Highway 11 Traffic Disruption

OPP are letting motorists know that there are some traffic disruptions on highway 11 near Long Lake 58 First Nation.  An Idle No More protest is slowing the normal flow on traffic near Longlac.  The OPP has one lane of traffic open and they are allowing vehicles to pass through the demonstration slowly.

Flu Cause Of Illness At St. Joseph's Hospital

Influenza A is the cause of the respiratory outbreak declared last week at St. Joseph's Hospital.  As the Health Unit continues to receive reports of laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu in the community, public health officials advise the public to protect themselves and their families from the flu by getting a flu shot.

Insider Win Cleared...Lottario Prize Claimed

A Thunder Bay man is a quarter million dollars richer thanks to a lottery win.  Darren Smith is finally able to claim his prize after the Ontario Lottery Corporation completed its insider win investigation.  Smith works at an OLG retail location in the city and had to wait until the win was cleared.   

ETFO To Protest Friday

Ontario's elementary teachers's union says their members will stage a one-day political protest on Friday aimed at the Liberal government for imposing two-year contracts.  Local Union President Ellen Chambers says you can expect to see rallies at local schools.  Chambers will be advising her members tomorrow on which schools they'll rally at Friday.  Lakehead Public Schools elementary schools will be closed on Friday, however daycares located in elementary schools will remain open.  Secondary schools will be open for regular classes.

FWFN Chief Reacts To Court Ruling

Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins is pleased with the Federal Court's ruling in favour of off-reserve non-status Indians and Metis.  The court ruled Tuesday that they are "Indians" under the Constitution Act and they fall under federal jurisdiction.  Collins says the move will impact many former Fort William residents.  Tuesday's ruling impacts more than 600-thousand Metis and non-status Indians.

Stabbing On George Street Last Night

Thunder Bay Police are looking into a stabbing on George Street that occurred last night just before 7:30.  When officers arrived they located a 31 year old man on the ground outside the Thunder Bay Shelter House who was bleeding from stab wounds.  A 34 year old man was found inside the Shelter House and was also bleeding. Police have charged the 34 year old with aggravated assault and breach of probation.  The 31 year old victim remains in hospital with minor injuries.  Police say the two were known to each other and alcohol was a factor in the incident.

MNR Open House In T.Bay Tomorrow

The Ministry of Natural Resources is hosting an open house tomorrow in Thunder Bay on proposed changes to Lake Superior's Black Bay.   The province is considering removing a Dam on the Black Sturgeon River, which flows into Black Bay as away to allow walleye, sturgeon and coaster brook trout to migrate to their historical spawning areas upstream.  They also are considering installing a new barrier 50 kilometers upstream from the current dam to block the flow of the invasive sea lamprey.  You can review and comment on the dam and barrier proposals tomorrow in Thunder Bay and on January 17th in Nipigon.

Housing Starts On The Rise

The number of single-detached homes being built in Thunder Bay is on the rise.  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports a slight increase in 2012 compared to the year before.  Analyst Warren Philp has the final numbers for December.  Philp notes the average cost to buy a home in Thunder Bay rose significantly by 15 percent last year with an average price of 194-thousand dollars.

Longlac Sexual Assault Investigation

A Longlac man is to appear in court today facing a charge of sexual assault.   O.P.P. say they were looking into a report of an overdue woman on Sunday of last week.  Officers located the woman shortly after receiving the call but learned through their investigation that she had allegedly been sexually assaulted that evening while receiving a taxi cab ride in the Longlac area.  Provincial Police are still asking for help from the public for more information.

Timbers Menu Offered Out Of Runway 25

The Vallhalla Inn is moving its Timbers menu to the Runway 25 restaurant starting Thursday.  The early morning fire last week badly damaged the Timbers eatery.  General Manager Mary McLellan says they don't have a date for when Timbers will be able to reopen but notes they're working on bringing the restaurant back into service.

Ambrose St. Apartment Fire

Investigators are saying the cause of an Ambrose Street apartment fire is accidental but it has left four people displaced. Firefighters were called to the 200 block of Ambrose Street last night at 8 o'clock to battle a fire in a second storey apartment. Officials deemed the apartment unsafe to return to and that heavy damage was sustained. Now four people are being looked after by the Red Cross.

North Star name Player Of The Month

Thunder Bay North Stars forward Matt Kaarela has been named Sportop performer of the month for December. In six games in the final month of 2012 the 20 year old Thunder Bay native registered points in all of them accumulating 16 in total on nine goals and seven assists. He currently leads all S.I.J.H.L. skaters in tallies with 27 while sitting tied for second in overall points at 43 in just 24 games played.