Law students attend murder trial

Hammarskjold High School students are getting a first hand look at how the court system works. They attended the first two days of court proceedings in the Michael Kelly murder trial. Teacher Rory Bain wants his law class to see the legal system in action. He says a majority of the students have never been exposed to the Canadian justice system, so this was a first for them. Among other things, students saw graphic evidence of the crime scene.

Police release video of "persons of interest"

Thunder Bay police say they are looking for two people who they would like to speak to about last month's false bomb scare at the Bombardier plant.   They have released a surveillance video of two people making a phone call from a pay phone at Vickers and Arthur street where the threat is believed to have been called in from. 

Mr Sub robbed this morning

Thunder Bay Police are looking for one person after a break and enter this morning.  Police say a surveillance video shows a man with a what looked like a crow bar going behind the counter and stealing a cash box.  Officers say the front glass door of the building was smashed open just before 2:30 this morning.

Apparent assault victim found in snow bank

A man is recovering after being the victim of an alleged assault. Thunder Bay Police found the man in a snow bank on the corner of Limbrick Street and University Drive just before 5 this morning.  The man was drunk and couldn't give a description of the people who assaulted him but witnesses say a van was spotted near the man and then left the area before police arrived. 

Thunder Bay murder trial underway

The Michael Kelly murder trial is underway in a Thunder Bay courtroom. The 64 year old Alberta resident is charged in the death last decade of 57 year old JudieThibault of Thunder Bay. In his opening statement to the jury Crown Attorney Dan Mitchell outlined the prosecution's case. Mitchell tells the jury the evidence is largely circumstantial, however he says it will tell the story of an undercover police operation and show that a bullet was removed from Thibault's head after her body was found wrapped in a carpet in the bush near Dorion in 2004. The opening statement is not considered evidence.

OPP find suspicious package

OPP in Marathon are dealing with a suspicious package.  Officials say they got a call from a resident Sunday about an unknown package inside a package.  Officers called in the Explosives Disposal Unit and they found the package to be safe. 

Lost time at Lakehead

The Lakehead Public School Board is seeing improvements in the number of at work accidents they see in a year.  Spokesperson Rick Molloy says they had 20 lost time incidents with staff in 2011.  Most of the accidents were due to falling or straining due to heavy lifting.

Driven to Quit

Quit smoking and you could win a car.   The Canadian Cancer Society has launched its annual “Driven to Quit Challenge.”  Quit Coach and former Phys-Ed teacher Dr. Jim Morris says he's been working with his former high school students.  To be eligable for the contest you need to stop smoking for the month of March.

Police looking for escapees

Police are on the lookout for a young man who escaped custody from the Jack McGuire facility yesterday afternoon.  The 16 year old was wearing a black sweater two pairs of pants and has short cropped hair.  A second 15 year old who also fled the facility was caught and will be held for video court today.

Aboriginal Program Funding

The City's Urban Aboriginal Strategy is looking for some more money from City Council.  The proposed 2012 budget already includes 125-thousand dollars for their cause, but an additional 25-thousand is being requested.  The money if approved would be used to continue their Action Circle Coordinator position.  The money won't be approved until Council tackles the 2012 budget.

Walsh Street Contract

Thunder Bay City Council is awarding a 2.2 million dollar contract to Makkinga Contracting.  The contract is part of the ongoing reconstruction of Walsh Street.  City Councillors spent the evening grilling members of administration about the cost of the project.

New ATU President talks to Council

The new President of the Amalgamated Transit Union is throwing her support behind a central location for a proposed bus terminal.  Sheila Kivisto spoke to City Council Monday night and says they're still working on finding a way to make routes faster.  Kivisto notes they are pushing to locate the main terminal at the Lakehead Labour Centre across from the Intercity mall.

Peninsula Harbour to be cleaned up

The federal and provincial governments along with Ball Packaging are joining together to clean up Lake Superior. Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle says they've agreed to begin cleaning up Peninsula Harbour near Marathon this spring. The location has been designated a pollution hotspot for decades. It was the site of a pulp and paper mill.

Sharp out for 3-4 weeks

A slash in last night's Chicago Detroit game has landed Thunder Bay's Patrick Sharp on the injured list.  The Blackhawks coaching staff say Sharp will be out for 3-4 weeks with an upper body injury. 

Pyatt signs 2 year extension

Good news for Thunder Bay's Tom Pyatt.  According to a Twitter report by TSN's Bob McKenzie Tampa has locked up Pyatt to a 2 year contract extension.  The deal is reportedly one way and worth 600 thousand per year.

Foulds is setting his sights on infrastructure

The City's infrastructure deficit must be addressed but not at the cost of cutting services.  That's the opinion of Councillor Andrew Foulds who says infrastructure effects every aspect of city life.  That being said Foulds believes services are a type of infrastructure.

Mac's employee speaks out

A Mac's Convenience Store employee remains concerned about the safety of fellow workers. Larry Larivee was a clerk who had a knife held to his throat during one of last year's 26 store robberies in the city. He believes more needs to be done to protect his fellow workers and he's taken it upon himself to call for more changes to security at the local stores.    Mac's officials have not returned our call for a comment.

Kelly murder trial starts this week

The jury selection process is underway in a city murder trial.  Sixty four year old Michael Earl Kelly is charged with First Degree Murder in the death last decade of 57 year old Judy Thilbeault.   The Thunder Bay woman disappeared in November of 2000 but her remains weren't found until four years later in the Dorion area.   It wasn't until 2010 that Kelly, an Alberta resident, was arrested and charged.   The trial before Justice John Wright is to get underway Tuesday morning and last about 3 weeks.

Dorion worried about fire fighting bill

Canadian Pacific Rail is hoping to ease the fears of the community of Dorion.  The Reeve is worried the company won't pay for a seven thousand dollar bill for fire fighting by the Ministry of Natural Resources.
A company spokesperson says if they're found to be at fault for the fire they'll pay.  Dave Harris says they'll be submitting the MNR's bill as well as their own from the municipal fire department.

NDP candidate in T.Bay

A hopeful in the Federal NDP leadership race will be in the City tonight.  B.C. MP Nathan Cullen is holding a meet and greet at the Madhouse Tavern this afternoon and then another event in the evening for party faithful.  An NDP all candidates debate will be held in Sudbury in February.

Police track stolen phone

Thunder Bay Police were kept busy tracking a stolen cell phone Sunday night.  Officers tracked the cell phone and caught three young offenders in a stolen vehicle.  Police say the young offenders used the vehicle to drive around the City to commit break and enters.  The trio are charged with possession of stolen property over 5-thousand dollars and breaching their young offender court orders.

Museum gets money

Thunder Bay's Museum is using 106-thousand dollars for a two year project.  CAO Mark Tilbury says the money is from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.  The museum will hire a Community Resource Officer.

Rick Hansen Relay hits the Lakehead

The Rick Hansen Relay is in Thunder Bay for the next couple of days.  The team was welcomed with a ceremony at the Community Auditorium.  Prior to that,  relay member Joey Desjardins handed the Rick Hansen 25th anniversity medal to Thunder Bay's Adena Goral at the McDonalds on Red River Road.

Stabbing leaves one man in hospital

Thunder Bay police have a 16 year old boy in custody after a stabbing.  Officials say the boy stabbed a 24 year old man several times in the back last night in the North End.  The victim was taken to hospital and is in stable condition.  More details are expected to come later today. 

Temperature record set

We set a new record high temperature in Thunder Bay Friday.  It reached 4 degrees breaking the old record of 3.9 set in 1949.   The forecast calls for a cooler Saturday with the temperature hitting minus 7 which is considered normal for this time of year.

Taddeo hearing dates set

Police Service Act hearing dates are now set for City Police Inspector Dan Taddeo.   He is facing two counts of Misconduct.  It's in connection to the way he supervised Constable Toni Grann.  The 43 year old Grann is facing charges which police say involved falsified local records in the Ontario Sex Offender Registry.  Six days have been set aside for Taddeo's hearing, with three days in August and three in September.

No nukes for NAN

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation wants every community in northern Ontario to declare themselves Nuclear Waste Free Zones.   Stan Beardy's call comes in a statement saying NAN is against allowing lands to be used as dumping grounds for nuclear waste.  The government's Nuclear Waste Management Organization has started a process of finding a site to dispose of such waste, but says it will not impose a site on any community that doesn't want it.

Event Centre process moves on

You get to have your say on the next phase of the proposed Multi-Plex. City Manager Tim Commisso says there will be a public information session February 29th. He says the consultants will present an update on the Feasibility Study for the Event Centre. Commisso says they will bring some initial design concepts for the three sites short listed by councillors. A final report is expected to be presented to City Council in May.

Tib Lake property seen as promising

North American Palladium is on the verge of buying property at Tib Lake near its current mine north of Thunder Bay. Company president Bill Biggar says while the area has potential, it's too early to speculate on a possible mine.  He says a team of 20 company geologists in Thunder Bay will come up with a plan to explore the area over the next several years.  The company is purchasing the new property from Houston Lake Mining of Sudbury

Police search for robbery suspects

City Police are looking for two men in their mid teens to early twenties after another man was robbed in Westfort last night.  They say the 19 year old was accosted while walking in the area of Edward and Frederica Streets.  He tells police he was knocked to the ground and his backpack was stolen.   The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries and then released.

Appointment gets praise from bishop

The Vatican says Toronto Archbishop Thomas Collins is among 22 new cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church named today by Pope Benedict. Thunder Bay Bishop Fred Colli calls Collins an excellent candidate for the position saying he's known him for many years having worked with him on committees in the Ontario Assembly of Bishops. Colli calls the appointment a great honour for Canada.

Jobs rate stays steady

Thunder Bay's unemployment rate stayed steady at seven percent last month.  That figure is from the latest StatsCan figures.  Nationally the unemployment rate was 7.5 percent.

Highway is open

A transport jack knifing caused Highway 17 near Terrace Bay to be closed for several hours last night.  Police say no one was hurt and the highway has since reopened.  It took crews five hours to clear the highway.

OPP Constable under house arrest

An OPP Constable is under six months of house arrest.  Constable Gregory Sutton was sentenced yesterday in a court case dealing with public mischief and intercepting private messages.  Sutton must be at his home from 10 in the evening until six in the morning.  He also faces a year of probation after his house arrest is over.

Tattoo Parlour Closed

Thunder Bay's Health Unit has closed an illegal tattoo parlour. The health unit says they never inspected the site and it poses a risk to the public. Anyone who got a tattoo from a home based location is asked to contact the health unit at 625-8318.

January thaw set for Friday

It looks like we could break a weather record in the city Friday. Meteorologist Peter Kimbell says it will feel more like spring than winter with the temperature forecast to hit plus 4.  He says the old record for January 6th is 3.9 set in 1949 and that we have a good chance at beating that. Kimbell says the temperatures won't be as warm on the weekend.

Thunder Bay not part of Target's initial launch

Thunder Bay is not mentioned as one of the first 24 Zellers stores in Ontario to be converted to Target locations. The American mega-retailer has released a list of the locations that will become Target stores next year.   It recently purchased almost 200 stores that are currently being operated by Zellers, with plans to open about 130 Target stores across Canada including the Intercity Shopping Centre location..

Attawapiskat housing update

Attawapiskat is laying the blame on the Federal Government.  They claim they won't be able to make its January payroll unless the federal government shows more flexibility.  The regional council says Ottawa has seized control of $1.5 million meant for essential services such as education.  Chief Theresa Spence officially requested that a government-appointed, third-party manager release the money so that she could ensure services and operations continue uninterrupted.  But she says she was rebuffed.

Seven figure job to fix the Saginaw

It'll be at least a "seven figure" job to repair the broken loading boom on the ship MV Saginaw.   It remains docked at Thunder Bay Terminals until it can be fixed.   The ship's owner is Lower Lakes Towing.  President Scott Bravener says they're investigating the cause,  which appears to have been a cable failure.  Bravener says the cable was installed on the ship just days before the incident.

Rick Hansen Relay Sunday

Thunder Bay is gearing up to play host to the Rick Hansen Relay this Sunday.  Spokesperson Doug Henry says everyone will have a chance to see the medal.  Formal festivities start at the Community Auditorium at 2 on Sunday.

RRSP season is upon us

RRSP's are continuing to stay a viable option despite economic troubles.  Local Investment Expert Blake Cameron of Scotia McLeod says RRSP's are a safe bet for your money.  The deadline to make RRSP contributions is February 29th.

Economic outlook for 2012 looks unstable

There is a lot of uncertainty when you look at the economy for this year in Northwestern Ontario.  That's the opinion of Lakehead University Economics Professor Livio Di Matteo.  He says there are a lot of variables that could affect our economy, such as the government, commodity prices, and the forestry sector.

OPP looking into Terrace Bay Death

OPP are investigating a sudden death in Terrace Bay.  Not much is known at this time but officials say a 65 year old woman was found inside a house that was the scene of a fire this morning.  The woman has been identified as Ann-Lois Mercure.

Resolute Forest Products

Quebec pulp producer Fibrek is urging its shareholders to reject a hostile takeover bid from Resolute Forest Products.  Resolute is offering 130-million dollars for the company that has pulp mills in Quebec, West Virginia and Michigan.  In a letter to shareholders, Fibrek says the bid deprives them of the opportunity to participate in the upside of the pulp business and other earnings streams.

Alzheimer Society survey on dementia

There's a delay in Canadians seeking diagnosis for dementia according to a new Alzheimer Society survey.  It finds that people are delaying diagnosis because they believe their symptoms are part of old age.  January is Alzheimer Awareness month.

OPP release RIDE results

The OPP aren't happy with the results of the festive RIDE program.  Spokesperson Shelly Garr says its disappointing to see 7 people in Thunder Bay still drinking and driving and in the region another 40 people were charged with impaired driving.

Iran US dispute is just heated rhetoric

Tension in the middle east continue to rise but don't expect any major fireworks.  That's the opinion of Lakehead Political Science Expert Laure Paquette.  She says increased naval activity between the US and Iran is a step above sabre rattling considering they both are moving large ships into a narrow area like the Straight of Hormuz.  Paquette says she thinks the two sides will soon take a step back and try to come to a diplomatic resolution to current problems.

Hospital CEO salaries are now public information

The CEO of the Regional Health Sciences Centre is happy that the salaries of her colleagues across the province will be open to the public.  Hospital CEO salaries were made public Tuesday and Andree Robichaud says its a smart move because the public deserves to know where tax money is going.  Robichaud earned 390 thousand dollars in 2011. 

Holiday RIDE stats are in

City police aren't happy with the results of the Holiday RIDE program.  Constable Bill Pollock says about 25 people were caught drinking and driving in the month of December.  Pollock says over 55 hundred vehicles were pulled over during the campaign and its very discouraging to still see people drinking and driving.

Outbreak at Interim LTC

A stomach flu like illness is making the rounds of Thunder Bay's Interim Long Term Care facility. The Health Unit has declared an outbreak. Admissions, transfers, discharges and social activities have been cancelled until further notice.

City talks waterfront hotel

It's the new year, and there's still no official date for when the name of the waterfront hotel will be announced.  City Spokesperson Greg Alexander says they are still waiting for the land transfer to go through.  Alexander says he understands that there's a lot of speculation about the project.