Kenora

In response to the rising water levels and localized flooding in the area, the Municipality of Sioux Lookout has taken further action and declared a State of Emergency on Tuesday (May 24, 2022). 

Mayor Doug Lawrance says the decision to declare a State of Emergency is twofold.

As of 6:00 am Wednesday, May 25: 

Hwy 72, Sioux Lookout, at the Hwy 516 Jct, the hwy is closed due to water over the road. Detour signs are posted.

Blue Lake Loop Road – Vermilion Bay, between Hwy 647 Jct and Quibell Rd is closed. Traffic control in place.

Quibell Rd. - Vermilion Bay, Hwy 609/Quibell Rd. closed to commercial vehicles and heavy trucks. Passenger vehicles and school buses only. Signage in place.

Men's and women's slo-pitch is back in action for the season. In the men's side, Homes Voodoo crushed Bowman Electric's Sons of Pitches 33-14, and the CarStar Rockies outdid the Moncrief Diggers 25-6. On the women's side, the Dunit Diamonds outscored Bat Intentions 19-14, the Shear Heaven Clippers batted their way to their first win of the season beating Jarnel 9-6, and it was KTown Kafe getting the W over the Renegades 18-13. 

Canada has purchased more than 20,000 rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Tuesday.

Anand, speaking at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Victoria, said the $98-million purchase will include the needed fuses and charge bags and comes from the $500-million Ukrainian military aid package announced in April's federal budget.

She said the rounds, which are the NATO artillery standard of 155 millimetre and will work with the artillery guns Canada shipped to Ukraine in April, are "exactly what Ukraine has asked allies to provide."

As the water levels continue to decline and the lack of precipitation in the recent days the City of Kenora says that has allowed crews to continue work 500m north of Bells Point Road. The work will continue throughout the rest of the week, with timelines and updates coming in the next day or two. 

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

The following routes have cancelled stops or delays on Wednesday, May 25.

Kenora

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

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 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.