M.S. Society Nearly Out Of Money

The M.S. Society of Thunder Bay is almost out of money and they're not even at the half-way point of the year. They provided equipment funding for 86 people last year and already through April they have had requests from 85 people. Board Chair Linda Adamson says they are almost a victim of their own success. Adamson says they may have to seek corporate or grant support, meanwhile the annual M.S. Walk takes place this weekend.

Beardy Meets Prince Charles

The royal visit to Toronto today has Northwestern Ontario connections. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy spent a few moments with Prince Charles and presented him with a book called "Treaty No. 9." Beardy feels Prince Charles was very "Genuinely" receptive to his message of keeping existing treaty's in the minds of royalty.

Forest Fire Level Drops Across Region

The forest fire situation is now listed as low to moderate for Northwestern Ontario. Information Officer Debbie McLean says the rain on Sunday helped somewhat, but 17 new fires did start over the long weekend. McLean says the forest fire situation is stable enough that they've been able to deploy equipment and personnel to help with the massive fire in the Kirkland Lake area.

Mayor Hobbs Returns From Gifu, Japan

Economic Development, talks on power, education and the exchange of information. It was all part of the City's trip to Gifu, Japan. Mayor Keith Hobbs and his 10 person brigade are back from what he calls a very busy and eventful trip. Mayor Hobbs says he's truly excited about the potential rise in exchange students coming to Lakehead University. A delegation from Gifu, Japan is expected to come to Thunder Bay in July.

Man Attacked By Bear

O.P.P. are once again warning people of the dangers associated with attracting or approaching bears. This comes after a 65 year old man was attacked over the weekend on Dunbar Lake, North of Sioux Lookout. The man suffered a bite and scratches from a black bear, before his camping partner recognized the situation, shot and killed the bear.

6 Charges Laid Against 20 Yr. Old Woman

A 20 year old woman remains in police custody and faces a number of charges following an incident on Saturday. Police say a 29 year old woman was hit by the driver of a stolen mini-van on Langworthy Crescent. She suffered minor injuries. The 20 year old woman faces six charges including impaired driving causing bodily harm and failing to remain at an accident.

Anti-Homophobia Workshop Wednesday

Thunder Bay is hosting a workshop in honour of International Day Against Homophobia.  Organizer Robin Cooper says they want to teach volunteer organizations how they can be more LGBTQ friendly.  Cooper says in the future they would like to open up the workshop to businesses. The workshop is taking place Wednesday. 

SIU Investigate Northern Avenue Collision

The Special Investigations Unit is examining the circumstances surrounding the death of a 67-year-old man on Sunday on Northern Avenue.  Late that night, a police officer was about to pull over a reported stolen vehicle, but the vehicle didn't stop after the officer activated his cruiser's lights. A short distance later, the vehicle crashed into a second vehicle.  Spokesperson Monica Hudon says they're looking into whether Police are at fault for the accident.  20 year old Shane Kolody is charged with Criminal Negligence Causing Death and Possession of Stolen Property Over 5-thousand dollars.

MVC In Front Of Whalen

2 people are in hospital after a motor vehicle collision Monday night in Westfort.  2 vehicles collided at Gore and Crawford in front of the Whalen Hotel.  The Fire Department says a woman needed to be extracted from her vehicle.  Police are investigating.

Car Fire East Empire Avenue

Thunder Bay's Fire Department isn't sure what caused a car fire in the back lane of East Empire early this morning.  Officials say the fire doesn't look suspicious.  The blaze was reported just after 3 this morning and the car is completely destroyed.

Northern Avenue Collision Claims Life

A 67 year old Thunder Bay man is dead after a serious collision in the 100 block of Northern Avenue.  Police say a 20 year old driving a truck collided with the senior's car on Sunday night.  Shane Kolody is charged with Criminal Negligence Causing Death and Possession of Stolen Property Over $5,000.   The Special Investigations Unit is taking control of the investigation and will release the name of the deceased once the family is notified.

Kiptoo Wins 10-Mile Road Race

Gilbert Kiptoo is the winner of this year's Fire Fighters 10-Mile Road Race. He finished the race in 50 Minutes and 14 seconds. Second place went to Phillip Kipchumba 52:02. John Balabuck was the first local runner to cross the finish line in sixth place overall with a time of 54 minutes and 36 seconds. Simpson Street, Fort William Road, and Water Street are all closed until 12 a.m. for the remaining racers and spectators.

OPP Recover Body of Atikokan Man

OPP Emergency Response Team and the OPP Underwater Search and Recovery Unit recovered the body of 49 year old Eric Natti of Atikokan on Thursday at Miller Lake. Natti was reported missing last November but cold weather and ice conditions prevented officers from finishing the search during the winter.

Man in Custody

Thunder Bay police took a man into custody last night after calls that he was pointing a handgun at people near River and Madeline Street. The 27 year old Thunder Bay man was in possession of a black replica BB handgun. He faces a charge of possession of a weapon for dangerous purposes and will appear in court today. No one was injured.

Inflation Rate Falls Significantly

Thunder Bay's inflation rate dropped significantly from March to April. The rate fell from 2.1 percent to 1.5 percent. Thunder Bay now has the 3rd lowest rate of inflation in the country among major urban centres.

3 New Forest Fires Today

The Forest Fire Hazard remains at high to extreme for all of Northwestern Ontario. The Ministry of Natural Resources is reporting three new fires which started today. One is near Dryden and two more started near Sioux Lookout. The M.N.R. is people to use urging extreme caution this holiday weekend.

Norovirus Caused 136 People To Get Sick

The Health Unit is saying Norovirus is what caused so many people to become ill this week. An investigation was conducted after 136 people got sick after attending This Old Barn Restaurant in Murillo last weekend. According to the Health Unit, Norovirus is spread through contaminated food or contaminated surfaces such as door knobs and light switches. They are still hoping to hear from some of the people who may have been affected.

NAN Nakina Drug Bust

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Police have made a significant drug bust in Nakina, 3-hundred Kilometres North of Thunder Bay. Police raided a home and found more than 42-thousand dollars worth of marijuana and hashish. A 46-year old Nakina man has been arrested and will appear next in court on June 14th. NAN police say the bust is expected to influence the flow of drug traffic to at least five communities in area.

Deb Comuzzi Is New LU VP

Lakehead University is welcoming home a former Thunder Bay resident.  Deb Comuzzi is the University's new Vice President of External Relations.  Comuzzi will be in charge of reaching out to alumni and the community, as well as fundraising.  She left Thunder Bay at the age of 18 and is the daughter of former Member of Parliament Joe Comuzzi.

This Old Barn Sickness Expands

The number of people reported sick after eating at Murillo's "This Old Barn" is growing. The Health Unit says there are 126 people sick after eating there last weekend. 34 people who ate there are not sick while another 31 need to get back to the Health Unit.

Feds Cut Experimental Lakes Jobs

Federal budget cuts are starting hit close to home.  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced that it's closing the Experimental Lakes area west of Dryden as part of a 79-million dollar cost cutting exercise.  The Experimental Lake consists of 58 lakes that act as an outdoor laboratory.  Researchers from around the world have taken advantage of the facility over the years.  A government spokesperson says they will try to turn the facility over to universities or the provinces. 

Busy May Long Weekend

U-S Customs and Border Protection is reminding travellers that area border points will be busy for the next two weekends. This weekend is Victoria Day in Canada and the U-S Memorial Day weekend is celebrated May 25th to 28th. To cut down on delays, travellers are reminded to make sure they have the proper documents and to plan for increased traffic.

OLG Looks For Private Interest

Ontario Lottery and Gaming is looking for a private company to run Thunder Bay's Casino.  The OLG issued a request for information from the private sector after dividing Ontario into 29 zones for potential casino sites.  

Dryden Sells Water

The City of Dryden has agreed to sell water to the Ministry of Transportation for a 90-day period. Director of Public Works and Engineering Mike Louttit says they have brokered a deal at a reduced rate as part of a requirement to supply water for road work east of the community. Louttit says potential revenue is 189-thousand dollars but notes it may reach a quarter million dollars.

OFAH Fishing Application Worries

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says its members don't like the fact the information from their hunting and fishing applications is stored in the U-S.  Spokesperson Lezlie Goodwin says the groups 100-thousand members don't want the American government or companies accessing their personal data.  The anglers and hunters worry Homeland Security will use the Patriot Act to access the personal data of Ontarians that is stored in the U-S, ignoring provincial protection of privacy laws.

United Way Billboard Challenge

The United Way's Great Billboard Rescue is pleased with it's 20th fundraising campaign. They raised over 142-thousand dollars during their main fundraising event yesterday. The money goes towards the Community Fund which is used to fund 67 local programs.

NAN Says No

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is panning the Premier. They sent him a curt response saying no to his invite to speak at the 7th annual First Nations meeting. NAN is declining the Premier's invite because they would only have 10 minutes to speak with Dalton McGuinty and they feel that's not enough time to properly air their grievances.

Marina Restaurant Name TBA

A new restaurant is about to set up shop at the Marina. Officials however, are keeping the name tightly sealed. Waterfront Project Manager, Katherine Dugmore says we're close to knowing the identity. Dugmore says the new restaurant will be located near the Water Garden Pavilion.

Waterfront Construction Starts

The marina is about to become a little noisier. Katherine Dugmore, Waterfront Project Manager says construction has now begun on a new parking facility that will help service the new hotel and condominium. Dugmore could not say how long the parking project will take.

Forest Fire Hazard High To Extreme

Heading into the long weekend, the forest fire hazard remains high to extreme for the entire area of Northwestern Ontario. The Ministry of Natural Resources is asking people to exercise caution when dealing with fires or outdoors activities that may cause fires.

Jury Softens The Blow In Theft Case

Chris Watkins

Guilty, but Krystyna Dolasinski will not feel the full brunt of the law.  Dolasinski was charged after 90 to 100 thousand dollars went missing from the Port Arthur Polish Alliance Hall. Her lawyer Chris Watkins is satisfied with the outcome saying the jury understood at least part of the defence's position in the case.   Krystyna Dolasinski was found guilty of theft under 5-thousand dollars and falsifying records.   The sentencing submissions will be heard on September 13th.

International Day Against Homophobia

4 City High Schools are celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia today. Charlie Bishop, Education Officer with the Lakehead District School Board is giving a lot of credit to the Gay Straight Alliances that have been created in schools. Events are taking place at Superior C.V.I., Churchill, Westgate and Hammarskjold.

Alternative School Closes

Thunder Bay's first Alternative school was forced to close its doors in December. The Northern Lights Education Initiative just opened in the fall and had six students but unfortunately couldn't stay open. Spokesperson Michelle Uvanile says they hope to see an alternative school be operated under the Public School Board system.

Gravelle Responds To Canfield

The Minister of Natural Resources is listening to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Associations concerns over the changes being made to the Bear Wise program.  Vice President of NOMA Dave Canfield has said the cuts to the program are just another service being downloaded onto the backs of municipalities.  Gravelle says that's not so.

NAN Says No

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is panning the Premier.  They sent him a curt response saying no to his invite to speak at the 7th annual first nations meeting.  NAN is declining the Premier's invite because they would only have seven minutes to speak with Dalton McGuinty and they feel that's not enough time to properly air their grievances.

Lipinski Returns As Metis Prez

A Fort Frances area man has been given another mandate to head the Metis Nation of Ontario.  Gary Lipinski has received over 87-percent of the vote to return as President.  The Metis Nation says there was a record voter turnout in the recent elections.  Lipinski says its a strong mandate to continue to push forward on their Métis rights agenda.

Plasma Centre Rally Tonight

Former employees of Canadian Blood Services' Plasma Centre are not giving up the fight over the loss of their jobs.  They are rallying tonight at the Lakehead Labour Centre from four until six.  The plasma centre closed last month.

A Minus

Officials at Cancer Care Northwest are patting themselves on the back for a positive showing in the latest government report card.   Former Vice President Michael Power says the Thunder Bay cancer centre came out high on the scale.   Power says the report shows the centre met provincial targets in several main areas and ranks the report card at a A minus.

Health Unit Investigates After 61 Fall Ill

61 people are said to have fallen ill after eating or drinking at "This Old Barn" restaurant in Murillo this past weekend. Emergency officials at the Health Sciences Centre first alerted the Health Unit about a potential problem after recurring cases were reported. Manager of Environmental Health, Christopher Beveridge says the owner of This Old barn is working cooperatively and that preliminary results point to water being contaminated with E. Coli but they are looking into it further.

Company Facing Charges In Workers Death

Teranorth Construction of Sudbury is facing seven charges in connection with the fatal industrial accident at the McKenzie River Bridge in June of last year. Matt Blajer of the Ministry of Labour says the charges are under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and relate to the platform lift that tipped over killing a 24 year old employee.  The company will make a first court appearance on June 22nd

Anglers & Hunters Will Have Info Stored In States

A Tennessee-based company now operates an automated licensing system for Ontario for hunters and fishers, and stores the personal data it collects in the United States. Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle says Active Outdoors signed a contract with very specific terms to abide by Ontario law to protect personal information. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says its 100,000 members are ``deeply concerned'' Homeland Security will use the Patriot Act to access the personal data of Ontario residents.

Free Dental Services For Local Youngsters

If you're a young teen and you don't have access to a dentist, the local health unit wants to help.  The health unit will be providing free check ups, fillings, x-rays and cleanings to youth under the age of 17 who come from low income families.  The Provincial Government is providing the Thunder Bay Health Unit with funding to offer the program. To apply call 625-5900.

Six Con College Grads Get Jobs

The first six graduates from Confederation College's Firefighter program are now employed.  Confederation College President Jim Madder says they've been hired by Thunder Bay's Fire Department.  Fire Chief John Hay says the program helps the students compete for tough to get jobs within his department and nationally.

Police Report Fewer Insecure Loads

City Police say we are getting better. Last week they conducted spot checks of the vehicles taking loads to the Mapleward Road city landfill site. They say out of a total of almost six thousand vehicles checked, close to thirty drivers were given tickets for having an insecure load. That compares with the almost 40 tickets handed out last year.

Anti Poverty Guru Likes Local Strategy

Anti poverty crusader Mark Chamberlain is visiting the city today teaching local activists what he learned trying to reduce poverty in Hamilton. Chamberlain believes we are heading in the right direction with our Poverty Reduction Strategy. He says without a strategy you don't have the advantage of listening to the ideas of many people with innovative solutions.  

                                                            Chamberlain Interview 

Bombardier Employees Help Charities

Bombardier employees in Thunder Bay continue to give back. Employees contributed more than 60-thousand-dollars to 25 charities in 2011. George Gasbarrino, Director of Human Resources says "The Employee Fund is making a significant difference in the lives of thousands of families in Thunder Bay."

OPP Release Name Of Kenora Fatality

Provincial Police in Kenora have released the name of the man found dead on the Canadian Pacific rail crossing in Keewatin early Sunday morning.  The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Justen Kroeker of Kenora.  Police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination.  Foul play isn't suspected.

Dryden Debates First Nation Student Residence

Dryden Council is expected to debate the re-zoning of Pinewood School at next Tuesday's open meeting. A public meeting was held yesterday into the re-zoning of the property to facilitate a First Nations school and residential facility for up to 72-students and 8-supervisory staff.  Sally Ledger pleaded with Council to give Northern kids a chance to gain an education but notes that the KO Northern Chiefs led project comes with other benefits.

Dryden Welcomes Familiar Face To Council

Sid Wintle says he's anxious to get started on Dryden Council.  The former Mayor and Councilor was elected in Monday's bye-election for the one vacant Council seat.  Wintle says cleaning up the City's finances is his number one priority.

Canfield To Talk To Gravelle

The Bear Wise program isn't living up to its name.  That's the feeling of the Vice-President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.  Dave Canfield says the Ministry of Natural Resources shouldn't be allowed to download the responsibility of nuisance bears onto municipalities.