Restricted Fire Zone Lifted

Just in time for the weekend, the Ministry of Natural Resources has lifted the Restricted Fire Zone in northwestern Ontario.

The RFZ was put in place last Friday, but was lifted as of noon today due to the wet conditions the region is currently experiencing.

The forecast calls for more rain and cool conditions over the next couple of days and that's expected to reduce the fire hazard right across the northwest.

The MNR says campfires will be allowed for cooking and warmth now that the RFZ has been lifted.

Whitedog Man charged with 2nd Degree Murder

Treaty Three Police have released the name of a 25 year old man killed on the Wabaseemoong First Nation earlier this week.

Kelvin Fraser was the victim of a stabbing incident early Monday morning.

Police say they have arrested and charged a 32 year old man with Second Degree Murder.

Justin Fraser from Whitedog was due to appear in Kenora Court this morning on the charges.

A post-mortem exam was carried out on Tuesday at Lake of the WoodsDistrict Hospital, but the cause of death still has not been released.

OTF Report on First Nations

One out of five people in Northwestern Ontario are Aboriginal.

That data is from the Ontario Trillium Foundation's report on First Nations communities.

Spokesperson Alexis Mantell says the report will be put to good use.

The report shows that the younger generations are better educated than their parents, but most have not completed school.

Unemployment levels for first nations are also nearly double that of the overall population.

Restricted Fire Zone

Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Crews will be keeping their eyes on the sky over the next couple of days.

The region is expected to receive quite a bit of rain over the next couple of days.

Fire Information Officer, Debbie McLean says if there is enough precipitation they may be able to lift the Restricted Fire Zone.

Despite the Restricted Fire Zone, there has been a number of new wild fires in northwestern Ontario this week, including four new starts Wednesday.


Photo courtesy of Ministry of Natural Resources webpage

KPDSB Program Change

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is adjusting its primary language instruction for all elementary schools.

Ojibwe and French language instruction will begin in Grade 4, instead of Grade 1.

Director of Education Jack McMaster says the board wanted to direct more attention on literacy learning.

The change will be implemented in time for next school year.

Prisoner escapes from Fort Frances

The OPP in Fort Frances say they are searching for a prisoner who escaped their custody early this morning.

Police say 25 year old Matthew Bradley Meyers of Emo fled this morning shortlyafter 7:00.

He is described as a white male, 5 feet, 8 inches tall, 150 pounds with a brown brushcut, blue eyes, medium build and unshaven.

He was last seen wearing a green camouflage t-shirt, grey sweat pants, white socks and no shoes.

The OPP says you should not approach the escapee if you see him, and contact them immediately by dialling 9-1-1.

MNR Fire Crews Hoping for Wet Weather

The weather forecast for the weekend could dictate how long the Restricted FireZone will remain in place in northwestern Ontario.

The RFZ was imposed a week ago due to extremely dry conditions.

Fire Information Officer Debbie McLean says the situation could change quickly if we get much rain.

McLean says there were four new wild fires reported in the region yesterday so any rain will be welcomed by local fire rangers.

NOMA Conference Resolutions

Municipal leaders are calling on the Provincial Government to raise the speed limit on local Highway's by 10-kilometres an hour.

Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association President Anne Krassilowsky says the resolution was approved at their recent meeting in Marathon.

Krassilowsky says the resolution also calls for more scenic pullouts as well as additional public washrooms and garbage bins.

Kenora MP Howard Hampton on HST

Kenora-Rainy River M-P-P Howard Hampton is calling on the provincial government to exempt First Nations people from the harmonized sales tax.

Hampton says the elimination of a point-of-sale exemption on the provincial portion of the HST is going make the lives of First Nations people even more difficult.

First Nations groups have protested over the matter which has escalated the fight over the merged sales tax.

Shriners Burn Prevention

Eight elementary schools in Kenora today will be paid a visit by members of Canada's Shriners Club.

The Shriners will be talking about fire safety and burn prevention in the home.

Spokesperson Lorne Gregorish says kids need to be aware of the many dangers in the home.

17 hundred local students will hear the message over the next two days.

NWO MNR Fire Update

No rest for the weary!

Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews responded to 11-new forest fires over the past 2-days, with crews going out today to check for additional starts.

A majority of the fires were human caused and kept rangers out later than usual.
Red Lake has 2-active fires.

A small fire is also burning on Highway 17 between Dryden and Kenora.

The public is reminded that a Restricted Fire Zone is in effect.

Long Gun Registry Rickford

Photo courtesy of Greg Rickford's website





The Liberals are being accused of trying to delay passage of
a bill to kill the federal long gun registry.

The bill is has passed second reading in the House of Commons,
and could go to a third and final reading next month.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the Liberals are doing whatever
they can to derail the legislation.

Rickford adds that with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff demanding
all his members vote against the bill, it could be up to the NDP
to get the legislation passed.

NOMA Conference Wraps Up

Photo courtesy of City of Kenora website


Illegal drug sales, electricity costs, FedNOR, the HST, and the speed limit on the
Trans-Canada Highway.

Those were just some of the issues discussed at the annual Northwestern Ontario
Municipal Association Convention in Marathon over the weekend.

Councillor Chris Van Wallenghem was one of two people from Kenora City Council
to attend and says it was a worthwhile event.

Van Wallenghem says while not all the issues discussed over the three day conference applied to Kenora, they did get lots of useful information from other municipal leaders who attended.

Rafferty Pension Bill

Photo courtesy of John Rafferty's website


John Rafferty's private members bill on pensions may survive to see another day.

The Thunder Bay MP says after debate in the House of Commons there is hope it could reach the next stage.

Rafferty says all parties seem to be infavour of the bill.

Rafferty say the bill is designed to add protection to workers pensions.

Wabaseemoong Stabbing

A 25 year old man is dead following a stabbing incident on the Wabaseemung First Nation.

Treaty Three Police say they were called out around 8:30 yesterday morning about an alleged assault.

A post-mortem exam was carried out today at Lake of the WoodsDistrict Hospital, but so far the cause of death has not been released.

Treaty Three Police have called in the OPP's North West Region Crime Unit to help out with the investigation.

The name of the deceased has not been released.

Illegal Deer Kill near Kenora

A Pennsylvania hunter must pay 2-thousand dollars in fines after attempting to cover up his illegal deer kill.

Court heard that on November 8th 2009, conservation officers cam across Edward Krakowski on the Mabrun Road south of Kenora, and found blood on him and his hunting equipment.

Krakoswski told officers that he did not shoot a deer, but had helped another hunter to field dress one.

Upon investigation, officers found footprints from the area where the vehicle was parked to a freshly harvested buck, untagged and covered in brush.

Krakowski was fined a thousand dollars for making false statements to a Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officer and another thousand for failing to attach a valid hunting game seal to his harvested deer.

He is banned from hunting in Ontario for one year.

NWO Forest Fire Update

It appears folks are paying little attention to the fire ban that is currently in place across Northwestern Ontario.

The Ministry of Natural Resources responded to 3-new human caused fires in the Sioux Lookout District yesterday.

There are currently 14-fires burning in the Region, 11 of which were human caused.

A raging forest fire east of Terrace Bay has been controlled.

The MNR says there were some value losses reported but no details are available.

The cause is under investigation.

Spring Seatbelt Campaign Wraps Up

The Spring Seatbelt campaign is in the books.

OPP in Northwestern Ontario checked more then 39-thousand vehicles during the 10-day blitz.

A total of 232-charges were laid against drivers and passengers who were not buckled up.

Meanwhile, Kenora OPP checked over 4 thousand vehicles during their two week spring seatbelt campaign.

Police also issued 12-tickets for improperly installed child restraints.

Officers laid a total of 95 charges.

OPP laid 1 child car seat charge.

10 passengers and 84 drivers were charged with failing to not wear seatbelts.

Lake of the Woods Water Levels

The Lake of the Woods basin is experiencing a dry spring.

The control board recently reduced outflows from the lake, which will result in a decline in Winnipeg River levels.

Executive Engineer Rick Walden says conditions could improve if the area see rain in the forecast later this week.

As of today's weather forecast, portions of the basin could see 30 millimetres of rain fall starting on Thursday.

Illegally Killed Wolf

Two Maine hunters are fined over 2-thousand dollars for illegally killing a wolf.

William Pinet and Kurt Christenson were both convicted under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act and were fined five hundred dollars each for lying to a Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officer.

Pinet was also fined a thousand five hundred dollars for shooting a wolf without a licence.

Court heard that on November 10th, 2009 while out deer hunting, Pinet shot a wolf in the area of Cygnet Lake Road, northwest of Kenora.

He and Christensen later skinned the wolf, placed its hide in a black, plastic bag and sunk it beneath the ice in a swamp.

Later that week, Pinet purchased a non-resident wolf hunting licence and game seal and went back to retrieve the submreged wolf hide.

He then notched a false date on his game seal of when the wolf had been harvested and attached it to the hide.

When questioned by conservation officers, Pinet and Christensen each made multiple false statements, but eventually told officers about shooting the wolf prior to being licensed.

Rail Safety Week

It's Rail Safety Week and motorists can expect to see an increased presence of railway police in Northwestnern Ontario.

Chief Stephen Covey says his officers are cracking down on violators - people who don't obey crossing signals or who trespass on rail property, which includes walking along the tracks.

Railway police and volunteers are conducting safety blitzes this week at railway crossings right across Canada.

Young Professional Network

Calling all young professionals.

A group of career driven individuals are starting up the first ever young professionals network in Kenora.

Spokesperson Mike Greaves says they want to create a social and professional network where young entrepreneurs can have a say in economic development initiatives.

Anyone interested in joining the group can log onto their facebook page or contact Greaves at 467-4643.

Rickford Road Funding Announcement

Its going to be another busy construction year in Kenora.

The Provincial and Federal Levels of Government have announced six million dollars to complete the re-paving of Highway 17 from the City boundaries out to the Kenora By-Pass.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the funding is part of a new infrastructure project announced by the two levels of government earlier this month.

The Ministry of Transportation says it plans to tender out the paving work in the next couple of weeks and expects the work will be complete by early fall.

City of Kenora Graffitti

Kenora City Council has received support for its Graffitti By-Law from an unlikely source.

Grade school student Charity Busch made a deputation to councilthis week to enact a by-law to crack down on the unwanted wall art.

Busch suggests graffitti in town is inappropriate and should at least be covered over.

Council says its working on measures to eliminate graffitti frommunicipal buildings and its also working on a by-law that would apply to privately owned buildings in downtown Kenora.

KDSB New Name and Slogan

The Kenora District Services Board will be changing their name and adapting a new slogan based on ideas from the public.

Chair Joyce Timpson says the name dosen't reflect what they do.

Interested individuals can email or write a letter to the Services Board.

Responses are due by the end of May.

Rowing Club Lease

A split decision for the Kenora Rowing Club from city council.

The city has agreed to a 49 year lease arrangement for its club house on Rabbit Lake.

On the downside, council has rejected a request by the Rowing Club for a reduction in its property taxes.

Council feels that if they gave the rowing club a break on its taxes, other groups in the city would want the same kind of deal.

Doctor Shortage

A rosy picture when it comes to Kenora's medical shortage.

Dr. Buzz Pedersen told city council this week that Kenora has experienced a doctor shortage for about eight years now.

But he suggests the newly expanded medical clinic on Tunnel Island will be a lure for graduating health care professionals.

Pedersen says the new medical center is now a fully affiliated teaching center for the Northern Ontario Medical School.

Fire Season NWO

Northwestern Ontario has seen more than 100 fires since the season officially began at the start of this month.

In comparison, there were just 194 wild fires reported in the region all of last year.

Fire Information Officer Debbie McLean says its certainly a turnaround from the last couple of years.

A Restricted Fire Zone was put in place on Friday, meaning that all open air burning is prohibited.

NOMA Conference Day 2

Photo Courtesy of City of Dryden website

Municipal leaders will sit down with a handful of Provincial Ministers today in Marathon at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference.

President Anne Krassilowsky introduces two of the delegates.

Other speakers include NDP Leader Andrea Horwath as well as Parliamentry Secretary to Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Donna Cansfield.

MNR RFZ

Photo Courtesy of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources

No more roasting marshmellows by the campfire.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has issued a restricted fire zone in Northwestern Ontario.

Fire information officer Debbie MacLean outlines why the restriction was put in place.

Marathon, Terrace Bay, Nipigon and North are not within the restricted fire zone.

Harbourfront Tent

The City of Kenora is going to chop up the work needed to construct a new tent on the harbourfront.

Underground work will be part of the first phase with the wall coverings to be dealt with at a later date.

Operations Manager Rick Perchuck says they want to put the project out for tender as soon as possible.

The underground work costs less than a million dollars, the entire project with coverings is estimated at 1.4 million dollars.

Warm Weather Kenora

Don't expect an immediate end to the dry weather conditions.

Geoff Coulson of Environment Canada says we've have about half our normal precipitation for April.

He says that'll continue for at least the next week in northwestern Ontario.

Coulson says the dry conditions can be blamed on the El Nino weather pattern.

Home and Trade Show

Photo Courtesy of Kenora District Chamber of Commerce website

This weekend marks the 24th annual Kenora Chamber of Commerce Home and Trade Show.

Chamber Manager Darcie Buchanan says they've got sixty exhibitors signed up.

The event kicks off tonight and runs until Sunday.

OPP 2009 Stats

The OPP says it has developed five priority areas for reducing
crime in the City of Kenora.

Inspector Dave Lucas presented his 2009 report to council this
week and it shows a 10 percent decrease in the number of calls
for service last year.

Lucas says one area they have been concentrating on is youth
crime.

Lucas says their overall budget came in about 300 thousand dollars
less last year than projected.

NOMA Conference

Municipal leaders from across northwestern Ontario are gathering in Marathon this week.

They're attending the annual Municipal Association convention.

Lynn Peterson is NOMA member and says the gathering will be attended by several high level provincial cabinet ministers.

Councillors Chris Van Wallenghem and Jim Parsons are the only two members of Kenora city council attending the three day conference.

Forestry Fund

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle is disputing suggestions the province is not helping the forest sector as well as it should.

Yesterday, New Democrats revealed much of a fund set up to help the forestry sector remains unused.

But Gravelle says its one program of many Ontario has provided to the industry.

Gravelle says a recent competition for the province's wood supply is also to make the industry more sustainable in the long term.

NWO Fire Risk

The Ministry of Natural Resources says northwestern Ontario is under a -- high to extreme -- forest fire hazard.

New fires are being reported daily across the entire region, keeping fire crews and waterbombers busy.

The fires are generally caused by people although high winds late last week caused numerous fires from trees landing on hydro lines.

There is no rain in the forecast so fire managers are urging people not to burn.

First Nations HST

First Nations groups plan to gather at Queen's Park today to protest the new harmonized sales tax to take effect on July 1st.

They say the H-S-T will remove a point-of-sale exemption they receive on the provincial portion of the merged tax.

A report commissioned by the Chiefs of Ontario suggests this will cost First Nations up to 120 (m) million dollars in the first year
of the H-S-T.

Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse says this will punish many communities already living in poverty.

Diamonds for Sale

Some of the first diamonds to be mined in Ontario will go on sale at Birks' flagship store in downtown Toronto next Monday.

The 100 gems are of extremely high-quality, with a retail value 10 to 15 per cent higher than other diamonds because they are processed in one place.

These sparkling rocks are the first batch available from DeBeers Canada's Victor Mine, near Attawapiskat in northern Ontario.

The mine began operations in 2008.

Electricity Rate

Expect to pay a little bit more for your electricity starting in May.

Kenora Hydro has received permission from the Ontario EnergyBoard to increase its rates.

President and CEO of Kenora Hydro Dave Sinclair adds they are working on a more comprehensive rate schedule which will go into effect nextyear.

Sinclair says for the average homeowner, rates will be going up about 66 cents a month.
Of that amount, Kenora Hydro will be getting just 22 cents.

Paterson Medical Clinic

A modern new wing is now open at the Paterson Medical Clinic on Tunnel Island.

The expansion has been in the works for a couple of years.

Chair of the medical center board, Don Parfitt says the newbuilding has two floors with the possibility of further expansion.

Parfitt says the medical center is also the recipient of anothergrant from the Paterson Foundation.

The Thunder Bay based organization has matched its original500 thousand dollar contribution to help build the new wing.

Northern Ontario Party

North Bay resident Edward Deibel believes Northern Ontario should have its own political party.

A petition is being distributed to register the Northern Ontario Hertiage Party to get on the ballot for the next provincial election.

Deibel outlines what policies will be enacted if the party is registered.

The website is www.nohp.ca

The goal is to get 1 thousand signatures from communities all across the province.

Thunder Bay Mill Sold

Any slim hope of reopening the former Abitibi Mission Mill in Thunder Bay has disappeared.

It comes with the news that a scrap dealer in the United States has been found to purchase the mills' assets.

Marvin Pupeza of the Canadian Paperworkers Union says it's disappointing no buyer could be found to produce a product

The company needs money from the sale of it's mills to help its get out of bankrupcy protection.

Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls Budget

Sioux Narrows/Nestor Fall residents are going to have to wait a little bit longer to find out how much they'll be paying in muncipal taxes.

The community's budget has yet to be brought before Council for vote, and Mayor Bill

Thompson says that's because they're waiting to hear from the District Service Board.

Thompson says last year they were surprised by the DSSAB's amended budget and they don't want have a repeat of that this year.

Power Pledge Kenora

Local residents are being asked to try and cut down on their power use over the nextfive months.

Kenora will be taking part in the 2010 Power Pledge Challenge, which is a province-wide campaign to reduce energy consumption.

Councillor Jim Parson is spear-heading the campaign and says it will begin on April 20th.

Council has agreed to spend some money publicizing the campaign and getting local residents to sign up.

CUPE Hospital Meeting

Major hospital health issues are being discussed in Thunder Bay this week.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions is meeting there.

President Michael Hurley says one major topic is the provinces plan to tender some services like knee replacements.

He says smaller northern hospitals will be defenseless because of it and could close

About 200 delegates are attending the gathering.

Tourism Kenora

Tourism is Kenora's largest industry.

That's the message Tourism Kenora is trying to get outprior to the summer season.

Heather Paterson is the city's Tourism Development Officerand says they will start promoting the new campaign this week.

Paterson says tourism is a 200 million dollar industry in Kenora,employing more than 25
hundred people.

The campaign will wrap up on May 15th with the "Be a Touristin your Town" event.

Busy weekend for MNR Fire Crews

Another busy weekend for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews in northwestern Ontario.

Fire information officer Heather Pridham says they had seven new fires yesterday across the region alone.

She adds that fire crews and equipment are now ready when needed.

Pridham suggests local residents not to burn if they don't have to.

A number of communities have put fire bans in place due to the dry conditions.

Body of missing American found

A month long search for a missing American on Lake of the Woods has ended.

The OPP say the body of 68 year old Fred Bisel of Eagle Bend, Minnesotawas located Sunday afternoon in the area of Goose Neck Narrows.

Bisel was travelling on a snowmachine about 13 kilometers north of Morson on March 21st when his sled went through thin ice.

Due to poor conditions, an immediate search was not possible.

The OPP's Underwater Search and Rescue Unit as well as family members have been searching the area in recent days.

Police say Bisel's body was recovered in the general area it went through the ice.

Hennepen Lane

There's a lot of history on Hennepen Lane in downtown Kenora anda committee has been set up to try and make the back alley a tourist attraction.

A meeting was held on Friday to get some feedback on what to dowith the laneway.

Dennis Wallace is chair of the Economic Development Commission andsays there seems to be a lot of interest in fixing up the alleyway.

Wallace says it wouldn't take a lot of money to refurbish HennepenLane and suggests a couple of events could take place there thissummer to help revitalize that part of downtown Kenora.

Full Day Kindergarten

The Provincial Government has indicated that May 21st will be the day a third school in the
Keewatin-Patricia School District is selected to offer full-day, every-day kindergarten
programs.

Carol Hron is the Assistant to the Director of Education and she lists the top 5-priority schools.

Evergreen school in Kenora is already set to offer the program.

MNR Whiskey Jack Forest

The Ministry of Natural Resources will be holding four information sessions next monthabout proposed changes to the Whisky Jack Forest work plan.

John Sills is a spokesperson for the MNR and says changes were needed tothe contingency plan because it was incomplete.

Information Centers will be set up in Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Red Lake and Ear Falls between May 3rd and 6th.

Show us your colours

A number of fundraisers for Cancer patients and Cancer Research aregoing to be held in Kenora over the next five months.

One of the newest events is called "Show Us Your Colors".

Irma Milko is one of the organizers of the event and says itwill take place in June at Norman Park.

So far over 65 hundred dollars has already been raised bylocal groups.

The Lions Club and Beaver Brae Secondary School have contributedfive thousand dollars towards the fundraiser.

Triple Play Funding

Triple Play will once again be getting some support from Kenoracity council.

Council has tentativly agreed to give the organization 15 thousanddollars to help operate this year.

Triple Play allows children in the Kenora to partake in recreationalsports, by providing funding
for registration in leagues and otherorganized activities.

Triple Play is currently looking for another executive director,after Tanya Watts anounced her resignation recently.

Mill Manager Fort

AbitibiBowater has named a new manager for its Fort Frances mill.

Derrick Lindgren moves from the same position at AbitibiBowater's Iroquois Falls mill to assume the duties next week in Fort Frances.

He replace's John Harrison who joins that company's Operational Excellence Group, overseeing the company's kraft operations.

NAPS Grads

9-individuals have joined the ranks of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.

The recruits were sworn in at a ceremony in Thunder Bay on Friday.

Shannon Dyck of Dryden is one of the new constables.

Dyck will be working in Sandy Lake First Nation.

Thunder Bay area Mine Re-opens

Good news for some mine workers in Northwestern Ontario.

North American Palladium has resumed production at its Lac des Iles Mine near Thunder Bay, putting 180 employees back to work.

The mine was placed on ``care and maintenance'' in October 2008 due to declining metal prices.

Atikokan Mining

TerraX Minerals is one step closer to targeting a new drilling campaign on its property near Atikokan.

The company has completed ground geophysical surveys on all 3-of its gold exploration properties.

The survey covers 54-kilometres and preparations are now underway for a drill program.

Cancer Hockey Tournament

Organizers of a 3-3 summer hockey tournament are hoping to raiseat least 10 thousan dollars for cancer research.

Dean Caron is one of the organizers and says in the first year of thetournament, they raised over five thousand dollars.

He says he wants to see the tournament grow in the years ahead.

Caron has asked council's support by helping cover the cost of rentingice at the Keewatin Arena.

The tournament will take place from August 27th to 29th.

Electronics Depot

The Ontario Independent Electronic Stewardship isn't giving up hope on setting up collection depots in northwestern Ontario for old computers televisions and cellphones.

Executive Director Carol Hochu says the program is a good one for businesses, municipalities or community groups to be involved.

The program was set up a year ago and expanded last month to eliminate old electronic items going to landfill, but only regional depots are in Thunder Bay.

Habourfest 2010 Concert Line up

The 19th Annual Harborfest should be bigger and better than ever before.

A total of eight bands are expected to take the stage over three nightsduring the August Long weekend.

Dave Blake is one of the Harborfest directors and says he's particularyexcited by the Friday night entertainment, Collective Soul.

Saturday night will be 80's night, with Kim Mitchell and Starship headliningalong with Asia.

Sunday night is Country night with Emerson Drive and Jessie Farrell.

Stockwell Day in Sioux Lookout

Northern Ontario has it all!

Treasury Board President Stockwell Day promoted the resources available in this region during a speech to business leaders in Sioux Lookout last night.

Day says the North is on the road to economic recovery with strong leadership and growing industry.

Day notes demand for our products is on the rise.

LOWBIC AGM

The Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corporation says its seeingsome positive signs in the local economy.

In the past year, LOWBIC lent out 1.7 million dollars to small businessesin the Kenora area.

Executive Director of LOWBIC, Ryan Reynard says that's significant increase from the year before.

LOWBIC held its annual general meeting yesterday.

Reynard says they handed out grants to 16 new and existingbusinesses last year.

Suspensions KPDSB

A different approach in disciplining unruly students is being credited for a considerable drop in suspension numbers in the Public School Board.

There have been 183-fewer suspensions and 111-fewer students suspended over the course of a year.

Safe and Supportive Schools Coordinator Al Wray says a new school culture program is working.

Wray also credits teacher training, school safety audits and a revision in board policies.

KPDSB School Closures

After months of meeting a committee set up to look the future of elementary schools in Kenora has compiled its final report.

The Accommodation Review Advisory Committee says it doesn't expect any school closures in the public system for four or five years.

Cecile Marcino is chair of the board and says the one recommendation that could be implemented quickly is the move of the school board offices into Lakewood School.

The report will go to the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board next month, but final decisions on the fate of local elementaryschools won't be made until the fall.

Extra Trustee KPDSB

The Provincial Government has allowed the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board to boost the number of Trustees to be elected by 1.

Superintendant of Business Dean Carrie says 10-Trustees will be elected during this Fall's Municipal Elections.

Machin, Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake will be able to elect 1-Trustee each.

Kenora is grouped with Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls and will be able to elect 3-trustees under the system.

Chalking Tires Starts Today

The City of Kenora is chalking tires of vehicles parked at metres beyond the posted time limit.

You will get a fine if you park at a location past the posted time limit, even if there is money still in the metre.

Municipal Spokesperson Heather Kasprick says they want to ensure people are constantly moving from spots in high traffic areas like the downtown.

Phone Scam

Bell Canada is warning local residents of a possible phone scam.

Ignace OPP say a resident recieved a call from someone claiming to be from the company advising that they would be sent a new cell phone if they provided their name, date of birth and Social Insurance Number.

The victim never recieved a new phone.Police reminds residents never to give out personal information over the phone.

Break and Enter

Two young boys are charged with breaking and entering.

OPP received a break and enter complaint yesterday around noon.

When officers arrived at the 16th avenue north residence they noticed the two youths preparing to leave.

Two 15 year olds were arrested and charged.

No Sign of Missing Man

The OPP say there is still no sign of a missing American who went through the ice of Lake of the Woods last month.

68 year old Fred Bisel from Eagle Bend, Minnesota was travelling by snow machine about 13 kilometers north of Morson on March 21st.

His sled went through thin ice and a friend who was snowmobilingwith him was unable to get him out of the frigid water.

The OPP's Marine Unit has been out looking for the missing man but with no success so far.

North Americian Palladium Open

North American Palladium has restarted the machines at its Lacdes Iles Mine near Thunder Bay and brought 180 employees back to work.

The mine was closed in October 2008 due to declining metal pricesand about 350 employees were placed on layoff.

The mine is now running seven days a week and the company expectsto produce 140-thousand ounces of palladium per year.

Palladium is used in a variety of products, including catalytic converters, jewelry and in dentistry.

Kenora Taxes

Local property owners will likely see lower overall tax rates this year.

Council is planning to set its tax ratios next week at its public meeting.

Finance Manager, Karen Brown says while municipal rates will be going up marginally, education taxes will be going down 4.37 percent.

She adds that the Pinecrest Home For the Aged has finally approvedits 2010 budget, and it will mean a 22 thousand dollar decrease in levy's for the municipality.

Brown says the big question mark is the Kenora District Services Board, which still hasn't finalized its budget.

Council Land Ambulance Base

The City of Kenora has yet to make a final decision on rezoning the proposed site for a land ambulance base.

Council is still waiting for a noise and vibration study as well as other facts.

Councillor Wendy Cuthbert says not many people are in favour of the location, and notes council could turn down the rezoning request.

A final decision on the rezoning application has yet to be made and one could be made in May.

Urban Trails System

Kenora's Urban Trail network will expanding this year.

There are currently four designated trails on the city,and work will continue this year to finish the Rat PortageTrail.

Barb Manson is member of the Trails Committee and says theyplan to extend the trail along a section of Laurenson's Creek.

The City of Kenora is in the process of taking over the Laurenson'sCreek property alongside King George School from the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.

Business on the net

The Northwest Business Centre wants to get more Northwestern Ontario businesses on social networking websites.

A guest speaker will be talking about the rules and regulations of advertising on websites like facebook and twitter.

Organizer Mike Greaves says its a great way to promote your company's message and upcoming special events.

The seminar is open to all businesses in Northwestern Ontario and starts tomorrow.

To register call 467-4643.

Native Issues Advisor

The province has appointed former Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief John Beaucage to help it address the needs ofaboriginal children and youth.

Minister of Children and Youth Services Laurel Broten says hisexperience will help gather the right information to guide policy matters.

Beaucage will give the province advice on aboriginal child welfare issues for one year.

He'll also help with discussions between the government and First Nations leaders.

Rabbit Lake Brush Fire

Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department has been dealing with a rash of brush fires over the past couple of weeks.

The most recent blaze took place Tuesday afternoon behind Thomas Aquinas School.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says the fire burned about an acre of bush immediatley south of the Rowing Club on Rabbit Lake.

He says there was a lot of deadfall in the area and the fire burned very quickly.

Local firefighters were able to put a hose around the blaze and bring it under control in less than an hour.

Brinkman believes the fire was likely started by kids hanging around the area.

Power Outages

High winds this afternoon are causing some problems for Hydro One customers in the Kenora area.

About one thousand customers in areas east of the city have been without electricity since
3:15.

Areas affected are Grassy Narrows, Jaffray and Melick, Haycock, and Pettypiece.

Hydro One says crews have been dispatched to restore power.

Electricity is expected to be back on for most customers by 6:00.

KPS Disbandment Costs finalized

The total cost to disband the Kenora Police Service will come in at about 2.4 million dollars.

That figure was provided to Kenora City Council yesterday.

The costs include severance for employees of the municipal police service, legal expenses, overtime training costs, and building expenses for renovating the old KPS building.

Finance and Administration Manager, Karen Brown says they will be able to bring down the final disbandment expense by recovering some costs elsewhere.

The final bill for the city will amount to 1.7 million dollars.

Municipal Paving Contract

Its going to cost the city about a million dollars less than expected to resurface Highway 17 east and west in Kenora.

The City is planning to award a 5.2 million dollars contract next week for the Municipal Road Works Tender.

Operations Manager Rick Perchuck is hoping they can use the extra funds from the federal-provincial infrastructure program to do more paving this year.

In addition to resurfacing Highway 17 east this year, the city also plans to re-pave parts of Matheson Street South and 1st Avenue South.

Stabbing fatality

A 45 year old man from the Onigaming First Nation is dead following a stabbing incident.

Treaty Three Police say they were called to a residence in the community last Thursday night.

There was a stabbing reported and when officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the body of deceased male victim.

The OPP's Criminal Investigations Branch has been called in to help out with the homicide investigation.

A post-mortem was carried out on Saturday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, but the name of the victim has not been released.

Child Porn Charges laid

A Toronto man has been charged after allegedly taking a computer full of child pornography to a Winnipeg shop to be fixed.

The 34-year-old was working in Kenora last October when he had trouble with his desktop computer and took it to Winnipeg to be repaired.

The technician called police and investigators allegedly uncovered more than 200 pornographic images of young children.

Eric John Maillard is charged with two counts of possession of child pornography and one count of accessing child pornography.

He is expected in court in May in Winnipeg.

LHIN's releases Strat Plan

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network has unveiled its vision for health care in the region.

The Integrated Health Strategic Plan was presented to theLake of the Woods Hospital Board last week.

Laura Kokochinski is the interim CEO of the LHIN's and saysthey conducted an extensive consultation earlier this year.

The three year plan will also focus on reducing wait timesin Emergency rooms and improving access to healthcare in communities across the region.

Money for winter roads

The federal government is providing finacial support to Northern Ontario First Nation communities.

A total of 3.8 million dollars will be distributed due to warm spring temperatures forcing early winter-road closures.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says these winter roads are vital for transportation of goods and services.

The money will be directed at battling the high costs of fuel transportation.

Crimestoppers numbers up

CrimeStoppers of Northwestern Ontario and Northern Minnesota is showing some impressive numbers in the first three months of 2010

Coordinator of the program, Doug Anderson says there's been large increases in tips received, cases cleared and rewards issued over last year.

Anderson says continued media support and initiatives such as an improved website and a new facebook page are helping increase the organizations public profile.

Green Power Projects for the Region

A company called Xeneca Power Corporation was one of the big winners in last weeks green energy announcement by the provincial government.

The company is going ahead with 19 hydro projects in northern Ontario and is planning five others in the northwest.

Mark Holmes is a spokesperson for the company and says they are planning to develop relatively small hydro stations in the region.

Holmes says they are hoping to be able to move ahead in the next couple of years on hydro projects on Ball Lake near Grassy Narrows, Wabigoon Falls and Quibell.

Contraband Cigarettes

A coalition of health groups is calling on the province to domore to prevent kids from smoking contraband cigarettes.

The Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco says more than 60-thousand young people who already smoke are puffing contrabandcigarettes.

Director of the campaign, Michael Perley says contraband cigarettes are typically made by First Nations and are sold in clear plastic bags containing 200 cigarettes.

The coalition is calling for more police to clamp down on contraband smokes and for health warnings to be printed on all cigarettes.

Common Ground

Local storytellers will be putting a unique twist on local history this weekend.

A Sharing of our stories will be taking place at the Best Western Lakeside Inn from 9 until 3:30.

Barb Manson is one of the organizers and says they're pleased with the wide variety of stories they will be presenting.

There will be a total of ten storytellers on hand Saturday, with a cocktail closing reception at the Lake of the Woods Museum.

Investigation into downtown fatality closed

The investigation into the sudden death of a Kenora man in late March has been effectively closed.

A spokeswoman for the Ontario Provincial Police said the exact cause of death has not been determined but foul play is not suspected.

Constable Heidi Britton said the investigation is completed and no charges are expected.

The body of the man was found in the morning of March 26 in his room in an apartment block on Matheson Street South.

Police have not released the dead man’s name.

There were rumors that the man had the victim of a beating but Britton says that wasn’t the case.

The OPP say an autopsy was performed but there was no cause of death determined.

Officials are still waiting results of toxicology tests.

Green Energy Projects for Kenora area

The Ontario government has announced another round of green energy projects in the province.

The 184 projects are worth about eight billion dollars and Infrastructure Minister Brad Duguid says they represent about 20-thousand jobs.

Three of the energy contracts are in the Kenora District, including a two thousand kilowatt bio-mass project in the City of Kenora and a hydro generating station Above Ball Lake near Grassy Narrows.

Curb Contraband Cigarettes

A coalition of health groups is calling on the province to do more to prevent kids from smoking contraband cigarettes.

The Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco says more than 60-thousand young people who already smoke are puffing contraband cigarettes.

Director of the campaign, Michael Perley says contraband cigarettes are typically made by First Nations and are sold in clear plastic bags containing 200 cigarettes.

The coalition is calling for more police to clamp down on contraband smokes and for health warnings to be printed on all cigarettes.

Record warm March

March 2010 is going down in history as the driest ever in the Kenora area.

Not a significant amount of snow was recorded for the first time ever.

And Geoff Coulson of Environment Canada says combined with warmer than usual temperatures, snow levels diminished by the middle of the month.

The average temperature for the month came in at 0.6 Celsius, breaking a 10 year old record high by a full degree.

Sioux Narrows lotto winner

A Sioux Narrows resident is happy he said 'yes' to Encore when he purchased his Lotto Max ticket back in February.

Because of this extra one-dollar decision for Encore, Tyler Cole Marquis won 100 thousand dollars.

The self-employed contractor and new father plans to pay off his mortgage.

Busy fire season so far

It's the busiest times of the year for fire crews across Northern Ontario.

Fire information officer Debbie MacLean says 15 forest fires were reported in March alone.

Fire crews, aircrafts and water bombers are currently conducting spring training.

Deadline for forest land passes

The deadline to place bids for 11 million cubic metres of Ontario Forest has come and gone.

The forest allocation competition started last November and there were a number of proposals put forward.

Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle says most of the bids came from companies in the North.

Gravelle says some of the bids came from smaller companies focused on the value added side of the industry.

Brown looking forward to CAO's job

Kenora's next Chief Administrative Officer says she's looking forward to her new duties.

Karen Brown will be taking over from Bill Presentanz starting August 1st.

She says one of the big challenges is turning the city's financial situation around.

Brown says she'll start working with Presentanz starting June 1st to familiarize herself with the job, and start winding down her work in the finance department.

Grassy Narrows Protest at Queen's Park

Hundreds of demonstrators converged on the lawn of the Ontario legislature this afternoon, calling for action over mercury poisoning on the Grassy Narrows First Nation.

Members of the reserve north of Kenora, marched through the streets of Toronto carrying pieces of blue fabric to form a symbolic wild river and holding up paper fish on sticks.

Almost two dozen police officers on bicycles escorted the demonstrators to the legislature, where the protesters held banners reading ``Clean Water, Our Survival'' and ``Native Rights Now''.

A study out yesterday says residents of the reserve are still suffering health effects from mercury that was dumped into the Wabigoon River three decades ago.

Residents say babies are being born with health defects that they blame on the contamination.

Fellowship Funding

A shot in the arm for the Kenora Fellowship Center.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has come up with 150 thousanddollars over three years to help operate the emergency shelter.

Henry Hildebrand is one of the people who helps run theCenter and says the money will keep the shelteropen.

Hildebrand says the Shelter provides food and a place to stayfor up to a dozen people a night.

Grassy Narrows First Nation Mercury Poison

An international expert says the health effects ofmercury poisoning on the Grassy Narrows First Nation are worse now than in the 1970s.

The environmental group Earthroots says between 1962 and 1970 apaper mill in Dryden dumped 20 thousand pounds of mercury into theWabigoon River.

Grassy Resident Chrissy Swain was part of a press conference yesterday inToronto to talk about the situation.

She says the effects of mercury polution are still being felt.

Harada first visited theGrassy Narrows reserve in 1975 and found people with mercury levels over three times the Health Canada limit.

Earthroots says when Harada returned in 2004 he found thateveryone who had mercury levels above the 1975 Health Canada guidelines had died.

Molesti Update

There will be another court appearance for the man accused of trying to buy a 5 year old online.

56 year old Patrick Molesti will have a second detention review hearing today to see if he will still remain at the Thunder Bay detention centre.

Canada Border Services Spokesperson Kris Kealey says a seperate process is underway to see if he will be removed from Canada.

Molesti is facing several child pornography charges in the US.

Blood Donor Clinic

157 blood donors walked through the doors of St. Thomas Aquinas High School yesterday.

Canadian Blood Services says they collected 133 units of blood which was 23 over their target.

Spokesperson Harvey Heather adds people can still donate blood today.

Today's clinic runs until 12:30.

To make an appointment call 1-888-2-DONATE.

City Hires new CAO

The City of Kenora has decided to hire from within for its new Chief Administrative Officer.

Karen Brown has been hired to replace Bill Priesentanz, who will retire later this year.

Brown is currently the Finance Manager for the City and has been a municipal employees for the past 18 years.

She'll take over her new duties as of August 1st.

The City began the hiring process back in the fall after Priesentanz indicated that he was planning to retire sometime in 2010.

Senior Thistles lose in Thunder Bay

The Kenora Triple "a" senior Thistles will have to wait another year to make an appearance at the Allan Cup.

The Thistles were eliminated in two straight games in their best-of-three series against the Dundas Real McCoys.

On Friday, Kenora dropped a 2-1 decision, and then lost 4-1 Saturday night.

The series was played in Thunder Bay and Dundas now advances to the Allan Cup Senior Canadian Championships in Fort St. John later this month.

Meanwhile, the Northwestern All-Stars Triple "a" hockey team is at the Ontario Championships in St. Mary's this week.

The All-Stars, made up of players from Kenora, Dryden, Fort Frances and elsewhere across the region, play their first game this morning at 10:00 against the host Huron-Perth Lakers.

OPP recruiting women

A special symposium targeted at women is going to be held by the OPP this spring.

The one day session is aimed at women interested in a career with the provincial police.

Constable Dave Cain says one of the main focuses ofthe symposiums is explaining the recruitment process.

Cain says space is limited to just 12 people, so anyone interested is asked to contact Sergeant Darryl Wilson as soon as possible.

The symposium will take place May 5th at the Kenora Detachment.

NOMA on Provinicial Budget

Municipalities in the region are still digesting the figures contained in last week's provincial budget.

Anne Krassilowski is president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and says the budget has some pretty good news for the north.

She does have some concerns with the premier's comment that municipalities should follow the province's lead and freeze employees salaries.

Krassilowski adds that increased funding for Ontario Works and the new industrial hydro rate for the north are boththings that will help out the region.

Another Snowmobile Fatal

Another person has died after falling through the ice in Northwestern Ontario.

The latest incident happened on Upper Jobrin Lake 4- kilometres north of Longlac.

A 48 year old Cochrane man died when a snowmobile fell through the ice yesterday.

Two others were rescued and one was airlifted to the Health Sciences Centre.

Warm weather has caused unsafe conditions and officials are urging people to stay off the ice.

Busy Hockey Weekend

A big weekend for hockey in Kenora.

The Annual North American First Nations Tournament of Champions gets underway tomorrow at the Kenora Rec. Center and Keewatin Arenas.

So far, 20 teams are signed up for the three day tournament, with 20 thousand dollars up for grabs.

Meanwhile, the Kenora Triple "a" Senior Thistles hit the road for the Renwick Cup, which will be played in Thunder Bay.

The Thistles will be taking on the Dundas Real McCoys in a best-of-three series to determine the Ontario senior hockey champions.

The winner will also advance to the Allan Cup which will take place inFort St. John, B.C.

Get Ready for Relay for Life

The 10th annual Relay for Life will be taking place in Kenora this June.

Organizers are trying to drum up interest for the event with a captain's meeting tonight.

Margret Saville is a spokesperson for the Canadian Cancer Society and says they are looking for anyone who has been involved in the Relay in the past, or who might be interested in taking part this year.

The captains meeting will start at 5:30 tonight at Casey's.

Relay for Life will be held at Lakewood School on June 11th this year.

Fire Season officially begins today

It has the makings of a busy fire season for the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Today marks the official start to the fire season in northwestern Ontario,and already fire crews have been called into service to deal with brush fires.

Fire Information Officer, Debbie McLean says they are prepared for the worst right now.

The last two years have been amongst the quietest ever recorded in northwestern Ontario.

McLean says a warm, dry spring doesn't mean this year will be any better or worse than previous years.

Pension Protection Bill Introduced

A private members bill aimed at securing the pensions of AbitibiBowater employees has been introduced in the House of Commons.

Thunder-Bay Rainy River M.P. John Rafferty says the bill would make changes to the Bankruptcy Act to giving pensions priority over other creditors.

Rafferty says he's hoping for all-party support for his bill.

Rafferty says his goal is to get the bill through the House of Commons before the end of the current sitting in June.

Kenora's Sunshine List

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has more employees earning morethan 100 thousand dollars a year than any other agency in the area.

The provincial government released its so-called sunshine list.

The public school board has 35 senior managers, principals and specialists making more than 100 grand.

Departed director of education, Larry Hope topped the salary listat 179 thousand dollars.

The highest paid employee at the Kenora Catholic District School Board was Phylis Aikre at 162 thousand.

Once again, Lake of the Woods District Hospital had the highest wage earners.

Chief Pathologist, Dr. Kerry McDonald was the best paid employeeat 315 thousand dollars per annum.