Thunder Bay Police are calling the death of a 52 year old man suspicious. Constable Julie Tilbury says the investigation began after a call to a Belton Street home on Thursday morning.
Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is in Thunder Bay today to launch the "MPPs Back to Work Campaign." The Ontario New Democrats are circulating a petition calling on the Liberal government to put the provincial legislature back to work. Campbell launched the Northwestern Ontario campaign today at the local Ministry of Northern Development Office.
Clean Eating Guru Tosca Reno is going to be teaching people how to eat healthy at an upcoming workshop. Reno is in the City Friday for a book signing at Janzen's Pharmacy on Bay Street and Saturday for a workshop at the Victoria Inn. Reno feels anyone, anywhere can eat clean since you can always get access to an apple. Her book signing is Friday from 2 until 4.
The City is creating a poverty reduction strategy. The poverty reduction committee held its inaugural meeting recently and Chair Paul Pugh says the strategy has been a long time coming. Pugh says they hope to have a plan in place by September 2013.
The Intercity Mall's Zellers store is getting ready to close it's doors. They've started to mark down their merchandise in advance of Target taking over in 2013. Target Spokesperson Tamar Nersesian says renovations will take six to nine months. The Target store is expected to open in the summer of 2013.
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The President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is looking at the positives surrounding the resignation of Premier Dalton McGuinty. Ron Nelson says this now provides a window of opportunity. Nelson says they will grill the candidates on everything impacting the north including mining, tourism and the forestry sector.
A proposal for more cost-efficient energy generation in Northern Ontario. At the Ontario Waterpower Conference, the Northwest Kick Start plan was featured which will provide a cheaper power supply to the Ring of Fire and First Nations communities through a grid connection. President and CEO of Imperium Energy Larry Doran says there's no downside to the proposal. Doran says it also allows for the development of hydro-electric generation.
The deadline to file your damage claim forms from the May 28th flood is this Wednesday. Disaster Relief Chair Wayne Fletcher says there are still some people who haven't submitted their forms because they've been having trouble getting estimates. So far 200 people have submitted claim forms. Application forms will be accepted at the disaster relief office on Donald Street up until 4:30 on Wednesday.
Shelter House is celebrating the grand opening of it's Alcohol Management Program. The 2 year pilot project is a 15 bed rehab facility that provides housing for homeless people who struggle with drugs and alcohol. Executive Director Patty Hajdu says it's a vast improvement from sending them to a jail cell. The centre opened in March and currently has 11 residents.
Four people are charged in connection with a drug bust on the 100 block of South Franklin Street. Police say 16 thousand dollars worth of cocaine was seized in the raid. Smaller amounts of marijuana, Oxycontin and Morphine were also found.
A Thunder Bay man is distributing petitions to 53 thousand homes in the city. Cec Cranston is hoping to convince the powers that be to built a transition home for elderly people who get out of hospital and are waiting for an opening at a nursing home. Cranston hopes to correct some government decisions from the past. Cranston admits however the petitions may be confusing to some and should be read carefully before signing.
Environment Canada is issuing a special weather statement for Marathon, Schreiber, Wawa and White River. More rain along with occasional thunderstorms are on the way with another 25 mm of rain possible today. Local rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm are possible in locales that receive a thunderstorm or two. Motorists should exercise caution and be prepared for sudden low visibility in very heavy downpours from the thunderstorms.
Homeowners will want to keep an eye out for their property assessment letter. The government agency that asseses property values is out with their latest numbers which indicate property values have increased by more than 29 percent since 2008. Spokesperson Darlene Morgan says you can expect to see an increase of 7-percent phased in over the next four years but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be paying higher taxes.
One At-Large Councillor is voicing a growing frustration with the number of decisions that have been reversed recently. Rebecca Johnson says city lawmakers have flip-flopped on issues such as The Botanical Conservatory and Municipal Golf Course because council is bowing to the slightest bit of pressure from the public. Johnson says the current council doesn't legislate as well compared to the previous two council's she's been a part of.
Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced
Tuesday the 60 players that will attend the Canada West selection camp in
preparation for the 2012 World Junior A Challenge. Among the 60 players chosen to take part in the four-day selection camp, which
goes Oct. 28-31 in Calgary are three from the Superior International Junior
League in defenceman Jon Carlson of the Fort Frances Lakers along with Lakers
forward Colton Spicer and Dylan Mascarin, a forward with the Thunder Bay North
Stars. The 17 year-old Spicer currently leads his club in offensive
production as the Fort Frances product has 16 points in 11 games including eight
goals. He is also tied for fifth in SIJHL scoring. Carlson, 18, another
hometown player on the Lakers roster, is riding a five-game point streak and has
nine points in 11 outings overall. Mascarin is averaging over a
point-per-game for the North Stars so far this season. The 17 year-old has 11
points in nine games on three goals and eight assists.
English is the top first language for residents of Thunder Bay. Brigitte Chavez of Statistics Canada says the latest census data shows 86 per cent of the population has English as the mother tongue and French is way back at 2 and a half per cent. The top mother tongues in the city after English and French are; Italian, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian and German and for the first time Spanish has made it into the top ten languages spoken in Thunder Bay.
Thunder Bay is losing a long time jewellery store.
Dave Douglas Jewellers is closing it's doors once the all merchandise is sold.
Douglas says he's not going to try to sell his business; he just wants to
retire. The store in one form or another has been around since 1908. Douglas
bought the store in 1973 from George H. Burke Jewellers.
A group of concerned taxpayers plan to voice their concerns to City Council. Around 60 people attended a public meeting last night calling on the City to hold a vote on the location of the proposed Multiplex. Chair Ray Smith says they'll be bringing the results of local media polls and feedback from the meeting to council. Smith says many people are opposed to the downtown waterfront location because of the cost.
Still more questions than answers surrounding the fatal plane crash in Pickle Lake last week. Members of the Transportation Safety Board have worked tirelessly to remove the wreckage from a densely wooded area. Spokesperson Peter Hildenbrand explains where they are in the investigation stage. He said a full draft report on the crash probably won't be available for four to five months. Three men from Quebec died in the crash.
Part of this week's Career and Job Expo at Lakehead University is showcasing a new recruitment campaign by the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service. Spokesperson Sergeant Jackie George says they are interested in anyone who is 19 years of age or older and wants a challenging but rewarding career in law enforcement. The official launch of the "Faces Behind The Flash" campaign begins at 11:00 a.m. in the ATAC building at L.U.
Cancer survivors and their supporters are invited to Thunder Bay's Hope in the City Thursday November first. This year will be filled with prizes and shopping opportunities for all women who attend. Fundraising Coordinator Kyle VanRavensway says the biggest prize will be a trip for 2 to New York City. All women of Thunder Bay are welcome to attend the event.
The Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund is hosting a mining ready summit. The 2 day event comes to a close Wednesday at the Valhalla Inn and Spokesperson Brian Davey says they want to bring all mining stakeholders together. Over 300 aboriginal, industry and government delegates are attending.
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Over 1.3 million dollars is being shared by three Lakehead University researchers. Dr. Rui Wang is one of the LU researchers to receive the cash from the Canadian Health Research Institute. Wang says they'll use the money to continue their work on dementia, HPV and blood vessel inflammation.
Two Thunder Bay Police officers are going to undergo training after a Police Services Hearing found them guilty of unlawful use of authority. Detective William Wowchuk will also have 8 hours of pay docked while Detective Constable Brad Bernst is going to receive a reprimand. The lawyer for the two officers is filing an appeal with the Ontario Police Commission.
An environmental assessment is in progress for a new transmission line to Pickle Lake. The two-phase project was presented last night at an open house in Dryden. Phase one would provide the required power for First Nations communities who currently are serviced by diesel generation. Committee member of the Corridor Energy Group Richard Habinski says diesel comes with quite the price. Habinski says they are working with the provincial government to access funding for the project.
Resolute Forest Products says 345 employees will be impacted when it takes production down at its kraft and paper mills in Fort Frances later this month. Both mills will be temporarily halted for two weeks beginning October 28th. Resolute cites market conditions as the main reason. The company says the halting of a contract for pulp with Boise's mill in International Falls is also seen as having an impact.
New Democrats won't be supporting the massive federal budget bill introduced last week. Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty says the Harper government is once again contradicting itself by introducing a bill that includes changes to several act that should be dealt separately. Rafferty expects limited debate on the bill as the Conservatives push for implementation as quickly as possible.
Lakehead University will be holding a Career and Job Expo this week from 10 until 3. The workshops will provide a excellent opportunity for students to explore career choices. Career Employment Specialist Christina Buzzi says there will be chances to meet industry professionals and employers. Companies taking part include the hospital, and the OPP.
Police say they are treating last week's explosion on St. Claire Avenue as suspicious. The Police are working hand in hand with the Ontario Fire Marshal's office on the case. Meantime the 57 year old victim of that blast is now in Toronto being treated for serious injuries. Police say the probe is expected to take some time to complete.
