Kenora District Services Board

One of the longest serving staff members at the Kenora District Services Board is calling it quits.

Toni Thurbide is the director of finance for the KDSB and was the second employee hired for the organization.

Her resignation comes as the Services Board is getting ready to finalize its 2012 budget.

NWOSSA Championships

The Thomas Aquinas senior girls basketball team will try to book its ticket to the All-Ontario Single "a" championships today.

The Saints are hosting the NWOSSA championships. T.A. will take on Marathon in a best-of-three final series.

Game one tips off at 9:30 this morning.

Game two is this afternoon at 1:30 and game three if necessary will take place Friday morning at 9:30.

The winner will advance to the OFSAA championships next week in St. Catharines.

Resolute Forest Products

Members of CEP Local 141 and 259 at Bowater Mersey voted to accept the latest proposal from Resolute Forest Products - formally Abitibi Bowater - which includes massive job cuts.

In total, 51.7 percent of those who cast a ballot, voted in favour of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the company.

It means 110 employees at the mill along Nova Scotia's South Shore are going to lose their job. That includes 80 full time and 30 casual positions. The reduction of the workforce represents almost half of the union's membership and will leave 128 workers left to operate the mill.

Union President Courtney Wentzell was clearly dejected and emotional as he delivered the news to a handful of his co-workers and union members at the union hall in Brooklyn on Wednesday night.

No word on when negotiations between the company and union will commence. Wentzell didn't take any questions or reveal how many of the union's 228 members voted but he said turnout was solid.

Redditt Railway Crossings

Redditt may be a small community, but its getting some attention from the federal government.

A total of 43 thousand dollars is being spent in the community to upgrade six railway crossing in the area.

The funding is part of a 14 million dollar program to fix up railway infrastructure across Canada.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says northwestern Ontario has one of the safest rail systems in the
country, but notes that improvements can always be made.

Kenora Handi-Transit

After years of penny pinching, Kenora Handi-Transit will be getting a helping hand from the city.

Handi-Transit had racked up a deficit of 25 thousand dollars, but has managed to cut that in half over the past couple of years.

The board of Handi-Transit has asked city council for 13 thousand dollars to help erase the deficit.

Most of the city councillors have agreed to the request, saying the volunteer board has worked hard to address its financial situation.

Ontario Tourism Awards

Northwestern Ontario has always been known for its tourism potential, now its being recognized for its tourism marketing.

The "Escape to Ontario" campaign place third in the Ontario Tourism Awards this year.

Tourism Development Officer Heather Paterson says they finished just behind Toronto and Ottawa in the competition.

The campaign ran in June of 2010 and February of 2011.

Red Lake OPP

An OPP officer with the Red Lake Detachment has been suspended amid allegations a person was driven several kilometres out of town before being released from custody.


The incident is alleged to have happened on October 29th.

The name of the officer now under investigation has not been released.

2nd annual charity challenge launched

The snow is barely on the ground, but the organizers of Kenora's Winter Carnival have already started planning for the 2012 event.

Teams are being recruited for the 2nd annual charity challenge.

Tourism Development Officer, Heather Paterson says last year's challenge was so successful, they wanted to give local groups more time to sell their buttons this year.

Paterson says just eight teams will be selected to take part in the charity challenge this year.

Any group interested in entering the challenge has until November 23rd to send in their application.

JM Judo Club Brings four medals home from Brampton

Four members of the Jaffray Melick Judo Club collected medals at the first ever  Ontario Youth International Judo tournament in Brampton.

Over 400 fighters from across the province attended including five local judokas.

Ben Dennis recorded the only gold medal, going a perfect 4-0 in the under 17, 50 kilo division.

Kaitie Dennis, Thomas Hertz and Luke Heatherington each brought home bronze medals from the competition.

The tournament is one of Judo Ontario's Provincial Team qualifying events.

Kenora's youth Council getting closer to Reality

Young people in Kenora could soon have a voice at city hall.

Kenora's new youth council is expected to begin meeting in the new year.

City council is expected to formally approve the terms of reference for a youth council next week.

The council would have five youth representitives as well as at least one member of city council sitting in on the discussions.

Councillor Rory McMillan has volunteered to the city rep on the committee.

Another Drug Bust in Sioux Lookout

The Kenora Joint Forces Drug Unit has charged two people following a search of a Sioux Lookout home.

Officers searched the Second Avenue residence on Monday and seized 2-thousand dollars worth of marijuana as well as drug related material and a quantity of cash.

Police say 45-year-old Warren Parenteau of Dryden and 45-year-old Rena Trout of Sioux Lookout faces charges of possession for the purpose of trafficking and possession of property obtained by crime.

Highway Closed near Nipigon

A road closure of note if you are headed east.

Nipigon OPP say Highway 11 at Lake Helen First Nation is closed.

Police say a transport spun out of control this morning and is blocking the road.

OPP add that fuel is leaking from the tanks into a nearby creek.

Police recommend that motorists use Highway 17 as an alternative.

There is no word on the length of the closure.

Festival of Trees set to Celebrate its 8th anniversary

The Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation is gearing up for another major fundraiser.

The 8th annual Festival of Trees will take place at the Museum the first weekend of December.

Executive Director of the Community Foundation, Darlene McGilvary says they have 25 trees entered this year.

The Festival of Trees will run from December 1st until the 3rd.

Blood Donor Clinic Exceeds Expectations

Canadian Blood Services says Kenora residents are continuing their strong support their blood donor clinics.

Over the past two days, 278 people showed up at Thomas Aquinas to give the gift of life.

That was 15 more than their target for this clinic.

In all, 238 units of blood were collected.

The next blood donor clinic will take place early in the new year.

Two Winnipeg Men Fined for using false licences

A couple of fishing licences ended up costing a lot more than two Winnipeg men had bargained for.

The MNR says the anglers have been fined a total of 17 hundred dollars for using a false fishing licence.

The two Manitoba men initially bought their fishing licences and outdoor cards at a marina on Lake of the Woods in June of 2010, but gave the marina as their home address.

The next year, John Bracken returned to the same marina to purchase his licence.

He was eventually contacted by conservation officers who noticed the irregularity.

Bracken has been fined 12 hundred dollars, while Michael Mendres was fined 500 dollars.

Broncos and Saints win on the ice

Home ice was just what the doctor ordered for Beaver Brae's hockey teams.

Both the Bronco boys and girls squads beat Fort Frances last night.

The Beaver Brae girls raced out to a 2-0 lead in the second period, but had to hold on for a 3-2 win.

Annie Johnson scored the game winner in the third period for the Broncos.

Meanwhile, the Beaver Brae boys needed a shootout to get by the Muskies.

The Broncos edged Fort 5-4, avenging a 4-2 loss in their season opener in

Sioux Lookout. 

In Dryden, the Thomas Aquinas boys hockey team skated to a 6-3 victory

over the Eagles.

Duncan McGilvary led the offense with a goal and two assists. 

Ben Dennis picked up the win in goal for T.A. 

Emergency Plan

Always be prepared.

That's the slogan for the boy scouts, but it should also be the mantra for the City of Kenora.

City council is being urged to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Canadian Red Cross should there be an emergency situation in the region.

Fire Chief Warren Brinkman beleives the two thousand dollar cost is well worth the expense.

The City was caught off guard this past summer when there was a mass evacuation of thousands of people from first nation communities due to forest fires.

Lake Smart Program

The first ever Lake Smart Program is being described as a big success.


Lake Smart was carried out by the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association and encouraged cottage owners to be more environmentally aware.

Susan McLeod is the executive director and says they visited over 400 properties this past summer.

The Property Owners Association hired two students this past summer to go out on Lake of the Woods
and surrounding areas with the Lake Smart Program.

Kids for Cancer

Kids for Cancer has been shut out by Kenora City Council once again.


The fundraising hockey tournament had asked the city to one of its corporate sponsors this year.

Instead council turned down the request, saying it already supports the tournament through subsidized ice rentals at the Kenora Rec. Center and the Keewatin Arena.

Councillor Rod McMay pointed out that Kids for Cancer also receive a 25 hundred dollar grant from the Community Foundation, which the city also provides monetary support.

Ring Of Fire

The Federal Government has started the public consultation process for Noront's Eagle's Nest project.

It's part of the Environmental assessment process and the public can comment up until December 16th.

Noront wants to operate a nickel-copper-platinum mine at the site in Northern Ontario.