Biz Kids Camp starts next week

Future MBA's will get a chance to strut their stuff next week.

The annual Biz Kids Camp will be taking place starting Monday.

Mike Greaves from the Northwest Business Center says they still have some spaces open for would-be business tycoons.

Greaves says anyone who wants to sign up can contact the
Northwest Business Center.

A similar camp will also be taking place in Dryden in August.

Paving Contract Awarded

Its going to cost just over two million dollars to fix up about 10 kilometers of the Trans-Canada  Highway from the Kenora City Limits to the By-Pass.

The Ministry of Transportation has awarded the tender for the rehabilitation of two five kilometer stretches of Highway 17.

Pioneer Construction has been awarded the 2.1 million dollar contract.

That project is expected to be completed by the fall and employ about 15 people.


Pioneer is also paving the section of the Trans-Canada from Transmitter Road to the east city
limits.

Health Unit testing for Lyme Disease

Health officials are on the watch following two confirmed cases of lyme disease in the Thunder Bay District.


Kurt Casey is the Public Health Inspector for the Northwestern Health Unit and they have sent a couple of  deer ticks away for testing, but so far none have come back positive for Lyme Disease. 
Casey says the heavy season for deer ticks ends in mid-July.

Mike Richards Charity Golf Tournament Thursday

The inaugural Mike Richards Charity Golf Tournament will take place tomorrow

at the Kenora Golf and Country Club.

The event was sold out months ago with a total of  24 teams signed up.

The Philadelphia Flyers captain says some of team mates, including Jeff Carter, Daniel Briere,
Arron Asham and Riley Cote are expected to attend.
Richards says proceeds will go towards the Canadian Cancer Society and the Kenora
and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation.

Former OPP Officer to be Sentenced in November

A retired OPP officer who once served in Minaki and Whitedog, and was found guilty on a number of sexual assault charges, won't be sentenced until this fall.

Robert Lewis was found guilty on 19 charges dating back to the 1970's, some of which were laid while he was an officer in the Kenora area.

The sentencing for Lewis is scheduled to take place November 8th in the Orangeville Court House.

Lewis, who now lives in Fenelon Falls, Ontario was initially charged back in 2006.

The court case just wrapped up last month.

Catholic Board rejects amalgamation with Keewatin Public

Thanks but no thanks.


That's the response from the Kenora Catholic District School Board to an offer by the local public school board to amalgamate two schools in Keewatin.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board made the offer to merge Keewatin Public and St. Louis Schools as a means to combat declining enrolment.

The separate board has issued a formal response which indicates its not interested in engaging in any amalgamation of school either from within its own jurisdiction or with the Keewatin-Patricia School Board.

The public school board began looking at options for Keewatin Public School during an Accommodation
Review last year.

Enrolment at the school is expected to continue to drop over the next few years.

Smoke-Free Parks Proposed

The Northwestern Health Unit is upping the ante in its battle against cigarette smoke.

The Health Unit says it wants to make area parks and playgrounds smoke free.

Health Unit Chair John Albanese, says many communities are participating in the voluntary program.

The Health Unit is providing the signs with participating communities covering the cost of installing them.

MTO Responds to Trans-Canada Twinning Concerns

The Ministry of Transportation has issued a response to some of the concerns raised about twinning the Trans-Canada Highway between the Manitoba Border and the Kenora By-Pass.

The MTO says some of the routes north of the current Highway 17 road bed were ruled out due to potential impacts to undisturbed forests, wildlife habitat and a poor crossing of Deception
Creek.

It adds that while its not bound by the Clearwater Bay Restricted Area Order, any construction has to first pass a Class Environmental Assessment.

The MTO statement goes on to say that no final decision on where to locate a double lane highway
from Clearwater Bay to Kenricia Road has been made yet.

It is hoping to finalize a route by the fall.

Construction on the first phase of the twinning project from the Manitoba Border to Rush Bay
is also expected to begin this fall.

Property Owners Meet This Afternoon

The Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association is gearing up for its annual

summer meeting with its members in Kenora.

The three hour session will take place this afternoon.

Susan McLeod is the executive director of the Association and says one of the main topics
of discussion will be cottage security.

McLeod says the meeting is for their members who are unable to attend their AGM in
Winnipeg each May.

The session will take place at the Best Western Lakeside Inn starting at 1:00.

Richards Way signs AWOL

Kenora's decision to name a street after Philadelphia Flyer's captain Mike Richards is proving to be popular.

Maybe too popular.

The signs for Mike Richards Way were installed earlier this month, but have already been stolen.

Kenora City Councillor Chris Van Wallenghem says they'd like to get the signs back.

The signs were stolen just two days after being unveiled at a special ceremony on July 2nd at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Priesentanz says goodbye to council

Kenora City Council has bid a fond farewell to a long time employee.

Bill Preisentanz attended his final meeting as Chief Administrative Officer
Monday night.

Councillor Rory McMillan says Preisentanz will be missed after 18 years on the
job.
Preisentanz's last official day on the job is July 31st.

The City's Chief Financial Officer, Karen Brown will take over his duties as of
August 1st.

Stafford rides into Northwestern Ontario

Rodney Stafford and his son, Daryn, are crossing into Ontario today in their bicycle journey from Edmonton to their hometown of Woodstock, Ont.

This is Day 21 of their 3,500-kilometre trip to raise money and awareness for Child Find Ontario.

In recent days, the Staffords have contended with road construction near West Hawk Lake, Manitoba where they attended a parade on Saturday.

They are due in Woodstock on August 8.

The bike ride is in memoray of his eight-year-old daughter Victoria, who was
abducted from her school and killed last year.

Highway 17 North campaigns

A campaign to have the twinning of the Trans-Canada moved north of the current road bed seems to be gaining momentum.

A group called Highway 17 North made a deputation to Kenora City      Council last night.

Rob Giguere is a spokesperson for the group and says they just want the Ministry of Transportation
to abide by the MNR's regulations regarding development in the Clearwater Bay protected zone.

Kenora City Council has passed a resolution in support of keeping the Trans-Canada twinning north
of the current road bed.

The issue will be the subject of another public meeting scheduled for later this month at the
McKenzie Clearwater Bay Fire Hall.

India signs mining deal with Ontario

India and Ontario have formed a partnership when it comes to mining.


A memorandum of understanding was signed by the two party's mining ministries.

Minister Michael Gravelle says the agreement will benefit companies in the Northwest.

The agreement was signed recently with India's Mining Minister touring Ontario.

Abitibi Fined for Workplace Injuries

Abitibi-Consolidated has been fined 125-thousand dollars for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused injuries to 2-workers and a student in Fort Frances.

The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a tool was not used near a live electrical installation.

The 3-people were injured by an arc flash while working on a paper machine on August 20th, 2008.

The two electricians suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns.

A student who was watching them suffered first-degree burns.

In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Deer Lake fatal investigated

The OPP's Criminal Investigation's Branch is looking into the death of a Deer Lake First Nations man over the weekend.

The Nishinabe Aski Police Service was called to the Deer Lake Nursing Station
Saturday evening.

A 27 year old man had been pronounced dead, while a second male had been injured and was airlifted to hospital in Thunder Bay.

Police say the deceased has been identified as Joey Crowe.

A post-mortem exam was conducted at Lake of the Woods District Hospital and foul
play is suspected, though the cause of death has not been released.

26 year old Jason Miller from Deer Lake has been taken into custody and charged with attempted
murder in relation to injuries sustained by Nielson Meekis.

Miller appeared in Kenora Court yesterday on the charges.

Oxdrift Fire

A large log garage was destroyed following a fire near Oxdrift over the weekend.

The Oxdrift Volunteer Fire Departmetn responded to the blaze shortly after 7 o'clock Saturday night.

11-firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within an hour.

Highway 601 was closed while the blaze was being battled and no one was injured.

The cause is under investigation.

Groups Oppose Forest Tenure Plan

The Ontario Forest Industry Association is calling on the Provincial government to cancel its plans to reform the forest tenure process.


The OFIA is part of a province wide coalition against the McGuinty government's forest tenure proposal.

President Jamie Lim says it's going to have a negative impact on the forest industry.

The coalition is made up of unions, forestry groups, municipal leaders and chambers of commerce.

Life Jacke Campaign

The OPP Marine Unit has launched a new campaign on Lake of the Woods promoting life jacket use.

Members of the Marine Unit haned out red t-shirts over the weekend to kids
proclaiming, "I got caught wearing my life jacket".

The OPP says while most of the life-jackets were handed out to youth, some adults were also rewarded.

The message from local police is if the motor is running, life jackets should be on.

Broadband service in northwestern Ontario expanded

More homes in the remote northwest will be getting high speed internet.

Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews made the announcement last week.

He says the project will be completed by the end of next year by three companies.

TBay-Tel, Galaxy Broadband Communications and the Spectrum Telecom Group will be rolling
out the broadband service.


Toews says here are about 45 hundred households in the region that will benefit from the funding
announcement