Treaty Three Welcomes new NAN Chief

The new grand chief of Treaty Three is extending his congratulations to the new chief of the Nishinabe Aski Nation.

Chief Warren White says he's looking forward to working with Harvey Yesno, who was elected last week.

He says he wants to build a strong alliance with the Nishinabe Aski Nation.

He suggests that Yesno's knowlege as one of the founding members of NAN will ensure treaty rights are respected, protected and enhanced.

Thistles Banner Stolen from Pavillion

It looks as if someone was looking for more than just a photo with Mike Richards.

The OPP are investigating the theft of a number of banners from the White Cap Pavillion over the weekend.

Sometime between 4:00 Friday afternoon and 8:00 Saturday morning, a Kenora Thistles 1907 Stanley Cup Championship banner was stolen along with a Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Flag and a Canadian flag.

The Thistles banner is 8 feet long and 3 feet wide and is burgundy and white in colour.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the OPP or Crimestoppers.

Council Members Head to Ottawa for AMO

Infrastructure funding will be at the top of the wish list this week as members of Kenora City council are in Ottawa for the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says they have eight meetings set up over the next couple of days with provincial politicians and cabinet ministers.

Canfield says the future of government services will likely be another hot topic this week.

Councillors Louis Roussin, Ron Lunny and Rory McMillan are also in Ottawa this week for the AMO conference.

Fire Crews Heading Out West

Despite a relatively dry weekend, the Ministry of Natural Resources says it was a pretty quiet weekend on the forest fire front in northwestern Ontario.

Just two new blazes reported, including on in the Kenora District.

MNR fire crews were called out to deal with a camp fire that got out of control on Lake of the Woods.

The fire grew to 0.1 hectares in size.

Because its been so quiet here, the MNR says its able to lend out 36 fire rangers to help out with the fire situation in British Columbia.

Dryden Concussion Symposium Deemed a Success

It was a chance to sit down and talk about the serious issue of concussions.

A large crowd turned up Saturday afternoon at the Centre in Dryden to take part in a symposium on concussions.

Hockey great Ken Dryden facilititated the event and notes its a chance for coaches, doctors and players to brainstorm on ways of preventing serious head injuries.

Some agreed that a plan should be put in place on when a player should return from a concussion.

First Riders Program at King George

It's almost time for students to board the big yellow school bus.

The First Riders Program was held at King George School this past Saturday.

Transportation Officer Robyn Paquette says this program can calm the nerves some students get when going on for the first time.

The students were able to go on a bus ride with their parents, and then went on by themselves.

OPP host annual Summer Camp this week

Forty 12-year-olds from northwestern Ontario are spending the week with Ontario Provincial Police officers at a summer camp near Fort Frances.

The annual Youth Summer Camp is taking place at Sunny Cove Camp.

Constable Anne McCoy says part of it focus on a curriculum based on the program Rachel's Challenge.

Campers will also participate in some fun activities such as houseboat rides, horseback riding and their own version of the Olympics.

Mike Richards Brings Stanley Cup Home

Thousands Enjoy Time with Stanley Cup

Over three thousand people crowded under the White Cap Pavillion to cheer on Mike Richards

as he brought the Stanley Cup to Kenora.

Hundreds line up afterwards to have their picture taken with the Los Angeles Kings star.

Brian Rupert was the Master of Ceremonies and introduced Richards, his mother Irene and his

brother Matt up on the main stage.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford and acting mayor Rod McKay also welcomed Richards to the White Cap

Pavillion.

NOMA Applauds new Infrastructure Fund

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is hoping for more details this weekend about a new infrastructure program.

The province announced 60 million dollars for rural and small municipalities yesterday.

Vice-President of NOMA Dave Canfield says while its not a lot of money, he's hoping its the start of bigger things.

The funding also includes nine million dollars to help municipalities prepare asset management plans for their infrastructure.

Non-Profit Housing Boards to Merge

More than a decade after Kenora, Keewatin and Jaffray Melick amalgamated, a move is afoot to merge the Non-Profit Housing Corporations.

Kenora City Council is expected to approve the amalgamation of the two boards by October.

Councillor Louis Roussin suggests this is something that should have taken place 12 years ago.

The city estimates it will save about 20 thousand dollars by bringing the Kenora and Keewatin Non-Profit Housing Corporations together.

Household Hazardous Waste Day Sunday

This might be a good weekend to clean out the garage.

The City of Kenora is holding its annual Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day at the Waste Transfer Station on Barsky's Hill.

Things like old paint, batteries, used motor oil, and propane cannisters can all be dropped off this Sunday.

In order to defray the cost of Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Day, there is a 10 dollar charge for each vehicle through the gate.

You can drop off items for disposal between 9:00 and 4:00 on Sunday.

Arson Charges Laid in Sioux Narrows

A 25-year old woman remains in custody and is charged with arson.

Provincial Police laid the charge after investigating a rash of fires that caused structural damage in the Sioux Lookout area.

O.P.P. were looking into 3 fires in particular and with the help of the Northwest Crime Unit, were able to arrest and charge the woman.

She is scheduled to appear in a Sioux Lookout court today.

Fire Hazard Drops to Low across NWO

Cooler temperatures and rain throughout the rgion are keeping the forest fire situation at bay.

There were no new fires confirmed yesterday in the Northwest Region.

Widespread rain has reduced the forest fire hazard to low for the entire region and is keeping the fire situation quiet.

There are 53 active forest fires in northwestern Ontario; of those 53 fires, 51 are being monitored by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

OPP Look At Programs to Combat Drug Crime

The Kenora OPP are looking at a couple of new programs to try and reduce the amount of crime caused by drug and alcohol abuse.

Inspector Dave Lucas says they are looking at setting up a drug court to deal with frequent offenders.

He says their goal is to get these people some help.

Lucas another program they are looking at is an alcohol maintenance program, which allows people dealing with alcoholism a way of dealing with their addiction in a more controlled way.

KPDSB Says Deal Not Possible Before Classes Begin

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says there's no way it will reach an agreement with local teachers before the start of the school year without legislation.

Director of Education Jack McMaster says its not realistic to negotiate a settlement in the next two weeks with seven separate bargaining units.

McMaster says the board is moving into negotiations in a couple of weeks under the parametres that both sides agreed to last spring.

DSAB Looking to Trim Draft Budget

Municipalities in the Kenora District Could be looking at another increase in the amount it pays for social services.

The Kenora District Services Board says its initial draft budget for 2013 shows an increase of 1.2 percent in the municipal levy.

The Board says it is committed to reducing that number.

A final budget is expected to be tabled by December.

The District Services Board pays for such things as land ambulence, social housing, and Ontario Works.

Head Injury Symposium Tomorrow

Hockey experts are gathering in Dryden tomorrow for a one day symposium on head injuries.

NHL legend Ken Dryden is the keynote speaker and he says it's a great opportunity for everyone to sit down and share ideas on how to prevent concussions.

Other speakers include doctors, coaches and local players who have suffered concussions.

The event is free and starts at 1 at the Training Center in Dryden

109th NWIRA Regatta Starts Today on Rabbit Lake

Another weekend, another major sporting event in Kenora.

The 109th annual Northwestern International Rowing Regatta begins this morning on Rabbit Lake.

Over two hundred paddlers from northwestern Ontario, Minnesota, Manitoba and Saskatchewan are expected in town for the two day event.

While the Kenora Rowing Club is hosting, fewer than a dozen local rowers are expected to compete.

Organizers are still looking for volunteers to help out with the regatta.

Welfare Rates Declining in the Kenora District

The number of people relying on welfare in the Kenora District is dropping.

The Kenora District Services board says its seen a decrease in it's Ontario Works caseload over the past couple of years.

As of the end of June, there were 576 cases compared to 660 at the same time two years earlier.

The Services board says so far in 2012, they have seen 104 Ontario Works recipients leave to pursue employment opportunties.

Campaign to Save the ELA Continues

The fight to save the Experimental Lakes are isn't over yet.

Diane Orihel is leading the crusade to save the outdoor laboratory east of Kenora.

She asked Kenora City Council this week to work with her to ensure the ELA remains open.

The ELA is scheduled to close at the end of March 2013, but Orihel says its too important a facility to get rid of.

NOTO Suggests Visitor Numbers are Up

The Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association is reporting a slightly better tourist season this summer.

Executive Director Doug Reynolds says camp owners are seeing better turnout than in previous years.

He suggests the warm weather has also resulted in more last minute trips this summer.

Reynolds says it seems American anglers are less nervous about their economy and are coming back to vacation in Northwestern Ontario.

Rainy River Wants to Buy Tourism Center

The town of Rainy River is expressing interest in taking ownership of one of Ontario's now-shuttered tourism centres.

The centre in Rainy River was among those closed in May as part of costing-saving measures.

Mayor Deb Ewald says they've since inquired about buying it for a dollar.

Ewald says the Province is now considering their offer.

Changes Planned for Downtown Parking

The City of Kenora is once again tinkering with is Parking Policy to try and free up more space in downtown Kenora.

Council has agreed to reduce the number of long-term parking spots available in the South Parking lot on the Harborfront, and designate them for short term parking.

Starting next spring, the city will be eliminating half of the long term parking spaces and will be converting them to hourly spots.

The city is also planning to increase rates for parking in the South Parking lot as of October 1st.

New Policy Guide For White Cap Pavillion

It took a while, but the city has finally come out with a user's guide for the White Cap Pavillion.

The guide outlines exactly how many people the tent can hold safely for certain events, depending if there is seating and/or alcohol being served.

The city wants the Chief Building Official and the Fire chief to review event plans at least 30 days in advance.

Council also has officially approved the name White Cap Pavillion and a grand opening ceremony is currently being planned.

Bike Ride for Muscular Dystrophy Canada

Two firefighters are going a step farther to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

Atikokan firefighter Graham Warburton and Dryden's Reagan Breeze will bike from Kenora to Thunder Bay on September 10th.

Warburton says the public can help them raise money.

All funds collected will be handed over at a regional firefighters conference on September 13th.

Treaty #3 Upset with Dryden Hospital

The Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty 3 says he's disappointed with the Dryden Regional Health Centre.

Chief Warren White says a Dryden doctor received a slap on the wrist after he was found breaching code of conduct by making racist comments to an Anishinaabe family during an emergency visit.

White says the impacts of hatred can't be minimized and stresses progress can't take place when events like this occur.

White is calling on the hospital to send a message that it adheres to zero tolerance of racism.

He says the response to the incident by delivering cultural sensitivity training isn't enough and the doctor must be disciplined.

Yesno Elected NAN Grand Chief

One of the original founders of the Nishinabe Aski Nation is now its head man.

Harvey Yesno was elected yesterday as grand chief during elections held on the Kaseshewan First Nation.

Yesno needed three ballots to edge out deputy grand chief Terry Waboose 22-21.

Yesno had been the top candidate on all three ballots.

Union Seeks Court Injunction against Daycare Closure

The Union representing the 17 workers at the Castle of Learning Daycare Center say it plans to get an injunction against the closure.

Council voted last night to shut down the municipally run daycare at the end of December.

Carol Bruneau is vice-president of CUPE Local 191 and says the city is violating the terms of the collective bargaining agreement.

CUPE is the City's largest Union and Bruneau says the lay-off of staff at the Castle of Learning could result in a lot of bumping of employees from their jobs.

Local School Boards Ready to Provide Daycare Services

Both the Kenora Catholic and Keewatin-Patricia District School Boards say they will do what they can to accomodate parents who have kids at the Castle of Learning Day Care Center.

The City announced it will close the municipally run daycare at the end of this year.

Jack McMaster is the director of education with the public school board and admits they are dealing with fairly tight timelines.

The Castle of Learning is already located in King George School, so McMaster is hoping they can get another provider to take over the daycare with little disruption to the parents.

Fellowship Center Develops Action Plan

The Kenora Fellowship Center on Water Street is starting to develop and action plan to deal with the homeless population in the city.

Colin Wasacase spoke to Kenora City Council yesterday about some of their programs and is hoping the city will be involved in some of their solutions.

Wasacase says there are a number of different agencies in the community that can help out.

Wasacase says they feed as many as 100 people each day at the Fellowship Center and receive about 60 thousand dollars a year in donations from the local community to keep the program going.

Pink Bus Tours Kenora Today

You might have noticed a large pink bus in town over the past couple of days.

The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is taking its "Pink Tour" across the province.

Its aimed at educating the public on breast cancer and screening.

Vice President of Development Karen Malone says they have a target of 30,000 visitors to the bus.

The bus will be stopping in front of the CIBC on Main Street this morning and Shoppers Drug Mart this afternoon.

Special Designation Planned for Norman Park

There could be soon better protection for Norman Park.

Kenora city council has agreed to amend its official plan and give the park a special designation.

Last week a number of Norman Residents asked city council to put a covenant back on the park to ensure it would never be be used for anything but recreational purposes.

Instead council is directing the Planning Department to draft a policy for Norman Park and present it at the next Property and Planning meeting in September.

Resolute Sets Tree-Planting Milestone

One billion trees and counting.

Resolute Forest Products says its now hit a milestone in tree planting in northern Ontario.

The company celebrated by planting a two-meter tall white spruce tree at it's mill sites at Fort Frances, Iroquos Falls and Thunder Bay.

President and CEO Richard Garneau says the ceremony represents the unwavering commitment to forest renewal and sustainable forestry.

Stanley Cup to Arrive Saturday

Plans have now been finalized for the arrival of the Stanley Cup in Kenora.

The Cup will be here Saturday and will be making a two hour pit stop under the White Cap Pavillion.

Mike Richards is scheduled to bring the Cup by boat to the Kenora Harborfront at Noon.

Richards and the Cup will then be available for photographs for about two hours.

Richards won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Los Angeles Kings this past June and

gets to spend 24 hours with the trophy. 

Council Votes to Close Castle of Learning

Despite the pleadings of hundreds of parents, employees and even union leaders, Kenora City Council has decided to close the Castle of Learning Daycare center.

The issue was discussed at some length last nigh at City Hall.

Sue Devins is one of the parents affected by the decision and says the city has the resources to continue the program.

Council voted 4-2 in favour of closing the daycare with Rory McMillan and Sharon Smith voting against the closure.

Smith feels the city hasn't done its due diligence.

The union representing the 17 workers at the Castle of Learning says its looking to get a court injunction against the closure, claiming it violates their collective agreement.

Council Approves Indoor Soccer Complex

The Lake of the Woods Soccer Association now has the green light to proceed with plans to transform the Jaffray Melick Community Center into an indoor soccer complex.

Last night, council voted unanimously in favour of a three year agreement with the soccer association for the re-development of the arena.

Plans call for artificial turf to be installed for a year round indoor soccer and sports training facility.

The Soccer Association says its working on plans for the complex and isn't sure when it will be ready for use.

OPP Concerned about Increase in MVA's

The OPP say they are developing a new policy to inform motorists about lengthy highway closures.

Inspector Dave Lucas of the Kenora Detachment says they've notice a bit increase in the number of accidents on Highway 17 west, especially during the weekends.

Lucas says the accidents can cause significant delays for motorists.

Lucas says they will be using signage and asking officers to speak with motorists waiting in line,

keeping them informed about the length of the road closure.

MP Launches Campaign to save Katimavik

A young member of parliment is taking a stand for youth across Canada.

The Katimavik Program, which provides oppertunities for youth to volunteer and gain working experience in different organizations, was recently cut by the government.

MP for Terrebonne-Blainville Quebec Charmaine Borg says it is completley unfair.

Allison Wight attended the program in January, and is also very upset with the government's decision.

Borg has started a petition to keep the program, which already has over 7000 signatures.

Big Trout Chief Receives Honor

Chief Donny Morris of the Big Trout Lake First Nation stood up for what he believes in, and now he's been awarded a medal.

Morris was presented a diamond jubilee pin, honoring the work he's done for his community.

In March 2008, Morris and others were put in jail for standing up to the province.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell presented the medal, saying Morris has been a "true leader".

OPP Warn Motorists of Possible Scam

The Ontario Provincal Police want the public to be aware of a scam that's happening in Northwestern Ontario.

On Sunday there were two seperate incidents in the Nipigon area and Thunder Bay area on highway 11/17.

In the Nipigon area, a female flagged down a driver, saying she had ran out of gas and said she had a ring she would exchange for money.

In the same incident in Thunder Bay, a man flagged down a driver and made the same offer. The man offered the ring in exchange for money, which he said was worth 800 dollars.

Police say the ring was later found to be fake.

The man and woman appear to be of Turkish descent and were driving a dark coloured Audi.

Police want the public to be cautious with any offer that seems to good to be true.

MNR Monitoring Fire on Lake of the Woods

A quiet weekend for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews.

Just a couple of new blazes over the past three days.

One of the fires was located on an island down Lake of the Woods.

The MNR says the fire is burning near Tranquil Channel about 25 kilometers south of Kenora and is currently being monitored.

The blaze is about 0.1 hectares in size but isn't considered a threat to any property.

Dragon Boats Profitable for Community Foundation

A big weekend for the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

The foundation managed to raise 22 thousand dollars from this past weekend's dragon boat races on Rabbit Lake.

Over 340 paddlers took part in the day long festival at Garrow Park.

A couple of local teams took top honors, with the Super Troopers winning the A-side title, and Carpe Diem, members of Kenora's legal community placing first in the b-side event.

Thunder Bay Woman Injured in Falcon Lake Crash

A 29 year old Thunder Bay woman is in Kenora hospital following a collision on Highway 1 in eastern Manitoba.

The RCMP say the single vehicle accident took place Saturday afternoon around 3:00 about 3 kilometers west of Falcon Lake.

The Mounties say the woman lost control of her pick-up truck and rolled the vehicle.

She was taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital in critical but stable condition.

The driver was wearing a seatbelt, but alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

No West Nile Yet in Northwestern Ontario

Despite high numbers of reported cases of mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus in southern Ontario, we appear to be quite safe here in the North.

Entomologist, Dr. Ken Deacon says there have been no positive tests on mosquitoes trapped here so far.

Apparently we need even higher temperatures than what we've experienced for it to be a legitimate threat.

Dr. Deacon still says precautions should be taken and the West Nile season runs until the end of August.

Federal Government Unsure of Costs for New Schools

The federal government admits it doesn't know how much its going to cost to build schools in the remote communities of Pikangikum and Fort Severn.

Aboriginal Affairs minister John Duncan announced the construction projects last week.

He says they are looking at bundling the tenders to try and get a better price.

Both Pikangikum and Fort Severn are fly-in communities which means most of the construction material will have to be shipped on ice roads during the winter.

NAN Prepares for Election of Grand Chief

Election Day is coming up this week for Chiefs with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Delegates at the Keewaywin Conference in Kashechewan First Nation will be voting for NAN's executive council.

Chief Electoral Officer Larry Amos says it's been a busy couple of weeks for campaigning.

August 15th is election day.

Council to Vote on Daycare Closure Tonight

Another standing room only crowd is expected in council chambers tonight.

Council is expected to have a final vote on the future of the Castle of Learning Daycare center.

Last week a majority of council indicated they supported a report recommending the closure of the city run daycare center.

But parents who have children at the Castle of Learning are fighting back.

They've released their own report which shows the Castle of Learning actually has been operating with a surplus over the past couple of years.

Council is expected to vote on the issue at 5:00.