City Launches 2025 Annual Report Reflecting on a Year of Collaboration and Community Impact

The City of Kenora is proud to release its 2025 Annual Report, a document that recognizes the work that Council and City staff undertake in the various departments and highlights key achievements for the year ending December 31, 2025.

Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, staff remained focused on efficiency and delivering reliable services. Through collaboration and planning, the City delivered measurable results by strengthening local services, improving and expanding programming, and investing in the community’s infrastructure.

“Several key initiatives were successfully implemented, including improvements to infrastructure, enhancements to community programs, and continued investments in organizational capacity. These accomplishments and initiatives highlighted throughout the report can only be achieved with the support of Council and actions under the direction of our Senior Leadership Team and our staff,” shares Stace Gander, CAO.

Some highlights of 2025 included:

Improving Kenora’s infrastructure

• Invested $11.4 million in community capital projects.
• Upgraded Ninth Street North, from Twelfth Avenue North to Thirteenth Avenue North.
• Surface-treated 6.1 kilometres of roads, namely Gould Road, Coker Road, and Homestake Road.
• Patched over 40 pothole locations on City paved roads.
• Held a ribbon cutting celebration spotlighting the new accessible paved pathway and updated playground to the Norman Park Beach.
• Improved waterfront and lake access by updating and replacing several docks in the community.

Recreational and cultural programming

• Received 142,228 participant visits to the Moncrief Construction Sports Centre (MCSC)
• Hosted two tournaments in the fall on MCSC fields.
• Completed a major upgrade to Thistle Arena, replacing the concrete slab.
• Continued to deliver service to the community during the construction of the Keewatin Branch Library, by offering ongoing access to library services through the Kenora branch, digital resources, hosting regular book pop-ups, and book deliveries.
• Completed renovations at the Keewatin Branch Library, reopening its doors early in the new year.

Supporting local businesses

• Issued 56 business licences.
• Scheduled 144 business consultations
• Awarded the 2025 Marketing Canada Award for the City’s 2024 Holiday Trail Campaign.
• Record-breaking results for the 2025 Holiday Trail, with 143 booklets being sold.
• Added four additional winter markets.

Service driven and committed to the community

• 3,746 total requests for service were logged. These are customer driven through contacting the City of Kenora via phone, email, walk-in, and online.
• Improved and launched a new Kenora.ca website.
• The Wave microtransit service completed 48,654 trips and has 12,126 unique riders
• Issued 174 building permits.
• Fire and Emergency Services responded to 531 calls.

 Making meaningful strides in improving community safety and well-being

• In March, Kenora’s Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan was officially approved by Council.
• In May, a detailed Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) field study and story map were presented to Council and shared online for public viewing.
• Started 19 actions of the CSWB Plan by end of the year.
• Launched an online CSWB Plan Dashboard, a real-time tracker of the CSWB Plan’s progress and ongoing tasks.
• Launched ReportNeedles.ca web-based app, allowing community members to easily report sightings of needles or related equipment.

Building relationships with Treaty 3 partners

• Hosted the 2025 Spring Feast at Tunnel Island.
• Partnered with community organizations to turn the Bowman Electric Keewatin Memorial Arena into a temporary evacuation site for members of the Wabaseemoong Independent Nations.
• Exhibited Indigenous artists’ works at The Muse.
• Collaborate with Grand Council Treaty #3 Territorial Planning Unit to provide water quality testing for Black Sturgeon Lakes.
  
  

“This report reflects the dedication of our Council, municipal staff, community partners, and residents. Through collaboration and thoughtful planning, we have continued to invest in essential infrastructure, strengthen local services, and support economic and community development initiatives that improve quality of life,” says Mayor Andrew Poirier. 

To view the full 2025 Annual Report, visit Kenora.ca/AnnualReport.

Media contact

Mya Horley
Senior Communications Advisor, City of Kenora
mhorley@kenora.ca
807-467-2006