NAN Doesn't Like Education Act

There's no question about where the Nishnawbe Aski Nation stands on the Harper government's new First Nation education legislation.   NAN is flatly rejecting it saying, among other things, it doesn't respect First Nations inherent and treaty rights nor does it respect its jurisdiction over education.  Ultimately NAN is upset that the Aboriginal Affairs minister will have total control over their education while taking none of the blame for any liability.

Students Join TBSO

Roughly 1400 local students from grades 3-6 contributed to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra's education concert Wednesday. Students sang and played their recorders from the seats of the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. Two concerts were held and are part of a year long Link Up program. Orchestra's in Calgary, Spain, Japan and the U.S took part.

School Board Looks At Native Language

The Ministry of Education is funding the Regional Native Language Conference in Thunder Bay.  The conference began this morning and will wrap up Friday, Spokesperson Jojo Guillet says the theme is Land, Language, Culture and Community.  The conference is being held at the Nor'Western Hotel.

T.Bay Woman Honoured

A Thunder Bay women is being recognized today for her victim services work spanning over 25-years. Roseanna Hudson of the Indian Friendship Centre is being presented the Attorney General's Victim Services Award today at Queen's Park.

Horwath Says Northerners Like Northern Reps

NDP leader Andrea Horwath believes northerners prefer to have northerners as their MPP at Queens Park. Derek Parks, the new provincial PC candidate in Thunder Bay-Superior North, lives in Cambridge. Horwath note both NDP candidates in Thunder Bay are lifelong residents of the city. Horwath says northerners would like to have someone in the legislature who can understand their voice from a position of experience.

Crime Walk At City Hall Tonight

A group of community agencies are staging a crime awareness walk tonight starting at City Hall. It's part of the National Victims of Crime Awareness Week.  Organizers of the walk are also hoping that it will bring attention to the services available to local victims.

Bachelor Auction Tonight

The Elekta Hope Charity Auction will be auctioning off Thunder Bay's most eligible bachelors tonight in support of breast cancer research.   All money raised in the auction will be donated to the Northern Cancer Fund.  Last year the event brought in over 101 thousand dollars.

Ring Of Fire Panel Discussion Tonight

A variety of Ring of Fire stakeholders will be discussing the project at a special meeting tonight.  The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is hosting a panel discussion that will include the President of Noront Resources, Mayor Keith Hobbs, Bob Rae with the Matawa Tribal Council and Frank Iacoubucci representing the Province.  Council CEO JP Gladu says they hope to hash out a number of issues.  The discussion is taking place from 5 until 9 tonight at the Valhalla Inn.

Lifefest Postponed

The Chamber of Commerce's Lifefest Expo that was to take place at the end of the month is now being put off until 2015.  The Chamber had to postpone the event because of unforeseen circumstances with the renovations at the Sportsdome.

NOACC Meeting In Geraldton

The Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce are holding their annual general meeting in Geraldton for the next three days. Chamber representatives from across the region will also vote on a number of resolutions that if passed will become NOACC policy for the next two years.  This year's speakers list includes Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell, a spokesman from the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation, Premier Gold Mines, and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

More Pipeline Talks

The Council of Canadians are holding public consultations throughout the province on the proposed Energy East Pipeline.  Council Chair Maude Barlow spoke at last night's meeting at the Lakehead Labour Centre and had some choice words for the Harper Government.  Barlow says that most of the oil being transported will be exported, and that it won't have a direct benefit to Canadians.  Public consultations will be held across Ontario, ending in Cornwall April 16th.

Demand For Mine Safety Inquiry

The province's labour minister is turning aside a demand by the NDP to hold an inquiry into mine safety in the province. This comes following a weekend mining death in Sudbury. Labour Minister Yasir Naqvi says the government is relying on its review of mining health and safety to provide answers. The review will stop in Marathon May 1st. Provincial NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says an inquiry would dig deeper into possible issues in mining safety then a review.

OPA Mining Awards

A couple of junior mining companies doing work in the Thunder Bay area have been handed the Discovery of the Year award by the Northwestern Ontario Prospectors Association. Transition Metals and Impala Platinum Holdings are recognized for identifying a significant platinum find near Sunday Lake, about 25 kilometre north of the city. They received the award during Association's annual awards dinner last night.

Health Coalition Hold Referendum

A provincial health lobby group says there's strong support to keeping health services in Ontario hospitals. The Ontario Health Coalition says it attracted more than 56-thousand people to a voluntary province-wide referendum on the weekend.  The referendum was in support of local hospitals and stopping private clinics from being set up to take over their services.  The group received 2-thousand votes from Thunder Bay.

Trailer Fire

No one is hurt after a tractor trailer loaded with automobiles caught fire on the Trans Canada highway west of Upsala yesterday afternoon.  Highway 17 had to be closed for at least an hour so emergency personnel could deal with the blaze.

Drugs Seized

A Thunder Bay woman is being charged following a drug seizure on Highway 17 Tuesday. Upsala OPP Detachment say 42 year old Sherri Lynn Mcqueen was arrested during a traffic stop at 9:10 pm.  The arrest led to a vehicle search, where police found small amounts of prescription opiates and ritalin pills.  The woman faces multiple charges and was held in custody for a video court appearance.

New PC Candidate In T.Bay

Derek Parks is the PC candidate for Thunder Bay-Superior North. Although Parks was born and raised in the City he hasn't lived in Thunder Bay for sometime and brushes off the suggestion he was specifically brought in to replace ex candidate Tamara Johnson.  Parks was acclaimed at the party's nomination meeting last night. 

Union Still Has High Hopes

A union official is confident Bearskin Airlines will come out stronger after restructuring regional operations. Michael Corrado of the Machinist and Aerospace Workers Association says the company's re-shuffling of services means all aircraft maintenance work is now taking place in Thunder Bay until further notice. Corrado hopes the Sioux Lookout operations and the 11 temporarily laid off workers will be brought back online by the end of the year.

12 Year Old Charged With Arson

City police say that a 12-year old boy is charged with arson in connection with a recent house fire in rural Thunder Bay. The home in the 500 block of Onion Lake Road sustained serious damage on April 1st. No one was injured.  Police say the boy was in foster care at the time.

Pink Day

Lakehead Public Schools are taking a stand against bullying and discrimination today.  It's part of Pink Day where students make a statement by wearing pink clothing to their schools. Pink Day is meant to confront stereotypes and support diversity.

Whiteside Suing City

The city is confirming that local hydro developer Robert Whiteside is taking the city to court over his concerns about the fish ladder at the Boulevard Lake Dam.    Whiteside is claming over 7 million dollars for what he calls a breach of contract by the city. He operates a power dam at the site and claims that since the fish ladder was built it has cost  him money in potential revenue  and is looking for a court order to stop operations.   The city will look for direction from council on its next move. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Man Injured In Collision

A 54 year old man is recovering from minor injuries after police say he was hit by a pick up truck.   They say that the collision happened at around 8:30 Tuesday morning as the man was crossing Mary Street at Syndicate Avenue.   The driver of the truck is now charged.

XP Concerns In Thunder Bay

Computer repair companies in Thunder Bay are being swamped with calls now that Microsoft is no longer supporting the Windows XP operating system.   Jaime Gratton  of Northern Computer Innovations says they've been receiving several calls from concerned people who believe their computers will shut down. She assures them that is not the case, but that they will probably start noticing problems in the weeks or months to come.   Gratton says they are recommending upgrading to Windows 8 or getting newer computer.

Beardy Calls For Funding To Be Restored

Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy is calling for the Federal and Provincial Government to restore funding they've cut to area First Nation organizations.  Beardy feel the lack of funding is an attempt to silence the voices of First Nations.

NOSM Gets Award

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is receiving a Rural Medical Education Award.  NOSM is getting the award because they excelled at matching the most graduates to rural family medicine programs.  In 2013, 64% of NOSM’s graduating MD class were matched to a rural family medicine residency program.

Former Attawapiskat Co-Manager Charged

The former co-manager of Attawapiskat First Nation has been charged with fraud over 5-thousand dollars and theft over 5-thousand.  The charges, laid by Nishnawbe-Aski Police, come after an investigation that started in February 2013.  62-year-old Clayton Kennedy was co-manager of the northern Ontario band's finances from July 2010 until the end of the summer of 2012.  There is no word from police if the two are linked.  Kennedy will appear in court on May 28th. In his private life, Kennedy is also the partner of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence.

Land Use Official Plan Meeting Tonight

The City wants your opinions on it's official land use plan.  An Open House to discuss the document will be held tonight at the Jackpine Community Centre from 3 until 8.   There will be another five public meetings held throughout the rest of this month.

Future Mining Jobs Report Released

A local think tank is looking into its crystal ball and forecasting the future job demands in mining.   The North Superior Workforce Planning Board released it's ten year outlook for ten area mining projects and next year they feel the companies will need to fill almost 5-thousand positions. The report goes onto say that the most in demand employment fields in the mining industry include haul truck operators and heavy duty mechanics. To view the full report click here.

Housing Starts Hit A Wall

New housing construction is slowing down to a crawl in Thunder Bay.  According to government figures from Canada Mortgage and Housing, so far this year construction has started on only two new houses.  That compares to 7 starts for the first three months of  last year.

Another Money Scam

City Police warning residents of yet another scam.  People here in town have received letters out of Montreal stating they have been chosen for a consumer research program. The letter comes with a fake cheque for a large sum of money and instructions to cash it and send some of the money back to the scammers through Western Union.  Police reminding residents that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Young Offenders Captured

Two young offenders back in custody after bolting from the Creighton Youth Centre.  Just after 8 o'clock last night, the pair took off from the centre after attending a presentation at the Oliver Road facility.  Police arrested the two males a short time later at Lakehead University.  The two, who stay at the McGuire Youth Centre, will be in court today to answer to escape of lawful custody charges.

Solid Waste Plan Approved

City Council is allowing its staff to move forward on its 9 million dollar solid waste plan.  Council approved the multi-year garbage and recycling initiative at its meeting Monday night.  Staff will come back at a later date with details on how the City can pay for the waste plan.

Tenders Disappoint Foulds

City Councillor Andrew Foulds isn't pleased that tenders for repairing the Boulevard Lake dam have come in over budget.   Staff told Council Monday night that the bids were a million dollars over what they had originally projected.  Foulds says it's another let down for his Current River ward.  The repair is being put off by a year so the City can find the money for the project.

Mixed Reaction To Plebiscite

People for and against a ballot question on the proposed event centre spoke their minds at City Council Monday night.  John Pukila of the Citizens for the Proposed Event Centre was one of several residents who spoke against the plebiscite and said it would hinder the third phase of the project.  A group of residents who want a ballot question rallied outside of City Hall before the Monday night meeting.

Plebiscite No Go

City Council put the kibosh on an event centre question on the upcoming municipal ballot.  Councillor Linda Rydholm's plebiscite motion lost because not enough councillors supported it.  Councillor Aldo Roberto thinks the people who want a plebiscite are just upset about the location. Both people for and against the election question made their cases to Council Monday night.

New Courthouse Now Open

The new courthouse on Brodie Street is now open with the Superior Court of Justice starting operations today. The new 250 million dollar 7 story building includes 15 courtrooms and an Aboriginal Settlement Suite, the first of its kind in Ontario.  Crown Attorney Dan Mitchell is like a kid at Christmas.   He says it's a state of the art building which allows all the crown prosecutors to be under one roof for the first time in about three decades. The employees from the Ontario Court Of Justice on Arthur Street  will be moved in next week

LU Signs Mexican Agreements

There's a new era of cooperation between Lakehead University and 3 Indigenous universities in Mexico.  LU spokesperson Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux  an agreement has been signed which will see, among other things, a student and professor exchange program.   She adds, that some professors will be coming here to get their PhD's which they can't do at their universities just yet.  There will also be joint programming between the institutions which will have an Aboriginal focus.

OPP Probe Fuel Theft

The OPP are investigating a few weekend incidents.   One is the theft of 800-900 litres of fuel from various pieces of machinery  on Holland Road West.   As well they are asking for your help in trying to figure out who stole a silver Mazda van from outside a Shabandowan residence,  a vehicle which was discovered abandoned with its rear window smashed on Highway 17 near Fourway School.  And a traffic stop on Chippewa Road and Highway 61 netted police what they believe to be cocaine and crack cocaine.

NDP Critic Visits The Lakehead

The NDP's provincial Children's Services's Critic says northwestern Ontario has unique issues when it comes to helping disadvantaged young people.   Monique Taylor says while wait lists for services and funding issues are the same problems across the province she says our size makes our challenges different.  She says it becomes harder to provide services to everyone especially First Nation communities.  Taylor was here for a meeting with local parents and children's advocates.

Councillors To Debate Plebiscite

A plebiscite on the proposed downtown events centre will be pitched to council tonight.  Linda Rydholm says if approved council would have until the end of the month to act. Rydholm says at a recent public meeting the public voted unanimously to have a plebiscite held.   Meantime Mayor Keith Hobbs is repeating his opposition to any sort of vote on the event centre saying the city is already on track with the project and a plebiscite would only delay the process.

Mining Meeting This Week

Prospectors from across the Province are in Thunder Bay this week for the Ontario Mines and Minerals symposium.   Prospectors Association Executive Director Garry Clark says it's a great chance for stakeholders to mingle.  There will be representatives from the government, junior mining companies and prospectors in location.   The conference is taking place at the Valhalla Inn tomorrow and Wednesday.

ROF Discussion This Week

The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business is set to host a panel discussion to discuss the future of Ontario's North and the Ring of Fire. Among the panellist at the discussion are city mayor Keith Hobbs and Webique councillor Roy Spence. The meeting will take place April 10th at the Valhalla Inn and run from 5-9pm.

Student Film Night Coming Up

Silvercity is set to debut the original short films made by Confederation College's Film Production class. The 29 films of the graduating class are shot on Oscar nominee Arri Alexa's camera and include several different themes.  Film Night will take place April 17th at 6:30 pm. Admission is free and donations to the Starlight Foundation are welcome.

Haley Irwin To Speak At College Awards

Olympic gold medallist Haley Irwin will speak at Confederation College's Athletic banquet, being held Tuesday evening. Irwin will present both the men's and women's athlete of the year awards and speak about her Olympic experience.  The banquet begins at 6 from the Ryan Hall.

Crime Of The Week

Crime Stoppers is asking for your help in solving a break and enter that took place between March 19th and 21st at a building under renovation in the 100 block of North Court Street.  A vandal or vandals gained entry by smashing a basement window and proceeded to cause an estimated 30-thousand dollars damage inside the building.  It included smashing finished drywall and spray painting defamatory comments on walls.  Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a web tip at www.tipsubmit.com.

Solid Waste Plan Approved

City Council is allowing its staff to move forward on its 9 million dollar solid waste plan.  Council approved the multi-year garbage and recycling initiative at its meeting Monday night.  Staff will come back at a later date with details on how the City can pay for the waste plan.

Paving Projects To Be Discussed

The city is expected to award Taranis Construction with its paving contract.  It's estimated that costs will come in around 3.7-million dollars and will include resurfacing projects on Broadway Avenue, the Harbour Expressway and Lithium Drive.  Stretches of over 20-roads will see resurfacing, including the rehabilitation of two railway crossings.