The Kenora Catholic District School Board

The Kenora Catholic District School Board says its seen an increase in enrolment this fall.

While the numbers won't be finalized for another month, director of Education Phylis Eikre says their numbers are up by about 60 students.

She says a large part of the increase is due to the addition of all-junior kindergarten classes at Pope John Paul.

Current enrolment at the separate school board is 15 hundred and 89 students.

Mill Auction

An auction of equipment from the former Atikokan Forest Products Mill is expected to go today.

A company had expressed interest in buying the mill, but was unable to secure a wood supply from the province.

The mill, which has been down for the past three years, was placed into receivership at the beginning of the year.

Debate

Party leaders will square off tonight for the first time in this campaign race. With the October 6th election looming, Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty, Tories' Tim Hudak and N-D-P's Andrea Horwath are prepping themselves for tonight’s televised debate. The 90 minute debate starts at 5:30 PM on CTV or at CTVNews.ca

Cigarette Packages

Ottawa has finally approved bold new labels for cigarette packages. Tobacco companies have until March to switch up the packs but feel the new campaign will have little effect.
The new labels will cover 75 per cent of cigarette packages outlining the risk of smoking. All cigarette packages will now include graphic pictures like that of a cancer-infected mouth, and of Barb Tarbox. She was an anti-smoking activist before dying of lung cancer at the age of 42.

Health advocates have praised the campaign, but were suspicious about the government's resolve to implement it.

NOACC wraps up fall meetings

The Northwestern Associated Chambers of Commerce has wrapped up its fall convention in Thunder Bay.

NOACC president Andy Scribilo says their goal is to get business leaders across the region more involved.

As part of the NOACC convention, Scribilo took part as one of the questioners in the northern leaders debate in Thunder Bay.

Police Investigate Cat Lake fatality

Nishnawbe-Aski Police are investigating a sudden death in Cat Lake First Nation, north of Sioux Lookout.

Police were assisting Sunday in the search for 83-year-old Charlie Gray who was overdue from a hunting trip.

Officers located Gray near his boat and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police don't suspect foul play.

An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow at Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

Public meeting on Snowmobile Corridor tonight

Local residents will get a chance to comment on a new cross-town snowmobile corridor in the city.

An open house is being held this evening at the Operations building on Barsky's Hill.

The city has been working with the Sunset Trail Riders Snowmobile Club on an alterate route that will avoid residential areas, but will still connect the south side of the city to the north side.

The open house will run from 6:30 to 8:00 this evening.

Junior Saints win B-Side of KIVT

Dryden took top honors in the Kenora Invitational Junior Boys volleyball tournament over the weekend at the Beaver Brae and Thomas Aquinas gyms.

The Eagles won the A-Side final, getting by a Fort Frances split squad.

The other Muskies team lost to the Thomas Aquinas Saints in the B-side final Saturday afternoon.

T.A. won in two straight sets.

The Saints are back in action Wednesday when they travel to Whitefish Bay.

Drug bust in Fort Frances

Two residents of Fort Frances face several drug charges.

This after the OPP's Community Drug Action Team seized, from a home on Scott Street, last Thursday, nearly 7-pounds of marijuana, along with oxycodone and hydro-morphine.

Value of the drug seized is estimated at 65-thousand dollars.

33-year-old Kevin House and 27-year-old Laura Wickstrom will appear in court at the end of October.

SIU contacted about a weekend incident

The Ontario Special Investigations Unit has been contacted by the local OPP about an incident in downtown Kenora over the weekend.

Officers were contacted around 9:00 Saturday night to a Main Street South residence about an unwanted visitor.

When police arrived at the scene, there were met by an intoxicated male.

The 32 year old man was asked to leave, but subsequently fell down a flight of stairs.

He had to be transported to hospital by an ambulence.

The SIU must be contacted anytime someone is injured as a result of an encounter with police.

Two youth taken to hospital in ATV accident

Two 14 year old youth have been taken to hospital following a single vehicle accident involving an All Terrain Vehicle on the Kenora By-Pass.

The OPP say an ATV went off the side of the highway near the Airport Road Saturday night around 10:30 and drove into a guard rail.

Both the driver and the passenger were taken to Lake of the Woods District Hospital for treatment.

The passenger sustained only minor injuries and was released, while the driver was later transferred to the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg with serious injuries.

The OPP's Technical Traffic Collision Unit is helping out with out with the investigation.

Northern Heritage Candidate on the Campaign Trail

The candidate for the Northern Ontario Heritage Party in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding admits its been a challenge to get her message out.

Charmaine Romaniuk entered the race, a couple of days into the election campaign.

She says that being a student at Lakehead University makes it difficult to canvass door-to-door.

Romaniuk is one of five candidates in the riding seeking to become the new M.P.P. on October 6th.

Keewatin-Patricia School District

A living document is in place to help students in the Keewatin-Patricia School District succeed.The Board has approved a new 3-point strategic plan for 2011-2012.

Director of Education Jack McMaster says the Board will use intervention strategies to help at-risk students and teachers will clearly establish expectations.

Racism

A research project, looking at relations between aboriginal and non-aboriginal people in the region, finds a persistence of racism and prejudice in the area.


Jeff Denis, an assistant professor at McMaster University, says part of the problem relates to an unwillingness to openly discuss the issue until a crisis arises.

Denis says he sees a need for ongoing education and dialogue starting at a grassroots level.

Habitat for Humanity

Safe, affordable and decent housing will soon be available in Kenora. October marks the start of the "Shingles" campaign, the first of many fundraisers for The Kenora Chapter of Habitat for Humanity


Co-Chair of the Fundraising Comimittee Thelma Wilkins-Page says donations are being accepted at most local businesses. All funds raised here in Kenora go directly into  building the first habitat home,in Spring of 2012.

Broncos lose to the Buckeyes

Beaver Brae's Football team has lost its first game of the year.

The Broncos were trounced 48-16 by the Miles MacDonnell Buckeyes Friday afternoon in their homecoming game.

Coach Chris Penner says the Buckeyes are pretty good football team.

Jared Davis had a pair of touchdowns for the Broncos and also had a 55 yard kick-off return and an interception.

Beaver Brae's next game is against Dakota Collegiate next Friday in Winnipeg.

Sioux Lookout Drug Bust

The Kenora Joint Forces Drug Unit has arrested a 30 year old Toronto man following a drug bust in the Town of Sioux Lookout.

The OPP say they seized 34 thousand dollars worth of oxycontin pills, cocaine and  45 hundred dollars in cash yesterday from a hotel room in the community.

Costy Dessource faces two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.

Residential School payment deadline passes

The head of the residential schools commission says some survivors are frustrated because they can't get papers needed to back up their claim.

Justice Murray Sinclair its because many government and church documents may have been destroyed.

The deadline was Monday for the so-called common experience payment which recognizes the impact of living at a residential school.

Sinclair says those who didn't file by the deadline are out of luck.

Northern Leaders Debate tackles Kenora's Bridges

Kenora's bridges are just one of the issues being discussed this morning in the northern leaders debate.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is promising to provide more infrastructure money to municipalities and upload social service costs.

Conservative leader Tim Hudak is promising more gas tax revenues for municipalities so they can fix up their aging infrastructure.

Premier Dalton McGuinty decided to skip the northern leaders debate and instead made a mental health funding announcement north of Toronto.

Hospital Unions Launch Hotline

Ontario's party leaders are being asked to address the shortage of acute care beds in local hospitals.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions says its concerned with the number of elderly who are forced to stay in hospital while waiting for a long term care bed to open up.

Local union spokesperson, Judy Bain says opening more beds is only part of the solution.

The Council has launched its own hotline so family members can report their own experiences with the health care system.