Gravelle Asks Rickford to Get On Board Ring of Fire

Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle has written an open letter to Minister of State for Science and Technology and Kenora MP Greg Rickford.

Gravelle is once again urging the federal government to jump on board with the Ring of Fire project in the Far North.

Gravelle claims the province has been consistent in its requests for federal engagement but notes their call has been unanswered.

In the letter Gravelle suggests the Ontario government has done what it can to move the project forward but the feds have been sitting on the sideline.

Gravelle is calling for a one-on-one meeting with Rickford to discuss the issue.

The project has stalled with the temporary departure of one of the main players, Cliffs Natural Resources.

OPP Officially Release Names of Red Lake Crash Victims

Provincial Police in Red Lake have officially released the names of the 5 victims in the Bearskin Airline crash.

Police confirm 25 year old Aniruddh Sawant, 34 year old Peter Traczuk, 53 year old Anna Johannesson, 53 year old Peter Struk, and 64 year old Sharron Taylor died when the plane crashed short of the runway in Red Lake.

Two other passengers survived the crash.

The Transportation Safety Board is continuing their investigation into what caused the accident.

Provencher Voters Go to the Polls Today

One of the federal ridings bordering the Kenora Riding will have a new
member of parliament tomorrow.

Voters in the Provencher Riding head to the polls today.

They will be seeking a replacement for Vic Toews, who resigned earlier
this year to spend more time with his family.

Provencher is a Conservative held riding and one of four by-elections being
held today.

Ted Falk is carrying the Conservative banner in the by-election, while Terry Hayward
is representing the Liberals, Natalie Courcelles Beaudry the NDP and the Green Party
by Janine Gibson.

The other by-elections are taking place in Brandon-Souris in western Manitoba, Bob Rae's old riding
in Toronto Center and Bourassa in Montreal.

Campaign to Help Fellowship Center Under Way

A campaign by Making Kenora Home to help out the Fellowship Center has been well received.

Making Kenora Home has asked its members to donate 15 dollars a month to the shelter to help pay for an overnight stay.

John Pencoff is the day supervisor and says the campaign is making a difference.

Under new provincial regulations, someone wishing to stay at the Fellowship Center has to pay for their bed in advance.

There is concern that many of the city's homeless don't always have the funds to afford a night in the shelter.

Task Force Working On Managed Alcohol Program

The Kenora Substance Abuse and Mental Health Task Force is continuing to support the Managed Alcohol Program being set up in the city.

The controversial program that helps ween alcohol users of their addiction is looking for a location to set up in the city.

OPP Constable Bob Bernie says in the meantime their partners are working one another key step.

He says they are seeking funding from the Northwest Local Health Integration Network for a pilot program.

The Task Force has already received assistance from a controlled alcohol program in Ottawa.

KDSB Ready to Release Homelessness Plan

The Kenora District Services Board says it will meet its deadline to
submit a homelessness plan to the province.

The Board has been hard at work on the plan for the past year.

Barry Baltesson is chair of the board and says they received a lot
of positive input from local communities.

Baltesson says they will be releasing the plan at its board meeting next
month, and then will submit it to the province in January.

TSB Continues to Investigate Red Lake Crash

Not much is new in the Bearskin Airlines Flight 311 investigation.

The aircraft was en route from Sioux Lookout to Red Lake when it crashed just before reaching the Red Lake Airport on November 10th.

Transportation Safety Board Spokesperson Peter Hildebrand says investigators are still examining the engine and propeller parts in Winnipeg.

They will then be shipped out for analysis.

Hildebrand says there were snow showers in the area, but a special weather observation taken right after the crash showed conditions weren't unusual.

School Board Supports Cyber-Bullying Crackdown

The Federal government isn't alone in clamping down on cyber-bullying.

Keewatin-Patricia District School Board Director of Education Sean Monteith says they have been taking a proactive approach to address the harmful practice.

Monteith says the Board has disciplinary powers to act if a student is bullied on-line after school hours.

The Conservative government introduced measures to curb cyber-bullying attacks this week on Parliament Hill.

Feds Promising Gas Tax to Aboriginal Communities

The Federal Government is out with more money for infrastructure projects in First Nations communities.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Minister Bernard Valcourt says funding of 155-million dollars over 10-years will be allocated under the First Nation Infrastructure Fund starting in 2014-2015.

It's part of the 2-billion dollar Canadian Gas Tax Fund.

The money will go to five main areas including energy, solid waste, planning and skills development, roads and bridges and connectivity.

Valcourt notes the goal is to ensure both on and off reserve communities become stronger.

Two Communities in NWO Still In Running for Nuclear Waste

One area community is still in the running to be a host site to a nuclear repository facility and one community has been eliminated from competition.

Ear Falls won't be advancing to the second phase of the lengthy process.

Nuclear Waste Management Organization Spokesperson Michael Krizanc explains why some communities weren't selected for more detailed study.

Ignace has advanced to the second phase.

Schreiber is the other northern community selected to move forward.

Catholic Board Looks At New School Names

What's in a name.

Plenty if your school is named after a Saint.

The Kenora Catholic District School Board has agreed to change
the name of it's school in Red Lake.

St. John's Separate School will now be simply known as St. John School.

Principal Michelle Sawa says they made the change after extensive community
consultions.

Meanwhile, the Catholic School Board is wondering whether it should also look
at a name change for Pope John Paul II School in Kenora.

Trustees point out John Paul could be made a saint as early as next spring and
wondered if they'll have to change the name of the school to Saint John Paul.

Broncos Boys Place Third At Dryden Tournament

Beaver Brae won the battle of Kenora at the Dryden High School Hockey tournament.

The Broncos met Thomas Aquinas in the b-side final Saturday afternoon and skated to
a 6-2 win, good enough for third place in the tournament.

The Broncos got three goals from Rhyse Mandamin to help secure
the victory against their cross-town rivals, the Saints.

Beaver Brae was undefeated in round-robin play and its lone loss came in the semi-finals,
where they lost a 5-4 decision to Northlands Parkway from Winkler.

Fort Frances beat Northlands in the A-Side final to take top honors.

The Broncos are back in action tomorrow night against Dryden.

Thistles Take Two of Three on the Road

A good road trip for the Kenora Triple "a" Midget Thistles.

The Thistles took two of three games they played this weekend in western Manitoba.

Yesterday, Nicholas Prouty had a pair of goals and an assist to lead the Thistles to a 5-1 win over the Parkland Rangers in Dauphin.

The lone blip on their weekend road trip was Saturday night, where the Kenora Midgets were
upended 9-3 by the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Thistles started the road trip off with a hard fought 2-1 win over overtime against the Central
Plains Capitals in Portage.

Midget Thistles on the Road This Weekend

The Kenora Triple "A" Midget Thistles will get lots of time on the road this weekend.

The Thistles are kicking off a 3 game road trip tonight with a stop in Portage La Prairie against the Central Plains Capitals.

Game time is 8:00.

Tomorrow, the Kenora Midgets head further west for a stops in Brandon to face the Wheat Kings.

The puck drops for that game at 7:30.

The Thistles then hit the road again for a stop in Dauphin on
Sunday when they take on the Parkland Rangers.

That game gets underway at 2:30.

Supreme Court to Hear Kokopenace Case

The Supreme Court of Canada has agreed to review the case of the Crown versus Kokopenace.

Clifford Kokopenace had his manslaughter conviction overturned back in 2008 because of a lack of aboriginal jurors at his trial.

The provincial government has appealed the decision all the way to the Supreme Court, but has also been working to address the problem of first nation representation on jury rolls.

The Nishinabe Aski Nation says it has asked for intervenor status in the landmark case.

Campbell Introduces Private Members Bill Targeting Energy Retailers

A private members bill has been introduced at Queen's Park to prevent fixed price contracts for residential customers.

The Bill was introduced yesterday by Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell.

She says the bill is really aimed at unscrupulous electricity retailers.

Campbell says a recent report by Ontario's Auditor General found that approximately 15 per cent of the province’s customers are currently signed up with a private retailer and are paying 35 to 65 per cent more for the electricity.

Committee Created to Tackle FASD

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is gaining a strong voice in Northwestern Ontario.

Jack Martin is a director for Creighton Youth Services and says service providers from across the region have formed a committee which will join a lobby group in Southern Ontario.

Martin says the committee has very specific goals.

Martin says FSAD is a lifelong illness and that early detection can prevent people from falling into substance abuse and mental health issues.

He adds that only recently was FASD recognized provincially and they had to go to Western Canada for expertise on the subject.

Bad Weather, Icing Blamed for North Spirit Lake Air Crash

The Transportation Safety Board has ruled that operational pressures, bad weather, and a lack of experience factored in a fatal plane crash in northwestern Ontario.

Spokesperson Peter Hildebrand says the pilot and three passengers died when the Keystone Air Service aircraft went down in a snowstorm about 2-kilometers shy of the runway at North Spirit Lake on January 10th, 2012.

Hildebrand says the aircraft was forced to circle for several minutes resulting in the build-up of ice.

He says the plane stalled during the final approach at an altitude from which recovery wasn't possible.
36-year-old Brian Shead from Winnipeg
was the only survivor of the crash.

Red Cross Raffle Tickets Now On Sale

The Red Cross needs your help to continue offering disaster relief services.

The organization has launched its Northern Raffle and hopes to sell over 4-thousand tickets.

Disaster Manager Coordinator Dave Wright says money raised stays local.

Tickets can be purchased Canadian Red Cross Offices across the region.

Horwath Critical of Government Handling of Ring of Fire

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says the Provincial Government has dropped the ball when it comes to the handling of the Ring of Fire.

Cliffs Natural Resources has announced it will suspend indefinitely its chromite project in Northern Ontario by the end of the fourth quarter of this year.

Horwath says she's not surprised by the company's decision.

The announcement will mean the loss of around 40 jobs.