NOSM and OPSEU back to negotiating

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine and OPSEU are heading back to the bargaining table. NOSM staff have been on strike since August 16th and are still picketing at the university. The talks will be taking place September 14th to 17th.

Strike date set for transit union

Bus services in Thunder Bay could halt in two weeks. The amalgamated transit union has announced a firm strike date of September 17th. Members voted 96 percent in favour of strike action Sunday. There is no word on whether more talks have scheduled.

Shipments down at Thunder Bay Port

Coal and Potash shipments are on the rebound according to the Thunder Bay Port Authority.  Overall the port has seen a drop of 8 percent so far this year mainly due to a decrease in grain shipments.  CEO Tim Heney adds they're gearing up for a busy fall with project cargo being shipped starting this weekend.

HST exemption at till

The Union of Ontario Indians is making calls to companies informing them they need to provide HST point of sale exemptions. Companies are now required to provide the tax exemption at the till for first nation residents. Judy Currie is with the local Union of Indians Office and says they've received only one complaint from this region.

Accident on Harbour expressway and Fort William road

Thunder Bay Police are on the scene of a motor vehicle collission this afternoon.  Two vehicles are involved, and some injuries were reported.  It happened around the intersection of the Fort William Road and the Harbour Expressway.

Conmee EMS Station closed

The Conmee EMS Station is closed temporarily because of mould.  Deputy Chief Don Stokes says they've moved their operations into the Kakabeka Falls fire station.  Stokes says they're old facility is a trailer, and they think it may be cheaper to just replace the trailer than repair it.

Dilico Video Premiere

The Dilico Anishinabek Family Care group wants to help put an end to diabetes.  The group created an educational video that aims to prevent the disease from overtaking Northern Superior First Nations.  The dvd provides information about Type 2 Diabetes and will be made public on Friday.  94 percent of first nations people living in the Robinson-Superior Treaty area have type 2 diabetes, which is preventable.

Rural broadband expanded

Rural communities around Thunder Bay will see improvements made to their high speed internet connections.  The money was set aside by large telecommunication companies after the CRTC made them allocate some of their money to rural broadband services.  Dorion, Pass Lake, MacDiarmid, Armstrong, Nakina and Marathon are slated for upgrades this year.

NAPS seize drugs

Nishnawbe Aski Police executed a search warrant of the Fort Hope First Nation.  Police seized a street value of approximately 14-thousand dollars worth of OxyContin prescription drugs.  32 year old Linda Josephine Wabano and 32 year old Normand Sidney Shawinimash have each been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking.  Wabano and Shawinimash have both been released on conditions and will appear in court on November 4th.

It's Coffee Break month

Thunder Bay's Alzheimer Society is celebrating 15 years of "coffee breaks".  The fundraiser is being held throughout the month of September.  Spokesperson Jason Paul Rasevych says anyone interested in holding a coffee break can pick up a kit from the Alzheimer Society office.

Global Sticks is targeting an October

Global Sticks is now targeting October for its grand opening. The wooden stick manufacturing factory was originally slated to start up in July but spokesperson Hans-Erik Aamand says there were some issues that slowed up work but the facility should be up and running sometime next month. The company will build sticks for ice cream bars, popsicles and paint stirring. When in full operation the facility will employ around 80 people.

Summer Company comes to an end

Thunder Bay's entrepreneur centre is heralding the benefits of the Summer Company program. Director of the Community Economic Development Commisssion Rebecca Johnson says youth that take part in the program could help guide the city's future. Johnson notes if they can run a successful business in Thunder Bay now, they'll be more likely to do it again when they've completed their schooling. A wrap up ceremony was held on Thursday for the local students who took part in this summer's program.

Federal funding rolled out

The Federal Government is helping employ disabled people in the Thunder Bay area.  Parliamentry Secretary for Official Languages Greg Rickford was in town yesterday and announced over 200 thousand dollars for the Independent Living Resource Centre.  The organization will use the money to provide their program to an additional 90 people.  The program helps people living with disabilities gain the skills they need to obtain jobs, prepare for self-employment or return to school.

Get ready for some rain

Get out your rain gear! Its going to get wet in Thunder Bay. Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says a low pressure system is moving into the area that could bring 20 to 30 millimetres of rain. Coulson says if there is any thunderstorm activity there could be even more rain and some areas could see rainfall warnings.  The weather will turn around for the weekend, with sunshine and temperatures nearing the 20 degree mark for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Thunder Bay Votes 2010

Thunder Bay's returning officer is gearing up for the upcoming municipal election. John Hannam says the city is the first in the country to offer a mobile polling station. Hannam says they'll be driving the voting van around the city during advance polls. The van will be parked for a full day at both Confederation College and Lakehead University as a way to promote the youth vote. If you're not sure if you're registered to vote in the upcoming municipal election; you can find out by checking the voter's list at City Hall or any of Thunder Bay's libraries. More information on the upcoming 2010 municipal election is available at http://www.thunderbay.ca/

Industry Minister visits Northwest

It was a campaign-style visit to Northwestern Ontario this week for Industry Minister Tony Clement. Clement spoke to a group of area leaders asking for their help in electing Maureen Comuzzi-Stehman.  Clement is backing Stehman who is carrying the Conservative banner in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding.  Clement criticized MP John Rafferty for the decisions he's made in Ottawa, suggesting they're not consistant with the values and principals of the riding.  Meanwhile,  seven groups around the Thunder Bay area are receiving FEDNOR dollars to hire youth interns. Clement says the organizations are taking advantage of a program that helps give young people some much needed work experience.

Focus North Forum comes to end

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Canada's Northern Development Ministers are leaving Thunder Bay with a better sense of how they can help the north. Ontario's Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says they're going to tackle the north's infrastructure deficit. Gravelle says many communities have a hard time coming up with their share of funding for infrastructure projects. Each provincial minister had the opportunity to speak with Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan earlier in the day. Gravelle used his time with the Minister to discuss the Northern Growth Plan.

Rogers and TBayTel are making progress on a Northwestern 3G Network

TBayTel and Rogers are making progress on their joint project that will see a 3G network cover the region. Starting this month Rogers customers will start their transition into TBayTel coverage. TBayTel President Don Campbell says work on turning over the 3G network is on target and should be operational in Thunder Bay and other bigger centres in the region by November. Campbell says the partnership will also give customers a greater selection of hand held devices and services.

Waterfront project is facing cost overruns

The Prince Arthur landing project has seen a few ups and down recently on the financial front. A number of tenders have come in over budget forcing some alterations and postponements. Project Manager Katherine Dugmore says costs overruns are being dealt with by removing portions of the tenders or putting off work to later dates.  Dugmore says if council adds to the budget, 50 percent of the additional costs would come from taxpayers.

Betty Fox remembers

Today marks the day Terry Fox was forced to put an end to his cross Canada Marathon for Hope. It was 30 years ago when Fox stopped in Thunder Bay. His parents say today is bittersweet, and they'll be using the anniversary to pay tribute to him. No official ceremony is planned in Thunder Bay.