Health Unit to Hold Grand-Opening Today

The Northwestern Health Unit will be showing off its new digs today.

A grand opening ceremony will take place this afternoon for the City View Office Center.

The building is the former Mount Carmel School and the Health Unit moved most of its programs and staff in the Kenora area in back in August.

The Health Unit will also be releasing its Strategic Plan following the ribbon cutting ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies will start at 4:00 this afternoon.

Festive RIDE Program Working

Just a little over a week into the OPP's Festive RIDE campaign, and police have been busy taking impaired drivers off our roads.

Nine drivers in northwestern Ontario are now facing impaired driving charges while another three had their licenses immediately suspended for having a blood alcohol level of between point-zero five and point-zero 8.

The campaign ends January 2nd.

Trans-Canada Re-Opens, School Buses Running

Traffic is moving once again on Highway 17 west of Kenora.

The OPP had closed the Trans-Canada all the way from the Manitoba border to Vermillion bay last night due to freezing rain.

The flash freeze caused very slick road conditions across the region.

The Highway was re-opened early this morning.

School buses are running this morning, and there have been no cancellations listed by the Northwest Student Services Consortium.

Sunset Country Says Visitor Numbers Are Up

Sunset Country Travel says pleasure travel to Northwestern Ontario has gone up in the past year.

Gerry Cariou is executive director of  the travel association says the numbers have gone up slightly in this years summer season.

He says while visitor numbers from the U.S. are up marginally, he doesn't expect a huge

rebound until the American economy starts to rebound.

Cariou adds that numbers are still lower then they were before the recession.

OSSTF Threatens to Withdraw from Extra-Curriculars

The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation says its 60 thousand members will step up their protest against Bill 115 by withdrawing from extra curricular and sports activities starting next Monday.

Union president Ken Coran says the high school teachers will not join their counterparts in elementary schools who plan one-day rotating strikes.

The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario is promising to give 72 hours notice before it begins rotating, one-day walkouts in public schools.

Ontario Child Advocate Appeals for Improved Funding

Ontario's Advocate for Children and Youth is dissapointed with the decision by the Federal Government to not let them intervene in a Federal Court case regarding funding services for First Nations Children.

Provincial Advocate Irwin Elman says the government seems to think there should be no comparison between the funding for First Nations children, and the remainder of children in the country.

Elman adds that they are doing everything they can to get their message across.

In April, the Federal court send the case to the Human Rights Tribunal and this hearing begins in February.

Resolute Says it's Committed to Worker Pensions

A commitment from the president of Resolute Forest Products to maintain workers pensions.

It came during Richard Garneau's  meeting with MP John Rafferty and MPP Sarah Campbell in Toronto.

Rafferty says Garneau told him that unlike some of its competitors, Resolute has not plans to end its commitment to pensions.

Rafferty says Garneau told him a hike in interest rates by two per cent would go along to helping those pensions.

Harborfest Hopes to Sign First Act for 2013 this Week

We should know by the end of this week, who the first headliner for Harborfest 2013 is.

Director of Entertainment Dave Blake says they have put out offers to a number of bands and expect to hear back by Thursday.

Blake says they should be able to announce at least one of the bands for next years August Long weekend festival by Friday.

Sharks Excel in Winnipeg

A good showing for the Kenora Sharks Swim Club at the Prairie Winter Invitational Swim Meet in Winnipeg.

The Sharks collected four gold medals and placed 8th out of 24 teams in the competition.

14 year old Kayla Martin made two national qualitification times over the weekend, placing 1st in the 15 hundred freestyle and 2nd in the 400 free.

Bryce Jones collected six medals, including a gold in 100 meter backstroke.

Kira Kuzemchuck and Gabe Mastromateo also won gold.