Dryden

Provincial post-secondary students can expect to see the tuition freeze continue for the 2022-2023 school year.  

The provincial government announced on March 23, 2022, that they will be extending the current tuition freeze for Ontario colleges and universities with hopes of further alleviating some of the financial stress of students and families.  

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been banned from joining the thousands of foreigners who have flocked to Ukraine in recent weeks to help fight Russia’s invasion.

Vice-chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen told the House of Commons defence committee on Wednesday that the order came from Gen. Wayne Eyre, chief of the defence staff and it applies to both full-time service members and part-time reservists.

A local doctor is raising funds for his home country of Ukraine, and his outstanding generosity is being recognized across the country.

Red Lake’s Dr. Kostyantyn Bulavintsev, or ‘Dr. Kosta’ with The Red Lake Dental Clinic is accepting donations to support the Ukrainian Army in their fight against the Russian invasion, as Bulavintsev and his wife call Ukraine home. He also plans on matching all donations dollar for dollar.

Members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees say they’re glad to see a new deal reached to keep childcare services operating in Sioux Lookout, but they’re concerned with how the situation played out.

Announced March 22, leadership of the Kenora District Services Board, Municipality of Sioux Lookout and CUPE have come together to sign a new agreement to keep childcare running in Sioux Lookout, after seven months of negotiations.

The value of carbon-price rebate cheques from the federal government will jump more than 66 per cent in Ontario and Manitoba this year, to make up for too-small rebates the last two years.

The second annual report on federal carbon pricing, which was tabled in the House of Commons this week, shows Canada collected more than $4.2 billion in carbon pricing on consumers and small businesses in 2020-21.

March 17, 2022, marked the two-year anniversary of when Ontario declared a provincial State of Emergency as COVID-19 began wreaking havoc across the province and the world. 

The State of Emergency forced public settings such as bars, restaurants, theatres, and indoor recreational facilities to close their doors.

Now two years later Dr. Kit Young Hoon, Medical Officer of Health for the Northwestern Health Unit says the health unit is doing an internal audit on its pandemic response.

The Dryden Rotary Charity Foundation is giving over $80,000 in funding back to NWO. 

The Dryden Rotary Charity Foundation, operated by the Rotary Club of Dryden and assisted by the Rotary Club of Sioux Lookout, recently announced that they will be giving $81,670 in funds back to Northwestern Ontario (NWO) through applications that were approved under the youth, poverty, health, and community mandates. 

After seven months of negotiations, members and leadership of the Kenora District Services Board, Municipality of Sioux Lookout and Canadian Union of Public Employees have come to an agreement to keep childcare services running in Sioux Lookout.

“As a Board, we felt it was imperative to be open in moving forward with all parties involved, as child care and early years programming is the cornerstone for positive child and family engagement, and resiliency in our communities,” says Barry Baltessen, Board Chair of the KDSB.

**UPDATE 9:41am - The highway has been reopened.

**UPDATE 7:25am - Police are escorting traffic past the tractor-trailer. Traffic is alternating and delays are still to be expected. 

-- Original Story --

Highway 17 is closed in both directions following a morning incident. 

There is a jack-knifed tractor trailer on Highway 17 at Hwy 605 Oxdrift. Drivers are asked to avoid the area. 

There is no estimated time as to when the Highway will reopen. 

Due to road conditions, the Northwestern Student Services Consortium has decided to cancel all buses for Dryden, Vermilion Bay and Sioux Lookout for the second consecutive day. 

There is still a snowfall warning in effect for the region, with snowfall expected to ease around noon. 

Schools remain open.