Dryden

There is a snowfall warning in effect for Dryden, Vermilion Bay, Sioux Lookout, Savant Lake, Sturgeon Lake and Eastern Lac Seul. 

Significant snowfall possible tonight into Tuesday night where the region could see snowfall amounts of 15-20 cm with reduced visibility in heavy snow. 

A special weather statement is in effect for Kenora and surrounding areas, where residents can see snowfall amounts of 7 to 15 cm with a risk of freezing rain or ice pellets.

The Kenora District Services Board says they have plans to end chronic homelessness across northwestern Ontario within a generation.

“I feel very confident that we will end homelessness in communities like Kenora within this generation,” said Chief Administrative Officer for the KDSB, Henry Wall, in an interview with Q104 and KenoraOnline.

It’s been 586 days.

That’s how long northwestern Ontario residents have been ordered to wear a mask in indoor public settings, with the directive being issued by the Northwestern Health Unit back on August 12 of 2020.

One year, seven months and nine days later, mask mandates in most indoor public settings have ended in Ontario as of this morning. Provincially, the mask mandate issued across Ontario on October 3, 2020, was in effect for a total of 534 days.

An inflation rate of 5.7 per cent was released last week by Statistics Canada for the month of February, up from a 5.1 per cent gain in January.

The increase in February marked the second consecutive month inflation exceeded 5 per cent. February’s jump was the largest gain since August 1991.

As the inflation rate continues to rise so did the price of groceries for Canadians. Prices in grocery stores jumped 7.4 per cent in February.

Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table says the province should be prepared to reinstate mass vaccination clinics, vaccine passports and mask mandates if the new BA.2 variant continues to spread.

Tourism-based businesses in northwestern Ontario are hoping that a change in Canada’s international border restrictions will help bring American tourists back to the region this summer.

The federal government announced on March 17 that effective April 1, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to provide a pre-entry COVID-19 test result to enter Canada by air, land or water.

Another blast of wintry weather is on the way.

Environment Canada says 10 to 15 cm of snow will fall across the region between Monday night and Tuesday night. Though, the weather agency notes that 20 cm of snow is possible

Precipitation may begin as rain, freezing rain, or ice pellets Monday night, before changing over to snow by early Tuesday morning.

A special weather statement has been issued for the region.

A spokesman for Teamsters Canada Rail Conference says the union is expecting to be back at the bargaining table with a mediator today after a labour dispute with CP Rail led to a work stoppage late Saturday.

More than 3,000 conductors and engineers at CP rail are on the picket line after the company and union failed to reach a deal by a midnight deadline.

Both CP Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference say the other side is at fault for the stoppage which is parking trains when supply chain disruptions are already severe.

As the mercury continues to climb and over seven feet of snow melts, conditions on local ice roads are deteriorating.

As of Friday, ice roads in the Kenora area will no longer be maintained.

This is according to Leonard Boucha, who provides updates on local ice roads conditions on the 'Winter Road Update For Kenora Area' Facebook page.

On Friday night (March 18, 2022) Dryden Fire crews responded to a structure fire on Duke Street across from Safeway. 

Following working through the night to extinguish the blaze Fire Chief, Chris Wood released a statement. 

Below is his address:

"At approximately 9:50 pm on Friday, March 18th Dryden Fire Service was dispatched to reports of a working structure fire on Duke Street. Upon arrival, the home was fully involved with all occupants out of the home. Dryden Fire Service quickly initiated a defensive attack protecting nearby exposures."