Campbell Speaks Out Against Energy Retailers

There's a call to ban the door-to-door sale of hydro or natural gas.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says contracts signed at the door are both misleading and costly for consumers.

Campbell says she's received hundreds of complaints about these companies across her riding and

is urging the provincial government to ban the practice of selling energy contracts door-to-door.

Northern Rendez Vous Coming to Kenora

Call it a British Invasion.

Next week, about 100 M.G.'s, Minis, Triumphs and Astin Martins will be cruising the streets of Kenora.

Tom Struthers is one of the organizers of the Northern Rendezvous and says Kenora is the perfect location for the event.

Struthers says the only open event to the public, is a car show on Saturday, June 16th under the Harborfront Tent.

Saints Unbeaten At OFSAA

Thomas Aquinas boys soccer team remains undefeated at the All-Ontario single "a" championships in Windsor.

The Saints played to a 1-1 draw against Glengarry District High School yesterday afternoon.

Ryan Landon scored the lone goal for T.A.

T.A. now has a win and a tie after two games.

Thomas Aquinas is back in action this morning at 8:30 against Walkerton.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's girls soccer team is still searching for its first win at the All-Ontario double "a" championships.

The Broncos dropped its second game in a row yesterday at the OFSAA finals.

Beaver Brae was edged 2-1 by Holy Trinity from Bradford yesterday and fall to 0-2.

Their next game is this morning at 8:30 against the St. Paul Wolverines

Dryden Police Warn of Another Scam

Once again, if it seems too good to be true...it probably is!

Police in Dryden say a local woman received a letter from the World Global Lotto Commission in Spain.

The letter stated that she had just won the Spanish Sweepstake Lottery and that her banking information is needed to transfer the funds.

Police remind residents to never divulge banking information to someone you don't know.

Saints Win, Broncos Lose at OFSAA Soccer

A big upset for Thomas Aquinas to start the All-Ontario Single A soccer championships in Windsor.

The Saints blanked the second ranked team in the tournament, the host team from Ecole Secondaire Lajeunesse 1-0 this morning in their first game.

Patrick Van Belleghem accounted for all the scoring and the defense did the rest to preserve the shut-out.

T.A. is back in action at 12:30 against Glengary District High School from Eastern Ontario.

Meanwhile, a tough loss for Beaver Brae's girls soccer team in St. Thomas.

The Broncos dropped a 1-0 decision to the top team in the tournament, St. Michael from Stratford.

Beaver Brae is back in action against Holy Trinity from Bradford.

Grassy Man Charged with Second Degree Murder

A 19 year old Grassy Narrows man faces second degree murder charges in connection to the death of his brother.

Toby Meeseewaypetung was arrested following an altercation at a home
on Grassy Narrows Monday afternoon. 

The OPP say they were called into investigate the death of 22 year old Kiefer Meeseewaypetung.

A post-mortem exam was done Tuesday at Lake of the Woods District Hospital but the cause of death has not been released.

Kiefer's brother Toby has been charged with second degree murder and assault with a weapon.

He's due to appear in Kenora Court tomorrow to answer the charges.

New Course for Thomas Aquinas

Coming to a high school near you, a new high performance class for athletes.

Thomas Aquinas is launching a Personal and Fitness Activities course this fall.

Clint Fenelon will be one of the teachers and says it takes phy-ed to a whole new level.

Fenelon says interest is already very high, with as many as 50 students ready to

sign up.

He says they will be offering the course for students from grade 9 to 12. 

Relay for Life gets a Boost

The Relay for Life in Kenora got a bit of a kick-start yesterday.

The Executive Director of the Lake of the Woods Hospital Foundation shaved her head as a fundraiser.

Jess Rheault promised to cut off her locks if she was able to raise at least 45 hundred dollars.

She's already topped that amount with 53 hundred dollars raised.

The Relay for Life gets underway tomorrow night at Lakewood School.

Fire situation starts to Heat Up

The forest fire hazard continues to rise in Northwestern Ontario.

Seven new fires sparked yesterday, and all were caused by lightning.

Six of the blazes were in the Sioux Lookout District and one was reported in the Fort Frances area.

The fire hazard is listed as "Extreme" in the Southwest portion of the region and "Moderate" in most other sectors.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Promises to Meet with Grassy Residents

The provincial government is being urged to help residents of Whitedog and the Grassy Narrows First Nations still grappling with the effects of mercury poisoning.

A study released this week suggested that 59 percent of residents who were assessed in 2010 are still showing signs of mercury poisoning.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell adds that money set aside years ago isn't helping everyone who has been affected.

Aboriginal Affairs minister Kathleen Wynne has promised to meet with Grassy Residents, who have made the trek down to Toronto. 

OPP Release Name of Man Killed in Emo

The name of the man killed in a collision with a train Tuesday in Emo has been released.

20 year old Matthew Boven of Emo was killed when his vehicle was hit by a CN freight train.

A post mortem was scheduled to be conducted at Lake of the Woods district hospital yesterday.

Broncos, Saints play this morning at OFSAA Soccer Championships

Members of the Beaver Brae and Thomas Aquinas boys soccer teams are in Southwestern Ontario today for the All-Ontario championships.

The Broncos girls are playing in their fourth consecutive OFSAA Double A finals, this year in St. Thomas.

Beaver Brae's first game is this morning against the top ranked team in the tournament, St. Michael from Stratford at 7:30. 

Meanwhile, the Saints boys team are in Windsor for the Single A championships. 

They will take on the number two seed in their first game, Ecole Lajeunesse from Windsor at 8:00 this morning. 

Rec. Center Airs Game Four of Stanley Cup tonight

The Kenora Rec. Center will be awash in Silver, black and white tonight.

Stanley Cup fever takes over the Thistle Rink, where game Four will be broadcast live.

Meagan Derouard is helping organize tonight's festivities and says they
will have a large screen TV at their disposal.

CBC is also planning to have a camera in the House as local residents
show their support for hometown hero Mike Richards. 

Doors open at 6:00 with the game set to start at 7:00.

Admission is 5 dollars for adults. 

Former Paramedic Raises Concerns About ORNGE

A former Ornge paramedic says no one would listen to his
complaints about the air ambulance service because of what he called its ``Mother Teresa'' image.

Trevor Kidd says he quit Ornge in 2009 after the death of a
teenager from northwestern Ontario.

Kidd told a legislature committee Ornge ``robbed'' her of any
chance of surviving by not properly staffing their aircraft or
sending them in a timely manner.

He says he raised red flags about Ornge with journalists and others, but to no avail.

More unlocked Vehicles Broken into

Its a simple message, but one many local residents are ignoring.

The OPP say they have been more reports of unlocked vehicles
being entered and personal property being stolen.

Last night, two homeowners in the Minto and Nairn Avenue area of
town complained their vehicles were entered.

The OPP say they have also had several recent reports of sheds,
garages and other outbuildings being entered. 

RCMP Investigating Assaults in West Hawk Lake

(Police Searching for identity of these suspects)

The RCMP are investigating an assault that took place in West Hawk Lake over the weekend.

Police say five men were walking to their rented cottage from the West Hawk Bar
when they were attacked by four people.

All five required medical attention and three had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

The RCMP says upon further investigation is was determined that all involved had been at the West Hawk Bar earlier in the evening, where minor altercations between the two groups broke out.

Anyone with information about the assaults is asked to contact Manitoba Crimestoppers or the Falcon Beach RCMP.

Another Good Year for the Hospital Foundation

Lake of the Woods District Hospital is 443 thousand dollars richer
thanks to the Hospital Foundation.

The Foundation held its 20th annual general meeting last night and announced the transfer.

Donna Wallace is the past chairperson of the board and says they had an extremely good fundraising year, topping last year's efforts by about 80 thousand dollars.

Wallace says the big push right now is the purchase of a digital mammography unit.

So far the Foundation has raised about 30 percent of the one million dollar price tag. 

Salvation Army Ramps Up efforts in Thunder Bay

The Red Cross is ramping up it's presence in Thunder Bay's East End.  

Spokesperson David St. Georges says they are starting to take over operations at St. Peter's Church and plan some expansion of their help

In other flood related news city officials want to get in touch with flood victims who have asked for help, but have disappeared.

Fatal Accident in Emo

Tragedy in Emo.

Provincial Police say a vehicle was struck by a CN freight train just before noon yesterday.

The crash occurred at a controlled railway crossing.

A lone male driver was pulled from the vehicle and transfered to Hospital.
He later succumbed to his injuries.
The name of the victim will be released pending notification of next of kin.
OPP and CN Railway Police are investigating but note that the lights at the crossing were working properly.

Fire Crews Returning from Northeastern Ontario

Seventy percent of our firefighters, equipment and aircraft are back home after spending several weeks fighting forest fires in Northeastern Ontario.

Ministry of Natural Resources Information Officer Debbie MacLean says the return of crews is a good thing because the fire hazard is starting to inch up locally.

She says the recent spell of warm weather is really starting to dry out our forests. 

MacLean says the hazard is high in the southwest portion of the region.

Scientists Oppose Closure of ELA

Scientists from around the world are sending an open letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which they protest Ottawa's decision to cut funding for the Experimental Lake Area

The unique open air laboratory is made up of 58 lakes just east of Kenora.

The Harper government has announced it will no longer fund the program and is trying to shift the research to universities or other groups.

Without further funding, the program is scheduled to shut down next March.

Impaired Driving Charges up In 2012

Two more people have been charged with drinking and driving in Kenora.

That brings the number of impaired driving charges to 34 so far this year, an increase from 27 during the same time period the year before.

Inspector Dave Lucas of the Kenora Detachment says that leaves them no choice but to increase enforcement.

The OPP say in one incident over the weekend, they pulled over a vehicle in the Park Street area because the car looked like it had been in an accident.

Saints Honor their Top Athletes

A big night for a grade 10 student from Thomas Aquinas.

Patrick Van Belleghem took home a number of awards from the annual Saints Sports Banquet, including senior male Athlete of the year.

Erica Lindquist and Emily Bernie shared the honors at Senior Female Athletes of the year.

Sandy Davidson Hunt was the male junior athlete of the year, while Jilly Derouard was named the top junior female athlete.

Ministry of Labor Called in to Investigate Boating Fatals

The Ministry of Labor has been called in to help investigate a fatal boating accident on Lake of the Woods.

Two American men died Saturday night in Ash Bay after the boat they were in ran into a rock face.

The anglers were staying at a local fishing resort and were fishing with a guide at the time.

The deceased have been identified as 71 year old Robert Foster of Frankfurt, Michigan and 71 year old James Saney of Sylvania, Ohio.

A 62 year old Kenora man remains in Winnipeg Hospital in stable condition.

Local School officials Asked to Cut costs

Local school officials say they are ready to work with the Ministry of Education to find cost savings.

Directors of Education and school board chairs took part in a conference call with Ministry officials last week.

Phylis Eikre is director of Education with the Kenora Catholic District School Board and says broader consultations will begin in the fall.

Eikre says no-where in the discussions did ministry officials talk about the need for forced amalgamations.

Three Summer Businesses Being Set up

The creative minds of three high school students has resulted in three new businesses popping up in the North West.

Jennifer Brown, Ryan Milne and Shawnee Morrisseau will soon be opening their own business through the provincial government's Summer Company Program.

Small business Advisor Stephanie Armstrong says they offer the program each summer.

They will be given up to three thousand dollars and business training to help them get going.

Effects of Mercury Poisoning Still being Felt

A report says two First Nations communities devastated by mercury poisoning nearly 50 years ago are still feeling its impact.

The report is from Masazumi Harada, a Japanese expert on the subject.

The communities of Grassy Narrows and White Dog were ravaged by mercury poisoning in the 1960s when the Dryden paper mill began dumping toxins into the English-Wabigoon River.

Harada has been to the communities several times since the mill stopped dumping mercury in 1970.

He says his most recent examinations in 2010 found 59 per cent of the people he assessed were still showing signs of poisoning.

Thunder Bay sets up Flood Fund

Thunder Bay City Council is moving a half-million dollars from their savings to a new flood relief fund.

Money in the fund will be used to cover cleaning up the homes of flood victims and covering their insurance claims.

City Manager Tim Commisso says no Provincial or Federal funds will flow until the Province declares Thunder Bay a disaster area.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Relief team came to the City yesterday to asses the flood and decide if it's a disaster area.

Alarmed For Life in the North End

Don't be alarmed it you see a couple of fire trucks cruising through your neighborhood tonight.

Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services is going door with its Alarmed for Life campaign in the north end of town.

Fire fighters will be visiting homes on 2nd, 3rd and 4th Streets north.

They be knocking on doors between 6:30 and 8:30 checking to make sure each home has a working fire alarm on every floor.

Boobie Nights Raises Record Amount

Organizers of Boobie Nights say they exceeded their own expectations this year.

The fundraiser generated 53 thousand dollars Saturday night, which will go to the Lake of the Woods Hospital Foundation.

Bill Scribilo from Century 21/Reynard Real Estate says they sold out early.

Boobie Nights this year raised about 20 thousand dollars more than last year, and proceeds will go towards the purchase of a new Digital Mammography Unit for the Hospital.

Richards a win away from Stanley Cup

The Los Angeles Kings are on the brink of their first Stanley Cup.

Jonathan Quick made 22 saves, and Mike Richards had an assist as the Kings beat New Jersey 4-nothing, to take a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup final.

 

The Kings can cap the series with a win tomorrow night on home ice.

 

The Kenora Rec. Center will be broadcasting the game live on a big screen TV

starting at 7:00.

State of Emergency Updated in Thunder Bay

The Emergency Operations Control Group in Thunder Bay is updating the city's state of emergency. 

Acting Mayor Rebecca Johnson says the flood situation has moved to the top of the agenda for tonight's council meeting where they will be asking for a half-million dollars in initial cash to help set-up the City of Thunder Bay District Relief Fund.

In other flood news, Manager of Infrastructure, Darrell Matson says he hopes one of the main pumps at the water treatment plant will be operational today.

Meanwhile Lakehead University announced 160 residence beds will open to those displaced by the flooding.

Currently there are more than 300 workers associated with the flood staying there.

Black Out, Speak Out Today

For the second time in three days local residents are speaking out against the federal government's Bill C-38.

The omnibus bill includes not only the federal budget but changes to the Environmental Protection Act.

Today is Black Out, Speak Out Day, and Ashley Bennett says she's trying to raise awareness of the impact of Bill C-38.

A number of environmental groups are blacking out their web sites and
Facebook pages in protest over changes to the Environmental Protection Act.

Transfield Takes Over Local Road Maintenance

There's a new tenant for the Abitibi lands on 9th Street North.

Transfield held a ribbon cutting for its operations in Kenora.

The company has signed a 12 year deal with the provincial government to provide road maintenance services in northwestern Ontario, with June 1st the takeover date.

Transfield is using a paved portion of the Abitibi property as a staging area for its road maintenance equipment.

Former Ohio Mayor killed on Lake of the Woods

A published report in the United States suggest one of the men killed near Kenora over the weekend on Lake of the Woods was a former mayor of the City of Sylvania, Ohio.

71 year old James Seney was on a week long fishing trip with some old high school friends.

The other man has been identified as Robert Foster.

They were killed when the boat they were in crashed into shore Saturday night near Ash Rapids.

A third person was injured in the collision, and is listed in stable condition.

Sylvania is a suburb of Toledo, Ohio.

Two Americans Die in Boating Accident

Three people are dead following to separate accidents in the Kenora over the weekend.

Saturday night, the OPP say two American Visitors were killed after the boat they were travelling in crashed into the shore near Ash Rapids.

A third person had to be taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital for treatment.

The identities of the decease have not been released, but reports from Ohio, say one of the men was the former mayor of the city of Sylvania.

Winnipeg Man Killed in Motorcycle Accident

A 58 year old Winnipeg man is dead following a  single vehicle accident near Clearwater Bay.

The OPP say a motorcycle went off the Trans-Canada Highway near Caribou Lake around 8:30 Saturday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Kari Valenius.

Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.

The Highway was closed for a couple of hours while officers took a close look the accident scene.

Kenora Rallies against Bill C-38

There was a noisy demonstration in downtown Kenora Saturday afternoon.

A couple of dozen people marched in opposition to federal budget cuts.

Jim Johnson says they are concerned about the impact Bill C-38 will have on local services.

Johnson says he also takes issue with the decision to close the Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora.

Ontario Health Council Speaks Out against Budget Cuts

There's concern how recent budget cuts are going to affect local services.

Not one, but two events were held Saturday to protest budget cuts at the federal and provincial level.

The Ontario Health Coalition spoke to a handful of people.

Natalie Mehra is a spokesperson for the group and says the government likes to talk about transforming the health care system, but its not putting the necessary resources into things like home care.

Mehra says some communities in northwestern Ontario simply don't have the supports in place to allow seniors to live at home.

Canadian Cancer Society Gets Boost

Its going to be a big week for the Canadian Cancer Society in northwestern Ontario.

Over the weekend, Relays for Life took place in Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Red Lake and so far 263 thousand dollars has been raised from those three events.

Cancer research and programs will also get a boost in Kenora this weekend when the Relay for Life takes place at Lakewood School.

Organizers are hoping to raise at least 100 thousand dollars from the 12 hour overnight walk.

Richards gets ready for Game Three

The Los Angeles Kings can put a strangle hold on the Stanley Cup Play-offs with a win on home ice.

Kenora's Mike Richards says they'll have to play well because the New Jersey Devil's aren't going to roll over and play dead.

Richards says he's still motivated by losing the Stanley Cup final two years ago to Chicago.

Game time is 7:00 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Boobie Nights A Sell Out

The 3rd annual Boobie Night's Fundraiser for the Lake of the Woods Hospital Foundation is a success even before it starts.

Tickets for the event have already sold out for tomorrow night's party under the Harborfront Tent.

Angela Kuchma is one of the organizers and says the money goes to a great cause.

Last year the event raised over 30 thousand dollars and this year the goal is 50 thousand dollars for the Hospital Foundation.

Ontario Health Coalition Visits Kenora

The future of Health Care in Ontario will be the focus of attention this weekend.

The Ontario Health Coalition is holding a town hall style meeting in Kenora this weekend.

The Health Coalition wants to get local feedback about how Ontario budget cuts are impacting local health care services.

The town hall meeting will take place at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Salvation Army Gets Support for Thunder Bay Flood Victims

The Salvation Army is swimming with cash after raising a quarter million dollars for disaster relief efforts in Thunder Bay.

Major Merv Halvorsen says that money will go to to help the flood victims who do not have insurance to cover their losses.

The donations included 50 thousand dollars from the Fort William Rotary Club.

Scientists Speak out against Closure of the ELA

Scientists around the world are starting to speak out against the closure of the Experimental Lakes area east of Kenora.

A group of Israeli scientists have written to Canada's Ambassador complaining the Government is "stamping out the ability of the world scientific community to conduct research required to formulate sound environmental policies."

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford admits while much of the reaction has been negative, some residents living in the area are actually pleased with the closure of the Experimental Lakes Area.

The federal government is expected to save about two million dollars a year by closing the outdoor research facility.

Suspect Arrested In Fort Frances Gas Bar Robbery

Almost two months after the Canada Safeway Gas Bar in Fort Frances was robbed, the OPP finally have a suspect in custody.

Police say they arrested 22 year old Josh Enns last night shortly before 7:00.

The OPP say they were conducting a traffic stop at the time when Enns was arrested.

He has been charged with robbery with a firearm and appeared in Fort France court today on the charge.

Canfield attends FCM Conference

A couple of members of Kenora City Council are in Saskatoon this weekend.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield and Councillor Sharon Smith are taking in the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference.

Canfield says its been more than five years since they last attended and expects they gain some valuable information.

The city just rejoined the Federation this year.

The four day conference starts this morning.

Catholic Education Center Officially Opened

The final piece in the Catholic School Campus in the Pinecrest area of town if finally in place.

A ribbon cutting ceremony for the Catholic Education Center was held yesterday morning.

Director of Education Center Phylis Eikre says even though they've been using the facility for over a year, it took them a long time to get everything in place.

Eikre says they also wanted the Bishop of the Diosese of Thunder Bay Fred Colli to be on hand for their grand opening.

Thomas Aquinas Street Festival Today

The Thomas Aquinas parking lot is being transformed into a giant carnival today.

The second annual Street Festival is taking place from 11:00 to 2:00.

Darcy Ura is one of the organizers and says they are expecting a good turn-out.

A stage is also being set up on the steps of T.A. for live music during the Street Festival.

Inquest Called into Death of Aboriginal Students

Ontario's Chief Coroner is ordering a joint inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations young people in Thunder Bay. 

All seven died after leaving their home communities to come to the city to go to high school. 

The deaths happened between 2000 and 2011.  

The inquest jury could be able to make recommendations aimed at preventing anymore deaths in a similar way. 

No date has been set for the inquest.