More mining activity in the region

A Toronto based mining company is setting up shop near Thunder Bay. Pele Mountain Resources is drilling at its Pigeon River site sixty kilometres west of the city. President Al Shefsky says it's a promising nickle and copper site. The company is currently drilling five holes in search of platinmum, magnetic targets as well as copper and nickle.

Association slams tenure changes

The Ontario Forest Industry Association is critical of the Province's changes to the forest tenure system. Manager of Forest Policy Scott Jackson says the changes will undermine the government's recent good work. Jackson says an open auction for wood supply will impact all forestry businesses from big to small. Jacksons adds the changes will undermine all the previous good work the government has done and jeopardize the future of the industry.

World Hepatitis Day observed

AIDS Thunder Bay is offering an outreach program to people living with Hepatitis C.  Hepatitis Nurse Sara Ticholiz says they will be offering the program in Thunder Bay and across the region through tele health.  The federal government recently provided the funding for a treatment program as well.

New 9-1-1 technology on the way

It will soon be easier for emergency crews to track the location of a 9-1-1 call from a cell phone. Inspector Andy Hay of the city police says they're upgrading the system as we speak, adding it will close a loophole in the technology.   He says right now if someone calls 9-1-1 from a cell phone they don't have any way to track their location, but with the upgraded system they will be able to pinpoint the exact location of the phone.  Hay expects the new system to be up and running by the summer.  The update on the system was presented at Tuesday's Police Services Board meeting.

Fire hits Winslow Road home

No one was hurt in a house fire in O'Connor Township Tuesday afternoon. Conmee Fire Chief Aime Spencer says his crews were first at the fire scene on Winslow Road. He says the owner of the house was walking his dog and came home to find smoke coming from the eaves. He says crews were able to enter the house and put it out. Spencer says fire damage is confined to the bedroom area, and the cause is not known.

LRCA boss says rain is needed and lots of it

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority remains on alert as low water levels continue. Chair Bill Bartley says there's no immediate end in site and even the rain we got recently is nowhere near enough to ease the problem.  He says a substantial rainfall is needed over a longer period of time.  Residents are still being asked to reduce their water consumption by 20 per cent to help ease the situation.

Fire forces evacuation of I-C-R Discoveries

No one is injured after a small lab fire in the Munro Street building that houses Genesis Genomics, among other tenants. The Fire Service's Val LaFontaine says they were called to the I-C-R Discoveries building at around 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon and put out a small fire.   He says they evacuated the building as a precaution.   LaFontaine says the lab was unattended at the time of the fire which has been attributed to a chemical reaction.

Chamber Prez wary of forest changes

Forest Industry groups and business leaders are meeting today to discuss proposed changes to the forest tenure process.  Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Michael Gravelle consulted the public last night on the issue.  Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce President Harold Wilson says they're not sure what to make of the changes.  The changes mean the big forest companies would have their current licences scrapped and they'd have to start over.

Woman charged in stabbing incident

A 32 year old woman is being charged with aggravated assault after a stabbing on the city's north side. Police say the incident took place at a house on Tamarack Place at around 9:30  Tuesday morning. They say that a 29 year old man was stabbed with a knife in what police say was a domestic dispute. He was taken to the Health Sciences Centre. Police say he will survive his injury.

NAN Deputy Grand Chief on education

More funding is needed for aboriginal education. Nishinabe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose says he's dissapointed the Federal Government didn't attend their two day conference on the issue. Waboose adds he'll be passing on their concerns to area members of parliment. Waboose says they would like to see the Government change the way the post secondary education program is run and how many people are eligable.

Forestry companies stop some logging

Canada's top pulp and paper producers are immediately halting logging in 29 million hectares of northern forest. It's part of a historic agreement with environmental groups announced today in Toronto. The Forest Products Association of Canada is pledging to uphold the highest environmental standards on 72 million hectares of public land. In exchange, environmental groups will suspend ``do not buy'' campaigns.