Gravelle Promotes Ontario Mining Success

The benefits of mining to the province's economy are being promoted at Queen's Park.

Responding to questions about the industry in the legislature, Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle says investments the province are making are paying off.

Gravelle says exploration spending surpassed the one billion dollar mark in 2011, making Ontario the leading jurisdiction in Canada.

Greenpeace Retracts Accusations against Resolute

Greenpeace Canada has acknowledged it was wrong when it accused Resolute Forest Products of secretly logging in protected boreal forests.

The environmental group says it has learned that the allegations it made the company in December were inaccurate.

Greenpeace says it sincerely regrets its error, and all references to the allegations have been removed from its website.

Saints Boys Hockey Team at OFSAA

A second Thomas Aquinas hockey team begins play this week at the All-Ontario A/AA championships in Oakville.

The Saints Boys begin the OFSAA championships two days after the T.A. girls wrapped up their trip to the provincials.

Thomas Aquinas has a pair of games today.

The first is at 9:00 against Holy Cross from St. Catharines.

T.A. will also play Robert Hall from the Peel Region at 2:00.

Kenora Soccer Star Wins Provincial Award

A former Kenora soccer star has won a provincial honor in Manitoba.

Ashley Adams has been named the Outstanding Youth Female Player of the Year.

Adams currently attends the National Development Center at Glenlawn Collegiate.

She also captained her club team in Winnipeg to a fifth place finish at the National Club Championships last October.

Adams will be going to South Dakota State in the fall on a soccer scholarship.

Youth Charged in Assault

A 17 year old youth is facing assault charges following an altercation at a downtown business.

The OPP say officers responded to a panic alarm at the Chipman Street Laundry around 7:00 last night.

A 44 year old woman had been attacked, but the assailant fled before police arrived at the scene.

The suspect was located a short time later and arrested.

The youth has been charged with assault and will appear in Kenora Court today on the charge.

IISD Negotiating for Transfer of ELA

The incoming president and CEO of the International Institute for
Social Development says he'd take over the Experimental Lakes Area
in a heartbeat.

There's word the IISD is in negotiations with the federal government for
the transfer of the property east of Kenora.

Peter Kirby from the group Save ELA says the facility is too valuable to
close.

Kirby says talks between the IISD and the federal government are an open secret, but are moving slowly.

Rickford Looking Forward to Federal Budget

It's budget time!

The Feds will unveil the fiscal document tomorrow.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says it will strike a balance.

Rickford stresses the goal is balancing the budget for 2015 as orginally planned.

Campbell Speaks Out Against Cuts in the North

Talks are continuing in the Ontario Legislature leading up to the provincial budget.

And Kenora Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell, speaking on the Interim Supply Motion, says the government has no accountability for the North.

She says the government is more concerned about moving gas plants in southern Ontario, rather than maintaining important services in this region, such as Tourist Information Centers and provincial
parks.

Campbell says the Supply Bill does stay the course and she will support it as the N.D.P continue to push the Liberals to meet their demands on the budget.

Phy-Ed Teacher Shortage in the North

Northern Ontario is mentioned in a report about physical education teachers in elementary schools.

The study from People for Education found that only 22-percent of schools in the north have phys-ed teachers, compared with 75-percent in the Toronto area.

Majority of schools in the area don't have teachers that teach only phys-ed classes, instead the classes are taught my each teacher.

The report also says that due to the shortage, it's preventing students from getting the 20 minutes of daily physical activity, which is recommended by the province.

Spring Has Sprung?

Today is the first day of spring but looking outside it is hard to believe.

The Kenora area received roughly 15-centimeters of snow in the early week storm.

If you think back we were enjoying temperatures of plus 14 at this time last year.

It’s going to be colder than normal to start spring off in the Northwest, but we should see more seasonal temperatures later this week.

The storm resulted in several minor vehicle collisions but no serious injuries were reported.

Saints Girls Eliminated from OFSAA Finals

The Thomas Aquinas girls hockey team is out at the All-Ontario Single A/AA championships.

The Saints dropped a 4-0 decision to Holy Cross High School from St. Catharines in the consolation semi-finals.

T.A. finished the tournament with a record of one win and three losses.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team is in Oakville for the OFSAA
A/AA championships.

Play begins tomorrow morning.

Near Record Year for Snow Removal

The Kenora area received another 15 centimeters of snow yesterday
and that's posing problems for the city's operations department.

Manager Rick Perchuck says expects it will be a record year for snow
removal, when all is said and done.

Perchuck adds that their supplies of winter sand are also running low.

He is asking local residents to be patient as city crews work to get all the
city streets cleared.

2013 Municipal Budget Passes

The 2013 municipal budget is officially in the books, but not all
councillors are happy with the one percent decrease in the mill rate.

Councillor Louis Roussin was the only person to vote against the budget.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield admits he also isn't 100 percent happy with the budget, but feels its the best they could do under the circumstances.

Canfield says even with a one percent decrease in the millrate, some
homeowners could see an increase in their taxes of as much as 10 percent due to the increase in property assessments.

Ontario High Court Rules Against Grassy Narrow

Ontario's highest court has ruled that the province has the right to ``take up'' treaty land for mining and forestry.
 
The Grassy Narrows First Nation challenged Ontario's right to permit industrial logging on its traditional lands, saying it infringed on their hunting and trapping rights under a treaty they signed in 1873.
   
The Court of Appeal for Ontario ruled Monday that the province doesn't need the federal government's approval to ``take up'' the lands, a decision that overturns a lower-court ruling.
   
The First Nation has spent 13 years in court fighting the province's decision to issue a licence to Resolute Forest Products for clear cut operations in parts of the Keewatin portion of Treaty 3 territory.

Dryden's City Manager Calling It Quits

Dryden's City Manager is calling it quits.

Joe van Koeverden has announced he will be leaving the community and is moving to Central Ontario.

Van Koeverden says the reason behind his move is more personal.

Van Koeverden says council will talk about a replacement during the closed portion of tonight's meeting.

Job Fair Today

A total of 18 employers will be represented at a job fair taking place in
Kenora today.

Employment Outreach 2013 will take place today at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Josee Mantel is with the Kenora District Services Board and says there is
a wide spectrum of agencies and businesses that will be represented.

The Job Fair will run from 10:00 this morning until 3:00 this afternoon.

School Bus Cancellations Expanded

The Northwest Student Services Consortium has expanded its school
bus cancellations today.

It has already pulled buses off the road in Kenora, Dryden, Vermillion Bay,
Red Lake and Ear Falls.

Now Sioux Lookout and Ignace have been added to the list.

School bus officials says they are concerned with the state of local roads,
especially side streets and lanes, which are still snow-clogged after yesterday's storm.

Local schools will remain open for any students who walk or who can get
a ride.

Meanwhile, municipal transit services are running as normal today.

Saints Girls at OFSSA Hockey Championships

The Thomas Aquinas girls hockey team are 1 and 1 at the OFSSA championships.

The Saints were in tough to start the tournament when they lost 5-0 to Ridley College.

However T.A battled back in the 2nd game earning 3-0 victory over EJ Lajuenesse.

Brianna Skead, Tori Stebnitsky, and Lexi Williams scored for the Saints.

The girls are back on the ice for game 3 tomorrow morning at 7:00 against St. Stephens Secondary School

Swimming Sharks Results

A successful weekend for the Kenora Swimming Sharks.

The team sent 22 swimmers to the 2013 Speedo ManSask Provincial Championships and 9 swimmers earned a total of 15 medals.


Here is a list of the medal winners.

11 year old girls
Alex Illman - 1st 800 Free, 2nd 200 Fly, 3rd 400 Free
Olivia Friesen Kroeker - 1st 200 Fly, 2nd 400 IM
Breeze Boucha - 2nd 800 Free

12 year old girls
Alyson Stoliker - 1st 1500 Free, 2nd 800 Free  
Rheanna Price - 2nd 1500 Free, 3rd 200 Free

13 year old girls
Winnie Boucha - 1st 400 Free, 2nd 200 Free

14 year old girls
Hanna Stoliker - 3rd 1500 Free

15 year old girls
Alex Olsen - 3rd 200 Breast

15 year old boys
Bryce Jones - 3rd 200 Back

KDSB Hosts Job Fair Tomorrow

An opportunity for summer employment and a future career path.

The Kenora District Services Board is hosting a job fair starting at 10:00 tomorrow at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Josee Mantel with the KDSB says they will have a lot of different industries to learn about.

The morning will include presentations by services providers in the region while the afternoon job fair will includes companies in policing, forestry, hospitality, and retail industries.

Snowstorm Batters NWO Again

A snowfall advisory has been issued for much of northwestern Ontario
today.

Between 10 to 20 centimeters is expected to fall over the next 24 hours.

Rob Kuhn from Environment Canada says the system is coming in from
the U.S.

Kuhn says the Kenora area has already seen about five centimeters of
snow overnight.

School Buses Running Today

It won't be an extended spring break for local students.

The Northwest Student Services Consortium says its buses in the
Kenora area are running today.

The only cancellations so far are in the Red Lake and Ear Falls area.

Roads in the Kenora area are considered snow-covered, and visibility
is poor.

Rickford Denies Demolition Work at ELA

Some rumours regarding the Experimental Lakes Area are floating around.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says that none of the buildings at the research facility are being demolished.

Rickford says the government is still working hard on determing the future of the ELA.

Rickford adds that the actual remediation cost is between one and eight million dollars, not the 50-million that was stated by the Coalition to Save the ELA.

Fraser Institutes has Mixed Reviews for Local High Schools

Bad news for some area high schools are coming from the Fraser Institute.

The institute has released its annual report card for the province's secondary schools, and co-author Peter Cowley says it does not look good for 2 school in particular.

He says Beaver Brae at 3.3 out of ten and Fort Frances have seen their ratings decline in
recent years.

Kenora's other high school, Thomas Aquinas, received a grade of 7.1 out of ten.

The provincial average was six out of ten.

Con College Looking at Advanced Paramedic Course

There's a possibility of a new, advanced paramedic course at Confederation College.

President Jim Madder says they've already looked at several programs that already exist at other colleges and will look at if they can be offered out of their facility.

Madder says its going to take some time before they can actually offer the program.

Kings Beat PeeWee and Bantam All-Stars

It was a tough weekend for the Triple A hockey programs in northwestern Ontario.

The Northwest PeeWee All-Stars lost to the Thunder Bay Kings in two straight games over
the weekend by scores of 8-2 and 4-3.

The Northwest North Stars also lost in two straight games to the Kings in the Bantam playdowns.

The North Stars lost by scores of 7-1 and 4-1.

Thunder Bay will now represent the region at the provincial bantam and peewee championships.

Midget Thistles De-Throne Kings

For the second year in a row, the Kenora Triple "A" Midget Thistles have knocked off the
Thunder Bay Kings in the Northwest Branch Playdowns.

The Thistles won the best-of-three series two games to one, with an emphatic 3-1 win
Sunday afternoon at the Kenora Rec. Center.

The Thistles got out to an early lead, finishing the first period up 2-0.

Nolan Ross added a power play goal in the second period to increase their lead to 3-0.

The Kings finally solved Thistles goaltender Brandon Beaulieu with just over five minutes
remaining, but Kenora's defense held the fort the rest of the way.

Thistles head coach Doug Novak says the victory is particularly sweet because it was the
first time they have beaten the Kings on home ice.

The two sides will see each other in another couple of weeks as the Kenora Thistles will
host the Telus Mid-West Regional Championships at the beginning of April.

OFAH Annual Conference Underway

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is holding their 85th annual conference, which began today.

Manager of Communications Shannon Gutoskie says hundreds of people are expected to attend the meeting in Mississauga.

Environment Minister Peter Kent, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak will also be in attendance.

5 Youth Injured in Single Vehicle Accident

5 Youth from Sioux Lookout are in hospital with minor injuries for a single vehicle accident on Highway 17 East of Dryden

Highway 17 West of Thunder Lake Road near Dryden has been re-opened following an accident last night.

O.P.P. say around 5:30 last night a mini van lost control and rolled over several times.

Health Unit Releases New Opioid Overdose Plan

Preventing overdose deaths across the region.

The Northwestern Health Unit has started an Overdose Prevention Program, which is for those at risk of overdosing on opioids which includes oxycodone and heroin.

Manager of Sexual Health and Harm Reduction Programs Gillian Lunny says they will be offering a drug called Naloxone.

Lunny says anyone who knows someone who uses opioids and is at risk for overdose should contact your local health unit.

Kenora Places Bid for OLG Casino

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says yesterday was the last day for municipalities in Northwestern Ontario to make a bid for a casino in their community.

OLG Spokesperson Tony Bitonti says there was a lot of interest from other areas of the province, but they can only have so many.

Kenora was the only community in the region to make a bid.

Dryden decided not to place a bid despite pressure by Wabigoon.

HNO Branch Playoffs This Weekend

The Hockey Northwestern Ontario branch playoffs are this weekend, and Kenora will be well represented.

The Kenora Triple "A" Midget Thistles will play host to the Thunder Bay Kings, while the Peewee All-Stars and Bantam North-Stars, made up of players from Kenora, Dryden, and Fort Frances, are also facing the Kings.

Starting tonight the Thistles are hosting the Kings in the best of three series at the Rec Centre.

Game time tonight is 7:00 with game 2 tomorrow at 7:00 and game 3 Sunday at 1:00.

The Peewee and Bantam teams are in Thunder Bay for their playoffs.

5 Men Fined by MNR

5 men have been fined by the Ministry of Natural Resources for illegally killing a bull moose near Lily Lake, West of Thunder Bay.

The MNR say that 5 men were fined $9,000 after conservation officers received a tip about a bull moose being shot.

The officers found the group of hunters near by where they denied any involvement.

However, ballistic evidence did prove their claims to be false.

The fines are for possession of an illegally killed bull moose, abandoning the flesh and allowing it to spoil, and obstructing an MNR officer.

Mining Exploration Companies Upset

Junior mining exploration companies in Northwestern Ontario have a bone to pick with MP Michael Gravelle.

They say government policies are stopping them from exploring for minerals and driving them out of the country.

The Minister of Natural Resources doesn't see the doom and gloom.

Gravelle believes the industry runs in cycles and that the companies realize the opportunities remain here.

Event Centre Committee Wants Public Opinion

The City of Kenora is researching what should be included in an events centre.

Mike Dietsch is the vice chair of the vice chair of the event centre committee and says the city has given them specific goals.

Dietsch says one big part of their discussions will be the twinning of the ice at the Rec Centre.

He adds the committee will hold a public meeting in mid-May.

Northern Bands Hockey Tournament in Dryden

There's something for everyone this week at the Dryden Memorial Arena.

24-teams from remote First Nations communities are competing in the Northern Bands Hockey Tournament.

Max Kakepetum is one of the organizers, and says everyone is invited to participate in the festivities.

Kakepetum says Dryden has been a great host.

MPAC Won't Appeal Dryden Mill Assessment

The ball is back in the City of Dryden's court regarding the on-going mill assessment issue.

Municipal Property Assessment Corporation President Antoni Wisniowski says they have no plans to appeal the 14-million dollar assessment of the Domtar Mill.

He notes he understands the impact on the community and will continue to work with Dryden officials to find a solution.

Revera Staff Join CEP

25 Revera employees are joining the Communication, Energy and Paper-workers Union.

CEP Spokesperson Marvin Pupeza says in a vote last week, 60 percent of the staff from Thunder Bay and Kenora voted in favor of joining the CEP.

Revera home health care provides service across Northwestern Ontario and the CEP already represents 40 personal support workers in the Dryden area.

OFL wants to hear from People in Northern Ontario

The Ontario Federation of Labour wants to hear from northerners.

The group is holding province-wide pre-budget consultations.

There are no stops in the Kenora District but Vice-President Irwin Nanda says they still want to hear from the "people".

The only northwestern Ontario stop was last Thursday in Thunder Bay.

Winter Fish Off This Saturday

The 10th annual Falcon Lake Winter Fish Off takes to the ice this Saturday.

Andrew Klassen with the event says their is plenty of opportunities to walk away a winner with over $90,000 in prize money.

Klassen says they are expecting 14-hundred people to compete in the fish off and tickets are still on sale.

Adult tickets are $70 while second hole and child tickets are $30.

Visit www.winterfishoff.com for more information.

Kenora Family Involved in Accident on Trans-Canada

A family from Kenora has been involved in an accident on Highway 1 near Steinbach, Manitoba.

R-C-M-P say the accident took place yesterday afternoon around 12:30 when a Westbound car turning off the highway collided with an SUV heading East.

the 45 year old Kenora woman driving the SUV and her 2 children were treated with non life-threatening injuries.

The male driver of the car has been airlifted to a Winnipeg Hospital and is listed in critical condition.

Police say that alcohol is not a factor in the collision and that they are continuing to investigate.

More Concerns Over Patient Transfers

The Lake of the Woods district hospital has brought up new concerns over ambulance transfers with the Kenora District Services Board.

The Hospital says that their staff faces the risk of being stranded in Winnipeg now that ambulances only wait for one hour before heading back to the district.

Director of EMS Andrew Tickner says the decision is based on the need of keeping response times down with having the ambulance available to the district.

Talks are on going between the Hospital and the KDSB.

Bob Rae Talks About Forest Industry

Federal Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae says there's still major challenges facing the forest sector.

Rae stresses the importance of getting the government involved in moving the industry forward.

He says that he wants more aboriginal gets involved in the industry.

Rae adds the Feds have also cut back on forestry research and notes more attention must be put on new products and product development.

Anthony Leek Supports Trudeau

The front runner in the federal Liberal leadership race has the support of some in northwestern Ontario.

Anthony Leek, president of the Kenora-Rainy River provincial Liberal Riding Association, believes Justin Trudeau has what the party and Canada needs.

The federal Liberals will select a new leader April 14th.

Post-Mortem Conducted After Incident at Norman Dam

Some more details have been released about the body that was recovered at the Norman Dam last week.

O.P.P confirmed that a male body was found and that a post-mortem was conducted at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

The post-mortem did not discover the cause of death but has ruled out foul play in the death.

Police say they are hoping more answers will come from the the results of a toxicology report.

O.P.P say that they have not be able to identify the man but do not believe that he is from the Kenora area.

No Injuries in Oxdrift Fire

No one was injured in an overnight fire in Oxdrift on Sunday.

Last night, Oxdrift Firefighters responded to the blaze on Coates Road.

Captain Andrew Trudgen says the first responders found the home and garage to be completely engulfed.

Firefighters spent the next three-hours putting out the fire.

The cause is unknown at this time.

Local Agencies Form Aboriginal Training Alliance

Employment preparations are being made for the Ring of Fire.

Confederation College, Noront Resources and Matawa First Nations Employment and Training Services have developed an Aboriginal Training Alliance.

Program Manager Morris Wapoose says they hope to encourage more Aboriginal people to get involved in the mining sector.

The three groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will remain in place for a minimum of five-years.

City Set to Approve 2013 Budget

A decrease in the municipal tax rate is being used to combat the increased MPAC assessments in the city.

Councillor Ron Lunny says the city has worked hard in order to lower the municipal tax rate by 1 percent.

When the rate is combined with the education tax decrease it works out to a reduction of 1.41 percent.

However, Lunny says that because of the increase in MPAC assessments homeowners will see an increase in their taxes.

Lunny says the city has also included a 10 percent rate increase for sewer and water.

Health Unit Releases Drug Action Study

The Northwestern Health Unit has released the results of their Youth Action on Drugs Survey.

Over 2000 students from across the Kenora-Rainy River Districts participated in the study.

Health Promoter Saralyn Semeniuk says one major finding was that majority of them underestimate drug use among their peers.

Semeniuk says more then half of students reported that there aren't enough activities in the community that they can get involved in.

Bob Rae Visits Kenora and Dryden

Interim Federal Liberal Leader Bob Rae is in Kenora and Dryden today as he continues his northern tour.

Rae will start his day in Dryden at a luncheon for local Liberals at the Riverview Lodge at 1 o'clock.

He will then tour the Dryden Native Friendship Centre at 2 o'clock.

Later this afternoon he will be in Kenora for the "Thanks a Million, Bob" fundraiser and reception.

Rae is in the last stretch of his term as the Liberal interim leader.

The party's new leader will be chosen in April.