Venezuela back in

Team Venezuela is on the ground in Thunder Bay, and back in the World Junior Baseball Championship. They will play Italy today at Baseball Central with a 4:00 start time.

Team Canada starts strong

Brandon Dailey's three run homer in the second inning got Canada off to a great start against the Netherlands. Team Canada went on to win the game 9-2 last night. Cuba beat Panama 10-0 yesterday morning. There will be games going all day at the two tournament locations. Canada and Cuba meet up tonight at Port Arthur Stadium.

Thunder Bay welcomes the world

The eleven teams that make up the World Junior Baseball Championship marched onto the field at Port
Arthur Stadium as part of the opening ceremonies Friday night.   The loudest cheers were, of course, for Team Canada who played the Netherlands immediately following the formalities.

Man robbed infront of his house

A 23 year old man was robbed outside his home on Sherrington Drive yesterday.  The victim was going to his car when he was confronted by a man and woman who had allegedly broken into his vehicle.  Police believe the man hit the victim and then fled the scene.

Tory nomination now a two person race

Richard Longtin is trying to inject a bit of youth into the local Conservative Party. He is seeking the federal Tory nomination for Thunder Bay Superior North. The 26 year old Longtin says he wants to help the riding grow.  The only other contender at this time is Richard Harvey. No date has been set for the nomination.

Fort Frances area mill workers vote for strike action

Unionized workers at the Ainsworth OSB Mill in Barwick have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to back contract demands. The strike vote came after the 130 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union voted 97 per cent against the company's latest offer. CEP National Rep Steven Boon says the union will continue work towards a deal before the mid-August strike deadline. Boon says many of the outstanding issues centre around non-monetary things such as contract language, contracting out, seniority and scheduling changes.

MNR Blitz catches illegal activity

The Minstry of Natural Resources laid 98-charges and issued 321-warnings during a recent 7-day enforcement blitz across Northwestern Ontario.  Conservation officers checked nearly 23-hundred anglers.  Charges were issued for fishing without a licence, over-limit of walleye, trespassing, illegally transporting fish, importing live baitfish, obstructing an officer and camping on crown land without a permit.  Several liquor related violations and not having appropriate safety equipment were also reported.

NDP MP John Rafferty weighs in on census

Another politician is weighing in on the Federal Government's decision to scrap the mandated long-form census. NDP MP John Rafferty says the Harper government has made a mistake and should shelve their hair brained census reform plan. Meanwhile, Kenora MP Greg Rickford defends the decision saying the mandatory census is an invasion of people's privacy.

MNR Fire Update

Despite significant rainfall, a good sized forest fire sparked in the Sioux Lookout District.  A 300-hectare blaze is burning just northeast of Sachogo Lake First Nation.  Aircraft will monitor the fire today to determine the next course of action.  There are 14-fires burning in Northwestern Ontario, none of which are considered serious.

Let's play ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The World Junior Baseball Championship is underway in Thunder Bay.   Cuba and Panama started things off this morning at Port Arthur Stadium after a short rain delay.   Opening ceremonies take place tonight at 6:15 followed by Canada and the Netherlands.   

Team Italy finding plenty of support

Team Italy is feeling right at home in Thunder Bay. Its Junior Baseball team received quite the welcome at the Airport when they arrived Wednesday. Coach Gianguido Poma says a large group of people met them at the airport with flags and signs. He says the extra support will give his players a big boost. Italy plays its first game Sunday against the US. They will be taking the field tomorrow morning and fans will get a chance to interact with the team.

Thunder Bay Hydro Power Outage

Around 600 businesses and homes were without power this morning. Thunder Bay Hydro had a key piece of equipment break at around 7 this morning on Park Avenue. The power outage was from the Casino to Waverly road.

Venezuela not coming to World Junior Baseball Championships

The World Junior Baseball Championships kick off today and it'll start down one team. Organizers announced yesterday Venezuela will not attending the tournament. Warren Philp says teams scheduled to face Venezuela will show up and practice and interact with fans. International Baseball Federation officials say it appears Visa and Passport problems are the reason Venezuela is a no show. In Accordance with IBAF rules teams scheduled to face the team will automatically earn a 9-0 win.

Shelter House still needs food

Once again Shelter House needs your help. Officials with the homeless facility say there's still a need for food donations. They say priority items remain canned and dry goods. Shelter House normally experiences a lull in donations during the summer months.

Bear frees itself from plastic trap

Thunder Bay's Rob Paterson is relieved it's over. Paterson helped to bring the publics attention to the plight of the bear with the plastic jug on his head on Lambert Island. The Ministry of Natural Resources is confirming that a jug found floating in Lake Superior, near the island, Wednesday night by canoeists, was indeed the one the bear was wearing. His fate is not known. Paterson says that the bruins plight attracted international attention with the BBC picking up the story.

Shad kids say goodbye

Another Shad Valley program at Lakehead University has come and gone. Students from across Canada are leaving after spending the last month in the program. Anika Smithson says she's going back to Orangeville a changed person. She says it opened her eyes to new ideas and taught her how much stress she's able to cope with. Smithson adds it gave her an idea of which direction she wants to take in university. This years program attracted 65 students

Mauro hasn't given up hope for Big Thunder Ski area

The Ministry of Tourism has rejected six proposals to reopen the Big Thunder National Ski Training Centre.  Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says it all comes down to one thing and that's money.  In the end none of the people behind the proposals had enough money to run and operate the Big Thunder ski area. Mauro says he hasn't given up the fight yet, and notes he has one last proposal left that he hopes will be accepted.

New consolidated court house update

The Attorney General paid a visit to Thunder Bay today. Chris Bentley says he doesn't have any firm times as to when the construction contract will be announced for the new consolidated court house. Currently, demolition work is being completed to clear the area for the new building which will house both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice. The new court house will be located between Brodie and Archibald streets, south of Miles Street.

Ring of Fire Co-ordinator position still not filled

There's not much known about the provincial government's "Ring of Fire" co-ordinator position.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says the candidate selected for the position could be announced sometime in the fall.  Gravelle adds they're not sure where that job will be based.  The Minister says it could be in Toronto, Thunder Bay or both.

Bentley visits Thunder Bay

Northern Ontario residents who want to train for a new job can say thanks to the McGuinty Government. A partnership program between the government, training facilities, and business was announced in Thunder Bay today. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says the money will help train people for resource based jobs. Bentley adds its a 45 million dollar three year project.