Firefly Sets Up Endowment Fund

Firefly has set up a 50 thousand dollar endowment fund with the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Community Foundation.

Firefly board chair Jackie Mitchell says the fund will help support programs that they don't receive funding for.

Mitchell says the fund will hand out grants through the foundation but will be available to Firefly programs throughout the region.

Bimose Gets Language Funding

The Bimose Tribal Council is getting funding from the federal government to
do some language training in the Kenora area.

A grant of just over 67 thousand dollars will be used to hold seven, nine day
language camps.

Bimose says up to 84 adults will get to take part in the aboriginal language immersion
programs.

The camps will be video-recorded and be used for language resource materials.

The funding comes from the Aboriginal Languages Initiative.

Fire Crews Focus on Far North

The lack of forest fire activity in the Kenora district is allowing the Ministry of Natural Resources to move crews to where they're needed.

Crews from this region, along with Thunder Bay, Rainy River and Dryden areas have been deployed to support their counterparts further north.

Over 40 fires are burning, mostly in the Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Nipigon districts.

Help is also arriving from the MNR's northeastern regions.

Fort Frances Stand Off Ends Peacefully

A Fort Frances man remains in police custody following a lengthy stand-off with OPP.

Police blocked off a section of First Street East, and evacuated residents in the area after the unnamed man barricaded himself inside a home early Saturday morning.

Members of the OPP's Emergency Response Team, their Tactics and Rescue Unit, a Provincial Liaison Team, and Explosives Disposal Unit were called to assist local officers.

The man surrendered almost 13 hours later without incident.

No one was injured.

KACL Hosts Summer Activities

Kids looking for something to do this summer, have another option.

The Kenora Association for Community Living is launching Youth
Activities Kenora next week.

Theresa Wilson is organizing the evening get togethers and says they
are planning a number of different activities.

The activities will take place each Monday evening through July and
part of August.

Morwood and Fisher Tops at Kenora Borealis Triathlon

A couple of familiar faces topped the leader board at the Kenora Borealis Multi-Sport
Triathlon at Garrow Park.

Dan Morwood topped the men's field in the olympic division, while Edie Fisher was tops in the women's competition.

This was Morwood's second win in as many weeks, after winning the Dryden Canada Day Triathlon last weekend.

He finished in a time of two hours and four minutes, about 20 minutes ahead of Fisher.

About 250 people took part in the various triathlon events held yesterday.

Treaty 3 Police Service Decides to Close Doors

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is shocked at the decision to close down the Treaty 3 Police Service.

Regional Vice-Prescient Sharon DeSousa says the union is still willing to work with the force.

DeSousa says closing the force is not the right way to move forward and that more work can be done to find a solution.

She says in reaction to the announcement the union will be meeting with the officers on how they want to proceed.

She adds that it's disappointing that the communities the force serves will have to suffer due to a lack of federal funding.

The force is preparing to shut down on August 19th.

Power Out Due to Morning Storm

This mornings brief, but violent thunder storm has knocked out power
to over 200 homes in the Kenora area.

Hydro One says high winds associated with the storm system knocked trees onto power lines, resulting in the outages.

The electricity is out this morning in several areas west of the city including the McKenzie Portage area, Washagamis Bay First Nation and parts of Keewatin.

Its unknown when power will be restored.

City Gets a Clean Audit

A pretty robust bottom line for the City of Kenora.

A draft of the 2012 audit has been released and it shows the city's surplus has increased by about a million dollars over last year.

On paper the city has a surplus of 208 million dollars, but chair of the
finance committee Ron Lunny says that figure is misleading because it includes items such as roads and bridges, things he says are actually liabilities instead of assets.

One of the reasons for the increased surplus is a reduction in OPP costs
last year.

Lunny says with an 8.5 percent wage increase due next year, he doesn't anticipate the surplus will be as large in the future.

Fire Crews Quickly Bring Minto Brush Fire Under Control

Quick work by Kenora's Fire and Emergency Services department has prevented a fire in the Minto area from getting out of control.

Yesterday afternoon fire crews responded to and contained a bush fire on the South shore or Rabbit Lake.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman says he's frustrated that resources were tied up due to reckless behaviour.

Brinkman says the cause of the fire was an unattended camp fire.

Resolute Mill Ready to Recall Some Workers in Fort Frances

Good news for some laid off workers at the Resolute Forest Products Mill in Fort Frances.

The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union reached an agreement that will allow the start up of paper machine number 7 for 2 to 3 months starting July 17th.

CEP National Rep Steven Boon says about 40 people will be back to work for that period of time.

Boon says they hope to get some feedback from Resolute on what the plans are for the long term.

Northern Policy Institute Ready to Hire First Ever President

The Northern Policy Institute is slowly starting to take shape.

There are reports that the province is ready to hire the first ever
president of the NPI.

Charles Cirtwill, who heads up the Atlantic Institute Market Studies,
has been tagged to head up the northern Ontario think tank.

The Northern Policy Institute has been set up by the provincial government to draft an economic blue print for the region.

Triathlon Ready to Go This Weekend

Organizers are gearing up for the annual Kenora Borealis Multi-Sport Triathlon.

Safety is a key concern for the participants.

Race organizer Kim Mann says they will have traffic detours set up to keep the race area clear from dangers.

Racing begins Sunday morning from Garrow Park, and includes a swim in Rabbit Lake, a bike ride and also a run.

More details are available at www.kenoraborealis.com.

Kenora Focuses on Aggressive Deer

Kenora City council will be looking at a number of possible solutions to reducing the deer population in urban areas.

Members of council, met with concerned members of the public and the MNR last week to discuss the issue.

Mayor Dave Canfield says they have identified a couple of areas to focus on including education.

Canfield says he'd also like to see the city sponsored bow hunt for deer coincide with the provincial bow hunt, which starts in September.

Acadia Broadcasting Looking to Purchase Another Radio Station

Acadia Broadcasting is moving to add another radio station to its stable.

The parent company of CJRL has filed an application with the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission to purchase CKNI-FM , News91.9 in Moncton from Rogers Broadcasting.

The Saint John based company currently owns ten stations in the Maritimes, and here Ontario.

Acadia Vice President Jim MacMullin says he looks forward to bringing our brand of community focused - quality local radio to Moncton.

The CRTC is expected to rule on the application later this year.

Trylight Theatre Prepared for Summer

There is something new taking place at Trylight Theatre.

Gord Day-Janz from Trylight says they are premiering a brand new play called Rats that focused on the era when the city's name was changed Rat Portage to Kenora.

Day-Janz says Trylight will also be starting their historic downtown walking tours on July 5th that focus on the history of Kenora.

Also new this year Water Stories will take place at the Trylight Stage at the First Baptist Church starting July 13th.

Visit www.trylight.ca for information on all the events planned by Trylight this summer.

Air Show Draws Huge Crowds

They came by the thousands.

The Up, Up and Away Airshow at the Kenora Airport proved to be an unqualified
success.

The highlight of the show was the performance of the Snowbirds aerobatic team.

Corporal Greg Wiebe is from Kenora and a member of the squad and says its been
a busy week for them.

The air show proved to be so popular that there were long line ups of cars, which at times stretched all the way down Airport Road.

MNR Shares Concerns over Flying Lanterns

The Ministry of Natural Resources is backing up concerns about flying lanterns.

Debbie McLean from the MNR says people are liable for the lanterns.

McLean does agree that the lanterns do cause a serious forest fire hazard.

The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association are working with the MNR to ban the sale of the products in Ontario.

Over Half a Million Raised in Relays for Life in NWO

Another successful year for the Relay for Life across northwestern Ontario.

Eight community events were held for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Northwest Regional Manager Maria Cabral says over 577-thousand dollars was raised.

Cabral notes that's the unofficial total as more money is coming in.

She adds that there will be two additional Relays in the fall in Marathon and Atikokan.

KDSB Losing Long-Time Employee to Retirement

The Kenora District Services Board is losing a key member of its senior staff team.

Dianne Apland of Dryden has announced her retirement as Director of Integrated Social Services effective February, 2014.

Apland is currently in charge of Housing, Child Care and Ontario Works.

Apland has been with the Board for 10-years.

 She will be replaced by Sarah Stevenson, who has been involved in integration strategies with the Board since September 2011.

Temperatures Soar in NWO

It was a record breaking Wednesday in several communities in the northwest.

Kenora was the hot spot at 31.5 degrees, which broke the previous record set last year, at 29.6.

Dryden hit a new temperature record of 30.8.

That eclipsed the old mark of 29.6 set in 2003.

Ear Falls reached 31, beating the old record of 30 set in 1996.

Plans for Phase 3 of Downtown Revitalization to be Released

Design plans for phase three of downtown revitalization will be unvieled soon.

The City of Kenora is going to be showing off the plans for Second Street South next week at the Farmer's Market.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says the project is still dependant on gettng funding from both the federal and provincial levels of government.

 The price tag for phase three of downtown revitalization has been pegged at about six million dollars.

Broncos Football Schedule Released

The schedule for the Winnipeg High School Football League has been released, and Beaver Brae will once again have the luxury of four home games.

The Broncos will open the season on the road against the Elmwood Giants on September 4th.

Beaver Brae's first home game will be a week later against Dryden.

The Broncos will also get to face their NorWOSSA rivals from Fort Frances this year, with a home game in early October.

Beaver Brae will open its training camp on August 19th at Pete Fair Memorial Field.

Date             Visitor             Home            Time

Wed Sep 4   Beaver Brae     Elmwood       5:00pm

Thu Sep 12   Dryden            Beaver Brae   4:00pm

Fri Sep 20    Tec Voc          Beaver Brae   3:00pm

Fri Sep 27    Beaver Brae    Maples         4:00pm Eastside

Fri Oct 4      Fort Frances    Beaver Brae   3:00pm

Thu Oct 10   Lorette           Beaver Brae 3:00pm

Fri Oct 18    Beaver Brae     St. John's       5:00pm Nomads

Federal Funding for Environmental Assessment

The federal government is out with funding for those interested in taking part in the environmental assessment for the Griffith Iron Ore project in Ear Falls.

The money is for eligible individuals and groups wanting to get involved in the environmental review and draft report.
Applications must be submitted by August 1st.

Northern Iron is proposing the redevelopment of the former Griffith Mine.

The project would produce roughly 16-thousand tonnes of ore per day, with a mine life of some 20-years.

information is available at www.ceaa-acee.gc.ca Ref # 80035, by e-mailing PFP.PAFP@ceaa-acee.gc.ca or calling toll free at 1-866-582-1884.

MNR Reviewing Arizona Fire Fatalities

Preventing firefighter deaths in Northwestern Ontario.

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to take the extra steps to make sure their crews are safe and prevent a similar incident like the one in Arizona that killed 19 firefighters.

MNR Spokesperson Al Tithecott says they aren't sure if it will change how they handle forest fires.

Tithecott says they also look at how the fires will move around and estimate where they will burn.

Lake Smart Program Back for Another Year

The Lake Smart Program is celebrating its third summer on Lake of the Woods.

The Lake Smart boat will be heading out to local camps starting this
week as part of an environmental education program.

Susan McLeod is the executive director of the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association and says the program has been very successful so far.

McLeod says they have two students who will be doing the environmental outreach program this summer.

Ideal Weather Conditions Forecast for Airshow

It should be perfect weather conditions for today's air show
at the Kenora Airport.

The Up, Up and Away Festival gets underway this afternoon.

John Gale is one of the organizers and says this is one of the biggest
airshows in Canada this year.

Yesterday, the Snowbirds did a fly-by to announce their arrival in town.

The Air Show is scheduled to get underway just after 4:00.

7 New Fires Start in Northwestern Ontario

The Kenora District is clear of any new forest fires.

Heather Pridham with the MNR says 7 new fires started in Northwestern Ontario yesterday.

She says a number of those fire have already been extinguished and the others are listed as held.

Pridham expects the fire hazard to jump to extreme throughout the region this week.

OPP Busy on Roadways During Long Weekend

The Canada Day long weekend kept Police busy in the region.

Sergeant Shelley Garr says they laid over 400 charges for driving infractions.

Garr says she is concerned about one number in particular.

She adds that they issued 362 speeding tickets over the long weekend alone in the Northwest.

Follow Your Dreams Winners Announced

A dream flight for 2.

The organizers of the air show have announced the winners of the Follow Your Dreams competition to fly with Super Dave Matheison during the show.

Tracy Wider announced the winners today as Wesley Penner and Elly Robertson.

The air show takes to the skies tomorrow.

Iacobucci Named Lead Negotiator for Ring of Fire

Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Frank Iacobucci has been put in charge of negotiations surrounding the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario.

The provincial government has appointed Iacobucci as lead negotiator in discussions with Chiefs of the Matawa Tribal Council.

The Council is represented by former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae.

Iacobucci says his main priorities include resource revenue sharing, social and economic support programs, regional infrastructure planning and development as well as environmental protection and monitoring.

The two negotiators are expected to work on a framework even though Cliffs Natural Resources has suspended operations at the Ring of Fire.

Thunder Bay Inquest Starting to Take Shape

The City of Thunder Bay is getting permission to speak at an inquest into the deaths of seven aboriginal youth.

City Lawyer Stephen Wojciechowski says they've been given the green light to speak at the inquest and they'll be using the time leading up to the inquest to prepare.

Other groups who received permission from Coroner Dr. David Eden include the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Police Services Board.

The inquest isn't expected to take place until the spring
of 2014.

Cancer Care Bus Hits the Road

The Regional Cancer Centre has a new bus that it will be taking around the northwest to screen for cancer.

Spokesperson Allison McMullen says it will be hitting the Trans Canada Highway starting next month

The cost for the one and a half million dollar bus was paid for through your provincial tax dollars.

 The bus will be heading to Dryden, Ear Falls and Red Lake starting July 15th.

Rickford Responds to Union Criticism

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he had continued talks with constituents and labour groups before supporting Bill C-377.

Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union local rep Stephen Boon is upset with Rickford for backing the legislation, that would require transparency for labour organizations.

Rickford says Boon should have done his homework.

He says he had serious concerns about the legislation and managed to get some changes that his constituents asked for.

Rickford notes one union group he worked closely with was the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario.

He says changes to the Legislation were made and he believes the Bill represented the transparency that all union members and Canadians could accept.

KDSB Members to Get Pay Raise

A modest pay raise for the next members of the Kenora District Services Board.

The Board voted 7-3 in favour of a pay hike at its meeting yesterday in Dryden.

The Honoraria will be for travel, board meetings and committee meetings and will only be paid out to those who make a meeting in person.

The current stipend for members who attend a board meeting is 1-thousand dollars and that will go up to 2-thousand.

The KDSB stresses that the current rates are the lowest in Ontario and haven't been changed since 1999.

Sioux Lookout Mayor Dennis Leney, Kenora Councilor Louis Roussin and Lake of the Woods unincorporated member Irene Kember voted against the increase.

They stated the hike isn't needed, while Kember wanted video-conference attendance to count in receiving the honoraria.

The change is effective January 1st, 2015.

Eikre Given A 5 Year Contract Extension

The director of Education with the Kenora Catholic District School Board isn't planning
to retire anytime soon.

The separate school board has extended the contract of Phylis Eikre.

Eikre says she's looking forward to at least another five years at the helm.

Eikre has been the director of education since September 1st, 2008.

Accident Results in Drug Charges

The OPP say two people face drug charges following a single vehicle accident on Highway 17-A.

Police say early Friday morning a vehicle went off the road near Middle Lake.

During their investigation, officers discovered some items commonly used in drug use.

Further investigation uncovered a number of hydromorphone pills, with a street value of about five thosuand dollars.

The driver of the vehicle, 30 year old Sharon Pahpasay of Kenora and a passenger, Don Necanapanace Junior from Grassy Narrows have been charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

A third person in the vehicle had to be taken to hospital for treatment of
non-threatening injuries.

MNR Says Smoke Coming From Manitoba

You might have noticed some hazy, smoky conditions in the area over the past couple of days.

The MNR says while there was very little fire activity in this region over the long weekend, smoke from fires burning in northern Manitoba and even the Northwest Territories has been drifting into the region.

The hot, dry conditions over the weekend has seen the fire hazard jump
to the high to extreme range right across northwestern Ontario.

Dryden VS. Fort in Kraft Celebration Tour

Its going to be the battle of Dryden versus Fort Frances in the
Kraft Celebration Tour.

The two northwestern Ontario towns will be squaring off for the right to earn 25 thousand dollars and a chance to host a segment of TSN's Sportscenter.

The public vote will take place on July 19th on which community will
host the Kraft Celebration Tour.

Morwood Wins Dryden Triathlon

A Kenora athlete took top honors at the Canada Day Triathlon in Dryden.

Dan Morwood crossed the finish line yesterday in just under 1-hour, ahead of Bob Shine and Cory Smith.

The Dryden Triathalon is a warm-up for some for the Kenora Borealis Multi-SportTriathlon which will take place this weekend at Garrow Park.

Lakeside Fire causes extensive damage

(Photo Courtesy of Mark Duggan)

The OPP and local fire officials are continuing to investigate a fire in the
Lakeside area of town.

The blaze broke out Sunday afternoon to a home on Robertson Street.

The garage unit attached to the home was completely destroyed and
the upper level of the house also sustained extensive fire damage.

Fire chief Warren Brinkman says they are still looking into the cause,
but suggest the blaze started in the garage area.

No one was injured in the blaze.

Break and Enter at Old Market Square

Kenora OPP are investigating a break and enter of a business in Market Square.

Police say the break in took place over night and the suspects made of with a quantity of cash.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Kenora OPP Search for Suspect in Sexual Assault

The Kenora OPP are on the lookout for a suspect of a reported sexual assault.

Police say a woman reported the assault on Monday evening.

The suspect is described as man standing 5 foot 7 with light skin, brown hair, and brown eyes.

He was driving a silver or grey van at the time of the assault.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Ivall Sentenced to 16 Years in Prision

Kenneth Ivall will serve at least 16 years in jail for the death of Ed Wilson.

Justice Terrance Platana sentenced Ivall this morning to 16 years in prison starting from the day he was arrested on March 21st, 2009.

The 43 year old Ivall was found guilty of second degree murder back in February.

Justice Platana described the beating of Ed Wilson as vicious and says the action of placing his body on the Railway tracks in Norman was an effort to cover up the crime.

Justice Platana also says he is concerned that Ivall has not taken any acceptance of the crime and has shown no remorse.

He is not eligible for parole until 2025.

KDSB Ready for Comment on Housing Plan

A long awaited housing and homelessness plan for the Kenora District is about to move forward.

Pubic meetings in communities the Services Board services are expected to begin next month.

KDSB Chair Barry Baltessen says determining the needs of area communities will be a team effort.

Baltesson says they have to submit their draft plan to the board by September.

He adds that t
here is no provincial funding attached to the 10-year strategy.

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company Set to Open

Kenora's newest eating experience will be open in time for the Canada
day long weekend.

The Lake of the Woods Brew Pub will be opening its doors on Saturday.

Taras Manzies says the push is on to have everything ready in time.

Manzies says their first batch of beer may not be ready for the opening
weekend, but says they should be able to start selling it within the next
week or so.