Moose FM CFBG 99.5 - Muskoka

Almaguin Highlands OPP is on scene of a vehicle fire on Highway 11 north of Katrine Village, which is less than 10km south of Burk's Falls. Police says the car is in the middle of the northbound lanes. The highway is closed intermittently until police and EMS can clear the scene. The southbound lanes are slow going right now. No injuries have been reported at this time. We will keep you updated as news comes in.

A local lawyer is filing a class action lawsuit against the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) over damages incurred during the recent flooding. Michael Anne MacDonald says she’s commencing the action on behalf of a number of property owners on Lake Muskoka, the Indian River below the dam in Port Carling and on the north and south branch of the Muskoka River.

She’ll be applying to the court to have it certified as a class action on behalf of all property owners affected by flooding. MacDonald says the MNR, having taken control of the watershed and regulating it by dams, has the obligation of regulating it properly not negligibly. She says the dam system was not properly operated to allow for sufficient drawdown.

MacDonald anticipates others will join the action. The government needs 60 days notice before you can file a claim, then you have to publish it and your application to the court to be certified as a class action. MacDonald says she has expert evidence that tells her that the whole story has not been told. We have contacted the MNR about the accusations, but they have not yet been able to respond.

Hailey Scott will once again receive the Ontario Volunteer Service Award. Last year she received the award as one of Muskoka's youngest for her work with Muskoka Heritage Place in Huntsville. The 13-year-old is one of over 100 residents from Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Parry Sound and Magnetawan to be given the award tomorrow night at the Algonquin Theatre. These awards are given to residents for their continued volunteer work to a single organization.

Local police are looking for some vandals who were up to no good on the long weekend. Sometime over the weekend, somebody was on the property of Miller Aggregates in Utterson and damaged some equipment. They took fire extinguishers and sprayed inside vehicles that were on site and the cabs of the equipment. Huntsville OPP is seeking the public's assistance in locating the culprits. Anyone with any information is asked to call the detachment or Crime Stoppers.

Our local health unit is getting ready to test our mosquitoes for West Nile Virus. The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit says we are starting to see mosquitoes pop up this time of year. However, Program Manager Brenda Armstrong says the bugs that are a risk to humans come out later in the summer, between July and September.

Armstrong says there were no human infections in Muskoka last year. She says they will start testing the species for the virus in June. Meantime, there are many things you can do to protect yourself against West Nile. Armstrong says the most important is to get rid of any standing water, which is a major breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Armstrong says you should also be using a federally approved insect repellent whenever you’re going to be outside.

For more information on West Nile, go to www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.