Both lanes of Lakeview Drive are closed between the Main Street/Veterans Drive roundabout to Parsons Street due to a downed hydro pole.
No serious injuries were reported.
City crews are on scene working to restore service. Updates will be provided when available.
The Kenora Youth and Family Wellness Camp is closing out July with a lineup of free sports clinics, giving local youth the opportunity to learn from professional and high-level coaches.
Last week, participants took to the basketball court for a clinic hosted by the Raptors development team, where they worked on skills and drills with experienced coaches.
The sports programming continued Friday with a soccer camp led by representatives from Toronto FC, one of Canada’s premier professional soccer organizations.
The action isn’t over yet.
The Toronto Blue Jays Care Foundation will be in Kenora next week to host a free baseball clinic for players aged six to 17. The event is scheduled for Wednesday and will provide young athletes with instruction and activities focused on developing baseball skills.
Jays Care will also offer a coaching clinic on Tuesday for youth baseball coaches looking to build their knowledge and teaching skills on the diamond.
For more information and to register for youth programming, visit the Youth and Family Wellness Camp website.
Local hoopers aged 6-20 can now register for a free basketball clinic hosted by the Toronto Raptors development team.
The Courtside Care event will take place Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas School.
In addition to the basketball programming, free health screenings and wellness resources will be available on site from 4 to 8 p.m. for community members of all ages. Dinner will also be provided.
The event is being organized by the Kenora Youth and Family Wellness Camp. Click here to register. For more information, email wellness.camp@kenorachiefs.org.
Tourism Kenora is inviting soccer fans to a special World Cup viewing event on Tuesday.
There will be live screenings of both Round of 16 games (kickoffs are at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.) at the Kenora harbourfront, as well as soccer challenges, photo opportunities, beer gardens, food trucks and live music.
The city is advising residents that the south harbourfront parking lot will be closed, with traffic and parking disruptions expected during event setup and throughout the event.
So far, Switzerland is confirmed for the 3 p.m. match slot. The other teams have yet to be determined. Canada, meanwhile, will play its Round of 16 match on Saturday, meaning it will not be part of this event.
“On Tuesday, the downtown core will be bustling with energy,” the city wrote in a press release. “This is a special, countrywide celebration you won’t want to miss. Bring your friends and family and make it a highlight of your summer.”
Kenora advises attendees to arrive early and plan parking in advance. Free parking will be available along the greenbelt and Moncrief Construction Sports Centre.
Options for additional emergency support are being considered after devastating flooding at the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.
Those options include mobile medical units, and discussions are also underway with the Canadian Armed Forces.
President and CEO Cheryl O’Flaherty says damage assessments are currently underway, but could take months.
Flooding happened on May 6 on the fourth floor due to a critical infrastructure failure.
RELATED: Lake of the Woods Hospital coping with impacts of a flood
A news release from the hospital states that damage has had a significant impact on hospital operations and
services. All surgeries have been cancelled through the end of May, the Respiratory Therapy Clinic is closed, and the hospital Gift Shop, which was also impacted, remains closed until further notice.
The Surgical Services Team is continuing to work with regional hospitals to identify alternatives for general surgeries and regional orthopedic, gynecological, urological and ophthalmology
procedures.
The feasibility of mobile medical units is being evaluated with the Province of Ontario’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team.
LWDH is also working with the Ministry of Health to explore additional infrastructure expertise and identify preventative measures moving forward.
Kenora’s Sakatcheway Anishinabe School is celebrating the success of its third annual Anishinabe Chess Invitational tournament.
Forty-five students from nine public and reserve schools across Northwestern Ontario gathered to compete, ranging in age from 10 to 20. Matches were held across junior, intermediate and senior divisions.
“[The students] were really stressed and on edge because it’s a tournament and it’s highly competitive,” said Sasha Sadrudin, teacher at Sakatcheway and organizer of the tournament. “I would attune it to the same thing that athletes feel right before a tournament. There’s an eagerness to compete.”
The tournament was held from Thursday to Friday. It was hosted by the Seven Generations Education Institute, who provided the chess tables as well as breakfast and lunch for competitors. Grand Council Treaty #3 secured hotel rooms for families that travelled from out of town.
Representatives from the Kenora Chiefs Advisory, Lake of the Woods Hospital Mental Health Unit and the Kenora Sexual Assault Centre set up booths during the event to share valuable health information with attendees.
“A lot of tournaments in northwestern Ontario have historically been athletic tournaments. From what I know, there’s never cerebral-style clubs like chess or robotics or public speaking. I’ve been playing chess at our school club for years, and my students said, ‘wait, we want to play other kids.’ I put the idea to Grand Council, and they said absolutely,” Sadrudin said.
Sadrudin said an Anishinabe public speaking competition is in the works to help students develop interpersonal skills and self-confidence.
“[This tournament] resulted in a lot of intense, competitive play, but at the same time, very good comraderie that was built between the students and even the coaches,” he said.
The Lake of the Woods Hospital Mental Health Unit provided 130 stress balls for competitors. Sadrudin said they needed another shipment by the second day of competition.
“The kids were definitely on edge, but they played fabulously.”
Participating schools are listed below, per Sasha Sadrudin:
Ten-year old Kenora native Lochlan Hawes is in the running for $20,000, a tour of the Planetary Society with Bill Nye, and a feature in Reader’s Digest.
Hawes is among the top 1% of applicants for “America’s Favorite Student,” a contest for young students aged 6-17 from Canada and the US.
“We’ll donate some of [the prize money] to my cousin Harper’s GoFundMe, because she has CTNNB1,” Lochlan said.
CTNNB1 Syndrome is an ultra-rare genetic disorder that impairs growth of the brain and central nervous system. When Lochlan’s cousin Harper was 20 months old, her parents were told that she would most likely not walk or talk and would have severe global and intellectual delay. Harper has since learned to walk short distances with the help of leg braces and a walker. She began to communicate verbally shortly after her 5th birthday.
Now eight years old, Harper has been selected as just the third child worldwide to participate in a groundbreaking human clinical trial for a new gene replacement therapy designed specifically for CTNNB1 Syndrome.
“After years of investing in Harper’s therapies (upwards of $20,000 annually), [Harper’s parents] Scott and Tara find themselves financially stretched, making it challenging to provide Harper with this unique opportunity,” Harper’s family wrote in their GoFundMe.
Lochlan says his prize money will go towards Harper’s treatment and his future post-secondary education.
“Harper’s a really great kid,” said Lochlan’s dad Christopher Hawes. “She’s really sweet and funny. We’re supporting her in many ways, and this will be another great way to do that.”
According to Lochlan, math is his favourite subject because he enjoys the rules and patterns behind solving problems.
“He legitimately loves learning,” Lochlan’s dad said. “Honestly, it’s been so exciting to learn with him and take him to his limits of understanding things.”
Born in Kenora, Lochlan moved to Thunder Bay two years ago. He plays competitive soccer and trains several times a week. He likes to play chess and cross country skis in his spare time.
“I’d like to meet Bill Nye,” Lochlan said. “We see him in science. He’s happy and always positive.”
With enough votes, Lochlan will advance to the semifinals of America’s Favorite Student. Click here to place your vote.
“We’ve had some wonderful support from friends and family and we’re now at the quarterfinal phase, which is amazing. The next step is to get some more momentum. We’re hoping people will vote for Lochlan help him go to the Planetary Society and meet Bill, and win some money for his education and to share with his cousin,” Lochlan’s dad said.
Voting for the quarterfinals closes May 7.
Prepare to be slipping and sliding on Thursday night and on Friday.
Special weather statements are in effect for areas including Kenora and Dryden.
Environment Canada says this is due to a low-pressure system expected to bring a wintry mix of precipitation, including freezing rain and rain.
Those regions could see ice buildups of between one and four millimetres.
Conditions are expected to improve on Friday afternoon.
As another Northwestern Ontario winter fades into memory, we’re taking a moment to look back at the season that once again reminded us just how breathtaking this region can be. From deep freezes and fresh snowfall to golden hours that seemed to set the sky on fire, winter gave us no shortage of unforgettable moments, and you captured them beautifully.
Throughout the season, viewers from across NWO shared scenes that told winter’s story in quiet, powerful ways. Frozen lakes stretched out beneath pastel skies, framed by towering evergreens dusted in snow. Several submissions featured sunsets blazing through the trees, rich oranges and pinks melting into deep purples as daylight slipped away over snow-covered landscapes. Even in the coldest months, there was warmth in the light.
Some photos highlighted the stillness of winter mornings: the sun low on the horizon, casting long beams across icy paths and untouched snow, reminding us how peaceful the world can feel before the day fully wakes up. Others captured dramatic skies, soft cloud layers streaked with colour, glowing halos around the sun, and subtle rainbows hidden in winter light, proving that the sky itself was often the main event.
Fireworks by Connie Calvert
One striking submission showed a nighttime winter gathering illuminated by fireworks bursting into the sky, their reflections glowing against the snow below. In a season defined by darkness and cold, moments like these stood out, proof that winter is also a time for connection and celebration.
Winter’s Last Glow by Robert Williams
Now, as temperatures slowly rise and the days stretch longer, spring is beginning to take over. Snowbanks will shrink, trails will soften, and those same landscapes will soon look completely different. But thanks to you, the magic of this winter is preserved, one photo at a time.
Ignace, ON – Matt Doran
Thank you to everyone who shared their view, their moment, and their slice of Northwestern Ontario with us this season. As we close the chapter on winter, we’re already looking ahead, because no matter the season, there’s always something worth showing off in NWO.
🌅❄️🌱
Keep sharing your views, and keep showing us your NWO.
Email in your photos:
Kenora – info@yourkenora.ca
Dryden – info@yoursunsetcountry.ca
Fort Frances/Rainy River – info@yourborderland.ca
Kenora’s own Sophie English has claimed her third record in paraswimming.
The 15-year old phenom swims in the S6SB6SM6 class. She posted a time of 15:28 in the 800m freestyle short course at a Winnipeg meet last month, the best junior paraswimming time in her class in Canadian history.
English captured the paraswimming provincial record for her class in the 200m backstroke last year, breaking a mark that stood for over 14 years. She also holds the provincial record in the 200m breaststroke for her class.
English is a member of the Kenora Swimming Sharks club.
“I’ve watched Sophie show up every single day and give everything she has,” said Swimming Sharks head coach Janet Hyslop. “For that dedication to be recognized with a Canadian record, it means the world to her, to our club, and to everyone in Kenora who has supported her along the way. This is her moment.”