Province Provides Funding for OSPCA

Ontario government is giving the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals five and a half million dollars to strengthen its protection for animals.

The money will go towards hiring more investigators to handle complaints from rural and northern communities.

There will also be a 24/7 dispatch service for residents to call about alleged animal abuse.

Specific attention will be also made on cracking down on puppy and kitten mills and better training for investigators in the agricultural sector.

Old Tourist Bureau Torn Down

The old Tourist Bureau on Highway 17 east is no more.

The building was torn by city work crews yesterday.

The old tourism office was considered prohibitive to repair, and
has been replaced by the Discovery Center.

The cost of the demolition was pegged at about 10 thousand dollars.

No word on what the city plans to do with the property.

Police Costing On the Table Again Today

Municipal officials are hopeful a new deal can be reached with the
province on police costs.

A meeting is taking place today in Dryden to discuss the issue.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says there has been some progress
in recent months.

Canfield says communities such as Kenora and Red Lake pay more than 900 dollars a household for police costs, while other pay less than 100 dollars.

He says all they are looking for is a level playing field.

Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Could Operate Caliper Lake Next Year

The Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls is seriously looking at operating Caliper Lake Provincial Park next summer.

The town currently operates Sioux Narrows Park.

Mayor Bill Thompson says a recent MNR survey shows the provincial parks are a definite boost to the local economy.

Thompson says town council will likely decide next month whether or not to operate both provincial parks next year.

Campaign Continues to Save Ontario Rangers

Organizers fighting for a return of the Ontario Ranger program aren't giving up hope.

Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti gave little indication this past week the program, cut last fall, would be back.

Lisa Streets, a member of the Friends of the Ranger Program, says their work is far from over.

Streets says it wouldn't take a lot of money in the provincial budget to have the program restore.

Project Safe Hallowe'en Hands Out Glow Sticks

Much of northwestern Ontario will be a glow on Halloween.

Some 6 thousand glow sticks have been distributed to schools and child care centers around the region.

OPP Constable Anne McCoy says they will help young trick or treaters be seen.

The campaign, expanded to the Kenora and Dryden districts last year, is also being extended to the Thunder Bay region this Halloween.

Mining Company Still Plans Rail Line into Ring of Fire

KWG Resources says they still plan to build a railroad at their staked claim in the Ring of Fire.

It comes after Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias said the claims were staked illegally and without their consultation.

Vice-president of Exploration, Moe Lavigne says they received a former chief's blessing back in 2009 and notes it might be a case of different administrations having different point of views.

Lavigne says the company's claims are legal in the Provincial Government's eyes and also involved First Nation consultation.

Growing the Gridiron

Growing the Gridiron.

That is the name of a football camp that 48 kids took part in yesterday at Beaver Brae Secondary School.

Kyle McCabe with the program says the goal is to allow kids to have fun and learn at their pace.

Growing the Gridiron is in it's first year of operation and McKay says it's been a huge success.

The program is in Fort Frances today.

Cause of Railway Street Fire Still Undetermined

Its going to take at least a few more weeks to determine what might have caused a house fire on Railway Street.

An investigator from the Ontario Fire Marshall's Office finished his on-site inspection of the burnt remnants of the home yesterday.

Fire chief Warren Brinkman says there was such massive fire loss and damage, it's going to take a while to determine what actually caused last Thursday's blaze.

He says at this point they don't have a damage estimate, but it's expected to run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Rickford Supports Suspension of Senators Wallin and Duffy

Kenora MP Greg Rickford is all for the suspension of three senators involved in the spending scandal.

A vote could come today, suspending Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau without pay.

Rickford says it's only appropriate.

Rickford says this is what Canadians expect when inappropriate claims are made.

OPP Suggest Ways of Battling Illegal Drug Trade

Battling the drug trade at the source.

That's one suggestion of the OPP in Kenora.

Inspector Dave Lucas from the Kenora Detachment says if you can
reduce drug addictions, you can cut down on drug trafficking.

Lucas says the website, which is located on the City of Kenora's portal, also includes a 24/7 support line.

BIZ Launches Shop Local Campaign

Have you shopped Kenora lately?

That's the theme of a new marketing campaign by
Kenora Harbortown BIZ.

Jennifer Findlay is the city's economic development officer and they are
trying to encourage more business in the shoulder seasons.

BIZ plans to hold a Black Friday shopping event on November 29th, which
is traditionally one of the biggest shopping days of the year, following a
day after the American Thanksgiving.

Province Looks At Harsher Penalties for Distracted Driving

Another reason to put down the phone when driving.

Reports say the provincial government is thinking about a law that would deduct demerit points for those caught using a cell-phone or electronic device behind the wheel.

OPP Constable Erin Huckell says it's a great idea and would help deter people who continue to text, or use their cell-phones while driving.

Right now, the fine for distracted driving is 155-dollars, but no demerit points.

Campbell Wants MNR to Handle Nuisance Deer

Bears are on the provincial radar, but a northwestern Ontario MPP says deer are just as much a problem.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is calling for a comprehensive strategy to deal with nuisance deer.

Campbell says leaving it up to municipalities is not an answer.

Campbell says the animals pose a safety risk to motorists and the public and have the potential of drawing in predators such as wolves.

Province the Target of Another Mining Lawsuit

Ontario tax payers will be on the hook following the latest lawsuit against the province.

NDP Northern Development and Mines Critic Michael Mantha is reacting to news that North Superior Resources out of Sudbury has filed a 110-million-dollar lawsuit.

The company says the government has failed to discharge its "constitutional duty" to engage First Nations on
its behalf, and claims they have now lost their right to explore a vast area of northwestern Ontario.

Mantha says this will result in a great loss of revenue and jobs.

Gas Prices Drop Again

The price at the pump continues to drop in Kenora.

Over the weekend, the price of a liter of gasoline went down
two cents.

Most service stations have dropped their price to 131.9 cents a liter, down from
133.9 on Friday.

That still more than ten cents above the provincial average.

Saints Boys Hockey Team Win Consolation Final

The Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team has received an honorable mention at
a tournament in Winnipeg.

The Saints saw their first action of the season at the Sturgeon Heights Classic
in Winnipeg, and won the consolation title.

T.A. finished the tournament with a 2-2 record, including a 5-4 win over
the Miles MacDonnell Buckeyes in their final game.

The NorWOSSA regular season will begin next month.

New City Hall Roof Nearly Complete

It's taken almost five months, but the wraps are about to come off
the new roof at city hall.

The roof has been done in a heritage style and will cost over half a million
dollars when complete.

Empire Restoration has been working on the roof since the beginning
of June.

Actual repairs won't be complete until sometime in November, because
the project came up about 300 shingles short, and more needed to be
ordered.

The city's facilities manager John Nabb says the scaffolding should be
coming down any day now.

Word On the Water This Weekend

Writers, would-be authors and book fanatics from across northwestern Ontario are gathering in Kenora this weekend for an annual conference.

Word on the Water brings together a number of authors for workshops and readings.

This year, one of the guest speakers is Thunder Bay author Charles Wilkens, who will be
reading from his latest book called Little Ship of Fools.

It's his account of his seven week voyage across the Atlantic with sixteen other people in
a rowboat.

Other authors in attendance include mystery writers Gail Bowen from Regina, Catherine
Hunter and C.C. Benison from Winnipeg, and sci-fi author Robert J. Sawyer.

Word on the Water will wrap up on Sunday at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Ontario Fire Marshall to Investigate Railway Street Blaze

The Ontario Fire Marshall's Office is being brought in to help investigate a
fire on Railway Street.

The blaze broke out around 4:00 yesterday afternoon and destroyed the
house.

All available fire trucks and pumpers were dispatched to the scene to help bring
the flames under control.

One person was taken to hospital by ambulance, but their condition isn't known.

The cause of the fire still hasn't been determined.