Council Hears Low Income Housing Request

Habib Enterprises wants to create an affordable housing unit on Victoria Avenue.  Ahsanul Habib asked City Council last night to either reduce the property tax on the property or provide a grant towards the project.  The vacant building has room for 21 units.  Habib says the project has Social Services Board approval and can only receive funding from the Provincial Government's Affordable Housing Program if the City helps.

Yard & Waste Collection Starts Nov. 1st

It's time to put your raked leaves and yard waste out on the curb for city pick up. The collection will take place from Thursday until Wednesday November 14th. Spokesperson Jason Sherband says you can put out your waste on your regular recycling day. Clear plastic and Halloween leaf bags are also acceptable.

Porter Cancels Toronto Flights

Hurricane Sandy is forcing Porter Airlines to cancel their flights in and out of Toronto. For Thunder Bay flights that means seven flights are affected, four from Toronto to Thunder Bay and three leaving Thunder Bay for Toronto. If your flight has been cancelled you can reschedule without paying the fees or get a full rebate for a later flight.

Novartis Flu Shots Suspended

Thunder Bay's Health Unit is reassuring the public after Canada suspended the distribution of flu vaccine made by the company Novartis. Spokesperson Darlene Binette says they are no longer using Fluad and Agriful because tiny clumps of virus particles can be found in some of the shots. Flu shot clinics are still open and the Health Unit is using other unaffected vaccines.  Binette says they did offer Fluad and Agriflu earlier in the season but are putting that on hold for now and no unexpected adverse side effects from the shot have been reported.

Pepper Spray Sends Family To Hospital

A scary incident on Cumming Street this past weekend.  A family of 5 was sent to the hospital after three people standing outside of a Cumming Street house attacked the homeowners after being asked to leave their property.  Police say the homeowners were attacked physically and with pepper spray.  The suspects are described as a 20 to 25 year old woman with long hair, a 20 something man with dark short hair, and a teenage male.

Another Murder For Thunder Bay

Police are now calling the death on Belton Street last week a murder.  They say that the body of 52 year old Salvatore Larizza was found by family members in a house on Thursday morning.   The cause of his death is not being released. Police spokesperson Chris Adams says the victim was known to them and that the house was the subject of a previous investigation but he would not elaborate.  Police say they have set up a dedicated tip line for his case, it's 684-1330.

Be Seen Campaign Kicks Off

The District Health Unit is trying to keep cyclists and pedestrians safe when it's dark outside. Public Health Nurse Marita Campbell says it's the second year for the "Safe and Be Seen" campaign. She's hoping people pick up one of the reflective arm bands being distributed for free.   The arm bands are available at various local outlets which include:  The District Health Unit, the Parking Authority, Eco-Superior, Westfort Foods, George's Market, Fresh Air Experiences, Petries Cycle and Cycle Path.

Credit Card Policy On Council Agenda

City lawmakers get back to business tonight and on their to do list is updating their credit card and travel expense policies. City Manager Tim Commisso says up until now councillors had been operating under credit card guidelines and this will allow it to be formalized into a policy. Commisso says the changes were not prompted by any sort of misuse of credit card or travel abuse.

Wawa Still Recovering Fom Flood

Wawa is still reeling from last week's massive flood. Two lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway south of Wawa have reopened after they were washed out last week. Wawa Mayor Linda Nowicki says the sections of highway that were washed out on the north side of town should be reopened by Wednesday. In the meantime the town is housing residents from a nearby First Nations community who have been displaced by the flood. Nowicky says they are also keeping an eye on superstorm Sandy, hoping it will not bring more precipitation to the area already affected by the flooding.

Local Resident Remembers The Bounty

The tall ship HMS Bounty is no more. The crew members abandoned ship after they were caught in the middle of Hurricane Sandy off the coast of North Carolina. At last word 14 crew members were rescued, but 2 are reported missing. Thunder Bay's Rochelle Smith sailed with the Bounty over the summer as a volunteer and she says she's in shock and says it's a sad day in the tall ship community. Smith says the captain has sailed in hurricanes before and may have believed he it was safer at sea rather than at port. Thousands of local residents got a chance to board the Bounty when it visited our port in 2010.

Questions Still Surround Belton Street Death

It won't be until Monday that police will have more to say about a death they are treating as suspicious.  They found the body of a 52 year old man in a house on Belton Street on Thursday morning.   They say a post mortem examine is being done on the body and until that is complete, they won't have much more information to give out.  

Cyber Police Scam

Police are warning of an Internet scam that goes under the guise of Canadian Cyber Police. The malware program accuses you of illegal downloading and demands a 100 dollar payment to clear your name. Police say there's no such thing as cyber police and instructions to remove the malware can be found on the Internet.

Wawa In State Of Emergency

OPP are warning motorists about a washout in the Wawa area.  The community has declared a state of emergency because of heavy rainfall.  Several residents are cut off and police are warning motorists to stay off roads in the area unless absolutely necessary after heavy rain overnight washed out the Trans-Canada Highway.   Highway 17 at Wawa is closed in both directions as a result of high water levels that eroded the road.

NWO Voice On Health Panel

A Fort Frances woman is giving our area a voice in seeking change to Ontario's health care system.  Cathy Emes is one of 32 people selected to an advisory panel created by the not-for-profit group The Change Foundation.  She says it was formed because of changes the Ontario government is seeking.  The group first met last month where they had a chance to express their concerns to the province's Associate Health Minister.

Teaching Autistic Kids Soccer

The Lakehead Express Soccer Club is teaming up with Autism Ontario.  The program lets kids meet new friends.  21 players will be taking part from October to March to introduce kids with autism to the basics of soccer.

Spooky Charity Run Sunday

The Canadian Diabetes Association is holding it's first charity walk and run.  The Cash Store Financial's Freedom Run is being held Sunday at Boulevard Lake.  Spokesperson Alexandra Erickson says it's a halloween themed event.   The event starts at 10 am.

Check Out A Human Book

You can rent a "human book" Saturday at the Waverley Resource Library.  There will be several volunteers on hand who represent local stereotypes.  Spokesperson Joanna Aegard says it's a first for Thunder Bay.  The event will run from 10:30 to 3 Saturday. 

Parlez-vous Français?

A French Immersion teacher at Hammarskjold High School is getting a prestigious accolade.  Matthias Ruppenstein is the winner of the Canadian Parents for French award.  The award is for teachers who show leadership in promoting french learning.

Leek On Prorogue

The new Liberal Leader will be named in January.  Northern Region VP Anthony Leek says January 25th date works to get business at Queens Park back up and running.  Dalton Mcguinty prorogued the legislature and resigned as Premiere two weeks ago.

OFAH Talks Hunting Safety

This year's hunting season has already taken the lives of four people in the country, including two in Ontario.  The incidents involve firearms that were either accidently discharged or because the hunter was not fully aware of the target.  Arnold Beebe is an instructor with the Ontario Federation of Hunters and Anglers, and has some safety tips. Beebe says all hunting fatalities can be easily prevented by taking the proper precautions.

NOMA On Camping

The local tourism industry has taken another hit.  The Province is cancelling overnight camping in nine Provincial Parks across Northern Ontario, including one in the Northwest.  Ron Nelson is President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association and says the government is hollowing of services in our communities. Nelson says the area is already reeling from the closure of three Travel Information Centres and possible reductions at Ministry of Natural Resources offices.

Search Is On For Missing Boater

O.P.P. and the Emergency Response Team in Fort Frances are searching for a missing man. A 43 year old man from an Aboriginal Community on Rainy Lake went out for firewood Wedneday afternoon and never returned. A search began using Treaty Three Police and a Ministry of Natural Resources helicopter as well. They found his vessel overturned at approximately 9:00 O'clock last night. E.R.T. members and marine officers from both agencies are working with community members to continue the search today.

New Walmart Is Open

The County Fair Walmart is now open!  During a grand opening celebration this morning just over 8-thousand dollars was provided to several community groups.  Assistant Manager Jason Otholt says they're happy to give back.  Some of the recipients of the donations include The Children's Miracle Network, Special Olympics, and the Ontario Native Women's Association.

Increase In Border Traffic For September

More and more people are visiting the United States. Officals with Canada Border Services say officers checked just under 55,000 travellers for the month of Spetember and processed more than 26,000 vehicles at the Pigeon River border corssing. That's an increase of just under 4% in the number of people headed to the U.S. and an increase of just over 3% in the number of vehicles checked from the same time last year.

Thunderwolves Take On Mustangs

The rivalry will be renewed tonight at the Fort William Gardens as the Lakehead university Thunderwolves take on the Western Mustangs in an O.U.A. West Division battle. The Thunderwolves lead the division with a 4-1-1 record while Western has struggled out of the gate going 2-and-2. Interim Head coach Mike Busniuk says special teams will be key. The Thunderwolves and Mustangs play at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Fort William Gardens.

City Hosts Spooktacular Sunday

The City is making use of it's waterfront by hosting a Spooktacular Sunday from 1 until 5.  Organizer Angie Jensen says they want to get all of the City's kids involved in arts.  Jensen says the event is free so everyone can take part.

Police Probe North Side Death

Thunder Bay Police are calling the death of a 52 year old man suspicious.  Constable Julie Tilbury says the investigation began after a call to a Belton Street home on Thursday morning.
The Criminal Investigations Branch and Forensic Officers are heading up the probe.

Campbell Launches Back To Work Campaign

Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is in Thunder Bay today to launch the "MPPs Back to Work Campaign." The Ontario New Democrats are circulating a petition calling on the Liberal government to put the provincial legislature back to work. Campbell launched the Northwestern Ontario campaign today at the local Ministry of Northern Development Office.

Tosca Reno In T.Bay This Weekend

Clean Eating Guru Tosca Reno is going to be teaching people how to eat healthy at an upcoming workshop. Reno is in the City Friday for a book signing at Janzen's Pharmacy on Bay Street and Saturday for a workshop at the Victoria Inn. Reno feels anyone, anywhere can eat clean since you can always get access to an apple. Her book signing is Friday from 2 until 4.

Poverty Reduction Strategy

The City is creating a poverty reduction strategy. The poverty reduction committee held its inaugural meeting recently and Chair Paul Pugh says the strategy has been a long time coming. Pugh says they hope to have a plan in place by September 2013.

Police Attend Shuniah St. Address

City police are backing off from using the word standoff, but they say that they were sent to a Shuniah Street address to look for a person.  Residents were left wondering about an increased police presence this afternoon.   Spokesperson Julie Tibury says they ended up finding a distraught person at another address and that no criminal charge is involved.

Zellers Prepares To Close

The Intercity Mall's Zellers store is getting ready to close it's doors.  They've started to mark down their merchandise in advance of Target taking over in 2013.  Target Spokesperson Tamar Nersesian says renovations will take six to nine months.  The Target store is expected to open in the summer of 2013.

NOMA Talks McGuinty

The President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is looking at the positives surrounding the resignation of Premier Dalton McGuinty.  Ron Nelson says this now provides a window of opportunity.  Nelson says they will grill the candidates on everything impacting the north including mining, tourism and the forestry sector.

Northwest Kick Start Plan

A proposal for more cost-efficient energy generation in Northern Ontario.  At the Ontario Waterpower Conference, the Northwest Kick Start plan was featured which will provide a cheaper power supply to the Ring of Fire and First Nations communities through a grid connection.  President and CEO of Imperium Energy Larry Doran says there's no downside to the proposal.  Doran says it also allows for the development of hydro-electric generation.

Deadline For Flood Funds October 30th

The deadline to file your damage claim forms from the May 28th flood is this Wednesday.  Disaster Relief Chair Wayne Fletcher says there are still some people who haven't submitted their forms because they've been having trouble getting estimates.  So far 200 people have submitted claim forms.  Application forms will be accepted at the disaster relief office on Donald Street up until 4:30 on Wednesday.

Turning Point Rehab Centre Open

Shelter House is celebrating the grand opening of it's Alcohol Management Program.  The 2 year pilot project is a 15 bed rehab facility that provides housing for homeless people who struggle with drugs and alcohol.  Executive Director Patty Hajdu says it's a vast improvement from sending them to a jail cell.  The centre opened in March and currently has 11 residents.

Four Charged In Coke Bust

Four people are charged in connection with a drug bust on the 100 block of South Franklin Street.     Police say 16 thousand dollars worth of cocaine was seized in the raid.    Smaller amounts of marijuana, Oxycontin and Morphine were also found. 

Petition Drive On

A Thunder Bay man is distributing petitions to 53 thousand homes in the city. Cec Cranston is hoping to convince the powers that be to built a transition home for elderly people who get out of hospital and are waiting for an opening at a nursing home. Cranston hopes to correct some government decisions from the past.   Cranston admits however the petitions may be confusing to some and should be read carefully before signing.

Special Weather Statement Issued

Environment Canada is issuing a special weather statement for Marathon, Schreiber, Wawa and White River. More rain along with occasional thunderstorms are on the way with another 25 mm of rain possible today. Local rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm are possible in locales that receive a thunderstorm or two. Motorists should exercise caution and be prepared for sudden low visibility in very heavy downpours from the thunderstorms.

Assessments On The Way

Homeowners will want to keep an eye out for their property assessment letter. The government agency that asseses property values is out with their latest numbers which indicate property values have increased by more than 29 percent since 2008. Spokesperson Darlene Morgan says you can expect to see an increase of 7-percent phased in over the next four years but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be paying higher taxes.

Johnson Frustrated Over Council Flip-Flops

One At-Large Councillor is voicing a growing frustration with the number of decisions that have been reversed recently. Rebecca Johnson says city lawmakers have flip-flopped on issues such as The Botanical Conservatory and Municipal Golf Course because council is bowing to the slightest bit of pressure from the public. Johnson says the current council doesn't legislate as well compared to the previous two council's she's been a part of.

Trio Of SIJHL Players Selected To Camp

Hockey Canada, in partnership with the Canadian Junior Hockey League, announced Tuesday the 60 players that will attend the Canada West selection camp in preparation for the 2012 World Junior A Challenge. Among the 60 players chosen to take part in the four-day selection camp, which goes Oct. 28-31 in Calgary are three from the Superior International Junior League in defenceman Jon Carlson of the Fort Frances Lakers along with Lakers forward Colton Spicer and Dylan Mascarin, a forward with the Thunder Bay North Stars. The 17 year-old Spicer currently leads his club in offensive production as the Fort Frances product has 16 points in 11 games including eight goals. He is also tied for fifth in SIJHL scoring. Carlson, 18, another hometown player on the Lakers roster, is riding a five-game point streak and has nine points in 11 outings overall. Mascarin is averaging over a point-per-game for the North Stars so far this season. The 17 year-old has 11 points in nine games on three goals and eight assists.

English Rules In Thunder Bay

English is the top first language for residents of Thunder Bay. Brigitte Chavez of Statistics Canada says the latest census data shows 86 per cent of the population has English as the mother tongue and French is way back at 2 and a half per cent. The top  mother tongues in the city after English and French are; Italian, Finnish, Polish, Ukrainian and German and for the first time Spanish has made it into the top ten languages spoken in Thunder Bay.

Cliffs Working On EA

Cliffs Natural Resources is in the early stages of working on it's environmental assessment for the Ring of Fire project.  Spokesperson Jason Aagenes says they're collecting public input on their project for both the Federal and Provincial Governments.  The mining company hopes to submit their completed assessment to the Provincial and Federal Government in 2013.  The mining company is holding an open house at the Airlane tonight.

Dave Douglas Jewellers Closing

Thunder Bay is losing a long time jewellery store.  Dave Douglas Jewellers is closing it's doors once the all merchandise is sold.  Douglas says he's not going to try to sell his business; he just wants to retire. The store in one form or another has been around since 1908.  Douglas bought the store in 1973 from George H. Burke Jewellers.

Hospital Expanding With New Building

Thunder Bay's Hospital continues to grow.  CEO Andree Robichaud say they're building a new health services centre that will house several of their programs like Cardiac care.  A ground breaking ceremony was held Wednesday at 1040 Oliver Road.

Children's Centre Cutting Staff

Thunder Bay's Children Centre is merging two group homes. That means 4 full time staff are being reduced to part time, and 12 part time employees are being laid off.  Executive Director Tom Walters says the move is due to a lack of demand for their service.

Adam Leon Awaits Fate

It's a case one city lawyer calls double jeopardy.   A former Confederation College aviation student is hoping a Thunder Bay judge will agree that he's already paid his dues.   Adam Leon is charged with theft in connection with an incident in April of 2009 that caused an international sensation after a Cessna was taken from the college flight school and flown into the United States. In court this morning his lawyer Neil McCartney argued that Leon has already been punished in the U.S. with jail time and that should count in Canada.  The judge in the cause will be handing down a ruling on December 5th. 

New Walmart Opens Friday

The city's new Walmart is set to open this Friday.  The County Fair Mall location will open to the public at 8 am sharp.  The store will be home to 105 employees.  The Arthur Street Walmart is expected to be open by November.

Vehicle Destroyed In Fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service say they will look more closely at a vehicle fire from this morning. Crews were called to the 500 block of 11th Avenue at 8:45 a.m. to find a suburban fully engulfed in flames. District Chief Richard Morden says no one was in the vicinity of the fire and no one was hurt.  

Multiplex Concerns Coming To Council

A group of concerned taxpayers plan to voice their concerns to City Council.  Around 60 people attended a public meeting last night calling on the City to hold a vote on the location of the proposed Multiplex.  Chair Ray Smith says they'll be bringing the results of local media polls and feedback from the meeting to council.  Smith says many people are opposed to the downtown waterfront location because of the cost.

No Twinkle For Stars At Home

The Thunder Bay North Stars have some work to do in order to catch up with the league's elite. The two-time defending S.I.J.H.L. champion Minnesota Wilderness scored two powerplay goals and skated to a 5-1 win over the Thunder Bay North Stars at the Gardens last night. The win improves Minnesota's first place record to 12-2, while the second place North Stars dropped to 8-4 on the season.