Non Profit Housing Project ready for Kenora

More details about a housing project in Kenora will be released today.

The Aamikkowiish Non-Profit Housing Corporation will be holding a sod turning ceremony at the Neechee Friendship center this morning.

A total of 17 new housing units are being built for aboriginal families.

The Executive Director of the Ontario Aborigianl Housing Service will also be on hand for the groundbreaking.

The ceremony is scheduled to start at 10:00.

Rain helps fire crews in Northwest

A short-lived reprieve for fire fighters in northwestern Ontario.

Wide-spread cloud and rain help keep the number of new forest fire starts down yesterday.

Only four new blazes were reported in the region, but that's on top of the 103 that are still burning.

Smoke from the fires in the far north remains the biggest challenge for fire crews and aircraft battling the blazes.

Rickford and Clement meet with local evacuees

FedNor Minister Tony Clement says the forest fire situation is a very serious and he is asking the Province to take the initiative and ask for help.

Clement and Kenora MP Greg Rickford met with firefighters and evacuees in Dryden this morning.

Clement says the Federal Government is doing everything it can.

In terms of emergency assitance relief, its up to the Province to ask for Federal support, and Clement says he's hoping they do it "sooner rather than later".

Evacuations Continue from the Far North

More than 3,000 residents of northwestern Ontario have now been evacuated from their homes as forest fires continue to rage through parts of the province.

Mike Morton of Emergency Management Ontario says so far Kenora has not been asked to welcome any evacuees.

Residents of Cat Lake, Sandy Lake, Keewaywin, Wunnamin Lake and Kingfisher Lake have been evacuated to Moosenee, Arthur and as far away as Ottawa.

Youth Charged in Morson Break-ins

Four youth face charges connection with a rash of break-ins in the Morson area of Lake of the Woods.

OPP say a number of cabins at a tourist resort and several homes were broke into over the weekend with damages estimated to be over one-hundred thousand dollars.

The four accused will now appear in Fort Frances court next month on break and enter and possession of stolen property charges

New Confederation College President on Tour

The new president of Confederation College has kicked off his first visit to the regional campuses.

Jim Madder is meeting with staff at the Lake of the Woods Campus in Kenora this week.

He says he wants to strengthen the partnerships the College now enjoys.

Madder says the visit also gave him a better understanding of the issues and opportunities facing the Campus.

Kenora Man fined for Illegally Killing a deer

A Kenora man has been fined three thousand dollars for illegally hunting Deer.

The Ministry of Natural Resources say they arrested a man last November after he had killed a deer on private property on the Essex Road.

MNR Conservation officers conducted an investigation and determined the deer had been killed at night.

Marcel Brousseau was fined for hunting at night and possessing an illegally killed deer.

Brown now officially City's CAO

Karen Brown is now officially Kenora's Chief Administrative Officer.

Brown has been on the job as the city's top civil servant since August 1st of last year, but her probation period has just been completed.

Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield says three members of city council did a performance review and it was agreed that Brown has been doing a good job as the city's administrator.

Brown replaced long time CAO Bill Presentanz last summer.

Four weather records set

It was a record setting day across northwestern Ontario.

A number of communities across the region set temperature records.

In Kenora, the thermometer hit 33.1 degrees, breaking a 71 year old record.

The previous high for July 19th was 30.6.

Red Lake was the hot spot in northwestern Ontario, with the temperature topping

out at 35.2, smashing the previous record by three degrees.

Discovery Center almost ready to open

Tourism Kenora is getting ready to move into its new digs.

This week is moving week.

Tourism Development Officer, Heather Paterson says the old tourism office on Highway 17 east has been closed down

as the city prepares to open the new Discovery Center on Cameron Bay.

That facility is scheduled to officially supposed to open its doors on Friday morning to the public.

The grand opening is expected to take place sometime in September.

Health Unit Issues Smoke Advisory

With all the smoke this week caused by forest fires burning in the far north, the Northwest Health Unit has come out with an advisory for local residents.

The Health Unit says the young, the elderly, pregnant women, people with heart or lung problems, and people doing strenuous exercise are at the greatest risk.

If the smokey conditions prevail, the Health Unit suggests local residents stay indoors, and remain inactive and keep their windows and doors closed.

If you begin to feel unwell, you should contact your health care provider.

Conditions in Red Lake, Thunder Bay and Dryden are said to be very bad today.

Clement to meet with Fire Evacuees

FedNor Minister Tony Clement is in Dryden this morning to meet with volunteers, firefighters and evacuees affected by wildfires raging in the area.

Clement will be joined by Kenora MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs Greg Rickford.

The two will be at the Dryden Airport at 10 o'clock.

Burning Permits in the City Suspended

The hot dry conditions are causing concern for Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services.

It's forced officials to suspend all burning permits within the city citing unusually dry conditions.

The burning ban won't be lifted until the situation improves.

Premier urges residents to be careful with fire

Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have forced evacuations in several communities.

Premier Dalton McGuinty is urging those venturing into Ontario forests to be careful.

 More than 115 forest fires are raging across northwestern Ontario, and thousands of residents are in immediate danger from the growing flames and dense smoke.

Communities Looking for Help with Evacuees

Forest fires in northwestern Ontario have communities scrambling

to find accommodation for thousands of people who may have to be evacuated.

Thunder Bay wants Queen's Park to get involved in the evacuation and help with the temporary housing needed for up to 7-thousand evacuees.

Timmins and Sudbury have agreed to take in evacuees.

Some have already gone to Wawa, Sioux Lookout, Kapuskasing, Matachewan and Greenstone.

NAN Urges Governments to Commit more resources to Evacuations

Nishnawbe-Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy is asking the Provincial and Federal Governments to commit all available emergency resources to help First Nations threatened by forest fires.

Beardy wants Ottawa to ensure that enough aircraft are available to evacuate the communities at a moment's notice.

More than 115 forest fires are raging across Northwestern Ontario, and Beardy says thousands of residents are in immediate danger from the growing flames and dense smoke.

As many as 200 residents of Keewaywin First Nation were evacuated to Winnipeg on Monday evening after 197 residents were evacuated Sunday.

76-residents of Cat Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Dryden and 170 residents of North Spirit Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Greenstone.

About 750 residents of Sandy Lake First Nation have been evacuated to Thunder Bay, and 230 residents of Kingfisher Lake First Nation are on standby for evacuation.

A total of 46-hundred people have already been evacuated and more are expected in the coming days.

Beady is also asking the Province to declare a state of emergency so that all necessary resources can be directed to protect the health and safety of the residents of the effected communities.

OPP searching for Suspect in Airport Road Assault

The OPP are searching for a suspect in connection to an assault that took on a trail just off the Airport Road.

Police say the incident took place just before 7:00 last night on the hydro highline trail near Tetroe Road.

A woman was walking her dog when a man ran out of the bush and allegedly assaulted her.

The woman ran out of the bush and managed to flag down a motorist.

The OPP were contacted and they brought out their Emergency Response Team and a K-9 unit in their search for the suspect.

He is described as a First Nations man, tall, with a muscular build wearing dark shorts.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kenora Detachment of the OPP.

Temperature Records could fall today

It could be a record-breaking day, weather-wise.

Its going to be another scorcher for Kenora and parts of northwestern Ontario.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says the temperature isn't the only thing local residents will have to deal with.

He says with the humidex is could feel like 40 celcius. 

The thermometer is expected to peak at 33 this afternoon.

The record for July 19th is 30.6.

Power Out in Pickle Lake Again

Pickle Lake residents are once again dealing with a power outage.

Red Lake Fire number 84 near Ear Falls has damaged power lines which has left 629-Hydro One customers in the dark.

Hydro One says power might not be restored until Friday.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says up to 6-kilometres of line have been affected.

Pickle Lake dealt with a lengthy power outage last week before power was restored for a brief period of time.

Ignace Woman faces Animal Cruelty Charges

An Ignace woman is facing not one, but three animal cruelty charges.

Earlier this month, the OPP say a large Bullmastiff managed to escape and killed a smaller dog.

The owner Tamela Inkster was initially charged with two counts under the Dog Owners Liablity Act.

11 days later, the OSPCA contacted Ignace OPP in relation to another complaint of animal cruelty.

Police were led back to Inkster who was then charged with Animal Cruelty under the criminal code and will appear in court on August 30.

Library ready to move forward with Operational Review

The Kenora Public Library says its ready to proceed with an operational review.

Council last night approved the terms of reference for the review, which includes governance, internal staff structure, service delivery and a  financial review.

Councillor Rory McMillan says the terms of reference do address a number of concerns council has raised about the Library's debt and deficit this year.

The Library Board has agreed to find its own funding to pay for the operational review.

Forest Fire Situation Intensifies in the Northwest

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to struggle to get the upper hand on several wildfires in the Northwest.

Information Officer Debbie MacLean says they have over 2-thousand firefighters involved in the fight.

Sioux Lookout Fire number 70 has grown to over 87-thousand hectares in size and is now burning 1-kilometre away from the Mussewhite Mine.

Firefighters continue to try and protect the mine site.

Musselwhite Mine Road and Highway 599 just north of Pickle Lake have been closed as a result.

More Evacuations due to Forest Fires

Nearly 400 people in northwestern Ontario have been evacuated by Canadian Forces personnel as forest fires threaten their communities.

The Forces says that 385 residents from Fort Hope and Sandy Lake have been flown out.

Members of the Fort Hope First Nation were evacuated Monday to Greenstone, using a Hercules from CFB Trenton.

People from Sandy Lake First Nation were airlifted on a Hercules to Winnipeg.

KACL Gets Green Light for Accessible Community Garden

The dream of a fully accessible community garden is now a bit closer to reality.

Kenora City Council has given its blessing to the project by allowing the Kenora Association for Community Living to use a road allowance in the Lakeside area to build the garden.

Lisa Gate-Villa has been spearheading the project and says plans for the garden are really coming together.

After meeting with city staff, council agreed to allow KACL to use the road allowance along 6th Street South and 3rd Avenue South for their community garden.

Ontario's Coronor's Office Looks at Pikangikum Suicides

The Ontario chief coroner's office is releasing some startling research on a rash of suicides on the Pikangikum First Nation.

Dr. Bert Lauwers, the deputy chief coroner for investigations in Ontario, says a unique feature of the Pikangikum suicides is that many happened in clusters.

Lauwers says a crisis intervention team should be put in place after a youth suicide to identify vulnerable children and provide them with immediate counselling.

Fires in the Far North blowing smoke into the City of Kenora

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and smoke from those blazes is causing some concern in the Kenora area.

The MNR fire base in Kenora says its been inundated with calls complaining about the smokey haze.

Its believed fires burning in the far north in the Red Lake District are responsible for the smoke.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says its dealing with almost 100 wild fires today, including a nearly 14 thousand hectares blaze, which is burning out of control about 50 kilometres northeast of Ear Falls, and is threatening a number of power lines.

Another fire of more than 70-thousand hectares is out of control near the Musselwhite Mine site.

And a blaze of 79-thousand hectares is out of control nine kilometres east of the New Osnaburgh First Nation.

Another road closure on the Kenora By-Pass

A couple of accidents have closed the Trans-Canada for varying periods of time over the past 24 hours. 

A section of the Kenora By-Pass at the west end near Middle Lake was shut down temporarily due to a single vehicle accident.

The OPP says a tractor trailor unit drove off the road and almost went into Louise Lake.

Crews have been working to remove the wreckage from the area, slowing traffic down.

Last night, another single vehicle accident in the area of Shoal Lake also caused delays for motorists.

Some motorists said they had to wait more than an hour before they were able to get through.

The accident took place around 7:00 last night.

OPP investigating death in Red Lake

The OPP in Red Lake are probing the death of a 46 year old woman.

Police say former Pikangikum resident Bertha Quill was found unconscious in that community and was flown to Thunder Bay where she was pronounced dead at the Health Sciences Centre early Thursday morning.

Police aren't saying anything about the cause of death.

A post-mortem exam was conducted Friday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, but the cause of death still has not been released.

Busy Weekend for Fire Crews

Crews are battling dozens of wildfires across much of northwestern Ontario and more new fires are expected.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says there are 96 active fires burning in the remote northwestern region.

And more than 30 new blazes are expected over the coming days.

Waterbombers, helicopters and ground crews are battling the flames.

More than two-thousand staff will be helped by another 500 reinforcements from B-C.

Many northwestern communities are dealing with smoke issues and are planning for evacuations with federal and provincial authorities.

Hudak Launches Northern Platform

Tim Hudak says he has big plans for the north now that his Progressive Conservatives have released their northern election platform.

As leader Hudak is making two main promises for this region if the Tories are elected, including holding

at least one cabinet meeting a year in northern Ontario.

Hudak is also promising to give gas tax money to every northern community.

OPP investigate fatal accident north of Red Lake

A Pikangikum man and woman are dead as the result of a traffic accident 60 kilometres north of Red Lake.

The OPP say the two were the passengers in a pick up truck that rolled several times last Thursday afternoon.

39 year old Kevin Suggashie and 37 year old Ibena Suggashie were pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other people were treated in hospital.

The OPP say charges are pending against the driver of the vehicle, 36 year old Bernie Peters of Pikangikum.

He remains in hospital in Thunder Bay with severe injuries. 

Invasive Species Hit Squad launches summer campaign

Local residents are being urged to be on the look out for invasive species in local lakes and rivers.

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters and the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association working together to promote their Invasive Species Hit squad.

Elauna Boutwell is summer student working with the squad and says  they are reaching out to as many people as they can to raise awareness.

Some of the species on the hit list are the spiney water flea, the rusty crawfish and the rainbow smelt.

Harborfest Seeking Volunteers

The count down is underway for the 20th annual Harborfest.

The biggest event of the summer will take place in two weeks time.

Dave Blake is one of the directors and says they are still looking for volunteers to help out during the weekend.

Harborfest will take place this year from July 29th to July 31st.

City Decides to Join One Call System

The City of Kenora has decided to join the One Call system.

Union Gas has been trying to get municipalities across the province to cough up a thousand dollars each to help fund the initiative.

One Call would create a dedicated phone line that local residents or contractors could call to find out where gas line, buried power lines and telephone lines are located.

If enough municipalities sign up, the provincial government has promised to help fund the program.

Canfield ready to lobby for more funding for City

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says the provincial government owes the city millions of

dollars in transfer payments.

Canfield is gearing up for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference next month and hopes to meet with a number of cabinet ministers.

He says his main goal is getting the province to restore the city's share of the Ontario Municipal Partership Fund.

He says when amalgamation took place 11 years ago, the province promised the city would not lose any revenue.

Instead Canfield says the Ontario government has given the city just 52 percent of the money it should have received under the Rural and Remote Grant.

He says before amalgamation Kenora, Keewatin and Jaffray Melick received 100 percent of that funding.

Michael Richards Charity Golf Tournament Tees Off

The second annual Mike Richards Charity Golf tournament is taking place this afternoon at the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

Last year the tournament made 11 thousand dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Richards expects the tournament to do just as well this year.

Some of the NHL stars taking part this year include Ian White of the San Jose Sharks, Jeff Carter of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Aaron Asham of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

MOE Pressures AbitibiBowater to Close Margach landfill

Pressure is being put on AbitibiBowater to de-commission an old landfill site in Kenora.

The Margach Waste Disposal Site hasn't been in use ever since the company closed the local newsprint mill back in 2005.

Ministry of the Environment spokesperson, Lisa Brygidr says they've gone to the courts to force Abitibi to de-commission the landfill.

The MOE is worried that phosphorous from the old landfill site could eventually leach into Laurenson's Lake, which drains into Lake of the Woods.

Lake Smart hits Lake of the Woods

A new program has been launched to help preserve the shoreline of  Lake of the Woods.

The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association has hired a couple of ambassadors to conduct Lake Smart.

Barry Baltesson is president of the Property Owners Association and says its strictly a voluntary program.

Baltesson says they launched the Lake Smart program on July 1st and will continue to meet with local cottagers on the lake all summer long.

Earthroots applauds Audit of Whisky Jack Forest

An audit of the Whiskey Jack Forest is painting a disturbing picture of a forest in decline.

Environmental group Earthroots says the report backs up Grassy Narrows' First Nation's claims of mismanagement.

Spokesperson David Sone says the audit team found significant issues with the management of the forest.

MNR Fire Crews Continue to be busy

The Ministry of Natural Resources has 86 aircraft and almost 500 fire rangers on the ground battling wild fires in northwestern Ontario.

There were six new fires reported yesterday including one in the Kenora District, bringing the total to 81 in the region.

The MNR says 149 people were evacuated from the Community of Cat Lake yesterday due to smoke blowing into remote first nation.

The elderly, the young and people with health issues were flown to Kapuskasing.

Cat Lake is one of five areas the are currently in a state of emergency due to a lack of electricity.

A fire burning out of control about 50 kilometers northeast of Ear Falls has knocked out power to Pickle Lake, New Osnaburgh, Slate Falls and the Musselwhite Mine.

Hydro crews were able start work fixing up the power lines, but its expected to be the weekend before the lights are back on in those communities.

Cultural Mapping in Kenora District Complete

A database of the area's people, places and experiences has been created as part of a lengthy cultural mapping process.

Vicki Kurz was part of the team responsible for the exercise and says they wanted to find out what assets the Kenora District has to market to outside communities.

Kurz says officials will now look to the marketing and promotion of regional tours.

For more information on the project  you can go to http://www.culturaltourismmapping.ca/

Summer Beaver memorial trek

A Northern Ontario first nation is holding a memorial walk from Pickle Lake to Thunder Bay.

Members of Summer Beaver will be walking in memory of those they lost in a plane crash in 2003.

Money raised will go towards maintaining the road that was built to the crash site.

Interim Beds promised for Pinecrest

Pinecrest Home for the Aged says it should be able to start accepting more long term care patients very soon.

Yesterday, the Northwest Local Health Integration Network announced it would fund 10 interim beds for the next two years.

Laura Kokochinski is the CEO of the LHIN's and says the goal is to try and reduce the number of elderly in hospital, who are waiting for a bed.

A total of 760 thousand dollars has been allocated to Pinecrest to help pay for the additional beds.

Electronics Recycling encouraged today

Bring us your tired old TV's, computers and stereo systems.

That's the mantra today of Ontario Waste Stewardship, which is the agency that oversees recycling programs in the province.

Local residents are being urged to drop off their old electronics for recycling today at the Kenora Public Works Yard.

This is the second year in a row the electronics recycling tour has come to

town.

Recyclable products can be dropped off between 10:00 this morning and 4:30 this afternoon.

Body of Missing American Angler Found near Ear Falls

The body of a missing angler has been found in Wenasaga Lake, near Ear Falls.

78-year-old Richard Carroll of Finlayson, Minnesota was located yesterday morning in shallow water.

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Carroll was reported missing last weekend and his boat was found capsized with his fishing gear and personal floatation device floating near by.

Lac Seul Spends money on new roads

Lac Seul First Nation has started work on a 7.2-million dollar upgrade of major roads in the area.

The project will refurbish existing roads that provide access to Frenchman's Head, Kejick Bay and Whitefish Bay.

The First Nation will also upgrade Goodie Lake Road between Hudson and Frenchman's Head.

The money comes from a recent timber trespass settlement with the Federal Government.

Library Prepares for Operational Review

The board of the Kenora Public Library says it will be going ahead with an operational review of the facility.

A committee has been struck to come up with a terms of reference for a consultant to come in an look at local library services.

Councillor Sharon Smith says one of the things she wants the review to look at is how the Library is spending the extra money the city came up with last month to help erase a sizable deficit.

Smith says she also wants an audit of the donations the library has received over the years for the continued operation of the Keewatin Public Library.

Ministry of Labor Continues Investigation at Nodin Causeway

The Ministry of Labour has issued two orders against a southern Ontario company following yesterday's industrial accident on the Noden Causeway, east of Fort Frances.

A 33-year-old man was taken to hospital in Fort Frances with leg injuries after the 65 tonne crane tumbled over.

The Ministry has halted work in the area until investigators can complete their work.

Con-create of Bolton Ontario, has also been instructed not to move the crane, but ensure it's stable.

Deer Lake Residents Heading Home Today

Residents of the Deer Lake First Nation should start returning home today.

They were evacuated to Geralton last week due to a large forest fire, which was burning just 3.5 kilometers from their community.

The MNR says the first wave of residents should start returning today and they should all be home by Friday.

In the meantime, Sandy Lake, Cat Lake, North Spirit Lake, Kee-way-win and Koocheching remain on evacuation alert as forest fires continue to blow smoke into those communities.

More Fire Crews Heading to Northwestern Ontario

The ministry of Natural Resources is getting some much needed help to combat the fire situation.

100 personal from BC are now in the province and 100 more are expected by the end of the week.

MNR Spokesperson Deb MacLean says its turning out to be a busy fire season.

MacLean says the fire hazard in the Northwest remains moderate at this time but expects it'll rise when hot dry conditions return.