Snowmobiler Dies Near Ear Falls

The Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a fatal accident near Ear Falls.

Police say 3 snowmobilers were travelling along a hydro trail when one of the riders hit a guide wire.

The Northwest Emerhency Medical Services found a man, 43 year old Robert Boucha of Ear Falls, dead at the scene.

The Ear Falls OPP along with the Technical Collision Investigator are looking into the accident.

City Delays Load Restrictions

No need to lighten the load just yet.

The City of Kenora says it has decided to post-pone weight restrictions on
local roads due to the extremely cold weather.

Load limitations usually go into effect for the spring starting March 1st.

However, the city says it will bag the signage until roads start to thaw and
conditions worsen.

Kenora Endures Coldest Winter in almost a Century

It's been a miserable winter across northwestern Ontario, but it's not
the coldest on record.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says historical records show
the winter of 1916/1917 was actually much worse.

He says back then, the average temperature during December, January and February was -22 celcius.

This year, the average winter temperature in Kenora has been about -18.

There's not a lot of relief in sight.

Environment Canada says Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec can all expect colder than normal conditions during the month of March.

Another Day, Another Water Main Break

It's starting to sound like a broken record.

Yet another water main break...this time on 1st Street South by the Kenora curling club.

A large pool of water is covering the road there and also on 7th Avenue
South over towards Park Street.

Meanwhile, Second Street South between 7th and 8th Avenues remains closed to traffic this morning.

That section of the Trans-Canada through town has been affected by a water main
break.

Fort Frances Explosion Under Investigation

An investigator with the Ministry of Labour is expected to be in Fort Frances today looking into yesterday's accident at Resolute Forest Products.

A dust explosion and subsequent fire at the company's biomass boiler sent an unnamed worker to hospital with serious burn injuries.

The man was last listed in critical condition.

A company spokesperson says they're also trying to determine the cause of the accident and that their main focus is with the employee and his family.

Operations at biomass have since resumed.

Councillors Enjoy Positvie Meetings with Cabinet Ministers

The effort continues to twin Highway 17 to the Manitoba Border.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says that was a main message they sent across at the Ontario Good Roads Conference.

He says they told the minister that they want the project to start this summer if at all possible.

Canfield says the meeting with Transportation meeting Glenn Murray was very productive.

He notes another big issue they discussed was getting government support for infrastructure projects.

Odor of Marijuana Takes over OPP Detachment

That's not skunk you smell at the OPP detachment in Kenora.

A strong odor of marijuana has permeated the building in recent days.

Inspector Dave Lucas says they have a large amount of marijuna in their
storage lockers as a result of recent drug busts.

He says ideally they'd like to store the smelly evidence outside their offices.

Lucas says some of the pot is evidence in on-going court cases.

He adds that they also need the green light from Health Canada before they can dispose
of the marijuana.

St. James Church In Keewatin Set To Close

An end of an era for a century-old church in Keewatin.

St. James will be closing it's doors at the end of April.

Archbishop of the Keewatin Diocese, David Ashdown says
the small congregation can no longer keep the church running.

Ashdown says the congregation will become part of St. Alban's in Kenora.

He says no decision has been made as to what to do with the actual building.

Greenstone Customers Lose Natural Gas Supply

The heat is slowly coming back on in homes and businesses in the Longlac Area.

As many as 800 Union Gas customers were without heat yesterday and the municipality declared a state of emergency.

Greenstone Mayor Ron Beaulieu says a warming centre has been opened at the Geraldton High School with transportation being provided.

Union Gas' regulating station in the Greenstone area failed most likely because of the severe cold weather.

Spokesperson Dave Sword says they're still working on fixing the problem.

Province Drafts Legislation To Tackle Invasive Species

Ontario is getting tough on invasive species.

Natural Minister David Orazietti says if passed, Ontario would become the first in Canada to have its own legislation to better deal with things such as zebra mussels, Asian carp and mountain pine beetles.

He suggests the will  make it easier for Ontario to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to invasive species.

Orazietti says the province currently relies on a patchwork of federal and provincial laws that don't have enough teeth.

Bronco Boys Lose Game One of NorWOSSA Final

Beaver Brae's boys hockey team is in must-win territory.

The Broncos came out flat in game one of the NorWOSSA finals
last night in Fort Frances, dropping a 7-1 decision to the Muskies.

Fort leads the best-of-three series 1-0.

Game two is back home Sunday night at 7:30 at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Hockey for Health in Need of Teams

A tough year for the Hockey for the Health 3 on 3 tournament.

Organizer Jess Rheault says without more registrations some divisions may go by the wayside.

Rheault says they have availability up to 6 teams in all divisions but can run the tournament with 4.

The deadline to register for the tournament is tomorrow.

All proceeds collected go to support the hospital foundation and the expansion of the rec centre.

visit http://www.lwdhf.com/events/3-on-3-hockey/ or call Jess at 468-9861 ext. 2419 to sign up your team.

Saints Ranked 8th for OFSAA

The Thomas Aquinas senior girls volleyball team now know where they sit heading into OFSAA next week.

The Saints have been given the 8th spot in the rankings for the single A all-Ontario Championships next week in Richmond Hill.

TA will play round robin games on Monday at 10:30, 1:30, and 4:00 and also Tuesday at 1:00.

Playoffs begin at 4:00 on Tuesday and run through Wednesday.

TSB Releases Report on Fatal Pickle Lake Plane Crash

Darkness and dim runway lights are being blamed for a fatal plane crash in Pickle Lake a year and a half ago.

Three people were killed in the crash of an Aerofab Lake 250 aircraft on the night of October 16th, 2012.

The Transportation safety board says the pilots of the plane likely lost their bearings due to the lack of visual clues.

The report released by the TSB says the plane came in for landing at six times the normal rate of descent
and hit the ground.

The two pilots from Quebec and a 27 year old passenger also from Trois Rivieres were killed.

Another passenger survived with only minor injuries.

Weather Records Set Two Days in a Row

Weather records continue to tumble.

For the second day in a row, Kenora has set a record for cold temperatures.

This morning, the thermometer has dropped to -34, smashing the previous
record set back in 1962, of -31.7.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says a number of records were
also broken across the region yesterday.

In Kenora, the temperature dropped to -31 just before midnight, breaking the
previous record of -29.4, set in 1964.

Laidlaw says the intense cold will continue right through the weekend and into next week as well.

Neknomination Charges Laid

OPP in Atikokan are laying charges on two male youth after their investigation into a Neknomination video that was recently posted.

One has been charged with failing to wear a helmet on a snowmobile and having an improper tow attachment.

The second youth is being charged with underage drinking and failing to wear a helmet as well.

Samsung Donates 20 Thousand Dollars to Thomas Aquinas

Technology at Thomas Aquinas has gotten a shot in the arm.

Phyllis Eikre is Director of Education at the Separate Board and says Principal Paul White received a 20 thousand dollar grant at the top principal's award gala.

Eikre says the money could help build a new program at the school or
they could improve upon the bring your own device program that was started this year.

The grant was presented to all the prinicpals at the awards through the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow program.

OPP Investigate Snow Shovelling Scam

Not all scams happen on-line or over the phone.

The Kenora OPP are investigating a scam where items were stolen out of a persons home.

Police say a number of items went missing from the bathroom of a home after a man and woman offered to shovel their driveway.

The items were taken when one of the shovellers asked to use the bathroom.

If you have any information on this incident please call OPP or Crimestoppers.

Crime Drops In Kenora in 2013

The crime rate continues to plummet in Kenora.

Figures released by the OPP shows there was 13,502 incidents in 2013, a drop of about 15 hundred from the year before.

Inspector Dave Lucas says they are targeting a number of areas to reduce crime in the community.

Lucas adds that violent crime in 2013 was down about 28 percent, while
property crimes were about 25 percent lower last year.

Kenora Curlers Win One Medal A NorWOSSA Playdowns

Just one medal for Beaver Brae and Thomas Aquinas curling teams at
the NorWOSSA championships in Sioux Lookout.

The Bronco girls earned the bronze medal, while the host Warriors claimed gold.

In the boys division, Red Lake took top honors, while Atikokan won the mixed division.

Only the top two teams will advance to the NWOSSA finals.

Dubchak Helps Thunderwolves to Play-Off Victory

Kenora's Carson Dubchak and the Lakehead University Thunderwolves are looking good in their OUA West Semi-Final.

The Wolves pounded Ryerson 7-0 last night in Toronto.

Dubchak had a goal and an assist in the victory.

Lakehead can wrap up the Best-of-3 series with another win Friday night in Thunder Bay.

Water Main Break on Second Street South

Another day, another water main break.

This time in a fairly busy intersection.

A water pipe broke overnight on Second Street South
near 8th Avenue.

A large amount of water has pooled near the 8th Avenue Bridge, and visibility is very poor due to all the steam from the water.

City crews and police are at the scene and motorists are advised to find
an alternate route downtown.

Highway re-opened

Traffic is flowing once again on Highway 17A at the Reddit Road.

OPP closed the intersection due to a jack knifed tractor-trailor shortly after 2:00.

The road is now open in all directions.

Caution while driving is still advised has blowing snow is causing white out conditions.

Tractor Trailor Closes Highway

The Kenora OPP are working to clear the Kenora by-pass at the Reddit Road.

Shortly after 2 a semi trailer jack-knifed at the intersection

Police have closed Highway 17A and one lane of traffic is open to the Reddit Road.

As a result the Northwest Student Services Consortium is advising of bus delays North of the city.

Affected buses include KN14, KN16, KN31, and KN97

Winter Bites Garners Rave Reviews

Taking a bite out of winter.

Special Events Coordinator Crystal Stokes says with only a few days left, the Winter Bites campaign has received gotten great feedback in the city.

Stokes says both local restaurants and patrons have enjoy the month long culinary event highlighting Kenora's eateries.

She notes that the event also saw reviews from numerous food critics including Kenora's very own Masterchef Mike Green.

Stokes says plans are already underway to make Winter Bites bigger and better for next year.

Record Cold Coming Our Way

It's a not a record to be proud of.

Kenora is in danger of breaking a record cold temperature tonight.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says we could hit -36 overnight.

He adds that the cold is going to continue for the rest of the week and into March.

The record low for this time of year is about -30.

The average low for this time of year is about -15.

Two Now in City Council Race

Then there were two.

A second person has thrown his hat into the ring for the Kenora City Council
race.

Gregory Potvin filed his nomination papers earlier this month.

He joins Kelvin Chicago-Boucher as the only two people to file nomination
papers for the October 27th vote.

School Board elections will also be held at the same time, and vice-chair of
the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, Cecile Marcino was first off the mark.

September 12th is the deadline to file.

Campbell Renews Invitation to Transportation Minister

Ontario's Transportation minister is being reminded of his promise to visit northwestern Ontario this winter.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell says Glen Murray promised to take a first hand look at road conditions in the region back in the fall, but so far he has managed to stay away.

Murray says he spoke with several mayor yesterday at the Ontario Good Roads Conference and they are much happier with road conditions ever since more plows were put on the road.

Murray is also promising to reform winter road standards next year for further improvements.

Health Unit Pleased With Healthier Choices Act

The Northwestern Health Unit is calling it a great first step to making healthier choices.

Yesterday, the provincial government introduced legislation requiring larger eateries and restaurants to post calories on their menus.

The Healthier Choices Act, if passed, would only target restaurants that have 20 or more outlets.

But Northwestern Health Unit Dietician, Chelsea Socholotuk says it can give smaller cafes and restaurants motivation.

Socholotuk says in turn it could prompt restaurants owners to change their recipes to making them healthier.

Fines for Distracted Driving Are Going Up

Provincial Police in northwestern Ontario say distracted driving isn't acceptable and a new fine imposed by the province should make that perfectly clear.

Talking on your phone, looking at your computer screen or even grabbing a bite to eat while behind the wheel will soon cost you 280-dollars.

Sergeant Shelly Garr says that's up from 155-dollars.

The fines will not apply to GPS screens.

The new fines will go in place on March 18th.

OFAH Asking For Support Of Spring Bear Hunt

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is worried that opponents of the Spring Bear Hunt will try to convince the provincial government to cancel a pilot project this year.

The government has proposed a modified spring hunt in eight wildlife areas in northern Ontario this spring.

Yesterday former Price Is Right host Bob Barker called the hunt barbaric claiming cubs are starved to death after their mothers are lured from their den.

The OFAH is asking northerners to log onto the Environmental bill of rights and register their support for
the hunt.

Federal Government Asked To Investigate Propane Prices

Questions are being raised about the price of propane in northwestern Ontario .

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says an Atikokan resident was quite shocked when she filled up her tank recently to find the price has skyrocketed over the past year.

Rafferty says while the Canadian Propane Association insists there is no shortage in Canada, he wonders if it's a case of price gouging and wants the Minister of Finance to investigate.

Minnesota has been experiencing propane shortages this winter and increased costs as a result.

Good Results for Local Skiers at OFSAA

A strong showing from local skiers at the All-Ontario Cross-Country Ski Championships in Timmins.

Lisle Compton from Thomas Aquinas finished just outside the medals placing 5th in the junior girls four kilometer race.

Karly Lockhart and Claire Hensrud from Beaver Brae were 22nd and 29th respectively in the field of 130 racers.

In the senior girls event, Katie Lockhart from Beaver Brae had a 17th place finish, while Rowan Schott from Thomas
Aquinas was 63rd.

In the junior boys five kilometer race, Ted O'Flaherty from T.A. was 117th overall, while Sheldon Hissa from Beaver Brae was 130th.

Beaver Brae Wrestler Qualifies for OFSAA

Beaver Brae is sending one wrestler to the OFSAA Championships next week.

Tyanna Carpenter earned a berth in the all-Ontario championships after going undefeated at NWOSSA last week.

The gold medal adds to a strong season where she won a tournament in Dryden and came second in a Winnipeg tournament.

Carpenter will look to improve on her 2-2 record at OFSAA last year.

The tournament runs March 5th and 6th in Brampton.

Tourism Kenora Seeks Local Photo's

Tourism Kenora wants to tell your story.

Heather Gropp is the tourism services officers and says their new spring promotion will feature how residents experience Lake of the Woods.

Gropp says they want local residents to submit photo's featuring how they enjoy and sue Lake of the Woods.

She says the idea is based on the belief that local residents have the best stories and experiences in the region.

Photos can be submitted at tourism@kenora.ca until March 31st.

Police Investigating Jewelry Thefts

The Kenora OPP are investigating multiple jewelry thefts in the city.

Police say a man on Thursday entered a business and was able to make off with two bracelets valued at $3,500.

On Saturday and Sunday 2 more thefts took place, this time a number of suspects stole three rings from a business valued at $9,500.

The OPP say the suspects are aboriginal and are in their early twenties, one with a very short brush cut style hair cut and one with short hair.

Anyone with information call the OPP or Crimestoppers.

White to Pick Up Top Principal Award Tonight

Thomas Aquinas principal Paul White gets his day in the sun today.

White is in Toronto for a ceremony recognizing the 40 top  principals in Canada.

White says the award is a reflection of his staff as much as his leadership skills.

The Learning Partnership will be presenting the awards this evening at a gala awards dinner at the Hilton Harborcastle.

New Scam Circulating in NWO

Be on the lookout for another on-line scam in our area.

This scam is timely as it is tax time.

An email is being sent from someone claiming to be from the Canada Revenue Agency.

It advises folks of a refund that will go directly on to your Visa of Mastercard.

It asks for your credit card information to transfer the funds.

An agency representative says it doesn't issue refunds in this manner, especially if you haven't filled out your taxes yet.

Casino Plans Could be On Hold for Months

Still no indication when the provincial government intends to award a
casino contract for communities in northern Ontario.

The request for proposal for the Ontario North Gaming bundle closed almost a year ago.

Pat Brett from the Golden Eagle Charitable Casino says it could be a while before they find out who gets the contract.

He says the government was supposed to release a short list last April, but now, he's hearing
it could be the end of the year.

The Northern Gaming Bundle, includes new casinos for Kenora and North Bay, plus
the operation of existing casinos in Thunder Bay, Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.

School Board Adopts Five Year Capital Plan

Trustees with the Kenora Catholic District School Board have approved a new five year capital plan.

Operations manager Andrew Poirier says previously they've they always limited their capital plans to just two years.

He adds that they have received a lot of input from specialists.

Poirier adds the other plan is based on input from school councils, principals and staff about how to improve the school environment.

Conservatives Critical Of Province's Handling of Mining

The Liberal government at Queens Park is getting criticized for the way it's handling mining in the province.  

In the legislature Vic Fedeli of the Progressive Conservatives noted that Ontario's credibility in mining has been taking a hit over the last decade.

Fedeli also notes that the Far North Act has cut off half of  northern Ontario from being explored,  causing many companies to move out of the province.

He's also worried the government will want to tax the chromite coming out of the Ring of Fire, deterring exploration.

Feather Of Hope Report Released

Ontario's Advocate for Children and Youth has released a special report by First Nations Youth.

Feather of Hope urges local, provincial, federal and First Nations leadership to partner with them in order to create safer and healthier First Nations communities.

Deputy Chief for Nishnawbe-Aski Nation Alvin Fiddler says the report will be fodder for future discussions.

Fiddler says, they are very committed to working with their youth on the report.

Broncos Girls Swept By Muskies

Beaver Brae's girls team ran out of gas in Fort Frances.

Playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Broncos were beaten
8-2 by the Muskies yesterday in game two of their best-of-three semi-final.

The Muskies take that series in two games straight.

Fort Frances will play the winner of the series between Dryden and Red Lake.

Game two of that series goes tonight in Red Lake, with the Eagles leading one game
to none.

Broncos bust the Saints

The battle of Kenora goes to Beaver Brae.

The Broncos used the power play in the second period to vault them
to a 5-4 win over Thomas Aquinas in the third and deciding game of
their best-of-three semi-final.

Rhyse Mandamin scored the game winner in the third period on a penalty
shot.

The Broncos will now face Fort Frances in the NorWOSSA finals.

The Muskies trounced Dryden 10-3 last night to win that semi in two straight.

The NorWOSSA Final is expected to begin Thursday night in the Fort.

Free Business Workshops in the City

A couple free workshops in the city for local businesses.

Dana Bridgeman-Cross with Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong says they are bringing in a  renowned speaker  Denise Bissonnette for the workshops title "Workplace Inclusion Training" and "30 Ways to Shine."

The workshops take place at the Bestwestern Lakeside inn tomorrow and Wednesday.

to R.S.V.P you can email Dana at dcross@shooniyaa.org

Kenora's Snow is Twice as Much as Usual

How much snow is too much snow.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says the Kenora area has already seen about twice as much snowfall as  we'd get in a "normal" winter.

He says the snow pack at the Kenora Airport is about 85
inches, which is about double the amount for the end of February.

The Kenora Airport says this has probably been the most snow they've seen in at least 25 years.

Attiwapiskat Walkers Make it to Ottawa

A more than 17-hundred kilometre walk from the remote northern community of Attawapiskat to Ottawa is over.

The group has arrived on Parliament Hill and is sharing its experience.

The trip, organized in part by Danny Metatawbin, started on January 4th.

Roughly 25 people ended up taking part in the trek when all was said and done.

Metatawbin has stated that they need to have open dialogue with the Provincial and Federal governments.

Walkers raised several issues including poverty, poor housing and high suicide rates.

School Board Pleased With Solar Projects

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says it's run into a bit of a problem with it's solar panels.

The separate school board installed a number of solar units on top of Pope John Paul School
last year.

Operations manager Andrew Poirier says overall they are exceeding their targets for electrical
generation.

However, he admits they haven't been able to generate any power over the past couple of months
because their solar panels are covered with snow.

He says they haven't been able to remove the snow from the solar units and is hoping for an early
spring they can resume generating electricity.

City Well Represented at Good Roads

Municipal leaders are in Oakville today for the annual Good Roads Confererance.

Mayor Dave Canfield says they have one big issue on their agenda this year.

He says they have a file on homelessness that will be presented to
the cabinet ministers they meet.

Canfield also notes that bridge repairs and taxation will be on their agenda.

NOMA has applied for upwards of nine meetings with provincial cabinet ministers.

RCMP Officer Injured In Weekend Collision

A close call for an RCMP officer on duty in eastern Manitoba.

Early Sunday morning, a marked police cruiser was on patrol just west
of Pinawa, when it was side-swiped by an eastbound vehicle.

The force of the collision caused the window of the police car to shatter.

The car made no attempt to stop, so police began pursuit.

The suspect vehicle was pulled over about a kilometer away from the scene of the collision.

The RCMP say the 45 year old driver was charged with impaired driving
and breach of conditions to abstain from alcohol.

The driver of the police cruiser was treated in hospital for minor injuries, while the officer in the passenger seat was unharmed.