Mayor not sweating census numbers

Mayor Keith Hobbs is not pulling the alarm bell now that census numbers show our population dropped by just over half a per cent over five years. Hobbs says the key to increasing the population is simple...attract jobs.  The Mayor, does however, think the census numbers may be inaccurate and may not reflect what has been really going on to attract more people here.

Housing stats down last month

January was a quiet month for new housing starts.  Canada Mortgage and Housing stats show Thunder Bay had half as many starts this year compared to January of 2011.  There were 3 starts last month which was below the 10 year average. 

Trudeau says more jails not the answer

Margaret Trudeau  says that prisons are not the place to house people with mental illness. The former wife of Pierre Trudeau spoke out against the Harper government's new crime bill to students at Confederation College Wednesday afternoon, saying more jails are not the answer.  Trudeau has spent the last five years speaking on the struggles she had with depression.

Fire and Rescue pick up a pair on the harbour ice

No charges are being laid after a pair of people walked across the harbour to the break wall.  Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Platoon Chief John Mill says the ice boat was used to pick up the pair and take them back to shore.  Mill says its illegal to go on the harbour ice and the two were given a warning.

Police investigating hit and run

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a hit and run.  Officers say a pickup truck ran the stop sign at Windemere and Van Norman Monday afternoon and hit a car.  No one was hurt but police are looking for the grey Dodge Ram with front end damage.

First Nations sign MOU

A group of eight Northwestern Ontario First Nations have signed an agreement which they hope will lead to more affordable electricity. Brian Davey of the Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund says the major priority is to deal with a fuel shortage.  The deal was signed in Thunder Bay Wednesday

Police looking into stabbing

Police are looking for two people involved in last night's stabbing.  Officials say two men approached a parked vehicle outside the Shoreline Hotel and stabbed the man inside.  Officers say they were known to each other.  No arrests have been made and the victim is in fair condition in hospital.

Stats Can reports T.BAY population decrease

Statistics Canada is reporting Thunder Bay's population decreased by 0.7 per cent since the last census in 2006.  City Manager Tim Commisso says there are a number of reasons for the decline including the drop in the economy, and having more deaths than births in the City.  The City's population last May came in at one hundred eight thousand, three hundred fifty-nine.

Murray's speech called a PR stunt

The President of the Lakehead University Student Union calls the Provincial Government's 30 percent tuition rebate program a PR stunt.  Mike Snoddon wasn't impressed with College and University Minister Glen Murray's visit to Thunder Bay this morning.  The LUSU President says if the Minister was serious about making post secondary education more affordable he would freeze tuition rates. Snoddon says the rebate does not include all students and only helps high school students who come from middle income families.