Hudak Wants Wynne To Take Action

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak wants to see Premier Wynne take action on the findings of the Auditor General.  In the 2013 annual report, Bonnie Lysyk found that more children with autism are waiting for government funded services than are receiving them. Hudak doesn't have much faith in the Premier following up on the report. Hudak held a news conference after the release of the auditor's report Tuesday in Toronto.

Dawson Road Fire Undetermined

Officials say they may never know exactly what caused a massive house fire on Dawson Road this week. Fire Inspector Paul Bureau says Sunday evening's fire scene was examined by the city and the Ontario Fire Marshal. Bureau says they examined the rubble but could not find a cause that means the fire is going down as undetermined He says however, they have ruled out arson as the cause, but he didn't explain why.

Hwy 17 Open Near Wawa

OPP say Highway 17 between Wawa and Batchewana is now open in both directions.  The highway was closed yesterday due to weather related conditions causing poor visibility.

Homecare Workers Poised To Strike

Personal Support Workers with Red Cross Care Partners, including 21 in Thunder Bay, plan to walk off the job tomorrow to back demands for a new contract. The job action comes more than a week after the members of the Service Employees International Union rejected a tentative contract with the agency. The workers are demanding improved wages and benefits.

Survey Shows Moderate Hiring Climate

On the local economic front, Thunder Bay area employers expect a moderate hiring climate for the first three months of 2014.   According to a survey by Manpower, 10 per cent of employers surveyed plan to hire extra workers while almost three quarters plan to maintain their current staff.

Minor Injuries In Smash Up

Police say there are only minor injuries following a three vehicle smash up on the Thunder Bay Expressway from this morning.  The collision took place at around 8:15 between Oliver Road and John Street Road.  It involved the cab of a transport truck, an SUV and a station wagon.

Highway 502 Open

The OPP have re-opened Highway 502 between Dryden and Fort Frances.  The highway was closed earlier this morning due to a jack-knifed tractor trailer unit.  There were no injuries.

Dawson Heights Raises Concerns

City staff are hoping to address the concerns of a resident about the proposed expansion of the Dawson Heights subdivision.  Darlene Fedorchuk owns property that neighbors the proposed 25 new lots and is worried people will trespass.  Staff are considering putting up signage saying that the land is private property as away to ease Fedorchuck's concerns. Council will vote on the expansion project at their January 13th meeting.

New Street Names

Get ready to take a drive on Oasis Lane, Vista Lane, Allure Lane and Inspiration Lane. Those are the names that are being approved for the private roads located within the Terra Vista Development near Beverly Street. The lanes are not municipally owned and will provide access from Beverly to the new townhouses and apartments being built in the area.

Council Round Up

City Council is putting Councillor Ken Boshcoff's name in the hat for the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.  They will be putting the at large member's name forward to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for consideration for nomination for the MPAC board.  Meanwhile, City Council is sticking with the status quo for the time being when it comes to parking at the new consolidated courthouse. Staff were looking as removing a taxi stand to make room for more parking but now they are considering moving a bus stop to help accommodate for more parking spots. Any changes to parking won't take place until after the City gets a better feel for how many spots will be needed once the court house is open.