English Rules In Thunder Bay

English is the top first language for residents of Thunder Bay. Brigitte Chavez of Statistics Canada says the latest census data shows 86 per cent of the population has English as the mother tongue and French is way back at 2 and a half per cent. The top  mother tongues in the city after English and French are; Italian, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian and German and for the first time Spanish has made it into the top ten languages spoken in Thunder Bay.

Cliffs Working On EA

Cliffs Natural Resources is in the early stages of working on it's environmental assessment for the Ring of Fire project.  Spokesperson Jason Aagenes says they're collecting public input on their project for both the Federal and Provincial Governments.  The mining company hopes to submit their completed assessment to the Provincial and Federal Government in 2013.  The mining company is holding an open house at the Airlane tonight.

Dave Douglas Jewellers Closing

Thunder Bay is losing a long time jewellery store.  Dave Douglas Jewellers is closing it's doors once the all merchandise is sold.  Douglas says he's not going to try to sell his business; he just wants to retire. The store in one form or another has been around since 1908.  Douglas bought the store in 1973 from George H. Burke Jewellers.

Hospital Expanding With New Building

Thunder Bay's Hospital continues to grow.  CEO Andree Robichaud say they're building a new health services centre that will house several of their programs like Cardiac care.  A ground breaking ceremony was held Wednesday at 1040 Oliver Road.

Children's Centre Cutting Staff

Thunder Bay's Children Centre is merging two group homes. That means 4 full time staff are being reduced to part time, and 12 part time employees are being laid off.  Executive Director Tom Walters says the move is due to a lack of demand for their service.

Adam Leon Awaits Fate

It's a case one city lawyer calls double jeopardy.   A former Confederation College aviation student is hoping a Thunder Bay judge will agree that he's already paid his dues.   Adam Leon is charged with theft in connection with an incident in April of 2009 that caused an international sensation after a Cessna was taken from the college flight school and flown into the United States. In court this morning his lawyer Neil McCartney argued that Leon has already been punished in the U.S. with jail time and that should count in Canada.  The judge in the cause will be handing down a ruling on December 5th. 

New Walmart Opens Friday

The city's new Walmart is set to open this Friday.  The County Fair Mall location will open to the public at 8 am sharp.  The store will be home to 105 employees.  The Arthur Street Walmart is expected to be open by November.

Vehicle Destroyed In Fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service say they will look more closely at a vehicle fire from this morning. Crews were called to the 500 block of 11th Avenue at 8:45 a.m. to find a suburban fully engulfed in flames. District Chief Richard Morden says no one was in the vicinity of the fire and no one was hurt.  

Multiplex Concerns Coming To Council

A group of concerned taxpayers plan to voice their concerns to City Council.  Around 60 people attended a public meeting last night calling on the City to hold a vote on the location of the proposed Multiplex.  Chair Ray Smith says they'll be bringing the results of local media polls and feedback from the meeting to council.  Smith says many people are opposed to the downtown waterfront location because of the cost.

No Twinkle For Stars At Home

The Thunder Bay North Stars have some work to do in order to catch up with the league's elite. The two-time defending S.I.J.H.L. champion Minnesota Wilderness scored two powerplay goals and skated to a 5-1 win over the Thunder Bay North Stars at the Gardens last night. The win improves Minnesota's first place record to 12-2, while the second place North Stars dropped to 8-4 on the season.