Smash and Bash Social

The Kenora Roller Derby League is working to host a bout later this year.

Spokesperson Bayley Zilinski says they are hosting a fundraising social this Saturday to raise funds to bring 3 teams in for the bout.

Zilinski says the league is also hoping to bring in a coaching team to provide lessons and tips to players, along with advice on how to grow the league.

Tickets for the Crash and Bash Social are $10.

The is at 8:00 at the Lake of the Woods Brewery.

Free Trail Permit Weekend

Break out that snow machine and hit the trails.

The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs are hosting a free permit weekend.

Spokesperson Gail Sayers says the deal runs all weekend long beginning Saturday and running through Monday evening.

The free permits can be printed off the OFSC website at www.ofsc.on.ca/

Four People Dead in New Osnaburgh Fire

Four people are dead as the result of a house fire this week on the New Osnaburgh

The Assembly of First Nations revealed the death toll in a news release which National Chief Shawn Atleo expresses condolences to the community following the tragic blaze.

The Ontario Fire Marshall is expected to begin its investigation today.
First Nation south of Pickle Lake.

Ontario Family Fishing Begins at Midnight

A chance to shake off the winter blahs this weekend.

This is Ontario Family Fishing Weekend, and you don't need a licence
to put a line in the water.

Rachel Pearson is with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and since it's been such a cold winter says you shouldn't have to worry about poor ice conditions.

Pearson says there are events taking place all weekend long to take advantage of Ontario Family Fishing, but stresses conservation limits apply if you are fishing without a licence.

Radar Runs This Weekend

Bragging rights will be on the line at the 1st Annual Kenora Snowmachine Radar Runs.

Bruce McGregor is the event organizer and says they have some nice prizes lined up as well.

Registration is 50 dollars per sled, and guarantees 5 runs.

The radar runs take to the MNR landing starting tomorrow and are free to attend.

Liberals Shut Out in Two By-Elections

Not a good night for the Liberals in two provincial by-elections.

Kathleen Wynne's party was shut out in both Niagara Falls and Thornhill.

The New Democrats took the Niagara Falls Riding, while the Conservatives held onto Thornhill.

Gila Martow won in Thornhill, maintaining the riding for the Progressive Conservatives, while the NDP's Wayne Gates won in Niagara Falls, a riding formerly held by the Liberals.

The results don't change the status of the minority Liberals in the Ontario Legislature and Wynne vowed the losses will not be repeated in a general election, which come as early as this spring.

Rickford Defends Budget/FedNor Funding

A bit of a war of words has broken out between two M.P.'s from northwestern Ontario over funding for FedNor.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says a claim from Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty that FedNor was ignored in the Federal budget is a "bold face lie".

Rickford says the NDP should take some time to read the entire budget.

The minister responsible for the regional economic agency says he continues to make the rounds in the area making FedNor announcements.

Vermillion Bay Hosts Kin Carnival

The winter carnival season continues this weekend in Vermilion Bay.

The 48th annual Kin Carnival gets underway tonight.

Organizer Scott McEwan says the auction tonight has a special meaning.

Some of the activities this weekend including a fish fry, pancake breakfast, family snow derby, and a fishing derby.

Bronco Junior Boys Win Silver At NorWOSSA

Just one medal for Beaver Brae teams at the NorWOSSA double "a" championships in Fort Frances.

The Bronco junior boys beat Dryden 60-55 in semi-final action yesterday morning but ran out of steam in the gold medal game, dropping a 63-34 decision to the Muskies.

Beaver Brae takes home a silver medal.

It was the only final the Broncos qualified for.

Beaver Brae's senior boys narrowly missed the gold medal game, after losing in the semi-finals 44-43 to Dryden.

Both the Bronco girls volleyball teams also lost out in the semi-final round.

Broncos Blank Saints In Girls Hockey

In the late game, it was another one goal victory for Beaver Brae over Thomas
Aquinas in girls hockey.

Rylee Smith scored the lone goal of the game and Becca Mahon earned the
shut out in a 1-0 win for the Broncos.

Beaver Brae finishes the regular season on the road next Tuesday against
Sioux Lookout, while the Saints are in Dryden.

While T.A. will miss the play-offs, the Broncos will finish fourth in the league
standings and have to face Fort Frances in the semi-finals.

Broncos Edge Saints In Final Game of Regular Season

A big win and confidence boost for Beaver Brae's boys hockey team heading into the play-offs.

The Broncos beat their cross town rivals from Thomas Aquinas 2-1 last night at the Kenora Rec. Center.

The win ensures Beaver Brae will play the Saints in the semi-finals.

Both Beaver Brae and Thomas Aquinas finished with 20 points, but the Saints will finish in second place
because it had more wins.

Fort Frances finished in first and will take on Dryden in the other semi-final series.

Police Name Driver of Viral Video

Provincial Police have released the name of the transport driver who narrowly missed an oncoming tractor-trailer unit on Highway 11 in Greenstone last month.

The incident generated over a million hits on Youtube.

Police say 31-year-old Akmal Hayat of Milton, Ontario tried to pass a snow plough and confronted a north bound transport.
The driver of that vehicle was forced to the side and struck several guard posts.

Police say Hayat drove off without stopping.

OPP were able to identify the driver through the Youtube video.

No one was injured.

Hayat faces 3-charges.

Police Make Arrests Following Break and Enters

Kenora OPP have made arrests in relation to the break and enters in the city earlier this week.

22 year old Allan Pencoff and 32 Derek Pencoff have been charged with break and enter, attempt to break and enter, and theft under 5 thousand.

Police says the men broke into 2 homes in the North End on Tuesday afternoon and made off with cash, tools, and firearms.

Both men will remain in custody until their bail hearings.

The Street Crime Unit, Organized Crime and Enforcement Bureau, Drug Unit, and the Provincial Operations Intelligence Bureau collaborated in the investigation.

Fire Destroys Home in New Osnaburgh

Nishnawbe-Aski Police are investigating what is believed to be a fatal house fire in New Osnaburgh First Nation south of Pickle Lake.

Sergeant Jackie George says the blaze was reported around 3 o'clock this morning.

George says the Ontario Fire Marshall is scheduled to arrive in the community tomorrow and at that time more information will be released.

A relative of the family says a mother and her two children where in the home at the time.

Police aren't confirming any fatalities but George says officers are currently searching for the residents.

TBSO Gets Standing Ovation At King George

A musical education for King George students.

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra made an encore appearance in Kenora this morning.

Daniel Bartholemew-Poyser is the associate conductor and says they want to reach out to young listeners.

The hour-long pops concert featured classical pieces from Brahms and Tchaikovsky
, as well as more modern fare from Star Wars, The Pirates of the Caribbean and Taylor Swift.

Chamber Of Commerce Hands Out Business Awards

A couple of new businesses took center stage at the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce's annual business awards.

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company took honors as the Tourism/Hospitality company of the year.

Taras Manzies says they still have big plans for their product and building on Second Street South and expect to be able to sell their beer at the LCBO soon.

Meanwhile, Good Things won for best new business under two years old.

Andrea Lundy is the manager of marketing and says they likely won't be moving into their new location
on Second Street until the fall.

Other winners last night:

Customer Service Excellence-Staff Up to 10-901 West Side
Customer Service Excellence-Staff Over 10-Kenora Home Hardware
Business Entrepreneur/Owner/Manager of the Year: Chad Gropp (Gropp's Country Catering)
Innovative Small Business:  Roots and Rights Media
Business Improvement:  Borelli's on the Harbourfront
Youth Entrepreneur:  Jillian Puls and Meagan Pearson (Radical Nails)

No Delays Or Closures From Overnight Snow

Despite some snow overnight, it's all things go this morning across the region.

All school buses in the region are operating and all roads are open.

Roads are described on both sides of the border as partly snow covered with poor visibility.

There was a brief closure of highway 71 near Sioux Narrows yesterday, following a two vehicle collision.

No one was injured.


The only closure this morning is in Dryden, where the high school has been shut down because of a water main break.

Bitter Winter Causes Headaches For Operations Department

A colder and snowier winter has been hard on the city's operating budget.

Snow removal has been going on non stop, and city crews have also been kept
hopping dealing with frozen and broken water lines.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says there's not much they can do about the
situation except wait for warmer weather.

Perchuck says they've had to deal with frozen water lines almost daily, and
they've also had two to three broken water lines reported each week.

Companies Fined in Ring of Fire

The Ministry of Natural Resources is fining two companies 27-thousand dollars for illegally building a mining camp in the Ring of Fire.

Vancouver based Fancamp Explorations and Thunder Bay's Webequie Logistics were found guilty of carrying out constructionw ork without the authority of a work permit.

The cases were heard in the Ontario Court of Justice recently.

NorWOSSA AA Playoffs Today in Fort

The NorWOSSA double "a" play-offs get underway this morning in Fort Frances.

All four Beaver Brae teams will have to play a semi-final in order to qualify for the gold medal games.

At 10:00 this morning, the Bronco junior boys basketball and junior girls volleyball teams will face Dryden.

At 11:30, the Beaver Brae senior boys basketball and senior girls volleyball teams will take on Fort Frances for the right to advance to the finals.