Roger Brooks returns to talk Tourism

He's baaack.

Roger Brooks is making a return visit to Kenora.

Brooks was in town this past summer and talked about making Kenora a tourist destination and how to better brand the city.

Brooks will be holding a public forum on Thursday morning talking about how to better market Kenora and designing the city's future.

The breakfast meeting will start at 8:00 at the Best Western Lakeside Inn.

Brooks will also be meeting with city council on Friday.

More Ice Candles expected at Cemetary this Christmas Eve

Lake of the Woods Cemetary will be ablaze with ice candles once again this Christmas.

Barb Manson organizes the annual Ice Candle Festival and expects more than five thousand will be in place by Christmas Eve.

Ice Candles will be on sale until this Friday.

Proceeds will go toward the completion of the Enchanted Memory Park in the Lakeside area.

Attawapiskat

Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan says a third-party manager is in the troubled northern Ontario native
community of Attawapiskat. In Parliament during Question Period, he says that manager is working to address the residents' urgent health and safety needs, but hinted at a lack of co-operation.

Duncan's spokeswoman says the minister is trying to arrange a meeting today in Ottawa with band Chief Theresa Spence.

Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls

The Town of Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls is hoping to spruce up some of

the storefronts in the community.

The Municipality has launched a community improvement plan.

Jeff Port is the town planner and says the CIP is part of an overall upgrade

being worked on in the community.

Port says they have also recently completed an update of their official plan

and expanded their business directory.

Lake of the Woods District Hospital

Lake of the Woods District Hospital says its likely going to have to tighten its

belt even further next year.

At a recent conference in Toronto, Chief Executive Officer, Marc Belcaen says they
were told the budget for the Ministry of Health would increase by one percent in 2012.

He says there's no guarantee hospital budgets will actually increase by the same amount.

Belcaen says with wages going up, along with the cost of living, its going to be challenging to live with just a one percent increase.

Sewer and Water Rates

Kenora residents seem pretty indifferent about how high their sewer and water rates

are going up.

Less than a handful of people attended a public meeting last night on the issue.

Chair of the Operations committee Rod McKay while he was disappointed in the turn
out, the issues they are dealing with are important to the city's finances.


Former city councilor Andrew Poirier was one of two people who attended the meeting
and says a proposed 10 percent rate increase over the next six years will effectively
double out sewer and water bills.

Sharks bring home 13 medals from Winnipeg Swim Meet

The Kenora Sharks Swim Team took home 13 medals from the annual Prairie Winter Invitational Swim Meet in Winnipoeg over the weekend.

Bryce Jones led the way with three gold, and two silver, while Winnie Boucha had two gold, two silver and a bronze.

Michelle Belcaen collected two gold, while Conor O'Flaherty earned a silver.

The Sharks took a record 22 swimmers to the Manitoba meet.

Local girls hockey team take top honors in their own tournament

A golden weekend for local girls hockey teams.

The Lake of the Woods Girls Minor Hockey League held its annual bantam and midget tournament

over the past three days.

The Crush won the midget title with a 3-1 win over Steinback in the gold medal game.

It was an all-Kenora affair in the bronze medal game as the Avalance beat the Jets 2-1.

In the bantam division, the Blaze got by the Kenora Black Betty's 3-1 in the final.

Good Weekend for local high school teams

A promising start to the winter season in High school court sports.

The Beaver Brae junior boys basketball team was the runner-up at a tournament held this past weekend in Fort Frances.

The Broncos finished with a 3-1 record with wins over Dryden, Fort Frances and Churchill Collegiate from Thunder Bay.

Russell Guinto from Beaver Brae also won the free throw contest sinking 9 three-pointers in a minute.

Meanwhile the Thomas Aquinas junior girls were the runners up on the consolation side of a volleyball tournament in Thunder Bay.

The Saints were upended by St. Ignatius two sets to one.

Hospital Braces for Minimal Budget increase in 2012

Lake of the Woods District Hospital says its likely going to have to tighten its belt even further next year.

At a recent conference in Toronto, Chief Executive Officer, Marc Belcaen says they were told the budget for the Ministry of Health would increase by one percent in 2012.

He says there's no guarantee hospital budgets willl actually increase by the same amount.

Belcaen says with wages going up, along with the cost of living, its going to be challenging to live with just a one percent increase.

NAN speaks out in favour of Attawapiskat

The Federal Government is being scolded by Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy.

Beardy says its shameful that the Harper Government is blaming Attawapiskat for its housing crisis and financial problems.

Beardy says all the people of Attawapiskat want is basic human rights.

Public School Board Supports new anti-bullying legislation

New, tougher anti-bullying legislation is getting the thumbs up from at least one local school board.

Jack McMaster is the director of education of the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board and says the province's legislation really mirrors the work they have been doing.

The bill proposes tougher consequences, including expulsion, for bullying and hate-motivated actions.

Emergency Landing

Police in Thunder Bay say no charges will be laid against the man who caused a Westjet flight to make an emergency landing on Saturday.


The Toronto-bound flight was checked out in Thunder Bay after the crew decided to land because of an agitated 27-year-old passenger.

Police say the man has a history of mental health issues an was held for a medical assessment.

Police say it's expected the man, along with his father, will be returned to Portugal once he has been cleared medically.

Oskisko Mining

Oskisko Mining has started looking at the impacts its proposed open-pit gold mine near Atikokan might have on existing services in the district.


The company projects up to two-thousand employees in the construction phase and five hundred in the mill.

Mark Boller, a senior advisory, says a socio-economic impact study will identify challenges that workforce brings.

Boller says one of the early challenges might be trying secure enought trained personal to work at the site.

Tough on crime legislation

There won't be any get out jail free cards, but changes are coming to the criminal justice system.


Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he recently had a chance to sit down with the Kenora Lawyers Sentencing Group to talk about their concerns.

He feels he was able to alleviate some of the concerns they had with the new legislation.

Rickford says the Government has pledged to get tough on child exploitation, organized crime and repeat violent offenders.

Former National Chief speaks out on Attawapiskat

The former head of the Assembly of First Nations says third party management is not the answer for Attawapiskat.

Phil Fontaine says the government decision to take away the band's control of finances won't solve the housing problem on the reserve

He says third party managers cannot approve housing programs.

Hospital in the Black

Lake of the Woods District Hospital continues to operate in the black, but the size of its surplus is slowly shrinking.

Director of Finance, Cindy Gasparini says through seven months they have a surplus of 124 thousand dollars.

That's about 100 thousand dollars less than last month.

Gasparini expects they will be able to balance their books this year, but the winter months are a lot tougher on their budget, with less revenue from seasonal visitors, and increased costs for utilities and wages.

Hospital gets more funding for Cataract Surgeries

Lake of the Woods District Hospital is getting more funding to carry out more cataract surgeries this year.

The Ministry of Health has approved funding for an extra 56 eye operations.

Chief  Executive Officer Marc Belcaen says they had requested funding for 105 more cataract surgeries, but they will take what they can get.

He suggests there is still the possibility of more funding, but that will depend on the demand at other hospitals as the year end approaches.

Provincial Government Defends its record on Mining in the North

The Provincial Government is once again on the defensive over its handling of relations between First Nation communities and mining companies.

The NDP continues to attack the Government on a lack of consultation and an unwillingness to force companies to stop exploration on traditional land.

Speaking in the Legislature, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci stated his Government is working with everyone.

Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof says the Liberals are ignoring First Nations and slowing down mining development.

Rickford still waiting for Long Gun Bill to Pass

It still isn't clear if the bill to scrap the federal long gun registry will be passed before Christmas.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says they have two weeks left in the current sitting to try and push the bill through.

Rickford says if it doesn't pass before Christmas, it will certainly get though Parliament when it resumes sitting in February.