Broncos Play Third Game in A Week

Beaver Brae's football team will be going after its third win in a row this afternoon.

But it won't be an easy task.

The Broncos take on the unbeaten Elmwood Giants at Pete Fair Memorial Field.

Elmwood is 4-0 on the season, while Beaver Brae has a 2-2 record and is playing its third game in a week.

Kick-off is 3:00 this afternoon.

Broncos Enjoy Home Court Advantage

Beaver Brae's court sport teams enjoyed their first taste of home court advantage.

The Bronco boys volleyball and Girls basketball teams took three of four games from Fort Frances yesterday.

The Beaver Brae senior girls basketball team dropped the Muskies 35-28.

Kaitlyn Sparkman led the way with 9 points.

The Broncos junior girls also won 33-23.

Rylee Smith accounted for almost half of Beaver Brae's points with 16.

The Broncos senior boys swept the Muskies three sets to none, while the junior squad suffered the lone loss of the day, losing 3-0.

Doors Open in Kenora this Weekend

You can walk through Kenora's past this weekend.

Doors Open is being brought back for the first time in four years.

Jim Clarke is one of the organizers and says Doors Open is a celebration of not only some of Kenora's older buildings, but some of our newer ones as well.

This year a total of 17 buildings and two cemeteries are included in Doors Open along with three urban trails as part of the Trails Open celebration.

Doors Open Kenora will take place tomorrow and Saturday.

Saints Clean up in Mountain Bike Races

It was a clean sweep for the Thomas Aquinas Saints in the NorWOSSA Mountain Bike races yesterday at Mount Evergreen.

Connor O'Flaherty placed first in the boys seven kilometer race.

He was followed by Ben Scott in seond and Blaine van der Krabben who finished third overall.

In the cross country races, Daniel Thomson was the top local finisher in the Senior boys division, placing second in the seven kilometer run.

The Saints also did well in the Grade 7 and 8 divisions, with Katie Marcine and Mia Coma finishing second and third respectively in the girls 2.4 k cross country race, while Logan Spencer and Jayme Caron were second and third in the boys division.

Save ELA Petitions to be Presented on Parliament Hill

The battle to save the Experimental Lakes area east of Kenora is heading to Parliament Hill once again today.

A number of petitions will be presented to M.P.'s.

Diane Oriehl heads up the group Save the ELA and says they are trying to protect research that's vital to our eco-system.

People from across Canada and even internationally have signed the petitions.

The ELA is slated to close in March of next year.

OPP Release Results of Satisfaction Survey

The OPP are getting better than passing grades from local residents in the way they police the City of Kenora.

The results of the most recent Community Satisfaction Survey were released yesterday.
Inspector Dave Lucas says the information helps them develop their annual business plan.

Lucas says more than 70 percent of those surveyed felt alcohol and drug abuse were the biggest issues in the community.

In the Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls, 61 percent of respondants indicated that break and enters were the biggest issue.

High School Students Get their Netbooks

Highschool students across the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board are now all outfitted with a new computer.

Over the past week, the board has been handing out netbooks for students in grades 9 through to 12.

Technology Teacher Mary Trist says the students seemed to be pretty comfertable with them.

Students in grade 4-8 within the Keewatin Patricia District School board will also be using them.

Northwest Regional Conference Starts today

Northwestern Ontario political and business leaders begin a two day conference in Thunder Bay today.

Ron Nelson, of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, says the regional meeting is a chance to discuss our readiness for the mining boom that's approaching.

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce is co-host of the conference.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield, and councillor's Louis Roussin and Ron Lunny are attending

the Regional Conference. 

Ignace Man Faces Sex Assault Charges

O.P.P. are laying sexual assault charges against an Ignace man after a minor came forward to police.

The 46 year old man was arrested Wednesday after a reported incident on September 19th.

The man remains in custody, charged with sexual assault, invitation to sexual touching and sexual interference.

His name is not being released in order to protect the identity of the victim.

Cigarette Responsible for Salvation Army Fire in Fort Frances

Police say it's most likely a burning cigarette started a fire at the Salvation Army in Fort Frances.

On Monday, police and the fire department responded to the fire at the building on Victoria Avenue, and extinguished the fire involving items left outside of the building.

Police say the fire happened outside of the building in an area between a walkway and a hedge on the North side of the building.

Police say a person of interest was taken into custody, but for an unrelated matter.

There have been no charges laid.

NWOSSA Golf Championships At Beauty Bay

Beauty Bay will be playing host to high school golfers from across northwestern Ontario today.

The NWOSSA championships are on tap, with teams coming from Thunder Bay, the North Shore as well as Dryden, Sioux Lookout and Kenora.

The top three teams from each division has qualified for today's championships.

Beaver Brae placed third in the NorWOSSA finals last week and will be participating along with golfers from Thomas Aquinas.

T.A. automatically qualifies as the host team.

Local High School Teachers Hold Strike Vote Today

Local members of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation will be taking a strike vote later today.

Local union president John Dykes says it will likely take a few days to tabulate the results.

Teachers are upset with legislation passed earlier this month by the provincial government which bans strikes and freezes salaries for the next two years.

Earlier this month, local members of the Elementary Teachers Federation also held a strike vote, with 100 percent voting in favour.

Council Says Not to Tax Break on Mill Property

Kenora City Council is turning down a request from Resolute Forest Products, formerly AbitibiBowater to waive the taxes on its property on 9th Street North.

The company argues that some of the buildings left on the old mill site are damaged and are not usable.

Councillor Ron Lunny says they're not buying that argument.

Resolute wanted the taxes waived on the buildings for the 2011 tax year, the last year that it still owned the property.

Council Continues To Debate Future of JM Arena

Plans to turn the Jaffray Melick Arena into an indoor soccer complex is still generating debate at city council.

Yesterday, Councillor Louis Roussin says while he supports the concept,

he's concerned about the price tag attached to the proposal to twin the Rec. Center ice surface.

He says he's seen figures as high as 13 million dollars to build a second rink.

Roussin says if there is no government funding for the project, there's no way the city can afford a second arena.

He suggests it would be cheaper to put an ice plant into the JM Arena.

Northwest OPP Hand out Awards

The Ontario Provincial Police are celebrating their own and regular citizens today in their Northwest Region Awards.

During the fall of last year Daniel Morrison was working with the Ministry of Natural Resources conducting an animal count survey near Armstrong.

Morrison heard his coworkers cried for help and found her being mauled by a bear.

Morrison says he used his hunting knife to fight the bear off.

Morrison as well as Constable Randy Gosse and CO Ross Johnston received the Commissioner's Citation for Bravery and Lifesaving.

Classes Cancelled This Morning at Thomas Aquinas

Students at Thomas Aquinas will get a chance to sleep in today.

Hydro One has a power outage scheduled for the Jaffray Melick area from 9:30 to 12:30 today.

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says due to the outage, classes will be cancelled for the morning.

It adds that the school will be open for anyone arriving by bus today.

Grade 9-12 students are asked to report back to school for 11:25 for period 3 classes this morning, while Grade 7 and 8 students don't have to show up until 12:40.

Thomas Aquinas is the only school affected by today's power outage.

Body of Missing Man Found on Gunn Lake

The OPP's Underwater Search and Rescue Unit says it has recovered the body of a missing Winnipeg man on Gunn Lake, north of Kenora.

24 year old Blaine Letham has been boating with a friend Saturday night when their 14 foot Lund was hit by some large waves.

Both men were thrown into the water, but eyewitnesses managed to rescue one of the men, a 23 year old Winnipeg resident.

The OPP's Marine Unit began its search Sunday, while the OPP divers were brought in yesterday.

A post-mortem exam is being conducted today at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

By-Pass Safety Still a Concern

The safety of the intersections on the Kenora By-Pass are once again under a microscope following a fatal accident over the weekend.

A 42 year old woman was killed while being transported in an OPP cruiser early Sunday morning.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says to his knowlege this is the first fatality at the intersection of the Redditt Road and Highway 17-A, but adds there have been a number of near misses.

In the past, the city has requested that flashing amber light be installed before the stop lights on the By-Pass to alert motorists the lights are about to change to red.

SIU Says Accident Investigation Could Take a Month or More

Its going to take a while before any more details about Sunday's fatal accident is released.

The SIU has begun its investigation of the deadly collision that killed a 42 year old Kenora woman, but a final report could take a month or more.

Monica Hudon is a spokesperson for the SIU and says their reports are very comprehensive and it can take a while to gather all the information they need.

Hudon says on average, they try to complete their investigations within 30 business days.

Northwestern Students Win Bartleman Awards

Four northwestern Ontario aboriginal students have picked up a prestigious literary award.

The Bartleman Award winners were announced today.

Kiara Lynn Bird from Whitefish Bay, Rachel Bluecoat of Fort Severn, Chelsea McKay of Wunnumin Lake and Calista Mawakeesic of Sioux Lookout were four of the six winners.

This year's successful entries include poems that address the damaging effects of bullying, isolation and the legacy of residential schools.

The winners each pick up a cheque for 25 hundred dollars.

Fall Seatbelt Campaign Underway

The Ontario Provincial Police in Northwestern Ontario have launched a Fall seatbelt campaign.

The campaign is underway and concludes October 6th.

Constable Anne McCoy says too many people are still not buckling up.

A fine for non-compliance is $200 and two demerit points.

NDP Holds Health Care Town Halls this Friday

If you have issues with the local health care system, this is your chance to vent.

The NDP will be touring the Kenora-Rainy Riding this Friday gathering feedback from local residents at a series of town hall meetings.

The New Democrat's Health Critic Frances Gelinas will accompany Sarah Campbell at four stops.

They will be getting feedback in Fort Frances, Rainy River, Kenora and Dryden.

The Kenora town hall will take place from 3:30 to 4:30 at the Travelodge this Friday.

MNR Fire Crews Heading West

The Ministry of Natural Resources is sending forest firefighters to Alberta.

Twenty fireRangers, twelve incident commanders and an agency representatives left Ontario yesterday to aid with forest fire suppression efforts in that province.

Four MNR firefighters are also working in Minnesota.

Broncos Win Big in Winnipeg

Beaver Brae's offense has been on fire over the past two games.

Yesterday, the Broncos cruised to a 53-6 win over the St. John's Tigers at the Nomads field in Winnipeg.

Beaver Brae has now scored 97 points in their last two games.

They'll need to continue that trend Friday as the top team in the

Winnipeg High School Football league, the Elmwood Giants come to town.

Elmwood has a perfect 4-0 record, while the Broncos now sit at 2-2.

SIU Investigates By-Pass Fatal

Three investigators from the Ontario Special Investigations Unit are in Kenora looking into the death of a 42 year old woman.

The woman died while being transported in a police cruiser early Sunday morning.

The OPP say that around 2:00 the cruiser collided with a semi-tractor trailor unit at the intersection of the Redditt Road and the Kenora By-Pass.

The two officers in the cruiser were taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital and later released, while the driver of the transport did not sustain any injuries.

The By-Pass was closed for over 17 hours, while the SIU conducted  it investigation of the crash scene.

Highway 17-A was finally re-opened around 7:15 last night.

OPP Continue Search for Missing Boater

The search will continue this morning for a missing boat on a lake north of Kenora.

The OPP's Underwater Search and Recovery Unit is expected to arrive on the scene today to help locate a 24 year old Winnipeg man.

Police say two men were thrown into Gunn Lake, just south of Minaki Saturday evening around 8:00 after encountering high waves.

Neither man was wearing a life-jacket.

Eyewitnesses were able to rescue a 23 year old man from the lake, but his companion is still missing.

The missing man has been identified as Blaine Letham.

Mental Health Funding Announced

A big boost for mental health services in the Treaty Three area.

Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong has received a 50 thousand dollar grant from the Bell "Lets Talk" Community Fund.

April Medwechuck says they will use the funding to spear a new program to help front-line workers recognize people with mental health issues.

The funding was announced at the 2nd annual baseball tournament put on the Kenora Drug Abuse and Mental Health Task Force on Saturday.

Court Overturns Extradition for Rainy River First Nations Resident

Ontario's top court has ruled a man from Rainy River First Nations facing drug charges in the United States should not be extradited because of his aboriginal status.

Zachary Leonard was arrested with four others in 2006 after trying to cross the border at International Falls in a van containing 46-hundred ecstasy tablets.

After escaping from a Falls halfway house to Canada, an Ontario Superior Court judge committed him for extradition.

But the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled the justice minister didn't properly take into account a legal principle that says different considerations must be made when sentencing aboriginal offenders.

The Appeal Court says Leonard could be prosecuted in Canada.

Aboriginal Life Stories Released

A teacher from the Kenora Catholic District School Board has helped launch a new literacy initiative.

Native Language teacher from St. John's Catholic School in Red Lake, Tom Doherty was in Toronto yesterday for the launch of "Books of Life".

The book is an Aboriginal education awarness and initive which tells the life stories of students from diverse school populations.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Kenora also participated in the program.

First Ever Sasquatch Bush Crawl this weekend

A unique fundraiser is going to be taking place one week from today.

The 1st ever Sasquatch Bush Crawl will take place on the Mount Evergreen Cross Country Ski Trails.

David White is one of the organizers and says you can walk, run or even crawl along the five kilometer route.

Money raised from the Sasquatch Bush Crawl will go into the endowment fund for the Kenora Association For Community Living.

Kenora Man Prepares for Trip to Ghana

A young Kenora resident is getting ready for a trip of a life time.

Dusty Snyider is planning to embark on a one month humanitarian mission to Ghana in west Africa.

Snyder says he will be working with the AIDS patients in that country.

Snyder will be leaving in November but has to raise six thousand dollars to help pay his way.

Health Unit Issues Ground Beef Warning

A Nation-wide recall has hit the region.

The Northwestern Health Unit is advising that the public to not eat any ground beef with a best before date on or before September 26, due to a possible e-coli contamination.

The contamination happened at the manufacturing plant in Alberta, and has been sent to local grocery stores.

The known affected product has been pulled from shelves, but some of it may have already been sold.

Foul Play Not Suspected in Death of Sioux Lookout Girl

An autopsy has been completed on a 15-year-old Sioux Lookout girl.

The body of Regina Kakekespan was found in a wooded area of Sioux Lookout a week ago.

Provincial Police are saying that foul play is NOT suspected, but the investigation is ongoing.

The cause of death has not been released.

Saints Win KIVT

Thomas Aquinas took top honors at the annual Kenora Invitational Senior Boys Volleyball tournament over the weekend.

The Saints never dropped a set in two days of play, and won the final Saturday afternoon with a straight sets win over Dryden in the final.

Coach Bob Kowal says he was impressed by his teams resiliance.

Beaver Brae bowed out in the play-offs Saturday morning.

Meanwhile, the Broncos football team has a short week.

Beaver Brae plays two games in the next five days.

Today the Broncos are in Winnipeg to face the St. John's Tigers.

Kick-off is 5:00 this evening.

Take Back the Night March Tonight

You might have noticed some black cardboard cutouts of female images around town in the last day or so.

The campaign is part of Take Back the Night, which takes place this evening.

Jen Dennis is with the Kenora Women's Action Network and says this has been an annual event in Kenora for over 20 years.

Take Back the Night will start at 5:30 this evening from the Loonie Bear.

Northwest Mining Study to Be Released

An extensive mining study will be released next week.

It was commissioned by a group called Ambassadors Northwest.

Spokesperson Merv Detweiler says the study was conducted by Lakehead University professor Dr. Bahram Dadgostar.

The study will come out next Thursday morning at a news conference.

Health Unit Holds Workshop on Smoking and Pregnancy

Toboacco use and pregnancy don't mix.

That was the message of the Northwestern Health Unit in a workshop conducted yesterday in Dryden.

Health Promoter Christine McLeod says they met with local health care professionals who work with pregnant mothers who smoke.

McLeod says support services directly for mothers and their families are also available, such as Smokers hotline.

Boundaries Commission Announces Hearing Schedule

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Commission in Ontario will begin its cross-province hearings in Kenora next month.

The Commission released its tour schedule for public hearings on the newly released federal riding boundaries.

The Kenora Riding has only one slight change, which is the addition of Lake of the Woods Township.

Anyone wishing to comment on the changes is asked to contact the commission by October 1st.

The public hearing will be taking place at the Best Western Lakeside Inn on October 9th.

Gravelle Responds to Environmental Commissions Report

Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle says he's taking the words of the province's Environment Commissioner to heart.

The commissioner blasted Gravelle's ministry for not being open about decisions it makes relating to the environment specifically a program that monitors the population of wildlife in the province.

Gravelle says his ministry is always working to be transparent and will look at the recommendations to see if there is action that needs to be taken.

Dryden Selling Phone services

Bell Aliant continues to expand its holdings in northwestern Ontario.

Yesterday, the company, which owns KMTS, announced plans to purchase land line and internet services in Dryden.

Public Affairs Manager for Bell Norma Hughes thinks it's a step in the right directon.

There is a seperate proposal from TBaytel for the purchase of Dryden's mobile service, but no details are known at this time.

World Alzheimer Day Marked Locally

The Alzheimer Society of the Kenora and Rainy River Districts is celebrating World Alzheimer Day by conducting a number of workshops on dementia.

The Virtual Dementia tour simulates what its like to have an illness like Alzheimers.

Ashley Trent is a spokesperson for the local Alzheimer Society and says the virtual dementia tour is a real eye-opener.

The Virtual Dementia tour takes about 15 minutes to complete and will be offered from 10 to 3 today at the Comfort Inn.

Broncos Win Homecoming Game

A big confidence boost for Beaver Brae's Football team.

The Broncos ran roughshod over the Dryden Eagles in their Homecoming game, romping to a convincing 44-13 win at Pete Fair Memorial Field yesterday afternoon.

Dylan Pykerman led the offense with four touchdowns.

Coach Chris Penner says the o-line did a great job creating holes for the running backs.

Hudson Boucha and Rian Wilwand also scored majors for the Broncos.

They don't have a lot of time to rest.

Beaver Brae heads to Winnipeg on Monday for a game against St. John's.

Tainted Beef Recalled from More Stores in NWO

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expanding it's recall of tainted beef originating from Alberta's XL foods.

That beef is believed to be contaminated with E.coli.

The new stores that were added to the recall include the Real Canadian Wholesale Club and the Real Canadian Superstore outlets in northwestern Ontario. 

It also includes No Frills and the Wholesale Club in Kenora, Extra Foods in Dryden, Marathon and Geraldton.

Superstore says they've pulled the meat off the shelf already.

Campbell Questions MNR Outsourcing

The provincial government is being criticized again for its decision to contract out big game licencing to an American Company.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is demanding to know why hunters have to call a Tennessee company to get a licence to hunt in Ontario.

Natural Resources minister Michael Gravelle assured the legislature that any personal information given over the phone or on-line will be protected, and the system is working well.

The Shape of the Modern Family Changing

The institution of marriage is on the decline in Kenora.

That's according to new census data that offers fresh insight into the complex composition of modern-day Canadian families.

The latest information from the 2011 census, released this morning by Statistics Canada, reveals the many different ways Canadians live together as a family unit.

When the census was taken in May 2011, there were 4,390 families in Kenora.

Married couples - those with and without children - make up 65.9 per cent of families in Kenora.

That's a decrease from the last census taken in 2006 when 68 per cent of couples were married.

Whooping Cough Vaccinations Encouraged

The Northwestern Health Unit is encouraging everyone to get their whooping cough vaccine.

The cough is highly contagious and can be quite dangerous in babies.

Manager of Infectous Diseases Donna Stanley says you can get the vaccine at any age.

In the past couple of weeks, there have been at least four cases of whooping cough diagnosed in the Thunder Bay area.

Two Rescued from Wabigoon River

Three officers from the Dryden Police Service put their life on the line last night to save two intoxicated individuals from drowning.

Off-duty officer Denise Szachury was walking near Wabigoon River when she noticed a man who had just emerged from the water.

A second person was still in the river and was in distress and the man went back in to get him.

The two both wound up in the middle of the river and became distressed.

Constable Jon Allen and Constable Terry Menard arrived and all three officers dove into the frigid water to save the two.

A 22-year-old woman and 18-year-old man were rescued and transported to hospital with hypothermia.

Charges are pending.

Mounties Search for Stolen Generator

The RCMP are looking for some very determined, or very strong theives in the Falcon Lake area.

The Mounties were called to a remote camp on Falcon Lake this week to investigate the theft of a Honda generator.

Police say the camp had no road access and the culprits would have needed a boat to steal the 300 pound generator.

The generator is valued at about five thousand dollars.

Its believed it was stolen sometime this past summer between the last week of July and August 23rd.

Restorative Justice Program Expanded

Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services has entered into a new protocal with the Ontario Provincial Police.

As a part of the Restorative Justice Program, there are services availalbe to help the accused get back on track before facing a charge.

Executive Director Celina Reitberger says this will hopefully take the load off the police, and the justice system.

Reitberger says this protocol is simillar to one they have with the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service.

Eagles Sweep Broncos in NorWOSSA Opener

A tough start to the NorWOSSA regular season for Beaver Brae's court sport teams.

The Broncos were swept in all four games played in Dryden yesterday.

In girls basketball, Beaver Brae's seniors were upended 36-25, while the Bronco junior squad were edged 40-36.

In boys volleyball action, Dryden's senior team beat Beaver Brae three sets to one, while the Broncos junior squad lost in three straight sets.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's football team is still looking for its first win of the season in the Winnipeg High School Football League.

The Broncos play their first of four home games this afternoon against Dryden at 3:00 at Pete Fair Memorial Field.

The Eagles come into the game with a 1-1 record.