Province Signs Ring of Fire Agreement

Step by step the government is attempting to move the negotiating process forward for the Ring of Fire.

The latest announcement is a signed deal between the province and the Mattawa First Nations which formalizes how the talks will move on a community based regional approach.

The two sides will discuss various issues relating to the giant mining process.

NDP Want Cap on ATM Fees

The federal NDP wants to put a limit on the fees we pay to use our debit cards at ATM or cash machines other than your financial institutions.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty says limited regulation has prompted some of those fees to climb to as much as three and four dollars a transaction.

The New Democrats are proposing a cap of 50 cents per transaction.

The NDP is also seeking limit to the interest charges on credit cards.

OPP Searching For Missing Girl

The OPP are looking for a missing person.

17 year old Chantel Cameron was reported missing back on March 22nd, when she didn't return to her place of employment.

She was last seen in downtown Kenora and is still believed to be in the city.

Cameron is of aboriginal descent, about five feet, three inches tall, brown eyes and brown hair won in a bun.

At the time of her disappearance she was wearing a black coat, blue jeans and black running shoes with leopard print.

Anyone who might know of her where-abouts is asked to contact the Kenora Detachment of the OPP.

Another Colorado Low Heading Our Way

A bit more snow is heading our way.

Environment Canada Meterologist Mark Schuster says much of northwestern Ontario will be
blanketed by this time tomorrow.

He says a Colorado Low is churning our way.

While the Kenora area will only get brushed by the system with two to four centimeters, other areas to the east like Thunder Bay could see anywhere from 5 to 10 centimeters.

Pharmacy Flu Shots Increase in Popularity

It appears getting a flu shot at the local pharmacy is catching in Ontario.

More than 750-thousand people opted to get the free flu shot at a pharmacy this past season.

That's triple the number over last season when pharmacies were given approval to administer the shot.

City Hopes To Lift Boil Water Advisory Soon

It may soon be safe to drink the water.

Rick Perchuk is the city's operations manager and says crews are working to lift the over 3 week old boil water advisory.

Perchuk notes it takes about 2 days to perform the tests and get the results.

If all goes well the advisory could be lifted on Friday.

Full House For Energy East Consultations

Consultations are continuing on the Energy East Pipeline project.

Last night the Ontario Energy Board was at the Best Western Lakeside Inn for the first of 7 meetings in the province.

Consultation lead Aleck Dadson says it's just the beginning for the OEB.

Dadson says all the comments will be made into a report that they will bring back to the communities to exam and review.

The final report will be used by the Minister of Energy when they continue the process with the National Energy Board.

Sioux Narrows Budget Delayed

It could be another month before the Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls passes it's budget.

Mayor Bill Thompson says they had been making good progress, but  suggests they  need to make some last minute changes.

He says they'll review the changes at their next meeting, but probably wait to pass it
at their last meeting in April.

He says at this point, they're doing okay and isn't expecting a big increase in the mill rate this year.

Optimism About New OPP Policing Model

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield has the support of another local leader over the cost of policing.

Red Lake mayor Phil Vinet is anxious for a new Provincial Police funding model to be approved.

With a meeting planned on April 2nd, Vinet hopes they are one step closer to implementation.

Vinet says the current system doesn't provide fairness.

Mauro Named New Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

A bit of a surprise from Queen's Park where Premier Kathleen Wynne has a new municipal affairs and housing minister by the name of Bill Mauro.  

The Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP was named as part of a government cabinet shuffle.

Mauro says he's very excited, but knows it's a huge learning curve.

Mauro replaces Linda Jeffray, who resigned yesterday to join the mayoralty race in Brampton.

New Poll Shows Concerns With Winter Road Maintenance

Research being released by the five companies under Ministry of Transportation's Winter Maintenance Program is showing that Ontarians want the government to make roads safer.

The survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid from March 3rd to 7th shows that the majority of 1,500 Ontario drivers feel the government should increase spending on highway maintenance.

The study also shows that Ontarians find roads to be in worse conditions than they were 3 years ago by a  2-to-1 margin, and by a 3-to-1 margin in Northern Ontario.

The Ontario Road Builders Association continues to meet with government officials to resolve the road safety issues.

Student Taken to Hospital Following School Bus Collision

Icy road conditions are believed to be partly responsible for an accident this morning involving a school bus.

The Northwest Student Services Consortium confirms bus KN-13 was involved in a collision with another vehicle on Austin Lake Road this morning just before 8:00.

Other than the bus driver, there was only one other person on board at the time, and the parents took the
student to Lake of the Woods District Hospital as a precaution.

The driver of the school bus was not injured, though both vehicles did sustain some damage.

City Talking to Province About Funding to Repair Broke Water Lines

The provincial government is being asked to provide some financial assistance to the City of Kenora as it deals with an epidemic of broke water lines.

Mayor Dave Canfield says he's met with government officials in recent weeks asking for help.

He's had discussions about the situation with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Linda Jeffrey,  and says she's been very supportive so far.

The city is worried that it might have to eat into it's capital budget to repair broke water lines if it can't get any additional financial assistance from the federal or provincial levels of government.

Worst Roads Voting Begins Today

Just in time for pot hole season.

The Canadian Automobile Association is once again launching it's
Worst Roads campaign.

Over the next four weeks, Ontario motorists are invited to vote online
for roads or city streets in most need of repair.

You can log onto worstroads.ca to nominate a road in our area.

Health Unit Warns of Stomach Virus

The Northwestern Health Unit says they've noticed a steady increase in a stomach
virus across the region.

Manager of Infectious Diseases Donna Stanley says if you do catch the bug, the best thing to do is keep yourself well-hydrated and drink lots of water.

Stanley notes that if you are sick to avoid day cares, hospitals, and care homes until you have gone 24 hours with no symptoms.

Stanley adds it's important to constantly wash your hands throughout the day to prevent the spread of
any bugs.

Energy East Consultations Today

 Your chance to weigh in on the Energy East Pipeline project.

The first of seven community discussion forums will take place in
Kenora tonight.

The Ontario Energy Board is looking for feedback on the proposed
pipeline, which will take crude oil from Alberta and send it to eastern Canada.

The session will take place starting at 6:30 tonight at the Best Western Lakeside
Inn.

There will also be a similar session for First Nation and Metis this afternoon.

The only other forum in northwestern Ontario will take place tomorrow night in Thunder Bay.

OPP Provide Late-Season Reminder for Sledders

 With the cold weather staying with us, there are still pretty good conditions for
snowmachining.

That's why the Kenora OPP are reminding sledders of the regulations when out and about.

Constable Ronni Grosenick says not everyone can operate the machines.

Grosenick adds it's illegal to operate a snow machine on private property without the owners consent.

Ontario Liberals Election-Ready

The provincial Liberals are ready.

Party faithful gathered in Toronto for the party's annual meeting with Premier Kathleen helping to rally them in anticipation of an upcoming election.

Local candidate Anthony Leek says it was an important meeting to get all the candidates on the same page.

Leek says members of the Liberal's northern Caucus also met where he relinquished his position as regional vice-president to focus on his candidacy.

OPP Seize More Drugs On Highway 17

A traffic stop near the Ontario Manitoba border has landed a BC man in police custody.

Police say they stopped 44 year Kevin Tinker was stopped Friday morning for suspicious driving.

Police inspected the car and found 4.5 grams of marijuana and a large amount of cash.

As a result Tinker was charged with possession of cannabis and possession of property obtained by crime.

He will answer to the charges in Kenora court this morning.

Senior Thistles Finalize Allen Cup Roster

The Kenora Triple A Senior Thistles are ready for the Allan Cup.

The club has named the final roster that will travel to Dundas Ontario for the national championship.

Head Coach Brian Olson says the goalies are the backbone of this team
with Ryan Person and Tyler Gordon back between the pipes.

There are also some new faces on the squad including Nathan O'Nabigon, Matt Miller, and Rick Kozak.

Olson believes this is the best roster the team has sent to the Allan Cup.

The tournament hits the ice April 14th.