Dufresne Furniture Extends Charity Challenge

Four Kenora groups could benefit thanks to a new Dufresne Furniture promotion.

The Winnipeg-based company has expanded it's 1-million dollar charity challenge and is now giving away a 5-thousand dollar bonus to one of 51 charities.

The Firefly Minto Resource Center, the Hospital Foundation, Triple Play and Aamiikowish Housing are in the running.

You are asked to go on Facebook and like Dufresne.

For there you will be able to pick which charity should be selected for the extra 5-grand.

Man Arrested Following Stand-off on North Spirit Lake

A 42 year old man faces charges following a stand-off with Police in North Spirit Lake.

Nishnawbe-Aski Police were notified by Band Council on Monday about a barricaded man and a second injured individual.

Officers made contact with the man and were able to reach the victim.

The man was airlifted to Hospital in Winnipeg with 4-stab wounds.

Provincial Police and Negoitators were called in and the accused turned himself in on Tuesday morning without incident.

Police say Robert Anthony Rae has been charged with aggravated assault, uttering threats and breach of probation.

He remains in custody.

OPP seeks Summer students for Marine Unit

The Ontario Provincial Police is looking for applications for a summer Marine Assistant position.

The salary position will start July 3rd and will run for about 7-weeks.

Constable Anne McCoy says the students will help officers conduct marine checks on recreational vessels as well as perform other duties.

Two positions are available this summer in Kenora, one in Fort Frances and one in Dryden. 

You must be over the age of 18 and have a Ontario G2 Driver's licence to apply.

OPP Investigate Cottage Break-Ins

A couple of camp owners got a unwelcome surprise this week.

The OPP say they were contacted Monday about break-ins to two camps on Lake of the Woods.

One was on Pine Island and the other on Gordon Island.

In both instances, the culprits broke a window the gain entry.

Once inside furniture, walls, doors and other personal property was damaged.

The damage estimate has been put at about three thousand dollars.

Anyone with information about the break-ins is asked to contact the OPP or Crimestoppers.

Council Covers Economic Development Deficit

Kenora City Council seems to be in a forgiving mood.

Council has agreed to fund an almost 50 thousand dollar deficit for the Lake of the Woods Economic Development Commission in 2011.

Councillor Sharon Smith says over the past few years, the Commission has consistently had a surplus.

But she says the accumulated surplus was only 80 thousand dollars, not 130 thousand, as the commission was led to believe.

That left them with a bit of a shortfall last year, due to extra costs for consulting fees on the Lakewood School project and the commissioning of the new Discovery Center.

Rickford Supports Legislation Preventing Air Canada Strike

It could be a long night for M.P.'s tonight in the House of Commons.

A bill to keep Air Canada pilots and ground crews working will be voted on this evening.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the bill not just about preventing workers from striking.

Rickford expects the bill will likely gain third reading early tomorrow morning, barring any prolonged delays.

Council Supports IJC Report on Lake of the Woods

The City of Kenora is once again being urged to support efforts to preserve the water quality on Lake of the Woods.

Council is being asked to support a resolution calling on the federal government to go ahead with recommendations to create a joint watershed management board for the Lake.

Todd Sellars is with the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation and says that's the main recommendation contained in a recent IJC report on the lake.

Sellars says the federal government has already committed funding for the protection of border waters, so the decision should be a no brainer.

Kenora Forest Management Plan Approved

Users of trails in the Ingolf and Kramer Lake area can breathe a sigh of relief.

A final Forest Management Plan for the Kenora Forest has been drafted, and some of the concerns of recreational users have been taken into consideration.

Ian Pyke is an area forester for the MNR and says logging buffers have been put around some of the recreational areas identified by the public.

While the final Kenora Forest Management Plan has been approved by the MNR, there is still a 30 day comment period until the beginning of April.

More Doctors Sought for NWO

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell wants a letter-writing campaign to Ontario's Health Minister to continue.

The campaign was started to force solutions to the town of Rainy River's doctor shortage.

While Deb Matthews is promising to keep the Rainy River Health Centre's emergency room open, Campbell says she still needs to visit.

Campbell says the issue in Rainy River won't be resolved until more doctors are found.

Impaired Driver Arrest in Downtown Kenora

The front seat of a car doesn't make a very good bar stool.

A local man found that out the hard way.

The OPP say they were contacted Sunday afternoon around 3:00 about a man who was sitting in a vehicle in a parking lot in downtown Kenora drinking beer.

Officers located the suspect a short time later on 8th Avenue.

They pulled him over and determined that he had been drinking.

He was taken to the Kenora Detachment office for a breath test and has been charged with impaired driving.

Youth Injured Snowmobiling on Falcon Lake

A 15 year old youth had to be taken to hospital in Winnipeg following a snowmobile accident on Falcon Lake.

The RCMP say the incident took place yesterday afternoon around 5:00, when four sledders were travelling north of the groomed trail.

One of the riders drove over an elevated ice ridge and flipped his snowmachine.

He was thrown from his sled and suffered unspecified injuries.

Emergency service personnel were contacted and the youth from Steinbach was airlifted to hospital, where he's recovering.

Police say alcohol was not a factor in the accident.

Parking Meter Vandalized

Someone was apparently in need of some quick change.

On Saturday, the OPP were called down to Chipman Street after a parking meter was damaged.

When officers arrived at the scene, they noticed the money had been stolen.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Kenora OPP or Crimestoppers

Paterson Appointed to Board of Canada Post

One of the benefactors of the Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation is taking on some new duties.

Andrew Paterson has been named to the board of directors of Canada Post.

Paterson has been a major supporter of the Community Foundation, donating over 500 thousand dollars for a First Nations Apprenticeship Program.

He was named an honorary member of the foundation last year.

He heads up Paterson Global Foods Inc.

His appointment to the Canada Post board of directors was effective March 1st.

Temperature records Shattered

It was a record breaking weekend for communities across northwestern Ontario weather-wise.

Temperature records tumbled in almost every town and city on Sunday.

In Kenora, the Thermometer peaked at 14.9 degrees, smashing the previous record by three degrees.

The previous high on March 11th was 11.2 set back in 1995.

The hot spot in the region yesterday was in Fort Frances and Atikokan, where  temperatures soared to 16.2.

More records could fall this week, as the forecast calls for temperatures into the double digits once again by the end of the week.

Local Abuse Rates on the Rise?

It's unclear if abuse rates are on the rise in North America or if more people are reporting acts of abuse.

That's the feeling of Lori Beyer who addressed delegates attending a domestic abuse conference in Dryden last week.

The Trauma Specialist hints that more people are coming forward, especially following the Penn State football sex scandal.

Beyer says incidents of abuse are much more public now compared to several years ago.

Sioux Lookout approves 2012 Budget

Taxpayers in Sioux Lookout are going to see a small increase.

Council has approved the 2012 Municipal Budget and taxes are going up 2.25-percent.

Mayor Dennis Leney says the increase is within an acceptable range, bearing in mind that the national cost of living increased by 2.9-percent last year.

Leney says there will be no cuts in service levels.

Treasurer Henry Wall says its a tight budget, but notes that the Municipality is in very good shape.

MNR Defends Invasive Species Strategy

The Ministry of Natural Resource says it's being proactive in the fight to keep invasive  species out of the area's border waters.

Last week, Minnesota's department of Natural resources complained no enough was being done to protect Rainy Lake and Lake of the Woods.

Spokesperson Michelle Novak says part of their efforts have been through education.

Novak says the MNR also works jointly with Minnesota, something Koochiching County  commissioners were asking for last week.

Local Judoka wins medal at Ontario Winter Games

Just one medal for Kenora fighters at the Ontario Winter Games judo tournament this weekend in Collingwood.

The Jaffray Melick Judo Club sent four members as part of Team Northwest.

Karly Lockhart was the lone medalist, picking up a bronze medal in the under 16, 44 kilo division.

In volleyball action, it was a learning experience for Team Northwest, as the girls squad, represented by players from Kenora, Dryden and Rainy River, failed to win a match in two days of competition.

Warm Weather in the Forecast for Spring Break

It should be a picture perfect spring break, in terms of weather across northwestern Ontario.

Bill Laidlaw says the forecast for the start of next week calls for above normal temperatures every day.

He says temperatures could hit double digits most days. 

Normal highs for this time of year are -2.

Violence Avoided at Dryden High School

No major problems are reported after a violence scare at Dryden High School.

Police were called to the School Wednesday and Thursday after word spread in the School and on social media of a so-called "Door Wars" fight.

Chief of Police Rob Davis says several students were said to be involved and the fight had racial undertones.

Davis says nothing came of the talk and the incident wasn't racialy motivated.

Davis says the problem stemmed from a prior incident off school property.