City Hopes To Lift Boil Water Advisory Soon

It may soon be safe to drink the water.

Rick Perchuk is the city's operations manager and says crews are working to lift the over 3 week old boil water advisory.

Perchuk notes it takes about 2 days to perform the tests and get the results.

If all goes well the advisory could be lifted on Friday.

Full House For Energy East Consultations

Consultations are continuing on the Energy East Pipeline project.

Last night the Ontario Energy Board was at the Best Western Lakeside Inn for the first of 7 meetings in the province.

Consultation lead Aleck Dadson says it's just the beginning for the OEB.

Dadson says all the comments will be made into a report that they will bring back to the communities to exam and review.

The final report will be used by the Minister of Energy when they continue the process with the National Energy Board.

Sioux Narrows Budget Delayed

It could be another month before the Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls passes it's budget.

Mayor Bill Thompson says they had been making good progress, but  suggests they  need to make some last minute changes.

He says they'll review the changes at their next meeting, but probably wait to pass it
at their last meeting in April.

He says at this point, they're doing okay and isn't expecting a big increase in the mill rate this year.

Optimism About New OPP Policing Model

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield has the support of another local leader over the cost of policing.

Red Lake mayor Phil Vinet is anxious for a new Provincial Police funding model to be approved.

With a meeting planned on April 2nd, Vinet hopes they are one step closer to implementation.

Vinet says the current system doesn't provide fairness.

Mauro Named New Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

A bit of a surprise from Queen's Park where Premier Kathleen Wynne has a new municipal affairs and housing minister by the name of Bill Mauro.  

The Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP was named as part of a government cabinet shuffle.

Mauro says he's very excited, but knows it's a huge learning curve.

Mauro replaces Linda Jeffray, who resigned yesterday to join the mayoralty race in Brampton.

New Poll Shows Concerns With Winter Road Maintenance

Research being released by the five companies under Ministry of Transportation's Winter Maintenance Program is showing that Ontarians want the government to make roads safer.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid from March 3rd to 7th shows that the majority of 1,500 Ontario drivers feel the government should increase spending on highway maintenance.

The study also shows that Ontarians find roads to be in worse conditions than they were 3 years ago by a  2-to-1 margin, and by a 3-to-1 margin in Northern Ontario.

The Ontario Road Builders Association continues to meet with government officials to resolve the road safety issues.

Student Taken to Hospital Following School Bus Collision

Icy road conditions are believed to be partly responsible for an accident this morning involving a school bus.

The Northwest Student Services Consortium confirms bus KN-13 was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Austin Lake Road this morning just before 8:00.

Other than the bus driver, there was only one other person on board at the time, and the parents took the
student to Lake of the Woods District Hospital as a precaution.

The driver of the school bus was not injured, though both vehicles did sustain some damage.

City Talking to Province About Funding to Repair Broke Water Lines

The provincial government is being asked to provide some financial assistance to the City of Kenora as it deals with an epidemic of broke water lines.

Mayor Dave Canfield says he's met with government officials in recent weeks asking for help.

He's had discussions about the situation with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Linda Jeffrey,  and says she's been very supportive so far.

The city is worried that it might have to eat into it's capital budget to repair broke water lines if it can't get any additional financial assistance from the federal or provincial levels of government.

Worst Roads Voting Begins Today

Just in time for pot hole season.

The Canadian Automobile Association is once again launching it's
Worst Roads campaign.

Over the next four weeks, Ontario motorists are invited to vote online
for roads or city streets in most need of repair.

You can log onto worstroads.ca to nominate a road in our area.

Health Unit Warns of Stomach Virus

The Northwestern Health Unit says they've noticed a steady increase in a stomach
virus across the region.

Manager of Infectious Diseases Donna Stanley says if you do catch the bug, the best thing to do is keep yourself well-hydrated and drink lots of water.

Stanley notes that if you are sick to avoid day cares, hospitals, and care homes until you have gone 24 hours with no symptoms.

Stanley adds it's important to constantly wash your hands throughout the day to prevent the spread of
any bugs.

Energy East Consultations Today

 Your chance to weigh in on the Energy East Pipeline project.

The first of seven community discussion forums will take place in
Kenora tonight.

The Ontario Energy Board is looking for feedback on the proposed
pipeline, which will take crude oil from Alberta and send it to eastern Canada.

The session will take place starting at 6:30 tonight at the Best Western Lakeside
Inn.

There will also be a similar session for First Nation and Metis this afternoon.

The only other forum in northwestern Ontario will take place tomorrow night in Thunder Bay.

OPP Provide Late-Season Reminder for Sledders

 With the cold weather staying with us, there are still pretty good conditions for
snowmachining.

That's why the Kenora OPP are reminding sledders of the regulations when out and about.

Constable Ronni Grosenick says not everyone can operate the machines.

Grosenick adds it's illegal to operate a snow machine on private property without the owners consent.

Ontario Liberals Election-Ready

The provincial Liberals are ready.

Party faithful gathered in Toronto for the party's annual meeting with Premier Kathleen helping to rally them in anticipation of an upcoming election.

Local candidate Anthony Leek says it was an important meeting to get all the candidates on the same page.

Leek says members of the Liberal's northern Caucus also met where he relinquished his position as regional vice-president to focus on his candidacy.

OPP Seize More Drugs On Highway 17

A traffic stop near the Ontario Manitoba border has landed a BC man in police custody.

Police say they stopped 44 year Kevin Tinker was stopped Friday morning for suspicious driving.

Police inspected the car and found 4.5 grams of marijuana and a large amount of cash.

As a result Tinker was charged with possession of cannabis and possession of property obtained by crime.

He will answer to the charges in Kenora court this morning.

Senior Thistles Finalize Allen Cup Roster

The Kenora Triple A Senior Thistles are ready for the Allan Cup.

The club has named the final roster that will travel to Dundas Ontario for the national championship.

Head Coach Brian Olson says the goalies are the backbone of this team
with Ryan Person and Tyler Gordon back between the pipes.

There are also some new faces on the squad including Nathan O'Nabigon, Matt Miller, and Rick Kozak.

Olson believes this is the best roster the team has sent to the Allan Cup.

The tournament hits the ice April 14th.

City Council Adopts 2014 Budget

Kenora city council has unanimously approved the 2014 municipal budget.

Council held a special meeting this morning to adopt the spending estimates.

The budget includes a four percent decrease in the mill rate, but the average homeowner will
see their taxes go up by about 2.3 percent, or the equivalent of about 43 dollars this year.

Mayor Dave Canfield admits he had to fight hard for the four percent cut in the tax rate.

The 2014 budget also sets aside 4.5 million dollars for phase three of Downtown Revitalization
and 2.2 million dollars for the roads program, 600 thousand dollars to install new L.E.D. street lights,
and 700 thousand dollars to complete the rehabilitation of the Winnipeg River West Branch Bridge.

Water main Breaks Could Affect 2014 Capital Budget

The City's capital budget in 2014 could be a moving target.

All the water main breaks this winter could take a chunk out of the
capital budget.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they are hoping the province
will come through with some financial assistance.

Perchuck says if the city does't get any additional funding, they may have to re-evaluate this year's capital plans.

The city says even though snow removal costs have been much higher this winter than usual, they
don't plan to increase that budget for 2014.

Rickford Says Ring of Fire Still a Federal Priority

The newly appointed Minister of Natural Resources says the Ring of Fire remains a high priority for the Federal Government.

Greg Rickford says the dialogue between the Feds and the Ontario government continues.

Rickford already had the Ring of Fire portfolio before the cabinet shake-up, but the new appointment will give him better control of the massive mining project in northern Ontario.

OPP Recover Stolen Vehicle

A 34 year old Winnipeg woman faces theft charges after the OPP pulled over a stolen vehicle on Highway 71.

Police pulled the vehicle over in Nestor Falls because it didn't have any visible licence plates.

A quick check determined the vehicle had been reported stolen in Winnipeg back on February 7th.

Louise Hill has been charged with possession of stolen property.

She made her first court appearance in Kenora on Friday.

PETA Launches Letter Writing Campaign Against Spring Bear Hunt

The animal activist group PETA is asking for people to write the Premier and Minister of Natural Resources to cancel the spring bear hunt.

A limited hunt is being brought back in some parts of northern Ontario for the first time since 1999 this
spring.

PETA representative Ashley Byrne says the spring hunt won't help with bear populations or human bear conflicts.

PETA feels Ontario should enforce strict wildlife feeding prohibitions and provide residents with more information about how to better coexist peacefully with their wild neighbours.

Health Unit Promotes World TB Day

Tuberculosis is still a concern in Canada.

That message from Public Health Nurse Chanda McAuley with the Northwestern Health Unit as she promotes World TB day today.

McAuley says the health unit has a lot of information on the disease.

McAuley says both the active and latent forms of the disease are treatable.

Treaty Three Commemorates Residential School Survivors

Focusing on the future.

Richard Green has helped organize a residential school commemoration today at the best Western Lakeside Inn in Kenora.

Green say he hopes people will remember the challenges people faced while attending the schools.

The commemoration will focus on survivors of all 5 schools located within the Treaty 3 Territory.

It runs from 9 until 6.

Injured Workers Concerned With Proposed WSIB Changes

Proposed changes to how workers compensation will be handed out are coming under fire from the Ontario Network of Injured Workers.

The group says the move will limit workers compensation eligibility if someone has a pre-existing condition.

Karl Crevar says they are currently raising funds to launch a legal challenge.

Crevar notes the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is acting illegally.

Shopper's Sale to Loblaws Approved

The Shoppers Drug Mart store in Kenora is safe.

The Competition Bureau has approved Loblaws acquisition of Shoppers.

Loblaws is selling 18 Shoppers Drug Mart stores but none are located in northwestern Ontario.

The deal is expected to close on Friday.

Marijuana and Mushrooms Sized by Kenora OPP

Kenora OPP have been arrested 2 people following a drug bust in the city.

On Thursday police stopped a vehicle on highway 17.

Upon investigation police found 400 grams of marijuana and 2 grams of magic mushrooms.

The value of the seized drugs is roughly 9 thousand dollars.

As a result a 17 year old and a 21 year old man, both from Toronto, have been charged with multiple possession charges.

They will both answer to the charges next month in Kenora court.

Ice Roads Starting to Deteriorate

The warmer weather is playing havoc with local ice roads.

Windigo Island says the ice road is passable from the MNR landing
in Kenora to French Portage, but after that there is a lot of slush.

The band says there is still lots of ice on the lake, but
suggests only people with four wheel drives use the
ice roads at this time, due to all the slush.

New Chief for Shoal Lake #39

A new chief has been elected on the Shoal Lake #39 First Nation.

Fawn Wapioke beat out incumbant Eli Mandamin for the top job.

She'll be joined on the new council by Karen Keejick, Leon Douglas Mandamin Senior, Earl Stanley Wapioke and Vanessa Fedus.

The band elections were held this past Wednesday.

Kenora To Host Volunteer Service Awards

The region's volunteers will be honoured at a ceremony planned for Kenora this May.

The Ontario Volunteer Service Awards will be handed out to volunteers for continuous service to an organization of between 5 and 60 years.

Youth will also be recognized for two or more years of volunteer service.

The Kenora event will take place May 27.

Alberta Clipper Swerves South

 Positive weather news has been in short supply this winter, but things are looking
a little better today than expected.

An Alberta Clipper is just making it's way into northwestern Ontario, but fortunately we'll only just get clipped by it.

Environment Canada has lifted it's special weather statement for the Kenora
area.

We can still expect some snow today, but only a couple of centimeters compared to the five to 10 for the Fort Frances area.

Council Approves Keewatin CIP

Keewatin is the next part of the city that will be getting a Community Improvement Plan.

City Council agreed to put just over 39 thousand dollars in this year's budget to develop the plan.

Councillor Sharon Smith pushed council to fund the CIP and is glad the
rest of council agreed.

Smith says if the municipal budget is passed Monday, then a request for proposals will go out to develop Keewatin's Community Improvement Plan.

Kenora's Cultural Ranking Rankles

Kenora has been named in the top 15 Canadian cities to move out of.

That ranking came from a recent report on citiesjournal.com stating there is no culture in the city.

Harbourfest chair Randy Nickle says that simply not true.

Nickle notes that the report is cynical in the fact it only looks for financial figures and ignores the work of volunteers in the city.

Harbourfest, Trylight Theatre, LOWAC, and Winter Bites are examples Nickle gave of culture in they city.

Kenora Hunter Fined

A Kenora man has been fined 2 thousand dollars for illegally killing a moose.

In October last year William Carson was contacted by MNR conservation officers at a fly in cabin North of Kenora.

Carson informed the officers that he forgot to bring his hunting licence and calf seal with him.

Upon arriving back in town Carson admitted to not having a licence.

He was fined 1 thousand dollars for hunting moose without a licence and another 1 thousand for making a misleading statement.

First Nations Group Worried About New Aboriginal Education Act

Their is some concern from Anishinabek Nation Chiefs when it comes to Federal legislation of first nations education.

Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee says legislation introduced by the government in early February does not allow communities more control over their education.

Madahbee adds that it's time for the government to simply listen to first nations educators.

Reservist Applications Going On-Line

The local reserve unit doesn't want you to fall through the cracks.

Master Bombardier Lynn Danielson with Kenora's 116th Field Battery says the DND is changing the application process.

The military is doing away with paper applications and now doing them on-line.

Danielson says it's a good idea to find out where your application stands.

More information you can contact Danielson at:

807-468-6749 or lynn.danielson@force.gc.ca

Ontario Beekeepers Get Provincial Support

Premier Kathleen Wynne is thanking the Ontario Bee Health Working Group for their report into the risk honey bees face from pesticide use.

Wynne adds that the province is working with the Federal Government when it comes to the use of pesticides.

Barry Tabor from the Thunder Bay Beekeepers Association says 1.2-million dollars in funding from the province is a good start.

Tabor says he would of liked to see more attention given to bee keepers instead of growers, in the bee health working group's report.

First Day of Spring Brings Sun and Snow

Spring may be arriving in northwestern Ontario in a couple of hours, but
Old Man Winter isn't ready to give up his grip just yet.

Bill Laidlaw from Signal Weather Services says we can expect some more
snow starting tonight.

Laidlaw estimates we could see as much as seven centimeters of snow by
the time the system blows through tomorrow night.

City Embarks on New Strategic Plan

Good response so far to the City of Kenora's Stategic Plan survey.

Councillor Rory McMillan says they have almost 12 hundred responses to their on-line survey and are getting between 65 and 70 replies each day.

He says so far about two thirds of their responses have come through social media, with the rest coming through the city's web site.

He expects they will also receive a number of hard copy responses.

The City is currently at work on it's next five year Stategic Plan with the survey providing some much-needed input from the community.

Northwest M.P.'s Offer Mixed Response to Rickford's Promotion

Not everyone is pleased with Rickford's new duties.

Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer says he's both surprised and concerned by the appointment.

Hyer says he's concerned because Rickford didn't fight hard enough to save the Experimental Lakes Area, which is in his own riding.

Hyer says while Rickford has the intelligence for the job, he wonders where his priorities lie.

Meanwhile, Thunder Bay-Rainy River M.P. John Rafferty was more conciliatory.

He's wishing Greg Rickford well.

Rafferty says while the appointment did surprise him, it's good to have a person from Northern Ontario in the position.

Rafferty says he looks forward to working with the Kenora MP.

Justin Trudeau Skypes In

Bringing federal politics to young minds in northwestern ontario.

That was Justin Trudeau's aim yesterday as he Skyped in with grade
five students at New Prospect School in Dryden.

Teacher Mary Trist says the students may not have known who the Liberal Leader was at first but after a mock parliment they clued in.

Every student got to ask Trudeau a question and the skype session lasted a half hour.

Tories Pushing For Spring Election

Pushing for action.

Opposition leader Tim Hudak put a confidence motion before the legislature to force a jobs plan and budget announcement by the Liberal government.

Kenora Rainy River PC Candidate Rainy River says it was a needed step.

No date has been set to release the provincial budget.

SMB Retro-fitting Daycare

Some more changes are taking place at Ste. Marguerite Bourgeoys.

The Separate School board says along with the 6 classroom expansion the daycare is getting retro-fitted.

Director of Education Phyllis Eikre says the changes will happen within the current layout.

The change is needed as 4 and 5 year olds move into full day kindergarten classes.

Stroke Forum Updates New Protocols for ER's

The Northwestern Ontario Regional Stroke Forum is taking place this week in Thunder Bay.

Local health care providers will be learning from stroke neurologists about the latest practice recommendations.

Regional Stroke Educator Elaine Edwards says they'll be unveilling a new process for local Emergency  rooms.

Edwards notes that people should make themselves familiar with the signs of a stroke.

Plans for Relay for Life in the Works

Celebrate, Remember, Fight back.

That's the message as the Relay for Life committee prepares for the 2014 event.

Darell Plummer is the co-chair and says they are moving back to the Whitecap Pavilion.

Plummer says teams can now register for the annual event which take place in June.

This year's goal is $74,000.

More details and registration information can be found here.

Rickford Pleased with Promotion

Kenora MP Greg Rickford is moving up on Parliament Hill.

Rickford has been named the new Minister of Natural Resources as part of a cabinet shuffle spurred by the sudden resignation of Jim Flaherty.

Rickford says he's expecting a smooth transition, but does say he'll need to do a lot of briefing for his new portfolio.

He adds that it's a proud day for the Kenora riding.

He retains responsibility of FedNor and the Ring of Fire but gives up his Minister of Science and Technology portfolio.

Rickford Involved in Cabinet Shuffle?

CJRL News has learned that Kenora MP Greg Rickford has been called to Rideau Hall this morning.

Joe Oliver is expected be sworn in this morning as the new Minister of Finance, replacing Jim Flaherty.

Oliver was the Minister of Natural Resources.

It's widely expected that Rickford will be be selected to replace Oliver.

Rickford is familiar with the portfolio and has a close working relationship with Ontario Minister of Natural Resources.

City Ready to Pass 2014 Budget

City council has managed to trim about 100 thousand dollars in spending
from the 2014 municipal budget.

Overall the city will spend about 600 thousand dollars more this year than last year.

Chair of the finance committee Ron Lunny says they did their best to keep spending under control.

Overall, the tax rate will drop by four percent, however because of an increase in the municipal assessment, most homeowners can still expect to pay about 2.7 percent more in 2014.

Council is planning to pass the budget on Monday.

Financial Assistance Offered For Frozen Water Lines

Some good news for homeowners dealing with frozen water lines.

The city says it will be reducing water rates for anyone who has to run
a bleeder.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says they've also stopped charging for thawing water lines on private property.

Perchuck admits they are still a week or more away from being able to lift the boil water advisory.

Increased Fines for Distracted Driving Go Into Effect

The province intends to make them higher, but new fines are now in place for those caught using cellphones or other electronic devices while driving.

As of Monday, the fines for distracted driving increased from 155 dollars to 280 dollars.

Transportation Minister Glen Murray introduced legislation earlier this week to bring that fine up to as high as one thousand dollars.

Provincial Police in northwestern Ontario applaud the increase, calling distracting driving a serious threat to others on the road.

ONA Waiting for Arbitrators Ruling

The Ontario Nurses Association says it can't accept a cut in wages and benefits for nurses in their next contract.

They're awaiting the outcome of an arbitration hearing held on the weekend with the Ontario Hospital Association.

President of the Nurse's Association Linda Haslum-Stroud says nurses have already suffered through a two-year wage freeze.

Nurses will see their existing contract expire at the end of this month.

The ONA represents nurses at hospitals in a number of communities across northwestern Ontario including
Kenora, Dryden, Thunder Bay and Fort Frances.

OPP Investigate Nestor Falls School Break-in

There's been another break-in in Nestor Falls.

OPP says this time it happen at Nestor Falls Public School.

Police says sometime during the March break some one entered the school and stole cash and electronics totalling more than four-thousand dollars.

Over the past month, two businesses in the community were also broken into.