Temperature records tumble in NWO

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday was was a record breaking day in four northwest communities yesterday.

Kenora hit 2.7 -degrees, eclipising the previous high of 1.3 which was set in 1990.

Fort Frances was the hot spot with a record 5.1-degrees.

Rat Portage Charging for Ice Road Access

The Rat Portage First Nation has once again decided to charge for the use of the ice road that runs through the reserve.

Effective yesterday, check points have been set up on the Gap Road and Matheson Bay entrances to the community.

A seasonal pass for non-residents of Rat Portage is 75 dollars, or 50 dollars a month, or 25 dollars a day.

Passes are available at the band office.

NorWOSSA games cancelled

Poor road conditions are playing havoc with the NorWOSSA court sports season.

Both Thomas Aquinas and Beaver Brae boys basketball and girls volleyball teams were supposed to be in action today.

The Saints were scheduled to host Red Lake, while the Broncos had a home date against Dryden.

Eight games in total have been cancelled due to road closures and treacherous conditions.

Highway 17 East open to one lane of traffic

Traffic is starting to move slowly again on Highway 17 east of Kenora.

The OPP say one lane of the Trans-Canada has been opened following a fatal multiple vehicle collision about 30 kilometers east of Kenora.

Police say a westbound transport jack-knifed near Dogtooth Lake around 1:00 this morning.

An eastbound semi was unable to avoid the truck and collided with it.

Police say the driver of the eastbound unit was killed.

A short time later  another tractor-trailor unit and a passenger vehicle also slid into the first two trucks.

There was one other accident reported last night, when a transport rolled over near Chadwick Lake on Highway 17 east and lost its load.

The OPP say the driver was not injured in that mishap.

One Person Survives North Spirit Lake Plane Crash

The only person who survived the crash of a small plane flying from Winnipeg to northern Ontario is said to be in stable condition in a Winnipeg hospital.

Thirty-six-year-old Brian Shead works for Aboriginal Strategies Incorporated, an administrative service for First Nations based in Winnipeg.

His wife Tracy says at first it was believed he died, but then she found out he had a broken ankle and broken bones in his face.

She says she's been told he's awake and his vital signs are good.

More troubles for Pikangikum

The only school in a troubled northwestern Ontario First Nation may have to shut its doors because mould has driven away many of its teachers.

The Pikangikum First Nation says it has seen almost all the non-local teachers leave the community because of mould growing in the teachers' residences.

Director of education Kyle Peters says after fighting for years for a decent school, and dealing with rampant suicide, substance abuse and poverty, this is the last thing the youth of Pikangikum need.

 Improving education is at the top of the agenda when First Nations leaders meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in two weeks for a summit in Ottawa.

Highway 17 east still closed

The OPP say it could be a couple of more hours before the wreckage from a fatal overnight crash on Highway 17 east of Kenora is finally cleared away.

Police say a westbound tractor-trailor unit jack-knifed about 30 kilometers east of town around 1:00 last night.

It was struck by an eastbound semi, which was unable to stop, due to slippery road conditions.

The driver of the eastbound unit was killed in the collision.

In the meantime, two more transports also collided with the other two semis.

Earlier in the evening, the OPP say there was also another roll-over on the Trans-Canada east of Kenora near Chadwick Lake.

Police say the semi spilt its load, but the driver was not injured.

Lakewood School Proposal pitched to KPDSB

Administration with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board isn't ready to endorse plans to re-develop Lakewood School just yet.

Geordie McEwan made his pitch for the Lake of the Woods Center at last night's board meeting and says there is definitely a need for such a facility in Kenora.

Trustees say they want administration to come to their next committee of the whole meeting
with some feedback about the proposal.

The board then says it will look at doing a community consultation on the idea.

Evergreen School Remains Open for One more year

Evergreen parents are breathing a sigh of relief today.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has agreed to keep the elementary

school open for at least one more year.

Trustees made the decision last night after hearing a presentation about a proposal

to re-develop Lakewood School into an adult education center.

Pam Cederwall says she's pleased the decision to close Evergreen has been

delayed.

The public school board was going to close the school at the end of this school year,

but agreed to delay closure until at least the spring of 2013.

Highway 17 Closed

Highway 17, 30kms east of Kenora is closed this morning.


The Kenora Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police say icy road conditions where the main factor of a motor vehicle collision in which they are still investigating.

A detour is available at Highway 11.

School Buses Cancelled

It's only the third day of school for students in 2012 but already they're catching a break thanks to Mother Nature

Unless you live within walking distance to the school, you might as well let the kids sleep in this morning.

School Bus services for  Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Dryden, Red Lake/Ear Falls ,Ignace, Minaki have been cancelled due to icy road conditions.

Any further updates will be posted. Please log onto www.nwobus.ca