Twolves Coach a fan of 4 ref system

The OUA is testing out a 4 man reffing system this season.  Thunderwolves Head Coach Joel Scherban says this past weekend's games against Laurier had the 4 man team and he liked it.  Scherban says it leads to a more open game and helps eliminate stick work behind the play, that normally gets missed when there is only one head ref.  Scherban says the timing is right, to switch to a permanent 4 man system. 

More delays for hotel announcement

More delays for the developer who wants to have a hotel built on the waterfront. Gisele MacDonald says the location of a water main at the site caused a delay in the land sale with the city, but is in the process of being settled. MacDonald won't speculate on when an announcement will be made. The delay means an announcement on the hotelier won't come until the new year.

Gravelle says Ontario is a leader at protecting species

Ontario is a leader in North America when it comes to protecting species at risk.  Thats the opinion of Province's Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle in regards to Environment Commissioner Gord Miller's recent report.  Miller says the Province isn't doing enough to protect endangered species.  Gravelle says the key challenge is finding a balance between protecting animals and job creation.

Bouchard on literacy mission

Order of Canada Member David Bouchard is trying to inspire Aboriginal and First Nation youth to pick up a book and read. Westgate Students gathered this morning to hear Bouchard's message. Bouchard is a Metis writer and is touring across Canada as a literacy advocate.

World AIDS Day Thursday

Thunder Bay's local AIDS group is marking World AIDS day Thursday. Spokesperson Bob Manson says their fourth annual breakfast will be held tomorrow morning at the Victoria Inn.

Lang receives lifetime achievement award

Confederation College's past President is being honoured by the Premier.  Pat Lang received the lifetime achievement award.  Four Confederation College Alumni's were also nominated at the recent Premier's Awards.

Canada Border tales

The Canada Border Service Agency is telling tales out of school.  They've released monthly stats for the Pigeon River crossing in October.  Among the highlights, include a Canadian man who went across for a day and came back with a vintage car.  The man provided a border agent with a fake receipt for five thousand dollars but after close examination revealed it cost almost 10 thousand dollars.  He was dinged with over 2-thousand dollars in fines.

Shelter House kicks off $ drive

Shelter House has a lofty fundraising goal this Christmas season. Manager Cal Rankin says they are looking to raise 150 thousand dollars in the community and are hoping they can reach some new donors this year. He says no donation is too small. The money raised is a critical part of the homeless shelter's yearly operations.

Open house makes its mark

New design proposals for the main streets in Thunder Bay are now public. They were presented at a City open house. Scott Garner of the local office of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind came to see if his groups ideas were included in the consultants plan, as did Gloria Cyr from the Heritage Committee. City council will get to see the final report in the new year which will present guidelines on how make the city's main drags look nicer through tree planting and landscaping

Wood Supply is not the reason for struggles at Global Sticks

The Forestry Minister says a wood supply is not to blame for the problems at Global Sticks.  Michael Gravelle says his ministry has worked tirelessly to find the company a proper wood supply and has in fact identified over 30 options for the struggling company.  Gravelle says there is no question the company is having problems but nothing more could have been done at providing a wood supply.

Northern teens drink and smoke more

Northern Ontario teens are doing more drugs and drinking more alcohol than their colleagues in the south. That's the findings of a new provincial survey.  Patty Hajdu of the District Health Unit says the good news is that drug use in general is going down, except for cannabis

Chamber prez touts zero per cent

The president of the Chamber of Commerce wants the city to look at other ways of raising money for road repairs. Harold Wilson questions why taxes have to go up 1 and a half per cent in order to make it happen.  He suggests that other areas be found to fund those projects including internal savings.  Wilson says Chamber members would be willing to work with the city to help find those savings.

Party planned for Prince Arthur's Landing

The City wants to celebrate the opening of the new look waterfront at Prince Arthur's Landing. Events Supervisor Doug Henry says they plan to hold a big bash next month.   He says on the evening of December the 16th there'll be  events and ceremonies to mark the occasion.   Henry says the evening will end with a fireworks display.

Allstate Canada ranks T.Bay sixth

Thunder Bay ranks sixth on a list of the safest places to drive in Ontario.  The study that was carried out from 2009 until this year was conducted by Allstate Canada.  Thunder Bay has a collision frequency rate of 3.66 per 100 cars on the road.

Ring of Fire Conference on this week

The Ring of Fire continues to be a hot topic for First Nation Communities.  The Centre for First Nations Governance is holding a two day conference in Thunder Bay this week and Spokesperson Len Hartley says they hope to foster good discussions.  The aim of the conference is to develop a better working relationship between Government and First Nations.

City Council looking to tackle road deficits

Council accepted a recommendation from administration calling for an increase in property taxes to fix our roads.  The recommendation would increase taxes by an average 2.88 percent over the next 3 years.  Councillor Andrew Foulds says its time to take our roads seriously and council needs to be aggressive and show some courage and vision to make Thunder Bay a city that our kids can be proud of.  An amendment to cap the tax increase at 2.5 percent was defeated 6-5. 

DSSAB looking at a big budget increase

The District Social Services Administration Board is facing a 6 percent budget increase this year.  CAO Melissa Harrison says DSSAB will leverage the money from the property tax payers but that will be reimbursed through the province.  This years DSSAB budget is pegged at just under 20 million dollars. 

Clean Green and Beautiful awards handed out.

City Council celebrated some of the best and brightest buildings in the city last night. The New Mary J L Black Library earned a Diamond Award, with Gold Awards going to Isabella Retirement Living and the McIntyre Building at Confederation college. The committee chose the  buildings that best enrich the life of the community through art beautification, heritage and environmental greening.

City lays charges after alleged dog attack

Charges are being laid against the owner of a dog that allegedly killed a small puppy in Current River last week.  Manager of Licensing and Enforcement Ron Bourret says a restraining order has been laid against the owner of the dog and charges for letting the dog run at large.

Police lay charges in connection to weekend fire

Thunder Bay police are charging a 45 year old man with arson in connections to last night's fire on Robertson Street.  Officials say a 69 year old man is in the ICU in critical condition after being found in the home by fire crews. 

Schools have new ski equipment

High School students in Thunder Bay now have access to cross country skiing equipment. It's thanks to Chris Serratore  and the Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club who applied for a 22 thousand dollars government grant to pay for the skis, boots and poles. There's enough equipment purchased to outfit 40 students.

Another waterfront addition

The metal beacons that will decorate Prince Arthur's Landing on the waterfront are now being put in place.  The beacons are towers which have L-E-D lighting installed along with an audio system which, among other things, will provide a bit of Thunder Bay history to those who visit the piers where they're to be located.

Local Fashionista posts new video for BBM Challenge

A local student has posted her latest fashion video for Blackberry's BBM Challenge.  Alex Kruse says she's hoping for more support from the community so she can put Thunder Bay on the fashion map.  The winner will be picked by Whitney Port and Blackberry but every vote helps.  Click here, to see her video and vote for her in the BBM Challenge.

Missing teen now found

A missing teenager is now back with his guardian. 14 year old Cole Yapput had been reported missing over the weekend, but city police say he turned up safe and sound on Sunday.

Making our streets look better

The City is giving you the chance to have a say on the future design of our main drags. A consulting firm has made several proposals to improve the look of streets like Red River Road, Edward and May. Spokesperson Jessica Hawes says there are a variety of recommendations they have come up with including tree planting and landscaping. They are also looking at some streets with a view to how they can function better. The open house is taking place at the Community Auditorium starting at 4:30 Tuesday.

Calendar Parking in effect

Calendar Parking is back in effect in the City.  Hopsital, school zones, transit routes and downtown cores will be off limits for parking from 2 am until 7am.  Certain streets subject to calandar parking will be off limits from 9am until five pm as well.  The restrictions are necessary to allow for quick and effective winter road maintenance.

Red Cross helping Attawapiskat

Attawapiskat is getting some help from the Canadian Red Cross. The Red Cross says it's working closely with public authorities and the community to identify and address urgent, short-term needs. Red Cross spokesman John Saunders says some of the needs currently identified include generators, heaters, insulated sleeping mats, blankets and winter clothing.

Global Sticks President in City

The President of Global Sticks says they hope to reopen the Oliver Paipoonge plant in two weeks time.  Reggie Nukovic is in the City this week meeting with bank officials looking for over a million dollars in loans.  Nukovic says they're implementing a restructuring plan this week.

Macs Robbery Sunday

Thunder Bay Police are investigating yet another robbery at a local Mac's Mart. This time around it was the North Edward Street store that was held up for cash yesterday around seven pm. Police say one young man entered the store with a knife while another kept watch outside. The two youths will be in bail court this morning.

Fire at Mcivor Court

Firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire at Mcivor Court on the city's South side. Crews from four fire stations responded to the call just after 10 o'clock Sunday morning. Platoon Chief Kim Hutch says it might have been caused by smoking material being thrown down the garbage shoot. Firefighters had to force entry where the fire was quickly put under control. There have been no injuries reported, and damage to the apartment is minimal.

Macs Robbery

Thunder Bay Police are investigating another Macs Mart robbery. The Waterloo St. location was robbed early Sunday morning just after midnight, by a woman with a knife. There were no injuries reported and Police haven't made any arrests in connection with the robbery.

T.Bay's first TEDx conference

Thunder Bay will host its first TEDx conference on February 16th, 2012. Manager of the North West Innovation Centre, Judy Sander says the theme is reinventing your community. The organization committee is now looking for speakers. For more information visit www.tedxthunderbay.com.

Humane Society fundraiser

A fundraiser for the Thunder Bay Humane Society is gearing up for a big event. Organizer Jessica Leinich says her and a group of residents are having an event at the Westfort Tavern to raise money to help save the Humane Society.  The event will happen December 10th, from 8pm to 2am.

Husband and wife car accident

A 32 year old man is facing impaired driving charges after accidentally hitting his wife with his car. The man will appear in court today. The man's wife is in hospital listed under stable condition. Police say this happened on the 100 block of North Syndicate Ave. around 3 Saturday morning.

Missing teen

Thunder Bay Police are searching for a missing teen. 14 year old Cole Preston Yapput has been reported missing since November 15th. Cole Yapput is described as Native Canadian, 5'3'' and 104 pounds. He was last seen by his guardian near Franklin and Walsh Street. Anyone with information is asked to contact Police.

Driving conditions get worse

Motorists in the city are being asked to slow down and drive with road conditions in mind. Saturday morning there have been a number of vehicle collisions reported, all in different areas of the city. Right now OPP are investigating a collision involving two vehicles on Highway 61 and Broadway Ave. No further details have been released at this time.

Wellness Program coming up at council

Council will decide tonight whether or not to hire a part time wellness coach for the city.  Spokesperson Anne Turuba wrote a report on the program and says its been very successful and she hopes in grows beyond city employees.  Turuba says currently the city contracts the position out to an outside person.

Health Conference coming to Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay City council will be asked to fork over 20 thousand dollars to help with an upcoming medical conference.  The Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Roger Strasser will be speaking to council to ask for transportation costs for the October 2012 conference.   Strasser says the 600 delegates will bring in big economic benefits for the city and the conference will also increase our global profile.

Fundraiser for Humane Society

A fundraiser for the Thunder Bay Humane Society is gearing up for a big event.  Organizer Jessica Leinich says her and a group of residents are having an event at the Westfort Tavern to raise money to help save the Humane Society.  The event will happen December 10th from 8pm to 2am.

Henry Wojak barred from speaking @ Council

Councillor Trevor Giertuga says for every action there is a reaction and in the case of Henry Wojak there was consequences.  Giertuga says Mr Wojak has been barred from speaking at the coming council meeting because of foul language and an inappropriate gesture.

Christmas Cheer off and running

The Christmas Cheer campaign is underway with a goal of 160 thousand dollars. Chair Linda Gambee says this year the need in the community is bigger than ever.  She says where normally the organization gets inquiries weeks before the campaign starts, people have been calling  months ahead of time.  The money is used to provide a grocery hamper and toys to needy families for Christmas

More details on escaped prisoner

The Prisoner who is charged with escaping police custody yesterday is the 22 year charged in connection to this week's Mac's Mart Robbery.  Police officials say the prisoner ran away from officers when he was being taken into the Court House on Arthur Street.  Patrol officers quickly picked him up on Selkirk Avenue and charged is Ryan Deluney .

Rickford lauds First Nations bill

The MP for Kenora believes a new Federal bill to force First Nations to release officials salaries will lead to better accountibility. Greg Rickford notes this is the first step because there's more related legislation on the way.  It will centre on reforming the election system for First Nations that  will provide more certainty for those communities.

Global Sticks gets Gravelle going

Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle is busy these days getting a handle on the Global Sticks situation. With millions of provincial tax dollars invested in the company, Gravelle says everything is being done to get the operation in Oliver-Paipoonge open again and is hopeful that a restructuring plan will help. Gravelle disagrees with Mayor Hobbs that provincial government red tape is partly to blame for some of the company's hardships

Bombers favoured to win Grey Cup

It's Grey Cup weekend in Canada.  On Sunday the Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the B.C. Lions, and we asked the people of Thunder Bay...who's going to win? 

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CEDC works to save Global Sticks

The CEO of the City's Economic Development Commission believes Global Sticks will re-open again.   The company has shut down it's popsicle stick factory in Oliver-Paipoonge.  Steve Demmings says the CEDC has been active with others behind the scenes to keep the firm afloat.  He says more questions will be answered when company President Reggie Nukovic visits the city next week.

More weather records set

Another record breaker for Northwestern Ontario.  The high for Thunder Bay yesterday was 13 degrees shattering the old record of 7.8 set 11 years ago.  Dryden, Ear Falls, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout also broke temperature records.

Prisoner escapes police at court house

A prisoner is back in Police custody after a short taste of freedom this afternoon.  Officials say the man escaped from a police van at the Arthur Street Court House just after 3:30.  The man was in handcuffs and was picked up on Selkirk Avenue a short time later. 

Global Sticks releases statement

Global Sticks has released a statement about the closure of their Oliver Paipoonge facility.  The statement says the company is restructuring and is hopeful to reopen soon.  The company says it is working hard with the provincial government to secure an adequate access to Birch wood fibre.

SIU absolves OPP in Kakabeka Falls incident

The Province's Special Investigations Unit has finished its investigation into an incident at Kakabeka Falls where a 22 year man died last month. SIU Officials say they have found no wrong doings by OPP officers involved in the incident that saw Kurtis McVittie fall over the falls and die.