Feds Funding for S.L.

The Federal Government is helping the Sioux Lookout First Nation Health Authority establish a Child Advocacy Centre. Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announced 115-thousand dollars in funding yesterday and stated the Centre will help young victims of violence or sexual abuse. The money will be used to establish a needs assessment and feasibility study for the centre which will provide culturally sensitive services.

Rydholm Talks Infrastructure Round Table

The Federal Funding for Municipal Infrastructure projects is going to expire in 2014.  A round table meeting is being held in Kenora on Thursday.  Councillor Linda Rydholm will be attending and says she'll be bringing up the issue of new waste water regulations that will tax area communities with extra costs.

Police Respond To John St Accident

Thunder Bay Police say a three year old boy is in hospital this afternoon after being hit by a vehicle. Police responded to the accident just before 1:30 on John Street. Officers say the child was playing in the parking lot of the building complex when he was struck by the vehicle that was backing out of a parking spot.

 

Stats Can Updates Crime Rates

Statistics Canada is ranking Thunder Bay 3rd in the Country for a city of our size for overall crime and violent crime.  Police Chief JP Levesque says the stats are alarming but there is a bright side our homocide rate has dropped since 2010.

More Local Lottery Winners

A young Thunder Bay couple are 87 thousand dollar lottery winners. Dale Pichlyk and Shana Fillier won on the June 30th 6-49 draw. They plan to use their windfall towards paying bills and they will bank the rest. They bought the ticket in Sioux Lookout.

Thunder Bay Teams Hot To Start Little League Tourney

The Ontario Senior Little League Championship is being played this week at baseball Central and both Thunder Bay teams are off to good starts. The All-Stars crushed Windsor East 23-3 in their opening game, while the Selects edged Orleans 7-6. Action continues today starting at 2:00 p.m. The All-Stars are back in action starting at 6:00 p.m. The winner of the 5team tournament advances to the Canadian Championships in Regina.

Two Border Cats Make All-Star Squad

Pitchers Jordan McCoy and Wes Parsons are the two all-stars representing the Thunder Bay Border Cats in tonight's all-star game in Madison, Wisconsin. The Border Cats remain 4 1/2 games back in the North division and are set to begin a 7 game homestand starting Thursday at Subway field.

Pugh Reaches Out To Algoma Businesses

McKellar Ward Councillor Paul Pugh hopes Algoma Street businesses can stick out the remainder of construction season on their roadway.  Several businesses recently complained about the road being closed during construction.  Pugh says it's unfortunate but it needs to happen in order to complete the major construction project that's under way.  

Deer Feeding Amendment Dies

It's illegal to feed deer anywhere in the City of Thunder Bay.  Council had been considering allowing it on Mission and McKellar Islands but city law makers voted it down at Monday night's meeting.  Councillor Andrew Foulds was just one of several councillors who felt the amendment to the deer feeding by-law was unfair to other wildlife feeders in the other parts of the City.

Boshcoff Calls For Cross Canada Museum

Thunder Bay could one day be home to a museum recognizing the scores of people who travel across Canada on their charity missions.  Councillor Ken Boshcoff introduced the motion and says it would be fitting to house the museum since many people walk and cycle through Thunder Bay on their cross-country tours.  Boshcoff doesn't want their journeys to be forgotten.  City staff will be looking into the feasibility of the idea.

Council Hires Companies To Create Plan

Two companies are being hired to create a joint mining strategy and economic development plan for Fort William First Nation and Thunder Bay.  SNC Lavalin and Edward Hoshizaki Development have been tasked with the job to create the plans.  The plans will run from  2012 to 2015. 

Council Buys Buses

City Council is putting almost 1.3 million dollars towards three new transit buses.  Council made the decision last night and awarded the contract to Nova Bus.  The new buses will replace other buses that are 17 years old or more.

Council Puts More Cash To Whalen

City Council is going ahead with increasing the amount of money set aside to repair the Whalen Building. Council decided last night to kick in another 300 thousand dollars towards renovating the historical building.

Mission Accomplished

Officials at the Salvation Army are overwhelmed by the generosity of people in the city.  Spokesperson Gail Kromm says the organization received more than enough furniture for local flood victims after a call went out to the public recently.  She says for that reason,  they aren't accepting anymore furniture donations for this cause. 

NWO Man Faces Sex Assault Charge

A 25-year-old Cochenour man faces a long list of charges after a 50-year-old woman was sexually assaulted.Red Lake Provincial Police say the two knew each other and the incident occurred at a Cochenour home. OPP say the accused faces counts of break and enter, overcoming resistance to commit and offence, forcible confinement and sexual assault causing bodily harm.The victim was transported to hospital and released. The accused remains in custody and no names have been released.

Search Continues For Fire Bug

The Fire Service is helping city police in trying to catch what they believe is an arsonist.  Fire crews have been called to more than a half-dozen fires in recent months in the Empire Avenue and Christina Street areas. Director of Fire Prevention, Terry Henchar says in each case an accelerant has been used to set either sheds or garages on fire.

Algoma Construction Causes Concerns

The city says it's honouring its pledge to Algoma Street business owners about construction work. As merchants complain about a loss of business, Engineering Manager Pat Mauro says there was an understanding that Algoma could not always remain open through the lengthy roadwork. He says that was addressed during the public meetings. Businesses claim that the city said there would be at least one lane of the street open during construction.

Traffic Reduced To One Lane On Golf Links

Traffic on Golf Links Road between the Harbour Expressway and Fanshaw Street will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting this morning. City crews are repairing a watermain and the lane closures could last up to four days. Drivers are requested to take alternative routes during this time and to exercise extra caution if driving through the construction zone. 

1 New Fire Reported Sunday

The Ministry of Natural Resources is expecting it to be only a brief help. Weekend rain in some parts of the Northwest Region was a welcome relief with only one new fire reported in the District of Thunder Bay. Information Officer Deb McLean says " it was a quiet day in the region Sunday after rain helped dampen the fire hazard and smoky conditions that had been experienced on Saturday." The reprieve is expected to be short lived though as the weather is forecast to clear and put the fire hazard back into a high level by mid-week.

Border Cats Rally For Win

The Thunder Bay Border Cats rallied for a 9-6 win over the Willmar Stingers yesterday at Subway field. Their record is now 7-11 in the second half and they are 4 1/2 games back in the North division as all teams are off for three days for the all-star break. The game is being played tomorrow in Madison, Wisconsin.

Chill Finish Early

The Thunder Bay Chill's season is over after a 1-nil loss to the Forest City London last night. A 62nd minute goal was all Forest City needed to silence the Chill. The Chill were favourites to play in the final of the Conference Tournament today.

Cats Finally Win

The Thunder Bay Border Cats finally managed to escape with a win, 5-2 against the Wilmar Stingers. The Cats are back in action tonight with the Stingers at 5:05 at Subway field, and will have a three day rest during the Northwoods League All Star game in Madison Wisconsin.

And The Winner Is....New Liskeard

New Liskeard is the ninth winner of Kraft Canada's celebration tour.  It comes after a 24 hour online poll in which the winner gets to host a live broadcast of TSN's Sportscentre.  New Liskeard also receives 25 thousand dollars to put towards construction of a new sporting complex.  New Liskeard won with 372,291 votes, while Kakabeka Falls had 102,607 votes in support of its nomination.

Health Unit Lifts Advisory

The water is good at our area beaches again.  Thunder Bay's Health Unit lifted swimming advisories for Boulevard Lake's main beach and Sandy Beach at Chippewa Park.  Chippewa Park's main beach however is still under a swimming advisory.

Misconceptions Surround Disaster Relief: Chair

There appear to be some myths surrounding the fundraising for victims of the May 28th flood in the city.  Disaster Relief  Committee chair Wayne Fletcher says it's causing concerns.  He says those misconceptions need to be straightened out to show how grave an issue it is.   The committee promises to reveal details on Wednesday.

North Side Accidents Keep Police Busy

Police are investigating couple of afternoon traffic mishaps   No one was seriously hurt in a three vehicle smashup on North Cumberland at Nelson. That accident took place just after 1 o'clock.  Then just after 2, a child on a bike was not hurt after police say he was struck by a vehicle on Perth Cres. and County Blvd.

"Suspicious" Fire On Mount Baldy

Arson is suspected in a fire on the top of Mount Baldy last night. Shuniah Fire Chief Blair Arthur says while it was a smaller building which was destroyed by the blaze, it was tough to get to because it was a steep climb for firefighters. He believes they lost about 15 minutes Arthur says the cause is not known, but he says it's "suspicious."  They also managed to contain a brush fire behind the building

Daniher Gives Props To Birla

The head of the local steelworkers union is looking forward to working with the new company that's taken over Terrace Bay Pulp. Herb Daniher says the Birla Group has already done wonders for two mills in New Brunswick. The mill is expected to get back into operation in the fall.

Waterfront Celebration

It's a grand celebration of Thunder Bay's waterfront. House of Commons Leader Peter VanLoan helped celebrate today the completion of the first phase of redevelopment at Prince Arthur's Landing. Van Loan says the federal government was happy to play a funding role in this project.  The Provincial Government was also on hand to celebrate their part in making the waterfront project get off the ground.

Woodcrest Crossing Guard Up For Debate

City Council is going to consider hiring a full time crossing guard for Woodcrest Road.  A crossing guard was placed on that street as a pilot project for the 2012 school year and now City staff are recommending they keep up covering the cost to employ that person.  Staff are proposing 6 thousand dollars be added to the 2013 budget.

Heney Talks Transporting Oil Sands Product

Thunder Bay's Port Authority is getting requests from western companies looking to transport oil sands oil through our waterways. CEO Tim Heney says it's a legitimate business opportunity. Heney says they already transport diesel and gasoline through our port and notes it wouldn't take much to move into offering oil sands products as well.

Boulevard Lake Welcomes Paddlers

Boulevard Lake is going to be alive with the sound of paddles at the 14th annual Dragon Boat  Festival today and tomorrow. Spokesperson Volker Kromm says money raised will go towards three local charities.  A parade and opening ceremonies start tonight at 7.

OLG Casino Gives Cash

The City is getting another payment from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Over 600 thousand dollars from the local casino is going towards the City. The money was taken from the casino over a three month period from April to June of this year.

Arts Community Receives More Than $600,000 In Grants

Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro is boasting about contributions to the arts community in his riding. The Ontario Arts Council contributed more than $600,000 to more than 30 arts organizations and individuals during the past year. The two organzations receiving the most amount of money are the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra at $260,000 and the Thunder Bay Art Gallery at $122,000 in grant money.

Gravelle Happy T.B.P. Deal Went Through

The Provincial Government hopes to finalize the sale of Terrace Bay Pulp by the end of the month. Minister Michael Gravelle says the sale of the mill is moving along nicely. Gravelle is pleased the court approved the sale yesterday as well as the union ratifying a deal with the new owners. Gravelle says Terrace Bay, the company, former owner Buchanan and the Union still need to formalize the deal with signing a formal contract.

Cyclist Seriously Injured

A 22 year old is still in serious condition in hospital. While riding his bike, the man was injured in a collision with a vehicle on John Street and Faircrest Street at around 7:45 p.m. last night. Police say the cyclist was traveling east on John Street when he came into collision with a car driven by a 71 year old woman who was turning onto Faircrest.  The 71 year old female driver involved in last night's auto/cycle collision has been charged with Careless Driving under the Highway Traffic Act.

Police Car Backed Into

Thunder Bay Police didn't have far to go to charge the latest person in the City with drunk driving.  They say a 49 year old man was arrested just before 1:00 this morning after backing his car into a  police cruiser at the intersection of Balmoral Street and Oliver Road. Officers saw a car driving in an unsafe manner westbound on Oliver Road. The 49 year old is charged with Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Failing to Provide a Breath Sample.

Chill In Michigan For Playoffs

The Thunder Bay Chill are in Pontiac, Michigan this weekend for the Conference finals. The Chill, who won the Heartland division and posted the second most points in the entire league, will take on Forest City out of London on Saturday for the right to move on to the finals.

Cats Lose 6th In A Row

The Thunder Bay Border Cats have now lost 6 in a row. They fell 4-2 on the road to the division leading Duluth Huskies last night. Tonight they're back at Subway field to start a 3 game series with the Willmar Stingers.

Court Approves TBP Takeover

Good news for the community of Terrace Bay.  A court has given permission to a company from India to take over Terrace Bay Pulp and convert it to make rayon.  Mayor Mike King says it's a relief for the entire community and is elated over the decision.

Whelan Repairs Could Cost Much More

City Council is being asked to up the amount of money it's willing to spend on renovations to the historical Whalen Building.  City lawmakers already awarded a contract to repair the buildng but now city staff are asking for an increase in the original purchase agreement.  Staff are asking for an additional 300-thousand dollars.

Theatre Company Hit With Flooding

Officials with a local theatre company are adding up the losses after their basement facility at Court and Park was hit by flooding this afternoon.    Jessica Bouvier of Frankly Scarlet Productions says a watermain break has resulted in some extensive damage.  She says carpeting and costumes are soaked as a result.

Disaster Relief Could Reach 15 Million

The cost of disaster relief from the May28th flood is estimated to be about 15 million dollars. The city's relief committee chair Wayne Fletcher says that means they'll have to raise 5 million dollars in a community he hopes is not losing it's fundraising spirit. Fletcher says he hopes to start alleviating misconceptions in the community on various disaster relief issues.

Atikokan Generating Station To Begin Conversion

The Atikokan Generating Station has a power purchase agreement with the Ontario Power Authority. It was the last step needed before the plant could be converted to using biomass. Thunder Bay Atikokan M.P.P. Bill Mauro made the announcement today alongside Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown. The conversion of the plant from coal to biomass will start later this year and will be completed by 2014.

Grand Chief Bows Out In Second Round

Former Treaty Three Grand Chief Diane Kelly has failed in her bid to become National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. Kelly dropped out of the race after finishing third with 39 votes in the second round of ballots. Shawn Atleo has returned for a second term and he says First Nations are increasingly demanding to be treated as equal partners in governance and in control over natural resources. Atleo adds his mandate will reflect the will of the regional chiefs who advise him.

Federal Cuts Hurt Local Police

Thunder Bay Police are upset the Federal Government has decided to end it's five year Police Officer Recruitment program. The local force is losing just over $140,000 a year that was used to hire two beat cops. Chief J.P. Levesque says when the funding gets cut in March next year he'll put it into the 2013 budget. Levesque says Police Forces across Canada have lobbied the Federal Government to keep this program going but to no avail.

Highway Sink Hole Causes Delays

The Ministry of Transportation is warning travellers about delays on highway 61. There's a large sink hole in the south bound lane of the highway near Little Trout Bay road. OPP say one lane is open but there are delays as M.T.O. staff work on patching the highway. It could take two hours or more.

Taddeo Case Closed

The city's police chief is closing the book on the case of a suspended inspector.    Dan Taddeo is now back on the job after being suspended for  nearly a year and a half and being charged under the Police Services Act over his supervision of Constable Toni Grann.   Police Chief J-P Levesque says the matter has been handled internally through and informal process, and that Inspector Taddeo's suspension has now been lifted.   Levesque would not give further details.

Kakabeka Falls Needs Your Vote

You have a 24 hour window starting at 12:00 p.m. today to vote for Kakabeka Falls and earn them a live "Sportscentre" show from T.S.N. and a $25,000 cheque to help upgrade the town's curling club. Kakabeka Falls is up against New Liskeard in an on-line vote for the right to host the show and win the money for a community upgrade. Winning communities so far have averaged more than 300000 votes. You can vote on-line at www.kraftcelebrationtour.ca

Border Cats Losing Ground

The Thunder Bay Border Cats were doubled-up 8-4 by the first place Duluth Huskies last night. The Border Cats are now 4 1/2 games back of first place in the North division. Their 5 game series with Duluth concludes tonight on the road.