Thistle Lose two of three at Home

The Kenora Triple "A" Midget Thistles have fallen back to the .500 mark on the season.

The Thistles dropped a 5-1 decision yesterday to the Winnipeg Thrashers at the Rec. Center.

That was their third game in four days.

On Friday, the Kenora Midgets completed a two-game series against the Norman North Stars with a 4-3 win.

The Thistles record is now three wins, three losses and an overtime loss.

Their next game is Wednesday in Beausejour against the Eastman Selects.

Habitat For Humanity Gets Funding

Habitat for Humanity is getting a big boost from the Kenora District Services Board.

Councillor Louis Roussin sits on the KDSB and says the local committee will be getting 50 thousand dollars as part of an Affordable Housing Program.

The funding is being flowed through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

This is a ten year program aimed at reducing homelessness and creating more affordable housing.

Habitat recently completed construction of its first ever home in Kenora.

New City Committees Approved

Still no shortage of committees in the City of Kenora.

This week, city council agreeed to dissolve two committees, but at the same time will be establishing two new committees at its open meeting Monday night.

Council is doing away with the Audit Committee and Harbortown Center.

Councillor Ron Lunny says the Audit Committee had become redundant because BDO Dunwoody already carries out an independant review of the city's finances.

Volunteers are now being sought to sit on the newly established Special Events Center Committee and the

Non-Profit Housing Review Committee.

Plane Crash Still Under Investigation

The Transportation Safety Board says its investigation of a fatal plane crash near Pickle Lake is being hampered by dense bush.

The Laker 250 went down about two miles short of the Pickle Lake Airport Tuesday evening and it took rescue crews almost eight hours to locate it.

Peter Hildebrand from the Safety Board says they are trying to get the plane upright so investigators can get access to the fusillage.

Three men from Trois Rivieres, Quebec were killed in the crash.

Harbortown Center Committee Dissolved

A long-time City committee is going the way of the dodo bird.

The Harbortown Center Committee is being dissolved by city council.

Harbortown used to be a liason between downtown business, Harborfront programs and city hall.

However, the committee's importance began to wane in recent years with much of its work being taken up by the Harbortown BIZ and the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Arts Center Proposed for Bethesda

Artists in Kenora could soon have a new place to call home.

Bethesda Lutheran Church has been sold and the owners intend to transform the building into an arts space.

The Godbout family is behind the project and says they want to be a creative hub for the community.

Anna Godbout says she's still getting feedback from the local arts community about what their needs are.

She takes ownership of the former church on November 1st.

City Creates New Management Job

The City of Kenora is creating a new management position.

The Operations Manager's job is being split up, creating a separate job for Property and Planning.

Councillor Rod McKay says the Operations Managers workload was just getting too large.

The Property and Planning Manager will look after facilities, parks as well as planning.

McKay says the new position won't actually cost the city more money because it will mostly be a shuffling of departmental responsibilities.

Customer Service Focus of Presentation

Learn the benefits of customer service.

A world renowned retail specialist is being brought in by the  Northwest Business Centre.

Manager of the Business Centre Diane Schwartz-Williams says every business

can benefit from learning about customer service.

The "Get serious about service. Your customers are." presentation will be on October 29th in Kenora and October 30th in Dryden.

Visit Kenora.ca to get information and tickets for both presentations.

Federal Government Pledges Clean Water

Safe drinking water on First Nations communities in the far north has become a major priority for the Federal government.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford re-emphasized that point during the opening of a new water treatment facility in the Parry Sound area yesterday.

Rickford says they have to look at the big picture in the Kenora riding.

The Paliamentary Assistant for Aboriginal Affairs adds the government also plans to introdce legislation that would hold the Feds and First Nations communities more accountable.

Thistles Drop a Heartbreaker in Overtime

The Kenora Triple A Midget Thistles have suffered their first loss at home this season.

The Thistles dropped a 5-4 decision in overtime to the NorMan North Stars last night at the Rec. Center.

The loss drops the Thistles record to 2 wins, two losses and and overtime loss.

The same two teams will be back in action at the Thistle Rink tonight at 7:30.

Federal Liberal Leadership Candidate Visits Kenora

The federal Liberal leadership campaign is unofficially underway.

One of the candidates Alex Burton is on a cross-Canada tour to get his name out, and he'll be in Kenora this morning.

Burton plans to do some Main-streeting today and meet with local business owners and party faithful.

While the leadership race doesn't begin officially until next month, at least four people have already thrown their hats into the ring, including Montreal M.P. Justin Trudeau.

A new Liberal Leader will be selected in April.

Dalles Youth Charged in Stabbing Incident

A 16 year old Dalles First Nation youth faces assault charges following  a stabbing incident in downtown Kenora.

The OPP say they were contacted around 7:30 last night about a stabbing on Main Street.

Police say a 28 year old man had been stabbed in the back and was taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital, where he's recovering from his injuries.

Officers patrolled the Minto area and later located and took the suspect into  custody.

The youth has been charged with Assault with a weapon and is due to appear in Kenora Court later today.

MP's Fight for ELA

The fight to keep the Experimental Lakes Area open has reached the House of Commons again.

Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay is on the Fisheries and Oceans committee and has been try to put a motion through the house of Commons to keep the ELA open.

He says the closing costs outweigh the annual operating cost.

The government is facing public and political pressure to continue funding the ELA.

TSB Investigating Pickle Lake Plane Crash

Two investigators from the Transportation Safety Board are looking into the cause of a small plane crash that killed three people Tuesday night near Pickle Lake.

OPP say the aircraft crashed just before 7:30 in the woods as it was approaching the Pickle Lake Airport.

Peter Hildebrand, a transportation safety official, says weather doesn't appear to have been a problem.

One survivor was airlifted to hospital in Winnipeg for treatment of minor injuries.

The names of the deceased won't be released until the family is notified.

Hildebrand says it was a private plane, a Laker LA-250 that went down. 

Gravelle Keeps Leadership Door Open

Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle is keeping his options open.

The province's Natural Resources Minister says he might consider a run for the Liberal Party leadership if he finds that potential candidates to replace Dalton McGuinty don't show enough passion for the north.

Gravelle believes the person who succeeds McGuinty should be a strong advocate for the north.

Terrace Bay Pulp Faces Charges

Terrace Bay Pulp is facing charges in connection with a fatal incident at the mill in October of last year.

The Ministry of Labour also says that Venture Mechanical and three other individuals face charges in connection with the incident.

They are all due in court next month.

An employee from Schreiber died when a tank used to cook wood chips exploded.

Soccer Association Seeks Funding

Still a couple of significant hurdles to cross before a soccer complex in Kenora can become a reality.

The Lake of the Woods Soccer Association is seeking funding from the Trillium Foundation to help purchase the artificial turf needed for the JM Arena.

Colleen Neil is the recreational services manager and says they've had to re-work their contract and extend it to five years with the soccer association to meet the requirements of the Trillium Foundation.

The city had originally proposed a three year contract.

The cost of the artificial turf is expected to be about 125 thousand dolllars.

Three Dead in Pickle Lake Plane Crash

A fatal plane crash near Pickle Lake is currently under investigation by the OPP and the Transportation Safety Board.

The aircraft had four people on board and three people are confirmed dead.

Peter Hildebrand is a spokesperson for the Safety Board and says the plane crashed shortly before it was scheduled to touch down.

Hildebrand says its believed the Lakeer LA-250 went down around 7:30 last night in dense bush, but wasn't actually located until around 3:30 this morning.

One person survived the crash and was airlifted to hospital in Winnipeg with minor injuries.

New history of boating display at the Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre has a new exhibit displaying the history of boating.

The display features an early model Boston Whaler boat and 6 motors dating back to 1913.

Tourism Chair Randy Nickle says the collection is from a personal collector

The display is a temporary fixture at the Discovery Centre.

Campbell Urges Liberals to Bring Back Legislature

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says Northwestern Ontario is taking a hit with the legislature now at a stand-still.

Campbell says we are losing jobs and safety has been put at risk and the liberal government must address the situation.

Campbell says its been a frustrating year with by-elections, scandals and
MNR cuts in the region. 

She says the Liberals have shut down the legislature to have their own leadership race.

OPP Lay Charges in Prescription Pill Bust

A man from Couchiching First Nation is facing numerous drug charges.

Last Thursday, officers of the Fort Frances Community Drug Action Team noticed a man at a postal box with a package of 230 tables of Hydromorphone.

The street value is almost 20 thousand dollars.

Police say 28-year-old James Paul Morriseau has been charged with three counts of posession for the purpose of trafficking, and is expected to appear in court on Friday.

Bush Fire Proves Costly

The cost of fighting a wild fire in the Valley Drive area last month may end up over six digits.

Council received a report this week outlining the costs of Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services for battling the blaze in behind Valleyview School.

Initial projections are more than 54 thousand dollars.

Councillor Charito Drinkwalter says their still waiting for the bill from the MNR.

She says it could be very costly, because it includes the service of two CL-415 water bombers plus additional air and ground support from fire ranger crews.

Norman Residents Send Petition to City Council

An 800 name petition has been presented to Kenora City Council demanding that a legal covenant be put back on Norman Park.

Former Kenora Mayor Joyce Chevrier says residents in the area are worried about some of the recent development's, including the construction of the Discovery Center.

Council is drafting a resolution which says it will consult with the public if there are any major plans to change the usage of Norman Park, but Chevrier feels that's still doesn't go far enough.

Health Unit Celebrates Infection Control Week

The Northwestern Health Unit says routine practices can help you avoid becoming sick this winter.

This is Infection Control Week and the Health Unit is promoting hand hygiene and proper cough etiquette.

Spokesperson Donna Stanley says coughing and sneezing into your sleeve and washing your hands often can go a long way.

Stanley says even the common cold can cause severe health issues for the young and elderly, so precautions are the best remedy.

Bronco Court Teams Falter in Dryden

Dryden hasn't been a very friendly place for Beaver Brae's court sport teams in recent years.

Yesterday, the Broncos won just one of four games played in girls basketball and boys volleyball.

Both the Beaver Brae junior and senior volleyball squads lost to the Eagles three sets to one.

The Bronco senior girls had their three game winning streak come to a halt, with a 45-30 loss to the Eagles.

The lone win of the day came from Beaver Brae's junior girls basketball team, which enjoyed a convincing 49-24 victory over Dryden.

McKay sounds off over McGuinty Resignation

Not everyone is wishing Dalton McGuinty a fond farewell.

The premier announced that he was retiring yesterday and proroging the Ontario Legislature.

Acting Kenora Mayor, and former Conservative Candidate in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding, Rod McKay says he's disappointed the premier decided to pull the plug at this time.

McKay also says he wants McGuinty to bring the Ontario Legislature back into session, until waiting for the Liberal Party to elect a new leader.

Anthony Leek surprised by McGuinty Resignation

The resignation of Dalton McGuinty as Premiere surprised the political following in Ontario.

Members of the party were caught off guard by the resignation.

Northern Region Vice President Anthony Leek found out about the resignation through Twitter.

Mcgunity resigned at a time the party is facing multiple scandals.

Rickford Okay with Current Kenora Riding Boundaries

A wait-and-see attitude from Kenora's MP.

The Federal Electoral Boundaries Comission has heard public outcry about proposed federal riding boundary changes in the region.

While Lake of the Woods will be staying within the Thunder Bay District, Greg Rickford says he's not concerned with other options at the moment.

Rickford says he tries to visit as many communities as he can in the riding, and one more wouldn't have a big impact.

Tourism Numbers up in Kenora

It may have been one of Kenora's best-ever tourism seasons ever.

The Lake of the Woods Economic Development Commission has released its third quarter report and it shows a 100 percent increase in visitor numbers at the Discovery Center.

Don Denver is acting chair of the Commission and says they also enjoyed increased revenues for rentals of the Whitecap Pavillion and the Farmer's Market.

The commission says more than 14 thousand people visited the Discovery Center during the months of July, August and September and more than 50 thousand people took in events on the Harborfront.

Local CEP Reps Support Merger with CAW

Union history has been made!

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada has voted 90 percent in favour of a merger with the Canadian Autoworkers Union.

Local CEP representative Steven Boon says the next step will take some time.

He adds it'll take anywhere between 6-12 months and then the members will have to reconvene to make any changes.

Improved Literacy from Summer Camp

Summer school seems to becoming a popular option for some high school students in the region.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says students earned 350 credits this past summer at high schools across the region.

Student Success leader, Scott Urquhart says one area they look at expanding is co-op placements.

He suggests there may be increased opporunities for co-op placements during the summer months.

Broncos Win Big in Season Finale

Beaver Brae's Football season finished the regular season in the Winnipeg High School Football League with its most convincing win of the season.

The Broncos ran roughshod over the St. Norbert Celtics 50-16 yesterday afternoon at Pete Fair Memorial Field.

Beaver Brae had over 350 yards rushing, including 209 from Dylan Pykerman who scored five touchdowns.

The Broncos will now have to wait until the end of the regular season this week to find out who they might play next week in the play-offs.

McGuinty Steps Down

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty surprised political observers by announcing will step down as party leader.

McGuinty made the surprise announcements to an emergency meeting of the Liberal caucus.

His government is facing a second contempt motion over two cancelled power plants, and he says there was little hope of getting the public sector wage freeze the minority government needs to trim the $14.4-billion deficit.

McGuinty sais after 16 years as Liberal leader and the past nine as premier, it's time for new blood to take

over.

Museum Launches new Exhibit

Your chance to meet up with some old school criminals.

An exhibit called "Arresting Images" is on now at the Lake of the Woods Museum.

Museum spokesperson Lynn Riddell provides an interesting take on the art of the mug shot.

The exhibit started this Wednesday and runs until November 15.

ER Wait Times Down

The Lake of the Woods District Hospital is keeping wait times down in its emergency room.

Board chair Fred Richardson says the average wait time is below the provincial average.

He made the announcement during last night's board meeting.

Sunset Country Upset by New App Development

The Sunset Country Travel Association is furious that the Federal government is funding a new tourism app for the region.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford announced 160 thousand dollars to the Dryden Development Corporation to develop the mobile app.

Gerry Cariou is executive director of Sunset Country and says they are basically duplicating an app they already have in the development stages.

Cariou adds that Sunset Country has developed its app at a fraction of the cost of the grant announced last week by FedNor.

Habitat For Humanity Celebrates First Ever Housing Build

Ashley Neniska is about to become Kenora's newest homeowner.

Neniska takes possession of her home, financed through Habitat for Humanity a noon today.

She says she's put 350 hours of her own sweat equity into the house on Main Street Rideout.

A dedication ceremony for the new home took place on Saturday.

ILevel Timberstrand Mill Celebrates a Decade

A milestone for the i-level Timberstrand mill on the Jones Road.

The mill is turning ten years old this month.

To celebrate, Weyerhaeuser is holding an open house.

Mill manager Bill Candline says they are hoping the public comes out and takes part in their anniversary celebrations.

The open house will take place this Sunday from 1to 4 pm.

More Consultations Sought on Transport of Nuclear Waste

A northwestern Ontario politician says after repeatly being turned down by the Nuclear Waster Management Agency, he is going on his own.

Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Bruce Hyer says he will be holding a series of public meetings to discuss the proposed route of any nuclear waste to the northwest.

Hyer also says he has issues with the way the government agency is conducting public meeting on the possible nuclear waste burial sites.

CEP to Vote on Merger with CAW Today

It's a pivotal day for the union movement in Canada.

The Canadian Energy and Paperworkers Union will vote in Quebec City on whether to join forces with the Canadian Autoworkers to form a new union.

Regional representitive for the CEP Marvin Pupeza is there, and says it's the only thing anyone is talking about at the convention.

Pupeza says he's all for the merger.

New Air Charter Service Launched

A new Air charter service is now available in northwestern Ontario.

Northern Skies is now up and running at the Sioux Lookout Airport.

Operations Manager Derrick Flynn says they provide charter service twelve months of the year.

Flynn says there was a gap in the market and that's why he got involved.

Thistles Win Two on Home Ice

Home cooking seems to agree with the Kenora Triple A Midget Thistles.

The Thistles got their first two wins of the season this past weekend on home ice.

Saturday, the Kenora Midgets skated to a 3-2 win over the Southwest Cougars.

That followed up on Friday night's convincing 6-3 victory Friday night.

The Thistles now have a 2-2 record

Their next game is a rare Thursday night contest, as their homestand continues against the Norman North Stars.

Saints Win Second Tournament of the Year

Another weekend, another tournament victory for the Thomas Aquinas Senior Boys volleyball team.

The Saints were in Dryden over the weekend for the Annual Pumpkin Smash tournament.

T.A. went through the round robin without dropping a set.

The Saints then beat St. Ignatius and Dryden in the play-offs, and met Churchill Collegiate from Thunder Bay in the A-Side Final Saturday afternoon.

The Saints lost their only set of the tournament in the final, but still prevailed two sets to one to win gold.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's Football team wraps up the regular season schedule at home this afternoon.

The Broncos will play a make-up game against the 1-4 St. Norbert Celtics at 3:00 this afternoon.

Forest Fire Season Quickly Wrapping Up

The forest fire season doesn't officially close until October 31st, but things are winding down for the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The fire hazard is low and the MNR is starting to prepare for the off-season.

Northwestern Ontario has seen 664-fires, burning a total of nearly 99-thousand hectares of land.

That's a far cry from last fire season when the MNR reported 908-fires, covering 629-thousand hectares.

The MNR is still asking the public to be careful with outdoor fires.

New Funding For Tourism Website

The next step for tourism in Northwestern Ontario.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford announced that FedNor is providing over $160,000 in funding for a new mobile and internet project for the region.

Rickford says it's aimed for people who are on the go.

The online and mobile tourism tool is expected to be up and running by December.

KDSB to Come up With Homelessness Plan

The Kenora District Services Board is being told to come up with a homelessness plan.

The directive comes from the Provincial Government and must be completed by January 2014.

Diane Apland is the Director of Integrated Social Services for the KDSB and says work will begin in 2013.

Apland says they haven't received any specific information on what needs to be addressed in the plan.

Orihel Continues Campaign to Save ELA

It doesn't appear the Harper government is about to budge on the decision to end the Experimental Lakes

Area program near Kenora. Speaking in Thunder Bay, Diane Orihel from Winnipeg said it's frustrating for other scientists like her to make sense of the move.

Orihel is on a mission to save the ELA program.

The outdoor lab east of Kenora is slated to close at the end of March, 2013.

OMA Supports Changes to the Mining Act

The Ontario Mining Association is giving a cautious thumbs up to the revised Mining Act.

Changes were approved last week by the provincial government.

Chris Hodgson is President of the OMA and says it will affect junior mining companies the most.

Hodgson says the changes to the mining act will allow map-staking, meaning prospectors won't have to be on the ground to file their claims.

Missing Hunter Found Near Ignace

Provincial Police have located a missing hunter near Ignace.

Officers were notified at 11pm on Wednesday of a missing hunter on 325 Road in unorganized Township.

78-year-old Arthur Eastman from Arkona had been seperated from his group after walking into a wooded area.

The Emergency Responce Team, OPP Canine Unit and Ministry of Natural Resources search and rescue were able to find Eastman unharmed.

 

This is the second missing hunter reported this week.

 

On Wednesday morning, a hunter was reported lost in the Dryden area, but was found by his hunting party before a full-fledged search was started by the OPP. 

Working Smart Workshops Proving Popular

Lots of interest in the Working Smart Workshops for Blackberry and i-phone users in the region.

The workshops are taking place next week and some are already sold out, while others are filling up fast.

Diane Schwartz-Williams from the Northwest Business Center says they still have room for their Blackberry workshops in Kenora, Dryden and Sioux Lookout next week, while Red Lake has some room for its i-phone session.

The Kenora workshop takes place on Monday and costs 40 dollars.

Broncos Lose Defensive Battle Against Neelin

A tough loss for Beaver Brae's Football Team.

The Broncos dropped a 10-4 decision to the Neelin Spartans from Brandon Thursday afternoon at a snow-covered Pete Fair Memorial Field.

The big play of the game was a 98 yard interception return in the first five minutes by Neelin.

Coach Chris Penner says that was really the turning point in a very defensive struggle.

Braiden Leischow scored all the Bronco points on a field goal and a missed field goal.

Beaver Brae wraps up the regular season on Monday at home in a make up game against the St. Norbert Celtics.

Passport Clinic This Weekend

A one-stop shop for all your passport needs.

A passport clinic will take place this Saturday at the Kenora Legion.

You will be able to get your photo taken, as well as fill out and submit all the necessary paperwork.

Just bring your birth certificate, a second piece of ID and cash for the photo.