Kenora

As of 8:00 am Saturday, May 21:

Blue Lake Loop Road to Quibell Road is restricted to local traffic due to flooding.

Quibell Road is closed, between Hwy 647 and Hwy 609. No transports are allowed, Passenger vehicles only. Signage in place. Use extreme caution.

Highway 105, from Highway 17 to Highway 609, is fully closed due to water over the road.

Between Highway 647 and 609 are closed near Quibell Road to allow for repairs to the road. Traffic control is in place and no detour is available.

As we head into the first real long weekend of the spring, many visitors and residents will take to the outdoors to enjoy what northwestern Ontario has to offer, which could include a campfire to end the night.

Kenora Fire and Emergency Services wants residents and visitors to enjoy themselves this May long weekend but also wants fire safety to be a priority as well.

Waterways in the area will be buzzing this weekend as the walleye and sauger combined season officially opens on Saturday (May 21, 2022).

The season kicks off every year on the third weekend in May through until December 31 in Zones 4 and 5,  (with some waterbody exceptions), primarily where Northwestern Ontario anglers fish. 

Residents will be itching to get back onto area lakes this May long weekend, as high boat traffic is expected by the Kenora OPP.

The recent overland flooding and high water levels, in general, have pushed or exposed a lot of debris in and around area lakes. The Kenora OPP is advising residents out on the lake this weekend to be aware of debris.

The Kenora District’s Flood Outlook has been upgraded to a Flood Warning by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry, and will be in effect until June 3, 2022.

The ministry’s definition of a Flood Warning is: flooding is imminent or occurring within specific watercourses and municipalities.

Earlier this month, the City of Kenora issued an evacuation order to residents living along a number of roads north of the Kenora by-pass.

Floodwaters overtook low-lying roadways and residents had a tough choice to make.

Stay in their homes and be cut off from town or leave their homes behind to stay with family, friends or at the Evacuation Centre set up at the Kenora Recreation Centre.

The City of Kenora has confirmed that the continuous rain on Friday (May 20, 2022), is not stopping roadway work on the East Melick and Essex Road intersection.

The City of Kenora cut the ribbon on their Glad You Are Here campaign to welcome Kenora residents, seasonal residents, neighbouring communities, and visitors to the city this May long weekend.

Kenora Mayor, Dan Reynard is excited about this event as it’s a sign of summer, as well as events begin and the excitement starts to take off for the community.

“It’s the point where we start to get our summer residents back, but we also start to see the tourists start to move in on the weekends, which leads into the summer activity,” says Reynard.

While much of the region is dealing with rain, residents along Highway 105 are dealing with a spring snowstorm.

This photo was taken by Lesley Bailey, north of Ear Falls around 10 am, who says Highway 105 is slushy and slippery.

The rain and wet snow is expected to end Friday afternoon, before a warmer and dryer May long weekend.

A late-season frost advisory has been issued for northwestern Ontario as the mercury is set to hover near the freezing mark overnight Friday.

Environment Canada says patchy frost is expected tonight into Saturday morning.

Resident should cover up plants, especially those in frost-prone areas.

The overnight low for Kenora, Dryden, and Vermilion is plus 1, while the Sioux Lookout area will dip down to minus 1, before temperatures return to normal towards the end of the May long weekend.