City to probe deer problem

City councillors are supporting Linda Rydholm's request to have the city investigate ways of solving the deer problem in Thunder Bay.  She says the time has come to do something about it and hopes as many organizations as possible are consulted so that all options can be debated

Emergency officials now wait

It's a waiting game now for officials in charge of moving forest fire evacuees through the city. Organizer Greg Hankkio says they are just waiting for instructions from the province on how we will handle returning evacuees.  Officials will be meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue.

PA Stadium reaches semi final

The quest to make Port Arthur Stadium the best ballpark in Canada is at the next stage. Local Baseball Association President Larry Hebert says an online poll has pushed Thunder Bay into the semi final round of voting. Voting in the semi's begins August 8th

Subdivision plans cause objections

There's opposition to a proposed subdivision on Tuscany Drive. The developer is asking the city to approve a mix of single and multi family units. The residents in the area object to the possibility of rental houses. The developer will not say if the multi family dwellings would consist of condos or townhouses. City councillors have postponed a decision on approving the plan until the developer can come back with details.

Accident knocks out power

Power for about 400 Thunder Bay Hydro customers in the Dawson Heights section of the city should be back on by 5 o'clock. The outage was the result of traffic accident when a vehicle hit a hydro pole on Dawson Road at around 1:45 pm.  At the height of the blackout about 16 hundred customers were without electricity. 

Jack Layton has new cancer

Jack Layton has been diagnosed with a new cancer, and is taking a leave of absence as leader of the federal N-D-P. Thunder Bay NDP MP Bruce Hyer says the news isn't a huge surprise to him saying he noticed recently that Layton's voice was weak and that he was struggling. Hyer doesn't think the party's effectiveness will be hurt while Layton is away

Death in Poplar Hill FN

OPP are investigating the death of a man on the Poplar Hill First Nation north of Red Lake.  Police say a man with serious injuries was found on a road in the community Friday night.  Police say 20 year old Aaron Strang of Poplar Hill was pronounced dead shortly after.  No one is charged

MNR dealing with 114 wildfires

The Ministry of Natural Resources says the 114-active fires burning in Northwestern Ontario have consumed over half a million hectares of land.   That's the same size of the Province of Prince Edward Island. Information Officer Owen Vaughan says another fire of note is Sioux Lookout 70 which is 4 and a half times the size of Thunder Bay.   He says over 2-thousand personnel are battling the wildfires.

Robertson back in court next month

A Thunder Bay man who is charged in the death of his 61 year old wife remains in custody. 63 year old John Robertson will be back in court August 17th on the charge of 2nd degree murder after his lawyer George Joseph receives a psychiatric report. Robertson surrendered to police back in April after the body of Elaine Robertson was discovered in the couple's Oliver Road Apartment.

Man in wheelchair hit by Taxi

A man in a wheelchair suffered serious injuries after being hit by a taxi.  The incident happened late Saturday night, on Memorial Avenue when he was trying to cross the street.  Police are investigating and the 54 year old man has been airlifted to Winnipeg.

Forest fire update

Fire crews are doing all they can to keep fires in North Western Ontario under control. Fire crews are in communities where fire is close in proximity and they have installed sprinkler and other protection systems to protect properties in those communities. On Friday the last planned evacuation was completed with a total of 3,591 northern residents evacuated to other communities for temporary accommodation.

Wheelchair collision

Thunder Bay police are investigating a collision involving a person in a wheelchair and a taxi cab. The collision occurred late Saturday night on Memorial avenue. Its reported that a man was trying to cross the street in his wheelchair when he was hit by a taxi driver. The man has been taken to Thunder Bay hospital with serious injuries.

Police pursuit ends on foot

City police made short work of a pursuit that occurred Friday night. It's reported that Police pursued a man driving impaired in Thunder Bay's South side. Once the driver entered a residential area the pursuit was called off for safety reasons. Police later found the man parked on the corner of Simpson and Dease street. When confronted the man fled the scene and police continued the pursuit by foot. The man was caught and taken into police custody.

New fires detected

Despite some rain and cloud coverage over North Western Ontario 13 new fires have been detected. Current planned evacuations are completed for first nation communities experiencing severe smoke issues in the far North. By Friday 3,400 Northern residents have been evacuated to other communities for temporary accommodation. Ontarians who want to help with the evacuation effort are encouraged to contact the Canadian Red Cross.

More explosives found in Thunder Bay

Another Thunder Bay resident found explosives on their property. A Thunder Bay explosives unit officer was called to the 500 block of Belrose Road Friday evening after a caller located blasting caps on their property while tearing down a shed. The area was blocked off to traffic for a short period of time. Thunder Bay police are reminding the public to contact emergency services if they find any explosives on their property.

"Thunder Bay's Katrina"

Talk about baptism by fire, Mayor Keith Hobbs has experienced his first city emergency since being elected as he oversaw the city process forest fire evacuees. Hobbs says it was a quick learn for everyone adding this was Thunder Bay's Katrina and they learned a lot going through the exercise.   Hobbs says the city is not out of the woods yet since the forest fires can flare up at anytime

Hay complains of operational problems

Fire Chief John Hay is confident Premier McGuinty has the message that there were flaws in processing forest fire evacuees in Thunder Bay. Hay says there weren't enough planes to fly evacuees out once they got here. At the moment the operations in Thunder Bay are at a standstill until more evacuees arrive.

McGuinty says lessons learned in Thunder Bay

Premier Dalton McGuinty calls them lessons learned. Thunder Bay officials have complained to the Premier about problems handling forest fire evacuees this week saying there weren't enough planes to fly them out.  McGuinty says he received some great advice from local officials which the government will incorporate and take into account.  McGuinty reaffirmed that his government will not call a State of Emergency as the result of forest fires in the northwest.

City buildings up for heritage designation

Nine city buildings are on the list for heritage designation. Deputy City Clerk Sheelagh Hendrick says if approved by council it'll be harder to have the buildings demolished.
Buildings on the list are:
· 8 Cumberland Street South known locally as the former Atkinson’s Jewelers;
· 27 Cumberland Street South known locally as the former Bank of Montreal/ Prospector Steak House;
· 2-18 Court Street South known locally as the Ruttan Block;
· 808 Ridgeway Street East known locally as St. Paul’s Anglican Church;
· 1918 Yonge Street known locally as the Paterson Building/TBT Engineering Ltd.;
· Iron Ore Dock located at 490 Maureen Street;
· 96 High Street North known locally as the former Hillcrest High School;
· 621 Selkirk Street South known locally as St. Patrick High School; and
· 146 Court Street North known locally as the McVicar Manor

Still no word on airport damage costs

The price tag on the damage done at the Airport during Wednesday's storm is still unknown.  President Scott McFadden says a complete assessment has to be completed before estimates are known.  McFadden says right now workers are making the terminal building weather tight.

Rydholm has deer concerns

City Councillor Linda Rydolm believes there are too many deer in the city and that's causing problems, especially in her Neebing Ward. She wants to ask city administration to look into solutions on how to possibly reduce the population.   Ryholm says the deer contribute to property damage and have become a road hazard

McGuinty to meet with evacuees in T.Bay

The Premier will be in Thunder Bay this afternoon to meet with fire officials.  Dalton McGuinty is first flying into Dryden at 9 central time and will spend some time talking with evacuees.

Gas prices shooting up again

Be prepared to pay for more when you fill up your vehicle next.  According to the website www.gasbuddy.com stations in Thunder Bay are now selling regular at just under a buck 37 a litre.

Inflation rate drops in June

Thunder Bay's Inflation rate saw a big drop last month.  Our rate went from 4.3 percent in May to 3.7 percent last month.  That follows the national and provincial trends which dropped to 3.1 and 3.6 percent respectively.

Airport winds gusts were 115 kph

A meteorologist says it's unlikely that a tornado may have touched down on the Thunder Bay Airport Wednesday night. However Environment Canada's Marie-Ev Giguere says they can't rule it out either.  She says so far they have not seen any pictures or damage to prove that it was a twister. However,  Giguere says wind gusts at the airport that evening were 115 kilometres per hour

Victim of accident identified

Police now know the name of the pedestrian who was killed after being hit by an SUV on Central Avenue Wednesday. He is 66 year old Peter Paul Perkovich of Thunder Bay. Police spokesperson Chris Adams says police were able to identify him through some old fashion police work when they matched some keys found on the man to a vehicle in the area.

Jeffrey tours fire zone

The Provinces's Minister of Natural Resources is getting a first hand look at how the forest fires in Northwestern Ontario are being handled.  Linda Jeffrey says she has flown over Red Lake 85 and has spoken with the organizers on the ground.  Jefferey says she will not declare a State of Emergency saying it wouldn't accomplishment anything more than what is taking place now.

City continues to receive evacuees

About 800 more forest fire evacuees are expected to pass through Thunder Bay today on their way to other host communities in the North.   That's in addition to the thousand that passed through on Wednesday.  The Confederation College hangar at the airport is being used to house the evacuees while they wait in the city.

Herman accepts apology, drops legal action

Bob Herman says his legal issues with the Mayor are over now that Keith Hobbs has made a public apology over remarks Hobbs made in March. Herman says he served his libel notice on the Mayor to protect the integrity of the Chief's office.  He says it's unfortunate it took 3 months to get done but says it's in the best interests of the community to put the issue behind.  Herman says all he wanted was to get an apology.

Jury roll issue still haunts inquest

Three days are set aside in the City for a hearing prior to the Reggie Bushie Inquest. An inquiry lawyer is planning to call a total of 5 witnesses to discuss the issue of First Nations representation on jury rolls in the Thunder Bay District. The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the death of the 15 year old with a hope that recommendations will be made on preventing similar deaths of First Nations students who attend school in the city far from their homes. The jury roll issue has so far prevented the inquest from going ahead.

Storm damages airport

No one was injured after last night's storm ripped a portion of the roof off the Thunder Bay Airport Terminal building.  Metal sheeting flew off the building and damaged over a dozen cars in the parking lot.  It is business as usual this morning and so far there are no delays due to the damage.  The storm also knocked out power for over 6 thousand customers in the South of the city but crews have managed to restore power to all but around 400 customers.  Thunder Bay Hydro officials say it could be until later this afternoon before some areas are back online. 

Portion of airport roof blows off

Officials are trying to assess the damage from a freak  accident at the Thunder Bay Airport on Tuesday evening which saw a portion of the corrugated metal roof of main airport terminal blow off.  Police say it crushed two cars in the parking lot and knocked over a light standard, but no one was injured.   The estimate of damage isn't known and the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined. The incident happened around 8:30

Keith Hobbs apologizes to Bob Herman

Mayor Keith Hobbs looks to be out of legal hot water after he publicly apologized to former Police Chief Bob Herman. In a prepared statement Hobbs says sorry for implying in March that as chief, Bob Herman intercepted his private communications.  Hobbs also apologized for implying Herman unlawfully disclosed those private communications.

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Police probe fatal pedestrian accident

Thunder Bay police say they are investigating a fatal accident in which an SUV collided with a pedestrian.  It happened on Central Avenue between Fort William Road and Memorial just before 1 o'clock. Police say they are having trouble trying to identify the victim.  They say it's a man in his 40's or 50's with a light complexion and he was missing part of a left finger.

Airport activity picks up during evacuations

The Thunder Bay Airport is a hive of activity as evacuees from the forest fires in the far north are flown here.  One witness says the Hercules transports are coming and going with evacuees from First Nations communities and mines that are threatened by the fires.

Clement visits with MNR fire personnel

FedNor Minister Tony Clement says the forest fire situation is very serious and he is asking the Province to take the initiative and ask for help. Speaking in Dryden Wednesday, Clement says the Federal Government is doing everything it can from providing Hercules transports to Aboriginal Affairs assisting in the evacuations.   In terms of emergency assistance relief Clement says it's up to the Province to ask for Federal support.

PETA protests at local butcher shop

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals staged a demonstration outside Bay Quality Meats complete with lots of saran wrap and other props. PETA spokesperson Emily Lavender says they're trying to show people the realities of slaughterhouses. A number people who didn't agree with PETA's demonstration were there to voice their opinion.

19 new fires in the Northwest

Northwestern Ontario forests remain a tinderbox as wildfires continue to rage.   New fires are flaring up everyday with 19 reported yesterday.  At least 18 First Nations have declared emergencies, 4 of them are preparing for full evacuations while 6 are partially evacuated.   There are 3 stubborn blazes , one is in the Red Lake District and two in the Sioux Lookout District

N-W-O was H-O-T

4-weather records were set in Northwestern Ontario Tuesday .Red Lake was the hot spot in the Region hitting 35 degrees smashing a 70 year old record.  Ear Falls reached 34, Dryden and Kenora were at 33 degrees. It was 30 in Thunder Bay but no record was broken.

Swimming advisories posted at beaches

Don't bother going to Chippewa Park or Boulevard Lake to go swimming, because the Health Unit says you risk getting sick.   Advisory signs are up warning that there are high bacteria levels at both locations. 

Charity ride set to continue

The saga of Britain's Paul Everitt continues in Thunder Bay today. Everitt is the man who is cycling to support the troops in Afghanistan was forced to stop in Wawa after his bike broke down...but he says thanks to Dingwell's Machinery his bike is being fixed.   Everitt hopes to be back on the road in the next 24 hours.

PETA Protests Packaged Meat

Thunder Bay is getting a visit from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Vegan's will be lying nearly naked on large meat trays covered in plastic wrap.  The protest is taking place at Bay Quality Meats at noon.

Health Unit says protect yourself from the smoke

With smoke from forest fires now reaching Thunder Bay, the District Health Unit has some warnings. Spokesperson Abby Mackie says it shouldn't be taken lightly and that people most at risk should protect themselves.  He says those include children, seniors and those with breathing difficulties.  Mackie suggests staying indoors as much as possible and avoiding any necessary outdoor physical activity. 

Boshcoff has traffic light concerns

There's nothing that can spark a debate in Thunder Bay like the number of traffic lights. Councillor Ken Boshcoff thinks we have too many and wonders if we've been removing any that aren't needed and if there are any plans to reduce the number of traffic signals.   City engineer Pat Mauro says it comes under review every few years.

PWT General Manager defends service

The general manager of Pacific Western Transportation is disputing claims his company is receiving funding at this time from the Ontario government to drive people to out of town medical appointments.    Dean Wright adds, the company's new travel option is not designed to replace any existing services.   Last week the president of Caribou Coach in Thunder Bay said a subsidized service has the potential to take away one third of his business in Northwestern Ontario.

City hosting evacuees and more

Thunder Bay is playing host to almost 300 forest fire evacuees from Sandy Lake this week and there could be more. Fire Chief John Hay says we have been designated as a transportation hub with the potential of moving up to 1 thousand people to other centres.  Hay hopes other communities step up to the plate and offer to host some of the evacuees.

Burning permits suspended

The hot and dry conditions are causing concern for the Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service.   It's forced officials to suspend all burning permits within the city citing unusually dry conditions.  They say the suspension won't be lifted until that improves

MNR dealing with 90 wildfires

Heavy smoke laying over the entire Northwest is hindering firefighting efforts for the Ministry of Natural Resources.  Information Officer Debbie MacLean says crews are battling over 90-wildfires.  117-aircraft, 14-waterbombers, 80-helicopters and 16-transport aircraft are trying to fight through the smoke to battle the fires.  Two fires of note are Sioux Lookout Fire number 70 which has grown to over 87-thousand hectares in size and is now burning 1-kilometre away from the Mussewhite Mine.  Sioux Lookout Fire number 60 is also 14-thousand hectares in size and is burning southwest of the Mine.  Firefighters continue to try and protect the mine site.

South Side Laundromat Robbed

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a south side robbery of a Laundromat.  Police say a man walked into Barb's Laundromat on May street and threatened to shoot the employee.  He then took all the cash from the register and a quantity of cigarettes before fleeing on foot.  Police found a 39 year old man and a 32 year old woman in the area with cigarettes and money taken during the robbery.  Both have been charged with robbery.

Robbery at Riley's Sports Tavern

Someone robbed a south side bar last night. Police are investigating after a male entered Riley's Sports Tavern and demanded cash from the bartender. Police searched for the man but couldn't find him. He's described as a young person about 6 feet tall with a bad complexion.

Police investigate arson

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a case of arson in Fort William.  A North Franklin Street home owner awoke last night to popping noises outside and found their van and truck were on fire.  Both vehicles are totally destroyed. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.