MNR Hoping weather will help their fight against forest fires

The Ministry of Natural Resources is hoping the weather this week will help them combat more than 130 fires burning in the region.

There are 41-forest fires alone burning in the Red Lake area.

Ministry of Natural Resources Information Officer Kathy Crampton says the lightning caused fire is 32-hundred hectares in size and growing.

Heavy smoke from the fires was blowing into the Kenora area and parts of southern

Manitoba over the weekend.

Walk For Good Life wraps up

A group of walkers has completed their journey around the Kenora-Rainy River district.

The seventeen young people took part in the "Walk for Good Life" that started a week ago on the Eagle Lake First Nation.

16-year-old Justin Morrison of Couchiching says its been a great experience.

The group wrapped up the trek yesterday back at the Eagle Lake First Nation.

Libitka and Bennett win KBI

It came down to the wire, but the Kenora duo of Mark Libitka and Dave Bennett took away top honors at the 24th annual Kenora Bass International.

They reeled in 50.67 pounds of bass, just edging out Jeff Gustafson and Chris Savage, who weighed in

last on day three of KBI on Saturday.

Jess Swenson and Michael Reid from Sioux Narrows placed third with 47.83 pounds.

Libitka and Bennett took home more than 25 thousand dollars for their three days of work on Lake of the Woods.

In the Can/Am Challenge, Team Canada narrowly beat out Team USA by less than four pounds.

Dragon Boat Races this weekend

Rabbit Lake will be infested with dragons this weekend.

The annual Dragon Boat Festival will launch from Garrow Park on Sunday.

Darlene McGillvary is the executive director of the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation and says they are expecting an excellent turn-out.

Racing will take place all day long, with finals set to begin at 2:00 Sunday afternoon.

Curling Club gets Trillium Funding

The Kenora Curling Club is getting some help paying for some renovations.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation has promised 76 thousand to install a new roof  and boiler system to upgrade the facility.

The money is part of the 766-thousand dollars in community grants to 11-local  not-for-profit organizations.

Lac Seul First Nation is also receiving 84-thousand dollars to establish an  Ojibway community radio station.

Kenora Forest Products Gets Wood Supply

Finally some good news for the forest industry in Kenora.

The provincial government has announced that Kenora Forest Products has accepted a wood supply offer of 101 thousand cubic meters of wood a year from the Kenora Forest.

Michael Gravelle is the minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry and admits the announcement was a long time coming.

Kenora Forest Products still hasn't indicated when it might be able to re-open its sawmill in Kenora, but company officials are targeting the spring of 2012, as long as markets improve.

McKay to Seek Conservative Nomination in Kenora-Rainy River

The manager of the Kenora Forest Products mill in Kenora is considering a shift in career to provincial politics.

Rod McKay has indicated he plans to run for the Conservatives in the  upcoming provincial election.

McKay says the decision by Howard Hampton not to run again, didn't really affect his decision.

McKay is a member of Kenora City council.

So far the party has not indicated when it might hold its nomination meeting.

City Gets Funding for Harborfront Tent

City officials are breathing a sigh of relief.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund has come up with  800 thousand dollars for the new Harborfront Tent.

Kenora Mayor Dave Canfield says that's a big load off his mind.

The board of the Heritage Fund is meeting in Kenora this week and made the decision to provide the funding yesterday morning.

The money will cover about half the 1.6 million dollar cost of the tent.

Vote this Weekend for KeeMan Local Services Board

The KeeMan Local Services Board will be holding its first ever vote  this weekend.

The local services board will oversee the operations of the McKenzie-Clearwater Volunteer Fire Department.

Jill Kalika has been involved with the process since the beginning and says it will still be a while before they are able to start collecting a levy from all the property owners in the area.

Kalika says at this point seven people have expressed interest in the five positions that are up for grabs.

The vote will take place Saturday morning at 10:00.

RCMP Arrest Suspect in Falcon Lake Break-In

The RCMP say thanks to help from the public, they have recovered a stolen truck and arrested a suspect who is believed to have been involved in a break-in at a camp-site in Falcon Lake.

The Mounties say the incident took place last week at the Seasonal Trailer Village.

Along with some electronic devices, a wallet containing numerous credit cards was stolen.

Police say one of the stolen credit cards was used to make purchases at several businesses in West Hawk Lake.

The RCMP say they had video surveillance of the suspect and the vehicle used.

The pick-up truck was reported stolen from the Steinbach area three days before.

Concern Raised about Environment Canada Cuts

Proposed personnel cuts at Environment Canada could impact local weather predicting.

The Federal Government wants to layoff 700 people at the crown agency and CJRL Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says depending on what gets cut, it could greatly impact Northwestern Ontario.

Laidlaw says organizations like the Weather Network are in the same boat as Signal Weather.

Health Unit Closes Two Beaches

Its not the kind of announcement swimmers want before another warm weekend.

The Northwestern Health Unit has decided to close down the Keewatin and Round Lake Beaches.

The beaches were closed yesterday after heavy rains due to high bacterial counts.

The beaches will be closed until tests show water quality has improved.

That means both areas will be off limits to swimmers all weekend long.

Winnipeg Team leads after day one of KBI

The first team to weigh in after day one of fishing at the Kenora Bass International is still in the lead.

Alex Kezler and Wayne Wagner from Winnipeg reeled in 18.79 pounds of bass yesterday and that weight held up after all 135 teams weighed in.

In second, just a couple of ounces off the pace, is the Sioux Narrows tandem of Matt Ryberg and Brian McNanney, at 18.76 pounds.

The Kenora team of Mark Libitka and Dave Bennett hold down third place, with 18.46 pounds.

After day one, Team Canada has a commanding 10 pound lead in the Can/Am Challenge.

Richards Raises 40 Grand in Charity Golf Tournament

Mike Richards second annual charity golf tournament proved to be a big financial success.

This year, the tournament, which was held last month at the Kenora Golf and Country Club, raised over 40 thousand dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Richards presented cheques to the two organizations this week.

Last year the tournament genrated 11 thousand dollars for those charities.

NOHFC Announcements expected this evening

There will be some interested by-standers this evening when Northern Development and Mines Mininister Michael Gravelle makes an appearance in Kenora.

Gravelle will be making a number of funding announcements from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

The board of NOHFC is meeting in Kenora this week.

Gravelle is also expected to make a wood supply announcement for a local sawmill.

He's scheduled to announce the details at 6:00 at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Kenora Stands Down on Emergency Order

The City of Kenora has decided to terminate its state of emergency, which has been in place for the past two weeks.

The city approved the declaration in order to help out Emergency Measures Ontario, as it tried to find temporary homes for thousands of people who had to be evacuated due to forest fires which  were burning out of control across the far north.

Emergency Measures Ontario says municipalities can now stand down.

In the interim, the city will be providing the province with information on timelines to get ready to accept evacuees, should the situation change.

Liberals get their man for Provincial Election

Liberals in Kenora-Rainy River have their candidate in place for this October's Provincial election.

Emo Councillor Anthony Leek was the only person to put his name forward at a nomination meeting last night in Fort Frances.

Leek says he's ready to begin the campaign.

Leek says he'll have his campaign team in place within the next few weeks.

Conservatives Still Seeking Candidate for Kenora-Rainy River

The Provincial Conservatives may be close to announcing a potential candidate in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding for the Fall Election.

Party officials say they had several people interested in running but were hesitate to do so with Howard Hampton sitting as MPP.

Now that the incumbent has announced he won't seek re-election, officials say the situation has changed.

Sources say the Conservatives are days away from announing at least one candidate.

OPP Investigating Thefts in region

The OPP are asking for public assitance to solve a couple of reports of theft.

Police received a report last Wednesday of the theft of 5-thousand dollars worth of tools from the CN yard property in Vermilion Bay.

Police were also contacted Tuesday after a guitar was stolen from a Waldhof home.

Anyone with information is asked to contact OPP or Crime Stoppers.

Organizers ready for KBI

Organizers are gearing up for one of the biggest sporting events of the summer in Kenora.

The 24th Annual Shaw Kenora Bass International hits the water of Lake of the Woods this morning.

Duncan McEwan says so far they have 136 teams entered in the three day fishing tournament.

This year 25 thousand dollars is up for grabs to the top team in the tournament.

Ag Fair Turns 100

One of the longest running summer events is celebrating a major milestone this year.

The Kenora Agricultural Festival is turning 100 years old.

Carol Kurtz is president of the Agricultural Society and says they will be paying homage to their past.

This year, the Agricultural Fair will have an outdoor music venue beside the midway.

Doors open at 6:00 this evening.

NAN Calling for Support of Sandy Lake Family

Stan Beardy is calling for taxpayer support for a Sandy Lake family of forest fire evacuees.

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation says the family should get immediate support from both the Provincial and Federal Governments.

He says it's because their home was destroyed by fire while they were gone.

Forest Fires Continue to Burn

There are currently about 135 forest fires burning in Northwestern Ontario according to the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Most of the serious fires continue to burn in the Red Lake and Sioux Lookout District's.

However, Information Officer Stephanie Pagnucco says additional fires are popping up elsewhere.

Emergency Management Ontario and the MNR continue to work closely with First Nation communities to conclude the return of evacuees.

Smoke remains an issue in several communities.

24th KBI Underway

The 24th Kenora Bass International is officially underway.

The first flight of boats left the Kenora Harborfront at 6:30 this morning.

Jason Carpenter and Dennis Mandamin are the defending KBI Champs and Mandamin says pre-fishing hasn't been easy this week.

Carpenter and Mandamin will captain team Canada in the Can/Am challenge this year.

First Day weigh-ins begin at 4:00 this afternoon.

OPP nab motorist with drugs and radar detector

A reminder that radar warning devices are illegal in Ontario.

The warning follows a traffic stop on the Kenora Bypass on Saturday.

OPP stopped the vehicle after spotting the device and officers found out that the driver had a gram of hash, one marihuana plant and a small quantity of hash oil in his possession.

OPP say 36-year-old David Hargreaves of Edmonton faces charges.

Jury make-up cause for local appeal

Ontario's Highest Court says it will hear arguments about whether the makeup of jury panels is unfair to accused aboriginals.

The Appeal Court put an ruling on hold last week despite having decided a jury was reasonable to have convicted a man of manslaughter in 2008.

Clifford Kokopenace was convicted in Kenora of stabbing his friend Taylor Assin to death in a 2007 fight.

Kokopenace wants to argue the composition of the jury was unfair to him.

NDP to field a couple of candidates for Kenora-Rainy River

There are at least two people planning to seek the NDP nomination in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding.

Kenora lawyer Robert Sinding will be challenged by Sarah Campbell from Oxdrift.

The 29 year old Campbell declared her candidacy moments after Hampton announced he would not seek re-election.

Campbell says she has plently of political experience.

The NDP will be holding nomination meetings in 5-communities starting on August 12th.

The party will officially announce its candidate on the 15th.

Green Party Selects its Candidate

The Green Party has selected its candidate for Kenora-Rainy River.

Jo Jo Holliday of Kenora has been elected.

Holiday was the Green candidate in the 2007 Provincial election.

She also ran unsuccessfully in the 2008 Federal Election for the Green Party in the Kenora Riding

Sandy Lake Evacuees loose their home

Its not what any family wants to come home to.

The family of evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation that came home to find their house burned to the ground are trying to stay positive during this difficult time.

The family of 4 is staying with their grandparents for the time being, and Chief Adam Fiddler says when all evacuees return home the community will pull together in support of the of the family.

Chief Fiddler says he hopes all evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation will be returned home later today.

More fires burning across northwestern Ontario

Dry weather and lightning strikes sparked 20 new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario yesterday, bringing the total number of blazes to 140.

Ministry of Natural Resources spokeswoman Stephanie Pagnucco says residents of Sandy Lake and Deer Lake are expected to return to their communities today and tomorrow.

More than two-thousand firefighters, including 586 from out of province, are fighting the blazes, backed by about 100 aircraft.

Busy weekend for Police

The Harborfest weekend proved to be a busy one for the OPP.

Police say they had 72 liquor licence violations, five impaired drivers and handed out five warnings resulting in three day licence suspensions.

In once instance, the OPP were conducting a RIDE check stop on Saturday.

One driver failed to stop for officers, then fled his vehicle on foot.

Police say they were able to identify the driver and arrested him a short time later.

30 year old William Hoard of Kenora has been charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving.

He's due to appear in Kenora Court on September 8th to answer to the charges.

The City and AbitibiBowater reach agreement on Leachate treatment

The City of Kenora has reached a new agreement with AbitibiBowater to deal with the leachate from the old Mud Lake dump site just off Mellick Avenue.

Council held a special meeting last week to finalize the deal.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says there was some urgency to get the deal done.

Canfield says the new agreement includes a big increase in the price AbitibiBowater is paying for the treatment of the leachate.

Jones wins a pair of medals at National Swimming Championships

Kenora swimmers brought back a pair of medals from the National Age Group Championships in Montreal over the weekend.

Bryce Jones was one of the busier members of the Kenora Sharks, making the finals of the 50, 100 and 200 meter back stroke alon with the 400 meter individual medley.

Jones won silver in the 200 meter backstroke and a bronze in the 100 meter back.

Michelle Belcaen made the finals of the 50 meter freestyle.

Conor O'Flaherty was the other member of the Sharks who attended the National Championships, and all three swimmers came home with several personal best times.

Forest fire in Whiteshell Park

A fire in the Whiteshell was brought under control quickly, but it still prompted an evacuation of a campground and cottagers.

A Manitoba Conservation officer spotted the spotted the fire yesterday morning, which was about one-third of a hectare.

Crews were quickly in the air with water bombers, a helicopter and other support aircraft to douse the flames, and they had it under control within a few hours.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Tourism Kenora Bringing Blue Rodeo To Town

Hard on the heels of another successful Harborfest, local tourism officials have decided to stage another musical extravaganza.

Tourism Kenora says it will be bringing Blue Rodeo into town to open up the new Harborfront Tent.

Tourism Development Officer for the city, Heather Paterson says they wanted to do something special to christen the new tent.

Blue Rodeo played to a sell out crowd at Harborfest two years ago.

Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 10:00 on-line at kenora.ca

More evacuees waiting to return home

About one thousand residents forced from their homes by forest fires still haven't received the all-clear to return.


The Ministry of Natural Resources says there were 35 new fires in the Northwest over the long weekend, raising the number of active fires to 125 that have burned 575,000 hectares.

More than 2-thousand firefighters, including 586 from out of province, are fighting the blazes backed by about 100 aircraft.

Good Turn Out for 20th Harborfest

Harborfest officials say they are pleased with the turn-out for the 20th annual party in downtown Kenora.

While just one of the three nights sold out, the annual event is expected to break even.

Dave Blake is one of the directors and says Friday night was a record setting night.

Blake adds they also sold 11 hundred tickets for Saturday night's concert with Doc Walker, which was one of the best outings for country night in a couple of years.

Power back on after early morning outage

A rude wake-up for some residents of Kenora.

The power was out for Kenora Hydro customers in Lakeside for about an hour and a half this morning.

Electricity was cut around 4:30 after a thunderstorm blew through the city.

Hydro was finally restored around 6:00 this morning.

The reason for the outage is still being looked into.

Hampton Decides to Retire

A change in heart from Howard Hampton.

The NDP member has announced that he won't seek re-election in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding this fall.

Hampton says the time to step aside is right.

Hampton was first elected in 1987 and served as Cabinet Minister in the NDP Government from 1990-1995 as Attorney General and then Minister of Natural Resources.

He was elected NDP leader in 1996 and stayed on until March 2009.

Two arrested in Big Trout Lake Break In

Two people have been arrested following a Sioux Lookout OPP and Big Trout Lake Police investigation.

Police were looking into a break and enter at the Tasona Store last Friday in Big Trout Lake.

Officers searched a home and found 3-firearms, a television and other property.

Police say 24-year-old Jamie Childforever faces counts of break and enter, possession of property obtained by crime and breach of probation.

26-year-old Diane Shoomin has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

Plans to Twin the Trans-Canada West of Kenora back on Track

Plans appear to be back on track to get the Trans Canada Highway between Kenora and the Manitoba border four-laned.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says there have been delays but it appears some challenges are being overcome.

Gravelle can't say when work will start.

Howard Hampton Not Running

Former Ontario N-D-P Leader Howars Hampton says after 35 years in politics, 26 of them as the M-P-P forKenora-Rainy River, it's time to move on. The 59-year-old Hampton says he doesn't want to spend another four years as an elected politician. Hampton, who was attorney general and minister of natural resources in Bob Rae's government in the early 1990s, stepped downas Ontario N-D-P leader in 2009 after 13 years in the job

Tabacco

A victory for Canadian taxpayers and a loss for Big Tobacco. The Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously ruled the federal government can't be dragged into two lawsuits against tobacco companies. The high court has rejected an attempt by the companies to have Ottawa also held responsible for any damages that might arise out of the suits. Those legal claims could run into millions, if not billions, of dollars.

Thunder Bay Hostel

Some hospitals in the region believe there is a need for an affordable place to stay in Thunder Bay for patients and their families traveling for medical purposes. Marlene Davidson is promoting the concept of a medical hostel and says it could be an alternative to those who can't afford the 75 to 100 dollar a night hotels. Davidson envisions the hostel being similar to one in Thunder Bay set up for aboriginal patients.

The Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Ride will be making its way into Kenora one final time this weekend. For the past five years, about 100 members of CAV have been riding to town for a weekend of fun and fellowship. Carol Davis is one of the organizers and says they will be taking a break after this year.

The highlight of the weekend is a memorial service at Lake of the Woods Cemetary Saturday morning at 11:00. There will also be a ride to the Whitedog Dam Sunday afternoon.

Harbourfest Kick off today

Its a watershed year for Harborfest. The August long weekend festival turns 20 this year. Randy Nickle is chair of the Harborfest Board and says they are looking forward to another great weekend. Harborfest gets underway this evening with four bands playing live under the Harborfront tent starting at 7:30 this evening.

Ignace Break and Enter

Ignace OPP are reminding residents to lock their homes and vehicles in the wake of a break and enter in the community. Police say a home was broken into on Saturday afternoon. The culprit walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash. OPP are also investigating the theft of 2-bikes from the Ignace Recreation Centre and an apartment building on Pine Street. The bikes are a grey, 2011, Norco Wolverine mountain bike with green trim and a men's CCM, Nitro XT, beige mountain bike. Anyone with information is asked to contact OPP or Crime Stoppers.

Forest Fire Evacuees Return home

Another 350-forest fire evacuees from Cat Lake First Nation and Sandy Lake First Nation are returning home today. 114-of the Cat Lake evacuees have been staying in Dryden. Ian Davidson is the Deputy Minister of Community Safety and he says they are getting closer to having everyone back home. Davidson says there are 3,051 First Nation residents who are still staying in host communities.

Canadian Dollar High

One of the region's top economic minds says the Canadian dollar remains high mainly because of commodity prices. Livio Di Matteo says the loonie isn't going to lose it's value to the American buck until that changes. Di Matteo also says while interest rates also play a factor, they haven't in this case.

Poplar Hills Murder

A northwestern Ontario man is charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault in the death of one man and the assault of another man. The incidents occurred on the remote First Nations community of Poplar Hills. Police say Aaron Strang, 20, was pronounced dead at the local nursing station shortly after Nishnawbe Aski Police Service officers found him on Friday.

Weekend Traffic

The City of Kenora is gearing up for one of the busiest weekend's of thesummer and that means more traffic .Kenora mayor Dave Canfield suggests the round-about has helped traffic move more smoothly through the downtown core, but he feels there is room for improvement. The round-about has been in use for two years, and Canfield says by and large reviews have been mostly positive from local residents.

Stolen Vehicle

A Balmertown resident has their Ram Pick-up truck back but OPP are still looking for the person who orignally stole it. The truck was found stuck in the mud near the Northwood Lodge. OPP say the vehicle was stolen and abandoned in Red Lake. Anyone with information is asked to call OPP or Crime Stoppers.

New Non Profit Housing Units

Kenora, Dryden and Sioux Lookout should have 63 new non-profit housing units up and running in the next six months or so. Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services has funded projects in each of those communities.Executive Director of the agency, Don McBain says the projects are really a bonus for the non-profit housing agencies in these communities. The Kenora District Services Board has agreed to provide rent subsidies for these new housing units, once they are ready for occupancy.

Ministry of Natural Resources warns of drying trend

The Ministry of Natural Resources says the long term forecast suggests that smoke isn't expected to be an issue in Northwestern Ontario the next 7 to 10 days. However, Information Officer Carin Glassford warns that a drying trend is expected to roll in from Western Canada that could increase fire activity and bring back smokey conditions. Glassford says 2-thousand firefighters continue to battle 116-forest fires. Glassford notes that out-of-Province firefighters are starting to be recycled with new crews coming in.

First Nations Evacuation Update

It could be some time yet before forest fire evacuees are allowed to return to their First Nation homes.
153-evacuees of New Osnaburgh First Nation decided to go home, however no more return trips are expected any time soon.
Ian Davidson is the Deputy Minister of Community Safety and he says safety is their top priority right now.
Over 34-hundred evacuees are staying in 13-communities.

Kenora Library Board Meeting

The Kenora Library Board will be meeting this week to finalize the terms of reference for its operational review. Chair of the board, Marj Curtis-Poirier says their goal is to put the contract out for tender by the end of the summer.Curtis-Poirier says they would like the operational review complete by the fall, so they can be ready when the city begins its budget process.

Discovery Center Broken Into

It didn't take long for the new Discovery Center on Lakeview Drive to become a target of thieves.

A day before the new tourism bureau was to open to the public, someone managed to break-in.

The OPP say on the evening of July 20th, someone gained access to the building and stole a lap-top computer.

Anyone with information about the break and enter is asked to contact the OPP or Crimestoppers.

MNR making headway on Fires in NWO

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to try and gain the upper hand on several massive forest fires burning in the Far North.

The fires have resulted in the total evacuation of 4-First Nation communities and partial evacuation of 7-others.

Information Officer Owen Vaughan says they are greatful for the support of local communities.

Vaughan says the weather has helped firefighting efforts, but notes significan rain is still required.

OPP Investigate Downtown Assault

The OPP say one man has been arrested in connection to an assault in downtown Kenora.

On Saturday, police say they located the body of a 36 year old Rat Portage man in the alley behind Second Street South.

The victim had to be taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital for treatment, and then was transported to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center for treatment of a head injury.

His condition of the victim isn't known at this time.

Officers managed to arrest the suspect at the scene.

Rickford responds to Water Quality Report

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says he's actually encouraged by a report on water quality on first nation communities.

The federally-commissioned assessment shows that about 39 per cent of drinking-water systems in  First Nations communities are at high risk of being unsafe, while another 34 per cent are at moderate risk.

Rickford says the government takes the report seriously and has begun to address some of the problems.

Rickford says training people to operate treatment facilities is one of the big issues in terms of maintaining water quality, and says the government is actively working to tackle that problem.