Garneau's  meeting with MP John Rafferty and MPP Sarah Campbell in Toronto.

Rafferty says Garneau told him that unlike some of its competitors, Resolute has not plans to end its commitment to pensions.

Rafferty says Garneau told him a hike in interest rates by two per cent would go along to helping those pensions.

Harborfest Hopes to Sign First Act for 2013 this Week

We should know by the end of this week, who the first headliner for Harborfest 2013 is.

Director of Entertainment Dave Blake says they have put out offers to a number of bands and expect to hear back by Thursday.

Blake says they should be able to announce at least one of the bands for next years August Long weekend festival by Friday.

Sharks Excel in Winnipeg

A good showing for the Kenora Sharks Swim Club at the Prairie Winter Invitational Swim Meet in Winnipeg.

The Sharks collected four gold medals and placed 8th out of 24 teams in the competition.

14 year old Kayla Martin made two national qualitification times over the weekend, placing 1st in the 15 hundred freestyle and 2nd in the 400 free.

Bryce Jones collected six medals, including a gold in 100 meter backstroke.

Kira Kuzemchuck and Gabe Mastromateo also won gold.

Record Warm Weather Won't Last

Its been a record tying day already, weather-wise.

Overnight the temperature soared to 9.4 degrees, matching the previous high for this date set back in 1971.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says the warm weather won't last.

Already, hazardous driving conditions are being reported on the prairies as a storm system packing freezing rain and snow tracks its way across the west.

RCMP say road conditions in southern Saskatchewan are very poor with slippery sections, blowing snow and near zero visibility on several highways, including parts of the Trans-Canada.

Nickle Wins Conservative Nomination

A Kenora businessman is seeking to be the next MPP of the Kenora-Rainy River riding.

Randy Nickle won the Conservative nomination Saturday at meeting in Dryden.

Nickle says he wants to cut the red tape in small and medium sized businesses.

Nickle was the lone candidate in the race to seek the Conservative nomination.

He replaces Rod McKay, who chose not to run again.

22nd Miracle Marathon Delivers

The need for Christmas hampers is expected to grow this year.

The Salvation Army launched its Christmas Cheer Campaign overthe weekend with the CJRL Christmas Miracle Marathon.

Captain Roy Bladen says the need is as great as ever this year.

Bladen says the Miracle Marathon will make a big dent in their fundraising efforts this holiday season.

 Thousands of dollars worth of non-perishable food items, cash and toys were donated during the two day radio fundraiser.

Grassy Commemorates 10 Years of Logging Blockade

(Courtesy of Sergio Alberto Mendoza Luna http://mendoza.prosi​te.com)

The Grassy Narrows First Nation is marking a different sort of anniverary.

Its been 10 years since the Blockade of logging roads near the community began.

A special ceremony was held at Queen's Park in Toronto yesterday.

Its considered the longest running Indigenous logging blockade in Canada.

A sacred fire was lit at the Ontario Legislature, and on the Grassy Narrows First Nation, a pipe ceremony was held in a new long house built at the Slant Lake Blockade site.

Grassy residents have been protesting clear-cut logging activity in their community.

Chamber of Commerce on the Move

The Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce is going to be on the move.

The Chamber of Commerce will be moving its office later this month.

Vice-President, Wes Romaniuk says they will be sharing space with Lake of the Woods Insurance.

They will be taking over the old Copperfin Credit Union office on Park Street. 

Romaniuk says they will also have a new office manager when they move into their next digs this month.

9th Annual Festival of Trees Shines

Another big weekend for the Festival of Trees.

Over 16 thousand dollars was raised through the auction of the decorated Christmas Trees at the Lake of the Woods Museum.

Darlene McGillvary from the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation says she was impressed with the turn-out this year.

McGillvary says by the time all is said and done, they hope to raise about 25 to 30 thousand dollars from this years Festival of Trees.

This year's winners were:

St. Louis School and Saakate House: School Challenge Award

Keewatin Figure Skating Club: Excellence in Community Spirit

Tunnel Island Management Company:  Best Illustration of a Theme

Lake of the Woods Arts Community:  Most Beautifully Decorated Tree. 

Thistles Win Two of Three on the Road

It was a pretty good road trip for the Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles.

They won two of three games over the weekend.

Yesterday, the Thistles completed a two-game sweep of the Interlake Lightning in Gimli with a 3-1 win.

Saturday, the Kenora Midgets downed the Lightning 5-2.

That followed up on a 7-2 loss Friday night against the Central Plains Capitals.

Broncos Girls Blank Saints

Beaver Brae's girls hockey team remains perfect in NorWOSSA league play.

The Broncos blanked their cross-town rivals, the Thomas Aquinas Saints last night 8-0 at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Jodi Melillo and Hayley Moncrief each had a pair of goals to lead the offense.

Aryn Puls recorded the Shutout.

The Broncos are back in action Tuesday night against the Dryden Eagles, while the Saints travel to Fort Frances on Wednesday to take on the Muskies.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's boys hockey team finished the Brandon High School Hockey tournament with a 3-2 record.

The Broncos lost to Sturgeon Creek yesterday 5-4 in the B-side Final.

Local Girls Hockey Teams Earn Seven Medals

A good weekend for the home side in the Lake of the Woods Girls hockey tournament.

Local teams collected two gold medals, two silver and three bronze.

The Lake of the Woods Chaos were one of the gold medalists taking top honors in the PeeWee Division.

After going undefeated in the round robin, the Chaos trounced a Fort Frances team 9-1 in the final.

In the Atom Final, it was an all-Kenora affair with Dynamite narrowly beating the Stingers.

Katelyn Stenlund netting the lone marker.

In the Novice final, the Lake of the Woods Purple Slurpies took home a silver medal after losing 5-3 to the Dakota Lasers in the final.

St.Thomas Aquinas supports Movember

Movember got a boost with a road hockey game at Thomas Aquinas.


Jeff Sachowski organized the event that had staff members face off with a team from Kenora Emergency Services.

Students were allowed to watch the game for a one dollar donation with all proceeds going to prostate cancer research.

Sachowski adds that proceeds from hot chocolate sales during the game are also being added to the donation.

A new perspective for the Economic Development Commission

The Lake of the Woods Economic Development Commission was given a new view on Northwestern Ontario.

Steve Demmings who is the CEO of Thunder Bay's Community Economic Developement Commission was invited to give a a presentation to the LOWEDC at the Discovery Centre.

Demmings talked about the prosperity of mining in the region, the opportunity to use our role as a travel destination to create business partnerships, and that we need to advertise the opportunities for business and growth.

He adds an example is the world class opporunties that come from the expanding mining industry.