Idle No More Candlelight Vigil

Thunder Bay's Idle No More movement is standing behind a local woman who was allegedly abducted and attacked recently.  Spokesperson Joyce Hunter says she's worried another violent incident will happen against a First Nations person.  A candlelight vigil was held Wednesday night in honour of the alleged victim at the Fort William First Nation.

A Game Of Cat And Mouse

Twitter is becoming the new reality for city police as they run their RIDE program.  Over the holiday period there were 25 people charged with impaired driving. Traffic Sgt. Glenn Porter says though, they had to move their checkpoints from place to place to outwit people on the social network who were Tweeting the locations. ....like a game of cat and mouse. 

DMTS Sale Finalized

The sale of DMTS landline and internet services to Bell Alliant has officially been completed.  Dryden City Council granted final authorization on October 3rd, and the transition to new ownership has been on going.  It will be business as usual, and if there is any changes required, customers will be notified.

It's Alzheimer Awareness Month

January is Alzheimer Awareness month and this year's theme is "See Me, Not My Illness."  Executive Director Alison Denton says they want to erase the stigma attached to a diagnosis of dementia.  A flag raising ceremony was held this morning at City hall marking the awareness campaign and Alzheimer Society Volunteer Bill Heibein says thankfully his friends and family treated him the same after his diagnosis 13 years ago.

6th Murder of 2012 Victim Identified

Thunder Bay Police are releasing the name of the 25 year old man who was found dead on December 29th at a Villa Street residence.  Desmond Dennis Mathews was found at the home with no vital signs and was later pronounced dead at the hospital.  Results from the post mortem exam are being withheld since they are an important element of the murder investigation.  The second man found at the home remains in critical condition in hospital.

Sexual Assault Probe Continues

Thunder Bay Police are still trying to piece together clues in connection with a reported sexual assault they are investigating as possible hate crime.   A First Nations woman told police she was forced into a vehicle on Blucher Avenue by two men in their 20's and taken to a wooded area and assaulted.  The woman originally told police that there were racial remarks made by the assailants. Spokesperson Chris Adams says they are still trying building a case with the woman's help and fill in some gaps when she is available.

Lappe To Host Major Ski Races

Thunder Bay and the Lappe Nordic Ski Centre will be hosting the World Junior and Under-23 cross country ski championshps starting tomorrow. Spokesperson Amanda Holdsworth says events will be held daily with a variety of race formats on the card until Sunday. Holdsworth says members of the National Team development Centre and Lakehead University will be taking part. Some 300 athletes are said to be taking part in the 4 day event.

Webber Sentencing Underway

Sentencing proceedings are taking place today at the Camelot Street courthouse for a city man who pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter last year. 19 year old Nicholas Webber also pleaded guilty to break in and robbery charges in connection with the 2011 death of 54 year old Robert Topping. Today defence and prosecution lawyers will give their recommendations to the judge. The actual sentence will not likely come down for another month or so. 

Robichaud Looks Back

The CEO of the Thunder Bay Hospital is reflecting on 2012.   Andree Robichaud says they saw many accolades last year including moving up in the rankings of research hospitals.  Robichaud says in 2013 they'll strive to free up beds in the hospital.

Campbell New Years Resolutions

The MPP of the Kenora-Rainy River riding is looking forward to the new year for a particular reason.  Sarah Campbell says she wants to see who will fill the spot of Ontario premier and leader of the Liberal party.  Campbell hopes that whoever the person may be, that they will have a fresh perspective and work with all of the parties.

NWO Man Part Of Order Of Canada

A true honor for Garnet Angeconeb of Sioux Lookout.  He is one of the 91 people appointed to the Order of Canada, and is recognised  for his contributions to his community, building relationships between First Nations and non-First Nations people and promoting the Anishinabek culture.  A ceremony honoring all of the recipients will be held at a future date.

Abduction And Sexual Assault Investigated

Police continue to look for two men in their 30's who are reported to have abducted and sexually assaulted a 36 year old woman. Investigators say the victim was taken from Blucher Avenue into a green two door vehicle on December 27th and taken to a remote location on the city's North side. Police are also investigating this incident as a possible hate crime as the victim, a First Nations person, reported a number of racially motivated remarks made by the assailants. Anyone with information on this incident should contact police or Crimestoppers.

Two Men Still In Critical Condition

There is still no upgrade on two men transported to hospital in critical condition. A 23 year old was taken to hospital after suffering serious injuries on Saturday night. The man was found in a Villa street residence where another man was found with no vital signs and later died because of his injuries. Another man was taken to hospital from the Brant Street area after his girlfriend allegedly assaulted him. She will be in court later today.

Minnesota Peat

A Canadian company is expressing interest in extracting a high quality of peat from northeastern Minnesota. The County has one of the largest deposits of Sphagnum peat in the U.S. Outgoing Commissioner Mike Hanson says the problem is where it lies. Hanson says the County intends to discuss with its legislators in the new year on how it can be accessed.

K.I. Walk To Parliament Hill

K.I. community member, Mark Anderson will walk from Queens Park to Parliament Hill starting at 8 a.m. today to say 'no' to continued treaty violations by the federal government. Anderson, who will be joined by members of the K.I. leadership and youth, has reactivated his walking team to pick up from his 2100 km walk to Queen’s Park in 2006 to say no to mining. K.I. is walking in solidarity with Chief Theresa Spence’s call for a commitment to a path of recognition and implementation of the treaty commitments and forging a new First Nations–Crown relationship.