Council Covers Economic Development Deficit

Kenora City Council seems to be in a forgiving mood.

Council has agreed to fund an almost 50 thousand dollar deficit for the Lake of the Woods Economic Development Commission in 2011.

Councillor Sharon Smith says over the past few years, the Commission has consistently had a surplus.

But she says the accumulated surplus was only 80 thousand dollars, not 130 thousand, as the commission was led to believe.

That left them with a bit of a shortfall last year, due to extra costs for consulting fees on the Lakewood School project and the commissioning of the new Discovery Center.

Rickford Supports Legislation Preventing Air Canada Strike

It could be a long night for M.P.'s tonight in the House of Commons.

A bill to keep Air Canada pilots and ground crews working will be voted on this evening.

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford says the bill not just about preventing workers from striking.

Rickford expects the bill will likely gain third reading early tomorrow morning, barring any prolonged delays.

Council Supports IJC Report on Lake of the Woods

The City of Kenora is once again being urged to support efforts to preserve the water quality on Lake of the Woods.

Council is being asked to support a resolution calling on the federal government to go ahead with recommendations to create a joint watershed management board for the Lake.

Todd Sellars is with the Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation and says that's the main recommendation contained in a recent IJC report on the lake.

Sellars says the federal government has already committed funding for the protection of border waters, so the decision should be a no brainer.

Kenora Forest Management Plan Approved

Users of trails in the Ingolf and Kramer Lake area can breathe a sigh of relief.

A final Forest Management Plan for the Kenora Forest has been drafted, and some of the concerns of recreational users have been taken into consideration.

Ian Pyke is an area forester for the MNR and says logging buffers have been put around some of the recreational areas identified by the public.

While the final Kenora Forest Management Plan has been approved by the MNR, there is still a 30 day comment period until the beginning of April.

More Doctors Sought for NWO

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell wants a letter-writing campaign to Ontario's Health Minister to continue.

The campaign was started to force solutions to the town of Rainy River's doctor shortage.

While Deb Matthews is promising to keep the Rainy River Health Centre's emergency room open, Campbell says she still needs to visit.

Campbell says the issue in Rainy River won't be resolved until more doctors are found.

Impaired Driver Arrest in Downtown Kenora

The front seat of a car doesn't make a very good bar stool.

A local man found that out the hard way.

The OPP say they were contacted Sunday afternoon around 3:00 about a man who was sitting in a vehicle in a parking lot in downtown Kenora drinking beer.

Officers located the suspect a short time later on 8th Avenue.

They pulled him over and determined that he had been drinking.

He was taken to the Kenora Detachment office for a breath test and has been charged with impaired driving.