Slippery conditions result in numerous weekend accidents

There wasn't a lot of snow over the weekend, but what did fall seemed to cause a lot of problems for local motorists.

The OPP say over the past couple of days they were called out to 19 motor vehicle collisions in the Kenora area.

While no serious injuries were reported, police says the collisions did cause significant damage to the vehicles involved.

The OPP says most of the accidents were the result of drivers not

adapting to the road conditions and not staying alert.

Federal Government preparing for March Budget

Kenora MP Greg Rickford admits Canada is still pulling out of financial hardship and that will impact the upcoming Federal budget.

The Government is working on the fiscal document.

However, Rickford says taxpayers won't see massive cuts.

Rickford says the budget could be released sometime in March.

Market bullish on Rainy River Resources

Analysts are looking for big things from Rainy River Resources this year as the junior exploration company recently closed a 75-million dollar financing arrangement and released its latest drilling results.


The company, which is developing a gold project south of Kenora, says the infill drilling results also opened up new areas for potential expansion.

RBC analyst Stephen Walker says on-going results will be the prime catalyst driving share prices until the company releases its resource update this spring.

RESPECT program to be expanded

A local committee is looking at how to expand Confederation College's RESPECT campaign across the the region.


Trudy McCormick, co-chair of the Celebrating Diversity committee says the campaign, recognizing the value of diversity, would be a good fit for the area.

McCormick says they've formed a separate committee to review how aspects of the RESPECT campaign can be adopted.

Ontario wins softwood ruling

The Ontario government says it's pleased with an international tribunal's decision on softwood lumber.

The ruling limits an additional export tax on Ontario softwood lumber to just one-tenth of a per cent, dramatically lower than the 20 per cent the U.S. requested.

The tribunal rejected found that Ontario's forestry programs had no significant adverse impact on U-S producers.

Tourism Group complains about access to Crown Land

A northern Ontario recreational group says the Ministry of Natural Resources is blocking local access to lakes and rivers in favour of foreign-based tourist outfitters.

The Ontario Outdoors Recreational Alliance complains the ministry closes logging roads to prevent residents and local tour companies from driving into remote areas to hunt, fish or canoe.

Alliance president Tom Brason says the government is keeping locals out at the request of remote tourist operators who fly customers into camps on Crown lands.

Brason says a select group of remote-based outfitters is controlling vast areas of Crown land.

Thistles win pair of games on the road

A trip to Dauphin was just what the Kenora Triple "a" midget Thistles needed to

break a mini two game losing streak.

The Thistles won both of their games on the road this weekend.

Yesterday, the Kenora Midgets earned a 4-1 win over the Parkland Rangers.

That moved the Thistles out of the basement of the eastern Division of the
Manitoba Midget Hockey league.

On Saturday night, the Thistles dropped the Rangers 6-4.

Tim McFatridge had a pair of goals and two assists in that game.

J and M Judo Club collects three medals in Regina

Three members of the Jaffray Melick Judo Club took home three medals from the
Saskatchewan Open Judo Championships this past weekend in Regina.

Kaitie Dennis won her Under 20, 57 kilo division and took home gold.

Both Luke Heatherington and Daniel Gordon settled for bronze.

The tournament was a tune-up for the Canada Winter Games taking place in
Halifax next month.