Missing Teen

Thunder Bay police are asking for your help in trying to find a missing 16 year old girl.  They say that Ellie Stokes was last seen leaving her Mother's home located on Thunder Bay's north side, Saturday October 26 around 7 in the evening.  She is described as caucasian, 5 feet-2 inches and with dark hair.  

Mines Minister Gravelle Is Optimistic

The province is looking at creating a development corporation that will be used in the Ring of Fire project. The corporation would include all parties involved in the Ring of Fire and aims at addressing issues that may arise during development. Mines Minister Michael Gravelle is optimistic that the Federal Government will agree, and states that the move should clear any issues surrounding finances and infrastructure.

Cliffs Welcomes ROF Plan

The biggest player in the Ring of Fire mining project is welcoming a plan by the province to set up a development corporation to deal with the giant venture.   In a prepared statement, Jennifer Mihalcin of Cliffs Natural Resources said the news is encouraging.  She says the company looks forward to working with all parties to advance the project.  The mining giant has threatened to pull out of the project if there is no government infrastructure support.

Premier Requests ROF $

Premier Kathleen Wynne figures what's good for other parts of Canada should be good enough for northern Ontario.  Wynne is pleading with the Harper government for money to develop the Ring of Fire mining project.   She says it requires 2 and a quarter billion dollars for infrastructure development including a new road.   Wynne points out the feds have come through for other big projects in Alberta, B.C. and Labrador.

New General Manager For The TBSO

The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra has a new General Manager. Shannon Whidden brings with him over fifteen years of experience. He most recently served as Orchestra Manager for the National Arts Centre.

No Frills Opening November 15th

Thunder Bay's new No Frills grocery store on Edward Street will be opening a week from today.   The company says the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 7:45 in the morning.  The second No Frills location on Dawson Road in the County Fair Plaza is going to open on November 29th.  

Housing Starts Down In October

On the economic front, the city looks to be keeping pace with last year for the number of new houses being built.  Canada Mortgage and Housing says that from January to October of this year there were 300 housing starts which compares almost equally to last year at the same time.   October was still a rough month for total housing starts though.  This year there were 21 starts compared to over 100 last year.

Forestry Bill Over One Hurdle

A bill that will help the forestry industry and Northern Ontario has passed second reading. Bill 13, also known as the  Ontario Forestry Industry Revitalization Act, was brought forward by Nippissing MPP Vic Fedeli. Fedli says this is a huge step towards providing a much needed boost to the Northern Ontario economy, however he notes more work still lies ahead. The bill will focus on amending the Ontario Building Code to allow mid-rise wood frame construction up to six-storeys, instead of the current 4.

Strongmen Flex Muscles And Raise 4K

On the charity beat, the local Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization is getting a boost thanks to a recent strongman competition.  Participants raised 4 thousand dollars for the group which was presented at a ceremony this morning.  

Jobless Rate Down

The latest government statistics show that unemployment in Thunder Bay dropped slightly from September to October.   The jobless rate in the city last month was 6.3 per cent a drop of point 1 per cent. Nationally the rate remained unchanged at 6.9 per cent.

NAN Wants Right to Control Own Education

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is calling for the right to control their own education on NAN territory. More than two-hundred delegates met this past week at the Chiefs Summit on Education in Thunder Bay. Grand Chief Harvey Yesno says it's important to have control over their education system to give youth a sense of identity. Yesno says communities must work together, and that it is his role to engage other Grand Chiefs across the country.