Mauro sees 2011 as a year of growth

Growth and investment in the northwest is how MPP Bill Mauro looks at 2011.  Mauro says he stands by the government's record even though he and fellow MPP Michael Gravelle faced defeat in the October election. 2012 should be an interesting one at Queens Park as the McGuinty government tries to work in a minority situation.  Looking ahead Mauro says the upcoming budget will be one to watch.

2011 an interesting year for Rickford

MP Greg Rickford is all smiles when he talks about 2011.  First he was re-elected in his Kenora Riding and then his Conservative party won a majority government. The year also saw Rickford take some of the national spotlight for the Harper government in the Attawapiskat crisis.

Highs and lows for the NDP in 2011

Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty says 2011 was a year of mixed emotions for the NDP. In his look back on the year Rafferty says there were huge strides made in the election with the low point being the death of their leader Jack Layton. The year will also go down as an interesting one for Rafferty. He and his fellow NDPRer Bruce Hyer were sanctioned for voting against their party on the Long Gun Registry, but he's doing what he can to be the voice of his constituents. Rafferty predicts 2012 will be a struggle for the NDP since the Harper government has a majority.

FWFN Chief calls 2011 "positive"

As 2011 closes out on the Fort William First Nation, Chief Peter Collins says it was a positive year. He says the reserve made history with the signing of a land claim agreement with the Canadian and Ontario governments. Strategic planning will play a key role for the Fort William First Nation in 2012. Looking to the future, Chief Collins says that planning will be centred around economic development and adds, the community will keep looking for different economic opportunities.

Hobbs admits to rough spots in 2011

Mayor Keith Hobbs now has a full year under his belt. He says that 2011 was a good year for him even though he had to plow through some rough spots, like being kicked off the Police Service's Board for most of the year,  but says he's resilient  The Mayor says to watch for the city to continue getting aggressive with economic development in 2012 adding, the new year should bring an added push to get  new development here

Hospital CEO looks to the new year

The Health Sciences Centre will be going into some uncharted territory in the new year.  President Andre Robichaud says 2012 will be the first full year for the hospital under its new strategic plan. It's a four year plan which they plan to pursue aggressively next year.  Robichaud says in 2011 the hospital reached or exceeded its objectives.

Buses to run on holiday schedule

City buses will be running during the Christmas holidays.   On Dec. 25, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, Thunder Bay Transit will provide service on the holiday schedule which is the same as the Sunday schedule. For more information, visit. www.thunderbay.ca/transit

Gun registry bill still needs passage

Abolishing the federal long gun registry is going to have to be a New Year's resolution for the Harper Government.  The last session of Parliament ended last week without the bill being passed. Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford expects the legislation will finally make it through the House of Commons early in the new year. The next session of Parliament is scheduled to start in February.

Woman escapes Peter St. fire

No one is hurt as the result of a house fire this morning at 103 Peter Street. Platoon Chief Dave Nelson says it began just before 9 o'clock in the basement of the bungalow.   A woman who was in the house at the time escaped the blaze.  There's no word on what may have caused the fire.

Holiday Fire Safety

Thunder Bay's Fire Department wants you to have a safe holiday season. Spokesperson Bob Vander Ploeg says there are a number of ways fires can start over the holiday season. Vander Ploeg says keep an eye on candles especially when kids and animals are around them.

NAPS bust bootleggers

Nishnawbe Aski Police have put an end to bootlegger operation in Kashechewan.  They stopped two men at the LCBO in Moosonee who were attempting to bring booze to the community.  Police seized 225 units of booze with a street value of over 17-thousand dollars.

Dryden councillor quits

Over to our west, a major vacancy to fill for Dryden city council. Mike Wood has resigned as Councilor, effective January 31st. Wood says he feels like he's not making an impact on Council. Wood finished second in the 2010 election and third in the 2006 election.

Durand wants a premiere for Thunder Bay

If Thunder Bay's Kevin Durand has his way he'd like to host a motion picture premiere in the city. Durand wants to have a special opening for the movie Edwin Boyd, which he stars in. It's the true story about one of Canada's most famous bandits. He's hoping to invite the director up for the event which could include a question and answer session with the audience. Durand says he has a total of four movies that'll be coming out next year.

Clarification

A clarification on a story regarding a class action suit planned by Thunder Bay's Heli Kijanen.  We said that she was planning a suit alleging sexual harassment when in fact her complaint centres arounding alleged bullying and harassment.

Toys for Tots does it again

It's another success for Thunder Bay Firefighters Toys for Tots Campaign. Spokesperson Bob Vander Ploeg says they raised over 149 thousand dollars for the Christmas Cheer fund. Vander Ploeg is thanking the community for supporting them.

Domestic assault

Thunder Bay Police were called to a domestic assault on the City's North side last night.   Police say a 34 year old man is charged with assault with a weapon after threatening his common law wife with a knife.

"Serious interest" for law school post

Brian Stevenson

There's a high degree of interest for the job of Founding Dean of Lakehead University's new law school. Search coordinator Rod Hanley says since the search began it's attracted quiet a few applicants.  He says about 40 to 50 people have expressed a "serious interest" in the position.  Hanley says the names will go to the search committee by the end of January.

Christmas Tree Chipping starts Monday

Christmas tree chipping sites are open starting Boxing Day.  City Spokesperson Jason Scherband says there are five locations on both the North and South sides of Thunder Bay.  You must take all ornaments, tinsel and plastic tree bags off of the tree to have it chipped.

ER holiday crunch

The Health Sciences Centre is preparing for the holidays. Spokesperson Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott says the Emergency Room at the hospital will be hopping. She says during the holidays they get up to 400 visits a day up from 300 on a typical day.  It's because most of the walk-in clinics in the city are closed for much of the season, causing the holiday crunch.

Knife point robbery at Mac's

A Mac's Mart clerk is safe after having a knife held to his throat during a robbery last night.  Police say they were driving by the store on Arthur Street when they saw the incident go down.  Police caught three young men in the store and talked them into dropping their knives.  The trio are charged with Robbery with a Weapon, Assault with a Weapon, Wearing a Disguise and Forcible Confinement.

Taxi By-Laws to be reviewed in 2012

The New Year will bring an overhaul of the City's outdated taxi by-laws.  Spokesperson Ron Bourret says they're working with local taxi companies to improve the municipal legislation. Bourret  says they plan to hire someone to conduct a review of the current taxi system.

Christmas at the airport=busy

Have patience at the airport if your travelling during the Christmas season. Manager Scott McFadden expects it to be busy.   McFadden says it's a good idea to arrive early and expect to wait in line.  He says being prepared for pre-screening is a good idea by not having your Christmas gifts wrapped.  Arriving early will also save you hassles.

Overjoyed it's out in the open

The Thunder Bay woman who wants to start a class action suit against the RCMP over bullying and harassment says she's glad it's all out in the open. Heli Kijanen  says it's like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders.  She says she's kept her feelings inside for so long she began to doubt whether she would ever be able to tell her side of the story.   Kijanen says she decided to take the legal route against her former employer after watching a news report on the issue

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Dog case back in court next month

The case of an alleged Current River dog mauling will be back in court in the new year. The city has laid charges against the owner of the dog that apparently killed a neighbours dog. The city's Ron Bourret says the court will hear the case next month.  Bourret says the city is not asking that the dog in question be put down

Global Sticks could reopen Jan.16th

The owner of Global Sticks says he's shooting for a reopening of his troubled popsicle stick plant  January 16th.  Reggie Nukovic says a new business plan is in place and says he's working on investor support.   He's hoping to give out more information the first week of the new year.

Government employees raise $

Ontario government employees are revelling in their fundraising success. They showed off how much they raised during this year's United Way drive. 50 offices and 1 thousand donors took part.

Mishap closes Trans Canada

No one is injured and no one is charged following a tractor trailer mishap just west of Schrieber last night.  OPP say that the driver of the truck lost control while climbing a steep snow covered road.  That caused the truck to jackknife and block the highway, closing it for 4 and a half hours

ONWA wants action

The Ontario Native Women's Association is calling for a dialogue to address sexual violence and Aboriginal women. It says there are not enough support services in First Nations communities to deal with the problem. ONWA wants the discussion to talk about what it sees as the root causes from colonization to residential schools.

Tis the season for binge drinking

Tis the season for teenagers to binge drink.  Thunder Bay's drug strategy co-ordinator Patty Hajdu says the Christmas season brings high school drinking parties.  Hajdu is asking parents to pay close attention to their kids and know what's going on in their social circle.

Christmas wrap reminder

The city is out with its yearly reminder not to put Christmas wrapping paper in with your recyclables.   They say that brightly coloured paper and foil gift wrap cannot be recycled due to the extremely high ink content of the paper.

Local lottery winner

An 18 year old city girl is 75 thousand dollars richer after winning in a scratch lottery game called It's a Wonderful Life.   Shyra Bannon-Neault says she plans to buy some nice Christmas gifts for the family and then buy a new car.

Shipping drawing to a close

The 2011 shipping season in the Port of Thunder Bay is winding down. Port Authority CEO Tim Heney says it'll extend a little later than most years. He says locks at the Welland Canal will close on December 30th and the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie will close around January 7th. Six ships are expected to arrive in port which will spend the winter here being repaired.

Local lawyer involved in proposed harassment suit

A Thunder Bay lawyer is getting involved in a proposed class action lawsuit claiming sexual harassment against the RCMP.  Sandy Zaitzeff says he's part of the process because of a local connection to the case.  He says a Thunder Bay resident who used to work for the RCMP in British Columbia years ago came to him after the first news reports of sexual harassment at the force first surfaced.

Union gas rates going down

A nice gift of savings for Union Gas customers in Northwestern Ontario.  The Ontario Energy Board has approved changes to the price Union Gas charges its customers for natural gas.  Local residential consumers who use 26-hundred cubic meters a year will pay about 28-dollars less per year.  The changes go into effect January 1st.  Lower natural gas prices in North America are credited for the drop in price.

Mayor Brown doesn't like comparison

The Mayor of Atikokan says he's not sure why his community is being used as a comparison with the financial spending of troubled Attawapiskat First Nation.  A published report notes Atikokan's operating budget to be a third of the remote Northern community.  Dennis Brown says it's difficult to compare budgets since Atikokan doesn't have all of the same financial responsibilities as Attawapiskat.

OPP holiday RIDE stats

The number of impaired driving charges are up so far during the seasonal RIDE campaign.  The OPP in Northwestern Ontario say they have laid 31 impaired driving charges in the first three weeks of their holiday blitz.  That's up from 29 for the same period last year.  There were also five three-day suspensions issued, compared to just one in 2010.  There have also been 260 motor vehicle accidents investigated with seven involving alcohol.

3-thousand goes towards hockey tournaments

The Police Services Board is going to be putting some money towards a couple of hockey tournaments this winter.  The board is providing 1-thousand 500 dollars towards the Crime Stoppers hockey game on February 28th.  An additional 1-thousand 500 dollars is being used to put on the Law Enforcement Cub on January 20th.

Police buying Smart Board

Thunder Bay Police are spending 12 thousand dollars in money they seized from proceeds of crime. The money will go towards buying a smart board. The board will be used to improve the police services' crime mapping software.

Seized funds go towards E-ticketing system

City Police are using almost 19 thousand dollars in seized money to purchase an E-ticketing system.  Chief JP Levesque says the project will get underway in the New Year.  The ticket system is more accurate and will help keep officers out of the court room and free them up to do more police work.

Hobbs first meeting back on Police Board

It was Mayor Keith Hobbs first meeting back with the Police Services Board.  Chief JP Levesque says it was a productive meeting.  He adds they have a good working relationship and doesn't see that changing anytime soon.

Man in Motion nixes Thunder Bay visit

Rick Hansen isn't coming to Thunder Bay after all. The Man in Motion's 25th Anniversary relay will not include Hansen himself. City official Doug Henry says they found out about a month ago he wasn't coming due to some scheduling conflicts.  Henry says the city will continue with it's official celebration with a anniversary run through the city January 8th

Inflation drops in Thunder Bay

The cost of living in Thunder Bay is down for the month of November. According to government figures from Statistics Canada the rate fell to 2.6 per cent from 3 per cent in October. Across the country the rate held steady at 2.9 per cent

2012 Police Service Budget 34 million dollars

Thunder Bay Police Services is increasing its 2012 budget by four percent.  Chief JP Levesque says the operating budget is pegged at just over 34 million dollars.  Wage increases and benefits went up by 1 million 38-thousand dollars. Council will get it's first look at the budget January 31st.

November border stats and stories

The Pigeon River border continues to be an entry point for many immigrants hoping to come to Canada. The November statistics show that the Canadian Border Services Agency conducted just over 100 immigration examinations. Out of those 2 people were refused entry because of a criminal background and other issues. 20 were issued immigration documents. The same agency report shows a couple of Canadian gun collectors failed to declare a antique flintlock rifle when coming into Canada. The travellers claimed to have only been away from the country for 1 day and made a 10 dollar purchase.

Cats open anniversary season on the road

The Northwoods League 2012 schedule shows the Thunder Bay Border Cats will open their 10th anniversary season on the road Wednesday, May 30th, in Alexandria against the Beetles. The Cats will kick off the season with a five game road trip with a pair of games in Alexandria and a three game series in Rochester against the Honkers. The Cats home opener is set for Monday, June 4th, at 7:05 p.m. at Subway Field at Port Arthur Stadium against Alexandria

Comfort Keepers holiday tips

Don't forget to keep the senior members in your family busy during the holiday season. That's the message of Comfort Keepers, Spokesperson Lynn Burke says the holidays can some times be hard on our elderly relatives. Burke says playing cards and playing brain teaser games with family members is a good way to involve senior family members.

Home for the Holidays Reception

The City is playing host to over 100 health care professionals and students at a special reception.  Organizer Cheryl Armstrong says they want to make a good impression on health care students home for the holidays.  Armstrong adds the reception is a chance for the professionals and the students to mingle and talk about working in Thunder Bay.

New City Solicitor

The City has a new legal adviser.  Nadia Koltun will start in January and replaces Rosalie Evans who is on a year sabbatical.  Koltun has more than 30 years of experience in municipal law.

City Council Highlights

City Lawmakers are putting 3 hundred and 18 thousand dollars towards a new Hazardous Materials Truck.  Fire and Rescue is in need of the new vehicle, the 318-thousand dollars was the lowest bid for the vehicle.  Meanwhile, City Council is allowing the public library to use their surplus funds from the Mary J L Black Library towards other projects.  112-thousand dollars is being used towards upgrading other library buildings and updating their collection of books and resources.

Hobbs' State of the City Address

Mayor Keith Hobbs is promising financial accountability and transparency in his State of the City Address. Hobbs highlighted the City's plan to save four and a half million dollars over the next three years.  Thunder Bay is undergoing the CityLean program that eliminates municipal corporate waste.