Economic Development Commission Reports Surplus

The Lake of the Woods Development Commission is reporting a surplus on it's operations last year.

The Commission told council this week, it earned almost 50 thousand dollars through the operations of the Whitecap Pavillion and the Discovery Center.

Sharon Smith is the council representative on the Commission and says that should help out with future special events in the city.

The Economic Development Commission says it's not looking for more money from the city this year, but would like to put the surplus into reserve for future use.

Rickford Still Waiting For Meeting with Province on Ring of Fire

There is still no formal meeting announced between Greg Rickford and Michael Gravelle on the Ring of Fire.  

Both are their government representatives  for the giant mining development in the far north.

Rickford says the two are still only exchanging information periodically

Rickford says he and Gravelle continue to have conversations about the opportunities available for the project.

Wind Chill Warning In Effect

Another cold one today.

A windchill warning is in effect for much of northwestern Ontario and
southern Manitoba.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says even though it will start to
warm up today, winds will also be increasing, still producing significant windchills.

Currently, the windchill is running around -42
.

Sportsplex Opening

The Kenora Sportsplex is set to open.

The complex which is located in the converted Jaffray Mellick Arena will open on February 7th.

Recreation Program Coordinator Megan Derouard says multiple groups are looking forward to renting the facility including both high schools, the majority of elementary schools, and the indoor soccer league.

City Clerk Heather Kasprick says the facility needs some final touches such as bleachers and netting to separate the fields.

Kasprick says those will be added over time.

The facility is now accepting bookings.

Any groups interested in using the facility can book time through Megan Derouard at 467-2987

St. Louis Unveils Renovations

 St. Louis School is making better use of there space now that renovations are complete.

Trudy Cedarwall is the schools principal and says they have opened a room that includes a fridge and freezer for the hot lunch program.

During construction of the new office and foyer the school also created a new central storage room and book storage room.

That left enough space to open a teachers work room which moves staff out of the hallways.

Travel Conditions In Manitoba Poor This Morning

You might want to take your time if you are heading west toward Winnipeg this morning.

The RCMP has issued a blowing snow advisory for the Steinbach and Richer areas.

Police say visibility is at times near zero along the Trans-Canada Highway.

A windchill warning has also been issued for much of southern Manitoba including Steinbach and Winnipeg.

Plans for Event Center To Be Revealed Today

City Council is hoping to see a good turnout tonight when a conceptual design is displayed for the Rec. Center expansion.

The plan comes after months of work by the Event Center committee.

Councillor Rory McMillan says he hopes to see some good discussion take place.

The public consultation meetings takes place in the Rotary room at the Kenora Rec. Center at 7:00.

Council Pleased With Budget Presentations

The City's finance committee is relieved to see that many of the agencies it supports are holding the line on their spending this year.

Ron Lunny chairs the committee and says shows these groups are willing to work with the city, and not against it.

Lunny adds that they still have some big challenges ahead, because the province is cutting funding for certain services, meaning the city is going to have to pick up the slack.

Ontario Chiefs Applaud Young's Honor The Treaty Tour

Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy is applauding Neil Young's "Honour the Treaties" tour.

Beardy says the singer brought to the forefront important issues of environment and industry, but also recognizing that First Nations people are the rights holders of the lands.

Young's tour ended on Sunday and surpassed its fundraising goal of 75-thousand dollars for the legal fund of the Athabasca First Nation.

Military Hercules Helps Locate Stranded Fishermen

Two men on a fishing trip from Manitoba are lucky to be alive after getting stranded near Reynar Lake, Northwest of Kenora.

Lac Du Bonnet RCMP notified the the OPP yesterday afternoon about the 2 men.

The marine and Trails Unit along with the Northwest Region Emergency Response team and Canadian Military Joint Rescue Response team were called to help locate the men.

That included a Hercules c-130 being dispatched from 17 Wing in Winnipeg.

At 10:30 the men were able to contact the OPP with a cell phone and provide coordinates which lead to them safely being located.

Both men suffered only minor injuries.

City Council begins Budget Process

A refreshing change for Kenora City council.

None of the groups that made budget presentations was asking for a large increase in their budget in 2014.

In fact a couple of groups, including Triple Play were asking for less.

Debbie Novak is the co-ordinator of the program and says their fundraising efforts are paying off.

The Kenora Handi-Transit Service is also asking for slightly less money this year, while both the library and museum are seeking an increase in the cost of living for employees salaries.

Also, at the budget meeting the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation suggested the city invest 2 million dollars from the KMTS Trust Fund in the foundation.

Dryden Fire Hits Snag With Move to Kenora

A setback for the Dryden Fire Service.

Council has rejected a plan for now to switch dispatch service to the Kenora Ambulance and Fire Dispatch Centre.

Fire Chief Ken Kurz says he's been told to take another look at moving to the Owen Sound Police Service once the Com. Centre closes at the end of March.

Kurz says Kenora is a proven entity and is the regional supplier of fire and ambulance dispatch services.

Thunder Bay Event Centre Lands Major Partner

The city of Thunder Bay is partnering with a new consortium called Thunder Bay LIVE to help make the proposed events centre a reality.

It includes True North Sports out of Winnipeg which will see the Jets American Hockey League team move to the city.  

City Manager Tim Commisso says it now gives the project credibility

Also in the partnership are Stadium Consultants International, Gobal Spectrum and the Lakehead University Thunderwolves.

WestJet to Expand Service in the Region

WestJet Airlines is bringing a new service to the region.

The company announced  that it will start Encore routes between Toronto and Thunder Bay and between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.

WestJet didn't say when the Encore flights would begin.

Greenstone Gets Funding for Training Center

3.5 million dollars in funding is going towards building a training center in Greenstone.

The Federal and Provincial Governments ponied up the cash that will see the regional skills training center built at the Greenstone Airport in Geralton.

Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says the the investment is going to mean more jobs for the region.

The Provincial and Federal Government's tossed in an equal share of over 1.7 million dollars for the project.

Drug Bust in Lac Du Bonnet

Two people from Lac du Bonnet are facing drugs and charges after RCMP executed a search warrant at a rural home.

Officers turned up cocaine, marijuana, scales, drug packaging, firearms and ammunition.

30-year old Lance Laliberte and 22-year old Ashley Payne are set to make an initial court appearance in Winnipeg today.

Palliative Tool Kit Released For Long Term Care Homes

There's a new tool kit for long term care homes who want to offer palliative care to their residents.

The kit was developed by a group of people at Lakehead University.

Dr. Mary Lou Kelley says there really wasn't anything like this in Canada before.

Kelley says thanks to their research they can tell Long Term Care homes how they can create their own palliative care programs in their facilities.

City Starts Budget Talks Today

Kenora city council will begin crunching the numbers today.

The first of several public budget meetings will be taking place starting
this morning at City Hall.

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says they will be asking groups that the city funds, how much money they'll need in 2014.

Council will be hearing from the Kenora Public Library, the Museum, Handi-Transit, Triple Play and the Lake of the Woods Development Commission.

Province Holds Pre-Budget Talks in NWO Today

The province's finance committee will be making it's one and only stop in northwestern Ontario today with it's pre-budget consultations.

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is going to speak about what it would like to see in the upcoming budget.

Spokesperson Iain Angus says they'll be asking for changes in the heads and beds payment.

The pre-budget consultation hearing is on this morning in Thunder Bay and will see 12 organizations make presentations.

Police Investigate 2 Deaths in Northern First Nation

The North Caribou Lake Police Service have called in the Ontario provincial Police to help investigate 2 deaths in a Northern first nation.

Police say they were called on Saturday death regarding a disturbance at a residence on the North Caribou Lake First Nation.

Upon arrival police found a woman dead inside.

The next morning a man was found dead inside GMC pick up truck found a short distance from the community.

The identities of the deceased have not been released.

The OPP's North West Region Crime Unit, Forensic Identification Unit, and Sioux Lookout detachment are assisting in the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122..

Jessica Lundy Wins NOVA Award

A Kenora business owner has been named one of Northwestern Ontario's top 20 under the age of 40.

Jessica Lundy was presented a NOVA award on Saturday.

She was the only recipient west of Thunder Bay.

Lundy is the president of Good Things, which is a meat processing and retail store on 1st Avenue South.

The winners were honored at the second annual Northwestern Ontario Visionary Awards Banquet in Thunder Bay.

Hope and the City Takes a Hiatus

One of the main fundraisers in the fight against cancer is taking a year off.

Hope and The City is a ladies night out to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Organizers say they are taking a year off because there have already been so many fundraisers
in the city already this year, but plan to be back again in 2015.

Last year Hope and the City raised a record 48 thousand dollars.

Northwest Business Center Finds New Manager

There will be a new face soon at the Northwest Business Center.

Diane Schwartz-Williams will be stepping down at the end of this month
and the city has found her replacement.

Allyson Pele will begin her new duties as Manager on January 28th.

Schwartz-Williams says she she has enjoyed her time with the Business Center
but is looking forward to pursuing some other opportunities.  

Environmental Assessment for Two Gold Mines Being Sought

Public comment is being sought on two mining projects in the region.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is gathering comment on separate reports identifying the environmental impacts and measures to mitigate them of Osisko Mining's Hammond Reef Gold project near Atikokan and New Gold's Rainy River project near Barwick.

Comment is due by the middle of February.

Second Street Prepares for Downtown Revitalization

Businesses along Second Street South are bracing themselves for phase three of downtown revitalization.

It's hoped construction work can begin this spring.

Mort Goss is chair of the Harbortown Business Improvement Zone and says while the disruption could hurt stores in the short term, there is a long term benefit.

Goss says they will be looking at some promotional ideas this year to encourage locals and visitors to
shop on downtown, despite the construction.

School Board Pleased With Transition At Beaver Brae

It was a move that raised some eyebrows and caused some concerns but most people at Beaver Brae High School in Kenora are praising the new grade 7 to 12 model introduced this year.

Principal Clinton Bruetsch says the kids love it.

Bruetsch adds teachers have embraced the initiative.

The program currently provides service to roughly 150 grade 7 and 8 students and the kids are located in a wing of the school which is restricted to grade 9 and 12 students.

MTO Addresses Winter Road Maintenance

A sign the Ministry of Transportation is starting to take concerns about the state of winter road maintenance seriously in the region.

Speaking to Rainy River District Municipal leaders gathered in Atikokan on the weekend, Regional Manager Ian Smith says they are looking at some changes to the classification of Highway 502 between Dryden and Fort Frances.

Smith says the contractor had been hit with fines for not properly maintaining the road, but  believes plowing done by the previous firm was done at a higher level than expected.

NOSM Looking For New Directors

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine looking for some new board members.

They need four people to join their Board of Directors in September of this year.

The deadline to apply to the board is February 17th.

Event Center Committee Set to Unveil Draft Plans Wednesday

Work continues on expanding the Kenora Rec.
Center.

This week the Event Center Committee is taking a couple key steps in the process.

On Tuesday, at the council open meeting, a conceptual design will be presented.

The committee is then set to hold a public consultation to gather feedback on Wednesday night at the Rec. Center.

The concept is expected to include a performing arts center and a second ice surface.

The meeting gets underway at 7:00 in the Rotary room.

Habitat Prepares to Build Duplex

Fundraising efforts are going well for the next Habitat for Humanity build in Kenora.

Spokesperson Lindsay Wenaas says they are about halfway to their goal.

Financial and and gift in kind donations are being accepted.

Wenaas says the committee is also holding a re-store day on may 24th.

Planning Underway for Winter Carnival

Plans are well underway for the annual Kenora Winter Carnival.

The carnival will be taking place during the first weekend of the spring break this year.

That's a week later than usual.

Crystal Stokes is the city's special events coordinator and says they've shied away in the past from holding the winter carnival during the spring break, worried that too many people leave town to go on holiday.

However, she says the flip-side of the coin is a lot of families do stay home and are looking for
activities for the children.

She adds that by holding the carnival a week later, they are hoping to take advantage of a little
warmer weather.

The winter carnival will take place on Kenora Harborfront March 7th, 8th and 9th.

Thistles Beat the .500 Blues

Back to back wins for the Kenora Triple "a" Midget Thistles.

The Thistles are now two games above .500 after two one goal victories
over the weekend against the Yellowhead Chiefs.

Saturday night, Brandon Stanley scored the game winner in overtime as the
Thistles nipped the Chiefs 2-1 in overtime.

Friday night, the Kenora Midgets got a third period goal from Joel Arsenault in a
3-2 win over Yellowhead.

Almost Perfect Weekend for Atom Canucks

Almost a perfect weekend for the Lake of the Woods Atom Canucks girls
hockey team.

The Canucks hosted a three team exhibition series.

The local Atoms blanked the Roblin Park Raiders 3-0 in their first game, and then doubled
up the Brandon Yellow Jackets 4-2.

That set the stage for a re-match against Brandon Sunday, which the Manitoba won 6-5 in a shoot out.

Close Call for A School Bus Near Eagle River

A close call for a bus load of High School students on Highway 17 near Eagle River this morning.

Cole Mann and Nicholas Bouchard were two of the students on the bus when a westbound transport narrowly missed them.

Mann says they were picking up a student on the route, when an oncoming transport couldn't stop and went into the ditch.

Bouchard was enjoying a nap when the incident happened.

He says he was awakened by a flurry of snow and then saw the transport hit the ditch.

No contact was made with the bus and no one was injured.

Provincial Police are investigating.

City Seeking Better Returns From KMTS Prosperity Trust Fund

Stock markets are starting to rebound in North America, but the KMTS Prosperity Trust Fund continues to under perform.

City staff says they will miss their target this year to generate 1.1 million
dollars in interest off the trust.

The city uses the interest to off set taxes.

Corporate Services Manager Lauren D'Argis says they are currently looking at other investment opportunities to try and maximize their return on the Trust Fund.

Under provincial regulations though, the city is limited in the types of investments it can make, meaning any investments have to be very low risk.

North Country Adjusters Sold

A northwestern Ontario adjusting firm has new owners.

ClaimsPro has acquired North Country Adjusters.

North Country Adjusters was formed in 1998 and has served the Kenora, Rainy River and Thunder Bay districts.

ClaimsPro, Canada's largest independent adjusting company, says it strengthens their presence in both northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba.

Public School Board Responds to CUPE

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is disputing comments from the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Earlier this week CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn claimed the public school board had not reached a contract agreement with it's support staff.

In a release this week, Keewatin-Patricia says all the required memoranda of understanding have been implemented with local bargaining units.

As a result, the Board says it will receive 100 percent of its conditional funding supporting the deals.

TSB Releases Report on Trout Lake Plane Crash

The Transportation Safety Board believes it's identified the cause of
a float plane crash north of Kenora almost a year and a half ago.

The plane crashed shortly after take-off from Trout Lake on August 1st, 2012.

In an extensive report released this week, the TSB suggests the floats were the likely cause of the crash.

Investigators noted some corrosion on the hardware that anchored the floats to the aircraft and suggest they went out of alignment shortly after take-off.

That caused the plane to lose speed, stall and crash into some trees in a remote location on the lake.

The pilot and a passenger sustained serious injuries, and the TSB says quick response from local residents and emergency service personnel contributed to their survival.

The report says the pilot, from Cloquet, Minnesota, was experienced in the operation of the float plane, and was not likely a factor in the crash.

Campbell Concerned About Job Losses At Fort Frances Mill

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says the Resolute Forest Products announcement that it will be stopping operations in Fort Frances is devastating.

The move to shut down the last running paper machine will impact 150-workers.

Campbell says her concerns are with the workers and their families.

She says the Resolute job loss issue is now her top priority.

Two Men Fined For Illegal Deer Hunt

Two northeastern Ontario hunters have been fined for illegally killing
deer south of Kenora.

The court heard the two men from Dubreuilville were hunting in the
Bergland area last October.

Conservation officers were contacted after a property owner complained
that a deer was shot on their property.

Luc Belanger and Daniel Levesque pleaded guilty to tre
spassing to hunt and have been fined a thousand dollars each.

They have also been banned from hunting in Ontario for a year.

Mayor Calls For Regional Tourism Marketing Approach

Time for a fresh approach to tourism marketing.

That's the challenge from mayor Dave Canfield.

Canfield was responding to changes to Kenora's brand promise.

We can no longer use the slogan "We Live the Lake Life", because it's already being used by Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls.

Canfield suggests we need a more regional approach to tourist promotion.

Kenora will continue to use the slogan "We Love Our Lake" as part of our brand promise.

Cold Weather Keeps Operations Department Busy

No shortage of work for Kenora's operations department.

In addition to plowing and snow removal, the recent cold weather has
also resulted in frozen sewer and water lines.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says it's all in a days work.

Perchuck says they've also had to deal with a small epidemic of
grinder pump failures in recent weeks.

Northwest Highway Safety Committee Launches New Website

The OPP is launching a new Highway Safety Education Committee for northwestern Ontario.

The group was formed last year and received money from the Ministry of Transportation to create a Safe Winter Driving Campaign for the region.

Sergeant Dave Bel says part of their campaign includes a new website full of educational content.

Some of safe driving partners include the Nishnawbe Aski Police, MTO, Insurance Brokers of Northwestern Ontario and Acadia Broadcasting.

Museum Celebrates 50th Anniversary

50 years young.

The Lake of Woods Museum is celebrating the half century mark this year.

Lynn Riddell is the community coordinator and says they have numerous events planned throughout the year, including the "Find 50" competition, which is an historic scavenger hunt.

A kick off event is scheduled for 2:00 on Saturday.

KPDSB Not Happy With Fine From MOE, but Will Pay

The Director of Education for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says safety was never compromised at the schools in Upsala and Savant Lake.

Sean Monteith is reacting after the Board was fined 15-grand for violations under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Monteith says the government is taking money out of the classroom and is putting right in the pocket of the Ministry of Environment.

Officials say they corrected the problems right away and in one case even notified the province on one of the issues.

City of Kenora Working on Homelessness Plan

The City of Kenora wants to take its work plan on Homelessness a step further.

Council is supporting the hiring of a coordinator for a pilot project.

Louis Roussin is on the city's Homelessness committee and says one of the jobs would be pulling together all the resources available locally.

Roussin says they are working on a proposal for the provincial government to fund the pilot project for two or three years.

Fellowship Center to Expand Housing Options

Teaching independence.

That's what the Kenora fellowship is hoping to do as they continue to prepare the new Room and Boarders Residency Program.

Fundraiser Outreach Coordinator Taylor Hainey says the program will be very educational.

Hainey says the center is looking for donations to purchase equipment like beds, showers, and a washer and dryer.

She notes they hope to have the program operating in a few weeks time.

Toronto Man To Remain In Custody for Kidnapping His Sons

The man arrested in Dryden for allegedly kidnapping his two sons will have his case heard in Alberta.

29-year-old Illhami Butin was stopped Tuesday afternoon by Provincial Police on a Canada-wide warrant.

The man was wanted for abducting his three year old and  four year old sons in Edmonton and attempting to bring them to Toronto.

Butin made a brief court appearance yesterday morning and was told that Edmonton Police would be coming to pick him up.

He will remain in Dryden custody for a maximum of six days as he may be out earlier depending on when the transfer will be completed.

Butin is on orders to not directly or indirectly contact his kids while in custody.

Trans-Canada Closed Between Hadashville and Winnipeg

Despite all the snow yesterday and overnight, there are no road closures or bus cancellations to report so far this morning.

The main highways in the Kenora area are described as snow-covered with visibility ranging from fair to poor.

A different situation this morning in Manitoba, where the Trans-Canada is closed all the way from Hadashville to Winnipeg.

Visibility is described as poor to non-existent in the area.

Otherwise, Highway 1 is described as snow-covered from Falcon Lake to Prawda.

In town, road crews are currently plowing the main arteries, but side streets still have
a lot of loose snow.

Intersections this morning are also starting to get pretty slick so motorists are urged to
slow down while out on the highway and travelling around town this morning.