City ranks number 2 in murder rate

The latest crime study from Statistics Canada has Thunder Bay with the second highest homicide rate in the country.    Deputy Police Chief J.P. Levesque says it's a result of the 6 murders last year which was very unusual.  He says the way the Stats Can survey is done it tends to put heavier weight on more violent crimes.
The study shows an increase of 17 per cent in violent crime.

Terrace Bay Pulp Close to starting up

Terrace Bay Pulp could be out of creditor protection by next Tuesday. That's the day the company will have a hearing on the matter.  Lawyer Yves Fricot says they've been allowed to prepare the mill for restart. The company is also purchasing material that is needed for the start up of the mill.

City gets 594-thousand dollar payment from OLG

The latest payment to the city of Thunder Bay from the provincial government casino is 594 thousand dollars. That's 22 thousand dollars more than the last quarterly payout.The money represents 5 per cent of the slot machine revenue from the facility.  It was the cash collected from April to June.

Province scraps eco-fee

The province is scrapping the controversial eco-fee. The McGuinty government admits consumers and businesses were not properly informed about the fee. The province says it's re-evaluating the program that's designed to fund waste diversion. Thunder Bay's Ellen Mortfield of EcoSuperior calls it a surprising move and hopes it can be re-introduced in the near future.

Man running across Canada for equal parenting reform

An Ontario man is attempting to break the Guiness World Record for the Fastest Crossing of Canada on Foot. David Nash is also trying to raise awareness for family law reform. A private members bill is before the house of commons and looks to avoid pitting parents against eachother. Nash is making his way to St. John's Newfoundland.

Cross country fundraiser for Alzheimer's

Two Guelph university students are cycling across Canada in support of Alzheimer's research. Ian Whatley and Ben Love hope to raise 25 thousand dollars through their cross country trek. The duo will stop in Thunder Bay this weekend and then continue their journey to Victoria, B.C.

Innova Business Park upgrades

Innova Business Park is going to get some upgrades thanks to Thunder Bay city council.  Taranis Contracting came in with the lowest bid at over 1.5 million.  Sewer and water will be extended on Golf Links Road to Innovation Drive.   Several roads will also be built linking up the business park to Golf Links Road, the Harbour Expressway and the Lakehead Expressway.  The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is helping to pay for part of the project.

More money spent on gas collection facility

The City of Thunder Bay will be spending a little more on its gas collection system at the Solid Waste and Recycling facility.  The construction costs and other assorted fees have come in greater than expected.  Council is putting an extra 100 thousand dollars towards the project.  The gas collection system will eventually be used to generate power.

New test questions for pleasure craft operator card

Some changes are in store for the test to get a pleasure craft operator card.  That card is now needed to operate a boat. Cameron Taylor of Boat Smart Canada says Transport Canada is looking at new test questions.  The new tests, which include a total of 50 questions, will be administered starting in September.

MNR talks Moose Tags

The Ministry of Natural Resources is looking to prohibit hunters from passing moose tags onto others in consecutive years. Wildlife Management Coordinator Tosh Gierick says the M-N-R has been seeking public comment on the proposal with input coming to an end Thursday. Gierick says the regulation was based on input from hunters who expressed concern with the increase in tag transfer in past hunting seasons.

OBA board has a Thunder Bay face

A Thunder Bay lawyer is now on the board of directors for the Ontario Bar Association.  Peter Mrowiec will represent Northwestern Ontario lawyers.  The OBA represents more than 17-thousand lawyers, judges, law professors and law students in the province.

We could be headed to a transit strike

Thunder Bay transit employees could be headed for a strike. Negotiations with the city and the amalgamated transit union have fallen through. Local 966 President Charlie Brown says the city isn't offering up anything remotely reasonable. Brown says the city has so far only asked for a number of concessions. Brown says the next step will likely be a strike vote.

Harvey wants another shot at nomination

Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey is taking the plunge again. Harvey is seeking the Conservative nomination for the federal riding of Thunder Bay-Superior North. Harvey believes he can make a break-through where other Conservatives candidates have failed. He says most of the people in the riding hold small "c" conservative values. The Torites haven't set a date for the vote

Temporary bus terminal stays at city hall

Council has voted in favour of keeping the temporary bus terminal at city hall. The temporary bus terminal at City hall came in number one in a consultant report. ENTRA consultants compared the city's options and they feel its in the city's best interest to keep the temporary site where it is. Dennis Fletcher says city hall scored 108 points higher than their other options on Violet and Miles Street.

Late night last minute deputations on bus terminal

The temporary bus terminal brought last minute deputations at city council last night. Several downtown residents who attended the meeting decided to speak up about the temporary terminal. John Livingston lives in the condo building near city hall and says he's not happy with the site. Livingston feels the temporary terminal should only be allowed to stay at city hall for two or three months not two or three years.

Sleeping Giant will welcome visitors to Thunder Bay

Lee Koopman has been hired to design and build the city's welcome signs. 3 signs will be placed at gateways to the city, including the Highway 11/17 entrance at Shabaqua, the Highway 61 North-bound entrance, and the Thunder Bay Airport. All three signs show the sleeping giant, but each one showcases a different natural attraction. The Thunder Bay airport sign will showcase boats on lake superior, the highway 61 sign will show the boreal forest and the highway 11/17 will showcase the northern lights. Many councillors were upset that Dawson road was excluded from the project.

Tamarack needles cause trouble

Mohawk Crescent residents want the City to get rid of the Tamarack trees planted on city property behind their homes. Donna and Fred Johnson made a deputation to council last night telling them the trees are bothersome because their needles clog eaves troughs, and get into vehicle engine compartments.The Johnsons were speaking on behalf of their neighbourhood and want council to remove the trees and if possible plant coniferous trees. City Parks Manager Paul Fayrick says to do what the residents want could cost up to 80 to 100 thousand dollars.  Fayrick adds they would have to clear cut the trees because removing just the Tamaracks would cause the other trees in the area to die.

City's cultural plan is a work in progress

The City's cultural plan is a work in progress. Office for Urbanism the company hired to create the plan provided an update to councillors last night.  Spokesperson Reid Henry says they understand that the community has different unique neighbourhoods that need to keep their names and calls them historic cores.  Henry adds they want to show off the community's diverse background of first nation and finnish culture.  Council will hear again from the group about what steps to take next.  An open house on the cultural plan will be held on September 23rd.  A final plan has yet to be completed.

Thunder Bay Fire and Police help out at G8 and G20

Thunder Bay Police and Fire fighters helped out during the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto. Fire Chief John Hay made a presentation on the topic at city council last night.  Twenty members of the fire department's Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear response team took part.  Police helped screened vehicles and people entering restricted zones of the conferences.

Gas leak capped, danger over

Life can get back to normal for the people in the Machar Avenue area after an afternoon scare on Monday. About a dozen homes in the area of the 100 block of Machar were evacuated around 3 o'clock. It followed a gas leak. Police say that a construction accident caused the problem. Gas company officials were able to get the situation under control before 5 pm. Emergency crews were on the scene as well. Pictured: Union Gas workers try to get gas leak under control.