No one hurt in Current River fire

No one is hurt following a fire in Current River Wednesday evening. The blaze was in a building that houses a day care centre at 313 Grenville. Fire Platoon Chief Manfred Rohr says the fire started in between the floors of the two story building and appears to have been accidental. He says it appears it started when a lit cigarette started a joist on fire. The owner of the day care says the business was closed at the time the fire was discovered just after 5:30.  Fire damage is confined to one small corner of the building. 

Warmer weather helps waterfront work

The warmer weather is making work easier on the city's waterfront development at Prince Arthur's Landing. Construction Supervisor Gary Wood says the unseasonable temperatures have helped workers catch up a bit on the 40 million dollar project. He says some lost time was made up, adding they're doing work now that was not scheduled to begin for a few more weeks. Wood says to watch for the contract to be awarded shortly for Pier Two landscaping.

MNR has an early bear warning

A warning from the Ministry of Natural Resources. Linda Wall of the Bear Wise program says because of the unseasonably warm weather, bears are likely to come out earlier than usual. She says they'll be scavenging for food and that could mean encountering a bruin in the city. She says it would be a wise decision to take down any bird feeders to avoid a bear coming onto your property. Wall anticipates most of the bears will be younger ones, about two years old.

Joint forces seize more drugs

Two people are in custody following a drug bust Tuesday on Rowand Street. OPP Detective Staff Sergeant Chris Lawrence says they seized about 30 thousand dollars worth of Oxycodone pills. They then went to a bank and  found 50 thousand dollars in a safety deposit box.   Lawrence says the amount of drugs seized is just a small portion of the prescription pills available illegally in the city.

NAPS makes post office drug seizure

No one is under arrest following a drug seizure at a remote northwestern Ontario post office. The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service says with the help of Canada Post they seized over 38 thousand dollars worth of drugs being sent through the mail in the James Bay community of Moose Cree First Nation. The drugs included marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills.

Icebreaking starts on the harbour this week

It's a sure sign of spring in Thunder Bay. This week two American icebreakers will be working to break up the harbour ice. Canadian Coast spokesperson Andy Maillet says the Penobscot Bay and Mobile Bay will be here by Friday. He says they are smaller ships than Canada's Samuel Risley or the America cutter Makinaw, but are well suited for the work they will be doing. Maillet warns the work will create unstable ice conditions.. (Pictured: Penobscot Bay)

Gang activity on the rise in Thunder Bay

Police in the Northwest are facing a rise in gang activity. Three major native gangs based in Manitoba are expanding into the city. Police Chief Bob Herman says these gangs are getting very sophisticated in drug distribution. Herman says these gangs are recruiting new members from troubled back grounds. Herman says while we aren't seeing much violence yet, there is the possibility of turf wars breaking out and that is something police are closely watching.

Record breaking warmth continues to blanket the Northwest

The record warmth continues in the Northwest. Environment Canada confirmed record highs in Thunder Bay as well as a number of other locations in the region. Meterologist Jim Prime says we could see more records today. Prime says it will be a different story by the weekend with temperatures dropping back to seasonal levels.

Cavendish rankings are in and Thunder Bay is fourth

The Thunderwolves are ranked 4th for next weekend's Cavendish Cup. The Wolves are in Pool A with topped ranked Alberta and 6th ranked UQTR. McGill, St. Marys and Manitoba are round out pool B. The first action for the Wolves will be next Friday against the loser of Thursday night's game between Alberta and UQTR.  The McGill and Manitoba kick off the tournament Thursday afternoon at 2pm.