22 accidents today so far

Busy day for Thunder Bay Police. Officers were called to 22 accidents Tuesday. Traffic Officer Glen Porter says one car rolled down an embankment at Boulevard Lake, and a man is charged with careless driving as a result. Porter adds thankfully no one was badly hurt.

Inaugral police services board meeting

Thunder Bay's Police Chief Bob Herman is calling the inaugral meeting of the police services board productive.  Herman welcomed new board members to the meeting on Tuesday.  The 2011 budget has been put on hold until January so members can take time to review it.

DNA lab accredited

A milestone for the Warnex DNA lab. Warnex is now accredited internationally for forensic science testing. President Mark Busgang says the news will open doors for them.  Busgang says business has been ok and the local facility is now operating in the black.

McFadden predicts no solar farm controversy

Thunder Bay's airport manager doesn't expect any objectors to a new solar farm. A company called SkyPower is going to construct the panels on airport property starting early next year. It's expected to create about 100 new jobs. Scott McFadden says it'll be far from any homes and located on land which is not useful for airport operations and of limited commercial use.  The park will be bordered by railway tracks and 2 runways

Teens turn thumbs down to curfew

The prospect of a curfew for teenagers in Thunder Bay isn't sitting too well with some of them. The city is conducting a study to see if a curfew in the city is do-able.Those teens we spoke to say it takes away their freedom.

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Squire Street flooded with water

Someone caused quite a stir on Squire Street Tuesday.  A fire hydrant was opened and a large amount of water spilled into the street.  Police says they're treating the mischief as a serious matter because of cold conditions.  A car later slid into a pool of water in that area.

Deep freeze no problem for waterfront project

The city feels local construction companies know how to deal best with Thunder Bay's wicked winter weather.  Waterfront Supervisor Gary Wood says they know how to deal with the cold weather so its still business as usual. Wood believes the weather won't put work behind schedule.

Streetcar threat creates Internet buzz

There appears to be little sympathy by some Toronto bloggers to concerns in Thunder Bay over Mayor Rob Ford's desire to tear up a streetcar contract.  Scrapping that billion dollar contract would affect jobs at our Bombardier plant and some Torontonians are posting strong opinions about it on Internet news sites ....one says, ...you people in Thunder Bay... have no vote, or say... in how Toronto conducts it's business, and, Thunder Bay can go play with itself, the days of sole sourcing are gone.   But not everyone is so seemingly callous...one says,  Thanks for letting us know how far the damage... is reaching.

Hampton thinks election is coming

The Provincial election isn't until next Fall, but expect to see campaign-style ad's start showing up in the new year. That's the prediction of Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton. Hampton says the McGuinty Government has been under seige in the Ontario Legislature and he expects the Liberals to start actively campaigning shortly. Hampton says the government has been hurt by recent reports by the Ombudsman and the Auditor General.

Christmas Cheer falling behind campaign goal

Christmas Cheer is in trouble.  With just over a week to go in their campaign the charity is over 100 thousand dollars short of their goal.  The Charity is hoping to raise 165 thousand dollars to feed the homeless and less fortunate in Thunder Bay.

Garage destroyed by fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue dealt with a garage fire this morning.  Crews responded to the blaze on Talbot Street just after 2:30 and found a garage engulfed in flames.  The inferno was quickly brought under control and officials are investigating the cause.

Youth Curfew heavily discussed

City staff are creating a report on whether a youth curfew is feasible.
Councillor Andrew Foulds describes the proposed youth curfew as "using an elephant gun to swat mosquitoes".  Foulds feels it's not an effective tool, and it's a waste of our police resource. Meanwhile, Councillor Mark Bentz says a feasibility report on a youth curfew doesn't mean that they're going through with it; they just want to gauge the community's support.  Finally, Councillor Ian Angus feels the Crime Prevention Council should be in charge of whether or not to put a curfew in place.  Mayor Keith Hobbs reiterated he never said the curfew wouldn't be discussed with youth.

Adoption fees going into 2011 budget

The higher adoption fees for dogs and cats in the City will be included for consideration in the 2011 budget.  General Manager Mark Smith says if their adoption rate declines because of the increased cost to adopt they will consider lowering the fees. The increase needs to be approved in the budget process, and if passed will run for a trial period.  Many councillors felt the city needs to look at other ways of keeping animals from being put down.  Mayor Keith Hobbs feels the higher fees will prevent seniors and poor people from owning animals.

Credit Union set for Golf Links and Oliver

A credit union is setting up shop on the corner of Golf Links and Oliver Road. Administration asked council to hold off on approving the rezoning of a piece of property to include banks. General Manager Mark Smith says they're not against the bank, they just want to hold off until a community improvement plan is put in place in that area. Council approved the rezoning and will allow the credit union to operate in that area.

Port Improvement plan passed

The Port of Thunder Bay will soon be able to offer incentives to businesses looking to relocate to Thunder Bay. Council approved a community improvement plan for the Port of Thunder Bay at it's meeting Monday night.  General Manager Mark Smith says the move will enable the city to grant back planning and building application fees. 

Names released in Murder Suicide

Thunder Bay police have released the names of the Oliver Paipoonge couple involved in a murder suicide.  69 year old's Joseph and Antoinette Lavoie were found in their Oliver Road home by emergency personnel just after one o'clock Sunday.  Antoinette died as a result of a single gun shot wound, and Joseph of a self inflected gun shot.  Police say there is a history of domestic abuse between the couple.

Klooterhuis calls deaths tragedy for community

City police say an apparent murder suicide in Murillo remains under investigation.   Residents of the village are wondering if there was something they could have done to have prevented it.  Mayor Lucy Kloosterhuis says it's a big tragedy. Police discovered the bodies of a 69 year old man and woman in a home on Oliver Road.

Annual Report celebrates students

The Annual Report from Lakehead University is showing off the accomplishments of it's students.  President Brian Stevenson says it's  putting the spotlight where he says it belongs by telling the community the kind of students LU has.  The report shows there were 82 hundred students enrolled at the institution's two campuses last year.   

Stevenson wants to recruit students early

Lakehead University will be focusing on attracting more Aboriginal students. President Brian Stevenson says he's looking at starting the recruitment process early. He says the goal would be to cut the drop out rate by promoting the institution to students in elementary school.

It was a busy weekend for City police

Thunder Bay police are looking for a second suspect after an armed robbery.  Officers responded after the Shell on Arthur Street was robbed last night just after 8 o'clock.  A 22 year was arrested but a second man is still missing and could be armed with a knife.  Police had to deal with another armed robbery of a Mac's Mart, this time the thief was armed with a stick.  The man entered the Mac's Mart on North May street around 2:30 yesterday morning and made off with some cash and cigarettes.  Police also had to deal with a stabbing over the weekend.  A woman stabbed a man during a domestic altercation and is facing assault charges.  The man received minor injuries.