Rat Portage Says It Wants Kenora Casino Licence

The Waushusk Onigum First Nation says it wants to be one of the proponants of a new casino.

Eric Luke is a consultant working with the band and says they have spent the past six years meeting with the OLG trying to get their casino licence back for the Golden Eagle Charitable Casino.

Luke says they have ambitious plans, if they get the green light.

Luke says the first phase of the Casino Development would cost about 23 million dollars and employ as many as 120 people.

Casino Meeting Well Attended

The casino debate continues to generate a lot of interest in Kenora.

Over 100 people attended the final public meeting on the casino issue last night.

Andy Scribilo is president of the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce and says his organization strongly supports the concept.

The Kenora Ministerial Association was one of the few groups to speak out against a casino.

Frank Kowal says gambling can cause serious financial hardship for some.

Kenora City council is expected to make a final decision on the casino at a special meeting on October 4th.

Dryden's Finances A Mess

Dryden Mayor Craig Nuttall says his city is in rough shape and can no longer spend money.

Nuttall says Dryden's debt and overdraft limits are so high that banks are telling them ``enough is enough'' and he's calling on city departments to find cost savings.

Acting treasurer Adrienne Bodnarchuk says Dryden is carrying more than 27-million dollars in debt and has only has 163-thousand dollars in reserves.

Nuttall says if residents aren't using city facilities such as rinks and ball diamonds they may be shuttered to save money.

OPP Recover Stolen Van

The OPP say they have recovered a van reported stolen in the City of Kenora.

Police received the report Monday morning, and later in the day, officers spotted the stolen vehicle near a hotel on Lakeview Drive.

A male and a female occupant were arrested.

Reannah Muckle and Elliot Hyacinthe has been charged with possession of property obtained by crime.

Hyacinthe has also been charged with impaired driving.

NAN Issues Complaint Against Thunder Bay Police

The decision by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to take the legal route over a fake police news release is disappointing for Thunder Bay Police Chief J.P. Levesque.

Levesque had hoped that the issue could have been settled in another way.

He says they have already admitted the release was innapproprioate for suggesting that The Fresh Breath Killer had been captured in Kenora.

Levesque the incident overshadows efforts to build bridges with the Aboriginal community.

Aboriginal Trades Symposium A Success

The first ever Aboriginal Trades and Employment Symposium is being described as a success.

The one day event was held in Dryden and attracted aboriginal students from across the region.

There were displays by 15 different trade unions across Northwestern Ontario, as well as educational opportunities.

Coordinator Bob Bruyere says it was a great opportunity to see what's out there.

Bruyere says the symposium also encourages those who haven't, to get their grade 12 diploma.

OPP Issue Warning about another Scam

Yet another scam is being reported in northwestern Ontario.

Ontario Provincial Police want to warn the public about a letter that has been circulating.

It involves the fraudster sending a document, saying they have a large amount of money and then asks for help, including personal information, name, birthday and of course, banking information.

Police are reminding people to never give personal and banking information freely over the phone when not sure it is a legitimate business.

Broncos Hit the Road for NorWOSSA Court Sports

The NorWOSSA "AA" court sport season tips off today.

Beaver Braes girls basketball teams and boys volleyball teams are travelling to Dryden to take on the Eagles.

The junior boys are coming off their first action of the season, at  the Kenora Invitational Tournament this past weekend.

Final Casino Meeting Tonight

The public will finally get a chance to voice its opinion on whether the City of Kenora should express an interest in having a casino.

Tonight the final public meeting on the Casino issue will be held.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says so far people who favour a casino seem to be in the majority.

A request to make a deputation can be made through city hall.

The meeting will take place at 7:00 in the Rotary Room at the Kenora Rec. Center.

More Blood Donors Needed

Canadian Blood Services says it fell a little bit short of its goal on day one of the blood donor clinic in Kenora.

Yesterday, 154 people showed up at Thomas Aquinas to give the gift of life, with a total of 130 units of blood collected.

That was 14 shy of their target.

Today, there are still 48 appointment times available, and Canadian Blood Services is hoping to collect another 86 units of blood.

The blood donor clinic will run from 9:30 to 12:30 at the T.A. Gym.

OPP Identify Body of Youth Found in Sioux Lookout

The body of a woman found dead behind a church in Sioux Lookout has been identified as 15 year old Regina Kakekaspan.

The young girl was found in a wooded area yesterday morning.

A post mortem examination is scheduled today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.
Provincial Police are asking anyone with information on her death to contact the Detachment or Crime Stoppers.

Council to Review Non-Profit Housing Options

Its going to be another year or more before Kenora City council makes a decision about whether the local non-profit housing corporations should be merged.

Council decided last night to set up a review committee to look at the issue.

Jack Pearson is the chair of the Keewatin Non-Profit Housing Corporation and says there is no real reason to force a merger of the two boards.

Pearson says the city has suggested it can save about 20 thousand dollars a year by amalgamating the two boards, but he doesn't see where those savings can be made.

Water Delivery Rates Going Up

Its going to cost more to have water delivered to your door.

Kenora City Council has approved a rate increase for water delivery.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says there hasn't been any increase in the rates for at least 10 years, and the current system isn't financially sustaining itself.

The new rates will go into effect starting in the new year.

City Wants Province to Pay for Crossing Guards

School crossing guards are on Kenora City Council's mind.

Council says it would like the Ministry of Education to take responsibility for funding the position.

Currently the city spends about 50 thousand dollars a year to hire crossing guards for crosswalks near area schools.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield admits this is a battling for years, since he was mayor back in the former town of Jaffray Melick.

Five new forest Fires in the Kenora District

Still plenty of forest fire activity in northwestern Ontario these days.

There have been nine new wild fires reported over the last three days, five of those in the Kenora area.

Ministry of Natural Resources Information Officer Debbie McLean says people need to be careful of their outdoor fires.

McLean says many of the new fires are human caused.

Robbery Suspect Faces Drug Charges

A 44 year old Winnipeg man faces a number of charges following a hold up in the Lakeside area.

The OPP say they were called to the 5th Avenue South Area on Saturday to deal with a robbery.

After arresting the suspect officers managed to seize 2.2 grams of cocaine, 1.5 grams of crack cocaine, 49 grams of marihuana and 14 hundred dollars in cash.

He has been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, possession of property obtained by crime and robbery.

Kenora Man arrested in Stabbing Incident

A 39 year old Kenora man faces assault charges following a stabbing incident in downtown Kenora.

The OPP say they responded to an assault on 2nd Street South around 8:00 Saturday night.

Police say they located a 63 year old woman from Winnipeg, who was taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital for treatment of her injuries.

The male suspect faces a charge of assault with the weapon.

The OPP have not released any names at this time. 

Emo Anglers Win Crow Lake Bass Classic

Emo anglers Wayne Howard and Dean Howard captured the Crow Lake Classic Bass tournament in Nestor Falls over the weekend.

Their two-day catch of almost 31 lbs was about 3.5 lbs more than second place team of Murphy Paypompee and Howard Kabestra of Whitefish Bay First Nation.

The two day tournament wrapped up yesterday.

Rec. Center Seeks Accessibility Funding

The Kenora Rec. Center is working to become more accessible.

The Community Services Department is applying for a 50 thousand dollar grant from the federal government to increase the number of automatic doors in the facility.

Colleen Neil is the Recreational Services Manager and says its all part of their long term capital plan for the Rec. Center.

Some members of council say they would also like to see more hand rails added to municipal boat docks making it easier for people with physical disabilities to get out of their boats.

OSSTF Clarifies Job Action

They're playing by the book.

President of the local chapter of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation John Dykes says that there is no one telling teachers not to participate in extracurricular activities.

Dykes says there's no cause for concern for parents or students.

Last week, the Elementary School Teachers Federation went on record urging its members not to participate in extracurricular activities in response to the passage of Bill 115, which imposes contracts on Ontario's teachers.

KPDSB Updating Shop Equipment

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is planning to modernize shop equipment in local schools.

This decision comes after a safety inspection was done, which determined that many of the peices do not meet safety regulations.

Superintendent of Business Dean Carrie says it should take about 8 weeks.

Carrie says the old equipment has been either taken away or blocked out so students cannot use it.

Fall Blood Donor Clinic Starts Today

They're back...

Canadian Blood Services is in town today and tomorrow for its fall Blood Donor Clinic.

Spokesperson Harvey Heather says walk-ins are always accepted, they do like people to book an appointment if at all possible.

The Blood Donor Clinic will run from 4:00 to 9:00 this evening and again from 9:30 to 12:30 tomorrow at Thomas Aquinas.

10 Grand Raised for Cancer Research

Another good turn-out for the annual Terry Fox Run in Kenora.

Over 300 people showed up yesterday at Valleyview School to help raise funds for Cancer Research.

Organizers estimate they raised about 10 thousand dollars locally.

The run went down Rabbit Lake Road and back to Valleyview.

NOSM Launches New Scholarship Fund

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is embarking on a fundraising campaign.

Officials are hoping to raise 120 thousand dollars with the sale of so called virtual chairs which organizer Jackie Dojack says will be used to help students finance their schooling.

The cost of each chair is 60 dollars with 2 thousand up for sale.

NAPS Make Another Drug Bust in Attiwapiskatt

Nishnawbe-Aski Police have made their third drug bust in Attiwapiskat First Nation this year.

On Thursday, officers seized about 26 thousand dollars worth of marijuana, two firearms and drug paraphernalia.

Police say 44-year-old Luke Koostachin and 32 year old Jennifer Tomagatick have been charged with posession of controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking, careless storage of a firearm and unauthorized posession of a firearm.

The two were released on conditions, and are expected to appear in court on November 28.

Task Force Hosts 2nd Annual Slo-Pitch Tournament

The Kenora Substance Abuse and Mental Health Task Force is working on a new fundraising campaign.

Next weekend, the Task Force is holding its second annual Community Baseball Tournament.

Constable Bob Bernie says last year's event helped them launch a public awareness campaign. 

Bernie says they are still looking for more teams.

You can contact the OPP Detachment in Kenora or the Kenora Chiefs Advisory for more information.

Saints win Junior Volleyball Tournament

The Thomas Aquinas Saints took top spot at the Kenora Invitational Junior Boys Volleyball Tournament over the weekend.

T.A. and Beaver Brae hosted the two day tournament with the Saints beating Whitefish Bay in the A-side final Saturday afternoon.

In the Consolation pool, Fort Frances toppled Dryden in the final.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's football team is still searching for its first victory in the Winnipeg High School Football League.

The Broncos dropped a 34-10 decision to Sisler on Friday to drop to 0-2 in league play.

Beaver Brae now faces Dryden on Thursday in their Homecoming Game at Pete

Fair Memorial Field.

Rotary Lobsterfest Tomorrow Night

A major fundraiser for the Kenora Rotary Club this weekend.

The annual Lobsterfest is taking place tomorrow night.

Rotary spokesperson, Fred Wright says they're looking forward to using the White Cap Pavillion for the first time for the event.

Lobsterfest will take place starting at 6:00 tomorrow night, with music by Big Boogaloo afterwards.

Junior Boys Volleyball Tournament Starts Today

Some junior boys volleyball teams will get their first serious taste of competition this weekend.

The annual Kenora Invitation Volleyball Tournament will take place at Thomas Aquinas and Beaver Brae starting this afternoon.

Teams from Dryden, Fort Frances, Whitefish Bay, Pelican Falls and Whitedog will compete in the two day tournament.

Action begins this afternoon with the finals set for tomorrow at 3:30.

Terry Fox Run Sunday

Organizers are hoping for a good turn-out for this weekend's Terry Fox Run.

Numbers have been dropping in recent years.

Laurine Goertzen says they still have been able to generate a lot of money for Cancer Research.

The Terry Fox Run will take place Sunday morning starting at Valleyview School.

School Board Sets Up Transition Team for Beaver Brae

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has set up a transition team as it prepares to welcome grade seven and eight students into Beaver Brae next fall.

Superintendant of Education, Sean Monteith updated trustees this week on plans to expand the secondary school to include junior grades for the 2013-2014 school year.

The transition team includes administration from the public school board, parents, trustees, teachers and students.

Monteith says adding grade seven and eight at Beaver Brae will help fill some of the gaps that may have existed at the elementary school level due to smaller enrolments.

Protection for Norman Park in the Works

Some changes are being planned in Kenora's Official Plan to protect Norman Park from future development.

A couple of new uses could be included, including an off-leash dog area, and an interpretive center.

The city's Planning Administrator, Tara Rickaby says she wants some council input on Norman Park before they hold a public meeting.

A public meeting on the future of Norman Park is expected to be held sometime in November.

City Working on Asset Management Plan

The City of Kenora has just over a month to complete a complete inventory of its roads, bridges, buildings, and sewer and water lines.

The provincial government has asked all municipalities to draft an Asset Management Plan by October 22nd.

The government has committed 10 million dollars for municipalities to enable them to compile the information.

Mayor Dave Canfield says they don't have a lot of choice.

If they don't file an Asset Management Plan, they won't be eligible for any future infrastructure programs.

PSAC to Protest Job Cuts

With word the Federal Government is slashing another 48 jobs in Kenora and Thunder Bay, the Public Service Alliance of Canada is holding a National Day of Action.

PSAC is protesting the Harper Government's austerity agenda that saw them eliminate jobs in the Employment Insurance and Human Resources fields in the two communities.

A rally is being held in Thunder Bay tomorrow at noon eastern.

Elementary Teachers Hold Strike Vote

Elementary teachers with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board have voted 100 percent in favour of strike action if they can't reach a new contract agreement.

The teachers met earlier this week in Vermillion Bay following legislation passed by the McGuinty Goverment.

While the bill does ban strikes by teacher, local EFTO spokesperson Ann Saltel says they are encouraging members to not take part in any extracurricular activities this fall.

Saltel says they are also encouraging teachers to take part in McGuinty Mondays, and refrain from any activities that might take them away from their classroom.

Keewatin-Patricia Responds to EQAO Results

Still plenty of room for improvement for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.

The 2011-2012 reading, writing and math scores have been a released and the Board saw a drop in reading and math in Grade 3 and 6.

Director of Education Jack McMaster is taking a different look at the numbers and says they have seen a growth in achievement.

Math results for students in Grade 9 also dropped 6-percent.

More Job Cuts for HRSDC Office in Kenora

Thunder Bay and Kenora are losing 48 federal jobs in the latest round of cuts.

Local Public Service Alliance Union Spokesperson Judith Monteith-Farrell says they come in the areas of human resources and employment insurance processing.

Monteith Farrell says Northwestern Ontario residents should question what the Federal Govenrment is doing to our communities.

Monteith-Farrell says some of the jobs were moved to Southern Ontario and some were just eliminated.

Fire Rangers Remain Busy

Cooler, and damp conditions yesterday helped put a bit of a damper on the fire situation in northwestern Ontario.

Fire crews have responded to 20 new blazes over the past two days, including four new ones yesterday.

While the fire behind Valleyview School has been declared out, a couple of other fires on Lake of the Woods are still being monitored.

Kenora Fire 103 is located on the east side of Big Narrows Island and has grown to 36 hectares.

The MNR says that fire is still not posing any threat to people or property.

Fire Fighters Complete Bike Ride for MD

A great accomplishment by local firefighters.

Reagan Breeze from Dryden, Graham Warburton from Atikokan and two others are now in Thunder Bay, after biking from Kenora to raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy Canada.

Breeze says they actually exceeded their fundraising goal.

Breeze says they are also riding in memory of a firefighter who passed away.

Bronco Football Teams On the Road Again

Beaver Brae will be looking for its first win of the young season in the Winnipeg High School Football League.

The Broncos travel this afternoon to Winnipeg to take on the Sisler Spartans.

The Spartans also have a 0-1 record after dropping a 40-0 decision last week to Neelin.

Beaver Brae also lost its first game of the season to Steinbach last week 34-13.

Kick-off this afternoon is 5:00.

Kenora Water Smelly, but Safe to Drink

It may smell bad, but Kenora's water is safe to drink.

The City has been getting a steady stream of complaints about poor water quality over the past few weeks.

City spokesperson Heather Kasprick says even though the water has a bad odor, it meets or exceeds the province's drinking water standards.

Kasprick says the foul odor is a result of the algae in the lake, which has been a little higher than usual due to a warm summer and a lack of rainfall.

She says they expect the odor-issue should be rectified over the next few weeks as the temperatures start to drop.

OPP Call Blaze Suspicious

The Provincial Police say the cause of a major fire in Kenora is suspicious.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact OPP or Crime Stoppers.

The fire started behind 9th Street North yesterday afternoon and forced the evacuation of Valleyview School.

City fire crews, the Ministry of Natural Resources and two water bombers were able to extinguish the blaze before it spread to nearbye homes.

Gas prices going Up

Its going to cost more to fill up today.

Most gas stations have increased the price at the pump by more than six cents a liter in the past day.

Gas is now selling for as much as 1.35.9 cents a liter, up from 1.29.4 yesterday.

Gas price crusader, Dan McTeague says there's really no reason for this latest increase.

He calls the dramatic hike quite absurd.

More Funding Needed for Infrastructure

Federation of Canadian Municipalities call for more Federal Funding for infrastructure.

The call comes from the FCM's report card on infrastructure that states communities are reaching a breaking point when it comes to paying for infrastructure upgrades.

FCM Board Member Linda Rydholm says more money is needed.

The FCM report card on infrastructure was released earlier this week.

Catholic Board Pleased with EQAO Results

The Kenora Catholic District School Board is crowing about its latest standardized test results.

The Education Quality and Accountability Office released the results of grade three and grade six reading, writing and grade nine math tests yesterday.

Director of Education Phylis Eikre says their grade six and nine students had some very good marks.

Eikre says the marks of their grade three students were below the provincial average, so they will be looking more closely at those results to see how they can make improvements.

Rainy River New Owner of Tourist Info Center

The town of Rainy River now owns the former Ontario Travel Information Centre in the community.

The province agreed to hand over the building to the township at no cost.

Mayor Deb Ewald says they hope to re-open the facility next spring as a tourist centre, but want to talk with the Rainy River Chamber of Commerce and Lake of the Woods township about being involved.

The centre was one of three closed in May as part of cost-saving measures by the province.

Kenora Hunters Fined for Shooting Moose

Three Kenora residents have been fined close to five thousand dollars for illegal moose hunting.

The trio were hunting north of Dryden last December, when one of their party shot at a bull moose while standing on Glider Road.

The court heard that they did not have a valid bull moose game seal.

Diane Neniska was fined two thousand dollars for discharging a firearm from a roadway, and 750 dollars for making a false statement to a conservation officer.

Stuart Neniska was fined one thousand dollars for unlawfully hunting big game, and is not allowed to hunt in Ontario for the next year.

He and Mark Carlson were also fined 500 dollars for making false statements.

No More Coal For Atikokan

The burning of coal at Ontario Power Generation's plant in Atikokan is over.

The last piece of coal went through the plant Tuesday as OPG proceeds with the conversion to biomass.

Plant Manager Chris Fralick says it's the start of a new era.

Since commission in 1985, the plant generated over 19.5-billion kilowatts of electricity.

Council puts off decision on Special Events Position

Kenora City Council is balking at making the Special Events Co-Ordinator position a permanent full-time job.

The position was created last year on a one-year trial basis.

The contract comes up on October 1st, but members of council want more discussion on the issue before agreeing to make the job permanent.

Councillor Ron Lunny questions whether there is enough work to keep a special events co-ordinator busy year round.

Other members of council questioned why the job was unionized, considering the fact they are technically an employee of the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Fire Under Investigation

Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services Department and the OPP are investigating a fire that caused the evacuation of Valleyview School and a number of homes at the east end of town yesterday afternoon.

High winds fanned the flames and required the assistance of a couple of water bombers, and a number of fire crews to bring the blaze under control.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says residents living in the area of the fire might notice some smoke from the area, but says they now have the situation under control.

He says they'll be mopping up any remaining hot spots today.

Fire Information officer Heather Pridham says the fire hazard in the Kenora area is extreme.