Machinery On Fire

Fire crews are on the scene of the old Cascades paper mill on Ship Yard road.  Fire officials say some machinery caught fire at the location this afternoon.  The facility is in the process of being dismantled.  There are no indications that anyone has been injured.

Mysterious RV Fire

There are unanswered questions surrounding an RV fire in the Cascades Conservation area.   Fire Platoon Chief Larry Warner says that a 24 foot travel trailer somehow caught on fire Wednesday afternoon and he's uncertain about why it was there in the first place.  He says  it appears that the vehicle was abandoned at the site after being damaged in an accident and that the case is now in the hands of the city police.   No one was inside the RV and there are no injuries to report as a result of the blaze.

1 Person Unaccounted For In Fire

Nishnawbe Aski Police are investigating a fire in Fort Severn First Nation.  At this time police can confirm that several people escaped from the residential fire and one person in not accounted for. They cannot confirm any deaths in relation to the fire at this time.

Osisko Finds Partner

Osisko Mining appears to have found a partner to help fight off a hostile take-over bid by Goldcorp.  Osisko says its entered into a partnership with Yamana Gold that will see the Toronto-based company acquire 50-percent interest in Osisko and become an equal partner in its mining and exploration projects.
The deal is valued at nearly 930-million dollars.  Goldcorp is offering 2-point-9 billion for Osisko.

Boulevard Lake Dam Cost Overruns

It's back to the drawing board for city officials as they try to figure out why tenders came in over budget for repairs to the Boulevard Lake dam.  Spokesperson Pat Mauro says that the city's estimate was about 1.7 million dollars short of what some of the tenders came in as.    Mauro says the city will have to budget for extra funding to get the job done and will need to reschedule the project for next year instead of this year.

Metzler Community Centre President

The West Thunder Community Centre is welcoming a new President. Beatrice Metzler was elected recently at the Centre's 21st annual general meeting. She served in an executive capacity on the board for 3 years prior to being elected as president.

Caliper Lake Opening Up After Being Closed

Ontario is working with Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls to once again offer camping and other services at Caliper Lake Provincial Park.  Under the three-year partnership, Ontario Parks will work with Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls to operate the park for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons with the goal of increasing revenue and visitation rates.  The township will be responsible for staffing and operational and capital costs while covering any net financial losses incurred during the period.

NOSM Adds Suicide Awareness To Course

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is incorporating suicide awareness training into its MD curriculum.  Professor Brian Ross says students will spend the first two years of training in class. Ross adds that NOSM is one of the first school's in North America to have such a program in place.

Trillium Gives Cash Out

Several Thunder Bay area organizations are receiving money from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Fort Severn First Nation is using 15-thousand dollars to build a swim, kayak, and canoe area for the community.
Habitat for Humanity will utilize 138-thousand dollars to purchase vehicles, tools and equipment for the newly expanded Habitat for Humanity Re-store.  United Way Thunder Bay will use 149-thousand dollars over two years to hire a coordinator.  25-thousand dollars is going to the Ontario Trails Council to hire a project facilitator who will help get the recreational trail in the Thunder Bay area off the ground.  Meanwhile, the local Francophone community will use 67-thousand dollars to recruit and train volunteers.

Event Centre Question Being Considered

City Clerk John Hannam is confirming that a member of Council has asked his office to draft an event centre question on the upcoming municipal election ballot.  Councillor Larry Hebert has also said he's interested in having a plebiscite question on the controversial topic.

Students Win Grand Prizes

February's Research Matter's Virtual Scavenger Hunt is rewarding two Lakehead University students grand prizes for their participation in February's contest. The hunt took student's across Ontario on a journey into the research of the province's universities. Lakehead students Stacy Tkachyk and Keifer Sutch, 2 of 5 of the contest's winners, will receive 500 dollar grand prizes each.

World Autism Day

Westgate High School's Special Needs students are drawing attention to World Autism Day. At noon today, the students will sell popcorn and give out ribbons at their school in an effort to raise funds and awareness for the cause. All proceeds will go to the local portion of Autism Ontario.

OEB Reviewing Public Meetings

The importance of pipeline safety is emerging as a top concern from people who recently attended the Energy East Pipeline hearings in Thunder Bay.   Ontario Energy Board spokesperson Karen Cormier says that a draft report on the hearings shows that area municipalities have specific safety concerns.  Concerns also centred around the environment and the economies.