Fire at mini-Queens Park

Damage is still being assessed after a fire at the provincial government building on James Street just before 8 Sunday morning.   Platoon Chief John Mill says it was centred in the building's mechanical tower.   No one was hurt as the result of the blaze and the cause is not known.

Official change of command

It's official. Commander Peter Fleming is now in command of her Majesty's Canadian ship the HMCS Griffon. Lieutenant Commander John Bell handed over the command of the ship at a ceremony held in Thunder Bay on Saturday. Commander Peter Flemming says he's delighted to come back to Thunder Bay and the HMCS Griffon; where he served from 1997 to 2001 in training and as an executive officer. Commander Fleming says he wants to continue the great legacy with initiatives like the Naval Reserve Co-operative Education Program that originated here in Thunder Bay.

Hydro problems on Dog Lake road

65 Thunder Bay Hydro customers on Dog Lake road are without power due to a burnt hydro pole. Thunder Bay Hydro is working on fixing the problem and expect to have things back to normal by noon. High winds have kept hydro crews busy all night, and Thunder Bay Hydro has extended staff working out the problems.

Another Macs robbery

It hasn't been an easy week for Macs convenience stores. Another Macs store was robbed early Saturday morning. This time it was the Simpson street location. The store clerk was assaulted but has no serious injuries. Thunder Bay police are looking for two people who were involved. This is the third macs store to be robbed in the last week.

Missing teen found

Missing Rainy River teen Belinda Paishk has been located. The 16 year old girl who had been missing since October 7th was found safe and sound. No further details are available at this time.

HMCS Griffon ceremony

A change of command ceremony will be happening Saturday at Thunder Bay's Naval Reserve Division. Lieutenant Commander J.A Bell will relinquish command of the HMCS Griffon to Commander P. Fleming. The ceremony will commence at 10 am on the HMCS Griffon drill deck.

Missing Rainy River teen

Rainy River OPP are looking for a missing 16 year old girl.  Belinda Paishk was reported missing last week and was last seen leaving her home to go to school.  She did not return home and was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and black pants.  Belinda is described as 5'2" tall, 120 lbs, with short brownish blonde hair. She has brown eyes and two lip rings.

Bell Towers up for discussion Monday

Bell cell phone towers will be discussed again at Monday night's City Council meeting.  This time around it's for proposed towers on Highway 61 and North Algoma Street.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says they'll decide whether or not to send a letter of concurrence to the Federal Government.  Johnson notes council has no jurisdiction over whether or not Bell can build the towers.  The final say on the towers lies with the Feds. 

Courthouse laneway to be named Monday

A new laneway around the Provincial Consolidated Courthouse is set to be named Monday night.  Justice Lane is just one of the several names that were pitched for the roadway; the others include Barrister Lane and Chapples Lane.  The lane on the South side of the court house will allow traffic to travel between Brodie and Archibald Streets.

Occupy Thunder Bay Saturday

The Occupy Wall Street campaign is coming to Thunder Bay on Saturday.  An open forum on issues that affect the local government, economy, and environment will take place throughout the day at Waverly Park.

Waterfront update set for Monday

The first phase of the Waterfront project isn't breaking the bank.  That's part of a project update that will be given to Council Monday night by Acting Project Manager Paul Pepe. Pepe says they're on track to meet their funding deadlines and the project will be finished by October 31st.  City Manager Tim Commisso has also formally requested the developers set a date for a public announcement about the hotel chain that will occupy the Prince Arthur's Landing.

Mission Nutrition is set for year 2

The second annual Mission Nutrition Food Drive is coming up and this year the organizers are setting the bar high.  Doctor James DiGiuseppe of the Port Arthur Chiropractic Centre says he's hoping with 3 more offices taking part, they'll be able to collect 4 thousand pounds of food for Shelter House and the Dew Drop Inn.  Everyone taking part will leave a bag of healthy food on their doorstep on October 25th and one of the offices will pick it up.  You can register for the event by contacting the Port Arthur Chiropractic Centre, Santin Chiropractic, Doctor Lila Coulter of the Healthy Families Wellness Centre or Doctor Christina Peterson at Jessiman Family Chiropractic.  The deadline to register is October 24th.

City votes on funding for Shelter House Monday

Administration is recommending to Council they provide Shelter House with one time funding towards renos on their George Street building.  If council approves the 270-thousand dollar grant it will go towards sprucing up the building to accommodate a housing project for alcoholics.   The matter will come up for a vote Monday night.

City set to hear from Peter Street resident

City lawmakers will hear on Monday from a Peter Street resident who wants to turn his home into a school. Administration is recommending the City allow a school that would accommodate 8 pupils. Some residents are concerned that if the school is allowed it would increase traffic and noise levels.

Waste Reduction Week starts Monday

Waste Reduction Week is being celebrated across Thunder Bay starting Monday.  Eco Superior Spokesperson Jessica Backen says they want residents to cut back on their trash.  A tour of the Solid Waste and Recycling Facility is being offered to interested residents.  Mayor Keith Hobbs will also award the Catholic School Board with the Municipal Green Award.

Small explosion rocks Mission Island

There are no injuries after a small explosion and fire on Mission Island.  Thunder Bay Fire Platoon Chief Kim Hutch says it happened at Lakehead Scrap Metals just after 1 o'clock when an old gas tank exploded inside the shredder plant.  

Hospital Foundation kicks of 50/50

The Hospital Foundation is kicking off it's annual 50/50 draw this week.  The first ticket will be sold at the Intercity Shopping Mall on Wednesday at 11 am.  Last year's 10-thousand dollar winner Kathleen Eaton will buy the first ticket.

Memorial Avenue closed Sunday

Memorial Avenue will be closed Sunday from 8 am until 5 pm.  The closure will be in effect from Dunlop Street to the Harbour Expressway for northbound traffic only.  The closure is necessary to allow for the installation of a new sewer connection.

Pineville Heist out in bookstores

Confederation College Professor Lee Chambers is getting ready to release his book "The Pineville Heist".  Chambers says he's working on getting the book made into a film.  A book signing is taking place at Chapters on Saturday, October 22nd. 

Pot, Pills and Parties

Thunder Bay teens are learning how to be safe while they're taking part in pot, pills and parties.  That was the theme of a conference held in Thunder Bay Friday; Organizer Patty Hajdu says they want to educate the youth about the dangers of drug use.  Hajdu adds they told them about the new substance use laws that could land them in jail.