Summer Job Opportunities

The Northwest Business Centre and the Ontario government is offering multiple programs to students in the region to start up their own business.

The Make Your Pitch Program is for high school students only.

More information is available at http://www.makeyourpitch.ca/

The Summer Company Program is being offered to students between 15 and 29.

More information is available at http://www.ontariocanada.com/ontcan/1medt/smallbiz/en/sb_ye_summerco_en.jsp

Sportsplex Receives Funding

A sportsplex for all will be soon be running in Kenora.

The renovation to the Jaffray Melick Arena got a big boost by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Jess Rheault is the Vice Chair of the Kenora Soccer Association and says they received over 122-thousand dollars for the project.

Rheault says a lot of groups are interested in the facility including lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and the school boards.

Rheault adds they are currently working to get the turf installed.

Brewing Equipment Gets Installed

Gearing up for the summer.

Taras Manzies with the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company says work is coming along and they expect to be welcoming guests by the summer.

Manzies says the brewing equipment has started to arrive and installation is under way.

He adds that they have selected 3 styles of beer to brew once everything is operational.

The old brewery on Second Street South will also feature a retail store and restaurant.

New Evacuation Plan for Northern Ontario

The evacuations of First Nations communities in the Far North two years ago has prompted the provincial Government to make changes.

The Chief of Emergency Management Ontario says a new evacuation plan for forest fires has been developed for northern Ontario.

Allison Stuart says the strategy ensures everyone is on the same page.

Stuart says the plan outlines "what needs to be done" and not "this is how you do it".

Police Look for Distracted Drivers

Provincial police are gearing up for another distracted driving campaign next week.

Police are asking motorists to make a commitment to leave their handheld devices alone while behind the wheel.

They also want passengers to take matters into their own hands and tell drivers to put down their phones.

O-P-P say while texting is among the most dangerous activities to carry out while driving, distracted driving refers to any from talking on the phone, eating and drinking, personal grooming and tending to children in the backseat.

Senior Thistles Fundraiser Tonight

One last chance to support the Kenora Triple "A" Senior Thistles before they head out for the Allan Cup.

Tracy Laffin from Casey's says they will be holding a fundraising dinner tonight.

Along with the dinner there will also be prizes, raffles, and the band Big Bugaloo will be playing live music.

NAFN Tournament Takes to the Ice in Kenora

The annual North American First Nation Hockey tournament begins tonight.

The tournament will be played at both the Keewatin Memorial Arena and the Kenora Rec Centre.

This year 10 teams, some from as far away as Alberta, will be competing

The OCN Penguins from Manitoba are returning to defend their title.

Weekend passes and individual game tickets are available.

Play gets underway tonight at 6:00 inside the Rec Centre.

Canucks Girls End Season With Bronze Medal

The Atom Rep Canucks Girls Hockey team are celebrating their bronze medal.

The Canucks wrapped up their season this past weekend in Winnipeg at the All Girls Spring Classic.

In the bronze medal game the Canucks faced off with the Manitoba Hurricanes and needed a strong 2 goal 3rd period to take the victory.

To cap off the year Coach Jeff Favreau says "the entire coaching staff is very proud of each and every one of them."

Membership Votes on Credit Union Merger

Copperfin and Superior Credit Union are expecting members to support their plans to amalgamate.

Dennis Alvestad is the CEO of Copperfin and says so far feedback has been great.

Alvestad says once this weeks vote passes it's on to the integration phase of the process.

Alvestad says that both credit unions already run the same banking system so the process should go fairly smoothly with no interruptions to services.

Event Centre Committee Wants Public Opinion

Public opinion is goal number one for the event centre committee.

Colleen Neil is the cities recreation manager and says they will give everyone an opening to offer strong opinions.

Neil says the committee is meeting upwards of 3 times a month.

The committee has not set a date yet, but will be holding an open house meeting this spring.

Safety Measures Before Starting Electrical Work

With spring around the corner many people are preparing to do some work around the house.

And Steve Smith with the Electrical Safety Authority, says if your preparing to do electrical work it's best to hire a trained professional.

Visit www.esasafe.ca for more information on certified electricians, risk rating tools, and information on certified electrical products.

High School Students Are Needed at the MNR

The options are endless for local high school students wanting to work with the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Applications for the Youth Ranger Program are being accepted until this Friday.

Spokesperson Karen Boultbee says program is for eight weeks during the summer.

For more information on requirements and how to apply, visit www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en.

Social Media Highlights Day 1 of Response Forum

Social media has forced the provincial government to play the balancing act in terms of emergency management.

That message was delivered by Allison Stuart, the Chief of Emergency Management Ontario at the Northwest Response Forum in Dryden yesterday.

Stuart says they now need to ensure the correct information is getting out right away.

Stuart stresses government and emergency organizations can no longer ignore social media.

Severe Crimes Escalate in Treaty 3 Service Area

Financial pressure is hurting the Treaty 3 Police Service in their battle with high crime rates.

The treaty 3 Police service area currently has the worst crime severity index in the province.

Terry Armstrong is the Deputy Chief of Police in charge of operations, and says they are doing everything they can to lower the index.

Along with the Severity crime index Armstrong says the force has also seen a 41 percent increase in calls for service.

Treasury Metals Looks for Employees

The options are endless with Treasury Metals.

Vice President of Operations Norm Bush says work continues on the Goliath Gold Project, east of Dryden and that they are looking for the best and brightest workers.

Bush adds they will be looking for engineers, miners, and plant operators.

Bush notes the minimum education required is a high school diploma, with college level math and English.

A Sharing of our Stories

An opportunity to learn about the history of the region first hand.

Lori Nelson says that the event "a sharing of our stories" will give people a chance to share their knowledge of the region.

"A sharing of our stories" is on April 13th at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Tickets are now sold out

Province Funds Area Festivals

The snow can't clear soon enough for most of us as northerners are no doubt ready for summer weather.

And of course Summer means Festival season across the region.

5 major Festivals are receiving provincial funding this year, 3 of them in Kenora.

Harbourfest is getting $75,000, the Kenora Bass International $40,000, and The Look Up Way Up Festival is also receiving $40,000.

Thunder Bay is getting $40,000 for the Celtic Fair and $35,000 is going to the Red Rock Folk Festival.

Electricity Rate Increase

Homeowners in Northwestern Ontario will be paying more for electricity.

The Ontario Energy Board announced this week that new prices apply to most households and small businesses.

The price for off-peak electricity will go up to 6.7 cents per kilowatt hour from the current 6.3 cent rate, while mid-peak power will cost 10.4 cents, up from 9.9 cents.

Electricity used in the peak period, which is weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is also increasing to 12.4 cents per kwh, a 0.6 cent jump.

The board says the higher rates will add an additional $3.63 to the monthly bill of typical households, who use nearly two-thirds of their power in off-peak hours.

The change comes into effect May 1st.

Missing Teen Found Safe

A missing teen from Dryden has been found after a 9 day search.

Police in Manitoba found 15-year old Kariya Taylor yesterday afternoon on Sandy Bay First Nation.

The Dakota Ojibway Police Service say Taylor was brought into the custody of Manitoba Child and Family Services.

Taylor was first reported missing on March 31st.

Hospital Happy with Long Term Care Bed Situation

It seems the need for long term care beds in the city is getting easier to handle.

Hospital CEO mark Balcaen says there is currently only 3 patients waiting for long term care beds.

Balcaen says it's a case of patients waiting for the nursing home of their choice.

Balcaen says even with 10 temporary beds that were set up in Pinecrest set to be closed, that there are open beds in the community.