Dryden

Patchy freezing rain, along with significant rainfall is expected to start tomorrow (Friday, April 22) as a Colorado Low is set to impact the region.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for the region Thursday afternoon which states, "patchy freezing rain with ice accretion up to 2 mm and total rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm are expected by the Saturday evening."

The latest system is expected to hit the region on Friday morning as snow, ice pellets, or freezing rain before changing to rain Friday afternoon.

The first game of the SIJHL’s Bill Salonen Cup finals begins tonight as the Red Lake Miners visit the Kam River Fighting Walleye at 7:30.

Red Lake took out Dryden in the semi-finals, while the Fighting Walleye in their first season in the league swept the Thunder Bay North Stars. The series will wrap up by May 3 at the latest. The winner will go on to the Centennial Cup in Saskatchewan next month.

Leadership of the Northwestern Health Unit says it’s still too early to say if the sixth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has reached the region yet, but staff are considering implementing regional restrictions to curb a potential surge of cases.

During her bi-weekly conference with regional media members, Medical Officer of Health for the NWHU, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, says local COVID-19 case counts are continuing to increase, but hospitalization numbers are remaining stable.

Kenora, Pickle Lake, and Sioux Lookout have come together to form a coalition to address their significantly higher police costs in their respective communities.

Since 2015, taxpayers in these three communities have collectively paid $4 million more a year, than the average cost in other communities for the use of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). They feel the additional money put into the OPP could be invested into critical infrastructure projects such as shelters, housing, roads, bridges, and other community needs.

The OPP is reminding drivers to buckle up! 

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) recently released statistics from the seatbelt safety campaign they ran over the Easter weekend.  

In the report, OPP revealed there was a 611 per cent increase from the previous year in seatbelt-related charges.  

Canadians can now give cash or Aeroplan points to help bring Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia to safety in Canada.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser says the goal is to pay for flights to bring at least 10,000 Ukrainians and their families approved for travel to Canada.

These would be on top of targeted chartered flights to bring Ukrainians to Canada announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this year.

More than 54,000 Ukrainians have already been approved to come to Canada for three years while they decide on their next steps. 

A 19 and a 22-year-old from Winnipeg are facing a number of charges after being busted with nearly $20,000 of illegal drugs and two firearms in the Sioux Lookout area.

The Sioux Lookout OPP says on Saturday around noon, officers were dispatched to a report of an assault at an apartment on Third Avenue North. Police attended and located two individuals in possession of illegal substances, Canadian currency and firearms.

High levels of precipitation and dramatic shifts in temperature have caused lake levels to rise and in response, the Lake of the Woods Control Board (LWCB) has authorized lake outflow to be increased. 

The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.56 m (1058.3 ft), a 50th percentile level for this time of year. 

The Dryden GM Ice Dogs recently recognized its players at their 20th annual Awards Banquet: 

Top Scorer and Jim Wright Most Valuable Player: Maxime Collette
Rookie of the Year: Brady Frattinger
Most Sportsmanlike: Ondrej Bardos
Top Defensive Forward: Tyler Earl
Most Improved Players: Bryce Benfield and Derek Koivisto
Defenceman of the Year: Jackson Jacques and Max Rath
Community Services Award: Lang Lee and Bryce Benfield
20th Anniversary Platinum Service Award: Mike Sveinson

The Kenora Catholic District School Board has appointed a new Director of Education and Secretary-Treasurer. 

Effective September 1, 2022, Nicole Kurtz will assume the position succeeding Paul White who announced his retirement at the end of the current school year. 

“It is with great joy that we announce that Nicole Kurtz will be the next Director of Education at the Kenora Catholic District School Board,” says Teresa Gallik, Chair.