Pickle Lake Forest Fire Growing

A forest fire about 30-kilometres east of New Osnaburgh First Nation and Pickle Lake continues to grow.


The lightning caused fire is now 20-thousand hectares in size.

Smoke alerts in both communities have been issued and the fire hazard is extreme.

Crews are focusing on the west side of the fire and a mobile base camp has been set up to support firefighters.

11-fires continue to burn in Northwestern Ontario.

Local Contractor Fined by MNR

A local contractor has earned the wrath of the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Don Hagar has been fined three thousand dollars for illegally taking gravel from crown land.

The MNR says conservation officers received a complaint back in May about someone taking aggragate material to build a road.

Hagar admitted in court last week to illegally creating two aggregate pits on a forest access road off Father Moss Road in McGeorge Township.

He used the material to create a road to a nearby cottage.

While the cottage owner had a permit to build the road on crown land, Hagar was fined for illegally operating an aggrate pit.

Canfield has mixed feelings about Northern Growth Plan

Less talk about fixing the economy of northern Ontario and more action.


That's the sentiment of Kenora mayor Dave Canfield.

He attended the Think North summit last week in Thunder Bay and says this is the fourth major study on the region he's seen since he's been in office.

Canfield says the Northern Growth Plan has some good points, but it will only be seen as a success if it can help generate jobs for the region.

OPP still searching for driver involved in Marathon Hit and Run

If you are driving along Highway 17 you are asked to not pick up any hitchhikers.


OPP have issued the warning as they continue to search for a wanted man who struck a flagman on the Trans-Canada and left the scene on foot.

The incident occurred Monday morning west of Marathon.

OPP say the driver hit a 23-year-old worker and then collided with a rock cut before taking off.

The wanted individual has been identified as 23-year-old Ibrahim Sendagire of Edmonton.

The victim is from Marathon and he's in Thunder Bay Hospital with serious injuries.

Farmer's Market starts this morning

One of the favorite events of the summer for both local and seasonal starts up today.

The Farmer's Market begins its run on the Kenora Harborfront.

Buck Matiowski is helping to co-ordinate the Market and says they've added a few new wrinkles this year.

The farmer's market gets underway at 9:00 this morning and will run until about 2:00 in the afternoon.

MNR Conducts Blitz on Ear Falls area Lakes

The Ministry of Natural Resources has wrapped up a 2-day enforcement blitz in the Ear Falls area.


Conservation officers checked 390-people at 22-tourist camps on 4-lakes along the Highway 105 corridor.

Officials say 95-percent of those checked were following the rules.

The MNR did lay 11-charges and 11-warnings for over-limit of walleye and improperly packaged fish.

Open alcohol was also an issue.

Northwestern Ontario Immigration Portal expands

Want to move to Northwestern Ontario?

There's an app for that.

The Northwest Immigration website is now available in 15 languages and can be viewed on smart phones.

Spokesperson Rebecca Johnson says the site is garnering a lot of interest.

The website shows what jobs are available and what businesses are up for sale.

Cameron Appointed to NDP National Council

She may not have won the last federal election the Kenora Riding, but NDP candidate Tania Cameron is still active in the party.

Cameron attended the party's national convention this past weekend in Vancover and was appointed to the NDP's national council.

Cameron was one of four delegates from Ontario selected to sit on the party's national council.

Museum Gets Honor from Ontario Historical Society

A big honor for Lake of the Woods Museum.

It has been presented the Museum Award of Excellence and Programming by the Ontario Historical Society.

The award was for the exhibit entitled, "We Were Taught Differently", which was a look at the residential school system in northwestern Ontario.

The honor was for creating an exceptional exhibit that dealt with a very diffult subject.

The exhibit been taken out on tour and has also been transformed into a book.

Kroppy Senior of the Year

Kenora City Council was in a giving mood last night, presenting three certificates to local residents and an employee.

A provincial senior of the year award was handed out to Len Kropiowski.

Kroppy says he's grateful for the honor, almost like winning the Stanley Cup.

Janet Findlay was also presented an award of merit from Life Saving Society, for helping out not one, but two people in distress, in two separate incidents on Lake of the Woods last year.

Strike at Ring of Fire in NWO

A number of people who have been working up in northwestern Ontario's so-called Ring of fire are on strike.

Employees of Cliffs Natural Resources are threatening a blockade at the company's Ring of Fire site.

About 2 dozen workers walked off the job on Friday.

Spokesperson Jesse Nadon says they were offered a package that would see them get paid less than fast food employees.

Nadon says they plan to stop they're replacements from going to work.

Separate School Board launches all day Kindergarten at PJP

The Kenora Catholic District School Board is going to be adding all-day kindergarten programs at Pope John Paul II School a full year ahead of schedule.

Full day junior and senior kindergarten programs were supposed to be introduced in 2012.

But Director of Education, Phylis Eikre says the board felt it important to start it up this fall.

Eikre says they already have three classes filled for all day JK and SK at Pope John Paul next year, and its possible they could add a fourth class if there is demand.

More Laptops for Public School Students

Every student and teacher in Grades 5 to 8 at three area Elementary Schools will have their own netbook laptop computer next school year.

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board has approved the plan for Dryden's Open Roads School, Sioux Mountain in Sioux Lookout and Lakewood School in Kenora.

Student Success Leader Scott Urquhart says the Board is confident that this investment will improve student engagement, achievement and success.

He adds that the Board is focused on making sure students have the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.

CIP Approved for Abitibi Lands

Kenora City Council has passed the Community Improvement Plan for the Abitibi lands on 9th Street North, but not without some debate.

Councillor Louis Roussin says he's not comfortable giving out tax breaks, when businesses are going to be making a profit.

But councillor Sharon Smith defending the tax incentives, saying they need to do something positive to encourage industry to set up on the former mill property.

The tax incentives call for a phased in industrial tax rate of zero percent in the first year, with a 20 percent increase in taxes over the next five years.

Kenora Runners finish the Manitoba Marathon

Beaver Brae's relay team was the top local finisher at the Manitoba Marathon.

Five Broncos finished fourth in the co-ed relay in a time of three hours, 16 minutes, and were 16th overall in the relay.

Ben Gustafson was the top male finisher in the Marathon, placing 43rd in a time of three hours, 18 minutes and 52 seconds.

The best finish by a Kenora woman was Linda Wilson, in 108th place in a time of three hours 37 minutes and 46 seconds.

Community Improvement Plan extended for Harbortown area

Building owners in downtown Kenora who want to fix up their property will have another year or so to get some funding from the city.

Council has given its tentative approval to continue the Community Improvement Plan for the Harbortown area.

Councillor Ron Lunny says the C.I.P. was part of the whole downtown revitalization project.

Grants are also available for new signage, archtectural plans and landscaping.

Municipal Cultural Plan complete

The City of Kenora is hoping to shed its image as a cultural wasteland.

Council is set to approve a Municipal Cultural Plan at tonight's open meeting.

Ariana Moscate has worked on the plan for the past six months and says the next step is to set up a committee to ensure the recommendations are carried out.

The plan has five main strategies, including ideas on how to raise the profile of culture in the community and building a home for the arts community in Kenora.

Public School Board expands Summer Literacy Camp

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is expanding its Summer Literacy program.

Last year, the six week summer camp was held in Sioux Lookout, but this year, its also being brought to Evergreen, Dryden and Red Lake.

Superintendant of Education, Caryl Hron says this year, the program will be shortened.

Hron says some of the Summer Literacy programs still have space and parents can contact the board office to enrol their kids.

Fire Hazard drops after wet weekend

Cool, cloudy conditions helped keep the fire situation in northwestern Ontario in check


over the weekend.

There were 10 new wildfires were reported.

Three of those were in the Sioux Lookout District and one in the Fort Frances area.

The MNR is monitoring a large 18 thousand hectare blaze southeast of Pickle Lake.

That fire is currently blowing smoke into the communities of New Osnaburgh and Pickle Lake.

The fire hazard is in the low to moderate range in the Kenora area due to the rain

over the weekend.

PARO sets up new Website

There's another way for Northwestern Ontario women to connect.

PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise Executive Director Rosalind Lockyer says they've created a new website.

The website was funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The website can be found at:  enterprisingwomen.ca