Dryden

Natasha Naccarato and her three kids, like many residents north of the Kenora by-pass had to evacuate their Coker road home back on May 12, 2022, due to overland flooding.

High water levels east of the Black Sturgeon Lake caused roadways on East Melick, Essex, and Coker Road and north of the Portier Bridge to either be washed out or submerged underwater, making travelling very unsafe.

A ceramic gnome, named Charlie has gained quite a bit of traction on social media these past two weeks, as being the unofficial water gauge for the residents living on Black Sturgeon Lake.

Howard Vanachte who is the owner of Charlie has him placed at the end of his dock on the shoreline. With the rising water over the past couple of weeks, Howard posts a daily picture on the Black Sturgeon Property Owners Association Facebook page to update residents on the current water levels.

The City of Dryden is advising residents that the south elevator on the pedestrian overpass is out of commission beginning Tuesday (May 24, 2022), until further notice, due to a mechanical malfunction.

The city will complete the required maintenance and open the elevator as soon as possible. 

Should residents have any questions or concerns, the city is asking them to contact the Public Works office at 223-2367.

The Flood Warning that was set to expire on May 23, 2022, for the Red Lake district, has been extended to June 3, 2022, by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry. 

The ministry’s definition of a Flood Warning is: flooding is imminent or occurring within specific watercourses and municipalities.

This spring in northwestern Ontario has been unusual to say the least, as the region has seen 312 per cent more precipitation combined in April and May this year, than in the same time period last year.

So, why has it been so wet this spring in the region?

Well, Peter Kimbell, an Environment Canada Meteorologist says this unusual amount of precipitation is due to an early April snowstorm.

The Dryden Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), performed a water rescue on the Wabigoon River in Dryden on Sunday (May 22, 2022).

At around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, officers responded to a report of an individual in need of assistance on the river.

With the help of the Kenora District Services Board EMS and the Dryden Fire Service, officers were able to locate the individual. Three officers entered the river to rescue the person from the cold, rushing water.

Kseniia Zinenko stepped outside of the Winnipeg airport Monday evening after a nine-hour flight from Poland to Manitoba's capital city.

The 30-year-old is one of more than 300 Ukrainian nationals who were on a federally chartered flight to bring people fleeing Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Canada. 

"Very tired," Zinenko replied when asked how she was feeling after arriving in Winnipeg. "But the Canadian people (are) very good to meet us."

As of 6:00 am Tuesday, May 24:

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 Road is closed, between Hwy 647 and Hwy 609. No transports are allowed, Passenger vehicles only. Signage in place. Use extreme caution.

Highway 105, from Highway 17 to Highway 609, is fully closed due to water over the road.

Kenora's Jeff "Gussy" Gustafson had a decent weekend as he finished in 24th place at the 2022 Simms Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork in Texas. Gussy caught 15 fish over three days for a total weight of 63 lbs 3 ozs, including an eight-pound bass on Day Three which won him "Big Bass of the Day." Gustafson is now off to the 2022 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Pickwick Lake in Tennessee which begins on June 2.

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

The following routes have cancelled stops or delays on Tuesday, May 24.

Kenora

• KN13, KN15, & KN88 – all stops north of the Kenora By-pass (Hwy. 17A) will be cancelled due to flooding and road closures.

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