Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue deal with early morning fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue dealt with a house fire this morning.  Officials say crews responded to the call in the 600 block of McPherson Street at around 2 o'clock.  It took firefighters about 3 hours to get the blaze under control.  There are no reports of any injuries at this time.

Bachelors auction another success

It was another successful year for the Bachelors Fight Breast Cancer event.  Over 400 woman attended the event where 10 bachelors were auctioned off.  Organizers say over 50 thousand dollars was raised and will go to the Northern Cancer Fund.

MNR wraps up training

The Ministry of Natural Resources has wrapped up a comprehensive training program for some of its key members.  Response and Operations Manager Dave Cleavely says the forum was geared towards staff from across Northwestern Ontario.  Cleavely says a lot of the information was a refresher, however he notes new safety guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of workers before they do any task.

Male survivor help line

For the first time in Canada, male survivors of sexual abuse will have access to services and support to help them recover.  Agencies are being established in Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Schreiber and Nishnawbe-Aski First Nations.  Staff will provide specialized services including peer support, counselling and residential services.  The Agencies will also offer telephone and e-counselling.

Youth focused plan launched

The Thunder Bay Youth Strategy Committee is looking to improve the overall quality of life for youth.  A new youth strategy is geared towards people aged 13-24. The youth committee will be holding a conference to get feedback from youth. The committee is looking to develop several areas such as employment and housing.

Di Matteo suggests fair book pricing

A local economics expert is suggesting Canadian bookstores wise up to the rising loonie. Livio Di Matteo says consumers know many books from the States are unfairly priced higher in this country. In some cases they are going online to buy those same books cheaper and having them delivered to their door.  Di Matteo says it's up to retailers to price U-S goods to reflect value of the loonie compared to the American buck.

Student housing upsets some

One Thunder Bay resident isn't happy with the city's enforcement of student housing by-laws.  Peter Keddie lives on Darwin Crescent and is making a presentation to council on Monday night.  Keddie feels his street is over run with students and landlords that don't care about the families that live on the street.  Keddie says every weekend there's a party with loud music, doors slamming and cars and Taxi's coming and going at all hours of the night.

AbibitiBowater modernizing sawmill

The AbitibiBowater sawmill in Thunder Bay is getting a facelift. The company is investing 8 million dollars to upgrade the facility. Spokesperson Pierre Choquette says it will mean 50 added jobs in the sawmill and 100 direct jobs in the woodlands. The upgrades will be completed by January 2013.

Residents urged to become organ donors

The push is on to get more people in Thunder Bay to become organ donors. The Trillium Gift of Life Network is asking people to register online. Gary Cooper is a local liver transplant recipient and says the Network was a lifesaver for him saying if it weren't for the network there wouldn't be the number of donors in the province that there are. You can register as a donor by going here.

Sewage by-pass in Fort Frances

The amount of groundwater in the sewage system continues to be a problem for the town of Fort Frances.  Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the town was forced to by-pass its sewage treatment plant Sunday of nearly 37-hundred cubic metres of partly-treated waste water as a result.  Brown says the town continues to study the reasons behind why the town is treating more water than being produced.

Youth Curfew up for debate

It doesn't appear there's much support for a proposed youth curfew.  Administration is against the idea of developing a curfew for a one year trial period.  Crime Prevention Coordinator Amy Siciliano says the report will help guide the City.  City staff are recommending that council include strategies to keep youth safe in their strategic plan.  In December council asked administration to conduct a feasibility study on youth curfews.

Pharmacare discussion set for tonight

The Thunder Bay Health Coalition will be hosting a round table discussion about Pharmacare.  Co-Chair Sara Williamson says a panel will discuss the need and the feasibility of a national publicly funded drug plan.  The meeting starts at 7 at the Labour Centre.

Horizon Wind to hold open house

Horizon Wind is taking the necessary steps in its' application to create a wind farm on the Norwester Mountains.  The company is holding two open houses in May to discuss the proposed project.  It's part of the Ministry of Environment's renewable energy application process.  The public consultation sessions are scheduled for May 17th and 18th in Neebing and Thunder Bay.

Standoff leads to mischief charges

City police are still trying to fill in the blanks in a bizarre standoff.  Police received a call from a 39 year old man at 9:30 last night where he claimed to have 3 hostages in the 300 block of Bay Street.  Staff Sergeant Frank Earley says at 11:30 police arrested the man and found no one else in the residence.  No one was hurt and Earley says at this point police have no idea why the man called in the fake hostage situation.  The 39 year old will be in court this morning.  

NOMA Skype,s standing committee

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is calling on the government to change it's proposed Forest Tenure Act.  Vice President Iain Angus says they don't support the legislation as it is now.   NOMA wants the bill amended before it returns to the Legislature for third reading.  NOMA provided their comments to the standing committee in Toronto via video conference.

Harper visit confirmed

It's official.  The Prime Minister will be campaigning in Thunder Bay.  Stephen Harper will be visiting with the two local Conservative candidates at the Da Vinci Centre on Monday night.  A local Conservative Party official says the rally gets underway at 7:30 in the evening.

Old Mission mill hit by fire

Damage is minimal following a fire at the old Abitibi Mission mill on City Road during the noon hour.   Fire Service Platoon Chief Joseph Lafontaine  says the blaze was in a paper machine being dismantled and may have been started by workers who were cutting with torches. 

Gilbert weighs in on Bill 151

With Forest Tenure hearings concluding in Queen's Park, local Conservative Candidate Fred Gilbert is expressing his outrage. Gilbert says the opposition is furious that no hearings for Bill 151 are scheduled for the north. The opposition says the Liberals have been less than supportive in getting hearings in Thunder Bay.

NAN dislikes Bill 151

Nishnawbe Aski Nation is speaking out against the Ontario Forest Tenure Act.  First Nations residents are concerned bill 151 doesn't consult aboriginals.  Grand Chief Stan Beardy says the legislation doesn't recognize aboriginal and treaty rights.

Leaders' Debate Reaction

It doesn't appear any one political party stood out during the English speaking Leaders debate.  We hit the streets to hear what Thunder Bay residents thought.

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Fire at Abitibi Mill

City firefighters have a fire at the Abitibi Complex on Mission Island under control. Firefighters are still sorting out details but an old rubber belt seems to be the cause of the fire. The Giant news room will have more on this story as it develops.

No injuries in morning accident

No one is injured following a two vehicle mishap on Memorial and Second Avenue Wednesday morning.   It was a collision between a mini-van and an SUV.   Fire, Police and Paramedics were called to the scene just before 11 o'clock.

DSSAB workers have new deal

There is labour peace at the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board. The board and its workers have both accepted a new 3 year deal which is retroactive to January 1st, 2009. Union rep Marie Dean admits it took a while to come to this point.  The contract affects 85 workers and gives them a 5 per cent total wage increase.

WSIB under review

Chair Harry Arthurs

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is under review.  Hearings are being held in Thunder Bay today to see how they can better fund it.  Steve Mantis leads the local injured workers group and says the hearings are focused solely on money and should examine workers instead.  Meanwhile, WSIB Funding Review Chair Harry Arthurs says finding a funding solution is going to be a daunting task.  Arthurs says if all the claims that are currently in the system go through; the WSIB would be facing a 12 billion dollar bill.  The WSIB Funding Review Committee is speaking with both injured workers and Northwestern Ontario companies today.

Aboriginal science program

Confederation College wants to get more First Nation residents interested in Science.  The college is holding it's second science fair designed to help engage youth in developing interest in science, engineering and technology.  The fair will showcase many projects with Aboriginal content.

Earth Day Saturday

People wanting to reduce their environmental footprint on the planet have something to look forward to this weekend.  In celebration of Earth Day on Saturday, the Farmers' Market will be setting up displays on ways to "live green". The Farmers' Market will have demos on bee-keeping, soil-testing and gardening.

No students injured in school scare

Police are investigating a strange incident from this morning at a local elementary school. A grey car was seen driving on the lawn at C.D. Howe school and then drove down a public path. The students had just entered the school prior to the incident. No one was injured. 

Horwath provides platform sneak peak

The Ontario NDP is offering a sneak peak on what it plans to do to help Northern Ontario in advance to this October's Provincial Election.  Leader Andrea Horwath says her Party will also have a specific platform on how it plans to help Northern Ontario take full advantage of its assets.  Horwath adds the Liberals have already crippled families by adding 8-percent to home heating bills and filling up at the gas pumps.

More cold weather on the way

It looks as if Old Man Winter isn't done with us yet.  Despite warmer than normal temperatures over the last couple of days, the thermometer is going to be dipping later this week.  Our Meterologist Bill Laidlaw says it will be unusually cold for this time of year.  Laidlaw says there is also the slight chance of some snow flurries by the weekend, as a Colorado low moves through the upper mid-west.

PM visit possible on Monday

More details are expected to come out later today or tomorrow on a possible visit to the city by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. One local Conservative party official says there are final details being worked out and that nothing has been confirmed as of yet.  Meantime the Prime Minister along with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP leader Jack Layton are preparing for tonight's televised debates

Police report second murder of 2011

A 63 year old Thunder Bay man is in custody this morning after what police say was the murder of his wife. They say they went to an apartment building at 540 Oliver road where the body of a 61 year old woman was found. Police Spokesperson Chris Adams says officers were dispatched after the man turned himself in at the Balmoral station at around 11 o'clock last night. Adams says not many details can be released at this time but says it appears to be domestic in nature. He is to appear in court this morning on a second degree murder charge. No names are being released.

Thunder Bay gets green

The City of Thunder Bay is getting ready for spring.  The City recently was awarded over 7 thousand dollars for pruning equipment from the TD Green Streets program. Spokesperson Reena Viehbeck says they'll also use the funds to train volunteers on how to prune city trees.  The City was one of 23 communities chosen for the green program.  The volunteers will start work on the City's urban forest in May.

Horizon Wind settlement ratified

Thunder Bay City Council has ratified the Horizon Wind settlement.  Councillor Joe Virdiramo caused a bit of confusion last week as to which way he voted and took the time this week to clarify how he was voting and why.  Virdiramo didn't put up his hand at last week's meeting meaning he voted against the settlement.  Virdiramo says it would be irresponsible to open the city up to such a pricey lawsuit.  Meanwhile, Norwester Escarpment Protection Committee Spokesperson Mike Payne says they're ready to take their fight to the provincial level. The final vote was 8 to 4.

Slew of contracts awarded

The City of Thunder Bay went on a spending spree at Monday night's meeting.  A series of contracts were awarded for a variety of projects.  A four million dollar asphalt resurfacing contract is going to Taranis Contracting.  2.2 million will be used to replace a sewer and watermain project.  Taranis Contracting had the lowest bid for repairing the James Street Bridge with the contract coming in at 1.5 million dollars.  The latest waterfront contracts came in at 350 thousand and 4.6 million respectively.

Cultural plan released

The City's Cultural Plan continues to grow and change.  A draft plan was presented to council Monday night.  From now until May 9th the public and council are encouraged to review the plan and comment on what they would like to see changed.  The plan recommends including cultural diversity in public places.  It also suggests fostering the city's youth entrepreneurs.

LRCA facing funding shortfall

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is facing a funding shortfall.  The LRCA is short on cash because of changes to the Ministry of Natural Resources funding.  The group wants City Council to petition the government to provide more money for their initiatives.  The Conservation Authority is also applying for funding from another provincial infrastructure program.

More deputations on wind farm

Thunder Bay residents who are against the Horizon Wind Farm project made another plea to City Council to scrap the settlement with the company.  Three deputations on the ongoing issue were made Monday night.  Representatives from the Loch Lomond Ski area are concerned turbine parts won't fit on the Loch Lomond Road. Another deputation made mention that Horizon Wind's renewable energy application to the Ministry of Environment was returned because it was incomplete. Council is expected to ratify the settlement agreement Monday evening.

Drug strategy presented to council

Being an addict is not a crime. That's what JP Levesque from the Drug Strategy Committee had to say to members of council. Thunder Bay's City Council spent over an hour listening and talking about the drug strategy. The committee brought the city up to speed on what they think should be done to improve the quality of life for those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.  Council approved the strategy Monday night.  Administration will review the strategy and come back in July with recommendations.

Wilson talks forest tenure

Thunder Bay's Chamber of Commerce President isn't pleased with the Provincial Government's review of Bill 151.  Harold Wilson was in Toronto on Monday for the provincial hearings on forest tenure.  Wilson is disappointed with how the hearings and forest tenure bill were handled.  Wilson urged the committee to limit the forest management corporations and conduct a review in five years time.

Strat Plan takes shape

Thunder Bay City Council wants to hear from you.  A series of public consultation sessions on the Strategic Plan start Wednesday night.  The strategic plan guides the city's priorities for the next four years.  Wednesday night's meeting is at the DaVinci Centre from 6:30 until 9.  Thursday's is at the Italian Cultural Centre.

L-U Student Union to hold new vote

Officials at the Lakehead University Student Union are to hold new student elections. Spokesperson Chris Vaillant says it's because the last election was ruled invalid by the LUSU board after a person was caught on a surveillance video stuffing a ballot box. The new election will be held in September.

First "saltie" on its way

The first ocean going ship of the season is on its way to port.  Shipping official William Hyrb says the Aragonborg is to  arrive around 5 a.m Tuesday and will dock at Canada Malting. He says the Dutch ship is brand new,  only being delivered last year.  A welcoming ceremony will take place in the afternoon.

Election signs vandalized

Campaign workers for two local candidates are replacing damaged election signs. Signs for Richard Harvey and Bruce Hyer on North Court Street were vandalized sometime overnight. Hyer's spokesperson Maurice Grinstead says it's part of the campaign and he doesn't worry about it. The signs have been replaced.  A spokesperson for the Harvey camp won't speculate on who may be responsible.  The manager for the Yves Fricot campaign says they are dealing with similar problems throughout the city and doesn't know who is responsible for the vandalism.

No overspending for elected city councillors

It appears the current city councillors have no worries over their election expenses.  Figures from the City Clerk's office show that all of them were well within what they were allowed to spend during last year's civic campaign. That goes from almost 13 hundred dollars for Mark Bentz to 12 thousand dollars for  Paul Pugh.   The deadline for submitting election costs was March 25th.  Only Mayor Keith Hobbs asked for an extension, which he's allowed to do, so he has until June to submit his expenses.

RFDA launches spring food drives

The Regional Food Distribution Association is gearing up for two major food drives. Executive Director Volker Kromm says the RFDA will be getting help from both Superstore and Canada Post. Kromm says  most of the food collected during Holiday drives has been exhausted and the need for more food is rising.  Superstore will be donating food through its Spring into Action food drive and Canada Post will be collecting food curbside across the region Saturday.

France plays leading role in Ivory Coast: prof

France is quickly becoming one of the biggest players on the international stage. Lakehead University Political Science Expert Laure Paquette says with French Special Forces Soldiers capturing the Ivory Coast, France has become interventionist. Paquette says the biggest question is how the new leaders of the Ivory Coast will treat the former government leaders now that strongman Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested.

Damage claims coming in from hailstorm

Insurance companies in the city are expecting lots of calls this week.  Sunday's hailstorm has caused numerous damage claims for home rooftops and vehicles according to Bill Covello of Philpot and Delgaty,  who  says it appears the north side of Thunder Bay received the brunt of the storm

Johnson wants golf study again

Don't be surprised to see a rift develop over the city run golf courses. Councillor Rebecca Johnson has already gone public with her concerns about the deficit the courses pile up every year.   She feels the city should get out of the golf business altogether. Mayor Keith Hobbs is also in favour of selling all or some of the city courses.

Hailstorm hits city

Thunder Bay saw quite the light show last night.   Our meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says a storm rolled through the area and brought with it rain, hail and a fully developed thunderstorm.  Laidlaw says the storm dumped as much as 11 millimetres of rain on the area.