Pioneer Wins 2011 Municipal Paving Contract

The City of Kenora is going to spend just over 1.6 million dollars on its municipal paving program this year.

That's a lot higher than usual, due to the carry over of about 900 thousand dollars from last year's paving of the highway 17 east and west entrances into the city.

The city has received approval to use the extra money to pave a secion of  Lakeview Drive from the Keewatin Bridge, east to the Husky Station.

Paving will also be done in the Valley Drive, Second Street North, Eighth Street South, and 8th Avenue South areas this year.

Pioneer Construction had the lowest of two bids for the road work.

Another Illinois Man drowns in Northwestern Ontario

OPP say an American angler was not wearing a life jacket when he fell into Red Lake and died.

Police and emergency crews were called to the McFinley Mine Site Dock, near Cochenour last Wednesday, where local residents were trying to bring the 58-year-old man back to life.

An investigation found that Robert Glick fell into the water while fishing with 2-other men.

Glick was visiting Red Lake from Highland Park, Illinois.

Discovery Center Nearing Completion

Tourism Kenora is hoping to move into its new digs in another month or so.

The finishing touches are being put on the Discovery Center on Lakeview Drive on Cameron Bay.

Tourism development officer, Heather Paterson says the building will provide more than just a tourist information office.

The two million dollar building is scheduled to open to the public by the end of June.

Rickford gets ready for news session of Parliament

MP's are back to work Thursday with the election of a new Speaker.

Kenora Conservative representative Greg Rickford is expecting a quick session.

The budget will be presented next Monday.

Rickford says the budget will set out plans for the next phase of the government's economic action plan.

Conservation Camp begins today

55 Years running and still going strong.

The Annual Dryden Conservation Course opens today with Grade 10 students from Dryden, Kenora and Southern Ontario participating.

Domtar is one of the major sponsors and Spokesperson Bonnie Skene says activities are taking place at Blue Lake Park, Aaron Park and Domtar's harvesting operation.

The course is geared towards getting kids interested in conservation and resource management.

Search for Missing Angler on Lake of the Woods Continues

A search for a missing American angler continues near Morson.

Provincial Police were back in Lake of the Woods yesterday looking for 69-year-old Richard Herman.

The Illinois man was with another fishing on the lake last Monday.

Their capsized boat and the body of a 73-year-old man were found by police the next day.

MTO Stats show local roads are getting safer

Figures released by the Ministry of Transportation shows that the number of accidents in the Kenora area continues to climb, but the number of people being injured or killed has been substantially reduced.

The latest figures from the MTO show that there were 50 people injured in vehicle accidents in 2008, compared to 77 in 1996.

Tom Marinis is a spokesperson for the MTO and says there are a number of reasons for the decrease.

Marinis says alcohol continues to play a big factor in local accidents, with about 25 percent the result of impaired drivers.

Hospitals get capital funding from Northwest LHIN's

The North West Local Health Integration Network is providing a total of 3.6-million dollars to 13 Northern Hospitals for upgrades.

Lake of the Woods District Hospital has been promised about 250 thousand dollars in capital funding.

Chief Executive Officer Marc Belcaen points out that the funding was actually promised earlier this year, and they are only just getting the cheques now.

Local School Boards sign bussing agreement

An agreement on transportation has been reached by the  four area School Boards.

The new protocol will cover students from across the Region, with the same rules for each Board.

Judy Green is the Manager of the Northwestern Ontario Student Services Consortium and says more information is available on-line.

The site also outlines the new school bus eligibility distances.

Another Drug Bust on the By-Pass

A 24 year old Kenora man faces drug charges after being pulled over by police on the Kenora By-Pass.

The OPP says they stopped a vehicle on Highway 17-A Thursday afternoon around 5:30.

Officers noticed some open alcohol in the vehicle and conducted a search for more liquor licence violations.

During their search about 173 grams of marijuana was uncovered.

Stephen Beckworth has been charged with possession of a narcotic for the purpose of trafficking.

He's due to appear in Kenora Court on July 14th.

Rafferty to Raise Border Crossing Issues

A meeting is being planned to discuss the issue of border access at the Fort Frances and International Falls points of entry.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River M-P John Rafferty says he's hoping to meet with U-S Senator Al Franken in early July.

Rafferty is also trying to access information on the number of Americans turned back at the border compared with other locations.

Attiwapiskat Drug Bust

A major drug bust in Attawapiskat First Nation.

The Combine Forces Organized Crime Unit searched an Attapiskat home and seized nearly 14-thousand dollars worth of drugs.

Police seized 169-Oxycodone pills and nearly 5-thousand dollars worth of cocaine.

43-year-old Richard Edwards faces 2-counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking in cocaine and oxycodone.

Kenora Area Road Safety Committee re-focuses

The campaign to improve road safety in the Kenora area has been revived.

The Kenora Area Road Safety Committee is planning a number of initiatives to try and reduce accidents and injuries on local highways.

Maria Bagdonis is a spokesperson for the committee and says one of the biggest causes of accidents locally is distracted driving.

Bagdonis says Kars will also be holding a car seat clinic in June, to make sure children are being buckled up properly.

Saints Girls earn another trip to OFSAA Single A Soccer Championship

Both of Kenora's high school soccer teams are heading to southwestern Ontario this week for the All-Ontario Championships.

Thomas Aquinas booked its ticket by winning the NWOSSA crown over the weekend.

The Saints beat Terrace Bay in two straight games in the best-of-three final.

T.A. got by Terrace Bay by scores of 5-0 Friday night and 3-2 in overtime on Saturday.

Thomas Aquinas will now travel to London on Wednesday and take the bus to Chatham for the OFSAA championships, which start on Thursday.

Beaver Brae`s girls will head to Windsor for the Double A championships later this wee as well. 

OPP release of American angler found near Morson

The OPP are continuing to search for a missing angler in the Morson area of Lake of the Woods.

Two men were reported overdue Monday night, after they had gone out fishing in a  16 foot boat.

The body of 73 year old James Wealther from Addison, Illinois was found on the shore of the lake on Tuesday.

The OPP say the capsized boat was also located in the area.

The Marine Unit, along with an Underwater Search and Recovery Unit are continuing their search for 69 year old Richard Herman from Peoria, Illinois.

OPP hiring Summer Students

The OPP has extended the deadline for any student who wants to apply for their summer constable positions.

Today was supposed to be the last day to accept applications, but that has been moved now to June 3rd.

Constable Dave Cain says the job is ideal for any youth interested in a career in policing.

Cain says the Kenora Detachment of the OPP has received funding to hire three students once again this summer.

School vice-principals appointed

With the school year quickly winding down, local school boards are starting to think ahead to the fall.

Both the Kenora Catholic and Keewatin-Patricia District School Boards have finalized their hirings for principals and vice-principals.

The separate school board has announced that Nicole Kurtz will be taking over as vice-principal at St. Margarite Bourgeois.

At the public board, Gail Mutrie has been appointed as the acting vice-principal at King George.

The changes will take effect September 1st.

OPP hand out awards in annual ceremony

A Kenora police officer involved in a shooting in downtown Kenora, almost a year ago, has received a comendation from the OPP.

Katheryn Moyer had to shoot 39 year old Helen Proulx last June, after the Grassy Narrows resident threatened her with a small knife.

OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis presented the awards at a ceremony yesterday in Dryden and says this is a way to thank those who keep our streets safe.

Moyer received the Commissioner's Citation for Bravery for her courageous actions involving a knife wielding woman in downtown Kenora.

Rickford picks up new duties on Parliament Hill

When Greg Rickford returns to Parliament Hill, he won't be enjoying much free time.

The Kenora Conservative MP has been named Parliamentary Secretary to 3 Ministers; Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Canadian Northern Economic Development and FedNor.

Rickford notes he's excited about the opportunity.

Rickford says he's always had a passion for issues in the Arctic as well as aborignal concerns.

Provincial cash announced for Local Roads Boards

The Provincial Government is providing 25 million dollars to local roads boards across the province.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says the 191 rural road boards in the region will share that cash.

Gravelle says the money is used on roads in a number of unincorporated communities across the northwest.

No Target Store expected in Kenora

It looks as if Kenora won't be getting a Target store any time soon.

Earlier this year, Target announced it was buying up a number of Zeller's outlets in Canada.

Yesterday the company announced which of the 105 stores across Canada would be initially converted.

Spokesperson Amy Reillery says they hope to have the new stores open by 2013.

The only Zeller's in northwestern Ontario to be converted is in Thunder Bay.

Four stores in Winnipeg will be changed over to Target outlets.

Saints Girls host NWOSSA soccer championships

The Thomas Aquinas Girls soccer team is eyeing a return trip to the All-Ontario Championships.

The Saints are hosting the NWOSSA championships this weekend.

The best-of-three final against Terrace Bay begins this evening at 6:00 at the T.A. soccer field.

Game two is scheduled for 10:00 tomorrow morning, and game three if necessary is at 2:00 Saturday afternoon.

The winner will move onto the OFSAA finals next week.

Final Draft from Lake of the Woods Task Force Complete

A task force set up by the International Joint Commission to look at water issues on Lake of the Woods has come up with its final draft report.

The final report will be presented to the IJC in July, but between now and then local residents will get a chance to comment on the recommendations that are being made.

Kelli Saunders is the Canadian secretary on the task force and says one of the main recommendations is representation by first nation groups in the decision making process.

Other recommendations, include streamlining the number of agencies working in the Lake of the Woods

and Rainy River drainage basins, and reviewing water level guidelines for the lake.

A public consultation session is scheduled to take place in Kenora on June 16th.

MNR sending more Fire Rangers Out West

The Ministry of Natural Resources is sending more firefighters to Alberta.

An additional 82 forest fire staff will leave today for the Western Province, bringing the total of Ontario staff to 191.

Half of the resources are from Northwestern Ontario.

There were no new fires reported yesterday in this Region and crews are making good progress on a large fire currently being held near Savant Lake.

The MNR is also controlling a small fire about 22-kilometres southeast of Red Lake.

OPP see an increase in drug related crime in Kenora

The Kenora OPP says there has been an increase in the number of assaults, break and enters and mischief complaints in the first three months of 2011.

Inspector Dave Lucas presented his most recent report to the police services board Wednesday morning.

He says they are noticing a trend in those areas and are taking action to address those problems.

Lucas also submitted his 2011 business plan to the Police Services Board, which was drafted following community consultations and an analysis of crime in the city since the OPP took over in the summer of 2009.

Cancer Care Northwest sees room for improvement

Cancer Care Northwest has made improvements to its colorectal cancer programs.

That's one of the areas they saw improvements in a province wide cancer index.

Vice President Micahel Power says even though they did well they will continue to work towards improvement.

The screening rates for that cancer are below the provincial average and came in at 26 percent.

Search continues for missing angler near Morson

An OPP dive team is expected on Lake of the Woods near Morson today in search of a missing boater.

The man was with another fishing on the lake and reported overdue Monday.

OPP found their capsized boat Tuesday and the body of the other man on the shore.

No names have been released.

Bronco Girls win NorWOSSA Gold

Beaver Brae's girls soccer team is heading to the provincial championships.

The Broncos edged the Dryden Eagles 2-1 in penalty shots yesterday in the gold medal game.

They now head down to Windsor next week for the OFSAA Championships.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's boys had less success.

The Broncos dropped a 1-0 decision to Fort Frances in the gold medal game, and had to settle for silver this year.

Angler Drowns on Lake of the Woods

One person is dead and another is still missing following a fishing expedition on Lake of the Woods.

The OPP say they were contacted Monday night about two overdue anglers near Morson.

The OPP's Marine Unit was dispatched to the scene, and officers managed to locate the body of one of the men on shore.

His boat was located a short distance away and had capsized.

The Northwest Emergency Response Unit is continuing to search the shoreline for the other missing man.

The OPP's Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is expected to be on the scene later today.

Kenora BIZ Reflects on a Year of Success

The Kenora Business Improvement Zone says it will continue to do what it can to improve the downtown area.

BIZ held its annual general meeting last night, and chair, Kerick Funk outlined some of their successes in the past year.

That included 50 thousand dollars in funding for the new Harborfront Tent, and the installation of cigarette butt containers on light standards.

BIZ says it still wants to deal with the parking issue in the downtown core, specifically, it wants to make sure parking spaces in front of local businesses are set aside for customers, and not the staff of local businesses.

NAN looking for Better Education Funding

The Deputy Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation is again calling on the Federal Government to better fund aboriginal education.

Terry Waboose says the funding gap is growing bigger each year.

Waboose says they're working on creating a self governing first nation's education system that would give them more control over funding and curriculum.

Fire Hazard Reduced to Low in NWO

All the rain this weekend has reduced the fire hazard in northwestern Ontario.

We started the weekend with a high to extreme hazard, but its now down into the low range.

Fire Information Officer Debbie McLean says there were very few new fires reported over the past four days.

McLean says Thunder Bay fire #22, which forced the evacuation of 11 people in Wabakimi Provincial Park over the weekend, is now listed as being held.

Fort Frances Area Man killed in Train Accident

A Morley Township man has been identified as the victim of a collision involving a vehicle and a train near Fort Frances last Friday night.

92-year-old Donald Robert Bolen was killed in the mishap that occurred at a CN Rail crossing on Highway 617 in Stratton.

Both OPP and CN Rail Police have determined the red lights at the crossing were flashing and operating property at the time.

A post mortem examination is taking place in Kenora at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Beaver Brae hosts NorWOSSA ``AA`` Soccer Finals

The NorWOSSA Double A Soccer championships take place in Kenora today.

The host Broncos already have a bye into this afternoon's gold medal games.

Now they are just waiting to find out who they will play.

In semi-final action this morning, Dryden will take on Fort Frances in both the boys and girls semi-finals.

Those games are scheduled to start at 10:00.

The finals will go at 2:00.

OPP investigate Vehicle Fire near Golf Course

The OPP are investigating a vehicle fire on Golf Course Road over the long weekend.

Police say that early Sunday morning, shortly after 3 A.M., they were called out to a blaze reported near the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

The vehicle was fully engulfed by flames by the time officers arrived at the scene, and Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department was  called out to extinguish the blaze.

Police say the vehicle was a black 2007 Dodge.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Kenora Detachment of the OPP.

Petition For JM Arena Presented to Council

Pressure is being put on Kenora City Council to do something about the future of the Jaffray Melick Arena.

A petition was presented to council last week asking that an ice plant be installed in the community run facility.

Heather Rogers presented the petition to council last week.

The petition was started up this past winter, after the JM arena had to close early, due to warm weather and a lack of volunteers to operate the facility.

Fatal Accident Near Stratton over the Long Weekend

The investigation continues into a collision involving a vehicle and a train that killed one person in Stratton.

A C-N train hit the vehicle on the tracks at Highway 617 about 50 kilometres west of Fort Frances.

Police are trying to determine if the crossing lights were working at the time.

They had little information yesterday about the victim.

Forest Fire Threatens Northwestern Ontario Community

A fairly quiet weekend for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews, but one blaze is continuing to  be a cause for concern.

A large forest fire is burning in Wabakimi Provincial Park, about 38-kilometres east of Savant Lake.

The fire is burning near fly-in-lodges and the CN mainline and at one point forced the evacuation of 11-residents from the tiny community of Allanwater.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says the fire had grown to over 14-hundred hectares in size but notes thanks to the combined efforts of firefighters and air attack, no property was lost.

Evacuees have returned to their residence and operations on the CN main line have resumed.

There are 21-fire crews and 5-helicopters still commited to the blaze.

The cause is not known.

Work begins on new Tourism Portal

A number of economic development agencies in the region are launching a significant new tourism development project in the Kenora District.

The project is the first step towards the ultimate goal of a multimedia web portal that will showcase this area.

Spokesperson for the group, Vicki Kurz says they have to do a lot of ground work before they can launch their portal. Kurz says the infrastructure will include a mobil application so that people can plan an activity when travelling through the District.

Kenora, Red Lake, Ear Falls, Sioux Lookout, Ignace and Machin are involved.

OPP get new sponsor for trauma teddies

The OPP are continuing their efforts to help out children who are victims of trauma.

Local Superintenent Ron van Straalen says they've recieved a new supply of stuff toy bears to give away

Van Straalan says the program is also good for the image of the OPP.

The OPP have a new sponsor to supply the stuffed toy bears they give out to truamatized children, Aviva Canada.

OPP Marine Unit Hits Lake of the Woods

The OPP says it will be out in force this weekend on Lake of the Woods.

The Marine Unit will have several of boats patroling the big lake and some of the other smaller bodies in the region.

Mike Barclay is a spokesperson for the Marine Unit and says they will be looking specifically for open alcohol in boat and safe boating practices.

Barclay adds that the marine unit will also be teaming up with MNR conservation officers, making sure anglers obey local fishing regulations.

Harborfest Line-up Announced

Harborfest will be rockin' once again this summer.

The concert line-up for the 20th annual August Long Weekend festival has been released.

Friday night will feature four bands including Honeymoon Suite and Streetheart.

Randy Nickle is chair of Harborfest and says they had a tough time finalizing the Sunday night concert line-up.

Sunday night will feature the Watchmen and Sloan, while Saturday night has Doc Walker as the headliner.

Tickets will go on-sale on the Harborfest website this afternoon.

Alcohol Ban imposed in Some Provincial Parks this weekend

The alcohol ban at provincial parks continues this May long weekend.

Parks Spokesperson Barb Rees expects a busy weekend despite the booze ban.

The alcohol ban is in place at Blue Lake, Rushing River, Sleeping Giant, Aero Lake and Silver Falls until May 24th.

Heightened MNR Enforcement expected this weekend

It's the opening weekend of the fishing season in Northwestern Ontario.

Conservation Officer Ross Johnston says you can expect to see enforcement officers out on area lakes and roadways all weekend long.

Johnston adds it's illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol.

Regional Nursing Program Gets Kudos

The regional community based nursing program is getting rave reviews from hospitals in northwestern Ontario.

Darlene Furlong is with the Dryden District Hospital and says the program is a great recruiting tool.

The program is about to be featured in a position paper to be released by Confederation College and Lakehead University.

The program is currently being offered at satelitte campuses of Con College in Kenora, Dryden and Fort Frances.

Saint Girls win NorWOSSA Gold

Thomas Aquinas could manage just one gold medal at the NorWOSSA single A soccer

championships yesterday at the T.A. field.

The Saints girls squad earned a 2-0 shut-out over Rainy River yesterday afternoon in the championship game.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys team dominated possession of the ball, but couldn't find the back of the next.

In the end the Saints were shut out by Red Lake 1-0 in the gold medal game and had to  settle for silver.

Long Wait Times Expected at Northwest Border Crossings

Officials in both Canada and the U-S are anticipating longer than usual wait times to cross at the Fort Frances-International Falls border this May weekend.

Both the Canada Border Services Agency and U-S Customs and Border Protection say long lines at the border could begin as early as today and again Monday afternoon.

They say wait times to cross could reach up to 45 minutes long during peak times.

New Directors for LHIN's appointed

Dianne Loubier of Ignace has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Northwest Local Health Integration Network.

The former Councilor is now the Chair of the Ignace Economic Development Committee and Treasurer of the Ignace Golf and Country Club.

Loubier will sit on the LHIN Board for a 2-year term.

She is joined by Goyce Kakegamic, the former Deputy Grand Chief of the NIshnawbe-Aski Nation.

He played a strong role in establishing the Northern Ontario Medical School campus in Thunder Bay.

Kakegamic will serve a 3-year term.

Whitedog Chief loses house to fire

The Wabaseemung First Nation is trying to help out its band chief during a difficult

time.

The house of Chief Eric Fisher was destroyed by fire over the weekend.

While everyone managed to get out of the home, one person is still recovering

from smoke inhallation.

Some community members are now trying gather up donations of household goods

for the family, which has been displaced by the fire.

Items such as mattresses, blankets, sheets, pots and pans and food donations

are being accepted.

Winnipeg Man Arrested on Drug Charges

A 39 year old Winnipeg man faces drug charges following an arrest by the  OPP's Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau.

 Police say the seized about three grams of cocaine on Tuesday.

Jack Brown has been arrested and will appear in Kenora Court next month on a charge of possession of a narcotic.

NOMA Supports Northern Policy Institute

The Northern Policy Institute is starting to take shape.

The Institute was one of the key promises contained in the Northern Growth Plan released earlier this year.

Dave Canfield is vice-president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and says they recently had a chance to provide their input to the special advisors the province had appointed to guide the process.

Canfield admits that universities in Sudbury and Thunder Bay will likely get to host the Northern Institute, but is hoping smaller communites in the region get a chance to be a part of the process.

Spring Feast this Afternoon at Rec. Center

Get ready to strap on the feed bag.

A spring feast is being held today at the Kenora Rec. Center to celebrate the season.

Constable Bob Bernie of the OPP says a number of different community groups are helping organize the event.

The Spring Feast will start at noon and run until 3:00 this afternoon.