Dryden

As of 6:00am Monday, May 30:

Hwy 600 is closed between Fern's Rd and Berg Rd due to a washout. Detour is available from Berg's Rd to Split Rock Rd.

Blue Lake Loop Road – Vermilion Bay, between Hwy 647 Jct and Quibell Rd is closed. Traffic control in place. Use extreme caution in the area.

Quibell Rd. - Vermilion Bay, Hwy 609/Quibell Rd. closed to commercial vehicles and heavy trucks. Passenger vehicles and school busses only.

Hwy 105 - Vermilion Bay, Closed at Buller Creek due to water over the road. Detour available via Hwy 609. 

Paramedics across northwestern Ontario are ringing the alarm and are calling on the province for more support and resources, as staff warn of a ‘major crisis of care’ in the Kenora district.

Canadian wallets have been hit hard this year, as the country’s inflation rate rose to a 30-year high of 6.8 per cent in April.

Gasoline, food, and housing costs are skyrocketing, which has caused an affordability crisis in Canada. Kenora MP, Eric Melillo is encouraging the federal government to find solutions such as cutting the GST, a Carbon Tax pause, and limiting public spending, to allow relief for Canadians.

The Kenora OPP continues to be concerned with amounts of thefts and mischief within the city, as April of 2022 saw an 11.8 per cent increase in property crime, as presented at May 24, 2022, Kenora Police Services Board Meeting.

In total, April of 2022 saw the OPP report 76 property crime-related incidents, compared to only 68 in the same time period last year, a change of 13 per cent year-over-year.

Sakari Manninen scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift host Finland to a 4-3 win over Canada in a wild gold-medal game at the men's world hockey championship. The Finns held a 3-1 lead late in the third before the Canadians struck for two goals with the goalie pulled to force overtime. Czechia defeated the United States 4-3 in the bronze-medal final.
 

Reports say emergency responders are on the scene of a train crash on Tunnel Island near Kenora.

Reportedly, no one has been injured in the collision. Residents are asked to avoid the Tunnel Island and McLeod Park areas for the time being.

More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Flooding across the region and the driver shortage is continuing to impact school bus routes.

The following routes have cancelled stops or delays on Monday, May 30.

Kenora

• KN13, KN15, & KN88 – all stops north of the Kenora By-pass (Hwy. 17A) will be cancelled due to road closures.
• Kenora - KN14 will be cancelled on Monday, May 30 due to driver shortage. 

Red Lake

• RL6 – stops on Dupont Drive and Young Street east of Chelsea Street will be cancelled due to conditions on Young Street.

Dryden/Vermilion Bay

--- Update ---

The rainfall forecast has been updated to reflect the changing track of the storm. Now 20-40 mm of rain is expected to fall, up from the original 15-30 mm forecasters predicted earlier Sunday morning.

--- Original Story ---

A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for the region.

Environment Canada says conditions are favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms that may be capable of producing heavy rain.

Severe thunderstorms may move in from Northern Minnesota later this morning.

As of 8:30 am Sunday, May 29:

Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure want to advise people not to travel into the Whiteshell Provincial Park area. Many highways are flooded, making travel conditions treacherous. Flood Warning in Effect for Winnipeg River and Whiteshell Lakes Area.

Highway 17 - from Manitoba / Ontario Border, Easterly for 6.8 kilometres expected delays for as long as 20 minutes due to construction. Traffic is controlled by flagging.

As the temperatures warm up and it begins to feel a lot more like some summer in northwestern Ontario, our seasonal guests…. No not tourists…. but bears will begin to make more of an appearance.

To prepare residents and tourists this summer, the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry has shared some important tips to protect yourself from bears.

The MNRF says to make noise such as singing whistling, and talking when you move through heavily wooded areas to alert bears of your presence, which allows them to avoid you.