https://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/news/local-news/2019-year-in-review

Wed. May 1

Evidence of zebra mussels is found in a water sample from Shoal Lake. A single larvae stage of the invasive species was found in one of six water samples collected by provincial biologists from the northeast side of Shoal Lake in August 2018. Although detection of a single zebra mussel larvae doesn’t necessarily indicate adult zebra mussels have colonized the lake, boaters are advised to do their part by taking proper precautions to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species from one water body to another.

Wed. May 1

The Kenora Swimming Sharks host the Northwestern Ontario Spring invitational at the KRC aquatic centre, Apr. 27-28.

The swim meet draws 160 swimmers from Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Red Lake, Dryden and Kenora attending. Kenora had 43 swimmers competing and Swimming Shark Alexandra Illman posts nine first place and one second place finishes in the her 10 races.

Fri. May 3

City council aims to replace Railway St. over three-years with most of the $7 million project costs funded through applications to the Investing in Canada’s Infrastructure Program and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.

The project is expected to get underway in 2020, pending government funding approval.

Mon. May 6

Twenty-one year old university student Eric Melillo is acclaimed as the Conservative Party of Canada candidate for the Kenora Riding.

Melillo got his start in politics working on former MP Greg Rickford’s reelection campaign in 2015. The Beaver Brae Secondary School graduate cites key election issues are the economy, federal debt, opportunities for young people in the Northwest and defeating the Liberal government.

Fri. May 10

St. Thomas Aquinas students walk from their school to the memorial at the former site of Celiia Jeffrey Residential School on May 9.

The students gathered at the memorial as elders spoke about the school and the lasting impact it had on students who were taken from their home communities, some as young as four years old, to live there.
Celiia Jeffrey Residential School operated in Kenora from 1929 to 1976.

Wed. May 15

Residents concerned about a city plan to sell municipal owned property adjacent to a vacant lot on Fourth St. N. to the Kenora District Services Board spoke out against the proposal at a packed session of city council’s committee of the whole meeting, May 14.

Speakers expressed concerns regarding the transaction as well as the group home location, who will live there and a lack of information from the KDSB regarding the facility.

Despite the push back by residents, council declares the property surplus at its May 21 meeting and available for sale to the KDSB.

Wed. May 15

Former Kenora Thistle Brock Aiken is among the finalists for the Canadian Junior Hockey League top goaltender award for 2018-19.

Aiken, who is from Thunder Bay, spent two seasons with the Kenora Midget AAA Thistles from 2014-16. During his time in Kenora, Aiken played 51 games and posted a .902 save percentage and 3.63 goals against average (GAA).

Fri. May 17

Sunday, May 12, marked the end on an era for Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Leave Taking Service conducted by Rev. Jason Zinko was the final gathering at the church since the cornerstone was laid in June 1963.

Bishop Zinko and the congregation start a shared ministry with St. Alban’s Cathedral on Sunday, May 19.

Wed. May 22

City council passes a resolution at its May 21 meeting asking the provincial government to affirm its commitment to justice and confirm community legal clinics won’t have their budgets cut in the wake of $130 million or 30 per cent cuts to Legal Aid Ontario in the 2019 Ontario Budget.

Council’s resolution follows a request from the Northwest Community Legal Clinic, which anticipates cuts to its already tight finances. The northwest clinic received $1.2 million from Legal Aid Ontario in 2018-19.

Mon. May 27

More than 80 forest firefighting personnel depart from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Aviation and Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Dryden to assist with Alberta’s wild fire suppression efforts.

The AFFES contingent includes fire rangers, support staff and an incident management team.

A Northern Alberta wildfire has spread across 9,925 square kilometres centred on the town of High Level and surrounding communities in the far northwest of the province.

Mon. May 27

Both the St. Thomas Aquinas boys and girls teams win their respective final games against challengers the Rainy River Owls to claim NorWOSSA championship tournament titles.

First on the field were the Saints girls who won the tightly contested match over the Owls 1-0.

The Saints boys followed, also winning their game against Rainy River with a score of 4-2.

Wed. May 29

The City of Kenora releases the results of a survey which indicates the majority of respondents favour seeing the recently recovered bridge art pieces returned to public display.

The survey, launched as a follow-up to the Community Conversation Open House received 554 responses between March 20 to Apr. 10.

The art pieces in shaped metal depict Indigenous figures engaged in traditional fishing and hunting poses were returned to the city in the fall of 2018 after having gone missing from a public works yard were they had been in storage for many years.

Fri. May 31

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O’Regan visit to Grassy Nation doesn’t go according to plan.

The Minister and Grassy Narrows Chief Rudy Turtle were to sign a memorandum of agreement “outlining a path forward to meet the long-term health needs of the community which has been impacted by exposure to mercury” on May 29. Instead, Chief Turtle and the minister spent several hours deliberating over the terms of the agreement and, at the end of the day, no agreement was signed.

The chief wants a legal agreement, rather than a memorandum, guaranteeing that the government will fund a specialized mercury health care facility in the community regardless of the outcome of the 2019 federal election in October. A feasibility study completed in the fall of 2018 estimated the cost to build the facility at $88.7 million.

Fri. May 31

After three seasons with the Kenora Midget AAA Thistles, Sam Brunton is heading west.

Originally from Dryden, Brunton, 18, signed a letter of intent to play with the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in the 2019-20 season.

The Bandits are the 2018-19 RBC Champions after claiming the Junior A title in a 4-3 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings.