The Ice Dogs opened the scoring with just under eight minutes to go in the first period when Brenden Church dropped a pass in front of the net for Spencer Gyori to score.
Two minutes later, Kevin Burton added a goal off the faceoff to bring the Ice Dogs’ lead to 2-0.
The Mustangs responded with just under two minutes to go to close the gap.
It was all about BJ McClellan for the rest of the game as the forward scored two goals in the second and his third of the game in the third period to help the Dogs to a 8-2 victory.
Ben McClellan and Mike Lennon also added goals for the Ice Dogs.
The boys just couldn’t repeat in round two as the Mustangs came out to play.
Spencer Gyori scored the opening goal in the game just three minutes into the first.
The Mustangs took over from there, earning two goals before the end of the first 20 minutes.
The Ice Dogs suffered major penalty trouble throughout the game, losing three players, and the Mustangs took advantage.
Down 4-1 in the third, the Ice Dogs managed two more goals from Jon Mitchell and Kevin Burton before the game was out for the 4-3 loss.

For more information, check this week’s edition of The Dryden Observer

After five draft budgets and little resolution to the problem of a $1.1 million taxation shortfall, Dryden city council passed a deficit budget last week, including a 3.9 per cent tax increase for the residential and commercial sectors.

The vote passed four to one, with councillors Mel Fisher, Gary Case, Mike Wood and Gwen Kurz in favour. Councillor Brian Collins opposed the budget, sticking to previous statements that he would not support a deficit budget. Councillor Dennis Wintle was absent.

The city took a significant financial hit in 2009 as it settled up with the large industrial sector for the taxation years 2006 through 2008 following successful assessment appeals.

With tax rate increases already totaling 26.55 per cent over the past six years, council proved unwilling to pass the bulk of the burden to taxpayers, which would have amounted to a potential 13 per cent taxation increase in 2010.

Instead, the City will pursue a Special Assistance Grant (SAG) from the province. Should that request be denied, the city faces the inevitability of reducing service levels.

“If the grant doesn’t come through, there will be some real belt tightening going on,” said councillor Gary Case. “We’re trying to do two things: to maintain our complete roster of people working for us and we’re trying to move the city ahead in regular fashion.”

Essentially, the city is seeking to buy time until new initiatives like DMTS mobility network, a solar energy park and other developments start contributing new revenue streams.

After faithful adherence to provincial adjustment strategies and demonstrating the community’s willingness to exploit every possible new economic development opportunity, Councillor Mike Wood says the onus is on the province to stick with Dryden.

“We’ve done everything we can as a community to replace the revenue we’ve lost,” said Wood. “We’re basically the poster child for a community that takes its future seriously. If those cuts come, they will come largely as a result of a government that failed to follow through.”

- Chris Marchand

The big moment. Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation's Brittany Norris (far right) dances in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Brittany Norris (left) hangs out backstage at the Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Wabigoon’s Lake Ojibway Nation’s Brittany Norris has been dancing in her culture’s traditional style since she was able to walk. Little did she know that talent would take her to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.

Norris, age 20, was picked from thousands of applicants to join over 320 aboriginal Canadians for 16 days of events, rehearsals and a performance role in the spectacular Olympic Opening Ceremonies, Feb. 19, in Vancouver.

“I saw a flyer in the reserve band office,” said Norris. “I wasn’t even going to apply because it was so vague and I didn’t know what it was about. I was really encouraged by a band council member and my Aunty Donna.”

Once chosen, Norris says she was practically sworn to secrecy and could share very few details with anyone.

Arriving in Vancouver in the lead-up to the Games, Norris said the rehearsal schedule was intense.

“We were rehearsing eight to 12 hours  everyday,” said Norris. “There were totem poles rising out of the ground, so we had to be careful where we were stepping.”

To be a part of an event with a truly massive global television audience such as an Olympic Games is difficult for Norris to describe. She says the sheer amount of rehearsal time helped overcome the nerves.

“It was nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time,” she said. “But after doing it every day for hours, it almost seemed like another rehearsal – we were all so used to it.”

As a reward for their hard work, Norris and her fellow performers enjoyed attending a few Olympic events, watching the Canadian Women’s Hockey Team deliver an 18-0 drubbing to Slovakia, meeting Canada’s bobsleigh team, and enjoying an open dialogue with Canada’s Governor General Michaelle Jean.

Norris says the crew even made it up to Whistler for the torch relay and enjoyed a gondola ride from peak-to-peak. They also were given a private tour of the new ski jumping facility constructed for the Games.

Reflecting back on the experience, she says the chance to interact with so many indigenous Canadians  was a rare and precious opportunity.

“I’ve always been pretty small town, hung around here and Wabigoon,” she said. “I got to meet people from the Yukon, Inuit people, Mohawk people, indigenous people from all over Canada.”

-Chris Marchand

“The walleye can wait.”

That’s Cpt. Dan Rossi’s advice for anyone thinking about going fishing this May Long Weekend instead of attending the largest airshow Dryden will likely ever see.

Two pilots from the Canadian Forces Snowbirds Demonstration Team touched down in a Tudor jet last week to put some faces to names in an ongoing effort to organize a very exciting Centennial Air Show at the Dryden Airport.

“We’re coming,” says Rossi. “And it’s going to be a good show. It’s a kick-off for an entire year of events. We know it’s going to be a long weekend, but that’s also the perfect time to come on out and enjoy an airshow. The fish will be out there every weekend, we’re only here for one.”

The Snowbirds haven’t performed their dazzling displays of aerial maneuvers in the Dryden area since 1990. The group is celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2010.

The 12 aircraft, 24 person Snowbird team are just part of a larger lineup of spectacles and attractions set for an event that organizers hope will draw as many as 15,000 people to Dryden from around the region.

Jason Robinson, sub committee lead for the Centennial Airshow says the weekend will also include a CF-18 tactical fighter demo team, Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation demos with CL415 air tankers and various other members of the fleet.

Robinson adds that discussions with the U.S. Armed Forces have taken place in the interest of securing a A-10 Warthog demo team and numerous flybys from F-15 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers, depending on what’s available at the time.

“There will be a gamut of aircraft,” said Robinson. “We’re also looking at a selection of vintage aircraft – including the Harvard, hopefully we can get a P-51 Mustang and some others as things develop.”

Robinson adds that the presence of vintage and historical aircraft will be tied closely to event sponsorship levels. Thus far the event has attracted a few platinum sponsors in DMTS and CKDR and is hoping other local agencies are ready to lend support.

While a website for the event is currently under construction, Facebook users can find out more about the event on the ‘Dryden Centennial Airshow’ page.

- Chris Marchand

Hwy 17 was re-opened approximately four hours after the initial closure due to a fatal motor vehicle accident near Willard Lake Esso.

West bound traffic from Dryden heading to Kenora is being re-routed down Hwy 502 due to an accident  near Dixie Lake involving a transport and a passenger vehicle.

Police will advise when the highway is expected to be reopened.