Broncos lose first game in WHSFL

A reality check for Beaver Brae's Football team.

The Broncos lost their first game of the season yesterday afternoon, a 29-10 decision to Kildonan East.

Head Coach Chris Penner says he wasn't surprised by the result.

One of the bright spots for the Broncos was running back Scott Morgan, who ran for 171 yards on 16 carries, including a 70 yard touchdown run in the
second quarter.

Up next for Beaver Brae is Miles MacDonnell.  The Buckeyes will be in Kenora next Thursday.

Take back the Night

About 50 people braved wet conditions for the annual Take Back the Night March in Kenora.

The march started at the Museum last night and made its way down Second Street South to the Kenora Metis Office.

The annual event is an effort to eradicate violence against women.

New contract for Contact North

Contact North is now providing distance education and training to teach more remote First Nations youth how to govern in their communities.

Contact North's Maxim Jean-Louis says an agreement with the National Centre for First Nations Governance, is helping to bring workshops to addional communities.

Jean-Louis says the program has the potential to go nationwide.

Compton appointed to LOW Foundation Advisory Group

Kenora mayor Len Compton may be leaving office later this fall, but he'll still have some association with city council.

Council has appointed Compton as the city's community liason to the Stakeholder Advisory Group for the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation.

Compton will be asked to act as a liason between the group and the city.

The city is also being asked to cover any travel costs Compton may incur to participate in the meetings.

Council says it also support the development of a bi-national water Quality management

board for the Lake of the Woods Watershed.

North Spirit Hydro Dam Proposed

The Provincial Government is spending 100-thousand dollars to help the remote Northern community of North Spirit Lake explore clean energy possibilities.

The First Nation is looking at developing a small hydro-electric generating station on Flanagan River, about 175-kilometres north of Red Lake.

The study will determine site conditions, water level variations, plant capacity and energy production.

Cost savings and ecological benefits will also be determined.

Parks, Trails and Beaches Report Released

A lengthy report on how to improve Kenora's Beaches, Parks and Trails has been tabled

before city council.

The 93 page report was compiled by the consulting firm of Scatliff and Miller and Murray.

Mike Scatliff says if the city decided to implement all the suggestions in the report, it would

cost almost 15 million dollars.

The report looks at refurbishing Garrow, Anicinabe and Coney beaches, as well as

improvements to Portage Bay, and downtown Keewatin.

Scatliff says the report is based on broad consultations with local residents over the

past year.

Kenora and Dryden finalize Recycling agreement

Kenora City Council has laid the groundwork for a deal with the City of Dryden to haul its recyclables to Winnipeg.

The city is getting funding from the Continuous Improvement Fund to help puchase a truck which will haul recyclables from both communities.

Operations manager Rick Perchuck says if the system proves effective, its possible they could come to similar agreements with other communities in the region such as Red Lake and Fort Frances.

Under the agreement, the City of Kenora will send a truck to Dryden twice a week to pick up recyclables.

The other three days a week, the truck will be used to take Kenora's recycling to Winnipeg.

Far North Act Passes Third and Final Reading

Business leaders in northern Ontario are joining First Nations in expressing disappointment with today's passage of the Far North Act.

Harold Wilson, chief operating officer of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce, says the bill will make it harder for companies and First Nations to do business in the north.

Some First Nations leaders have warned of unrest and uncertainty in the north because of the passage of the Far North Act, which they say violates treaty rights.

Broncos face Kildonan East in WHSFL

Another big test for Beaver Brae's Football team.

The Broncos are at home today against the Kildonan East Reivers.

Beaver Brae still has an unblemished 2-0 record in the Winnipeg High School Football League, and is in a three way tie for first place.

The Reivers meanwhile, have a 1-1 record.

Game time is 3:00 this afternoon at Pete Fair Memorial Field.

Natural Gas Prices going up?

The cost of natural gas is coming down, but Union Gas customers in northwestern Ontario may still an increase on their bills next month.

The cost of a cubic metre of natural gas will drop 3-cents beginning October 1st.

But the Ontario Energy Board says customers bills may go up four to seven dollars over the next year because of the price difference for natural gas paid by Union Gas over the last three months and the price it expects to pay in the next quarter.

Tourism Changes in Store for 2011

There will be a bit of a change to the city's tourism landscape next summer.

The main tourism information outlet for Kenora will be the new Discovery Center on Cameron Bay.

The building is just under construction and is slated to be open by next spring.

The Discovery Center will replace the old tourism bureau on Highway 17 east.

The City also plans to operate the Thistle Pavillion as a secondary tourist information bureau next summer.

City council endorsed the changes at a special meeting held Wednesday morning.

AbitibiBowater Prepares to Exit Bankruptcy Protection

AbitibiBowater has achieved another step towards its exit from bankruptcy protection this fall.

The company says creditors in the United States gave its stamp of approval to a reorganization plan this week.

It received approval from Canadian creditors last week.

The plan still needs court approval in both the UnitedStates and Canada.

Second Career Expo Today

The first ever Second Career Expo is going to be taking place in Kenora today.

A total of 28 businesses and exhibitors will be setting up shop at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Dianne Schwartz-Williams is spearheading the job fair and says people looking for work should be able to find some good leads.

The Second Career Expo will run from noon to 7:00 this evening.

Environment Commissioner Lashes out at the MNR

Ontario's environmental commissioner says the government isn't following through on any of its environmental promises.

In his annual report, Gord Miller says environmental legislation the government has passed is being undermined by its inaction.

Miller says the ministries of natural resources is not given enough tools to get the job done.

Miller is critical of an oversight from the Ontario government allowing mining companies to illegally construct mining camps and airstrips in the far north.

Federal Long Gun Registry Survives Vote

The gun registry has survived a critical vote, but just barely.

MPs voted 153-151 Wednesday night to kill a Conservative bill to scrap the program.

Kenora MP Greg Rickford says the opposition parties missed an opportunity to get rid of a flawed program.

All three Northwestern Ontario MPs supported scrapping the registry.

Mayoralty Candiate's wife passes away

Kenora City Council paused for a minutes silence yesterday prior to its open council meeting.

It was for the wife of city councillor Jim Parson, who passed away Tuesday.

Patti Parson died after learning of a terminal illness last week.

Jim Parson had just entered the mayoralty race 10 days earlier, but had to shelve

his campaign plans so he could spend time with his ailing wife.

Parson's name will still appear on the October 25th ballot, but he says he will not

be making any public appearances.

NorWOSSA league results

A disappointing start to the season for Beaver Brae's boys volleyball and girls basketball teams.

They were in Dryden yesterday for their first league games and returned home without a win.

Both the Bronco senior and junior boys volleyball teams were beaten 3-1 by the Eagles.

In girls hoops action, the Beaver Brae Seniors dropped a 47-12 decision to Dryden, while the juniors lost 31-19.

Meanwhile, Thomas Aquinas took three of four games from Rainy River.

Both the junior and senior boys volleyball teams won in straight sets.

Saints senior girls nipped Rainy River 42-38, while the T.A. junior squad lost the only game of the day, dropping a 38-15 decision to the Owls.

Special Council Meeting This Morning

Kenora City Council may be considered a lame duck, but it still has some work to do before a new mayor and council are sworn in.

A special meeting will take place this morning to approve a number of last minute items.

Council has to finalize arrangements for a joint recycling program with the City of Dryden.  A total of 14 items are on today's council agenda.

The meeting will take place at 9:00 at the Second Floor Meeting room in the Kenora Rec. Center.

Candidate drops out of School Board Race

There will only be four eligible candidates for the Keewatin-Patricia District School

Board when the ballots come out in the next week or so.

Jon Sigurdson had filed his nomination papers prior to the September 10th deadline,

but has informed the city's returning officer that he will be moving out of the area.

That makes him ineligible to run for the school board.

Joanne McMillin says the ballots have already been sent out to be printed, meaning

Sigurdson's name will still show up on the ballot.

She adds that she's trying to advise as many people as she can prior to the election

that as of October 1st, he will not be an eligible candidate.

New Immigration Web Portal Working

The British are coming.

That's the hope of the new Northwestern Ontario Immigration Web Portal.

Spokesperson Kathy Woodbeck says they are actively targeting the UK.

Woodbeck says each day they have been receiving 4 e-mails a day from interested Brits looking to relocate.