Kenora OPP ‘looking at all options’ for downtown safety, foot patrols detailed

Leadership with the Kenora OPP say the amount of time officers have patrolled the streets of Kenora has doubled over the last three years, and further increases are expected in 2023.

In response to an emergency Council meeting at City Hall to discuss business owners and residents’ concerns downtown over the holidays, with the Kenora OPP in attendance, Detachment Commander Jeff Duggan recommitted to increasing OPP foot patrols in downtown Kenora.

January 4 Sports Update

The United States and Canada face off tonight in Halifax in another installment of their hockey rivalry, with a trip to the world junior hockey championship final on the line.

The rivals advanced to the semifinals after polar-opposite quarterfinals Monday, with Canada beating Slovakia 4-3 in overtime and the U.S. routing Germany 11-1. The U-S beat Canada in the final of the 2021 tournament in the COVID-19 bubble in Edmonton, their last meeting at the world juniors.

Czechia plays Sweden in today's other semifinal game.

Canada marks first National Ribbon Skirt Day

Today marks Canada's first National Ribbon Skirt Day. 

Manitoba Sen. Mary Jane McCallum's bill to recognize the day every Jan. 4 passed in Parliament late last year.

It was inspired by Isabella Kulak, a member of the Cote First Nation in Saskatchewan who wore a ribbon skirt to her rural Saskatchewan school in December 2020, when she was 10 years old.

She wore the colourful garment, donned by Indigenous women at cultural events, as part of a formal day — but her family said at the time that a staff member told her the outfit wasn't considered formal enough.

City to spend $60,000 to address Coker Road area

The City of Kenora is prepared to spend another $60,000 or so to find out how to best repair Coker Road and help prevent any future flooding north of the Kenora bypass.

During December 20’s Council Meeting at City Hall, Mayor Andrew Poirier and fellow councillors passed and approved a recommendation to spend $55,600 and HST in the 2023 Municipal Capital Budget for geotechnical engineering work on Coker Road.

Pharmacists able to prescribe new treatments, may take time in NWO

The Ontario government says a new service with pharmacists will soon help to reduce emergency room visits and hospital wait times across the province.

As of January 1, Ontario residents are now able to visit pharmacies for thirteen minor ailments which would normally need a prescription from a physician for treatment, as pharmacists can now use their knowledge and judgment to recommend over-the-counter medications for minor illnesses.

Stranded passengers have all been returned from Mexico, Sunwing says

Sunwing says it has completed all of its scheduled recovery flights to bring home passengers stranded in Mexico after winter storms disrupted its operations during the holidays.

The travel company says in a statement that its teams have worked around the clock to return its affected customers home.

Some travellers from Saskatchewan say the airline has left them at airports in other provinces, while one says her flight from Mexico made it to Regina with dozens of empty seats.

Sentencing for Trailer Park murderer expected Thursday

39-year-old Justin Desautels of Dryden could receive a life sentence on Thursday after three vicious assaults and two deaths at the Arbour Jade Trailer Park in 2020.

Desautels’ final sentencing date is scheduled in Dryden courts on January 5.

The 39-year-old has previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Second Degree Murder, two counts of Break and Enter to Commit Robbery, and one charge of Aggravated Assault and Cause Bodily Harm to Peace Officers after the incident at the trailer park on March 2, 2020.

January 3 Sports Update

Team Canada will have a day off today at the world junior hockey championship to prepare for a Wednesday semifinal showdown in Halifax with the United States.

Canada got an overtime goal from Connor Bedard last night to win a tense 4-3 battle against Slovakia.

The U-S crushed Germany in its quarterfinal 11-1. Sweden, 3-2 winners over Finland, and Czechia will play in tomorrow's other semifinal. Czechia squashed Switzerland 9-1 in quarterfinal action.

Domtar, Unifor approve 4-year contracts with over 20 per cent raises

The union representing about 450 employees at Dryden’s Domtar Mill says they’ve approved contracts with some of the largest wage increases in the forestry sector in over 35 years.

Unifor employees’ contracts expired with Domtar on August 31, 2022. Then in November, the union warned of potential strike action for early 2023 if a deal couldn’t be reached – after negotiations stalled with Domtar leadership.

Experts share tips for young Canadians finding themselves in debt for the first time

While enrolled in university, Eloho Orogun was approached on campus to apply for a $500 student credit card, advertised as a means to improve his credit score.

Met with a self-described shopping problem, it was not long before Orogun opened a second student card with a larger limit.

"The more money I had, the more debt I would get myself into," he said. 

Poor spending habits and a lack of understanding of how credit cards work led him down a debt spiral that took him seven years to break.