Saints host Game One of Northland Cup Final

The finals of the Northland Cup high school hockey championships begin
tonight.

The Thomas Aquinas Saints will host the Fort Frances Muskies in a
home and home total goal series.

Game one is tonight at 7:30 at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Meanwhile, Beaver Brae's girls team will play the winner of last night's
game between Dryden and Fort Frances.

Rock and Roll Beach Party a Success

The Rotary Club's Rock and Roll Beach Party has helped raise some much needed funds for polio.

The Beach Party was held at the Ballroom Blitz on Friday and raised about 240 dollars.

A spokesperson for Rotary says combined with matching contributions from the government, the money will allow over 100 polio vaccinations.

The fundraising will continue until the end of March.

2 People Charged for Drug Possession

Dryden O.P.P have charged two people following a search warrant at a home in Wainwright Township.

Provincial Police, along with members of the Kenora detachment and Dryden Police Service found drugs in the home, and have charged 22-year-old Kelsie Kelly and 24-year-old Derek Palermo.

The charges include unauthorized possession of a prohibited device and possession of marijuana, oxycodone and cocaine.

Police say the two have been released from custody on a Promise to Appear, and have a court date of March 25.

Boil Water Advisory on First Avenue South

Their is a boil water advisory in affect for the Blue Heron, the Banister Centre, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

The advisory was issued as a result of an early morning water main break on First Avenue South.

Anyone using water from these locations for consumption is advised to boil water for at least a minute.

Consumption includes brushing teeth, adding to food, washing fruits and vegetables, and making ice cubes.

The advisory will remain in affect until further notice.

Northern Ontario Cabinet Meeting Scheduled

The new Ontario government has selected Sault Ste. Marie to be the location of their cabinet meeting on March 1st.

Outlined in the Throne Speech, the government says they will discuss issues in Northern Ontario, including transportation needs for the Ring of Fire.

In addition, the government will focus on employment opportunities for young people and Aboriginal communities.

Water Main Break Closes Road

A water main break has forced a detour this morning for some
motorists.

About a foot of water has pooled in the middle of a section of
1st Avenue South this morning in front of the Bannister Center.

City work crews has blocked off the section of road from Consumer
Frosted Foods and the Safeway intersection.

No word as to when the street might be re-opened again.

Council Members in Toronto for Good Roads

Members of Kenora City Council are on the hunt for more funding to fix up our aging bridges this week.

Mayor Dave Canfield and a couple of councilors are in Toronto for the Ontario Good Roads Conference.

Canfield says while they have been told they can apply for two million dollars in infrastructure funding, it falls far short of what they need.

Canfield says the cost alone of fixing up the West Branch Bridge over the Winnipeg River has
been estimated at over six million dollars.

Extracurriculars expected Back in local High Schools

It appears the government is making headway with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation.

Last week the OSSTF began encouraging members to resume extra-curricular activities following an internal vote.

Director of Education with the Keewatin Patricia District School Board Jack McMaster is pleased the province and
the teachers have agreed to work together to resolve the issue.

Extracurriculars could start up later this week.

The OSSTF will hold a news conference later today.

Stunt Driving Charge Laid in Vermillion Bay

O.P.P. In Dryden are charging a 22 year old Manitoba man with stunt driving.

He was caught doing 50 kilometers an hour over the posted speed limit on Highway 17 in Machin Township.

The vehicle has been impounded for a mandatory seven days and the man is facing a court appearance in Dryden to answer to the charges.

Rickford Passed over for Promotion

Hiding his disappointment, Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he's ready to work with the new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development.

Bernard Valcourt, previously a secretary of state for the Francophonie, steps into the void left when John Duncan suddenly resigned last week.

Rickford says he will continue his work as Parliamentary Secretary to Aboriginal Affairs.

Rickford says he's a team player and will support the new Minister.

Bronco Girls Advance to League Final

Beaver Brae's girls hockey team has moved onto the final of the
Northland Cup.

The Broncos eked out a 4-3 win over the Red Lake Rams in sudden
death overtime last night a the Kenora Rec. Center.

Eve Charlebois scored the game winner at the 2:20 mark of OT.

It was her second goal of the game.

The Broncos now await the winner of tonight's other semi-final between
Dryden and Fort Frances tonight.

Midget Thistles Lose Two in Brandon

The Kenora Midget Thistles have dug themselves a big hold in their quarter-final play-off
series against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Thistles lost both games in Brandon over the weekend and trail their best-of five
series two games to none.

Yesterday, the Thistles were doubled up 4-2.

On Saturday, the Kenora midgets were blanked 5-0.

The Thistles face elimination when they play the Wheat Kings
in game three at home Friday night.

Senior Thistles Drop Two Against Southeast

Close but no cigar for the Kenora Senior Thistles.

They dropped a pair of one-goal losses to the Southeast Prairie Thunder
over the weekend at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Yesterday, the Thistles were edged 2-1 by the Thunder.

Ross Johnson scored the lone Kenora goal.

Saturday, Southeast scored with 10 seconds left in regulation to earn a 4-3 win over the Thistles.

Ficek Loses Final of Northern Wheelchair Playdowns

Home ice wasn't enough of an advantage for the Wayne Ficek foursome at the Northern Ontario Wheelchair Curling Playdowns.

Ficek lost out to Gino Sonego in yesterday's final at the Kenora Curling Club.

Sonego won the right to advance to the National Championships with a 9-7  victory.

Sonego and Ficek had split their games against eachother during the round robin and the play-offs.

Final Arguments Made in Murder Trial

The crown and the defense have painted very different pictures of what took place the night Ed Wilson died on March 21st, 2009 in Norman.

Final arguments were presented to the jury yesterday.

Crown Attorney Mary-Ann Mousseau rejects defense arguments that Kenneth Ivall was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She says he was enraged by the fact that Ed Wilson had struck him outside the Tower Motel.

She also says Ivall wanted to avenge a sexual assault that Wilson was alleged to have made against
Angela Duchesne when she was 16 year old girl.

The defense meanwhile suggests that Duchesne orchestrated many of the events that fateful night, including
the beating of Ed Wilson by a number of men outside the Tower Motel.

Defense lawyer Chris Watkins says Duchesne manipulated and lied to police and destroyed evidence
and suggested the jury should disregard any statements that she made during the trial.

Watkins says while his version of events may not match the crown's he says they fit the facts just as well.

Justice Terrance Platana has dismissed the jury until Tuesday morning, when he plans to make his final
instructions to them, before they begin their deliberations.

Campbell Urges Province to Help Save ELA

A last-ditch plea to save the Experimental Lakes Area.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell used her podium at
Queen's Park to appeal to the provincial government to take action
before its too late.

Campbell says to date, the province hasn't done done much to help cause.

The clock is counting on the closure of the ELA.

It's scheduled to close its doors in just over a month.

KDSB Ready to Tackle Homlessness

It's going to cost a few bucks but it's something that's needed in the Kenora District.

The Services Board has been told to come up with a long-term plan to address the homelesness and housing issues facing the region.

Chief Administrative Officer Dan McNeil says a number of groups will be involved.

The province has asked for the plan but has provided no funding.

A final report is due by January 1st, 2014.

Province Announces Funding for Addictions

The provincial government wants to improve access to addiction services for First Nations communities.

Ontario will provide 1.5 million dollars in ongoing annual funding to support five new Community Wellness

Development Teams, and to increase the use of tele-medicine equipment in treatment centers.

This will allow health care providers to conference with patients in remote communities to enhance addictions treatments.

Rainy River Resources Outlines New Gold Zone

Rainy River Resources continues to build on the potential of its gold mine south of Kenora.

It's out with the latest findings from a drill program conducted in an area identified as the Intrepid zone.

The company says the results continue to support the belief that the zone is similar to a main deposit found in the heart of its project.

It hopes to better define the size of the zone by the middle of this year.

Hope And the City Tickets On Sale this Weekend

Hope in the City is celebrating its third year in Kenora and
tickets for the much anticipated event go on sale tomorrow.

Ashley Hoffmeister is one of the organizers and says its chance
to women to dress up, go out on the town and have some fun.

Hope in the City is a fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Tickets for the May 11th gala go on sale tomorrow at 11:00 at the
Discovery Center.

Northern Ontario Wheelchair Curling Playdowns

A wheelchair curling team from Kenora is ready to go back to the National championships.

Kenora Skip Wayne Ficek says his team is ready for the Northern Ontario playdowns this weekend at the Kenora Curling Club.

Ficek says his team is ready to go after a rebuilding year in 2011.

The playdowns start this afternoon with the first draw at 1:30 with teams in action.

The finals will take place on Sunday.

Saints Advance To Northland Cup Final

The Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team is heading to the final of
the first ever Northland Cup.

The Saints edged the Dryden Eagles 4-3 last night at the Rec. Center to
win their one game semi-final.

Daniel Thomson scored the game winner in overtime.

T.A. will host game one of the Northland Cup Final Tuesday night against
either Beaver Brae or Fort Frances.

Their semi-final will be played tomorrow night in Fort Frances.

Report on Ontario Jury Rolls to be Released next Week

A long awaited report on the jury roll system in Ontario will be released
next week.

Former Ontario Superior Court judge, Frank Iacobucci was asked to
look at how to better get aboriginal representation on jury rolls.

His report will be released in Thunder Bay next Tuesday.

Iacobucci was asked by the Attorney General back in August of 2011 to look at ways of getting aboriginals living on reserve included on provincial jury rolls.

Scientists Speak Out for ELA

More high level support for the Experimental Lakes area.

The ELA was on the minds of the delegates at the annual meeting of the
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography in New Orleans yesterday.

A number of delegates showed up wearing t-shirts supporting the ELA.

In his opening address, president of the association,  Dr. James Elser suggested that almost every session will use pieces of science either derived or inspired by research at the ELA.

He calls the closure of the ELA a tragedy for the public good and scientific enterprise.

Defense Presents It's Case to the Jury

The second degree murder Trial of Kenneth Ivall is rapidly winding down.

Yesterday, defense lawyer Chris Watkins presented his case.

In a short opening statement to the jury, Watkins claimed that Angela Duchesne was the only person who seemed to have a motive to kill Ed Wilson.

He says Duchesne exhibited a lot of anger and animosity to the victim.

Watkins also presented just two witnesses to give evidence.

Both were both briefly cell-mates with Duchesne in the Kenora Jail.

Kimberly Skead says Duchesne told her that Wilson was a stalker and
a paedophile and he deserved what he got.

Both the crown and the defense will present their final arguments for the
jury beginning this morning.

Fraser Institute Rates Local Schools

A good news, bad news report card for elementary schools in Kenora.

Overall, Kenora schools received a mark of 5.3 out of ten from the Fraser
Institute, just below the provincial average of 6.0.

Peter Crowley is one of the authors of the annual Elementary Schools Report
Card and says it shows where there is room for improvement.

Ste. Margarite Bourgeoys led all schools with a rating of 8.4 out of ten, ahead of Valleyview
at 6.0, King George at 5.1 and Pope John Paul at 4.7.

Mixed Reviews for Throne Speech

The MPP for the Kenora-Rainy River Riding says the throne speech lacked in commitment to fix problems facing the province.

Sarah Campbell says she's interested to see what premier Kathleen Wynne does to keep her promises.

Campbell adds that the speech did include a lot of concerns facing the province but lack any plans for action.

Meanwhile,  Kenora mayor Dave Canfield  says no one promise in the throne speech caught his attention.

Canfield says he is happy to hear the province is promising to continue to work on infrastructure.

Canfield adds that he plans to continue talking to ministers at the Good Roads conference next week about work on the Winnipeg River West Branch Bridge.

OPP Getting Ready for Crime Prevention Campaign

The Kenora O.P.P will be looking for some public feedback during Crime Prevention Campaign.

Constable Dave Cain says they are using the information to plan workshops throughout the year.

Cain says crime prevention is important because the O.P.P can't be everywhere at once.

He adds that community initiatives such as Neighborhood Watch are proving to be effective.

Memorial Bench Project Being Launched

The City of Kenora is giving people the chance to memorialize a loved one.

Councillor Sharon Smith says the city has a new memorial bench project in place.

Smith says anyone interested in donating a bench has a number of options to choose from.

She says the benches can be placed along any one of the city's urban trails.

You can get more information on the memorial bench project by calling the city's Operations or Parks department.

Saints Begin Hockey Play-offs Tonight

The High School hockey play-offs begin tonight in Kenora.

The Thomas Aquinas boys squad will face Dryden in game one of their semi-final series tonight at the Rec. Center.

The Saints finished the abbreviated regular season in second place, just behind Fort Frances, while the Eagles were third.

Game time tonight is 7:30.

The Broncos will take on the Muskies Saturday night in game one of their series.

Crown Wraps Up Its Case in Second Degree Murder Trial

After more than five weeks and dozens of witnesses, the crown has finally
wrapped up its case in the second degree murder trial of Kenneth Ivall.

The final witness was detective sergeant Daniel Cook, who interviewed
Ivall over 12 hours after Ed Wilson was killed on March 21st, 2009.

A video of the statement was played for the jury yesterday.

In it Ivall repeatedly states that he doesn't know what happened to that
fellow.

He does remember being punched by Ed Wilson outside the
Tower Motel.

Ivall at one point says "I'm almost 40 years old. I got knocked out in front of
the bar.  That didn't help my pride at all."

Ivall's lawyer Chris Watkins hasn't indicated yet if he will be presenting any
witnesses today for the defense.

PARO Gets FedNor Funding

The PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise is on the receiving end of FedNor funding.

They are using 1.5 million dollars to offer workshops, training, coaching and mentoring activities to women entrepreneurs in Northwestern Ontario.

The training will be provided to women across the region via video conferencing and traveling.

Gravelle gives Throne Speak Thumbs Up

Yesterday's Speech from the Throne received support from the Minister of Northern Development and Mines.

Michael Gravelle says there was something for everyone in the speech from the throne and hopes the opposition parties will support it.

In her first throne speech yesterday, Premier Kathleen Wynne promised they would give local residents more say in whether they get a wind farm, gas plant or casino.

Gravelle is also pleased the premier has made mention of the importance of the Ring of Fire to the region.

Wynne Vows to Work with Opposition

 The Ontario government is promising to work with the opposition,
the private sector and others to help improve the economy, create
jobs and slay the huge provincial deficit.
 
It's all in yesterday's throne speech marking the start of the new legislative session.
   
But Premier Kathleen Wynne will have to convince at least one of the opposition parties to support the speech to avoid triggering an election.
   
The province plans to tighten corporate tax compliance, work with
public sector workers on wage talks, and give local residents more
say in whether they'll get a wind farm, gas plant or casino.

And along with paying down the deficit, the speech says the
government will push job creation and building a fair society.

Canfield Speaks out on Changes to ESA

Environmental groups are attacking proposed regulation changes in the Endangered Species Act.

They are asking for additional terms and rules, something the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says isn't needed.

Vice-President Dave Canfield says the proposed changes strike a balance between helping the forest industry and protecting species at risk.

He calls the push back from environmental groups "complete non-sense".

Rec. Center Usage Rises

The Kenora Rec. Center continues to be a popular place.

Numbers released by the Recreational Services Department show
and increase of about five thousand visits in 2012.

Manager, Colleen Neil says the numbers are exact, but offer a pretty
good picture where people are spending their time.

Neil says the Fitness Center continues to be the biggest draw with almost
54 thousand visits in 2012, followed by the Walking track.

Hyer Continues to Lobby for ELA in Parliament

Make the fiscally sound decision.

Thats the message from Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer who has come out against the closing of the Experimental Lakes Area.

Hyer says the cost of operating the facility is substantially less then closing it.

Hyer says the government should look for a new owner if they won't change their minds on the decision and offer 3 years of bridge financing to build a strong business model.

Hyer will be speaking in Kenora at an ELA forum in March.

He was supposed to be in town on Monday, for the ELA supper, but that event was cancelled due
to the snowstorm.

City Ready to Pay MNR Fire Bill

The City of Kenora is expected to cut a cheque for 32 thousand dollars this week to
the Ministry of Natural Resources for battling a wild fire back in September.

Fire chief Warren Brinkman says they met recently with the MNR to talk about
mutual fire aid.

He the Valleyview fire last year did raise some concerns about the local tele-communication system.

Initially the city had balked at paying the fire fighting bill from the MNR, but after much discussion
they decided to move on.

Northern Communities Urged to Form United Front

Northern communities must band together in order to grab the province's attention on pressing issue.

That's the feeling of Red Lake Mayor Phil Vinet  as municipal leaders prepare for a trip to Toronto for the Ontario Good Roads conference.

Vinet says poor infrastructure is just one issue that needs to be raised.

He also says he wants to discuss revenue sharing, an energy crisis and low property assessments.

Tourist Numbers Increase in 2012

A big increase in tourist traffic in Kenora last summer.

The Lake of the Woods Development Commission has released its year-end figures for 2012 and its shows the number of visitors at the Discovery Center almost doubled.

Mort Goss is vice-chair of the Commission and says that's a big economic impact on the city.

The final figures show over 20 thousand visitors signed in at either the Discovery Center
or the Thistle Pavillion, up from 13 thousand 800 the year before.

New Taxi By-Law Expected to be Approved Tonight

Kenora city council says its willing to work with local cab companies to
ensure they remain profitable.

A new taxi by-law will come into effect this summer.

Eric Lovas is with Co-ot Taxi and says they would like to see the number of
safeties needed reduced from two down to just one a year.

Council has agreed to just one safety a year, but says it's not willing to
allow vehicles older than 10 years to be newly registered as a taxi.

Campbell Eager to Get Back to Work at Queen's Park

MPP's will finally get back to work today after a four month break.

The speech from the Throne will be read this afternoon around 2:00.

Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell is itching to get back to work at
Queen's Park.

Campbell says she'll hold premier Kathleen Wynne at her word, that she'll work with the opposition.

At the same time, Campbell says she has a number of issues she wants to
raise at Queen's Park and wants more than lip service from the new government.

Thistles Will Face Wheaties in Quarter-Finals

The Kenora Triple A Midget Thistles will have a tall order in  the next round of the play-offs.

The Thistles will take on the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Best-Of-Five quarter final round starting on Friday.

The Thistles advanced after getting by the Eastman Selects two games to one in their preliminary round series.

The Kenora Midgets iced the series on Sunsday afternoon with a 4-1 win at the Kenora Rec. Center.

The Thistles will now face the top team in the western Conference in the next round.

School Buses Cancelled in the Kenora area This Morning

It's an extra-long weekend for some students today.

Poor road conditions and the massive amount of snow has resulted in the cancellation of school buses in the Kenora
area this morning.

The Sioux Narrows school bus, and service to several other communities such as Ear Falls, Red Lake, and
Vermillion Bay have also been cancelled this morning.

The Rat Portage School Bus has also been cancelled this morning.

The Northwestern Ontario Student Service Consortium says minimal snow clearing has occured and they are concerned about the safety of bus drivers and children.

All schools remain open.

City transit is running as usual.

NOMA Fights for More Doctors

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says the province isn't helping in physician recruitment efforts.

Vice-President Dave Canfield says several communities have lined up doctors to practice but stresses they are experiencing long delays in gaining provincial approval.

Canfield says the current model is based on population.

The Mayor of Kenora points to this community which has a size of 16-thousand people.

He notes the true number is 30-thousand when you factor in first nation communities and the unincorporated
areas.

Duchesne Wraps Up Testimony at Ivall Trial

The second degree murder trial of Kenneth Ivall is starting to wind down.

Week five wrapped up yesteray as the jury gets a well-deserved four day
weekend.

Yesterday, Angela Duchesne wrapped up her testimony.

She was cross examined by defense attorney Chris Watkins at some length.

He asked if Duchesne was actually the one responsible for the final assault
on Ed Wilson the morning of March 21st, 2009 and suggested it was she
who place his body on the train tracks.

Duchesne denied that accusation.

She did admit to washing Kenneth Ivall's clothes afterwards.

She claims she did it on her own accord because she didn't want the
bloody clothing in her house, and didn't do it to conceal evidence.

The Crown is planning to wrap up its case on next Tuesday.

Firefly expands Partnerships with local Schools

Firefly is continuing to build on its relationship with the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board.

CEO Karen Ingebritson says they have a number of projects in the works that will eventually be implemented in local schools.

Other projects include walk-in counseling services and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder classrooms.

Ingebritson notes that they are still in the early stages of development.

New Executive for Chamber of Commerce

There's been a changing of the guard at the Kenora and District Chamber of Commerce.

Wes Romaniuk is taking over as president, replacing Andy Scribilo, who has been president for the past three years.

Romaniuk says he's excited about business prospects of the city in 2013.

Blair Hutchings has also moved into the vice-president's position, which
had been previously held by Romaniuk.

Rickford Looking for Budget Feedback

The MP for the Kenora Riding wants to hear from you.

It's budget time for the Federal Government and Greg Rickford says that it's important that Northwestern Ontario has a say in what matters to them.

Rickford says forestry and the mining industry are main priorities for him, and he's looking at creating a tax credit for mining exploration.

He adds that you can go on-line and leave comments at gregrickford.ca

Foul Play Ruled out in Kasabonika Fatality

The Ontario Provincial Police have completed their investigation into the death of a woman in Nishnawbe-Aski Police custody.

O.P.P determined that when the NAPS officer realized that 23-year-old Lena Anderson from Kasabonika Lake was unresponsive, he took her to the local nursing station.

Acting Sergeant Anne McCoy says shortly after, Anderson was pronounced dead.

McCoy says the Regional Coroner's Office has confirmed that an inquest will be conducted regarding the incident.