Experiments Will Take Place at ELA in 2014

Another groundbreaking day for the Experimental Lakes Area.

The Province of Ontario and the International Institute for Sustainable Development have signed an agreement that will allow experiments to continue at the facility this year.

Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti says "the government has stepped up to provide the financial support necessary to keep this world-class facility operational, while ensuring the environment is protected."

Ontario is committing 2 million dollars a year to the ELA.

Negotiations to give the IISD full control of the facility have been a year in the making when the federal government cut funding to the facility.

Closure and Cancellation Update

The term snow day doesn't seem to do all the closures justice.

Businesses and services throughout the region have closed their doors today.

The Northwestern Health Unit will be closed today, they do however have an emergency line running at 1-807-468-7109.

Recycling and garbage pick up has been cancelled by the city of Kenora.

Regular pick up will continue tomorrow.

Other closures today include the the Best Start Hub, Firefly Childcare, Minto Resource Centre, And Kenora Swim Club.

On a positive note Kenora Public Transit is running, as well the city will still be holding it's Strategic Planning Meeting tonight at the rec centre at 7:00.

Weather Takes Positive Spin After Storm

The region is digging out from yesterday's big snow storm.

CJRL Metrologist Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says the worst is over and the digging out can begin.

Laidlaw says no new snow is expected today and that we can expect sunshine and above zero temperatures for the rest of the week.

The worst hit area during the storm was Sioux Lookout, which received 47 centimetres of snow.

Ministry to Fund Mental Health in Schools

The Ministry of Education is giving a higher priority to student mental health.

A ministry spokesperson confirmed last week that funding for mental health will now be permanently added to school board budgets.

Joan Kantola is the superintendant of education with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board and says the funding recognizes the increasing needs in their schools.

Overall, the province says it will be spending almost 23 billion dollars on education in the 2014/2015 school year.

LU Students Will Not Protest Tuition Increase

The president of the Lakehead University Student Union says not to expect a student protest over increased tuition fees.

The board of governors has increased fees an average of 3-percent, but Union President Ian Kaufman says they have decided against any uprising even though it's the 8th increase in a row.

Kaufman says they presented 5 recommendations to the Board of Governors.

The top student recommendation is an independent review of the university's books

Opposition Leader Defends Allegations

Opposition leader Tim Hudak is standing his ground.  

Premier Kathleen Wynne is threatening legal action unless Hudak retracts statements he made about linking the premier to deleted emails in the her office relating to the gas plant scandal.  

Hudak says Wynne has her priorities backwards.

Hudak says he will not withdraw his allegations.

Highway and School Closures

The snow storm may be over but the effects are still hitting the region with full force.

All schools for the Kenora Catholic and Keewatin Patricia District School Boards are closed for the day, including board offices.

The North West Student Services Consortium has cancelled buses for most of the region.

The cancellations include Kenora, Sioux Narrows, Dryden and Vermilion Bay.


At the post-secondary level, Confederation College has shut down the Lake of the Woods campus for the day.

Meanwhile highways are slowly being re-opened.

Highway 17 between the Manitoba boundary and Shabaqua is now open after being closed overnight.

Highway 17 between Shabaqua and Thunder Bay remains closed.

Highway 71 has been re-opened.

Highway 11 from Highway 600 to Highway 71 is closed.

Highway 502 from Dryden to Fort Frances is closed.

Travel is still not recommended.