First Nations Mining Agreement Signed

A junior mining company looking for gold in the Atikokan area has signed a memorandum of understanding with an area First Nation. The Bold Ventures agreement with Lac Des Milles Lac First Nation pertains to its Wilcorp Gold project, located about 14 kilometres northeast of Atikokan. Executive vice-president president David Graham says it sets out certain guidelines, like how they approach the property from an environmental point of view and how to work with the First Nation for job opportunities and business development. Graham says the project is still in its infancy and when any actual drilling takes place is still to be determined.

Public Consultations To Be Held

Expect plenty of public consultation now that the Provincial Government is looking at giving the Thunder Bay Expressway a face lift.  Ian Smith is the Regional Director of the Ministry of Transport and says they'll be conducting an environmental assessment of a 13 kilometre stretch of highway between Balsam and Arthur Streets.  The study is expected to be completed by 2015.

Horwath Comments On Coal Plant

Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath isn't convinced that the conversion of the local coal plant, should be considered as imminent.  Horwath says the announcement made late last week to switch the generating station to advanced biomass may just be a Liberal attempt at securing seats. Horwath expects further action will be needed to convince residents in Northwest Ontario that change will happen.

Hospital Staff Asked To Be Organ Donors

The staff at the regional hospital are being asked to register to be an organ donor.   Spokesperson Kiley Broughton is hoping it will set an example for others in the city to follow.  Broughton is hoping other large businesses come on board as part of the registration blitz.

Golf Links Open Tuesday

Good news for city drivers.   Golf Links Road between the Central Avenue and Oliver Road will open to traffic at midday tomorrow.   That section of roadway has been closed for much of the year as crews worked to widen it to four lanes.   Some work may continue on boulevards and Active Transportation trails, which may result in some lane closures.

Safe School App Launched

The Lakehead Public School Board is launching a new safe schools app for all iPhone and iPad users in their schools.  Grade 12 student and App Developer Phil Bystrican says it will help students report bullying activity. The app can be found for free download on the iTunes Store and School Board website.

Chiarelli Responds To Power Plant Concerns

The province's energy minister says the latest move to convert the Thunder Bay generating station to burn biomass may not be the end of its expansion.  In the legislature,  Bob Chiarelli said with the north on the verge of a mining boom there still could be room for future growth of the plant.  He says the government will assess demand in the area as they proceed and if they have to add another unit and extend the time period beyond 5 years,  they will.  Chiarelli was responding to NDP leader Andrea Horwath's concerns that the conversion is only for a limited time.

EMS Gets Three Year Certification

Superior North EMS will be operating its land ambulance service for the next three years after getting certification from the provincial government.   Local EMS head Norm Gale says he's pretty proud of this latest accomplishment.  He says the inspectors noted that local paramedics are both compassionate and deliver quality patient care.  Gale says the three year certification is the maximum the government approves

Overnight Blaze

City Fire crews battled an overnight blaze on the south side.  Firefighters were called to garage fire in the 400 block of South Marks Street around 3:45 this morning.  A second alarm was called in as five pumpers and an aerial platform battled the fire. An SUV was destroyed inside the garage, but there was no damage to any surrounding homes or buildings in the area.  Officials are attempting to determine a cause and there
were no injuries.

NOSM Recognition

Thunder Bay's Dr. James Goertzen received the Ian McWhinney Family Medicine Education Award at a national conference held in Vancouver. The Northern Ontario School of Medicine was well represented with Dr. Sarah Newbury also winning an award. Four former members were also recognized.

Sioux Lookout Family Centre Receives Accreditation

The Sioux Lookout Family Treatment Centre has received recognition from the Canadian Accreditation Council. This is the first time the centre has received accreditation. Executive Director Roy Thunder says this will provide credibility to the provincial and federal government when making decisions, and will allow clients even better service. A formal announcement was made in Thunder Bay late last week.

Weather Statement

Environment Canada is issuing a special weather statement for Thunder Bay. A low pressure system moving over Lake Superior is expected to drop up to fifty-millimetres of rain on the city by Monday morning with temperatures dropping, and wind increasing.

Garage Fire On Van Horne

Thunder Bay Fire Services responded to a garage fire on Van Horne Street last night. The fire was quickly contained however there is moderate structural and smoke damage to the garage and its contents. There were no injuries and the cause is not yet known. 

Courthouse Opening Still Up In The Air

The new courthouse in Thunder Bay remains under construction with the opening date still up in the air.  The provincial government originally said the facility should be open before the end of the fall. However there are some people within the court system in the city speculating that may not happen.  A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Attorney General won't confirm that the opening has been pushed back, but says that the move from the two existing facilities will be staggered and says planning and dates are still being finalized.

Twenty-Third Annual Christmas Parade

The annual Christmas parade took place earlier today. A slight change was made from years past with the reversal of the usual route. The parade began at the Real Canadian Superstore and finished at the Community Auditorium.

Bomb Scare

Thunder Bay Police and O.P.P continue to investigate a bomb scare on East Frederica Street. The incident happened around 9:30pm Friday when a smouldering object was thrown thru a house window. When police responded they closed off the area and had the O.P.P Explosive Disposal Unit called out. Anyone with information is being urged to contact police.

Child Pornography Charges

City Police are laying two child pornography related charges on a Thunder Bay man. Thirty-eight year old Dan Nawrocki was arrested at his home yesterday morning where investigators seized fifteen computers, six hard drives and an estimated ten-thousand DVD's. These charges are not related to the current international child pornography investigation.

Man Charged In Hit and Run

Thunder Bay Police are charging a 22 year old man with a series of drinking and driving related charges.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says early this morning they were called to investigate a vehicle that skidded off the road and drove over a fence at the County Fair Plaza Mall.  Police followed tire tracks in the fresh snow and found the vehicle parked at a home nearby.   A young man was still behind the wheel of the running car when officers asked him for a breath sample.  A breath test revealed his blood alcohol level was 2 and a half times over the legal limit. 

Plant To Burn Biomass Instead Of Coal

Thunder Bay's two MPPs are announcing the Provincial Government will convert the local coal plant to advanced biomass.  Over the next year, the plant will stop burning coal and will be converted to use forest or agricultural sources as fuel for electricity generation.  Work to convert the plant will begin in 2014 with work expected to be complete by 2015.

Flu Is In T.Bay

The flu is now officially in Thunder Bay.  The Health Unit is reporting two lab-confirmed cases of influenza A in the region.  The first two cases were confirmed in younger kids.  The health unit is reminding residents that there is still time to get your flu shot at any one of their clinics or at your local pharmacy. 

Christmas Kettles Campaign Is Back

The Salvation Army is gearing up for another Christmas Kettle campaign.   Executive Director Major Rob Kerr says this year they're looking to raise 170 thousand dollars.   Volunteers are needed for several locations across the City including Intercity Mall, the Superstore, Walmart and the LCBO.

CUPE Town Talk On Dec. 3rd

13 Township of Schreiber workers are moving closer to a strike.  The Canadian Union of Public Employees represents the staff and hopes upcoming mediation talks will move them closer to getting a collective agreement.  Mediation talks are set for December 3, 2013.  The workers previously voted 100 per cent in favour of a strike if a deal can't be reached.

Fire On Coady Thursday Night

There were no injuries following a fire at a home in the 100 block of Coady Avenue.   Fire crews were called to the scene at 11 o'clock last night and discovered a mattress on fire in a basement bedroom.  An adult and three children were able to make it safely out of the home before firefighters arrived.  Damage to the basement was minor and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.  

New No Frills Open

The city's new No Frills store on Edward Street opened its doors to customers this morning. Darcy Leduc is the Owner and says he looks forward to talking with his customers about what they would like to see in the grocery store.  The store is 24-thousand square feet in size and has been remodeled to include wooden slates on walls, wood crates for display cases and softer lighting.  The County Fair No Frills store is expected to open up soon as well.

LU Shares Accomplishments

Lakehead University is celebrating its accomplishments this year and sharing them with the community through its annual report.  Chair of the Board of Governors Cam Clark says they've accomplished many goals this year including opening the new law school, an increase in enrollment and launching a new strategic plan.  Clark and President Dr. Brian Stevenson addressed a group of community partners at a special breakfast this morning at the school.

Tourism Award

Officials with Tourism Thunder Bay are coming home with an award from Toronto.  Thunder Bay captured an Ontario Tourism Award for its part in the "Ride Lake Superior" program, which partnered with tourism groups in the Sault Ste. Marie region as well as Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The organizations promoted a motorcycle ride touring program around Lake Superior as a bucket list tourism experience.  

PARO Holds Awards

Eleven women business owners are being honoured by the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise. They are being recognized as the top enterprising women of 2013.  PARO Executive Director Rosalind Lockyer says best new business goes to Sharla Brown and her company Keynote events.  A formal ceremony took place last night at the Valhalla Inn.

Crash Survivor Issues Statement

A woman who survived the fatal crash in Red Lake is offering her condolences to the families who lost loved ones. In a statement released by the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Julie Dayholos says:

" Words cannot describe the overwhelming feeling of love and support that I have received over the past few days. I want everyone to know that I am doing well and on the road to recovery following the accident on November 10th. During this time, my thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their loved ones.
I would like to thank everyone who has sent prayers my way and especially my family who has been at my side every day. I would also like to thank the staff at Red Lake Hospital and Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg for taking such good care of me, and for helping me through this journey.
I hope everyone understands my need for privacy at this time as I focus my energy on my recovery and healing.
Sincerely,

Julie Dayholos”

Global News is also reporting that the other survivor has been identified as 29-year-old Keith Hoffman.

Horwath Chats With Mayor About Local Power Plant

NDP leader Andrea Horwath says it's time for the province to act on the conversion of the Thunder Bay generating station to natural gas.   Fresh off a meeting with Mayor Keith Hobbs, Horwath again called on the Wynne government to take action.  Horwath says the north needs to have a reliable source of power generated in the north.

Poverty Free Rallies For Better Minimum Wage

Poverty Free Thunder Bay and the Labour Council are joining forces to ask the Provincial Government to raise the minimum wage.  Poverty Free Chair Terri Carter says they want it raised to 14 dollars.  Members of both the Labour Council and Poverty Free Thunder Bay rallied in front of Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle's office on Thursday afternoon.  Poverty groups from across the Province are rallying today outside their MPP's office in a hope the Province will increase the minimum wage.

Thunder Bay Expressway In For A Face Lift

The provincial government is making plans to improve the Thunder Bay Expressway.  A contract for preliminary design work for the 13 kilometre stretch between Arthur and Balsam Street has been awarded to URS Canada. In making the announcement MPP Bill Mauro says improvements will include widening to a four-lane divided roadway and building new interchanges.  The study is expected to be completed by 2015.

Victim's Names Released

The three passengers who died in Sunday's Bearskin Airlines crash in Red Lake have now been identified.  64-year old Sharron Taylor, 53-year old Anna Johannesson and 53-year old Peter Struk all perished when Bearskin Flight 311 crashed on its landing approach.  All three victims are from Red Lake.  

CN Rail Will Repair Bridge

CN Rail says the James Street Bridge will need to be fixed but that's all they know for now. Spokesperson Lindsay Fedchyshyn says experts are still reviewing the engineers report on the structure.  The bridge is still off limits to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

More Smoking Sanctions

There could be fewer places to smoke in the near future. Ontario's Health Minister Deb Mathews says she intends to introduce legislation that will prohibit smoking on playgrounds, sports fields, and restaurant and bar patios.  Smoking is already banned inside eating establishments. The proposed legislation will also ban the sale of flavoured tobacco products and increase fines for those caught selling tobacco to youth.

Wesley Sentencing Process Continues

A Thunder Bay man from the Cat Lake First Nation is undergoing the sentencing process after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death last year of 65 year old Adam Yellowhead.   Thirty four year old Joseph Wesley admits to putting Yellowhead in a headlock but in evidence read into court, says it the death was accidental.   His lawyer Chris Watkins is asking for a sentence of 3 to 5 years along with time already served.  The prosecution is asking for a sentence of 10 to 12 years.   The judge will deliver the sentence at the end of the year.

Anti-Bullying Week

Students across Northwestern Ontario are marking Anti-Bullying Awareness Week.  Here in Thunder Bay, St. Pius School created anti-bullying slogans and messages that were included in a short slideshow.  The slideshow video was unveiled at the school Wednesday.

Chamber New Board

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce is electing a new Board of Directors for a three year term.  Jeff Busniuk, Barb Courte-Elinesky, Irene Kozlowski, Mark Mikulasik and Dianne Miller will start the new term on December 1st.  Uli Walther will officially be sworn in as the 2014 Chair of the Board at the Chamber's annual general meeting in January.

ORBA Wants You To Slow Down Near Snow Ploughs

The Ontario Road Builders' Association is asking local drivers to let snow plow operators lead the way on area highways.  Executive Director Geoff Wilkinson says it's against the law to pass a snow plow with its flashing blue light on.  Wilkinson says there are provincial fines in place for passing a snow plough.

Dryden In Red...Gets New CAO

The City of Dryden has found its man.  Andre Larabie has been hired as the new Chief Administrative Officer.  Larabie brings with him over 36-years of experience in management and finance in the government and private sectors. Meanwhile, The City of Dryden continues to bleed red.

The Municipality is projecting a roughly 2.3-million dollar deficit for 2013, about 190-thousand dollars higher than expectations.  The City Treasurer says they are closely monitoring the situation.

DSSAB Unveils New Playgrounds

The neighbourhoods of Windsor Street and Limbrick Place are getting new natural playgrounds.  The Social Services Board unveiled the new green spaces on Wednesday afternoon.  The new spaces include a bike track, climbing walls, boulders, trees, cedar post seats, an art wall and other natural elements.

Council Considering Veterans Affairs Resolution

City Council is considering a resolution calling for the Federal Government to keep the Veterans Affairs office open in Thunder Bay. Council will tackle the topic at their meeting on Monday.  The local VA office is set to close in 2014.

Pair Of Overnight Stabbings

Two people are in hospital after two early morning stabbing incidents on the City's south side.  Just after 3:30 Wednesday morning, a man was stabbed multiple times inside the Odd Fellows Hall apartment building. Police then responded minutes later to a south side house where the homeowner found a second man in the bathroom suffering from multiple stab wounds to the neck.  Police say the two men are known to each other and alcohol played a factor in the incident.  Officers are trying to determine the sequence of events.

Engineering Fair At LU

Lakehead University is looking to advance the careers of their engineering students.  An Engineering Fair was held on Wednesday to help students explore their future.  Career & Employment Specialist Christina Buzzi says there's a big need for employees in this field.  Students visited with 14 employers.

Gravelle Makes More NOHFC Announcements

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is giving over a million dollars to several companies in the Greenstone area.  A million dollars is going to Havilah Holdings a new manufacturing plant in Geraldton.  Meanwhile, 125-thousand is going to First General Services, 100-thousand to the Municipality of Greenstone to finish a mining plan, and another 40-thousand to a Lake Nipigon First Nation.  Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle made the announcements this morning.

Cinevate Launches Kickstarter Campaign

A movie industry company in Thunder Bay is launching a kickstarter campaign to raise funds for it's new product called "Morpheus". Cinevate Owner Dennis Wood says it's a product that will change the way you capture video.  Wood says they want to raise 25-thousand dollars in a months time.  For more information on the kickstarter campaign and the product click here. 

Fatal Collision In Kenora

OPP are charging a 59 year old woman with failing to yield to a pedestrian after a fatal collision in Kenora on Monday.  Two women crossing First Street South were struck by a southbound vehicle turning east onto the street.  79 year old Marlyn Lowes died from injuries sustained in the accident.  The other woman an 83 year old Kenora resident was treated and released from hospital.

Horwath In Thunder Bay Today

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is going to be in the City today.  She's meeting with the Regional EMS Chief and later holding a town hall on the Northern Economy in Nipigon.

Toys For Tots Is Back

Toys for Tots is back for another holiday season of fundraising.  Chair Paul Penna says they recently started offering a debit and credit card machine at their booth in the Intercity Mall.  Penna adds they raised 153 thousand dollars last year and hope they can match that this year.  Money raised goes towards buying toys and gifts that Christmas Cheer gives to kids in need.

Trowbridge Pedestrian Bridge Open

The Trowbridge Falls new pedestrian bridge is now open to the public.  City Spokesperson Brian Loucks says over 600-thousand dollars was spent to move the bridge from it's original spot.  The bridge connects Centennial Park and Trowbridge Falls campground.

Rail Traffic Moving Again On NWO

All appears back to normal in Fort Frances following a weekend train derailment in the community.    CN Rail spokesperson Louis-Antoine Paquin says as of this  afternoon  the track reopened, however the cause still remains a mystery.  About 40 carloads of grain parted with the track late Sunday afternoon. No one was injured.

Possible Problems On Board Plane

The Transportation Safety Board is now in control of investigating Sunday's plane crash in Red Lake that killed 5 people.  Spokesperson Peter Hildebrand says early indications are thatthere may have been some problems on board the plane just before it crashed 2 miles short of the runway.  Hildebrand says while the plane itself has had issues in the past they didn't relate to the airworthiness of the airplane