Loss of judge upsets lawyers

Lawyers in the Rainy River district are seeking a meeting with the Ontario's Chief Justice to explain the reasoning behind a decision not to replace a judge who's relocating to southern Ontario. President of the District of Rainy River Law President Barbara Morgan says the province should be hiring more judges. Morgan says the loss of a resident judge will delay court proceedings in Fort Frances and reduce the number of court dates available in Rainy River and Atikokan.

Forestry strategy proposed by MP

A national strategy on forestry is being proposed by Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty. He put forward three motions in the House of Commons last week he hopes will lead to some discussion. A similar motion failed to see the light of day in the last parliament.

City may re-work funding proposal

Don't count out the city's chances of getting future federal funding for a new convention centre even though we were turned down. City manager Tim Commisso says the city can resubmit the application for the public and private partnership program without the arena component. However, that doesn't mean the dream of a multi-plex is dead.  He says they could apply under different government programs for the arena funding.  Commisso hopes they can resubmit the re-worked application if the P-3 program is revived in the spring.

Vacancy rate in the city down this year

The rental market in Thunder Bay is getting a little tighter with news that the vacancy rate in the city is down according to Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing. He says the rate for 2011 went down to 1.7 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent last year. Philp says one of the reasons sited for the decline was fewer first timers getting into the home buying market

Building Permits boom in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay continues to be a hot construction market.  Council saw a report on the 2011 season and it showed almost 230 million dollars worth of permits were handed out.  Councillor Marc Bentz says its a good sign and he expects the boom to continue next year.  Bentz did admit that much of the total came from large projects like the court house and the waterfront. 

Another international baseball tournament could be coming our way

The International Baseball Association is looking at 2015 for the next big tournament in Thunder Bay.  Executive Director Warren Philp says they are looking at a warm up tournament for the Pan Am games.  Philp says its unclear how locations for future World Junior Championships will be chosen in the future, so they are waiting to see what happens before looking at that tournament again.  Last night prior to the City Council meeting, the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association present Pro Kids Thunder Bay with a check for 5 thousand dollars and then gave council a final report on the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championships.

GTE Solar presents to council

GTE Solar wants to keep council informed of what they have planned. Company officials presented their plans to council and say they wanted to answer questions and wanted to make it clear that they want to keep the lines of communication open. The company is hoping to build 3 Solar Parks in the area.

Warnex has been bought

Thunder Bay's 5 Warnex DNA Lab employees won't be going anywhere despite the company being acquired by a Southern Ontario firm.  Gamma Dynacare spokesperson Shelley Jourard says they acquired all Warnex assets and don't plan on making any staffing or service changes. 

Battery recycling program undeway

There's a new recycling option in Thunder Bay. You can now drop off your used household batteries at 5 different locations in the city. The program is a partnership with the Public Library.

Transit defends Friday's decision

City Transit says they did what they had to do when they suspended bus services Friday.  Manager Brad Loroff says around 13 hundred people needed to be evacuated from Bombardier in very cold weather.  Loroff says Transit is part of the city's emergency plan.

New tech venture at the hospital

The Health Sciences Centre is partnering in a new technology venture with Cancer Care Ontario. Regional Vice President Michael Power says it involves software testing and has the potential to create over two dozen jobs.    Power says it's also an important step forward in the development of cancer tech services.

Delays for Atikokan pellet plant

It could be half a year before Thunder Bay businessman Ed Fukushima can launch a wood pellet manufacturing operation in Atikokan.  He says the plant can't begin production this year because they’re still working on contracts. He doesn’t want to get it going until they have those contracts in hand.  He says the delay will push the opening back 3 to 6 months.

Second fire, same address

No one is hurt following a fire at a north side house just before noon today. Platoon Chief Kim Hutch says the fire at 218 Manitou caused considerable damage to the rear of the 3 story wood frame building, but crews got everyone out safely. The cause is under investigation. It's the second fire at the same house in a week.

NAPS officer charged by OPP

The OPP has charged a member of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service with selling drugs.  After a 10 month investigation, Detective Sergeant Brent Cadeau is charged with four counts of trafficking a controlled substance.  The 32 year old has been suspended since March.  Cadeau will appear in court in Sioux Lookout January 10th.

Westgate closes at noon

Westgate highschool is closing at noon.  A watermain break on Walsh street has forced the school to close and students are being sent home early.  Buses will be coming to pick up students at noon.

T.Bay hydro applies for rate decrease

Thunder Bay Hydro wants to lower your monthly bill.  Spokesperson Tim Wilson says they've applied to the Ontario Energy Board for a rate decrease.  If approved, residential customers will see their bill go down by $2 dollars and 17 cents.

Boshcoff's thoughts on Bombardier emergency

There'll be an analysis of how Friday's Bombardier emergency was handled by Thunder Bay Transit. Councillor Ken Boshcoff says he's heard some concerns over why bus passengers weren't told all buses were taken off the road to deal with the bomb threat. Boshcoff suggests the automatic messaging system should have been updated to keep passengers informed.

T.Bay man in Edmonton Hospital

RCMP say a 23 year old Thunder Bay man suffered serious injuries after a car accident north east of Edmonton.  Police say the man's westbound car T-boned a north bound taxi at an intersection.  The local man's injuries are severe and he remains in Edmonton hospital.

Local Curling Results

Team McCarville is the Northern Ontario Women's Curling Champions. Krista McCarville's rink beat Tracy Horgan yesterday 9-7. Marlo Dahl's rink is the second qualifier for the All-Ontario's in Kenora. Dahl beat Sandra Lahti yesterday 8-4.

Federal Government gives update on Attawapiskat

High efficiency wood stoves, composting toilets, and plastic sheeting have arrived in Attawapiskat.  The supplies were flown in Saturday according to a Federal Government press release.  The Federal Government has also purchased an additional seven modular homes bringing the total up to 22.

Local Sports

Thunder Bay North Stars beat Duluth a second night in a row last night 10 to 2.  In the Ontario Women's Provincial Curling Championships, Thunder Bay's Ashley Kallos fell to Tracy Horgan 7-6. Laura Pickering beat Sandra Lahti 10-5. Krista McCarville defeated Louise Logan 11-5.

Cocaine Bust on First Nation

A search of a Moose Cree First Nation home payed off for the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit. Police sezied 91-grams of cocaine worth an estimated 14-thousand, 600-dollars. Officers also found over 13-thousand dollars in cash, 29-firearms, 18-bottles of alcohol as well as drug paraphernalia and communication devices. Four people from Moose Factory face numerous charges. The ages of the accused range from 27 to 65.

Riverside Health in Rainy River has plan

Riverside Health Care Facilities says it's prepared to deal with possible closures of the emergency room at Rainy River Health Centre.  But CEO Wayne Woods says the main focus is still trying to get continue assistance for the town's lone full-time physician.  The hospital has been relying on locum doctors since July and will have assistance through to the first week of January.

Local Sports Scores

Thunder Bay's North Stars defeated the Duluth Clydesdales 6-2 at the Fort William Gardens Friday night. 3 Thunder Bay rinks are in action Saturday at the Northern Ontario Women's Provincial Championships in Copper Cliff, Ontario. Krista McCarville beat fellow T.Bay'er Ashley Kallos 11-7 Friday night. McCarville plays again today at 9:30.

No "Bomb"ardier

The police search of the Bombardier plant is now over and no bomb was found.  The plant had to be evacuated Friday afternoon after police say that someone called security at the facility and said there was a bomb in the building.  After that it became somewhat of a spectacle as the entire city transit system was shut down as bus after bus was sent to the Montreal Street facility so workers could have someplace to stay warm.  Eventually they were given the rest of the day off as police searched the  sprawling complex.   It wasn't until about 7:30 Friday evening that police sounded the all clear and handed the plant back over to company management.

GTE Solar coming to council

Council will be getting a presentation from GTE at tonight's meeting.  Councillor Aldo Ruberto says he isn't surprised to see so many solar projects coming to Thunder Bay considering we have the 2nd most sunlight in the country.  The company is hoping to build 3 solar parks in the area.

Final Report on World Junior's coming to council

City Council is going to hear a final report on the World Junior Baseball Championships.  Thunder Bay International Baseball Executive Director Warren Philp says they want to give council some final numbers on summer 2010 event.  Philp says he hopes that this tournament will be the first of many for the city.

Foundation grants almost 120 K

The Thunder Bay Community Foundation is playing Santa Claus for 28 local charity organizations. It's divided close to 120 thousand dollars amongst all of them. Spokesperson Mark Wright says the money will go to meeting a variety of local needs.Wright says the Foundation tried to align its grants with the strategic priorities of the City of Thunder Bay.

Bomb threat forces the evac of Bombardier

A bomb threat at Bombardier has led the the evacuation of all staff at the facility.  Thunder Bay Police Officials say they used the city's transit buses to keep workers warm while a search of the building was conducted after the threat came in just after 12.  Transit services were suspended but have since been resumed.  Bombardier Employees have been moved to a warehouse at the Resolute Mill.

Hospital CEO Salary guidelines touted

The Ontario Hospital Association wants Ontario hospitals to develop guidelines for CEO salaries.  Health Sciences Centre Human Resources Spokesperson Don Halpert is also in favour of the idea.  Halpert says as it is now hospitals pay different amounts and they compete to hire top executives.

Science North unveils planetarium

Science North is over the moon over its new portable digital planetarium for the Northwest. Spokesperson Nicole Chiasson says the inflatable unit is going to make its way to any school or festival that requests it.  It's located at the Boys and Girls Club on Junot Avenue.

SHIFT gives money to United Way

Thunder Bay's Young Professionals Network SHIFT is giving 3-thousand dollars to the United Way.  The money will go towards United Way's GenNext Cabinet.  The cabinet engages youth and teaches them about philanthropy.

Gravelle addresses Injured Workers

MPP Michael Gravelle is taking the call of Thunder Bay's Injured Workers seriously.  The local group is accusing the Liberal Government of cutting benefits for the injured as a way for making up years of underfunding.  The injured workers are rallying at Mini Queen's Park today on James Street.  Gravelle says he's passing on their concerns to the Minister of Labour.

Legion calls for death benefits for all soldiers

The Royal Canadian Legion says it's shameful that unmarried soldiers killed in combat are not eligible for a death benefit. Former local legion President Roy Lamore says the 250 thousand dollar death benefit should be made available to all soldiers. The legion is calling on the Federal Government to expand the benefit to all soldiers killed in action.

Our MP's are in the dark when it comes to the multi-plex

Our MP's say they haven't been involved in the city's bid for Multi-Plex Funding.  John Rafferty says he wanted to help out but didn't hear from the city.  Bruce Hyer says no one from the city contacted him and until that happens he won't get involved in the project.

The Beacons have been lit

The Beacons on the Waterfront are being tested.  The LED lights could be seen scrolling in morse code yesterday evening and they were visable from good distance away.

Letter shows Hobbs got off with a warning

We now know a little more about what the province's Civilian Police Commission had to say about how it disciplined our mayor. A letter from the Commission to Police Services Board Chair Joe Virdiramo essentially shows that Mayor Keith Hobbs received nothing more than a verbal lashing for his "technical breach of confidentiality". It says he was told what's discussed behind closed doors stays behind closed doors. The letter says the Mayor was spoken to at length about conflicts of interest and was told to educate himself on the rules on how board members are to conduct themselves...and finally the letter says Hobbs should treat his fellow board members better.

Locals weigh in on Attawapiskat

The crisis in Attiwapiskat is shining a bright spotlight on the problems in the First Nations community. We asked people in Thunder Bay if they agree with the way Harper Government has handled the crisis.

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United Way still needs another million

The United Way campaign is still just under a million dollars short of its goal with 25 days to go.  Just over 1.5 million dollars has been raised so far. 

Housing starts up slight in November

2011 should close out on a decent note for new housing construction in Thunder Bay. Government figures from Canada Mortgage and House show detached housing starts in November are ahead of the 10 year average. Meantime 2011 is the strongest year for the construction of new row houses, apartments and condos in since the early 90's.

Past Legion President on Japan's apology

Japan has apologized to Canada over it's treatment of Second World War Prisoners.  Roy Lamore is the former local legion President and says an apology is an easy way out. Lamore adds you have to accept it regardless because it happened. Japan apologized Thursday for the harsh mistreatment of Canadian prisoners. Lamore notes there are still some POW's still living in the City.

LU Award nominations open

Lakehead University wants to recognize members of the community that help them on a regular basis.  It's part of the fellow awards that recognize individuals who have helped the University grow over the years.  Nominations can be made for volunteers, educators and donors up until January 6th.

Hydro Crews close west lane of Dawson Road

Thunder Bay Hydro is closing down the west bound lane of Dawson Road. Crews are working in the area of Hilldale Road and Hazelwood Drive. The lane closure will take place in the day only and will move as the work progresses down the road.

P.A. man gets military award from G.G.

A Port Arthur Afghanistan vet is being honoured by the Governor General.  Chief Warrant Officer Shawn Stevens is receiving the Meritorious Service Cross.  Stevens was the regimental sergeant-major of the battle group in Afghanistan from October 2009 to May 2010.

NOMA on Environment Report

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is tearing a strip of Ontario's Environmental Commissioner. In his most recent report, Gordon Miller suggested the Caribou Conservation Plan would have only a limited impact on local communities.  NOMA Vice-President Dave Canfield says Miller has his facts wrong.

Manitou Apartment fire last night

Thunder Bay's Fire Department is investigating a third floor apartment fire on Manitou Street. The apartment building was evacuated last night just after seven o'clock. No one was in the apartment at the time of the fire. Crews quickly extinguished the fire and minimal damage is reported.

Police investigating break-ins

Thunder Bay Police are looking for the person or people responsible for a number of vehicle break-ins on the south side.  Officials say 3 vehicles were broken into Saturday near Fort William Gardens during a Lakehead Thunderwolves game. 

Relative pleads to driver...give yourself up

A relative of an elderly woman who died after a hit an run in October, wants the person responsible to turn themselves in. Joyce Ryan was killed in the collision at Victoria and Leyand. Daughter-in-law Judy Szabo  thinks the suspect should come clean. The family is holding a memorial service Thursday afternoon between 2 and 4 o'clock at the Prosvita Hall on Gore Street.

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Leblanc says RIM could be in trouble

Research in Motion is running out of time and chances.  That's from former Executive Anthony Leblanc who says a recent string of company hiccups and poor sales with the BlackBerry Playbook have led to dropping stock prices.  Leblanc says if things don't turn around RIM could be acquired.

NOSM has new contract with faculty

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine has a new ratified contract with its full time staff.  The deal includes full time faculty, librarians, and professional staff at the school.  The four year deal comes with a 1.5 percent wage increase the first 2 years and 2 percent in the final two years.