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Just one forest fire has been reported in the region. It was a 0.1 hectare blaze the popped up near Highway 665 about nine kilometers north of Dryden Thursday afternoon. It's since been declared out. The cool, wet weather over the last couple of days has reduced the forest fire hazard to low right across the region. Th...

There won't be any change in the party standings at Queen's Park. The Progressive Conservatives won both by-elections held last night in convincing fashion. The by-elections took play in Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and were to replace Conservative MP's that had stepped down. Zee Hamid won in Milton, just west of...

There is more money for the construction and maintenance of forest access roads. The provincial government is providing an extra six million dollars, bringing the existing fund to over $59 million. The roads are widely used by forestry and mining companies but also by tourism operators, hunters and anglers, campers, an...

The Ontario Energy Board has been tasked to identify options that lower electricity rates charged to public electric vehicle chargers. Energy Minister Todd Smith is hoping to have a preferred rate by 2026. The hosts of the charging stations pay high electricity costs when chargers are used during peak periods. They are...

The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the funding announced for school boards last week falls far short of what is required. The provincial government is providing $28.6 billion for the next school year in a revision of the granting made available. It says that is a 2.7% increase over last year. President of CUPE...

Ontario's Independent Electricity System Operator is making $15 million available to Indigenous communities. The money is available for three programs. They are for energy planning, infrastructure development and education. Applications for the Indigenous Energy Support Program are available now and the deadline to app...

Two provincial by-elections today won't affect the Ford government's majority. But they might be considered a public opinion poll on how the provincial Conservatives are doing. The by-elections are in Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and were both held by Conservative MPP's. The Ford Conservatives currently hold 78 se...

A movement against high grocery prices has begun, as many Canadians plan to boycott Loblaw this month. Thousands will take their spending elsewhere in May, due to mounting frustrations and increased profits at the grocery chain. Industry Minister Francois-Phillippe Champagne says Canadians are hurting and he isn't surp...

The Commissioner of the SIJHL is stepping down. Darrin Nicholas plans to pursue opportunities in another field. He has been commissioner since 2020, helping the league navigate through the pandemic and bringing new clubs to Sioux Lookout and Kenora. A search for his replacement is underway.

The provincial government is making several changes to the Northern Ontario Travel Grant. It provides reimbursement when travelling to access healthcare. Health Minister Sylvia Jones was in Thunder Bay on Tuesday and says changes this fall will include higher amount for accommodations. "This includes increasing th...

Despite cool, damp weather over the past couple of days, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry says there was one new forest fire. The blaze was located about 31 kilometers northeast of Dryden last Monday afternoon. It was only a small fire, measuring about 0.1 hectares in size near the CN main line. It has si...

School boards in northwestern Ontario are learning how much money they will receive from the provincial government for the next school year. Allocations totalling $29 billion are being issued provincewide. The province says this includes: $34 million to support the hiring of 300 school math facilitators, $13.5 million ...

Premier Doug Ford is showing his displeasure with any move to decriminalize certain street drugs. It is being tried in B.C., but it has led to concerns about use in public places like hospitals and parks. The city of Toronto, last year put in an application to Health Canada for a similar initiative. Ford says it is the...

Ontario companies will get an advantage when bidding for public contracts in the province. A new regulation under the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act will get preferential treatment when public sector entities, such as hospitals, school boards and colleges, seek goods and services. Nina Tangri, Associate Min...

Ontario's forest firefighters will soon have the same presumptive coverage for cancers, heart injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder as now offered to municipal and volunteer firefighters. Labour Minister David Piccini says he move the necessary legislation next week. Forest firefighters were not included in chang...

A messy start to the work week. Geoff Coulson from Environment Canada says we can expect a mix of precipitation today. "Certainly winter-like weather is hanging on right across northwestern Ontario," states Coulson. "Temperatures Monday morning are right around the freezing mark. We're actually getting ...

Despite the distance from northwestern Ontario to Toronto, this region has some issues in common with southern Ontario. That's the feeling of Green Party leader Mike Schreiner. He says there is a lack of affordable housing right across the province. "The government has to get back into the business of building dee...

Efforts to reduce students' use of cell phones and vaping in schools will become stiffer this September. The new provincewide policy will prohibit cellphone use in class and vaping products in schools and grounds. Education Minister Stephen Lecce says it is part of efforts to reduce distractions in classrooms and impro...

Some forest fire activity in northwestern Ontario this week. Crews with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services were called to four fires. The most recent was a small blaze, five kilometres northwest of Gameland at the west end of the Rainy River District. It was sp...

The MPP for Kiiwetinoong is tempering the enthusiasm about new electric vehicle plants in southern Ontario. Honda is the latest to announce plans. Sol Mamakwa says the province still needs to have agreements with First Nations to access the required minerals. He does not think the Ford government is doing a good enough...