MNR Battles Blaze on Lake of the Woods

High winds have been causing problems for fire crews in northwestern Ontario.

The MNR says its continuing to battle a 150 hectare blaze on an island on Lake of the Woods.

The fire on Falcon Island was initially reported on Tuesday.

Its not threatening any private property, but the MNR says they do have three water bombers and two fire crews trying to douse the fire.

There were three new wildfires reported in the region yesterday.

Coney Shuttle Will Run Again this Summer

There will be a boat shuttle to Coney Island once again this summer.

Kenora City council is expected to approve a two year contract with Wharf Marina to operate the service.

As part of its budget deliberations, the city has decided to cut the subsidy it pays to operate the service.

Last year, the city provided five thousand dollars to operate the shuttle.

This year, the subsidy will amount to just 25 hundred dollars.

Saints Boys Soccer Team Rebounds for win

The Thomas Aquinas boys soccer team had a bit of a scare this morning.

The Saints trailed Rainy River 1-0 at the half in their NorWOSSA Single "a" semi-final.

T.A. rallied in the second half though for a 5-1 victory and now advance to the gold medal game at 5:00 this afternoon.

The Thomas Aquinas Girls are also playing in today's semi-finals. 

Neighbors Help Foil Break-In

Proof the Neighborhood Watch program works.

The OPP say they managed to arrest four people in connection

to a break-in in the Minto area of town, thanks to the watchful eyes of a neighbor.

Police say three females aged 12, 13 and 14 and a 15 year old male were caught breaking into a home on Minto Avenue.

They have been charged with break and enter.

TA Students Excel at Dryden Track meet

Some outstanding performances for a couple of local students at the Dryden Track and Field Championships this week.

Tory Stebnitsy recorded a couple of meet records.

She set a record in the elementary girls long jump and also the elementary girls 100 meter dash. She finished the race in time of 13.4 seconds.

Savana Neniska also set a record in the elementary girls high jump at 1.35 meters.

Devin Krolyk had the meet record in the elementary boys 1500 meter race in a time of five minutes 16.5 seconds.

Thomas Aquinas placed fourth overall in the elementary school standings with 108 points.

Youth in Philanthropy Hands out Grants

Its a Dog's Life, the Agape Table, the Fellowship Center, and the Kenora Public Library.

Those were just some of the non-profit groups in the city that received a bit of a boost from the Youth in Philanthropy Program.

Evan Michaluk has been a member of the Thomas Aquinas group for the past four years and says its a good way to become more involved in your community.

A total of eight 700 dollar cheques were presented at a granting ceremony yesterday.

Other receipients included the Women's Shelter, Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation, the Minto Resource Center and the Harborfront Concert Series.

OFAH Worried Personal Data may be Compromised

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says its 100-thousand members are ``deeply concerned'' about having their personal data stored in the U-S. A Tennessee-based company now handles license applications for Ontario hunters and fishers.

 Anglers and Hunters' spokeswoman Lezlie Goodwin says Ontarians are very worried about the situation.

 The Ministry of Natural Resources says Active Outdoors of Nashville signed a contract to protect personal information of Ontario residents, but critics point out the U-S Patriot Act would trump provincial law.

Power Outage in Sioux Lookout Today

Sioux Lookout will be left in the dark for a good chunk of the day today.

Sioux Lookout Hydro says a power outage is planned from 9 this morning until 2 p-m.

All customers in Sioux Lookout, Hudson and Alcona will be affected.

Hydro One customers on Highway 72 South and Frenchman's Head are also impacted.

The outage is due to emergency repairs to the main transmission line that supplies electricity to the surrounding area.

Beardy Seeks Top Aboriginal Job in Ontario

There's going to be a race for the Regional Chief of Ontario.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy will be going up against incumbent Angus Tolouse.

Beardy says he's been thinking of running for sometime.

Beardy will continue to be NAN's Grand Chief up until the election which takes place at the end of June at the Chiefs of Ontario Conference in Toronto.

Health Unit Returns Cash to Municipalities

Municipalities that contribute to the Northwestern Health Unit are receiving money back from the agency.

More than 165-thousand dollars has been returned back to communities across the Kenora and Rainy River District.

The municipal share is based on population which dropped by 4-thousand in 2011 over 2010.

Council Considers RFP for Coney Wharf

Kenora City Council will vote next week whether to seek a request for proposals for a new wharf at Coney Island.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck was an underwater inspection shows the crib docks at Coney are in very poor shape.

He admits it could cost over 250 thousand dollars to replace the current structure.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield suggests the city should approach local contractors who specialize

in docks to come up with a quote for the work and not bother with an engineering study of the wharf.

Fire Hazard Rises in NWO

MNR Fire crews continue to have their hands full.

There were six new wildfires reported in the region, three of those in the Kenora District.

Ministry of Natural Resources Information Officer Heather Pridham is urging the public to use extreme caution.

One of the fires was a small 0.1 hectare blaze behind Valleyview School yesterday afternoon.

A section of Valley Drive was closed because fire crews had to stretch a fire hose across the road

into the bush area, they were battling the fire.

NorWOSSA Soccer Play-offs begin today

The NorWOSSA Single "a" Soccer Champions will be crowned today.

The play-offs begin this morning in Rainy River.

Both Thomas Aquinas teams finished the regular season without a loss and will be playing semi-final games starting at 9:00 this morning against the 4th ranked teams in both the boys and girls divisions.

The finals will be played this afternoon at 5:00.

Police Block Valley Drive as Fire Crews Battle Blaze

Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department has been hopping dealing with brush fires.

For the third time in three days, crews had to deal with a blaze in the Valley Drive area of town.

The fire broke out just before noon, but crews managed to bring it under control fairly quickly.

A small section of Valley Drive was actually blocked off this afternoon to protect a hose that was connected to a fire hydrant on the other side of the road.

OPP Release Name of Keewatin Fatality

The OPP have released the name of a 22 year old Kenora man who died in Keewatin over the Weekend.

He's been identified as Justen Kroeker.

Kroeker's body was found near the C.P. Train tracks Sunday morning.

Police are still waiting for the results of a post-mortem exam conducted on Monday.

Foul play is not suspected.

Visitor Traffic Up early in 2012

The closure of the Tourist Information Center at the Ontario/Manitoba Boundary is partly being credited for an increase in visitor numbers in Kenora.

The Lake of the Woods Development Commission says there has been a 74 percent increase in traffic in the first three months of the year.

Don Denver is a member of the commission and says special events also play a role in increased tourist numbers.

The commission presented its first quarter report to city council this week.

More Fire Activity in the Kenora District

(File Photo)

Things are starting to heat up for local fire ranger crews.

Another five wild fires were reported in the northwest region yesterday, four of those in the Kenora District.

The MNR says all of the new blazes were the result of lightning strikes, but were fairly small in size and have all been extinguished.

Currently there are 15 forest fires that are considered active in the region.

Property and Planning Approves Outdoor Patios

Outdoor eating could be a growth industry in Kenora this summer.

The Property and Planning Committee has paved the way for more outdoor patios, by approving a new policy.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they will be allowing local bars and restaurants to set up outdoor patios on municipal property and hopes local businesses take advantage.

A detailed application form should be available as early as next week, if city council adopts the new Outdoor Patio Policy.

NAPS Investigate Death of an 18 month old Pikangikum toddler

A 33 year year old woman has been charged in the death of an 18 month old child from the Pikangikum First Nation.

The Nishinabe-Aski Police say they were called in to investigate the death of Isaac Keeper last week on the Poplar Hill First Nation.

His caregiver, Shannon Moose has been charged with aggravated assault.

She's currently in custody and is due to appear in Kenora Court on Friday.

Harborfest Concert Line-up Finalized

(Buckcherry)

Harborfest has finalized its nightly entertainment for this August Long weekend.

The Saturday night show will feature Treble Charger and Buckcherry.

Director of Entertainment, Dave Blake admits they are targeting a younger crowd with their Saturday night concert.

Tickets for the Saturday night show will go on sale this Friday.

Wintle wins Dryden By-Election

A former Mayor and Councilor has been elected in Dryden's by-election for one vacant Council seat.

Sid Wintle received 997-votes yesterday to win the vote by a wide margain.

Shayne MacKinnon came in second, while Chuck Schmitt finished third.

A total of 29-hundred ballots were cast and voter turnout was 52.45-percent.

Thunder Bay follows Kenora's Lead on Deer

The City of Thunder Bay is following Kenora's lead.

A legal deer hunt within Thunder Bay city limits will start this fall.

Their City Council passed the bow hunting by-law last night and Councillor Ken Boshcoff says he's heard positive feedback.

Boshcoff says they can't afford to hide their heads in the sand anymore, because the over population of deer needs to be addressed.

Canfield Critical of Bear Wise Cuts

Kenora City council is asking the provincial government to reconsider cuts being made to the Bear Wise program.

The MNR has announced it will no longer be relocating nuisence bears.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says the policy doesn't make any financial sense.

Canfield says he plans to bring the issue up next month when he'll get a chance to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources.

Proposals for Rec. Center Floated to City Council

The tennis and basketball courts at the Kenora Rec. Center could be due for some upgrades.

Kenora City council is being asked to support re-locating both the tennis and basketball courts this summer.

Recreational Services manager Colleen Neil says they also want to move the outside washroom facilities closer to the docks on Laurenson's Creek.

Neil says there is money in the capital budget for the changes, but city council says it wants to hold a special meeting before approving any of the projects.

Fire Crews Deal with Blaze behind Thomas Aquinas

Some excitement for residents in the Minto area last night.

A wild fire broke out in the bush behind Thomas Aquinas.

An MNR fire crew actually spotted the blaze and helped municipal fire crews bring the blaze under control.

It was the second time yesterday, fire crews were dispatched to that area and Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department is trying to find out if last night's blaze was sparked again by high winds or some other cause.

Sioux Narrows Faces Shortfall on Infrastructure projects

The Town of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls is being forced to dig a little deeper into its reserves to fund a couple of major infrastructure projects.

Mayor Bill Thompson says they came up about 500 thousand dollars short in their funding from the federal and provincial levels of government.

Thompson says they had appealed to the federal government for help, but without any success.

Sioux Narrows got funding for a new tourist information center and also a new runway for the Nestor Falls Airport.

Foul Play Ruled Out in Keewatin Fatality

Police say they don't believe there was any foul play in the death of a 22 year old man in Keewatin over the weekend.

The body of the man was found around 5:30 Sunday morning near the C.P. rail crossing on Government Road.

A post-mortem exam was conducted yesterday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, but the cause of death hasn't been released.

In the meantime, the OPP say Northwest Criminal Investigations branch is continuing to look into the fatality.

The name of the deceased isn't being released until next of kin have been contacted.

Unicycle Ride Ends prematurely

Derrick Ferguson's cross-province tour on a unicycle has ended a lot earlier than expected.

Ferguson set out from Kenora last weekend, but had to call off his marathon just 80 kilometers in.

Ferguson says he developed bursitis in both of his knees and was sent to hospital for treatment.

He had planned to ride his unicycle across Ontario in a month to raise money for the Rick Hanson

Foundation.

OPP Investigate Fatality in Keewatin

The OPP haven't released any details yet of a fatality in Keewatin over the weekend.

A body was found on the railway tracks near Portage Bay early Sunday morning.

The Northwest Mobile Command Unit was on site yesterday, along with a number of investigators.

More information is expected to be released later today.

Northwest CCAC Hiring more Nurses

The Northwest Community Care Centre is hiring 11 new mental health nurses.

CEO of the CCAC Tuija Puiras says the nurses will be working in area high schools.

The Provincial Government has provided the cash to the CCAC to offer the positions.

KDSB upset about double dipping

Child care centres will likely close!

That's the warning from the Kenora District Services Board.

The KDSB is growing more frustrated with paying rent to School Boards to operate child care facilities in Provincialy funded schools.

Chair Phil Vinet says it's a classic case of double and triple dipping and he's already expressed his concern with the Province.

Vinet says the KDSB will send a letter of concern as well to the respective School Board's.

Habitat Closes in on Fundraising Goal for Kenora Build

Habitat for Humanity is inching closer to its fundraising goal for its first ever build in Kenora.

Ralph Page is a member of the local committee and says they are 8 to 10 thousand dollars away.

He says they continue to get support from unexpected places as well.

Page says they still have a few fundraisers in the works and is hoping to turn sod on their project by the end of this month or early in June.

Mauro Raises concerns about NDP Auto Insurance Bill

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro calls a private members bill from the NDP on auto insurance short sighted.

Mauro says the bill would drive up our premiums to subsidize the rates paid by Southern Ontario drivers.

Mauro is calling on Northern Ontario NDP MPP's to vote against the proposal and call for auto insurance reforms that will help all drivers in the province.

Mothers Day Road Race Results

Ideal weather conditions for the annual 10 K Mothers Day Run.

Cory Gallagher once again topped the field.

The Winnipeg Runner finished the loop in a time of 33 mintues 35 seconds.

Ben Gustafson was the top local male finisher, about seven mintues behind.

Janet Findlay topped the podium in the women's event, in a time of 41 mintues 53 seconds.

Saints Boys, Bronco Girls place Second in Weekend tournament

The Miles MacDonnell Buckeyes spoiled an otherwise splendid weekend for local high school soccer teams.

The Buckeyes won both the boys and girls divisions at the Broncos Invitational Soccer tournament over the weekend at the Tom Nabb Soccer Complex.

Miles Mac blanked the Thomas Aquinas Saints 1-0 in the boys final.

T.A. had a perfect 3-0 record heading into the final, including a 3-0 win over their cross-town rivals from Beaver Brae Sunday morning.

In the girls final, it was a battle between two undefeated teams as the Buckeyes prevailed 1-0 in overtime to beat the host Broncos.

The Thomas Aquinas girls squad finished with a 2-2 record in the tournament. 

 In the third place game on the boys side of the tournament, Dryden got by Springs Christian from Winnipeg 5-2, while Fort Frances won the 5th place game, with a 1-0 win over Beaver Brae.

Northwest Communities Flounder in Ultimate Fishing Town Contest

Northwestern Ontario communities have some work to do if they want to be declared Canada's Ultimate Fishing Town.

With 19 days left in the voting, only Ignace sits in the top ten.

Ignace has just over 18 hundred votes and sits in 9th.

Nestor Falls is a thousand votes back in 12th.

Kenora, Fort Frances and Sioux Narrows are all well back of the pack.

Voting ends on May 31st.

Winnipeg Man Arrested in Downtown Drug Bust

A 24 year old Winnipeg man has been arrested following a drug bust in downtown Kenora.

Last night around 11:30, the OPP Street Crimes Unit came across a suspect on Matheson Street who was believed to be involved in drug activity.

Police say they seized about 22 grams of cocaine.

Kevin Huber has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and failing to comply with a probation order.

Broncos host weekend soccer Tournament

Local high school soccer teams will be strutting their stuff this weekend at the Tom Nabb Complex.

A two day tournament will start tomorrow and wrap up Sunday afternoon.

A total of seven boys teams and five girls teams are entered.

In addition to squads from Beaver Brae, Thomas Aquinas, Dryden and Fort Frances, out of town teams will also be coming from Winnipeg and Brandon.

This is the fifth year in a row Beaver Brae has hosted the boys tournament, but the first time girls teams have also been invited.

Gravelle Says the Northwest can still benefit from the Ring of Fire

Understanding the bigger picture, that's what Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle is asking from northwestern Ontario aboriginal and municipal leaders.

Gravelle says he understands local residents are disappointed in a decision by Cliffs Natural Resources to locate a billion dollar smelter near Sudbury.

But he is reminding people that this project is massive, there will be jobs and money coming into Northwestern Ontario.

Gravelle adds that the entire project is worth 3-point-3 Billion Dollars and is expected to create more than 9-hundred jobs, along with further secondary jobs associated with the Ring of Fire Development project.

Emergency Preparedness Expo this Weekend

Emergency Preparedness week in Kenora is going to be wrapping up with a special event at the Kenora Fire Hall.

The first ever Emergency Expo will take place tomorrow.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says they want local residents to know what kinds of support there is in the community in the case of an emergency.

The Emergency Service Expo will take place from 10:00 to 2:00 at the new fire hall on Barsky's Hill and will also feature a charity barbeque.

Campbell Supports Changes to the Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act is going under the microscope at Queen's Park.

An amendment has been proposed to soften the species at risk legislation.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell supports the amendment saying the Act is causing more harm than good.

Campbell says the Act is so restrictive that it can put farmers and tourist outfitters out of work, if an endangered species is found on their property.

Local Consultants Launch new Company

A group of local consultants have teamed up to form a new company in Kenora.

Kenora Resource Consultants was formed earlier this year.

Kelli Saunders is one of the partners in the venture and says they hope to capitalize on some environmental and scientific research they hope will be carried out on Lake of the Woods through the International Joint Commission.

Saunders says their company is comprised of environmental consultants, GIS mapping specialists and  a fish and wildlife expert.

Mystery Shopper Scam Unveiled

Receiving money to become a mystery shopper?!

It sounds too good to be true and yes it is.

Provincial Police in Sioux Lookout are warning the public about fake cheques being sent to local residents to prospective shoppers.

The victim receives a cheque in the mail that appears to be legitimate and worth around 4-thousand dollars.

The victim is asked to complete a series of assignments to rate customer service at numerous retail outlets as well as security precautions taken by Western Union in relation to money transfers.

The scam is complete when the victim wires cash.

KDSB gets more funding for Social Housing

A pleasant surprise for the Kenora District Services Board.

The KDSB has been notified that it will receive an additional 156-thousand dollars over the next five years for housing.

Chief Administrative Officer Dan McNeill says they are pleased with the extra funding, but says

there is concern what will happen after the five years are up.

The money is provided jointly by the federal and provincial levels of government. 

NOMA Disappointed in Ring of Fire Decision

The President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is lending his voice to a decision by Cliffs Natural Resources to locate a their smelter in Sudbury.

NOMA President, Ron Nelson, says he is disappointed and that they supported bids to have it built anywhere west of Wawa.

Nelson says his organization will continue to pressure the government heavily in order to ensure they meet promises made associated with the Ring of Fire.

Harbortown Center Committee Continues to Meet

The Harbortown Committee will continue to meet regularly to deal with issues important to the downtown area of the city.

There had been some talk about disbanding the committee.

But chair Ralph Page feels they still have a role to play.

There had been concerns that there are too many committees in the City, and the that the Harbortown Committee's mandate overlaps with the Downtown BIZ.

Health Care Tour stops in Kenora next month

Kenora is one of the stops for an Ontario-wide tour talking about the future of Health Care.

The Ontario Health Coalition is putting on the meeting that will talk about the Provincial Government's plans to cut health care services.

The meeting is going to be held on Saturday, June 2nd at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Campbell Again Demanding Answers Over Tourism Center Closures

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is continuing to battle for our tourist information centers.

Campbell requested an adjournment debate last night to get more answers on the reasons for the closure of the tourist centers in Kenora, Rainy River and Fort Frances.

She says the government still hasn't adequately explained by the closures are necessary.

Parliamentary Assistant for Tourism Kim Craitor responded that the

Pigeon River Tourism Center south of Thunder Bay was kept open because it serves an important American Market.