Council Says Farewell to Long Time City Clerk

It's the end of an era at Kenora city hall.

City Clerk Joanne McMillan is retiring after 37 years on the job.

Councillor Rory McMillan and several other council members spoke highly of her work over the last four decades.

McMillin attended her last council meeting this past week and officially retires at the end of July.

Road Flooded By Dingwall Ford

Some traffic woes on the Sunset Strip.

The road between Dingwall Ford and the Days in is covered in
water.

It appears as though there has been a water main break in the area.

Vehicles are moving through the area, but at a reduced speed.

Hydro Rates Going Up Again

New electricity rates in Ontario kick in May 1st.

The Ontario Energy Board has approved a point-3 cent increase to both the off-peak and mid-peak rates and a point-6 cent increase in the on-peak rate.

The Energy Board says it will result in an monthly increase of about 2-dollars and 83 cents to the average household user.

Operations Department Braces for Pothole Season

It's pothole season.

City operations manager Rick Perchuk says crews are working to fill the holes but only so much can be done right now.

He says until the snow is gone, the holes will continue to develop and grow.

He says the freezing and thawing of water on the road is the main culprit at this time of year.

Perchuk expects more potholes to pop up as the spring melt continues.

City Hopeful Of Funding For Downtown Revitalization

We should find out soon whether there will be construction on
Second Street South this summer.

The city is waiting on the federal government to find out whether it
will help fund phase three of downtown revitalization.

Mayor Dave Canfield is confident the funding will be in place.

The province has already indicated it will be supporting the project through the
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

Tenders for the project will close today.

CanStar Revives Kenora Gold Project

An old gold mining site east of Kenora is being revived.

CanStar Resources says it has acquired the rights to several properties
in an area known as the Kenora Gold Project.

CanStar suggests the area has outstanding exploration opportunities.

The area was last mined in the late 1800's and early 1900's but hasn't seen much
activity since.

Horwath Asks Province to Support Special Education

The New Democrats say the provincial government needs to review the way it funds special education.

NDP leader Andrea Horwath says it's disappointing funding is being cut back at a time when there is an increasing demand.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says it could lose more than a million  dollars in special ed funding over the next couple of years.

Premier Kathleen Wynne Confirms Attendance at NOMA

Fort Frances plays host to Ontario's Premier next week.

Kathleen Wynne is in town to attend the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference.

NOMA vice-president Andrew Hallikas says it's hoped her attendance will lead to a few cabinet ministers showing up.

Hallikas says Wynne will be attending NOMA's banquet next Thursday evening, but it's not certain if she'll participate in the question and answer session of the meeting.

Osisko Recruits Another Ally

Osisko Mining has another ally as it tries to fend off a hostile takeover from Goldcorp.

Agnico Eagle Mines is joining with previously announced Yamana Gold to acquire Osisko, creating a new company called New Osisko.

The deal is valued at about 575-million dollars, well below what's being offered by Goldcorp.

Part of the agreement includes the new company continuing the exploration of the Hammond Reef Gold project near Atikokan.

Province Reduce Moose Tag Allocations

Ontario is reducing the number of adult moose tags available for the 2014 hunting season.

It comes after a recent aerial survey showed a decline in the animals population in the Northwest.

The largest tag reductions will occur in the areas with the largest declines namely the north.

The survey showed notable decreases in Dryden, Thunder Bay  and Fort Frances districts.

NAFN Turns 25

One of the biggest sporting events of the season is back in Kenora for another year.

Rob Hrabec says the 25th annual North American First Nations tournament starts tonight.

The tournament has 31 teams competing in a men's, women's, and old timers division.

Over 50 thousand dollars in prize money is up for grabs.

Gas Prices Going Up Again

Just in time for the Easter long weekend.

You might notice the price at the pump starting to go up.

A number of service stations in Kenora have boosted gas prices
to 139.9 cents a liter.

It pays to shop around though, because some outlets are still selling at
132.9.

The average pump price in Ontario today is 136.9.

Beaver Brae Wins NWOSSA Badminton Team Title

Beaver Brae's badminton team continues to excel.

The Broncos took home the NWOSSA Trophy as the regional championships in Wawa yesterday.

Three local badminton players have qualified for the provincial championships.

Tyler Neil finished second in the senior boys singles division and will advance to
OFSAA along with Logan Ginn and Kate Charlebois, who placed second in the mix
doubles event.

Other medal winners were Johnny Houlden and Eric Nelson who placed second in the
junior boys doubles division, while Alex Smith and Boe Rogers were third in the
senior boys doubles competition.

Thistles In Must Win Territory At Allen Cup

A familiar foe for the Kenora Triple "a" senior Thistles at the Allen Cup in
Dundas.

The Thistles will play their quarter-final game this evening against the
Southeast Prairie Thunder at 6:30.

The Thunder ousted the Bentely Generals last night 3-1 to finish the
round robin with a 1-1 record.

The only other game yesterday saw the 2011 Allen Cup champs, the Clarenville
Caribous dump the Brantford Blast 6-2.

Clarenville and Dundas both have byes into the Allen Cup semi-finals tomorrow.