City teen dies in crash

A 17 year old Thunder Bay boy is dead following an accident on the Trans Canada Highway near Pineview Rd.  OPP say the teen was the driver of a Chevy Uplander van which collided with a tractor trailer unit just before 5 o'clock  early Sunday morning.   The youth was pronounced dead at the scene.   The name has not been released.   The two occupants of the tractor trailer were not hurt.   Police say it is speculated that no charges will be laid.

Happy to have 87 back

There's lots of positive comments coming from Thunder Bay hockey fans to the return of Sidney Crosby to the NHL.  Those we spoke to were happy about it.

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Matawa says Webequie can do what it wants

The CEO of the Matawa First Nations says the Webequie First Nation is fully within its right to act independently on the Ring of Fire. David Achneepineskum says the organization fully backs the stand taken by Webequie to speak on the chromite project on its own.  Achneepineskum says each community has the authority within Matawa to develop their own community position.

Murder suspect back in court

It's back to court in 11 days for the man charged with the city's latest murder.   22 year old Kyle Rae of Thunder Bay made a brief appearance in a city courtroom Friday with his lawyer Chris Watkins. Rae is charged with second degree murder in last weekend' s death of his friend, 21 year old Jimmy Monias.  Rae has  been order to appear in court again November the 15th. Until then,  he remains in custody at the District Jail.

Shannon receives highest civilian honour

It's a big day for Thunder Bay lawyer Dave Shannon.  He has  received the Order of Canada from the Governor General in Ottawa.  It's in recognition for his work in the area of human rights and the disabled.   Shannon, who is disabled himself, has also made his mark in other areas including being the first paraplegic to reach the North Pole.

NAN supports inquiry into jury rolls

Frank Iacobucci

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is responding favourably to the news that there will be an inquiry into the jury roll system in Ontario. NAN says it has fought for years to uncover the truth about why First Nations have been excluded from the provincial justice system. The government has appointed former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci to head the probe.

Hawks may extend Sharp's Contract: LeBrun

It looks like Thunder Bay's Patrick Sharp could be about to get a contract extension with the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.   ESPN's Pierre LeBrun is Tweeting that Sharp's agent met with GM Stan Bowman and they agreed to talk again in a few weeks.  LeBrun adds that the Hawks are confident they can hammer out an extension.  Sharp is a year away from unrestricted free agency. 

RegenMed gets donor designation

Another first for Thunder Bay's knowledge based economy. The Centre for Regenerative Medicine, which recycles human bone and tissue,  now has designation from the Trillium Gift of Life Network in Ontario.  CEO Robert Thayer says it essentially gives the non profit company a new lease on life.  They now have the legal right to be a bone and tissue bank for the Regional Health Sciences Centre

Icebreaker on it's way

There's been a delay, but the icebreaker Mobile Bay is still due to come in to port today. Port Authority CEO Tim Heney says it was supposed to have been here by now, but was delayed by some winds but should be here by 8 tonight

Hepatitis program going national

The Health Unit is joining a Canada wide Hepatitis surveillance program. Information from people with the disease is to be shared with health officials nationally. Program coordinator Maureen Twigg says we'll be one of 11 reporting centres in Canada. She says the information will be compiled to come up with a data base.  Twigg says it's just an extension of a program that is run provincially

Mob expert says locals are breaking no law

It's not likely the 7 people from Thunder Bay reported to be named in an Italian warrant will ever be extradited to Italy. Antonio Nicaso, a Mafia expert, says while the men may be accused by the Italians of alleged association to the ‘Ndrangheta, they aren't breaking the law in Canada. That's because he says being associated with the Mafia is not something that is recognized in our criminal code. Nicaso says the only way they would ever be arrested is if they go to Italy

Local man joins class action suit

Students who attended a government run school for the blind 50 years ago are now speaking out. They're launching a 225 million dollar lawsuit claiming abuse. One of the names on that statement of claim is Thunder Bay's Robert Seed.  He says the abuse suffered by the students was similar to what was suffered by in the native residential schools.  None of the claims have been proven in court

Board considers re-naming Selkirk Auditorium

The Catholic School Board is pondering changing the name of the Selkirk Auditorium at St. Patrick's High School.  One suggestion is to re-name it after long time trustee Phil Colosimo.   The idea is meeting with some resistance.  Trustees have not made a final decision.

Patient falls reduced in the Northwest

There's praise for health care facilities in Northwestern Ontario from a top provincial official. Dr. Ben Chan, CEO of the Ontario Health Quality Council notes that institutions in Kenora, Dryden and Red Lake have reduced patient falls by half in the past year. Chan says that frees up beds in Thunder Bay since patients don't have to come here for surgery.  Chan is in Thunder Bay to talk to health care providers. 

Board vice-chair defends tuition hike

With increased tuition fees at Lakehead University now set in stone, the vice chair of the Board of Governors is defending the move. Cam Clark says it was necessary because the institution is facing rising costs.  He says the board tried to find a balance between affordable education for those students with few resources and a fiscally responsible budget.  Clark suggests the increase was regrettable but necessary

Hampton: No substance to "stunted growth plan"

Provincial NDP leader Howard Hampton says the McGuinty government's Northern Growth plan is void of any substance.  He says there is no action plan in the document what-so-ever, and that after 4 years of study all there is. is more study, more talk and more delay. Hampton says the plan shows that the government is out of touch with the realities of life in the north.

City firefighters make sunshine list

A total of 115 people on the City of Thunder Bay payroll are on the province's Sunshine List. It gives the names of civil servants and other government officials who made more than 100 thousand dollars last year. City Manager Tim Commisso says a recent arbitration decision for city firefighters put 32 of them on that list. 50 people in the Police Service are also made more than a 100K in 2010

Infanticide ruled a partial defence to murder

A precedent setting ruling by Ontario's top court.  The Court of Appeal says that mothers who kill their newborn babies may use infanticide as a defence and receive a drastically reduced sentence. The president of the Thunder Bay Law Association David Dubinsky notes its a very rare charge.  He doesn't expect a lot of mothers will be running to court with this type of defence. Dubinsky says the issue hit the court because a special interest group wanted to make a statement about women's rights

Tribe likes games experience

Thunder Bay's Erin Tribe is one of several local competitors at the Canada Winter Games in Halifax.   She took time out for an interview.

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Gas prices up again

Gas prices in Thunder Bay have shot up.  The website gasbuddy.com
 is showing that many gas stations in the city have jacked up their price for regular to an average of about a dollar 26 a litre.  That's up 6 cents a litre from Wednesday. Oil traders say the increase is the result of the crisis in Libya which has increased the price for a barrel of oil.