Hospital Experiencing another Bed Shortage

Lake of the Woods District Hosptial is experiencing another severe bed shortage.

In fact, the hospital has asked for and been granted

1-A status by the Northwestern Local Integration Network.

Director of Patient Care, Leslie Brown says that gives patients waiting for long term care, first priority for any beds that open up.

Brown says they have requested that the 1-A status be extended for at least four weeks to address their overcrowding issues.

Catholic Board Looks Forward to expanding All Day Kindergarten

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says it should have no problem accomodating an all-day, everyday program at Pope John Paul II school.

PJP and Lakewood will be getting all day learning at the kindergarten level by the fall of 2012.

Director of Education, Phylis Eikre says the all day program has been a big success at St. Louis in Keewatin this year.

Eikre says Pope John Paul was designed with all-day, everyday kindergarten in mind, so they should be able to roll it out next year with no problems.

Northern Growth Plan to be released today

After three years of consultation, the Northern Growth Plan will be released today.

The opposition, though, is not impressed.

NDP Critic Gilles Bisson says several towns across northern Ontario have already lost their major employer and the Liberals response so far has been inadequate.

Northern Development Minister Michael Gravelle says the document is an economic vision for northern Ontario for the next 25 years.

Canfield honored for Support Forest Industry

The Ontario Forest Industries Association still has fond memories of Kenora

mayor Dave Canfield.

Canfield was one of six people who were presented awards for their contribution

to the forest industry yesterday at the OFIA's annual general meeting.

Canfield says he really wasn't expecting the honor.

Canfield also accepted an award on behalf of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association for its work in support of the forest industry in Ontario.

Winter Carnival Begins Tonight

A busy weekend in Kenora.

The Winter Carnival begins this evening.

Tourism Development Officer Heather Paterson says they have a full slate of events this weekend.

Things get underway this evening with a bang.

The fireworks will start at 7:00 followed by an Al Simmons concert at Lakewood and the BluesFest at Shooters.

OFSAA Nordic Championships underway in Ottawa

One medal so far for Kenora's cross country skiiers at the All-Ontario championships taking place in Ottawa.

Jamie Triskle of Thomas Aquinas won gold in the para-nordic event yesterday.

The top finish in the junior girls 5 kilometer freestyle race was Sammi Burkhart from T.A. in 5th, while Maya Boivin placed 8th.

In the senior boys 7.5 kilometer freestyle, Erik Lockhart placed 31st out of over 160 racers.

Meanwhile, Manon Magnon was 15th overall in the Senior girls division.

Beaver Brae's junior girls were 6th in the team event.

Today, the team relays will take place.

Saints boys hockey team OFSAA Bound

The Thomas Aquinas Boys hockey team is heading to OFSAA.


The Saints doubled up the Sioux Lookout Warriors 8-4 last night at the

Kenora Rec. Center to win their best-of-three NorWOSSA single "a" final series two games to one.

T.A. now travels to Timmins after the March break for the All-Ontario championships.

Meanwhile, the NorWOSSA finals begin on two fronts for Beaver Brae's hockey teams.

The Broncos girls will host the Dryden Eagles in Game one of the best-of-three series
tonight at the Kenora Rec. Center.

The puck drops at 8:30.

The Bronco boys are on the road tonight.

They travel to Fort Frances to take on the Muskies in game one of their

best-of-three series.

Game two is back at home at 7:00 at the Thistle Rink.

JM arena petition being circulated

A petition is being circulated trying to get support for an

artificial ice plant at the Jaffray Melick arena.

Organizers say they had good support last night for the
petition, and it will be doing the rounds some of the other
arenas in town over the next few days.

The plan is to present the petition at the next committee of the
whole meeting of council.

Due to volunteer burn-out and unseasonably warm weather
in February, use of the natural ice surface was cut short. 

Hampton Lashes out at Energy Retailers

Beware of signing any long term contracts with energy retailers.

That's the message Howard Hampton says he wants to present at a pair of town hall meetings tomorrow.

Hampton says his constituency office regularly gets complaints about the unscrupulous practices of energy retail agents who go door to door.

Hampton will be holding information sessions at the TraveLodge at 2:00 and 6:00 tomorrow.

Saints boys hockey team losing game two of final

A third period collapse by the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team has forced a third and deciding game in the NorWOSSA single "a final.

The Sioux Lookout Warriors scored four unanswered goals in the final 15 minutes of the game to earn a 5-1 victory last night.

Game three is scheduled to take place tonight at 7:00 at the Kenora Rec. Center.

Treaty Three Police Opens New Detachment

First Nations leaders and other dignitaries gathered yesterday to celebrate the opening Treaty Three Police Services new detachment in Couchiching First Nations.

It's home to twenty officers policing First Nations in the Rainy River district.

Police Chief Conrad Delaronde says it provides them with some facilities they didn't have before.

Delronde says the move from offices in Emo also provides with them with more visibilities to the people they directly serve.

All Kindergarten expanding to two more schools in Kenora

Premier Dalton McGuinty says 900 more Ontario schools

will start offering full-day kindergarten in 2012.

Both Lakewood School and Pope John Paul II school will be opening

their doors to the all-day kindergarten programs in 2012.

Jack McMaster is the director of education with the Keewatin-Patricia

District School Board and says he been very encouraged by the program.

The Public school board will also be offering the program at Riverview in Dryden, Red Lake/Madsen Elementary School and at Sioux Mountain in Sioux Lookout by the fall of 2012.

Fatal Snowmobile Accident near Ear Falls

A Geralton resident has been killed in a snowmachine accident in northwestern Ontario.

The OPP say three men were riding their snowmobiles south of Ear Falls yesterday when the accident took place.

23 year old Marcel Santerre was injured in the collision and died a short time later.

Police say they are not releasing any other details about the fatality at this time.

Control Board begins Snow Monitoring Program

The Lake of the Woods Control Board says its beginning its

winter snow monitoring program this month.

Communities across the drainage basin have received higher than

average snow falls this winter.

Spokesperson for the Control Board Rick Cousins says its too early to

say what impact all the snow will have.

Cousins says realistically, spring rains have a bigger impact on water levels on the lake than the snow.

Government Evasive on Ring of Fire Blockade

The McGuinty government is saying very little about a planned blockade of the Ring of Fire area this week. The Marten Falls First Nation plans to stop access to the proposed chromite mining project.

In the legislature Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says Michael Gravelle is familiar with their concerns

Bentley says there are northern First Nations that are working on economic plans with the help of the government

A colder than normal February

Much of Northwestern Ontario experienced normal temperatures last month.

The exceptions being Thunder Bay and Fort Frances.

Meterologist Bill Laidlaw says they were hit with bitterly cold weather.

Laidlaw says snowfall amounts vary throughout the region as well with Ear Falls getting less than other areas.

Ultimate Fishing Town Nominations open

Nominations are now being accepted to the World Fishing Network's contest to find Canada's Ultimate Fishing town.

Towns can submit their bids in until April 8th.

Several northwestern Ontario communities were nominated in last year's contest with Nestor Falls coming in second to Port Alberni, British Columbia in the on-line contest.

IJC Task Force Seeks input on Interim Report

It's not making making any recommendations, but a Task Force examining the management of the Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake basins has put forward plenty of ideas for discussion.

The Task Force has to submit a final report back to the International Joint Commission by July.

Canadian Secretary Kelli Saunders says they're now looking for public comment.

A least two more rounds of consultations are expected, including one in April.

More Downtime at the Abitibi Mill in Fort Frances

More downtime is planned for workers at the AbitibiBowater mill in Fort Frances.

The company says both the paper and kraft mills will be halted for fourteen days beginning March 28th because of poor market conditions.

More than 500 employees will be effected.

The news comes as about 230 employees are in the middle of a shutdown of the mill's paper machines that is to end March 7th.

NorWOSSA Hockey Finals set

Beaver Brae hockey teams now know who they will play in the

NorWOSSA Double "a" finals.

The Bronco boys will travel to Fort Frances Friday for game one of their

best of three final against the Muskies.

Fort advanced after beating Red Lake 6-1 last night in the third and deciding

game of their series.

Beaver Brae's girls hockey team will face-off against their nemesis from

Dryden.

The Eagles trounced Fort Frances 6-1 last night to win their best-of three semi-final two games to one.

Meanwhile, the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team travels to Sioux Lookout tonight for game two of their best-of-three Single "a" final against the Warriors.

The Saints took game one last week and a win will advance them to the OFSAA championships.