Arbor Day Saturday

It's Arbor Day. The City is doing its part and is planting over 100 trees at Boulevard Lake's Birch Point as a way of improving the urban forest. Over 200 shrubs will also be planted along the Boulevard Lake shoreline to help stabilize the bank and reduce erosion.

LU Signs New Volleyball Player

Lakehead University's Thunderwolves women's Volleyball program has signed a new player. 6 foot Attacker Stephanie Green has committed to the team. She comes from St. Ignatius high school and has chosen Sociology to study.

Injured Workers Protesting Today

Members of the local Injured Workers group are holding a protest at MPP Michael Gravelle's office today.  It's over their disappointment with the appointment of Elizabeth Witmer to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Spokesperson Steve Mantis says they also feel the Liberal Government rejected the Arthurs' report on how to improve the WSIB and save money.

Seven Held in Border Incident

Officials say three people who tried to get into Canada illegally this week are being held in custody at the District Jail. Chris Kealy of Canada Border Services says they were caught shortly after they crossed in from Pigeon River earlier this week. Four other Canadians who police say allegedly tried to help them are also in custody. Kealy says for privacy reasons they won't say what country the three originated from.

Giant Toy Store Chain Coming

Let the children rejoice, because Toys R Us is coming to Thunder Bay. Developer Toby Singlehurst says the new store will be 36 thousand square feet in size and located in the Thunder Centre.  He says groundbreaking could take place as soon as next week with an opening in  time for the holiday season.  Singlehurst says Toys R Us officials have told him they are excited about coming into the Thunder Bay market.

NOSM Hosts Conference

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine begins hosting the 7th annual Northern Health Research Conference today.  Associate Dean of Research, Dr. Greg Ross, says there are two conferences happening simultaneously and the focus is on health care in the North. Approximately 1-hundred people are in attendance from around the world.

NOMA Looks Beyond Smelter Decision

Disappointment yes, but optimism continues for the President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.  Ron Nelson says the decision to locate a chromite smelter in Sudbury will still result in some rippling economic effects for this region in the future.  Nelson says all 37-municipalities within the Association have to pressure the government heavily to ensure they keep their promises.

Port's Reputation Grows

Officials with the Port of Thunder Bay continue their quest for more customers. At the Annual General Meeting CEO Tim Heney says that the port will be building on last year's successes.  He says with each big shipment the port's reputation grows.   Heney states the port's credibility will get a shot in the arm when the new crane is in place this summer.

Search & Rescue Celebrates Anniversary

The Lakehead Search and Rescue organization celebrates its 50th anniversary Friday night. 120 current and past members will take part in a dinner at the Italian Cultural Centre. Board member Nickolas Knought says it takes a special kind of person to become a member because volunteers donate their time, resources and energy into helping rescue people in distress. Knought says now that people are using G.P.S. more and more, there has been a drop in requests from police for their assistance.

Tourist Information Centre Issue Won't Go Away

The Provincial Government is again being pressed for answers as to why tourist information centres in Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River are being closed. During debate at Queen's Park, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says Tourism Minister Michael Chan needs to come clean and explain why centres in her riding are closing while Pigeon River stays opens. The Minister's Parliamentary Assistance Kim Craitor says Pigeon River is being left open because it serves an important American market.

Occupy Thunder Bay Set For Saturday

Occupy Thunder Bay is giving it another try.  After several poorly attended protests they hope to pick up more steam on Saturday.  They'll be meeting at City Hall at 1 in the afternoon.  The group is protesting economic inequality and corporate greed.

OHC meeting in T.Bay

Thunder Bay is one of the stops for an Ontario wide tour talking about the future of Health Care.  The Ontario Health Coalition is putting on the meeting that will talk about the Provincial Government's plans to cut health care services.  The meeting is going to be held on Thursday, May 31st at the Waverley Resource Library.

Grinspun visits NWO

The health care system can save money and help more patients by using nurses more for primary care. That's one of the recommendations in a draft report prepared by a task force set up by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Chief Executive Officer Doris Grinspun says nurses are being under-utilized in the health care system. Grinspun is on a tour of Northwestern Ontario.

Wilson Looks At Positive Side

Smelter or no smelter, the message is not all doom and gloom from the president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.   Harold Wilson says even though the region will not be getting a chromite smelter it's important to remember that the Ring of Fire project has plenty of opportunities and there there's  a lot  of wealth to go around. Wilson believes however that Cliffs Natural Resources may not have considered everything when they made the decision on the smelter's location.

Commissioner Talks Competing Rights

Ontario's Human Rights Commissioner is travelling the province educating the public on a new policy by the commission on the issue of competing rights. In Thunder Bay, Barbara Hall, explains the policy is designed to help community leaders settle such issues out of court and avoid costly legal bills.  Competing rights takes place when two sets of human rights clash and both sides have legitimate claims.

Hobbs Slams Government Over Smelter Decision

There is huge disappointment among city leaders to the decision by Cliffs Natural Resources to locate Its Ring of Fire chromite smelter near Sudbury.    No one is more upset that our Mayor Keith Hobbs who wasn't able to hide his outrage.  He says not only did Thunder Bay get nothing but so did area First Nations.  He says the government didn't bother to include our leaders in discussions with Cliffs on the smelter location.

Waboose Lashes Out At Minister

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne is going to remember this day for a long time.   She was confronted openly at a Thunder Bay news conference by Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose.  Waboose was upset the McGuinty government and Cliffs Natural Resources chose not to include First Nations in the talks leading up to the announcement of Cliffs chromite smelter.   The following is the entire discussion between Waboose and Wynne.

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Cliffs selects Sudbury

And the winner is...Sudbury.  That's the site Cliffs Natural Resources has selected for the Ring of Fire Chromite Smelter.  Sudbury was selected due to various economic and technical factors including transportation logistics, labor, long mining tradition, community support and access to electrical power. 

Cocaine Bust

Two Thunder Bay residents have been charged with possession of Cocaine. City Police conducted a raid on a home on Highway 61 where they seized $11,400 worth of drugs. A 33 year old man and 27 year old woman will appear back in court on June 6th.

Drug Bust In Sioux Lookout

O.P.P. have arrested two people in Sioux Lookout for drug possession. Police say they found Oxycontin and Codeine pills worth $8,000. Effie and Cornelius Matthews have each been charged with two counts of possession.