Kenora

Parents across northwestern Ontario who have been sending their kids to childcare services in 2022 could be eligible for thousands of dollars in rebates.

The federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Karina Gould, says parents with children under the age of six that are attending eligible childcare services will see their childcare fees reduced by 25 per cent retroactive to April 1, 2022 – saving families an average of $2,200 per child.

The "Freedom Convoy" had gridlocked Canada's capital city for more than two weeks before the "floundering" Ottawa police force approved a detailed plan to handle it, senior police officers have told the public inquiry into the Liberal government's use of the Emergencies Act.

Patricia Ferguson, the acting deputy chief of the Ottawa police, said Thursday that the force assumed protesters would not stay longer than a weekend and relied at first on a boilerplate plan that had been used for other downtown events involving big crowds, such as Canada Day celebrations.

Norman Wallace Rayner
‘Wally’
May 13, 1948 – October 5, 2022

Wally passed away suddenly in his sleep watching his favourite television show, Star Trek.  Wally was born and brought up in Kenora.

Leadership with the City of Kenora says the new permanently-installed Métis flag flying outside of City Hall is a symbol of the city’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous people.

A flag-raising ceremony took place on October 14 outside of City Hall, with city staff, Métis leaders and dignitaries and the community. The event also included members of the Kenora Métis Council and the Métis Nation of Ontario.

Kenora residents are asked to wear purple today and next week.

The City of Kenora has proclaimed October 20 as the first annual Purple Thursday, joining Canadian Royal Purple Societies across the province. The day aims to raise awareness about brain injuries and interpersonal violence.

The Kenora Under 18 AAA Thistles are getting back into the swing of things as they earned their third and second consecutive win last night in Beausejour.

They took the game 4-1 over the Eastman Selects. Eastman scored in the first, but Carter Peters evened it up late in the period. Emerson Evans added one in the second, while Andon Lowes and Nickolas Fagnili put two in the back of the net in the third. James Sinclair stopped 42 shots.

The Thistles will have the week off before heading back to Beausejour next Wednesday.

An RCMP officer who was fatally stabbed Tuesday in a park in Burnaby, B.C., was there to notify the occupant of a lone tent that he wasn't allowed to live there, police said Wednesday. 

Sgt. Timothy Pierotti of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team told a press conference that Const. Shaelyn Yang, 31, volunteered to work on a mental health and homeless outreach team and she was helping a city worker deliver the news to the man, he said. 

The Kenora Association for Community Living is looking for local businesses to "Light It Up!" in support of National Disability Employment Awareness Month! 

The Light it Up campaign kicks off today (October 20), and the KACL encourages us to light up our businesses in purple and blue to celebrate the power of inclusion in our community. Not only are they looking for bright businesses, but they as that we wear purple and blue and spread the word. Be sure to be creative as the business with the most creative decorations wins a basket of goodies from Sweet, Lake of the Woods. 

Staff say the new Kenora Jail could be the first step towards a transformation and revitalization of Ontario’s correctional system.

The new 50-unit facility is a major expansion to the Kenora District Jail, which was first built in 1926, and offers a wide range of new services and supports for both inmates and staff operating the building. It's a model that could spread throughout Ontario, if successful. 

Bad political blood appears to have been running hot through the crisis response to the "Freedom Convoy" that gridlocked Canada's capital city, the testimony of the city's former police board chair revealed Wednesday. 

And new evidence suggests that police forces were planning ahead for a weeks-long event even as Ottawa's then-chief of police privately speculated that they'd be gone after a couple of days.