Cold Weather Keeps Operations Department Busy

No shortage of work for Kenora's operations department.

In addition to plowing and snow removal, the recent cold weather has
also resulted in frozen sewer and water lines.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says it's all in a days work.

Perchuck says they've also had to deal with a small epidemic of
grinder pump failures in recent weeks.

Northwest Highway Safety Committee Launches New Website

The OPP is launching a new Highway Safety Education Committee for northwestern Ontario.

The group was formed last year and received money from the Ministry of Transportation to create a Safe Winter Driving Campaign for the region.

Sergeant Dave Bel says part of their campaign includes a new website full of educational content.

Some of safe driving partners include the Nishnawbe Aski Police, MTO, Insurance Brokers of Northwestern Ontario and Acadia Broadcasting.

Museum Celebrates 50th Anniversary

50 years young.

The Lake of Woods Museum is celebrating the half century mark this year.

Lynn Riddell is the community coordinator and says they have numerous events planned throughout the year, including the "Find 50" competition, which is an historic scavenger hunt.

A kick off event is scheduled for 2:00 on Saturday.

KPDSB Not Happy With Fine From MOE, but Will Pay

The Director of Education for the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board says safety was never compromised at the schools in Upsala and Savant Lake.

Sean Monteith is reacting after the Board was fined 15-grand for violations under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Monteith says the government is taking money out of the classroom and is putting right in the pocket of the Ministry of Environment.

Officials say they corrected the problems right away and in one case even notified the province on one of the issues.

City of Kenora Working on Homelessness Plan

The City of Kenora wants to take its work plan on Homelessness a step further.

Council is supporting the hiring of a coordinator for a pilot project.

Louis Roussin is on the city's Homelessness committee and says one of the jobs would be pulling together all the resources available locally.

Roussin says they are working on a proposal for the provincial government to fund the pilot project for two or three years.

Fellowship Center to Expand Housing Options

Teaching independence.

That's what the Kenora fellowship is hoping to do as they continue to prepare the new Room and Boarders Residency Program.

Fundraiser Outreach Coordinator Taylor Hainey says the program will be very educational.

Hainey says the center is looking for donations to purchase equipment like beds, showers, and a washer and dryer.

She notes they hope to have the program operating in a few weeks time.

Toronto Man To Remain In Custody for Kidnapping His Sons

The man arrested in Dryden for allegedly kidnapping his two sons will have his case heard in Alberta.

29-year-old Illhami Butin was stopped Tuesday afternoon by Provincial Police on a Canada-wide warrant.

The man was wanted for abducting his three year old and  four year old sons in Edmonton and attempting to bring them to Toronto.

Butin made a brief court appearance yesterday morning and was told that Edmonton Police would be coming to pick him up.

He will remain in Dryden custody for a maximum of six days as he may be out earlier depending on when the transfer will be completed.

Butin is on orders to not directly or indirectly contact his kids while in custody.

Trans-Canada Closed Between Hadashville and Winnipeg

Despite all the snow yesterday and overnight, there are no road closures or bus cancellations to report so far this morning.

The main highways in the Kenora area are described as snow-covered with visibility ranging from fair to poor.

A different situation this morning in Manitoba, where the Trans-Canada is closed all the way from Hadashville to Winnipeg.

Visibility is described as poor to non-existent in the area.

Otherwise, Highway 1 is described as snow-covered from Falcon Lake to Prawda.

In town, road crews are currently plowing the main arteries, but side streets still have
a lot of loose snow.

Intersections this morning are also starting to get pretty slick so motorists are urged to
slow down while out on the highway and travelling around town this morning.

Youth Charged For Child Pornography

A local youth is facing child pornography charges.

On January 12th police were notified that explicit photographs of a 17 year girl were discovered.

OPP investigated and found that the pictures were electronically distributed by a 16 year boy from Kenora.

As a result the boy, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with distribution of Child Pornography.

He will answer to the charges in Kenora court later this month.

Supreme Court Rules On Release Residential School Documents

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is pleased the Superior Court has ordered the Federal Government to release documents relating to abuse at a residential school in Fort Albany.

Surviors of that school have called for the documents since they first found out they existed in 2003.

The ruling says the Government of Canada has to produce documents to claimants and survivors and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission relating to a 1990’s criminal investigation into abuse at St. Anne’s Residential School.

The Superior Court hearing took place in December, but the ruling was just released yesterday.

Kenora Skiers Excel at Falcon Lake Biathlon

Good results for Kenora skiers at a Biathlon competition in Falcon Lake over the weekend.

It was a sprint race with two shooting competitions.

Katie Lockhart is competing for a berth at the Canada Winter games and placed second in the junior girls division.

In the girls 11 and 12 age group, Elise Hummelbrunner didn't miss any shots and topped the division, followed by Olivia Ura.

Tim Wehner was first in the Masters men's division, while Elizabeth Hartwick placed third in the Masters women's race.

Osisko Rejects Goldcorp Offer

Osisko is resisting a takeover bid from Goldcorp.

Earlier this week, Goldcorp made an offer of 2.6 billion dollars in cash and stock for Osisko.

Osisko calls the offer very low and opportunistic.

The board of the mining company is urging shareholders to hold off from accepting Goldcorp's
offer until they have a chance to make a recommendation on the proposal.

Another Attempt to Gain UNESCO Designation

Another attempt is going to be made to have a vast area spanning the
border of Ontario and Manitoba declared a UNESCO World Hertiage site.

Pimachiowin Aki is an area of boreal forest that Ontario and Manitoba want
to have recognized by the United Nations.

Last year the World Heritage Committee deferred its decision and now the
Manitoba government says its re-working its application.

The deadline is February 1st, but if they can't make that they will have to
wait until 2016.

KPDSB Looking to Move Board Office in Kenora

The Keewatin-Patricia District School Board is close to signing a 10-year lease agreement with Seven Generations for the new site for the Board Office in Kenora.

The new office would be more visible and central at the former Lakewood School.

Director of Education Sean Monteith says there are a number of reasons behind the move.

The new lease agreement is pegged around 200-thousand dollars a year, but renovations are expected to be factored into the price.

Monteith says there will be no provincial funding for the move.

Council Concerned With Rising Social Service Costs

Kenora City Council is raising alarm bells about the rising costs of social services.

The city's contribution to the Kenora District Services Board will increase by 1.6 percent this year.

Mayor Dave Canfield says when the government started uploading services again, the cost of the DSAB was supposed to go down, not up.

Canfield says their infrastructure deficit is the result of aging social housing units, and a land ambulance system which has to cover a huge territory.

Rabbit Lake Possible Venue For National Rowing Competition

Kenora is hoping to play a key role in the 2017 Canada Summer Games.

Winnipeg will be hosting the games, but Kenora has been approached about being a venue for the rowing competition.

Property and Planning Manager Charlotte Caron says Rabbit Lake is an ideal location
for the rowing events.

Mayor Dave Canfield says the city had a chance to be the rowing venue for the 1999 Pan/Am games,
but the decision was made to go with Minnedosa instead.

Toronto Man Arrested In Dryden For Kidnapping Sons

A Toronto man who allegedly kidnapped his 3-year-old and 4-year-old sons from Alberta has been arrested in Dryden.

The Edmonton Police Service alerted Ontario Provincial Police and the man was spotted driving through Dryden around 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon.

Police arrested 29-year-old Ilhami Butin.

Butin faces 2-counts of child abduction, 2-counts of kidnapping and 1-count of uttering threats.

He remains in custody and is due in court today.

The two young boys were unharmed.

NAPS Seizes Illegal Firearms

The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service has seized prohibited weapons from a northern first nations home.

Officers searched a Mattagami First Nation residence last Friday and found two sawed-off rifles, one sawed-off shotgun and several types of ammunition.

Police are still investigating and more information will be released once charges have been laid.

Carnival Snow Sculpture Contest Launched

A chance to be an Olympian.

The theme for this years snow sculpture competition is the Olympics.

Crystal Stokes is the Special Events Coordinator and says the event will get underway next month.

Registration forms can be found around town and are being accepted until February 3rd.

Plane Crash Survivor Files Lawsuit

The sole survivor of a plane that went down at North Spirit Lake is suing the airline and the estate of the dead pilot, claiming negligence.

Brian Shead has filed the lawsuit in Winnipeg court.

Three passengers and the pilot were killed in the January, 2012 crash.

A Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded poor weather, ice on the wings and the pilot’s inexperience landing in icy conditions contributed to the deadly crash.

The lawsuit also alleges that Keystone Air Service was negligent because it failed to provide proper training to the pilot, didn't provide a plane that could handle the winter weather and applied pressure to its pilots to complete flights in adverse weather conditions.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

Shead is also seeking undetermined out-of-pocket expenses, as well as compensation for loss of income,
belongings that were destroyed in the crash and damages for future costs of care.