Prescribed Burn In NWO

The Ministry of Natural Resources is preparing to ignite a prescribed burn in the Horse Lake area in the Sioux Lookout District. Officials say the burn will renew almost 700-hectares within the Lac Seul Forest which suffered severe weather damage between 2001 and 2007.  The burn is scheduled for today.

NPI CEO Has Big Plans

The independent think tank the Northern Policy Institute is embarking on a number of projects.  They've been up and running for 13 months and CEO Charles Cirtwell says one of the first things they've done is commission a review of the Federal Aboriginal Education Act.  NPI is also looking to create an online community consultation tool that will poll Northerner's thoughts on Provincial Government policies. Cirtwell addressed members of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Conference in Thunder Bay yesterday.

NDP Press Matthews On Hospital Overcrowding

The provincial government continues to plead for time in fixing the overcrowding problems at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.  In the legislature NDP leader Andrea Horwath pressed the health minister on the issue and Deb Matthews said it's a work in progress.  She says the regional health authority, the Northwest LHIN, is working hard to resolve the problem.  Matthews points to the new 544 bed seniors complex being building in the city by St. Joseph's Care Group.

Dryden Boys Honoured By OPP

The OPP are recognizing several Northwestern Ontario civilians for their brave actions.  Dryden's Kale Greer, Christison Maua and Koen Taylor were honoured for saving the life of Kale's four year old sister while they were playing at the Big Eagle Lodge tourist camp.  The young girl disappeared when the boys thought to see if she had wandered off to the dock.  That's when Christison says he saw her in the water and they decided to scoop her out with a fishing net.  The boys were given an award today in Thunder Bay by the OPP Deputy Commissioner.

Humperdinck Cancels Again In Thunder Bay

Health issues have forced British crooner Engelbert Humperdinck to scrub his Thunder Bay appearance at the Community Auditorium. He was scheduled to sing Saturday night, but  Humperdinck's Facebook page says he called off the performance  because of "a trapped nerve in his neck." His website, www.engelbert.com , says his Thunder Bay show is postoned.

Canfield Says NOMA Frustrated

Members of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association are telling the Minister of Northern Development and Mines that they are frustrated.  Several municipal leaders spoke today with Michael Gravelle about their growing concerns about the future of the Thunder Bay Generating Station and the Ring of Fire development.  NOMA President Dave Canfield says they're understanding but something more needs to be done to help speed up the process.  The comments were made during the annual NOMA conference in Thunder Bay.

City Roofer Fined

A Thunder Bay firm has been fined 50-thousand dollars for violating Occupational Health and Safety Act. Lakehead Roofing and Metal Cladding was charged May 2012 after a worker was injured while working on a roofing project in Sault Ste. Marie. The worker suffered serious leg injuries after falling 14 meters before a piece of safety equipment engaged to stop his fall.

Police Nab Driving Suspect

City police have their man.  They say that they have captured the person they were looking for yesterday following a car chase in Westfort . Police say the officer involved in the incident was able to identify the suspect.   A 27 year old man is scheduled for a video court appearance on charges of dangerous driving.

TBRRI New VP

Thunder Bay's Regional Research Institute is welcoming a new Vice President of Corporate Services and Operations.  The hospital has hired Peter Myllymaa from the local health authority.  Myllymaa will also act as the hospital's new Chief Financial Officer.

NOMA Ready For Conference

The annual Northwestern Ontario Municipal conference  is underway in Thunder Bay.  NOMA President Dave Canfield says they will bring municipal leaders from the region up to speed on a number of important topics.  Canfield says energy concerns surrounding the Thunder Bay Generation Station, mining and forestry will also be on the agenda. 

Culture Days Are Here

The City is celebrating it's fourth annual "Culture Days".  A flag raising ceremony is being held this  morning at City Hall to kick off the four day event.  Over the next couple of days you can check out belly dancing demonstrations, and learn how to Ukrainian dance in 60 minutes.

OPP Honour Officers & Civilians

Members of the OPP from across Northwestern Ontario are being honored today in Thunder Bay.  A Pickle Lake officer is set to receive the Commissioner's Citation for Lifesaving for rescuing a man from a burning building.  A Thunder Bay civilian is receiving a bravery award for pulling a quadriplegic man to safety from a burning vehicle.  Meanwhile, three young Dryden boys are being honoured for saving the life of a young girl.

Investigation Closed

City Police are closing the book on the case of a woman who was found dead in an Archibald Street home.  A post mortem exam was conducted yesterday and the death is no longer considered suspicious.  Police responded to the home early Tuesday morning following a 911 call. The name of the woman has not been released.  

Mauro Wants To Expand Bear Hunt

Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro is trying to expand the province's northern bear hunt.    Mauro says his private members bill at Queens Park is designed to help reduce the nuisance bear population.  He says there has been an increased concern about nuisance bears and the dangers that poses.  Mauro hopes other parties support his proposal so it can pass into law.

NAN Releases Residential School Curriculum

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is out with its school history curriculum which focuses on the residential school experience in Canada.  Deputy Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler says they hope that the local school boards decide to teach it to their students.    NAN also hopes to touch base with the Ministry of Education in an effort to have the curriculum taught across the province. Fiddler adds when you teach students the full history of residential schools, you can't go wrong.

Licence Renewal Now Available Online

Motorists in Northwestern Ontario will now be able to renew their drivers licences on the Internet. Now by going to ServiceOntario.ca, you can use your existing photos on your licence for an additional 5-years. Drivers can also get licence plate stickers, driver abstracts and other products in the same transaction. Ontario becomes the first province in Canada to offer the online-service.

Manhunt In Westfort

We have a developing story to report ...Police are searching for a man in the Westfort area following a short car chase this morning.  They say that a driver wanted for questioning about an earlier accident sped off when police spotted his vehicle in westfort.   That resulted in the vehicle crashing at the corner of Mountdale and Gore.   Police are still looking for a suspect.

Students To Sample Local Food

 Public high schools students in Thunder Bay will be getting local food in their cafeterias.  It's a pilot project to allow students the chance to sample the food that is grown and produced at local farms.  The experiment runs four times at each public high school until November 7th.   After that the results will be assessed.

Stabbing In Dryden

A Dryden man has been treated for multiple stab wounds following an attack last night in that city. Police were called to deal with a domestic dispute around 10:15.  They say the 21-year-old woman stabbed her partner four times.  She is being held in custody and no names have been released.

Local Students Score Well On Literacy

Thunder Bay's high school students can hold their own compared to their provincial peers when it comes to reading skills.  The latest literacy test results from the province's Education Accountability Office show the catholic school board students who successfully completed testing scored an average of 88 per cent compared to the province wide standard of 82 per cent.  Public board students scored an average of 80 per cent on testing.

EQAO Math Results Favour Catholic Board

Grade nine students in the catholic school system in Thunder Bay are operating ahead of their public school counterparts in mathematics.  The latest results from the province's Education, Quality and Accountability Office show that in academic math students in the catholic board scored an average of 85 per cent compared to 80 per cent in the public system.    For applied math the catholic students scored an average 52 per cent compared to 38 per cent for the public board.

Tough Night For Police Officers

A 47-year old Thunder Bay man is facing charges of resisting arrest and breach of recognizance following an incident last night that sent a City police officer to hospital with a leg injury.  The arrest took place on May Street just before midnight.  In a second incident, an officer was sent to hospital suffering from facial injuries that required stitches.  He was issuing a ticket to a 30-year old male on Algoma Street just after midnight.  The officer was able to return to duty after being released from hospital.    

Visitor Restrictions On At Roseview

There are visitor restrictions on at Roseview Manor.   Health officials say it's because of a respiratory illness at the seniors care home.  They say that 6 staff and 6 residents are affected.  It's not known how long the visitor sanctions will be in effect.

TCP Consults T.Bay Residents

Mixed reaction to the TransCanada Pipeline's Energy East project. The last stop on their consultation tour of Northwestern Ontario was held Tuesday night at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Eugene Lefrancois took in the public information session and says he's in favour of the project as long as they do it right and protect the environment.  Several residents who were concerned about the project rallied outside the auditorium.  If approved the project will see Alberta oil sent to the East Coast.

Inmates Safe After Jail Fire

No one is hurt after a dryer fire at the District Jail on McDougall Street Tuesday afternoon.  Platoon Chief Dave Long says it was a small blaze but the inmates had to be taken to a safe place in the institution.  It's thought that dryer lint could have been the cause.

Woman Charged With Stealing Lotto Tickets

The OPP are charging a 56 year old woman with theft under 5-thousand dollars after police say lottery tickets and tobacco products were stolen from a convenience store in Thunder Bay.  OPP say Karen Ruberto was employed as a clerk at the convenience store.  The accused will appear in court on November 29th.

Children's Centre Gets Cash

The Children's Centre of Thunder Bay is getting almost 25-thousand dollars from the Canadian Women's Foundation.  The charity is donating the money to the local organization for their work in supporting teen girls.

Lawyer Says Sewage Plant Shouldn't Have Failed

The lawyer leading a class action lawsuit against the City over the Spring 2012 flood says they're ready for the case to proceed.  Watkins Law's Sandy Zaitzeff says they didn't approach this 300 million dollar lawsuit lightly, they've brought in a panel of experts to review the local sewage plant and the events that lead up to the storm.  The City and Watkins Law will spend the next 12 months reviewing each other's information. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Police Investigating Suspicious Death

Thunder Bay police say they are looking into what they believe is the suspicious death of a female. They say that her body was found in a residence on the 200 block of South Archibald street at around 6:20 this morning.   The police have secured the area and are asking for any public help in their probe.

LU Outpost Offers Pregnancy Tests

Lakehead University's Outpost bar is the first in Canada to offer pregnancy tests in their bathroom dispensers.  The purpose is to help prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  The initiative starts today and they hope to have more local bars get on board and offer pregnancy tests.  Tests will cost 3 dollars.

Hobson Sentenced For Marion Murder

A Thunder Bay man must spend at least 15 years behind bars for the 2009 murder of Edgar Marion.   In Superior Court this morning Leif Hobson was given life in prison for the beating death of the 65 year old man.    Hobson's lawyer Gil Labine says his client has deep remorse for his actions. Hobson's sentence also includes time for burning Marion's body and for setting his basement apartment on fire.  He will be serving his sentence in a British Columbia prison.

Former Rangers Want Program Back

Alumni with the former Ontario Rangers program are bringing their fight to restore the program directly to Queen's Park today.  They are holding a lobby day in hopes to convincing MPP's to support their cause.  The program ran in Sioux Lookout, Ignace and Quetico Provincial Park.  Spokesperson Martin Dubec says they want MPP's to hear directly from those who've benefited.  The program and camps were axed last fall.

Human Rights Training Wraps Up Today

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is wrapping up a two day training session today.  Chief Commissioner Barbara Hall says during her time in the City she heard several issues around disability rights. Over 100 people are taking part in a full day training session looking at aboriginal issues as well as housing rights.

Country Club Gets More Condo Units

The Club Project Developers

The City is allowing the Thunder Bay Country Club to build 109 condos on their property.   The original plan was for 80 units but due to a demand for more 2 bedroom condo's the developers decided to offer more.  Project Manager Jim Peterson says they're making good progress on the construction project.

Flood Lawsuit Going Forward

The City is ready for the next stages of a  class action lawsuit.  Both the lawyers for the plaintiff and the defendant agreed Monday to allow the spring flood lawsuit to go forward.  City Manager Tim Commisso says it puts them in a better position. Commisso adds they started updating Council about what the next steps were two months ago.

Back To The Farming Days

Kendal Donahue 

Some interesting questions for the new head of the local Food Strategy.  Councillor Brian McKinnon asked about the possibility of offering back yard chicken coops. Meanwhile, Councillors Ken Boshcoff and Linda Rydholm brought up the fact that deer are eating public gardens.  Rydholm suggested the Food Strategy look at the by-law banning electronic fences as away to spur more local grown food.

Energy East Pipeline Meeting Tonight

TransCanada Pipelines' Energy East Pipeline Project is going to dominate discussion at a public meeting tonight at the Community Auditorium.  The proposed project is a pipeline that will see Alberta's oil sent to the East coast.  The public meeting will run from 4 to 8 tonight.

Tweet Your Q's To Garbage Meeting Officials

The City's second public meeting on garbage and recycling in the City is going to be streamed online.  A link to the video stream can be found here.  The City is also going to use Twitter to take residents' questions and feedback on the future plan for garbage collection.  Twitter users can tweet @CityThunderBay and use #TBayWasteStrategy.

Wilson Voted Against Leadership Review

Thunder Bay PC candidate Harold Wilson is giving is boss huge props after this weekend's convention in southern Ontario.  Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak dodged a bullet when the delegates refused to discuss making leadership reviews more frequent, something Wilson is totally against and calls  the current review process  acceptable.   He also is pleased the delegates decided to support the return of the spring bear hunt.

Liberals Flip Flopping Says Horwath

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is accusing the Liberals of flip flopping on the issue of converting the Thunder Bay Generating Station to natural gas.  Horwath is displeased the Energy Minister refused to answer her request for clarification on comments he made suggesting an announcement was on the way for the local plant.  Horwath says she can imagine how frustrating it is for local officials such as the Mayor who are awaiting a decision on the conversion of the plant.

New Fundraiser For St. Joe's

A new fundraiser hopes to raise enough money to create a healing gardens at St. Joseph's Care Group's new Senior Centre of Excellence.  St. Joe's Foundation Spokesperson Katrina O'Neill says the "Dinner At The Opera" fundraiser is being put on by Memory Lane Gardens, a local charitable foundation.  The event on Sunday at the DaVinci Centre is expected to raise up to 10-thousand dollars.

Cliffs Poised For Pullout

A top executive at Cliffs Natural Resources says there is a real danger of the company getting  out of the Ring of Fire mining development.   Bill Boor says there's concern over a recent ruling by a government commission against its road proposal for the area. Boor says the company has not set a deadline for a possible pullout, hoping instead there can be a solution worked out.

OHRC & City Talk Human Rights

The Ontario Human Rights Commission is wrapping up a two day training session Tuesday.  During their time in the City the organization tackled current human rights themes including Aboriginal issues, housing, disability and accommodation and gender identity.

Fire Destroys South Side Shed

There is no cause to report from a fire that destroyed a shed  on the city's south side.   A fire official says the blaze took place around 6 o'clock this morning behind a home on Fairview Avenue.  No one was hurt in the incident.  

OPP Busy Weekend

Thunder Bay OPP are taking a breather after a busy weekend.  On Friday night, police responded to a vehicle hitting a moose on Highway 61 just north of the Pigeon River border.  The truck killed the moose but shortly after an 89 year old man driving a car also hit the corpse of the moose sending the elderly man to the hospital. On Saturday, police responded to a two vehicle collision on Highway 61 near Chippewa Road. The driver of a Ford truck fled the scene while the driver of a jeep was sent to the hospital for treatment of their injuries.  Meanwhile, OPP are looking for some items that were stolen from a truck in Shuniah.  The truck was stolen from a home on Saturday, police found it in the Silver Harbour Conservation area with several items missing out of it.  A cellphone, camera and wallet were stolen.  Police are also reporting several cottages in the Shuniah area being broken into several TVs and electronic devices were stolen. 

Hit And Run Probed

Police are investigating a hit and run accident which took place on Crescent Avenue near the old Sir John A. MacDonald school.   They say that on Saturday night around 11:30 a vehicle slammed into a tree and the driver ran away.   Police could not confirm an eye witness report of a woman wandering at the scene and while they've been in contact with the registered owner of the vehicle there is no further information available.

Fatal Motorcycle Accident

OPP continue to investigate an accident over the weekend that killed a 50-year old Thunder Bay man.  Police were called to Highway 593 in Devon Township south of the city on Saturday night around 10:30 after a passing motorist discovered a male lying in a ditch beside a motorcycle.  It appears the man lost control of his 2002 Kawasaki bike and skidded into the ditch while out for a ride during the afternoon.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  The victim's name has not been released.  

Food Strategy Update Tonight

The Food Strategy Committee is going to update City Council tonight about what they've been doing since they formed.  Councilor Rebecca Johnson says the committee is in its early stages.  The Food Strategy Committee will look at ensuring local food is served in public institutions such as City Hall, the hospital, and at local schools.

Garbage Meeting Tuesday

The City is holding another public information session on the future of garbage and recycling in our community.  Spokesperson Jason Scherband says they've narrowed down feedback from previous sessions and will now bring their findings back to the public.  Scherband says key findings include a strong desire to recycle more plastic materials and a curbside composting program.  After Tuesday's public meeting staff will start to prepare a report for City Council in November.

City Council Round Up

City Council is going to review several proposed Tbaytel cell phone towers.  One is in the Limbrick area where residents were concerned about kids playing around the tower.  TBaytel has decided to put a fence around the proposed structure and are now asking the City to send a letter to the Federal Government saying they properly consulted the neighbourhood.  Meanwhile, City Council is going to tackle a number property and planning issues at it's meeting tonight.  The owners of the Thunder Bay Inn wants the City to allow them to divide a piece of their property so they can build a house on it.  The operator of the Thunder Bay Inn would live in the proposed home.