Two Northwestern Children Aid Agencies to Amalgamate

Two northwestern Ontario children's aid agencies are planning to join forces.

Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services and Family and Children Services of Rainy River
District announced their plans today to amalgamate.

Bill Leonard will be the executive director of the new child care agency and says they are still
waiting for guarantees from the province that it will cover the million dollar price tag of the
merger.

The two agencies have been talking since last September about amalgamating.

Bob McGreavy is the chair of the Family and Children's Services of Rainy River and says
they expect to be able to save about 500 thousand dollars a year with the merger.

McGreavy says no jobs will be lost due to the amalgamation.

The two agencies are expected to formally merge on April 1st, 2011.

KDSB announces funding

The Kenora District Services Board has handed out 153-thousand dollars in funding for several area children's groups.


Nearly 70-grand is going to children of Ontario Works clients for backpacks, school supplies, footwear and clothing.

Twenty thousand dollars has also been promised to Triple PLAY in Kenora to ensure that local children in need have the opportunity to participate in arts, cultural and recreational activities.

KDSB debates voting issues

The Kenora District Services Board has defeated a motion to allow alternate members to vote on key issues.

The resolution was presented by members of the unincorporated area who feel that their attendance at Board meetings without a vote is a waste of time.

One member says the unincorporated area pays 45-percent of the operations for the KDSB.

The resolution also goes on to say Municipal alternates are also frustrated with the current policy.

The KDSB is the only Services Board in Ontario that uses alternates.

Kenora Man charged with starting Forest Fire

A Kenora man has been ordered to pay the 24-hundred dollar cost of putting out a fire he started.


Court heard that back in April the man removed burned debris from a camp and dumped it into Dogtooth Lake.

However, some of the hot ash landed along the shore and a fire quickly spread due to dry conditions.

The Longbow Lake Fire Department and Ministry of Natural Resources ground and air team were forced to extinguish the blaze.

William Renner was fined an additional 250-dollars.

Ainsworth Employees to vote on tentative contract

There's a tentative deal for unionized workers at the Ainsworth oriented strandboard mill in Barwick.


It was reached yesterday afternoon following 27-hours of non-stop bargaining between the company and the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union.

No details are being released pending the outcome of a ratification vote by workers scheduled for tonight in Emo.

But C-E-P rep Steven Boon says the deal does address key language and monetary improvements and there are no concessions.

Hampton Reacts to Cabinet Shuffle

Kenora Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton says yesterday's cabinet shuffle by premier Dalton McGuinty could cost liberals votes in northwestern Ontario.


Hampton says the addition of two ministers from Toronto and Ottawa MPPs sends another message that the Liberal Government focus is on big cities rather than northern Ontario

Hampton says the move could hurt the Liberals in the next election.

New Principal Sought for Pope John Paul II

Local school boards are getting ready for another school year, but the Kenora Catholic District School Board is going to have to do a last minute hiring exercise to fill a key vacancy.

The principal of Pope John Paul II School announced his resignation this week.

Andy Graham has taken a job with the Bimose Tribal Council.

Kevin Debnam is the acting Director of Education and says they will be interview potential
candidates for the job at PJP this weekend.

Debnam says they put out an ad in last weekend's paper advertising for principals and vice-principals
and they hope to create a pool of qualified candidates through the process.

Children's Aid Merger to be announced

A major change is in the offing for Children's Aid services in the Kenora and Rainy River

Districts.

Kenora-Patricia Child and Family Services and Family and Children's Services of the District
of Rainy River are expected to announce details of their merger today.

The two agencies have been discussing the possibility of amalgamating for a number of months,
but had to wait for the province to approve their plans.

A press conference is scheduled this morning to outline the details of the merger.

While there are expected to be some administrative cost savings, there is not supposed to
be any reduction in frontline services or frontline staff.