Dryden Woman Found Guilty of Fraud

A Dryden woman has been convicted on two counts of fraud from the Shaw Walleye Masters and the Dryden
Ski Hill.

Allyson Dunham has received a conditional sentence order of 2-years, less a day.

The sentence results in house arrest, a curfew and other strict conditions.

Dunham was charged last March with 2-counts each of theft over $5,000, fraud over $5,000 and criminal breach of trust.

Dunham sat on the executive committees of both the Shaw Walleye Masters and the Ski Hill.

Aspenware Returns to the Northwest

Members of the Wabauskang First Nation will soon start harvesting poplar trees and creating veneers for B.C. based Aspenware.

The operation is being carried out in the Whiskey Jack Forest.

Company President Terry Bigsby says they have also teamed up with Doug Riffel, the owner of Makoose Wood Innovations.

Bigsby says this is only the beginning and notes he's already in talks for a similar venture with Grassy Narrows and Lac La Croix.

Aspenware produces single-use biodegradable wooden cutlery and at one time was thinking about setting up shop in the Dryden area.

Con College Raises Money for Scholarships

An endowment fund for student scholarships and bursaries at Confederation
College has received a big boost.

The annual Charity Golf tournament at the Kenora Golf and Country Club
generated six thousand dollars yesterday.

Jim Madder is the college's president and says they've raised over 100
thousand dollars over the past 16 years.

Madder says the money raised will go to students at the Kenora campus
or local students who have to travel to Thunder Bay for courses there.

Canfield Steps Down From Board of Health

A changing of the guard at the board of the Northwestern Health Unit.

Mayor Dave Canfield is stepping down as the city's representitive.

He'll be replaced by councillor Sharon Smith.

Canfield says with his new duties as president of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association, he doesn't have the time to commit anymore to the Health Unit.

Mining Conference Expected to Sell Out

A good response to a mining conference taking place in Kenora.

The Exploration Information Session is almost sold out.

The event is put on each year by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and focuses on some of the mining and exploration activity taking place in the Kenora District.

The Exploration Conference will take place next Tuesday and Wednesday and will feature a site visit to the Coventry Resources site near Cameron Lake.

OPP Marine Unit Cracks Down on Boaters

OPP Marine unit is finding some boaters not following the rules.

Several charges were laid during checks of boat on Rainy Lake last weekend.

A 29 year old Alberton township man was charged for not having a fire extinguisher on board.

A 66 year old man from International Falls was charged after Police watched a boat pull a tube with two teenagers without a spotter on board.

A 53 year old White Bear Lake, Minnesota man failed to have life jackets on board his boat.

Two others, a 79 year old man from Oregon and a 56 year
old from International Falls were charged after open liquor was found in their boats.

Water Plant Workers Get New Deal

Workers at Kenora's water treatment plant have a new three contract.

City council has approved a deal with the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers retroactive to January 1st of this year.

The agreement includes a 1.7 wage increase in each year of the
deal.

That's the same increase as other unionized and non-unionized staff have
received this year from the city.

Workers at Barwick OSB Plant Agree on New Contract

Unionized workers at Ainsworth in Barwick have accepted a new four year contract.

The Communication, Energy and Paperworkers union says the 130 members of Local 324-99 voted 77 per cent in favour of the deal that will give them a 10 per cent wage high over the course of the deal.

CEP National rep Stephen Boon says the deal offers long-term stability for the Barwick mill while providing stronger contract language and major monetary improvements for the workers.

Police Charge Woman in Onigaming FN Death

A 24 year old woman faces second degree murder charges in connection to a death on the Onigaming First Nation near Nestor Falls.

Micheline Nicole Chiefson from the Naicatchewanin First Nation will appear in Kenora Court today.

The body of Christopher Lee Jack was found in an apartment in the community one week ago today.

A woman at the scene was also taken to hospital for treatment of injuries.

The OPP says it is no releasing the cause of death.

PSAC Requests Mediator for Treaty Three Police

The union representing Treaty Police officers says it wants a mediator to
try and resolve the issues it has with the police board.

The Pubic Service Alliance of Canada says a statement released last week
shows the Police Board has not changed its stance at all.

Sharon De Sousa is the regional vice-president of PSAC and says her members are willing to sit down and talk.

De Sousa is asking that the Police Board hold off on its decision to close the doors on August 19 and instead agree to negotiate a solution.

Council Defeats Motion on Railway Street Speed Limit

City council has defeated the motion to reduce the speed limit on Railway Street.

Council split the vote to change the speed limit to 40 kilometers an hour.

Councillor Sharon Smith voted in favour of the resolution and says the issue isn;t going away.

 However Councillor Ron Lunny voted against the motion because he feels businesses had their hands tied to sign a petition in favour of the move.

Ontario Judge Allows 60's Scoop Law Suit

A big win in court for the two plaintiffs in the Sixties Scoop class action lawsuit.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice E. Belobaba has granted certification for the case, paving the way for a full trial.

Lawyer Jeffrey Wilson says his two plaintiffs are representing a large group of people.

The two plaintiffs are Chief Marcia Brown Martel from the Beaverhouse First Nation
and Robert Commanda.

Dryden Agrees To Set Up new Business Committee

The Mayor of Dryden says he's going to form a committee which will work closely with business owners.

Norm Bush is acting as the voice of a group of concerned and frustrated business owners and he approached council last night with the request.

Bush says they don't want to act as a "shadow Council" but notes business owners can't take any more tax hikes.

Dryden Council didn't officially endorse the formation of a Committe as some pointed out that the City is about to undertake a major service and operational review.

Missing Swimmer Found in Rainy River

The body of a swimmer who went missing in the Rainy River earlier this week has been found.

OPP say a dive team recovered the body of 27-year old Odane Orville White of Toronto just before 5 pm yesterday from the river.

Police says he was found in water about 35 feet south of the public docks in Emo.

White and another man were attempted to swim a length of the river Sunday.

Thunder Bay Police Investigating 2nd Murder of the Year

Thunder Bay Police are investigating the city's second murder of the year.

They are still protecting the crime scene on Lake Street where a woman was found early yesterday morning with serious injuries outside a residence there.  

She later died of those injuries.  

Police have not released the name of the victim or exactly how she died.

Mixed Reaction to Rickford's Cabinet Appointment

The appointment of Kenora MP Greg Rickford to the Harper Cabinet is grabbing the attention of two Northwestern Ontario MPs.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty says it's good to have someone from the north taking care of FedNor.

Meanwhile, Independent MP Bruce Hyer says Rickford has been rewarded for being a "yes man" for the prime minister.

Rickford is taking on the Science and Technology portfolio, as well as FedNor and is also the federal government's frontman for the Ring of Fire

Campbell Appeals for Help for Treaty Three Police

Ontario's Community Safety Minister is being asked to do something to help prevent the closure of the Treaty Three Police Service.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell has written a letter to the minister
asking for assistance to resolve the policing crisis.

Campbell says the officers are being given short shrift.

Campbell says she's heard from folks involved in discussions that the Provincial Government is willing to find a solution, but the Federal Government isn't providing any of the needed funds.

Report on Urban Deer Problem to be Released Today

More talk about the urban deer population in Kenora.

City council is expected to approve a report on Deer Management
in the city today.

Councillor Sharon Smith says the MNR may not support the idea of
a cull, but she says they have to do something to control the deer numbers.

Smith says the city was warned that deer behavior would change when they move into the urban areas, with the animals becoming more aggressive.

Three New Forest Fires in the Region

The Ministry of Natural Resources is reporting three new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario.

One sparked in both Sioux Lookout and Red Lake, and the other one is in the Fort Frances District.

The Red Lake fire remains a priority and is believed to be lighting caused.

Fortunately no communities are threatened by fires at this time.

Con College Looking for Float Plane Base

Confederation College is looking for a new location for it's Float Plane Base.

It comes after Eva Lake Cottagers near Atikokan complained about planes flying over head this summer.

President Jim Madder says they're looking for a community that has a lot of room and very little air activity.

The next float plane program will start in June next year.