Wasaya expands service

Starting next week, Wasaya Airways is expanding to include flights from Thunder Bay to Geraldton and Marten Falls. President and CEO Tom Morris says the company sees potential growth for the area as the result of the Ring of Fire mining project.

Ignatieff visits Health Sciences Centre

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is vowing to work towards equality between First Nations and the rest of the Nation.  Speaking in Thunder Bay, Ignatieff says his party will improve first nation drinking water.  Atiwapiskat First Nation recently called a state of emergency because of a lack of clean drinking water.

Roach's driver robbed

No one is hurt after a Roach's Taxi was robbed overnight.  Police say that at around midnight the cab driver had money stolen from him by a customer. The incident took place in the Jasper Drive area.  No weapon was seen and police are still searching for a suspect.

Stabbing suspect arrested

The victim of a weekend stabbing is now in stable condition.   Police say he was stabbed in the chest at a North Marks Street home.   Meantime a suspect is in custody in connection with that incident.  Police say the 26 year old man gave himself up peacefully when they came to arrest him at a home on the city's north side last night.

East Side Mario's fire

The canopy of the former East Side Mario's Restaurant on Memorial Avenue caught fire over the weekend.  Thunder Bay fire crews brought the blaze under control and prevented it from spreading to the rest of the building.

Hydro outage impacts 7 thousand

The power is back on for 7 thousand Thunder Bay Hydro customers. The lights went out last night after a pole on Golf Links Road was hit by a car. The pole has been replaced and the driver of the vehicle was sent to the hospital.

Stabbing on North Marks Street update

Thunder Bay Police are still investigating a stabbing that occurred on the 100 block of North Marks Street late Saturday night. The victim is in the hospital under stable condition with a stab wound to the lung. Police say they will attempt to speak with the victim today to collect more information. So far no suspect of the stabbing has been taken into custody and no names have been released.

Easter eggs could carry illness

Thunder Bay children enjoy decorating Easter eggs this time of year. However make sure you handle them with care, or they could cause illness. Health and Safety watch is reminding Canadians to be careful of their children around Easter eggs because some could carry food-borne illness and growth of bacteria. Parents are told to remind their children to handle their painted Easter eggs carefully.

Fire on Memorial Ave.

No one is hurt following a fire at the old East Side Mario's restaurant on Memorial Avenue. Fire official Dave Grant says the cause of the fire is electrical and it started from the overhang of the building's front entrance. Damage to the building is minimal and the fire did not spread inside.

Stabbing on North Marks Street

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a stabbing that occurred last night in the city's South side. Police say the stabbing occurred on the 100 block of North Marks Street. A male victim was taken to hospital with stab wounds to the chest. No names have yet been released.  Police are still investigating the situation. The Giant news room will bring you the latest on this story as it develops.

Update on fire at McPherson St.

A post mortem is scheduled for today on the body of an elderly woman who died in yesterday's fatal house fire on McPherson Street. The cause of the fire is not yet known. The Ontario Fire Marshal's Office is investigating. The name of the victim has not been released.

Ignatieff to visit Thunder Bay on Monday

It's official, another federal party leader will be making his way to the city. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff will be visiting Thunder Bay on Monday. Liberal candidate Ken Boshcoff said Ignatieff will be touring some of the facilities in the research and innovation labs at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Ignatieff is due to arrive in Thunder Bay late Sunday night.

NW LHIN has new blood

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network is getting new blood.  Thunder Bay's Reg Jones will sit on the LHINs board of directors.  Retired Greenstone OPP officer Dan Levesque has also joined the board.

Easter Weekend forecast

It has the makings of a pretty decent Easter Long Weekend. Sunny skies, and near normal temperatures are predicted for most of the four day long weekend. However, Bill Laidlaw says things aren't looking good for Good Friday. Laidlaw says Easter Monday could be the nicest day of the long weekend, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-teens.

Advance Polls open Good Friday

Advance Polls for the Federal Election open Good Friday across the Thunder Bay Rainy River Riding.  There are eleven polling stations in the City, with another three in the Rainy River area.  You can cast your vote in both the Rainy River and Superior North riding's each day from noon until 8 o'clock.

Active transportation discussed

Thunder Bay can become more active all it has to do is invest in infrastructure and promote cycling and walking.  That's the message from Urban Planning Expert Gil Penalosa who was in the City on Thursday.  Penalosa says bike lanes need to be separated by physical boundaries not just painted white lanes on the road.  The City is taking part in an initiative to make itself more walkable.

Hampton on border towns

The NDP's Economic Development Critic is calling on the Province to make border towns more competitive.  Howard Hampton wants the government to reduce the liquor control board's mark up on liquor sold by duty-free stores.  Hampton is calling on the mark up to be dropped from 50 percent to 30.

Developmental Service programs needed

Community Living Fort Frances is calling on the province for more funding to help families access their services.  Executive director Alanna Barr says about 55 people with developmental disabilities are now on a wait list.  Barr says associations across the region are in similar situations.

Poachers convicted

A group of 7 hunters from Southern Ontario have been ordered to pay nearly 46-thousand dollars for 30-offences relating to illegal hunting in the Schreiber area.  6-men and 1-woman pleaded guilty to numerous offences for the poaching of 3-adult moose and a deer. Charges include hunting during the closed season, possessing and abandoning illegally killed animals, unlawfully using another person's licence and obstructing a conservation officer.  One of the men has been banned from hunting for 10-years.

Legal services protocol signed

First Nations youth who get in trouble with the law will take a different route through the legal system.  Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services  and along with Nishawbe-Aski Police Services  have signed an agreement to refer appropriate cases to more native centred programs.