Crime plan comes to Council

Thunder Bay's Crime Prevention Council is working on implementing some of the strategies in their prevention plan.  Chair Wendy Landry admits it's not a cure all.  Speaking at last night's City Council meeting, Acting Crime Prevention Co-ordinator Sheila Hendrick says they've already started to work towards some of their goals.  Hendrick says part of her job will be to ensure the plan is implemented.

BISNO talks concussions

Brain Injury Services of Northern Ontario wants the public to be better educated about concussions. That's why they brought in Dr. Charles Tator to speak at their conference this week. Tator feels the general public need to learn more about the signs of a concussion.

Drug bust in Terrace Bay

Twenty two thousand dollars worth of marijuana is off the streets after grow op was busted in Terrace Bay.  Officers arrested a 44 year old man after searching a house in Terrace Bay and found the grow op. 

Council looking for answers from candidates

City Council is sending a letter of questions to all the candidates in the upcoming provincial election.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says council wants to hear what the candidates think on a number of issue and has sent out a letter.  Hobbs says the biggest concern of council is the issue of an industrial hydro rate. 

Waterfront sculpture unveiled

The latest piece of Art destined for the Waterfront is ready to be installed.  "Traveller's Return" by Andy Davies was unveiled recently in Lethbridge, Alberta and Davies says the sculpture is being shipped to Thunder Bay.
The sculpture was selected after a nation wide bidding process.

Debate set to go

The election rhetoric is likely to heat up tonight at the Community Auditorium. It's the first of two debates for local candidates in the October 6th provincial election. Tonight it will be the candidates in Thunder Bay-Atikokan squaring off, taking questions from the media panel which includes our Vic Krasowski along with questions from the audience. It begins at 7 o'clock

Police officers remember the fallen

Police officers in Thunder Bay are part of a Canada wide contingent that marched yesterday to remember fallen comrades. City Police Chief J. P. Levesque says the parade commemorated the 3 officers who died in Canada over the last year.  The annual event is also a chance to pay tribute to John Kuznier the only city officer to die in the line of duty.

McDonald's honours scholarship winner

Another local McDonald's employee is basking in the glow of a 10 thousand dollar scholarship from the company.   Adena Goral is a nursing student at Lakehead University who was formally presented with the scholarship on Saturday at the Arthur Street restaurant.

Mayor impressed with debate

Mayor Keith Hobbs was impressed with the answers from both party leaders at the Northern Ontario Leaders Debate. Hobbs says despite the no-show from the Premier a good discussion was had. All three leaders will take place in a televised debate this week in Toronto.

United Way researches youth

The United Way wants to help local youth meet their potential. That's why they launched a research report asking youth what they want to see changed. Spokesperson Sandra Albertson says the findings will be used by the City's Youth Strategy Committee. The report points out youth need activities in their community hubs since they can't afford bus passes.

Council listens to project manager

City Council is going to hear about the mining potential in the area. John Mason is the City's Mining Services Project Manager and says he's been busy over the past four months. Mason says he would like to see a trade show brought to the city this winter to generate business in Thunder Bay. The Economic Development Commission hired Mason back in June.

Nipigon Fire Chief victim of fatal accident

The chief of the Nipigon Fire Department is dead following a traffic accident near the community Saturday night.     Roy Cross was the victim of a single vehicle mishap on Highway 11-17, two kilometres west of Nipigon.  Thunder Bay Fire Chief John Hay calls the death a big loss for the fire community in Northwestern Ontario calling him a good chief and a close friend and family man.   Funeral arrangements are pending

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Man charged with impaired driving

One man has been charged with impaired driving after hitting a pole with his vehicle. Thunder Bay Police say it occurred Saturday night on Hilldale road. There were no injuries reported.

Officers National Memorial day service

A memorial Service to honour men and women of the force who died in the line of duty is today. The service is part of Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. A march will take place from the Provincial Court house to the service at St Paul's Church.

Residential school survivors frustrated

The head of the Residential Schools Commission says some survivors are frustrated because they can't get papers needed to back up their claim. Justice Murray Sinclair says its because many government and church documents may have been destroyed. The deadline was Monday for the so-called common experience payment which recognizes the impact of living at a residential school. Sinclair says those who didn't file by the deadline are out of luck.

Pet problem

Thunder Bay's Humane Society says a Toronto City Council move to eliminate the sale of dogs and cats from mills will spread here.  Executive Director Mariane Kleynendorst says while the Toronto move focuses on pet stores, the problem here is the sale of pets over the web. 

Walmart makes announcement

On the heals of Target's talk of acquiring Zellers' stores in the City; Walmart is making an announcement of it's own. The company is acquiring the lease agreements for County Fair and the Arthur Street Marketplace.

Northern Debate in the history books

It was a showdown between the NDP and PC Leaders at the first ever Northern Debate.  Andrea Horwath and Tim Hudak tackled issues from the Ring of Fire to the Far North Act.  Horwath promises a bigger voice for the North at Queen's Park.  Hudak promises that P-C members from the North will also be heard by him.  Premier Dalton McGuinty did not participate.

Dalton's Chicken

The absence of Premier Dalton McGuinty drew criticism from hecklers outside of the Northern Ontario Leaders Debate. Kaministiqua Resident Pete Lang brought a chicken to the debate claiming it was the Premier's. 

Drug bust in Sioux Lookout

Police in Sioux Lookout have made another drug bust.  Officers arrested a 30 year old man from Toronto after they found a large quantity of Oxy Contin and Cocaine worth 34 thousand dollars.

McGuinty getting mixed feelings about his Northern Debate no show

A few hecklers showed up to the Northern Ontario Leaders debate to send a message to the absent Premier.  One man from Kaministiquia had a very unique message to send that included some live props.

Meanwhile Dalton McGuinty's absence from the debate makes sense according to Lakehead University Economics Professor Livio Di Matteo.  He says there wasn't much to gain by coming considering a major gaffe could hurt him in the vote rich GTA while it's likely most voters here have already made up their minds.  

Fate of local Zellers stores still unknown

The Target Corporation has now finalized the lease purchases of the 84 Canadian Zeller's stores including the ones at County Fair Plaza and the Thunder Bay Mall. However,  Target spokesperson Amy Reilly says that doesn't mean they'll be turned into Target stores.  She says up to 29 of the stores on Friday's list will potentially become Target locations, the rest will be sold to other retailers or back to the landlords.So far only the Zellers store at the Intercity Mall will definitely become a Target location.

OPSEU goes to bat for sacked part-timers

Three former part time workers at Confederation College are upset after they were let go for not crossing the picket lines during the college strike. Richard Belleau  of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union says they have tried to get the workers their jobs back.  Two of them are in Fort Frances the other in Thunder Bay.

Hobbs favours legalizing pot

Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs is being singled out after saying he favours the legalization of marijuana.  His thoughts are revealed on a blog by the Canadian band Hollerado when they visited with the mayor during their stop in the city a week ago.

Fire cause to go as undetermined

It appears that the cause of this week's fire on Sherbrooke Street may never be known. The blaze tore through a duplex causing extensive damage but no injuries.  Investigators are reported to have probed the scene without being able to narrow down what started the fire.

Crime Strategy goes before Council

The veil will soon be lifted on the Crime Prevention Council's two year strategy.  Chair Wendy Landrie says they'll be bringing it to council on Monday for approval.  Once it gets approval they'll start to implement it.

Alex Auld is ready for his second stint with the Senators

The Ottawa Senators are in a rebuilding mode but that isn't dampening the spirits of the Alex Auld.  The Thunder Bay Goaltender is in his second tour of duty with the team and says its a different roster but there are still a lot of familiar faces in Jason Spezza, Daniel Alferdsson, and Chris Phillips. Auld says he's looking forward to playing with Craig Anderson again who he last played with in the Florida Panthers Organization.

Henizl speaks in Thunder Bay

The founder of Doctors Without Borders Canada sees similarities between remote first nation communities and the third world. Dr. Richard Heinzl says more needs to be done to help aboriginal communities who don't have clean drinking water. Heinzl spoke at Confederation College Thursday night.

Crime prevention awards announced.

Mayor Keith Hobbs is taking his fight against crime to the public level by announcing the Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards.   Hobbs says they're designed to help all citizens become aware of crime prevention and strategies.  They will be handed out November 7th.

Grits cool on addressing forestry concerns

Ontario's governing Liberals are not addressing a number of forestry questions put to the main political parties by Northwestern Ontario municipal and industry leaders.   Out of thirteen questions posed to the parties, the Liberals only answered one.   However,  the author's of the survey refused to be critical, saying some of the questions are complex and they hope they'll be addressed before the election.

Mauro gets his star

Thunder Bay's Arthur Mauro now has a star on the Walk of Fame at Victoriaville Mall.   Mauro is the Chancellor of Lakehead University and has served on several government commissions and committees.  He currently lives in Winnipeg.

Cooler temps and rain ease fire concerns

Cooler temperatures and rain are helping to keep the forest fire hazard at low in Northwestern Ontario. There are currently 40 active fires burning, compared to over 100 during the height of forest fire activity in the hot summer months. No new fires have been reported.

Robbery suspect caught

A 20 year old man appears in court Thursday after police say he was caught following an attempted armed robbery at a north side convenience store Wednesday night.   They say a man wearing a mask and brandishing a knife left the store empty handed.  Police believe the same person may be charged with a similar robbery on Tuesday

Mining boom has 20 year shelf life

The President of the Ontario Mining Association is predicting the current mining boom only has a 20 year shelf life.  Chris Hodgson says we need to strike while the iron is hot.  Hodgson adds in order for the region to provide a solid workforce more women need to consider careers in mining.

OFIA unveils election asks

The NDP, PC's, and Liberals are being put on notice from the Ontario Forest Industry Association.  Spokesperson Scott Jackson says they want to see better provincial government policies.  Jackson says they also want a buy Ontario policy for the Forest Industry.

Power outage plaguing North side

Around 150 Thunder Bay Hydro customers are without power on the North side of town.  According to the company's outage line, the homes on the Northwest outskirts of town lost power at around 3 o'clock and officials aren't sure when power will be restored.

Fatal fire under investigation

OPP in Kenora are investigating a fatal fire.  Officials say the fire happened Monday at a cottage on an island on Lake of the Woods.  One person died and another is in critical condition.  No word on the cause of the fire. 

Fire rips through duplex

No injuries after a two alarm blaze tore through a duplex on the city's southside.  The inferno started just before 11:30 on Sherbrooke street and Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Captain Rick Kerley says when crews arrived they saw blackened windows and smoke in the area. Kerley says they found extensive damage in the house but managed to confine most of the damage to the main floor.  There is no word on the cause at this time.

Canfield thinks McGuinty will be last minute show

There are still some members of NOMA that think the Premier will show to the first ever Northern Ontario Leaders Debate.  Vice President Dave Canfield has a sneaking suspicion that Dalton McGuinty will have a change of heart.  The Mayor of Kenora believes even though the Premier has said he won't attend; he might find a way in the long run.  Canfield feels any Premier needs to be engaged with the region since we have all of the resources.

Business needs to grow communities

The Chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is rallying the business community to support remote communities.  Elyse Allan spoke at the Prosperity Northwest Conference today and says Government and Business have a role to play.  Allan says investments need to be made in skills training and basic infrastructure.  Allan is also the President and CEO of GE Canada.

Airport sets new record

Thunder Bay's airport has set a new record.  During the month of August just over 67 thousand people went through the airport which is the highest ever.  Officials believe the airport will see over 700 thousand passengers this year.

Inflation jumps in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's inflation rate is even with the national rate for August at 3.1 per cent.  That is an increase from 2.9 per cent the month before.  Government statisticians tell us it's the result of increased prices for gasoline and food.

The longtime face of CF dies

Condelences are pouring in on Facebook for a  Thunder Bay woman who grew up in front of our eyes on local television.  Carla Long has died at the age 35.   She passed away last night at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.   Long was one of the local residents who appeared yearly on the Cystic Fibrosis Mother's Day Telethon.

Marten Falls tries addiction treatment program

The First Nations community of Marten Falls is trying a new way to get their members off their prescription pain killer addictions. They are trying out a 30 day program which will provide Oxycontin addicts with a drug that will taper them off the hard stuff. Marten Falls is 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.

Tai Chi Park Grand Opening Friday

Thunder Bay is working on cementing it's reputation as the Tai Chi City in China.  The Tai Chi park and moon gate will be unveiled this Friday and Organizer Brian Nieminen says they'll welcome a wide range of delegates.  The park includes a 60' diameter pad for Tai Chi and a large Moongate that frames a view of the Sleeping Giant.

Advance Polls start Wednesday

You can now cast your ballot for the 2011 Provincial election.  Thunder Bay Superior North Returning Officer Peter Doig says advance poll locations open at 10 today.  If you live in the Superior North riding you can vote at the returning office or at the County Fair Mall.  In the Thunder Bay-Atikokan Riding you can vote at the Slovak Legion, and at the Redwood Returning Office.  Advance polls are running for 10 days.

Greenstone makes it's case for a smelter

The community of Greenstone feels it now has a leg up in attracting a Ring of Fire refinery. Consultant George Smitherman says his study shows that the town of Exton should be the top choice for Cliffs Natural Resources when it makes a decision on a smelter location. He says at the heart of the Exton's strength is its proximity to the mine site and its relations with First Nations. Cliffs hopes to make a decision by the end of the year.

Police lead the province in alcohol related arrests

Thunder Bay Police are leading the province in a very dubious category.  According to the 2010 annual report officers made more alcohol related arrests per capita than anywhere else in Ontario.  Chief JP Levesque says it's a social problem and is keeping officers from focusing on crime prevention and enforcement.   He says adding more detox beds would go a long way to relieve some of the pressure on police.

Feedback invited on urban forestry

The city is looking for your input on a new management plan for our urban forest.   A pubic session is taking place tonight at Thunder Bay's 55 Plus Centre.  The public meeting takes place between 7 and 9 pm.  That feedback will be used by a consulting group when it draws up a final report to council next month.

Bell Tower decision put off until another meeting

Bell Canada has yet to set a date for another public consultation session on a proposed cell phone tower on John Street Road. The company is also considering lowering it's proposed tower on John Street. Spokesperson Matt Milligan says it's not an ideal situation but they're listening to the neighbourhood's issue with their tower's height. Milligan notes it will mean less coverage for the residents in the area. City Council is holding off on sending a letter to Industry Canada until Bell holds a second neighbourhood meeting.