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Hunting Map with areas 4 and 5 Ontario Govt

Concern expressed from hunters with closure of road closures in Kenora/Dryden areas

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The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is asking for an explanation as to why some roads in the Kenora and Dryden areas have been placed off-limits to hunters.

OFAH says the Ministry of Natural Resources put the closures in place in response to a request from an area Indigenous community.

The roads impacted are Segise, Portal and Deer Lake Roads, and have been used by hunters to access hunting areas within Wildlife Management Units 4 and 5.

Travel on the roads is being permitted for other uses.

OFAH says moose hunters started to be contacted last week, just days after the bow-hunting for moose season opened.

The Federation is now asking for the evidence used to justify the restrictions, the impact on tag holders, the decision to use access restrictions over other management tools and why the decision came after the opening of moose hunting season.

“The OFAH is deeply concerned about the impact on moose hunters, the lack of transparency and public communication, and the precedent this sets for moose management,” it states in a social media post.

The Ministry of Natural Resources says hunters with tags in areas impacted by restrictions can visit its district office in Kenora for assistance in locating other hunting areas.

In an email to Acadia News, the Ministry says the roads have “temporary, localized access restrictions for moose hunting, and was done to manage concerns regarding moose populations.

“These temporary restrictions do not change Ontario’s moose management framework, which continues to rely on the best available science, local and Indigenous knowledge, and hunter reporting,” adds the email.

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Hwy 17 briefly closed near Kenora

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A motor vehicle collision on Highway 17 west of Kenora briefly closed the highway on Saturday.

Two pickup trucks were reported as being involved.

The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. near Royal Lake Road, about 40 kilometres west of Kenora.

No other details have been immediately released, and it is not certain if anyone has been injured.

The highway was reopened to traffic within an hour.

Updates will be provided as further information becomes available.

Police Vehicle Lights

UPD: Upper Branch Road reopens after crash near Auburndale

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Part of Upper Branch Road near Auburndale in Lunenburg County has reopened after being closed following a collision Saturday afternoon.

In a social media update posted at 4:39 p.m., Nova Scotia RCMP said the 1000-block of Upper Branch Road was closed in both directions while emergency crews responded to the crash.

The closure affected a section of the road near Auburndale, north of Bridgewater.

RCMP officers and other first responders attended the scene, and motorists were asked to avoid the area and follow detour directions.

In a later update, RCMP said Upper Branch Road had reopened.

Police have not released information about injuries or the number of vehicles involved.

kearney lake

Kearney Lake Beach closed for the season after toxic blue-green algae found

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The city says Kearney Lake Beach is closed for the season after municipal staff tested the water quality for bacteria and found a potential bloom of toxic blue-green algae.

Halifax Parks and Recreation says all swimming lessons have been cancelled, and that more testing in the area is underway.

Blue-green algae is found naturally in freshwater in Nova Scotia all the time, and are known as some of the oldest organisms on Earth, according to the municipality.

They say that certain types of this algae can produce toxins called microcystins. These blooms are known to have negative impacts for people and pets, especially in high concentrations. It mainly targets the skin, liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

Children and immune-compromised individuals are at a higher risk.

The city says water users are encouraged to take the following precautions:

  • Avoid water contact. If contact occurs, towel off vigorously and wash with tap water as soon as possible.
  • Do not swim or wade (or allow your children or pets to swim or wade) in any areas where blue-green algae is visible or in areas that have been closed to swimming due to possible blue-green algae.
  • Keep pets on-leash and do not allow them to consume blue-green algae material.
  • Avoid consuming water from this lake.
  • Avoid consuming fish that has come from this lake.

The municipality monitors for blue-green algae at certain supervised beaches from July 1 to August 31.

HRM says there is a list of alternative supervised beach locations on the city’s website.

City Hall Moncton NB

Two Irishtown Nature Park trails closed for rest of summer

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Upgrades are going to keep walkers off a pair of local trails for the next two months.

The City of Moncton says work at Irishtown Nature Park means the Dragonfly and Gerhardt Trails will be closed to the public.

The closure will begin August 4th and is expected to continue until September 29th.

For safety reasons, the city is asking trail users to respect the closure signage and refrain from trespassing.

Quetico Park sign

Quetico Park closures extended another week

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Parts of Quetico Provincial Park continue to remain closed because of wildland fires.

The Dawson Trail Campground, day-use areas, the park’s backcountry and backcountry entry stations have been closed since the middle of July.

A notice from the park says those closures are being extended to July 29th, when the situation will be again reviewed.

The park has been making contact with campers with reservations to offer them a full refund or an opportunity to change their reservation to another day without penalties.

The Ministry of Natural Resources lists five active fires in the park, covering more than 70,000 hectares.

Map of Quetico Provincial Park showing active wildland fires, July 23, 2026. Map courtesy Ministry of Natural Resources Fire Map

One fire that was identified on June 20th near Agnes Lake in the park’s southern end is listed as covering 25,279 hectares.

The MNR is only observing that fire and allowing it to burn itself out.

The other large fire started on June 30 near Olifaunt Lake and has scorched 42,279 hectares.

Rainy River Health Centre - Google Maps

Rainy River Health Centre emergency department to temporarily close next week

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Riverside Health Care is preparing for another temporary closure of the emergency department at its Rainy River Health Centre.

It has announced that shut down could happen on Tuesday, July 21st at noon until Wednesday, July 22nd at 8 p.m.

Riverside says it is still exploring all available options to maintain emergency services.

The withdrawal of doctors from the community almost two years ago led to Riverside relying on locum physicians from outside of the area and travelling to the community to maintain emergency department services.

The closure would be the second this year.

Rainy River’s emergency department was briefly closed in April.

In a statement on the closure, Riverside Health Care states that “every effort will continue to be made to restore services as quickly as possible.”

During the closure, ambulances will be re-routed to La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances, 90 kilometres away.

Anyone requiring immediate medical attention is being encouraged to call 9-1-1.

Residents with non-emergency health issues are being encouraged to call Health811 at 8-1-1 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007) or visit Ontario.ca/Health811.

Bookshelf in library with many books

Annapolis Valley library board taps reserves to keep five branches open

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The Annapolis Valley Regional Library board has voted to use more than half of its remaining reserve funds to keep five branches operating through the summer.

Earlier this year, the library system announced plans to close branches in Hantsport, Kentville, Lawrencetown, Middleton, and Port Williams because of funding shortfalls.

At a special meeting in Wolfville, board members approved a motion to extend service at those locations until Sept. 30, using reserve funds to cover the costs.

The decision provides a temporary reprieve for the branches, which had faced potential closure amid ongoing budget pressures, originally set for July 20.

Board members also voted to renew a request to the library’s municipal funding partners for the full amount of funding originally sought. The board hopes additional financial support will allow the five branches to remain open beyond the end of September.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library serves communities across Kings, Annapolis, and Hants counties and has warned that reserve funds are limited, making a long-term funding solution necessary to maintain service levels.

Fall Foliage Irishtown Park Oct 2022 (Dearing)

Irishtown Nature Park reservoir closed due to cyanobacteria

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The City of Moncton has closed the reservoir at Irishtown Nature Park after routine testing detected cyanobacteria in the water.

The city said all recreational use of the reservoir is prohibited until further notice.

That includes kayaking, canoeing and any other activity on the water.

Pet owners are also being reminded to keep dogs away from the reservoir and to prevent them from drinking or swimming in the water.

Notices and signage have been posted around the site to warn visitors.

Staff will continue monitoring the reservoir and will provide updates as conditions change.

Routine testing is carried out on all municipally owned bodies of water, according to the city.

The city will inform residents as soon as conditions improve and the reservoir can safely reopen.

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