City sunshine list is leaked

The List of city employees who made more than 100 thousand dollars have been released.  224 people made the sunshine list this year with City Manager Tim Commisso topping the list with a 2011 salary of just under 219 thousand dollars.  There was over 100 more people on the list in 2011 compared to 2010 because of the new contract for Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue.  The contract awarded a number of long time firefighters with back pay.  Firefighters made up almost 150 of the people on the list.

Oxycodone bust in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay Police have 3 people in custody after a drug bust this morning.  Officers made the arrest at southside motel just before 1 o'clock this morning.  Almost 35 thousand dollars worth of Oxycodone was seized. 

Rotary Lottery house tickets are on sale

You can get your tickets for the Rotary Lottery house in Thunder Bay.  This year's house up for grabs was the scene of the annual media launch and Chair Bob Hookham says the Rotary Club hasn't decided where all the money raised this year will go, but all the money will stay in Thunder Bay.  There will be 8000 tickets sold for the house that is located in the Sherwood Estates.

Potter out as COO @ ORNGE Aviation

Thunder Bay's Rick Potter is no longer the Chief Operating Officer at ORNGE Aviation.  Staff at the province's scandal plagued air ambulance service were informed of the move via e-mail this week saying Potter was to work exclusively on another project.  The move comes after it was reported that Potter admitted to fibbing about his university credentials. The opposition Progressive Conservatives demanded that he be fired.

Toy gun causes a scare at a local high school

Thunder Bay police arrested a 15 year old boy at Superior Collegiate at noon today.  Police were called with reports about a boy showing some other students what was believed to be a gun.  It turned out to be a soft air rifle and the boy was charged. 

Outdoor rinks to close

It's that time of year again, time for the city to close the outdoors skating rinks. Spokesperson Paul Fayrick says because of the spring like temperatures, the rinks aren't even fit for skating. Fayrick says as of this weekend the buildings will be closed and the lights turned off

Stevenson leads delegation to Mexico

Lakehead University President Brian Stevenson is going to Mexico, but not for a vacation. He's helping to lead a group of Canadian universities to learn more about how Mexico has evolved higher learning for Aboriginal students and establish possible partnerships.  He hopes this is the beginning of a broad international strategy for L-U. Representatives from both countries will be meeting on Sunday and Monday in Mexico City.

Nolan new PDAC President

There's a Thunder Bay connection to the newly appointed President of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada.  Glenn Nolan who is the Aboriginal Liason Officer with Noront Resources is the new head of the organization.  Nolan works out of Thunder Bay.

Manitouwadge drugs seized

26 thousand dollars in drugs are off the streets after Marathon OPP searched a home in Manitouwadge.  A 38 year old woman and 50 year old man are charged with production of a controlled substance and  possession for the purpose of trafficking.  A quantity of marijuana and other drugs were seized.

Hospital not impacted by drug shortage yet

Thunder Bay's hospital has been spared from the nation wide shortage of drugs.  Health Sciences Centre Pharmacist Jeff Chan says the shortage hasn't impacted the hospital yet but it might down the road.  Hospitals in several provinces are reporting looming supply gaps for dozens of medications used in operating rooms, emergency departments and intensive care units.

Housing starts down last month

Canada Mortgage and Housing is reporting that Thunder Bay had no new housing starts last month. Analyst Warren Philp says that's not a reason for concern since it's not uncommon for there to be no starts counted in a month like February given the nature of the residential construction industry in the North. Year to date construction starts are sitting at 3 units down from seven in 2011.

Hyer on pay equity, vets and government by ambush

MP Bruce Hyer is using International Women's Day to call for pay equity reform.  Hyer says there is a long way to go before what he says "true equality" can be achieved between the sexes.    Meantime Hyer and his NDP colleagues are fuming over the government's plans to make cuts to the Veterans Affairs Department. Hyer is upset that the Harper government voted down an NDP motion to stop the cuts.  Hyer says the government mistreats veterans and doesn't give them the support they deserve. Hyer is also disappointed but not surprised by a move by the government to limit debate on the new crime bill saying, it's part of a pattern by the Conservatives on such issues and calls it "government by ambush"

Event Centre location debate continues

The debate over the location for the proposed Event Centre in Thunder Bay still rages.  20 years ago the city of Saint John, New Brunswick went through a similar decision when it built their Harbour Centre.  St John's Tourism Manager Ross Jefferson says the city had just redeveloped its waterfront and  chose the downtown location near the new construction. Jefferson says at the time it was a hotly contested decision but has since lead to a revitalization of their downtown with a great deal of economic spin off.  He says parking was an issue but the construction of some parkades and a pedway system helped alleviate the problem.

Stolen BC car found in Thunder Bay

A vehicle stolen from a B.C. car rental business has turned up in Thunder Bay.  OPP pulled over the car yesterday evening and found the driver had some credit cards and other stolen property.  A 29 year old woman was arrested and charged.

PARO shines during women's week

It's International Women's Week which helps to recognize the advances females have made, and here in Thunder Bay women have made strides in the business community thanks to the efforts of PARO. Spokesperson Suzanne Tighe says the organization has been able to help three thousand women start up a business in a welcoming atmosphere

Cancer Centre opens up new clinic

Thanks to 150 thousand dollars in funding, Thunder Bay will be home to one of 3 new pilot clinics to help cancer patients transition out of treatment.  Vice President of the Cancer Centre Michael Power says the Transition Clinic will help get patients back to their family doctors and primary care. Power hopes the clinic becomes a permanent fixture.

Only 2 cases of flu in T.Bay

Thunder Bay's Health Unit is reporting only 2 cases of influenza this year.  It follows a flu trend that's being reported in Canada as well as in Europe and the US.  Spokesperson Darlene Binette says they like to think the reason for the quiet flu season is the increase of people getting immunized.

Prospectors conference wraps up

Thunder Bay's contingent at the Prospectors conference in Toronto is coming back with contacts in the mining industry. Mining Services Manager John Mason says the networking was well worth the price of his plane ticket. Harold Wilson of the Chamber of Commerce, Lakehead University's President and Mayor Keith Hobbs were also in attendance.

KI chief protects traditional lands

The Big Trout Lake First Nation is actively guarding Sherman Lake against mining company God's Lake Resources.   Chief Donny Morris is staying at the lake saying he's guarding against the company that insists on drilling on leases and claims that are known sacred burial grounds.  Morris released a video on YouTube this morning asking Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci to hold negotiations between God's Lake and the First Nation.

Watermain break closes Central

The City of Thunder Bay is dealing with a water main break in the area of Central Avenue. City employee Peter Viita says they're working on fixing the break.  Central Avenue is closed from Golf Links to Balmoral.Meanwhile, Lakehead University is reopening its doors. They had planned to cancel class today due to the water main break but water has since been restored.

Group of First Nation Communities band together

A number of Northwestern Ontario First Nation communities are banning together to work towards improving infrastructure.  The group of 5 First Nation communities signed the agreement that will help in the development of an East-West Corridor in the Ring of Fire.  The communities want to work together to capitalize economic benefits from the mining industry.  Officials say the ultimate goal of the agreement will be to develop an infrastructure, transportation and service corridor for the Ring of Fire.  Chief Harry Papah says ownership of this corridor would give his people new opportunities for training jobs and business.

Ring of Fire alliance formed

Area First Nations are still demanding more decision making involvement in the Ring of Fire mining development. That's why the Aroland and the Marten Falls First Nations have formed an alliance. Aroland Chief Sonny Gagnon says they don't want to watch from the sidelines anymore, they want to "take ownership, take partnership" over what will happen in the Ring of Fire. Gagnon calls the alliance a pro-active move.

Mix up could have led to users death

The Regional Coroner says that one person somewhere in Northwestern Ontario is dead in a case related to the end of Oxycontin. Dr. Michael Wilson says the unexpected death may have been the result of a prescription mix-up.  He says the medication had been prescribed to replace the Oxycontin, but it appears it was prescribed at a higher rate than he usually was on, meaning he may have died due to a drug overdose. As a result, Dr. Wilson says he's recommended there be better communication between doctors and pharmacists.

Fire in group home

No one is hurt after a small fire at a group home on Sequoia Street.   A fire official says it happened just before eight o'clock this morning after one of the residents accidentally lit a bed sheet ablaze with a lighter.   St. Joseph's Care Group runs the home which has five residents and two staff members.

New school for Attawapiskat

Relief for the troubled Attawapiskat First Nation. The Federal Government has awarded the construction contract to build a new school to Manitoba-based Penn-Co Construction. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development John Duncan says Penn-Co has extensive experience working with remote First Nation communities on the construction of large facilities.The 58-hundred square-metre school will accommodate 540-students from Kindergarten to Grade 8 and is scheduled to open during the 2013-2014 school year.

Greenstone launches website and survey

The Municipality of Greenstone is hoping for big results from its new look website.  The site, http://www.investingreenstone.ca/, is designed to help businesses and investors get the information they need on the community.  The website also helps to promote mining and exploration in the region.  Included in the site is a survey which is a coordinated industry effort to encourage graduates, skilled workers and others remain in the Greenstone region and possibly attract skilled workers back.

Declare, Declare, Declare

People continue to lie about their purchases at the Pigeon River Border. Two Canadian residents are in trouble after importing a vintage car that was purchased online. The importer swore they paid 8 thousand dollars for the vehicle but after closer examination border agents found they actually paid 12 thousand. The man was forced to pay over 2 thousand dollars in penalties. Had he declared the vehicle at its proper value he would have only paid around 200 dollars in taxes.

KI rallies in Toronto today

The Big Trout Lake First Nation are rallying in front of the world's leading mining convention today.  They'll have 100 supporters in Toronto today.  They claim God's Lake Resources proposed gold mine will desecrate their sacred burial

Impaired driving collision

Thunder Bay Police are charging a man with impaired driving and various traffic act offences after a bumpy ride this morning.  Witnesses say the vehicle was travelling at a high rate of speed, crashed through some construction pylons, went through a hole dug by a road crew, over a snowbank and struck a building on Simpson Street.  He's also charged with dangerous driving.

2012 Budget is in the books

This year's city budget increase is a bit lighter than what we were expecting.  Council approved the budget last night but after Councillor Marc Bentz put forward a motion that prevented the hiring of 5 full time city employees.  The savings should amount to a bit more than 200 thousand dollars and dropped the tax increase from 2.67 to just under 2 and a half.  Councillor Trevor Geirtuga says its time the city decided whether they want to invest in infrastructure or invest in human resources.  The average home will now pay just over 60 dollars more this year in taxes.  

New Master Transit plan is in the works

The city has a new Master Transit Plan in the proves.  Council approved in principal the 3-5 year plan that calls for a major transit terminal in the intercity area that comes with a price tag of around 7 million dollars.  The plan also will keep using the Water Street terminal unless future development forces the closure of that terminal.  There will also be 3 major transfer points in the south core, Lakehead University and Confederation College.  The consulting firm who helped develop the plan, predicts a 25 percent increase in ridership over the next 5 years.  The plan will also call for the end of HAGI transit and instead it would become part of City Transit.  It will come back to council June 4th.

The city will be holding on to the Whalen Building

Our Municipal Leaders have decided to hold onto and improve the Whalen building. Council voted in favour of a recommendation that will see the city spend over 9 million dollars over the next 20 years in capital improvements to the building. Councillor Rebecca Johnson voted against the plan saying that money could be better spent on other projects instead of propping up a 100 year old building. Administration predicts that keeping the building will bring profits to the city through taxes and leasing out office space.

Council approves changes to waterfront deal

Despite a deputation speaking out against the proposed changes, City Council has approved the changes to the waterfront deal with the developers.  One woman spoke out against the deal saying council is treating the developers differently than others in town.  She referenced the proposed Marriott Hotel near the Superstore which will pay for its own parking lot while the waterfront hotel will now see the city pave the parking lot there and then lease it to the developer.  Administration said the difference is the Marriott is on private land while the waterfront is on city owned land.

City hands out Green Awards

The City handed out the municipal Green Awards at Monday night's meeting. The awards were handed out to the Regional Health Sciences Centre, Superior Collegiate, Ecole Catholique Franco Superieur and the OLG Casino. The winners were recognized for successful waste reduction and other environmental successes.

Clement talks robocall and summer student job office

FedNor Minister Tony Clement is sticking to the party line when it comes to the Federal Election Robocall scandal.  Clement was in the City today and commented on Elections Canada investigating the local office of Responsive Marketing Group.  The local call centre is linked to misleading calls to voters tellling them their polling station locations had changed.  Meanwhile, he's also defending his government's decision to cut funding for summer student job offices saying teens would rather get their information online.

Clement makes funding announcements

FedNor Minister Tony Clement is rolling out funding for Tornado Medical Systems.  Clement was in the city today and provided over 363 thousand dollars towards a device that will analyze breast tumour tissue.  Clement also announced over 300-thousand towards Lakehead University's North American DNA database project.

Rescue on the harbour

Two people are safe after they were spotted on the breakwall Monday afternoon. Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue took their air boat out to the site after they were spotted walking on the rocks. It turns out it was a couple of tourists from Quebec who were sight seeing and didn't realize it was against the law to be out on the harbour ice.   They were not charged.

Another bizarre court appearance for Barry McQuaker.

Barry McQuaker remains in the legal system as he looks to gain his freedom.  The 55 year old McQuaker is serving a short sentence for threatening and assault and was in court today to deal with a peace bond which would put extended restrictions on who he is allowed to see and where he can go. As was the case with his last court appearance in February, McQuaker didn't have a lawyer and displayed an erratic behavior. He came precariously close to justice Dino DiGuiseppe finding him in contempt of court. McQuaker is due back in court April 20th. He spent time in jail in the 1990's after admiting to cremating and buring the remains of his 12 year old son Jason.

Public school board pans rankings

The Lakehead Public School Board is less than thrilled with the latest Fraser Institute rankings of elementary schools.  Director of Education Cathy Seminieuk says they're not investing in the ranking system.  Seimieuk takes issue with the fact that the Fraser Institute didn't include all of their elementary schools in their rankings.

Mathieu Da Costa exhibit on now

City hall just got more colourful.  The Mathieu Da Costa Exhibit is on now and the 16 works of art were created by youth from across the country.  The City is one of 8 in Canada that were selected to host the art exhibit.  The free exhibit will be in the City Hall lobby until Friday.

Fire at Vickers Street North home

Fire officials will be investigating the cause of a 2 storey house fire on Vickers Street.  Crews were called to the home last night and District Chief Jon Swaggert says thankfully no one was home at the time of the fire.  The fire was contained to the back of the home on the first floor.

Ignace gets Mayor back

Ignace Council is going back to a familiar face as Mayor.  Council has agreed to appoint Lee Kennard as Mayor, citing the significant cost of a by-election as one of the reasons behind the decision.  A delegation asked Council to put Kennard back in the top position, citing his huge electoral win last October and his strong performance as Mayor.  Kennard resigned on January 27th, but had a change of heart 5-days later. Council legally deemed the position open, prompting a debate on what should happen next.  He will be sworn back in as Mayor on March 13th.

Arctic air above Thunder Bay

Arctic air is settling over Thunder Bay today causing the cold temperatures.  Our Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says the cold air will eventually let up bringing warmer weather.  Laidlaw says it's not unusual for temperatures to be minus 20 one day and in the plus temperatures the next.

Province withdraws land near KI

The Provincial Government is keeping some land around the Big Trout Lake First Nation off limits from mining projects. The First Nation had asked for a moratorium on mineral exploration and development. God's Lake Resources holds a mining lease and mining claim in the area of Big Trout Lake but their existing leases and claims are not affected by the withdrawal.

LU Basketball team gets wildcard spot

The Lakehead Thunderwolves are off to Halifax after receiving a wild card spot in the Men's Basketball CIS championships.  Lakehead received the at-large berth following a vote by a committee of CIS coaches. The Thunderwolves finished atop the OUA West standings with a 20-2 record before being upset by Ryerson, 86-70, in the conference semifinals.

Local Canspell winner Jacklyn Spithoff

Crestview Public School student Jacklyn Spithoff is off to the Canspell National Finals in Toronto.  She won the local spelling bee over the weekend and will represent Thunder Bay and District in Toronto at the end of March.

Woman in hospital after accident

A 25 year old woman is in hospital after she was hit by a vehicle on Saturday.  Police were called to the intersection of Red River Road and Highway 11/17 for an auto pedestrian collision around 9:30 Saturday night.  The woman was sent to the hospital with serious injuries and is said to be doing better.  Charges are pending and the investigation is continuing.

Arrests on South Brodie Street

A 30 year old man from Fort Hope and a 28 year old man from Webequie were arrested early this morning on South Brodie Street after police responded to an assault in progress. One of the men is said to know the victim. The two are charged for robbery and both will be appearing in court today.

Fraser Institute Report

It's a mixed bag for Thunder Bay's 39 elementary schools. In the Report Card on Ontario Elementary Schools 2012, The Fraser Institute ranks half of them at or above the provincial average; the other half falls below. Spokesperson Michael Thomas says low rankings alert officials and parents that something needs to be done.

Wildlife Feeding Prohibition By-Law

The City of Thunder Bay wants to remind citizens of the new Wildlife Feeding Prohibition By-law which was passed on February 27th and is now in effect. The By-law outlines the dangers of feeding deer which includes an increase in unpredictable and aggressive behaviour of the animals, increased chances of car collisions, and the spread of infectious diseases among deer, wildlife, and humans. Anyone found not obeying the by-law will receive a Provincial Offences Act ticket or summons to attend Court along with a possible fine of up to $5000.