Thunder Bay welcomes the world

The eleven teams that make up the World Junior Baseball Championship marched onto the field at Port
Arthur Stadium as part of the opening ceremonies Friday night.   The loudest cheers were, of course, for Team Canada who played the Netherlands immediately following the formalities.

Man robbed infront of his house

A 23 year old man was robbed outside his home on Sherrington Drive yesterday.  The victim was going to his car when he was confronted by a man and woman who had allegedly broken into his vehicle.  Police believe the man hit the victim and then fled the scene.

Tory nomination now a two person race

Richard Longtin is trying to inject a bit of youth into the local Conservative Party. He is seeking the federal Tory nomination for Thunder Bay Superior North. The 26 year old Longtin says he wants to help the riding grow.  The only other contender at this time is Richard Harvey. No date has been set for the nomination.

Fort Frances area mill workers vote for strike action

Unionized workers at the Ainsworth OSB Mill in Barwick have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to back contract demands. The strike vote came after the 130 members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers union voted 97 per cent against the company's latest offer. CEP National Rep Steven Boon says the union will continue work towards a deal before the mid-August strike deadline. Boon says many of the outstanding issues centre around non-monetary things such as contract language, contracting out, seniority and scheduling changes.

MNR Blitz catches illegal activity

The Minstry of Natural Resources laid 98-charges and issued 321-warnings during a recent 7-day enforcement blitz across Northwestern Ontario.  Conservation officers checked nearly 23-hundred anglers.  Charges were issued for fishing without a licence, over-limit of walleye, trespassing, illegally transporting fish, importing live baitfish, obstructing an officer and camping on crown land without a permit.  Several liquor related violations and not having appropriate safety equipment were also reported.

NDP MP John Rafferty weighs in on census

Another politician is weighing in on the Federal Government's decision to scrap the mandated long-form census. NDP MP John Rafferty says the Harper government has made a mistake and should shelve their hair brained census reform plan. Meanwhile, Kenora MP Greg Rickford defends the decision saying the mandatory census is an invasion of people's privacy.

MNR Fire Update

Despite significant rainfall, a good sized forest fire sparked in the Sioux Lookout District.  A 300-hectare blaze is burning just northeast of Sachogo Lake First Nation.  Aircraft will monitor the fire today to determine the next course of action.  There are 14-fires burning in Northwestern Ontario, none of which are considered serious.

Let's play ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The World Junior Baseball Championship is underway in Thunder Bay.   Cuba and Panama started things off this morning at Port Arthur Stadium after a short rain delay.   Opening ceremonies take place tonight at 6:15 followed by Canada and the Netherlands.   

Team Italy finding plenty of support

Team Italy is feeling right at home in Thunder Bay. Its Junior Baseball team received quite the welcome at the Airport when they arrived Wednesday. Coach Gianguido Poma says a large group of people met them at the airport with flags and signs. He says the extra support will give his players a big boost. Italy plays its first game Sunday against the US. They will be taking the field tomorrow morning and fans will get a chance to interact with the team.

Thunder Bay Hydro Power Outage

Around 600 businesses and homes were without power this morning. Thunder Bay Hydro had a key piece of equipment break at around 7 this morning on Park Avenue. The power outage was from the Casino to Waverly road.

Venezuela not coming to World Junior Baseball Championships

The World Junior Baseball Championships kick off today and it'll start down one team. Organizers announced yesterday Venezuela will not attending the tournament. Warren Philp says teams scheduled to face Venezuela will show up and practice and interact with fans. International Baseball Federation officials say it appears Visa and Passport problems are the reason Venezuela is a no show. In Accordance with IBAF rules teams scheduled to face the team will automatically earn a 9-0 win.