Student Consortium Testing New Bus Routes

The Northwest Student Services Consortium is making sure there are no service glitches this fall.

General Manager Judi Green says the closing of Lakewood School has created a number of concerns that need to be looked at.

Green says the tests will look at routes, timing, bus numbers.

She adds the test will take place during PA Day on June 7th with the full fleet of buses.

Parents are reminded that schools will be closed that day.

Morning Victories for Saints at NWOSSA

A good start for the Thomas Aquinas Saints soccer teams at the NWOSSA single "A" soccer championships.

The T.A boys ran away with a 3-0 win over Marathon in the morning game.

They will be back on the field at 2:00 for the second game.

The Saints girls were also victorious this morning earning a 1-0 win over Ecole Saint Josph.

Gilly Derouard scored the lone goal.

The girls are back on the pitch at 4:00.

Highway 17 East Re-Opened Near Redden's

Highway 17 at the east end of the Kenora By-Pass has been re-opened following a single vehicle accident.

Shortly after 8:00 this morning, a camper van flipped onto its side near the entrance to Longbow Lake Road.

Police have blocked off the highway, and are sending eastbound traffic back to the Jones Road as
a detour.

A number of police cruisers attended the scene along with the Long Bow Lake Volunteer Fire Department to clear the wreckage.

Four Killed in Ornge Helicopter Crash

CFB Trenton says four people are dead following an Ornge air ambulance helicopter crash in northern Ontario.
  
A spokesman at the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Trenton says the helicopter crash site near Moosonee was located this morning and all four people on board are confirmed dead.
  
The Ornge air ambulance service says two pilots and two paramedics were on board the aircraft, but no patients.
   
Ornge says it has notified the family members of those who were on board.
   
 Ornge said the Sikorsky S76 helicopter left its base in Moosonee en route to Attawapiskat at about midnight and contact was lost with the aircraft shortly after takeoff.
   
The Transportation Safety Board has been notified and will be
investigating.

Plane Crash Under Investigation in Red Lake

A provincial police dive unit will join the search this morning for two people missing following the crash of a float plane in Red Lake.

The OPP says the plane took off about 5:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon en route to a tourist camp north of the community.
   
Police say the plane went down soon after takeoff about 200
metres from shore in the Bruce Channel between Cochenour and
McKenzie Island.
   
A man and woman from the United States are believed to have been the only people on board but their identities have yet to be confirmed.
 
There is no word on what caused the crash, although it was cloudy and windy and the lake was choppy at the time.

The Transportation Safety Board is also sending two investigators to the accident scene.

Community Wellness Day at Beaver Brae

Beaver Brae students are being released from their classrooms today.

The second annual Community Wellness Day will be taking place all
day throughout the high school.

Jodi Hall is one of the organizers and says its an opportunity for the
students to try something different.

The Community Wellness Day will start with an assembly, and will include a break for a free lunch up in the cafeteria.

Campbell Reluctantly Supports Provincial Budget

The provincial budget has some room for improvement.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. spoke out on the budget this week in the Ontario Legislature and says there are things the cash-strapped Liberal government can do to
increase revenue.

She says the number one concern is tax loopholes that large corporations are taking advantage of.

Campbell is also urging the government to develop a better relationship with first nation communities in the region so that major projects such as the Ring of Fire and the twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway west of Kenora, can move forward without delay.

Saints Soccer Teams Play NWOSSA Finals Today

Thomas Aquinas soccer teams are hoping to book themselves a ticket to the All-Ontario Single A
championships today.

The Saints girls team is home for the best-of-three NWOSSA finals against Wawa.

Game one is this morning at 10:00, with game two slated for 4:00.

Meanwhile, the T.A. boys squad is in Marathon for a best-of-three series against the Falcons.

Game one is this morning.

Beaver Brae Honors It's Top Athletes

Beaver Brae has payed tribute to its best and brightest athletes.

The annual Bronco Athletics Banquet was held last night and Jodi Melillo,
a soccer and hockey stand out, took home honors as Female Athlete of the year.

Meanwhile the Male Athlete of the Year award was shared between David
Simpkin and Davin Iverson.

New CPR Program in Local High Schools

A new life saving initiative is now in 10 local high schools.

Sandra Clark is the Executive Director for the ACT Foundation and says they are offering a new CPR and defibrillator training program to students in the Keewatin Patricia, Kenora Catholic, and Rainy River School Boards.

Clark says phys.ed teachers are being qualified to teach the program and it will be offered to over 1,000 students in Northwestern Ontario every year.

Clark says the use of CPR and defibrillators can increase the chance of survival in a cardiac patient by 75 percent.

T.A. Hands Out Youth In Philanthropy Grants

The Youth in Philanthropy program at Thomas Aquinas High School has presented grants to 4 charitable organizations in Kenora.

The grants were presented to the Minto Parent Child Resources Centre, Kenora Fellowship Centre, It's A Dog's Life, and the Cat Shelter.

Robert Baker is a student in the YIP program and says it's been a real eye opener.

With the presentations the YIP program has now offered over 19 thousand dollars in grants with help by the Kenora and Lake of the Wood Regional Community Foundation.

Northwest LHIN's Appoints New Board Member

The local health authority is welcoming a new board member.

The North West LHIN's Board of Directors now has nine members with the addition of Cathy Farrel.

Farrell filled the last remaining vacancy on the LHIN board and her three year term started last month.

She's worked in a variety of settings in the child welfare realm.

Treaty Three Signs Agreement With Cancer Care Ontario

Cancer Care Ontario is helping to reduce cancer concerns in Treaty 3 communities.

Cancer Care and Grand Council Treaty 3 have signed a relationship protocol.

Director for the aboriginal control program Alethea Kewawyosh  says the agreement is aimed at patient care and education.

Kewawyosh says Treaty 3 also helped in developing the aboriginal cancer strategy in Ontario.

The protocol agreement was signed this week on the Whitefish Bay First Nation where Treaty Three is holding its annual national assembly.

Leadership Changes at KPDSB

A game of musical chairs at local schools by the Keewatin-Patricia
District School Board.

With Lakewood School slated for closure at the end of the school year, principal Lynn McAughey will be moving over to King George as their new principal.

She'll replace Shelley St. Hilaire, who becomes the public school board's Safe and Supportive Schools Administrator.

And Bob Kowal will be moving over from Thomas Aquinas to become the vice-principal of Beaver Brae's and Seven Generations Adult Education programs, which will be housed in Lakewood starting this fall.

Flood Situation Easing in Kasabonika

The flood situation on a remote northwestern Ontario First Nation has improved although Emergency Management Ontario says water levels are still high.

E.
M.O says critical infrastructure on Kasabonika Lake First Nation is back to normal.

About 150 residents of Kasabonika Lake First Nation had been evacuated as a precaution.

E.M.O says most of the evacuees are back in the First Nation or on their way there.

TA Athletes Medal at NWOSSA Track and Field

Four medals for Thomas Aquinas Athletes at the NWOSSA Track and Field
Championships in Thunder Bay.

Eric Sundmark won a silver medal in the shot put, while Lisle Compton
was second in the girls 15 hundred meter and three thousand meter races.

Compton also won bronze in the long jump.

T.A. is waiting to find out whether Sundmark and Compton will qualify for the OFSAA championships.

Bronco Girls Win NorWOSSA Gold

One gold medal and a silver for Beaver Brae Soccer teams at the NorWOSSA championships
yesterday in Dryden.

The Bronco girls edged the Eagles 1-0 on pentalty kicks to win gold.

The game went into overtime tied at 0-0, and Beaver Brae won in a six player shootout.

The Broncos will now advance to next week's All-Ontario AA championships in Tecumseh.

Meanwhile, the Bronco boys weren't as fortunate.

They were beaten 2-1 in the NorWOSSA final by Fort Frances.

Kodai Kuroda scored the lone goal for Beaver Brae.

KPDSB Names New Superintendent of Education

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is welcoming a new Superintendent of Education.

Joan Kantola will take over the position on August 1st.

That's when Sean Monteith takes over as Director of Education.

Kantola is currently the Principal of Valleyview School in Kenora and she's been in the field for some 21-years.

She established the new French Immersion program at Valleyview and has been heavily involved in leadership planning.

Mental Health Symposium at Evergreen School

For the second year in a row, Evergreen School is hosting a Children's Mental Health symposium.

This year it's called Help Me, Help my Child.

Pam Cederwall is one of the organizers and says the forum is open to parents, teachers and education assistants.

The Mental Health Symposium will take place starting at 6:00 this evening.

Rain in Store for Kenora

Get ready for another dose of wet weather.

A Colorado low is heading our way and is expected to bring a lot of rain.

Geoff Coulson says even though temperatures are going to cool off but we won't see anymore snow

Coulson suggests some areas could get as much as 30 to 50 millimeters a day during the rain storm.

Harbourfest Announces Sunday Night Concert Line Up

Harbourfest is betting you won't be able to fight this feeling.

The concert line-up has been announced for Sunday night of the August Long weekend and it features REO Speedwagon, Starship and Honeymoon Suite.

Director of Entertainment Dave Blake says they hope to finalize Friday night's performers shortly.

Blake says tickets are selling well for Saturday night's concert featuring Theory of a Deadman.

Tickets for the Sunday night show will go on sale Friday afternoon.

Changes in Store for the City's Economic Development Commission

Everything old is new again for the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Kenora City council has stripped the budget of the commission and has
changed the reporting structure for its employees.

Mayor Dave Canfield says going forward, the city will now be responsible for
the Discovery Center and the Whitecap Pavilion.

Council made the move after agreeing to shell out 182 thousand dollars to cover cost over-runs by the Development Commission last year.

The budget deficit was largely due to the cost of operating the Discovery
Center and the Whitecap Pavilion.

Hockey Northwest Supports Ban on Body Checking

Hockey Northwestern Ontario believes the game is safer today then it was last week.

HNO is supporting a Canadian Hockey ruling to eliminate body checking from the Peewee level.

General Manager Trevor Hosanna says it will allow coaches to focus on the basics.

Hosanna says it will give kids more time to develop other hockey skills.

Kenora Area Author Wins Award

A former Kenora-area author has won a prestigious national award.

Richard Wagamese from the Wabaseemoong First Nation was named one of two winners of the Canada Council Molson Prize.

The prize is worth 50 thousand dollars and is handed out each year to Canadians who work in the arts and social sciences.

Wagamese is a newspaper columnist and the author of a number of books including his most recent novel "Iron Horse".

Flooding Easing on Kasabonika Lake

 Emergency Management Ontario says the flood situation on a remote northwestern Ontario First Nation is stabilizing.
   
However, the agency says water levels are still high and some flooding continues in Kasabonika Lake First Nation.
 
Leaders of the First Nation say critical infrastructure is returning to normal operations and they are conducting ongoing assessments of the situation.
 
EMO says 45 residents evacuated as a precaution to Greenstone and Hearst returned to Kasabonika yesterday.

NorWOSSA AA Finals in Dryden Today

Two more NorWOSSA Soccer Champions will be crowned today.

The NorWOSSA Double "a" play-offs are taking place in Dryden.

Beaver Brae's girls team has a bye into the final, after finishing
first in the regular season.

The Broncos will take on the winner of this morning's semi-final between
Dryden and Fort Fr
ances.

Meanwhile, the Bronco boys hit the field at 9:30 in a semi-final against the
host Eagles.

The winner will meet the Muskies in this afternoon's gold medal game.

OPP Release Name of Accident Victim

The OPP have released the name of a woman killed in a single vehicle accident
in downtown Kenora over the weekend.

She has been identified as 76 year old Wanda Delorme.

Police say a post
mortem conducted yesterday shows that she died as a result of
injuries she sustained after the vehicle she was driving ran into a concrete retaining wall
below the parking lot of the Shopper's Drug Mart.

The OPP says she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.

Coney Island Water Line Up and Running

It took longer than expected, but the Coney Island Water Line is back up and running.

The City of Kenora says its completed the necessary flushing and testing
of the summer water service and Coney residents can now connect to the line.

The city had hoped to have the water line up and running by the May Long Weekend, but parts of it were still frozen, after an unusually cold spring.

Outflows Being Increased from Norman Dam

Water levels on Lake of the Woods are rising more quickly than expected.

Over the past week, the lake has gone up about nine inches.

As a result, the Lake of the Woods Control Board has approved daily
increases in outflow from the Norman Dam into the Winnipeg River.

Yesterday, outflows were increased by 50 cubic meters per second, and
a similar increase is being planned later today.

More increases are planned this week, which will mean water levels on the Winnipeg River could  rise by as much as two feet below the Norman Dam.

Beaver Brae Teacher Gets Textbook Credit

A teacher from Beaver Brae is offering her knowledge to students outside of Kenora.

Nancy Wagenaar was consulted in a new Environmental Science textbook.

Wagenaar says it was published by well-know publisher, McGraw Hill.

She says the textbook coincides with the Beaver Brae Envirothon team earning a top ten placement in the province.

Transit Proposals Draw Ire of Local Politicians

A proposal to raise gas taxes and the GST in Ontario to pay for mass transit in the Toronto area is getting the cold shoulder in northwestern Ontario.

Yesterday Metrolinx suggest a five cent a liter increase in the gas tax and a one percent increase in the GST to help ease traffic congestion in the Golden Horseshoe area.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says the government needs to see the issues facing the entire province not just the GTA.

Campbell says the government needs to find ways to fund infrastructure that's fair for everyone.

Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield says the province has already made gas prices too high and doesn't need
another increase.

Study Looks At Aboriginal Business

The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is looking at Aboriginal Economic Development Corporations in the province.

President J.P. Gladu says their report highlights the value of Economic Development Agencies in First Nation Communities.

Gladu says the findings show that aboriginal business opportunities are growing.

And he suggests
EDC's are a great way to drive revenue in these communities.

Wildlife Collisions on the Rise

A rash of motor vehicle crashes in the region involving wildlife has prompted a warning from provincial police.

Constable Anne McCoy says drivers need to be alert.

McCoy says deer, otters, bobcats, raccoon's and even a rabbit have been responsible for some of the recent collisions.

Motorists are asked to slow down and be aware of animals.

Drug Bust on Big Trout Lake

A Weagamow man faces two counts of possession charges following a drug investigation.

Provincial Police received a report of a man flying into Big Trout Lake First Nation with an unknown quantity of drugs.

Police say 41 year old Lawrence McKay has been been arrested.

He was allegedly caught with over 3-thousand dollars worth of drugs.

Saints NorWOSSA Soccer Gold

A clean sweep for the Thomas Aquinas Saints at the NorWOSSA soccer championships.

The T.A. girls needed overtime to beat Red Lake 3-1 yesterday afternoon in Sioux Lookout.

Gilly Derouard scored on a penalty shot in extra time, while Emma Wehner added an
insurance goal for the victory.

Meanwhile, Patrick Van Bellingham and Ryan Landon eached scored twice en route to
a 5-2 victory over Rainy River in the gold medal game.

The Saints girls will host the NWOSSA finals this Friday and Saturday, while the T.A. boys
will hit the road this weekend for their NWOSSA championship series.

Young Sharks Make and Impression in Thunder Bay

A strong showing for some of the younger members of the Kenora Sharks Swim Club at the Thunder Bay International Swim meet this past weekend.

10 year old Braden Martin led the way with 10 first place finishes, while 11 year old Gabe Mastromateo collected eight gold.

JC Drygasuk had five second, and two third place finishes. 

Joe Morrison and Callum Galusha, both 12, came in 1st and 2nd respectively in the 800 Metre Free.

Ethan Belrose, 9, who only started swimming last September, and just advanced to competitve swimming in April, came home from his first "away" meet with a bronze medal in the 50 Metre Free!


On the girls' side, Kate Kroeker, 10, won two 1st's, two 2nd's, and three 3rd places.


Natalie Peterson, 11, came 1st in the 200 Breast and also received three 2nd place and two 3rd place finishes.


Alison Stoliker also had a strong weekend picking up five first place finishes and four seconds.

Both the boys' and girls' 12 and under relay teams showed well with the boy's "A" team taking 1st in both the 200M Free, and the 200M Medleys.

The boys' "B" team came in 3rd in the 200M Free. The girls' "A" team came in 3rd in the 200M Medley, and 2nd in the 200M Free. The girls' "B" team took 3rd in the 200M Medley.


The Sharks finished second overall in the standings, behind the host Thunder Bay Thunderbolts.

Kenora OPP Make Drug Bust on Bypass

Another major drug bust for the Kenora OPP.

Officers say they stopped a vehicle on the Kenora By-Pass near the Redditt  Road intersection for speeding early this morning.

Following a short investigation, police decided to search the vehicle and found about 25 pounds of marijuana.

The OPP say the pot has a street value of about 200 thousand dollars.

27 year old Matthew Hill from Calgary appeared in Kenora Court today on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Kasabonika Lake Evacuates Due to Flooding

A remote northwestern Ontario First Nation has declared a state of emergency due to flooding.

Emergency Management Ontario says a partial evacuation of the Kasabonika Lake First Nation is underway.

About 150 vulnerable residents and their caregivers are being taken to Hearst and Greenstone.

Officials say rangers and volunteers have filled 25-hundred sandbags to protect vulnerable homes from flooding.

Roughly 866 people live on the reserve.

Update on Car Accident in Downtown

Kenora OPP have confirmed that an occupant of the car that drove up the Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot on Saturday evening has died.

Police say they are awaiting the results of post-mortem before releasing any information on the victim.

The accident took place on Saturday afternoon when a car driving on First Avenue South hit the embankment by Shoppers Drug Mart and ended up on top of the retaining wall.

Police had traffic rerouted through downtown for over 3 hours as they cleared the scene.

We will have more details has they are released.

Fire Hazard Edging Up

The forest fire hazard is moderate to high with some areas tipping up into the extreme range.

There were 4-new fires in the northwest region over the weekend.

Three of the fires were in the Dryden area.

5-fires continue to burn but no problems are anticipated.

Beaver Brae Earns Eco-School Status

Things are looking green at Beaver Brae High School.

Environmental Science Teacher Nancy Wagenaar says the secondary school just received recognition for their ecological intiatives.

Wagenaar says a lot of work went into the eco-accreditation.

She says the process included school activities, school yard greening and the mechanics of the school to promote energy savings.

Private School to Open in Quetico Center?

The education community is buzzing with word that a private high school is about to open at the former Quetico Center near Atikokan.  

It's the brainchild of Toronto's Michael Heaton who says he's shooting  for a September opening.

Heaton says tuition for the new school will be 39 thousand 500 dollars a year.

He
hopes to open the school  with an about 30 students.

NW Business Center Closes Dryden Office

The Northwest Business Center is losing one of its offices in the region.

The business Center which has an office in Kenora, is closing its Dryden office due to money issues.

However, Manager Diane Schwartz-Williams says all is not lost.

She says they will continue to offer programs through their Kenora office, using virtual technology.

Schwartz-Williams says there's an opportunity to reopen the Dryden office down the road, but there needs to be some funding.

Fire Destroys Motorhome on Trans-Canada

A scary incident for a motorist on Highway 1 in Manitoba over the weekend.

The Falcon Lake RCMP says a motorhome, towing a car, caught fire and went up in flames near the Pinegrove Rest Area around 10:30 Saturday morning.

The Mounties say the fire gutted both vehicles.

Police say both occupants managed to escape unharmed.

The cause of the fire appears to have been mechanical in nature.

Deadline for Big Game Tags Nears

Attention hunters, you can still apply for the 2013 Big Game Draws.

Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Michelle Nowak says residents in Northwestern Ontario can hunt moose or antlerless deer.

Applications for moose can be made till May 31st and antlerless deer till July 2nd.

For more information you can log onto:

 www.ontario.ca/hunting or call 1-800-288-1155.

NorWOSSA Single A Play-Offs Begin Today

The NorWOSSA Soccer play-offs will be taking place on two fronts this week.

Starting this morning, the Single "a" championships will be taking place in Sioux Lookout.

Both the Thomas Aquinas boys and girls teams will be in action.

The Saints girls are up first with a semi-final game at 9:00, while the T.A. boys will play their semi-final at 11:00.

The NorWOSSA Double A play-offs will take place in Dryden on Wednesday.

Car Accident in Downtown Kenora

OPP are investigating a single vehicle accident on the corner of Matheson Street South and and First Ave South.

The accident occurred around 5:30 this afternoon when a vehicle came off first avenue south and ended up perched partly on top of the Shoppers Drug Mart parking lot.

The roadway was closed for around 3 and a half hours has police cleared the scene.

We will have more details as they are made available.

OPP Charge Woman for Careless Driving

A woman from Winnipeg is facing a careless driving charge following an accident this morning on Highway 17 near Royal Lake Road.

OPP say the accident took place just before 3:30 when a Ford Expedition crossed over the centre line and hit a tractor trailer.

All 5 occupants of the Ford were taken to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital with minor injuries.

The occupants of the tractor trailer were not injured.

Geography Teachers Descend on Kenora

The City of Kenora is Geography Central this weekend.

Geography teachers from across the province are in town for
a two day conference.

The Ontario Association of Geographic and Environmental Education
is holding its spring convention at the Minis Hall.

Some of the highlights are tours of Tunnel and Pow
Wow Islands.

The Conference will wrap up tomorrow afternoon at Beaver Brae.

Water Levels on the Rise Again

Heavy rains this past weekend are starting to affect water levels on
Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods Control Board says its noticed an increase of about
eight inches in the past week alone.

As a result, the Control Board has ordered another increase in outflow from
the Norman Dam today.

Water levels below the dam on the Winnipeg River are expected to rise
about eight inches.

The lake is expected to go up another six to eight inches over the next
week as well.