OPP probe arson in Neebing Township

A 45 year old Thunder Bay woman is facing Arson and Assault charges after a fire in Neebing Township on the weekend. OPP say they were called to a building blaze on Jarvis Bay Road. The woman has been released from custody as the investigation continues. Police also say there were two collisions on the highway involving moose but no serious injuries.

Morning Sports Recap

Team Canada beat the best at the World Junior Baseball Championships. The Juniors beat two time defending champion Korea 5-4 Sunday. Philip Diedrick smashed a Grand Slam in the top of the first to put Canada ahead and says it was his biggest hit of his career.  Canada scored the winning run in the top of the fifth off a wild pitch from Korean Pitcher Yoo Chang Sik.  Next Up for Canada is Panama Tuesday at 7:00 at Port Arthur Stadium.  In other World Junior Baseball action.  The US hammered Italy 10-0 in 7 innings, Chinese Taipei beat Australia 13-11, Cuba crushed the Czech Republic 16-1, Venzuala downed France 8-2 and the Netherlands got past Panama 5-2.

In the Northwoods League the Border Cats came up just short of the Duluth Huskies 4-3.  The Cats are right back at it tonight in St Cloud as they kick off a three game series with the River Bats. 

World Juniors roundup

Yesterday, Canada lost 3-0 to Cuba in a tight match. The US won 4-2 against Australia. Chinese Taipei dominated France winning 11-1. Italy won 6-5 against Venezuela in eleven innings. The Czech Republic came back from an early deficit against Panama, but still lost 7-5. South Korea won a lopsided victory against the Netherlands 10-0.

Canada loses against Cuba 3-0

There was nothing on the scoreboard for either side until the top of the eighth when Cuba's Andy Ibanez batted in two runs. Cuba went on to edge out Canada 3-0. Both sides were strong defensively, giving up few hits throughout the game. Tom Robson pitched a solid six innings for Canada before he was relieved by Evan Grills. Cuba's Omar Luis pitched all nine innings and struck out 10 batters.

Italy wins against Venezuela

Italy beat Venezuela 6-5 yesterday. Venezuela started strong, scoring two runs in the first inning. The game quickly turned into a stalemate with either side refusing to budge. Italy eventually got the runs needed to send the game into extra innings and won in the eleventh. Italy faces the US today. Coach Gianguido Poma is looking forward to the game against the strong American team. "I know they're better than us, but you start from zero to zero and we just want to play a good game," said Poma.

Reason for Venezuela's delay still unknown

Ian Young of the IBAF says the organization isn't yet clear on the reason for Team Venezuela's late arrival to the World Junior Baseball Championship. Some Venezuelan players were arriving directly from the airport minutes before their game against Italy yesterday. The IBAF is investigating the issue and will make a statement once more is known.

Venezuela back in

Team Venezuela is on the ground in Thunder Bay, and back in the World Junior Baseball Championship. They will play Italy today at Baseball Central with a 4:00 start time.

Team Canada starts strong

Brandon Dailey's three run homer in the second inning got Canada off to a great start against the Netherlands. Team Canada went on to win the game 9-2 last night. Cuba beat Panama 10-0 yesterday morning. There will be games going all day at the two tournament locations. Canada and Cuba meet up tonight at Port Arthur Stadium.

Thunder Bay welcomes the world

The eleven teams that make up the World Junior Baseball Championship marched onto the field at Port
Arthur Stadium as part of the opening ceremonies Friday night.   The loudest cheers were, of course, for Team Canada who played the Netherlands immediately following the formalities.

Man robbed infront of his house

A 23 year old man was robbed outside his home on Sherrington Drive yesterday.  The victim was going to his car when he was confronted by a man and woman who had allegedly broken into his vehicle.  Police believe the man hit the victim and then fled the scene.

Tory nomination now a two person race

Richard Longtin is trying to inject a bit of youth into the local Conservative Party. He is seeking the federal Tory nomination for Thunder Bay Superior North. The 26 year old Longtin says he wants to help the riding grow.  The only other contender at this time is Richard Harvey. No date has been set for the nomination.

Fort Frances area mill workers vote for strike action

Unionized workers at the Ainsworth OSB Mill in Barwick have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to back contract demands. The strike vote came after the 130 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union voted 97 per cent against the company's latest offer. CEP National Rep Steven Boon says the union will continue work towards a deal before the mid-August strike deadline. Boon says many of the outstanding issues centre around non-monetary things such as contract language, contracting out, seniority and scheduling changes.

MNR Blitz catches illegal activity

The Minstry of Natural Resources laid 98-charges and issued 321-warnings during a recent 7-day enforcement blitz across Northwestern Ontario.  Conservation officers checked nearly 23-hundred anglers.  Charges were issued for fishing without a licence, over-limit of walleye, trespassing, illegally transporting fish, importing live baitfish, obstructing an officer and camping on crown land without a permit.  Several liquor related violations and not having appropriate safety equipment were also reported.

NDP MP John Rafferty weighs in on census

Another politician is weighing in on the Federal Government's decision to scrap the mandated long-form census. NDP MP John Rafferty says the Harper government has made a mistake and should shelve their hair brained census reform plan. Meanwhile, Kenora MP Greg Rickford defends the decision saying the mandatory census is an invasion of people's privacy.

MNR Fire Update

Despite significant rainfall, a good sized forest fire sparked in the Sioux Lookout District.  A 300-hectare blaze is burning just northeast of Sachogo Lake First Nation.  Aircraft will monitor the fire today to determine the next course of action.  There are 14-fires burning in Northwestern Ontario, none of which are considered serious.

Let's play ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The World Junior Baseball Championship is underway in Thunder Bay.   Cuba and Panama started things off this morning at Port Arthur Stadium after a short rain delay.   Opening ceremonies take place tonight at 6:15 followed by Canada and the Netherlands.   

Team Italy finding plenty of support

Team Italy is feeling right at home in Thunder Bay. Its Junior Baseball team received quite the welcome at the Airport when they arrived Wednesday. Coach Gianguido Poma says a large group of people met them at the airport with flags and signs. He says the extra support will give his players a big boost. Italy plays its first game Sunday against the US. They will be taking the field tomorrow morning and fans will get a chance to interact with the team.

Thunder Bay Hydro Power Outage

Around 600 businesses and homes were without power this morning. Thunder Bay Hydro had a key piece of equipment break at around 7 this morning on Park Avenue. The power outage was from the Casino to Waverly road.

Venezuela not coming to World Junior Baseball Championships

The World Junior Baseball Championships kick off today and it'll start down one team. Organizers announced yesterday Venezuela will not attending the tournament. Warren Philp says teams scheduled to face Venezuela will show up and practice and interact with fans. International Baseball Federation officials say it appears Visa and Passport problems are the reason Venezuela is a no show. In Accordance with IBAF rules teams scheduled to face the team will automatically earn a 9-0 win.

Shelter House still needs food

Once again Shelter House needs your help. Officials with the homeless facility say there's still a need for food donations. They say priority items remain canned and dry goods. Shelter House normally experiences a lull in donations during the summer months.

Bear frees itself from plastic trap

Thunder Bay's Rob Paterson is relieved it's over. Paterson helped to bring the publics attention to the plight of the bear with the plastic jug on his head on Lambert Island. The Ministry of Natural Resources is confirming that a jug found floating in Lake Superior, near the island, Wednesday night by canoeists, was indeed the one the bear was wearing. His fate is not known. Paterson says that the bruins plight attracted international attention with the BBC picking up the story.

Shad kids say goodbye

Another Shad Valley program at Lakehead University has come and gone. Students from across Canada are leaving after spending the last month in the program. Anika Smithson says she's going back to Orangeville a changed person. She says it opened her eyes to new ideas and taught her how much stress she's able to cope with. Smithson adds it gave her an idea of which direction she wants to take in university. This years program attracted 65 students

Mauro hasn't given up hope for Big Thunder Ski area

The Ministry of Tourism has rejected six proposals to reopen the Big Thunder National Ski Training Centre.  Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says it all comes down to one thing and that's money.  In the end none of the people behind the proposals had enough money to run and operate the Big Thunder ski area. Mauro says he hasn't given up the fight yet, and notes he has one last proposal left that he hopes will be accepted.

New consolidated court house update

The Attorney General paid a visit to Thunder Bay today. Chris Bentley says he doesn't have any firm times as to when the construction contract will be announced for the new consolidated court house. Currently, demolition work is being completed to clear the area for the new building which will house both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice. The new court house will be located between Brodie and Archibald streets, south of Miles Street.

Ring of Fire Co-ordinator position still not filled

There's not much known about the provincial government's "Ring of Fire" co-ordinator position.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says the candidate selected for the position could be announced sometime in the fall.  Gravelle adds they're not sure where that job will be based.  The Minister says it could be in Toronto, Thunder Bay or both.

Bentley visits Thunder Bay

Northern Ontario residents who want to train for a new job can say thanks to the McGuinty Government. A partnership program between the government, training facilities, and business was announced in Thunder Bay today. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says the money will help train people for resource based jobs. Bentley adds its a 45 million dollar three year project.

City closes park bridge

The Trowbridge Falls pedestrian bridge is closed. The city is making the move because of safety concerns. Parks Manager Paul Fayrick says they hope to have it fixed before next summer. The closure will mostly affect hikers and cross country skiiers.

Thunder Bay Hydro wants dibs on solar projects

Thunder Bay Hydro is asking city council to make them the exclusive developer of solar power. Council will decide the matter at Monday night's meeting. The agreement would mean Thunder Bay Hydro would be given first dibs on city owned buildings that could host solar panels on their rooftops.

Police cruiser in a smash up

A city police cruiser is out of commission after being involved in a traffic accident. Police say that the cruiser collided with a car at the corner of Tupper and Peter at around 11:30 Tuesday night. Police were responding to an emergency call at the time. A woman and a baby were taken to the Health Sciences Centre as a precaution. The officer driving the vehicle was not hurt, but has been charged.

OPG updates workers on plant's future

Ontario Power Generation is being tight lipped about the immediate future of its coal powered station in Thunder Bay. Spokesperson Ted Gruetzner says employees were given a wide range of scenerios this week, on how the plant will be winding down its coal operations.  Gruetzner wouldn't say if possible layoffs were discussed with the workers, but stresses no decisions have been made.

Habitat cashes in with celebrity shoes

Habitat for Humanity is back with a new fundraising event. It's called Champagne and Shoes and it's a both a designer shoe sale and an auction of celebrity shoes according to CEO Dianne Mitchell.   She says that includes shoes from Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Jessica Simpson and Mike Weir.  The event takes place October 6th.

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Highway improvements on the way

The McGuinty Government has increased the funding for the Northern Highway program. An extra 125 million dollars was added to this year's budget. Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says four laning the highway will help our economy and our safety. Highway 61 between Broadway Avenue and the Neebing River, and Highway 11/17 between Balsam Street and the Current River are next to be improved. Bruno Contracting won the 9.9 million dollar tender.

Jack Irving dies in New Brunswick

A sad note to pass on about the parent company of Northwoods Broadcasting today, its chairman Jack Irving passed away in Saint John New Brunswick after a short illness. He was 78. Among other accomplishments, Jack Irving was a member of the Order of Canada. In 1952 he joined his father's businesses and worked all his life, along-side his brother Arthur in Irving Oil. In addition, he was a Director of all Irving businesses and was responsible for and managed a number of the companies within the varied Irving enterprises.

New scoreboard highlights stadium improvements

Preparations continue at Port Arthur Stadium for the World Junior Baseball Championship.  The tournament begins on Friday with  games  at the stadium and at Baseball Central.    The new stadium scoreboard has now been installed  and there are other numerous preparations that are taking place to get both locations looking good for the event.

Bad news for an unfortunate bear

Residents on Lambert Island are on the lookout for an unfortunate Black Bear. The bear was seen yesterday wandering around with some sort of container stuffed over his head. Rob Peterson says the MNR has been called in to rescue him but he's proving to be rather illusive. The MNR has set up  traps in the area in an attempt to capture the Bruin.

City ranks number 2 in murder rate

The latest crime study from Statistics Canada has Thunder Bay with the second highest homicide rate in the country.    Deputy Police Chief J.P. Levesque says it's a result of the 6 murders last year which was very unusual.  He says the way the Stats Can survey is done it tends to put heavier weight on more violent crimes.
The study shows an increase of 17 per cent in violent crime.

Terrace Bay Pulp Close to starting up

Terrace Bay Pulp could be out of creditor protection by next Tuesday. That's the day the company will have a hearing on the matter.  Lawyer Yves Fricot says they've been allowed to prepare the mill for restart. The company is also purchasing material that is needed for the start up of the mill.

City gets 594-thousand dollar payment from OLG

The latest payment to the city of Thunder Bay from the provincial government casino is 594 thousand dollars. That's 22 thousand dollars more than the last quarterly payout.The money represents 5 per cent of the slot machine revenue from the facility.  It was the cash collected from April to June.

Province scraps eco-fee

The province is scrapping the controversial eco-fee. The McGuinty government admits consumers and businesses were not properly informed about the fee. The province says it's re-evaluating the program that's designed to fund waste diversion. Thunder Bay's Ellen Mortfield of EcoSuperior calls it a surprising move and hopes it can be re-introduced in the near future.

Man running across Canada for equal parenting reform

An Ontario man is attempting to break the Guiness World Record for the Fastest Crossing of Canada on Foot. David Nash is also trying to raise awareness for family law reform. A private members bill is before the house of commons and looks to avoid pitting parents against eachother. Nash is making his way to St. John's Newfoundland.

Cross country fundraiser for Alzheimer's

Two Guelph university students are cycling across Canada in support of Alzheimer's research. Ian Whatley and Ben Love hope to raise 25 thousand dollars through their cross country trek. The duo will stop in Thunder Bay this weekend and then continue their journey to Victoria, B.C.

Innova Business Park upgrades

Innova Business Park is going to get some upgrades thanks to Thunder Bay city council.  Taranis Contracting came in with the lowest bid at over 1.5 million.  Sewer and water will be extended on Golf Links Road to Innovation Drive.   Several roads will also be built linking up the business park to Golf Links Road, the Harbour Expressway and the Lakehead Expressway.  The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is helping to pay for part of the project.

More money spent on gas collection facility

The City of Thunder Bay will be spending a little more on its gas collection system at the Solid Waste and Recycling facility.  The construction costs and other assorted fees have come in greater than expected.  Council is putting an extra 100 thousand dollars towards the project.  The gas collection system will eventually be used to generate power.

New test questions for pleasure craft operator card

Some changes are in store for the test to get a pleasure craft operator card.  That card is now needed to operate a boat. Cameron Taylor of Boat Smart Canada says Transport Canada is looking at new test questions.  The new tests, which include a total of 50 questions, will be administered starting in September.

MNR talks Moose Tags

The Ministry of Natural Resources is looking to prohibit hunters from passing moose tags onto others in consecutive years. Wildlife Management Coordinator Tosh Gierick says the M-N-R has been seeking public comment on the proposal with input coming to an end Thursday. Gierick says the regulation was based on input from hunters who expressed concern with the increase in tag transfer in past hunting seasons.

OBA board has a Thunder Bay face

A Thunder Bay lawyer is now on the board of directors for the Ontario Bar Association.  Peter Mrowiec will represent Northwestern Ontario lawyers.  The OBA represents more than 17-thousand lawyers, judges, law professors and law students in the province.

We could be headed to a transit strike

Thunder Bay transit employees could be headed for a strike. Negotiations with the city and the amalgamated transit union have fallen through. Local 966 President Charlie Brown says the city isn't offering up anything remotely reasonable. Brown says the city has so far only asked for a number of concessions. Brown says the next step will likely be a strike vote.

Harvey wants another shot at nomination

Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey is taking the plunge again. Harvey is seeking the Conservative nomination for the federal riding of Thunder Bay-Superior North. Harvey believes he can make a break-through where other Conservatives candidates have failed. He says most of the people in the riding hold small "c" conservative values. The Torites haven't set a date for the vote

Temporary bus terminal stays at city hall

Council has voted in favour of keeping the temporary bus terminal at city hall. The temporary bus terminal at City hall came in number one in a consultant report. ENTRA consultants compared the city's options and they feel its in the city's best interest to keep the temporary site where it is. Dennis Fletcher says city hall scored 108 points higher than their other options on Violet and Miles Street.