The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will be stopping in Thunder Bay once again. The food bank fundraiser will stop in the city Sunday December the first at 8:45 in the evening at the Syndicate Avenue train station. This years entertainment includes Melanie Doane and Crystal Shawanda
Some members of the Police Services Board would like to see the beat officers walking area neighbourhoods patrol later into the evenings. Board Chair Joe Virdiramo says the program has been successful from 9 to 5 but they would like to see if the hours of the shifts could be altered. Virdiramo says they'll continue to look for efficiencies that will allow them to offer the program later into the evening. The cost to expand the program to another six officers would cost around a million dollars something Virdiramo says they can't afford at the moment.
A sign winter is just around the corner. Ontario snowmobilers can get a huge break if they purchase a trail permit now. The Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Club is offering permits at 180-dollars if purchased before November 1st and on-line through the Federation's website. The regular price is 260-dollars.
A Thunder Bay Police officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the 300 block of Hartvicksen Street early this morning. The vehicle drove away before it crashed onto a lawn where it became stuck, and the lone officer was able to arrest the driver who was attempting to drive away. The officer suffered injuries to his arm and was taken to hospital where he was treated and released.
Senior VP of Forestry for EACOM Timber says it's the right time to reopen the Ear Falls Sawmill. Brian Nicks says the U.S housing recovery and positive financial forecasts make the decision a little easier. The opening is expected to come next spring.
The Thunder Bay region will be featured in an upcoming edition of Gripped, a rock climbing magazine. Editor Brandon Pullan is the editor and says the region is great for climbers because of uncommon rock types, ease of access and low risk winter climbing. The feature will focus on locations around the region including some spots right here in the city. It will run in February and April.
A Northern Ontario Chief says the Federal Government is using first nations as lab rats. Anishinabek Nation Grand Chief Patrick Madahbee says they have played no role in the First Nations Education Act, which is expected to be presented in the new fall session. Madahbee is asking for the government's patience as they develop their own strategy which will include more parental guidance.
There will be a free Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow afternoon at 545 Cumberland street, courtesy of the Salvation Army and Thunder Bay firefighters. Rob Kerr is the event spokesperson and says he is impressed with how tightly knit the community is. Over three-hundred people are expected to show up tomorrow. Dinner will be served between noon and three.
It will be a special homecoming for Vanessa Ricci-Thode. The young writer returns to Ignace Saturday to unveil her first published book. She says the response to 'Dragon Whisperer' has been positive. She says the book is getting good reviews from those who normally don't read fantasy. Ricci-Thode was at Chapters book store this afternoon for a book signing
The unemployment rate in Thunder Bay for the month of September stands at 6.4 per cent. According to Statistics Canada that's an increase from the August rate of 6.1 per cent. Across Canada the rate dropped slightly to 6.9 per cent as fewer young people searched for work.
Expect to see a few more OPP cruisers on area roads this long weekend. Police are taking part in Operation Impact, a campaign that will crackdown on impaired, distracted, and aggressive driving as well as seatbelt compliance. Provincial Police say the big four driving behaviours are responsible for more than 200 deaths on Ontario roads so far this year.
Police Services Boards from across Northwestern Ontario are discussing the costs of having OPP service their communities. Speaking in Thunder Bay, OPP Deputy Commissioner Vince Hawkes says they'll be introducing a new costing model. Hawkes says the model should help even out the costs for small northern communities.
The Canada Revenue Agency says a Thunder Bay man is guilty of 18 counts of failing to file personal and corporate income tax returns. Pasquale Stilla was fined 54 thousand dollars on Tuesday in the Ontario Court of Justice.
The city is off the hook for June's gas leak on Red River Road that caused the evacuation of homes in the Mariday Park area. City spokesperson Leif Andersen says the province's safety regulator ordered Union Gas and a contractor to change the way they mark where underground gas lines are located, effectively giving the city a pass. Andersen says city officials were always confident they did everything according to the book on that day.
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| Irwin Glasberg |
Starting in the new year prices at the Thunder Bay airport are going up for aircraft that use the terminal Manager Scott McFadden says that includes aircraft landing and parking fees. McFadden can't say if the higher costs will be passed on to travellers or not. McFadden says the increase will be three per cent across the board and is mainly to keep up with inflation.
Air travellers waiting in the Thunder Bay airport's departure lounge will soon get to have a coffee and a snack while waiting to board their flight. Manager Scott McFadden says Tim Horton's is putting in a new coffee shop which he hopes will be up and running in the next week or so. McFadden says security issues had to be settled before the company was given permission to set up shop.
Thunder Bay's Hospital is looking to raise just under 6 million dollars for their four year cancer plan. The Exceptional Cancer Care campaign's goal is to raise money for research and state of the art equipment. Spokesperson Joanne Lacourciere says they're nearly half way there with 3 million dollars raised already. The Fort William Rotary Club is pledging 500-thousand dollars through their house lottery over the next five years.
City police are using a new method of trying to catch people who are using their cell phones while driving. Officers hopped on city transit buses Wednesday and watched drivers from their elevated perches and radioed to police ahead of them to nab any violators. Officials are still working on providing the final numbers from the exercise.
It's business as usual for KWG Resources. Cliffs Natural Resources filed a court appeal of a decision by the Province's Mining Commissioner that bans them from building a road on KWG mine claims in the Ring of Fire mining development. KWG Spokesperson Moe Lavigne says they're not surprised. Lavigne says the appeal isn't impacting them at the moment.
The conversion of Thunder Bay's generating station from coal to gas may be delayed. Yesterday's release of the auditor's estimate has costs at over 675-million dollars for cancelling the Oakville power plant. Ontario's NDP leader Andrea Horwath feels Thunder Bay may have to wait for a Liberal election platform before a decision is made.
At Question Period this afternoon...the cancellation of the Oakville Gas Plant continued to be raised by the opposition parties. Premier Kathleen Wynne says it's difficult to get accurate estimates on the cancellation of the Oakville gas plant. Leader of the Ontario NDP Andrea Horwath disagrees and feels the auditor's estimate is accurate. Cancellation of the Oakville gas plant is expected to cost between 675-815 million dollars.
A 73 year old man is charged with careless driving after a rear end collision at the Walsh Street rail crossing yesterday morning. A school bus came to a stop and another vehicle stopped safely behind but was hit from behind by a third vehicle. No one was injured.
Lakehead University says they've sprayed and cleared up seven cases of bed bugs in their Pretie residence. Director of Residence Service David Hare says it looks like they are pest free. Hare says the bugs are brought in from all over the province and notes students might pick them up while they're travelling in airports and bus terminals.
A robber got away empty handed following a hold up at the Robin's Donuts location on South May Street. City Police say around 4 o'clock this morning a man entered the coffee shop brandishing a knife and demanding money, but fled the scene when he noticed the alarm had been activated. No one was injured. The suspect is described as a native Canadian male, between 30-40 years old, who was wearing a black hooded sweater.