Suit against Nault dismissed

A lawsuit against former Indian Affairs Minister Bob Nault has been dismissed by
an Ontario Court Judge.

The Pikangikum First Nation brought the suit forward after a third party manager
was imposed on the community back on 2001.

Justice John Wright says Nault didn't actually ask for a third party manager,
instead he had lobbied his own department to discuss a co-management sitution.

The band argued that the imposition of a third party manager held up millions of
dollars worth of projects on Pikangikum, but Justice Wright says dismissed the bands
claims.

He says despite Nault's opposition to a third party manager, the decision to impose
one was appropriate.

Snowfall Warning Issued for Kenora

It looks like Kenora is going to ring in the new year with a big dump of snow.
A snowfall warning has been issued for the area, with as much as 20 centimeters
expected to fall in the next day or so.

Alicia Young is a meteorologist with Environment Canada and says Colorado Low is
heading our way.

Snowfall is expected to start this evening and continue until at least tomorrow morning.

Gravelle supports replacing NWO Emergency Field Officer

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle is backing calls in support of the emergency field officer in northwestern Ontario.


Gravelle says he's against his government's plan not to replace the current officer who retires soon.

Gravelle says he's lobbying Community Safety Minister Jim Bradley to have the decision reversed.

A number of communities across the region, including Kenora has passed resolutions demanding
the government fill the vacancy.

Canfield wants to kick-stat Common Ground Talks

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says he's eager to the see the Common Ground

Initiative on Tunnel Island get back on track in 2011.

The City of Kenora, Treaty Three and three area first nations are the main partners
in Common Ground, but development of a management plan has been on hold
for the past year and a half.

Canfield says its time for all the parties to sit down and get the process moving
again.

Negotiations over a management plan broke down over whether to include a
dispute resolution mechanism or not.

Kakegamic murder Conviction upheld

A man who was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting and strangling a teenage girl in Kenora has had an appeal quashed.

James Kakegamic was convicted in 2005 of the first-degree murder
of 16-year-old Jocelyn McDonald in 2000.

Kakegamic, who was 22 at the time of the killing and is now serving a sentence of life with no chance of parole for 25 years, appealed his conviction.

He argued that the trial judge's private conversations during jury selection with potential jurors to discuss their personal reasons for not being able to serve meant he was improperly excluded from his own trial.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario agrees he was improperly excluded, but in dismissing the appeal, the court says Kakegamic suffered no prejudice because of that.

McDonald was last seen at a party in Kakegamic's apartment in
Kenora in October 2000 and her remains were discovered March 2001 near the apartment complex.